One hundred seventy years ago, tuberculosis was a lethal disease. This illness posed a significant threat to humanity, resulting in an estimated 1 billion deaths between 1700 and 1900. Notably, traces of tuberculosis have been found in the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings. In the late 1840s, German botanist Hermann Brehmer, confronted with the fatality of tuberculosis, relocated to the Himalayas in search of fresh air. Remarkably, he survived and is believed to have successfully fought off Mycobacterium tuberculosis in that less favorable environment for bacterial growth. As a result, numerous nursing homes emerged across Europe and the United States, including specialized facilities for tuberculosis care and luxury accommodations for the affluent. However, by the 1940s, many of these nursing homes began closing due to the emergence of antibiotics, which drastically changed their economic viability. Throughout history, it seems that economic value often proves transient. - Joseph’s “j...
After the Human Genome Project mapped our DNA, we discovered that gene expression and activation patterns can be altered and passed on to future generations without changes in sequence, a phenomenon known as epigenetics. This means that even identical twins, whose genetic information is almost 100% exact, will have different gene activation patterns based on their environment and experiences and pass on their traits to the next generation. A typical phenomenon is methylation (CH3), which is the addition of one carbon and three hydrogens to CpGs in mammalian sequences. Depending on this methylation, although someone inherits the same gene sequence, certain genetic traits can be activated or deactivated. It is also believed that a unique upbringing or education in life influences this phenomenon. Of course, as with any scientific phenomenon or technology, the cause or effect may change over time, but if there's a lesson to be learned, this is one of the most important reasons not to ...