Thursday Things: Health and History Edition
30 November 2023. Vol 5 No 48. By Dan McGirt. #225
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“I’m just a turtle. What do I know?” Photo by Wexor Tmg on Unsplash
The Revolution at Sea
As an American I was taught about the American Revolution (aka the Revolutionary War or War for Independence) in school from, naturally, the American perspective.
The British were the tea-taxing heavies who thought they could bully the 13 Colonies, stomp on our rights, push us around, and take all our stuff, the big meanies. But they met their match in the brave, relentless, often hungry and shoeless, patriot army led by George Washington. Valley Forge, crossing the Delaware, Yorktown, game over. The French may have helped toward the end, earning an assist. Yay, America!
Or so the story goes.
Overlooked in this account is another huge provided to the American cause by the British themselves, mainly in the form of being incompetent, overconfident, and ultimately overextended. So I enjoyed this informative article about the Royal Navy’s role in dropping the ball:
How Britain’s Royal Navy lost the American Revolutionary War
The American patriots had no navy when the Revolutionary War began, and little prospect of creating one which could be effective against the British. The entire American coastline was exposed to the largest navy in the world. Yet in the naval war which was a major factor in the American’s independence, the Americans prevailed, both before and after the French intervened on their behalf. American raids on British shipping raised insurance rates in London to crippling highs. British ships were defeated by American upstarts in sight of British shores. Morale plummeted in England. Here is how Britain’s Royal Navy lost the American Revolutionary War.
Pretty much the sum of what I knew about the American navy during the Revolution was that John Paul Jones won a naval engagement off the coast of Britain1, where he may or may not have said “I have not yet begun to fight!”
This lengthy and well-researched article covers 25 points about how the American navy overperformed and the Royal Navy kept tripping over its own anchor chains.
For me the takeaway is that if the British had avoided even just a few of its many blunders the War for American Independence might have ended up as the Attempted American Rebellion That Fizzled. Some might see the hand of Providence in all that.
At the very least, it shows the dangers of a large, bureaucratic and hidebound organization trying to compete with a smaller, nimbler, more motivated upstart. That’s a lesson that can apply in many areas.
The coda to the story is that the British Navy did learn from its mistakes fighting the Americans:
In the short span of years between the end of the American Revolution and the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, the Royal Navy took steps to correct the mistakes and misjudgments from which it suffered. An increased focus on smaller vessels for operations in coastal waters and estuaries took hold. Concern for the welfare of crews became more of a focus for officers. Conveying techniques were studied and improved. A young officer who served off the Americas during the Revolution – Horatio Nelson – rose in status in the Royal Navy.
Incompetent senior officers and administrators began to be weeded out of the service, and ship design and construction improved.
Meanwhile the French were busy exiling and guillotining their experienced aristocratic naval commanders, just in time to face the revitalized British Navy in the Napoleonic Wars. And so the wheels turned. History is always fascinating, and I especially enjoy getting new perspectives on the history I thought I already knew!
Bonhome Richard vs HMS Serapis, 1779. Image: via Plymouth Rock Foundation
Health Science Roundup
Along with history, another frequent focus here at Thursday Things is new developments in medical, health, or biological science. As we know, mice get all the good stuff first and new research or breakthroughs that hit the news or the journals are often years away from any practical application that can help you or me or anyone else. But it’s nevertheless a topic I follow and I’m often amazed by what’s in the pipeline.
Here are a few recent items that interested me:
The way to better mental health may go through your stomach Yogurt is very soothing.
University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered how Lactobacillus, a bacterium found in fermented foods and yogurt, helps the body manage stress and may help prevent depression and anxiety.
…Armed with this information, researchers are poised to develop new ways to prevent and treat depression and other mental health conditions in which Lactobacillus plays an important role. For example, patients struggling with or at risk for depression might one day take specially formulated probiotic supplements to optimize their levels of helpful Lactobacillus.
People across the country are taking a host of prescription pills like Metformin, seeking out treatments like peptide injections, and implementing a range of behavioral practices in the hopes of reversing aging. By 2028, the global longevity market is expected to reach close to $183 billion, according to a market report by business intelligence firm Grand View Research.
