Rabbit Hole of Research the Podcast: Episode 5: Mutants! The Show Notes


This has no particular format; it’s just correcting or updating anything in the show we didn’t get a chance to fully talk about or things we had on the tips of our tongues and couldn’t get out as we recorded. As always, feel free to comment, and we will address stuff in future shows! Enjoy.

artwork by 

Georgia Geis@atomicnumber14 https://www.instagram.com/atomic_number14/


Say hello and let us know:

Who your favorite mutant is?

Favorite Cereal/food to eat while watching cartoons?

Excited about X-men 97?


What are we drinking:

Joe and Nick: Insufficient Clarence: Sketchbook Brewery


Genotype vs phenotype

Genotype is an organisms unique sequence of DNA. 

Phenotype is the observable expression of this genotype – a person’s presentation.


Mutation:

Hereditary mutations (germ line) vs Somatic mutations (non-germ line cells)

Causes:

Mutagens

is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level.

Carcinogens:

any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (Cancer). 

Teratogens: 

substances that may cause non-heritable birth defects via a toxic effect on an embryo or fetus.


Cancer:

Predisposed for cancer?

Cancer from secondhand smoke.


Peppered Moth’s adaptation during Industrial Revolution

Evolutionary changes of African Elephant thank size due to poaching

Wolves adapt to radiation at Chernobyl


Marvel Unique Mutants: 

Sooraya: 

A mutant with the ability to transform her body into a pliable cloud of dust. 

Bailey Hoskins: Worst X-man ever

A mutant with the worst power of self-detonation which he could only use once, since this power could kill him


Fallout series video game


Legacy virus

The Legacy Virus was based on a virus created by Apocalypse in the distant future, which was intended to kill the remaining non-mutants.

Stryfe engineered the Legacy virus to kill mutants. In the beginning the virus was only targeting mutants but it jumped to humans

Comic series cured by Colossus and in X:Men animated series it was Wolverine was used by Cable to generate a cure (utilizing wolverine’s healing factor).


Can we create a Real Wolverine 

Healing factor 

Wolverine has healing factor: he can heal from any injury or disease. Yet, there are a number of inconstancies. Also, Wolverine has bones fused with Adamantium (a virtually indestructible steel alloy named after the fabled metal Adamantine of Greek mythology).

All about Bones:

What are Bones made of? Our bones have metal: calcium, trace metals like copper, zinc, magnesium 

Bones are needed to act as a calcium sink

Metal to Bone fusing

Osseointegration (from Latin osseus “bony” and integrare “to make whole”) is the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing artificial implant

Osseointegration was first observed—albeit not explicitly stated—by Bothe, Beaton, and Davenport in 1940

What happens if you coat bones in metal?

Adamantium ripped from his body by Magneto’s powers: Wolverine #75


Human genotypes/phenotypes similar Marvel’s Nightcrawler

Humans born with tails

Pointy ears

Blue skin

Fused/ Webbed fingers


Gus Gormon played by Richard Pryor in Superman III makes fake Kryptonite and creates Evil Superman.


DC doesn’t have mutants, but Metahumans. But a metahuman by any other name is still a mutant.


Godzilla clone: Space Godzilla


Movie: Gattaca (1997)

Book: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 1932:


Hearing loss

Hair cells

Genetic hearing loss restored with gene therapy

Old age hearing loss


Alzheimer’s treatment disparities

Alzheimer’s drug trials plagued by lack of racial diversity

Movie: Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011)


Okay, that’s it for this episode. How’d we do?


You can always email (I do answer back), click the comment link below, or follow me online for real time tracking.

Author: Jotham

Jotham Austin, II lives in Chicagoland with his wife and two sons. He has his PhD in Botany, and can be found taking electron micrographs of cells at The University of Chicago. His Rom-Com novella, “Tomorrow May Be Too Late” will be published as part of the romance anthology, “Askew Ever After,” January 2021. His debut novel, a sci-fi psychological thriller, ‘Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?” will be released February 2021. Jotham recently started a newsletter that explores the science in science fiction (signup at jothamaustin.com). Preorder books and Follow Jotham on social media at https://linktr.ee/Jothamaustin

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