Author J.M. Lanham

J.M. Lanham is an American author of science fiction, suspense, thrillers, and supernatural fiction.

Friday Science Break

How Does the FDA’s Drug Approval Process Work?

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There’s a good reason why Big Pharma cozies up to the FDA.

In the past, your local snake-oil salesman could just fill bottles full of puréed grass clippings and hot sauce and call it a cure-all. Fortunately, the drug industry is a lot more regulated than it used to be.

Highly flawed on several fronts, but still, regulated.

Nowadays, drug companies must go through a rigorous clinical-trial process before obtaining FDA approval. Even then, harmful drugs may fall through the cracks, but at least it’s better than taking the traveling apothecary’s word for it.

When you get a minute, check out this infographic detailing the FDA’s drug approval process. The length and depth of the process may surprise you.

It also highlights the very reason why keeping Big Pharma influence from the FDA is so important.

FDA Drug Approval Process Infographic

Happy Friday!

— J.M. Lanham

Are Psychic Powers Real?

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Are psychic powers real?

First, I’ll give you the short answer: Nope.

Now, let’s dive into that conclusion for a minute. During research for The R.E.M. Effect, I came across some interesting topics surrounding the idea of mind control.

While most articles alluded to things like telepaths, mind readers, superheroes, and the CIA’s MK-Ultra project, one article caught my attention in a different way.

It was an excerpt from a book written by one of America’s top psychics, and he was calling out his peers. According to ex-psychic/medium Mark Edward, all psychics are frauds.

What’s even more interesting is something else Edward points out: that so-called psychic abilities are really a form of mind control, using clever tricks and persuasive speech to convince people to believe everything you want them to believe.

So if you’ve ever wanted to take a peek into the mind of one of America’s top psychics, now’s your chance.

Oh, and if you’re scheduled for a palm reading in the near future, don’t forget to cancel it.

I Was One of America’s Top Psychics – And Like All of Them, a Complete Fraud

Happy Friday!

– J.M. Lanham

Genes vs. DNA vs. Chromosomes: What’s the Difference?

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Genetics is hard.

That was my conclusion when I was first introduced to genetics in high school, and one I maintained throughout college.

Genetics may seem like an intimidating subject–and rightfully so–but once you get the basics down, it’s much easier to see how promising the field of genetic modification really is.

Patients suffering from genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and sickle cell anemia will all benefit from advances in genetic research.

It’s not a matter of if, but when.

So let’s take a moment to break down the basics. There are three terms anyone talking genetics should be familiar with: DNA, genes, and chromosomes.

Scientific American did an excellent job of laying out the roles of each in the following video, so check it out when you get a minute.

Genes vs. DNA vs. Chromosomes

Enjoy!

 – J.M. Lanham

9 Million Americans Use Sleeping Pills, Says CDC

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Trouble sleeping? You’re not alone.

A 2013 study by the CDC shows over 9 million Americans use sleeping pills to get a good night’s rest.

And that study was three years ago.

Sleeping pills by the clock.
Are we too quick to reach for pills?

The proliferation of drugs to treat everything from dry eyes to receding hairlines has taken America by storm, and sleeping medications are no different. If you’ve got a problem, you can certainly find a pill to treat it.

What does the CDC’s study say about society? Are we too quick to rush to our doctors, asking for a prescription at the first sign of problems in our lives? Are pills the answer to conditions like insomnia, or are there better ways to get through those restless nights?

When you get a moment, check out the CDC’s findings in the article listed below.

CDC: 9 Million Americans Use Prescription Sleeping Pills

Happy Friday!

 – J.M. Lanham

The Role of Serendipity in Drug Discovery

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Have you ever started looking for one thing, only to find something else altogether?

Alexander Fleming postage stamp.
Postage stamp commemorating Alexander Fleming.

It’s called serendipity, and it happens when we begin to look for A, only to find B. And occasionally, B turns out to be a lot more useful than the thing we were searching for in the first place.

We’re all familiar with how this works around the house, like searching for the remote control only to find a handful of pennies under the couch cushions.

But this also happens in drug discovery, and more often than you might think. Were not for Alexander Fleming’s moldy petri dishes, penicillin might have taken decades to come across the medicinal radar. The same goes for insulin, a late 19th century discovery that started with the removal of a dog’s pancreas to study the role of the organ in digestion.

And then there’s the Viagra story, a medication originally intended to treat hypertension. We all know how that one turned out.

When you get a moment, check out the article below.

The Role of Serendipity in Drug Discovery

Happy Friday!

 – J.M. Lanham

Friday Science Break: Brain Waves vs. Radio Waves

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Radios are incredible, aren’t they?

Think about how radios work for a minute. Vibrating electrons create radio waves that race through the air at the speed of light, crashing into receiving antennas where they are fine-tuned for our listening pleasure.

 Most people already know radios work by decoding radio waves plucked right out of the air, but did you know our brains produce similar waves?

 Brain waves are the radio waves inside our heads. Both are forms of electromagnetic radiation, albeit with a few notable differences.

 So what if you could “tune in” to the brain waves of another person? What would you find? Is picking up on low-frequency brain waves even possible?

 The researchers at the MIT School of Engineering posed this question, and it’s the topic of this Friday’s science break.

 Can Brain Waves Interfere with Radio Waves?

 Enjoy!

 – J.M. Lanham