The driving force on a permeant ion–and hence the direction in which it flows when a conduction pathway for it opens–is determined *both* by its concentration gradient *and* by the voltage across the membrane (i.e., the electrical gradient). The membrane potential at which there is no net inward or outward flux for a permeant ion [...]

Libertarianism can only be sold to people who are convinced that it is *never* going to happen and completely utterly *impossible* that their neck would ever be the one under the boot of the “free” individual actor. This is exactly why libertarianism is always bound up in the continuation of systems of oppression such as [...]

Note: You can definitely leave out the sausage, and this shitte is still fucken delicious. INGREDIENTS one pound farfalle two third pounds sausage two third cup diced onion six hugeasse garlic cloves, diced fresh-ground black pepper one hugeasse pinch dried oregano one fuckeloade crushed red pepper flakes salt olive oil three small cans crushed san [...]

Anybody know what the dude is singing about?

Can someone please explain to me why over the course of a trading day, the little “squiggly” ups and downs of the Dow Jones Industrial, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 stock indices are nearly all exactly synchronous, even though the overall percent change for each index can be quite different (such as yesterday)?

There is a discussion going on right now at the Scientopia Guest Blogge concerning the practicalities and ethics of what a post-doc mentor and the post-doc should respectively continue to work on after the post-doc leaves the mentor’s lab and starts her own independent lab. The basic question being addressed is the nature of the [...]

I am no economist, but isn’t this completely backwards when inflation is too low, as it probably is now? Lower inflation gives consumers more spending power, which boosts growth. It also gives the Federal Reserve more flexibilty to keep interest rates low and take other steps to boost the economy.

INGREDIENTS one medium onion, chopped two large celery stalks, slices five slices bacon, cut up in pieces fresh-ground black pepper three ten-ounce cans of clam juice six cans chopped clams (do not use Bar Harbor brand!) one small can crushed san marzanos two big pinches dried thyme one big pinch dried oregano two bay leafs [...]

INGREDIENTS three pounds trimmed and cubed lamb shoulder one large white onion, rough chopped three large carrots, peeled and cut into big pieces two large celery spears, sliced six large garlic cloves, sliced two bottles Guinness hugeasse splash of Bulleitt rye (and copious swigs for the chef) fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme sprigs two bay [...]