Dr. Peter B Allen – Lab Blog
Latest posts
Iron Battery 3.0 is Published!
In 2017, I started this science YouTube channel. Folks were pretty interested in batteries. I thought that it would be fun to make something accessible – maybe even a do-it-yourself style battery. There s the classic lemon cell demonstration, but I wanted to make something cheap and rechargeable. I was inspired by Donald Sadoway’s TED talk about [ ]
Which is more important: Diet or Exercise?
My latest work is a bit of a rant about a research rabbit hole. I was trying to ask what seemed like a simple question. Which is more important to longevity: diet or exercise? That seems pretty straightforward. I was surprised to find that it was almost impossible to get a clear comparison between two effects. And then I found this study by Atefatfar et al. (2023).
Video essay on Robots (plus a DIY chemistry demo)
I managed to post three videos since my last update. A vlog about burning Iron: https://youtu.be/46YlW8qjp_c Burning Iron Attempt 2: pure-ish oxygen: https://youtu.be/SURy8xRsRp4 A video essay about robotics and automation: https://youtu.be/TisXw8zS5r0 The slightly expanded essay is below for your reading pleasure. Robot essay: It’s happening now I have been writing about robots. I posted a [ ]
Aluminum is Wealth and Knowledge is Better than Gold
This post is also available in video form: https://youtu.be/pXXad5FmkiU Aluminum is wealth. That sounds strange – it’s cheap, and it’s a recent invention. But the fact that we can all get use (goods and services) because of things made of aluminum is a kind of wealth. And it’s an example of a bigger principle. When [ ]
Two videos, one BIG one about aging biology
I posted two videos in March: Using electroluminescent film as a lightbox for tracing: https://youtu.be/ygrJ_BAm_Kg Aging biology at 4 levels: https://youtu.be/9_JTit5J9zo The second one was a doozy, here’s the edited-for-text version. Aging biology at 4 levels It all started with a video by CGP Grey called “Why Die?” that came out in 2017. I have [ ]
Nuclear Fusion Fuels – Where will they come from?
This post is also a video! Click here to watch. I know you’ve seen lots of people say “fusion is limitless energy forever and it’s just around the corner. A brighter future will soon dawn for everyone.” I think that hype is maybe not ideal. I do this thing where I read the news like [ ]
Top Science of 2023
Here is the science I was most excited about in 2023. It’s still January! I got it done just in time! This post is also a video. If you want this post in video format, you can click here. I reviewed the lists of top science from Science magazine, Nature, the Guardian, as well as [ ]
A Deeper Look at Systems Biology and Aging
Why do we need Systems Biology to help science slow or stop aging? That would be the most profound medical breakthrough since antibiotics. I think systems biology is the key and I spent the last month learning about how it relates to aging research, and I ve tried to summarize my thoughts here and in a [ ]
What is Systems Biology and can it help cure aging?
Aging is complex, with lots of interacting parts. A new field called “systems biology” can give us a more accurate picture of how aging works and maybe we can get closer to a cure. We can think of a cell as a tiny submarine with thousands of little crewmen (proteins) all working together to make [ ]