Health care debate and discussion is everywhere these days, so I found this fun Charlie Rose presentation on the genome and its mapping from June 2009. The guests on this segment are Steven Pinker (Harvard cognitive scientist/psychologist), George Church (founder of the Human Genome Project), Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey (founders of 23andMe).

It’s a basic overview of the benefits and concerns associated with the beginnings of genome sampling: expensive and limited access to the technology, whether or not it’s good to know the risks in one’s genes, and the comparison of the researchers’ and genome mapping companies’ perspective.

I like how Charlie Rose says “ji-nome” instead of “g-nome.”

The video is located here
The Human Genome Project
23andMe

The other day, I heard a piece on NPR about bonobos playing instruments and making music. That in itself is interesting (as it the work being done at the Music Research Institute at UNC-Greensboro), but there was also a theory of music described that was new to me (but might be old hat to some of you).

Basically, the theory was that music comes from womb sounds, so the mother’s heartbeat, voice, and breathing are the foundations of music. Maybe that’s why some people talk about liking rap songs for the beat, and not caring much for the lyrics.

Here’s the radio piece
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