Volume 4, wRAP 3 || Offbeat Medical Marvels: Exploring the Unconventional Side of Healthcare

Here we are again, much sooner than most of you probably expected.

It makes sense to maintain momentum, now that I’ve reconnected.

Even if the recent high levels of energy have begun to slowly dissipate,

Things continue to move along rather rapidly, and we should participate.

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This time, we’ll look at stories that are off the familiar, beaten track;

About health, but drawn from areas that are not from the usual stack.

Statutory warning: some of them may come across as being a little weird.

At least you will find them interesting, and nothing that needs to be feared.

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So take a nice long breath, warm that tea or coffee, and take the first sip.

This is going to be a normal, albeit a more-than-slightly-different, trip.

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Finding Your Range, in a Terrain that’s Strange…

At some point in our lives, many of us have thought of getting a tattoo actively.

The name of a loved one, or a unique symbol, have been viewed attractively.

Academia has been interested in tattoos, too, but not as cultural expression.

They studied the chemicals in tattoo inks. The results could ruin your impression.

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“Truth is stranger than fiction.” That’s a popular saying, one with many traces.

Some science ‘discoveries’ in healthcare can come from the craziest places.

A sense of unease is not a medical condition, but nothing more than a feeling.

Did you know that trust may have a genetic basis? It sets one’s mind reeling.

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Medicine Redesigned: Can Blow Your Mind…

Some stories of drugs that cure conditions they’re not meant for – yes, those can be extreme.

Remember the famous blue pill (Viagra) that became almost the most popular meme?

They say it reduces the risk of vascular dementia, or otherwise improves memory.

For many people, it had the reputation of putting them in a most pleasant reverie.

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If you think that it takes you to a different plane,

Medicine in outer space might also sound insane.

But they’re studying its effects of a space trip on human anatomy.

Get ready to sign up: they might even open a new space academy.

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When, How and Where? Now: Here, There and Everywhere…

Researchers are studying the behaviour of bugs on the International Space Station.

That must be one of the most unusual places to search for medical information.

Interplanetary travel may be far in the future, but it’s a good idea to get an early start.

As climate change wreaks havoc, the human race must be ready to quickly depart.

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Another fresh unique effort (among many) is to find a cure for India’s TB persistence.

They’ve been working for decades to overcome the disease’s multi-drug resistance.

The search for new strategies is necessary; TB imposes too high a cost.

We should try several approaches; too much time has already been lost!

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When the Trend Isn’t Always Your Friend…

If discovering cures for existing ailments wasn’t enough of a challenge already,

We’re finding new conditions to treat, making our mental health quite unsteady.

Some are silent stiletto-like killers - we’re talking about the knife, not the heels.

This is not exactly the kind of information you see on your Instagram reels.

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The Human Genome Project initially found that we have more than 100,000 genes.

Apparently, the number keeps expanding; they keep adding up, like jelly beans.

Now with AI-assisted gene-editing, we can make new ones: how’s that going to look?

Understanding people? Say goodbye to ones you know: they are now a whole new book.

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New technologies are exciting, but they can also be scary.

We have to think carefully about what we wish for, and be wary.

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End Note

The original idea was to start the weekend only by setting an entertaining tone.

To look at some zany and divergent news, to step into the relatively unknown.

To step off the familiar map, to follow the sound of a different drum and beat.

Dancing in the rain will have to wait, the monsoon’s late, and we still live in the heat.

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Hopefully, this edition of the (w)Rap doesn’t sound like it’s gone off the deep end.

Until next time, have a Freaky Friday and a fun and crazy rest of the weekend!

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