Science for You From viruses to eating disorders, science can tell us a lot
I began to write this column because I have worried for some time that we scientists do not do a good job of explaining science to the general public. I have been helped a lot by my wife, Ann, who is an excellent editor, critic, and scientist herself. She suggested that I should write a column about what science is, why do we do it, and support it as part of our culture. Most science, but not all, is based on the gathering of information about a natural phenomenon, such as a disease, and then developing ideas (hypotheses) about the observations, and then devising a way to test these ideas to see if they predict what will happen in the future.
Let’s consider two present examples. First, the emergence of COVID-19, which is affecting all of us. For example, our local hospital, St. Joseph Health (http://www.stjoehumboldt.org) is part of an experiment to see if a drug called, remdesivir, is effective for treating patients infected by this corona virus. The CEO of St. Joseph Health, Dr. Roberta Luskin-Hawk worked previously with Dr. Anthony Fauci Director of The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAHD). NIAHD did a study to determine the effectiveness of remdesivir in patients affected by COVID-19. Eight hundred similar patients were involved. Some got the drug, and as a way of observing the possibility of other effects on patients, some of them were not treated with the drug but with a fake (placebo). Neither they nor their physicians knew whether they had received remdesivir. The rate of death for those receiving the drug was 8%, while 11.6% of those who were only given the placebo died. This difference is not statistically significant given the size of the patient groups. We need larger sample sizes, and that is why St. Joseph Health is involved in the study. They have only treated a small number of patients but will submit their results along with others involved in the study to determine how useful remdesivir can be for treating patients infected with this coronavirus. One of the important aspects of science is different scientists repeating an experiment done earlier to see if the results can be repeated. This COVID-19 test is being done by a series of different hospitals. It will take time to complete these studies and analyze the results. Many other drugs are being studied in the same way.
Another example of a recent scientific study involves an eating problem. The study, published in Science magazine (https://science.sciencemag. org/content/368/6487/124), of the reasons for a self-starvation eating disorder, anorexia, investigates whether prior hypotheses about the reasons for this eating disorder are accurate. This disorder affects about 1% of the American people and affects both genders, but females more often than males. It causes the body to lose so much weight that about 10% of those affected die. The original explanation for the origin of this disorder was that young women were so impressed by a culture that adores thinness that they forced themselves to starve. However, several women scientists are looking at the possible biological bases for the disorder. Studies of twins have shown that genes are responsible for about 60% of anorexia disorder. More recent studies of brain circuits involved in the control of eating behavior have shown clear differences between people with anorexia and those without, establishing that the behavior is not strictly voluntary.
The more different scientific ideas are pursued about an issue, the more clarity is possible. High quality results supported by lots of data are needed before conclusions can be drawn. This is why it will likely take a significant amount of time to develop a vaccine to prevent infection by COVID-19.
Rollin Richmond is an emeritus professor of biology and emeritus president at Humboldt State University. He has worked as an evolutionary geneticist at several universities during his career. (Full disclosure: He happens to be responsible for 50 percent of Times-Standard publisher John Richmond’s genetic makeup.) Questions or comments about this column can be sent to rollinr@ humboldt.edu.