Tuesday 12 November 2013

Biology in Entertainment

I watched a recent episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that dealt with a virus that resulted in a person exploding in an EMP blast. Obviously that's a bit far fetched but there were some fairly decent examples of biology (for a TV show).

  • They held a Gilson Pipette correctly
  • They tested a cure on infected mice first
  • They didn't try and use antibiotics! (I'm looking at you "Walking Dead")
  • In an almost Sesame Street fashion they taught the viewers that you can't treat a viral infection with a vaccine but with an antiserum - the antibodies from a host that has been exposed to said virus.
They also used a centrifuge but they lose points for trying to make it more sexy with flashing lights (although I'd like one of those for a lab disco). They also removed the sample (which may or may not have been balanced) and then inverted several times which would make the centrifugation a little pointless.

Anyway I give this episode an overall thumbs up for Biology. I suspect physicists would not be so happy with how the skydiving scene could have ever happened.

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