Marshall Votta

Fascinated by improvement at work and play. Focused on healthcare.

[Veera Rajagopal  @doctorveera]

A mind-blowing paper has come out today in @Nature

In 2016, JC Venter Institute scientists trimmed a bacterial genome to its barest minimum required for life to synthesize what they called a "minimal genome" (https://t.co/Rk8oZJ0bUj).

Today, a group of scientists from Indiana University reports how that minimal genome evolved over 2000 generations in comparison to the non-minimal genome.

The authors found that even when you reduce a bacterial genome to its absolute minimum where every nucleotide matters, the genome undergoes mutational events generation after generation as much as the non-minimal genome. One simply cannot stop the evolution.

Just over 300 days of evolution (equivalent to 40,000 years in humans) the minimal cell has gained everything it lacked in fitness on day one in comparison to the non-minimal cell.

When comparing the evolved traits between the minimal and non-minimal cells, the scientists found something striking. The evolutionary process increased the cell size of non-minimal cells but not that of the minimal cell. But that is not the striking part.

The scientists were able to identify the key mutation that resulted in cell size evolution. And it turned out that the mutation that helped the non-minimal cells to grow bigger is the same that helped the minimal cells to stay smaller. Growing bigger had a survival advantage for non-minimal cells and not growing bigger had a survival advantage for minimal cells. So, the mutation had a context-dependent effect. This just demonstrates that the evolutionary effects on traits have no absolute direction. All that matter is what is beneficial for the organism's survival.

The conclusion of the paper is metaphorically a quote from the Jurassic Park movie:

“Listen, if there’s one thing the history of evolution has taught us is that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories, and it crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but . . . life finds a way". (https://t.co/UlxRlb86CT)

https://t.co/zA9OAqSoAu

[Edward Fitzpatrick @FitzProv]

Granddaughter of Boston Marathon winner ‘Tarzan’ Brown searching for the trophies he sold to feed his family. The Narragansett Indian who lived in Charlestown, RI, had to borrow $1 to enter the 1939 Boston Marathon. He won and set a new American record. https://t.co/Jq8mqhEwnD

[Providence MBB @PCFriarsmbb]

Carter 🔝@CoreyFloydJr 🤯

[Peter Yang @petergyang]

I love re-visiting Calvin and Hobbes as an adult.

It's packed with life lessons that I want to share with my kids.

Here are 7 strips that make me think and smile:

1/ Work can wait

[Providence MBB @PCFriarsmbb]

FRIARS WIN‼️

Providence - 94
Creighton - 86

Devin Carter records 25 points, 8 rebounds & 2 blocks
Bryce Hopkins adds 20 points, 9 boards & 3 assists

[Boston Globe Rhode Island @Globe_RI]

Eugene Lee was among the most celebrated artists of his era, though he could be disarmingly humble about his success. The longtime Providence resident designed sets for more than 100 @trinityrep productions. https://t.co/Se8uxi9ikY

[Variety @Variety]

Eugene Lee, the award-winning production designer for “Wicked” and “Saturday Night Live,” has died. He was 83 years old.

https://t.co/2LigiJeYrH

[Trinity Rep @trinityrep]

It's with sorrow that we share that resident set designer, Tony winner, and Emmy winner Eugene Lee passed away yesterday. He was 83. (1/4)

[Saturday Night Network @thesnlnetwork]

RIP SNL Production Designer Eugene Lee (1939-2023)

Lee was one of the longest-tenured members of the Saturday Night Live production team, beginning with the premiere in 1975. The Emmy & Tony-award winning designer was responsible for some of greatest set designs in SNL history

[Peter Forister 🍁🍂🍁 @forecaster25]

INSANE conditions on Mt Washington, NH. 120mph+ winds and -95°F wind chill. It is above the tropopause, meaning that these are stratospheric winds.

Footage from the summit live stream 2:30-2:40pm. #nhwx

[Catherine Varitek @CatherinVaritek]

“Yeah, can I get a medium iced French vanilla black & unsweetened” #Boston @dunkindonuts

[▼ Kiel James Patrick @KJP]

Mount Washington, NEW HAMPSHIRE SETS A NEW RECORD LOW WIND CHILL TEMPERATURE IN THE US OF - 108°F (-78°C)

[Mike Cohea @MikeCohea]

A large sea smoke vortex dwarfs Sakonnet Light in Little Compton, #RhodeIsland this morning as extreme cold moved into the region. #RIwx

[FOX College Hoops @CBBonFOX]

LOOOOCCCKE 🔒😳

@PCFriarsmbb | @_NoahLocke

[Providence MBB @PCFriarsmbb]

FRIARS WIN‼️

Providence - 73
#4 UConn - 61

Hopkins finishes with 27 points
Locke adds 17 points
Croswell records a double-double (13pts/13reb)

[David Letterman @Letterman]

The one and only Darlene Love sings "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"🎄(Supercut version)

[Mike Cohea @MikeCohea]

The calm before the storm over Providence, #RhodeIsland

[Mike Cohea @MikeCohea]

Providence, #RhodeIsland shines beautifully this evening on the longest night of the year. #WinterSolstice

[BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking]

Breakthrough in nuclear fusion announced by scientists, bringing us a step closer to a potential source of near-limitless clean energy https://t.co/vVFsAxqUTD