Research shows that several of these trends can slow down the process of cellular aging, increase cognitive function, and even delay the onset of chronic diseases. Still, it's important to view any of these practices simply as tools, similar to "hammers or screwdrivers," that are neither inherently good nor bad, said Anant Vinjamoori, the chief medical officer at longevity-focused healthcare company, Modern Age.
The article surveys several longevity trends, including peptide treatments, cold plunges, luxury longevity clinics, time-restricted eating, red light therapy, an herb called Ashwagandha, and popping Metformin and the immunosuppressive drug Rapamycin. Not covered in this article: the delicious blood of young people. Which is also a thing.
Groundbreaking biomaterial can regenerate bone and teeth, study finds This is more like bone-breaking news. Or bone-repairing news, to be more accurate.
In a groundbreaking development, scientists at São Paulo State University's Botucatu Institute of Biosciences (IBB-UNESP) in Brazil have engineered a revolutionary biomaterial with the potential to significantly expedite the differentiation of osteoblasts, the specialized cells responsible for bone formation. This innovative material, cobalt-doped monetite, offers promising prospects in the realms of bone regeneration, bone grafting, dental implant recovery, and various other orthopedic procedures.
The key breakthrough lies in the role of cobalt in osteoblast differentiation, a process critical to bone formation. Professor Willian Fernando Zambuzzi, a biochemist at IBB-UNESP and the senior author of the article, elaborated on their discovery, stating, "For the first time, our data produced sufficient evidence based on hypoxia [low levels of oxygen in tissue] that we may have a novel biomimetic material with the potential to regenerate bone tissue."
Gamechanging eye drops could replace reading glasses, study finds. This item is of particular caught my eye, so to speak, now that I’ve got reading glasses. Would eye drops be better?
Local ophthalmologists are hailing Vuity as a potential game-changer for individuals suffering from Presbyopia - an age-related eye condition that results in blurred vision.
VUITY has shown promising results in improving near vision in individuals without causing any serious adverse events.
These newly approved eye drops could potentially reduce reliance on reading glasses.
"We all know the reading glasses are annoying," said Dr. Ella Faktorovich, an ophthalmologist with Pacific Vision Institute. "Within 15 minutes you can see your computer, you can see your phone so you can really improve the range of vision. I think it is huge."
Unlike the other item on the list this product has been approved and is available for people to use, not just mice!
Thank you for reading!
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In 1779 Jones was given command of the Bonhome Richard (named after Ben Franklin). It had 42 guns and was a converted merchant ship. On August 14 he set sail with a five ship squadron with two privateers in order to raid the Irish Sea and disrupt British Naval shipping. He was chased around the tip of Scotland and all down the English seacoast, causing quite an alarm. On September 23 he met with a large British convoy, led by the HMS Serapis, a 50 gun frigate. It was this battle, more than any other, that gave Jones his fame. It was the battle of Flamborough Head, off the East coast of England.
The escorts of the Serapis put themselves inbetween Jones and their merchant ships to allow them to escape. Soon the Richard engaged in a broadside battle with the Serapis. During the second broadside, two of the Richard’s cannons burst, putting the rest of his guns on the lower deck out of commission. Though the Serapis wanted to gain enough distance to continue to rake her sides, the Richard rammed her in the stern, and Jones ordered his men to lash the two ships together, rendering the guns useless.
Once the ships were tied together, after having been in battle several hours already, a fierce two hour hand to hand combat ensued as Jones’ men rushed on to the Serapis. When the American ensign was shot away, British Captain Pearson said, “Jones, do you ask for quarter?” or in other words – do you want to surrender? The famous line from John Paul Jones was his response – “I have not yet begun to fight!” The fighting continued with nine pound cannon and small arms as the ships and men were caught in a death trap. Huge holes were blown through the hull of the Richard, but when an American grenade fell through the hatchway of the Serapis, it ignited the powder charges, killing dozens of British soldiers. As his mainmast began to quiver, Pearson struck his colors and surrendered!
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.
Story via Plymouth Rock Foundation website.