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Anatomy of a media rope-a-dope: Rachel Maddow and Donald Trump’s tax returns – Rare.us

Has natureever produced a symbiotic relationship quite like the one between Donald Trump and the media? The clownfish/sea anemone combination is arguably just as dazzling, though it lacks the equivalent decibellevel. Ants and fungi are probablymore analogous, though its difficult to imagine either species going overwell in the Rust Belt.

In spite of theendless grapeshothe levels at journalistsfrom his piraticalTwitter account, The Donaldthrives off of media anticsand his long-shot presidential campaign would have been crippled without them. Thatmaestro of manipulation returned on Tuesday withhis most notable act yet, a tax controversy that ended with Trumpflying MSNBC like a kite and liberal Washington heading to bed crestfallen.

It began on Twitter where MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow trumpetedthat shed at last obtained Trumps tax returns. In response,the Trump administration promptlyannounced the documents were forthcomingmore on that later. Trumps returns have becomea journalistic white whale, stuffed, as left-wingreportersbelieve they must be, with KGB-orchestrated sweetheart deals and investments in Nazi propaganda upstarts. All eyes thus fell on Maddow as she opened her Tuesday program.

Shedidnt disappoint, sugar-rushing her now-expansive audience with lurid hypothesesabout Russian oligarchs and Azerbaijani shell hotels,all connected bya web withDonald Trump at itscenter, all about to revealed because sheyes, she!had acquired his tax returns, which would be unfolded right here, right now, after this commercial break. Stay tuned. Herprelude was quite literally 19 minutes long yetwe stuck around anyway, munching on popcorn.

RELATED:The White House responds to Rachel Maddows claim that she obtained Trump tax returns

Out next came David Cay Johnston, an investigative reporter and tax expert, who unveiled that hed obtained Trumps tax documents through the triumphantly shoe leather feat of having them anonymously deposited in his mailbox. Also, he acknowledged, they werent the full tax returns, just the two front pages from Trumps 2005 filing. HisArk of the Covenant-caliber revealshowed that Trump hadpaid $38 million on $150 million in income, a 25 percent rate.

And that was all hehad.You could almost hear the air escaping fromanother left-wing cause clbre.

Yet on it went, through a good two-plus hours more of programming. It was as though Geraldo Rivera had decided to do a touchdown dancein Al Capones empty vault, with all of MSNBC seeminglyunaware that the entire political world was either cacklinga la that Austin Powers scene or despondently reaching for the clicker. Rarely has such a nothing story been inflated to such bulging proportions.

As mentioned before, the White House had already preempted Maddow, toutingthe $38 million figure in a press release and trashing the media. Asked about this, Maddow remarked bewilderedly, We went to them. They verified it. They published it. And then they insulted us for publishing it.

You dont say. Its almost like the entire thing was a setup. Asked by CNN whether it was possible that Trump had leaked his own tax return, David Cay Johnston replied, Yes.

RELATED:Joe Scarborough has a theory about who is truly behind leaking the presidents tax returns

In fact, it seems undeniablethat the returns were plantedat least by someone sympathetic to thepresident. To understandwhy, consider all that Trump has gained from this brouhaha. The medias coverage of the CBOs punishing health lawassessment and the investigation into Trumps relationship with Russia has been diluted. The president appearsprudent, having paid a greater percentage of his income to the Treasury in 2005 than did Bernie Sanders and Mitt Romney. MSNBC has been humiliated, less because they reported on the returns than because they did so from such an aggressively slanted and hyped vantage point. TheNew York Times, which breathlessly suggested last October that Trump might not have paid any taxes for 20 years, looks silly.

Perhaps most priceless of all, the next time anyone harps on histax returns, Trump can accuse themof beating a corpse. This despite the fact that those scant two pages gave us only asnapshot ofTrumps tax standing: we still have no idea where his incomecame from, what his holdings are, what connections to those sinister Russians and Azerbaijanis he has, or how much hes paid in the intervening 11 years. Theissue is far from settled, yet Trump can now dismiss it courtesy ofone of his most bilious critics.

Which means weve learned two things from this episode: 1.) Our presidentpaid taxes in 2005, and 2.) when Trumpelectrifies the floor, news reporters always dance.

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Anatomy of a media rope-a-dope: Rachel Maddow and Donald Trump's tax returns - Rare.us

Award-winning medical app, Complete Anatomy, heads to the Windows Store – OnMSFT (blog)

An achievement for Microsoft, 3D4Medical has finished porting their award winning app to the Windows Store. Announced just earlier today, Complete Anatomy can now be found as a UWP forWindows 10powered devices.

Originally built for iOS, 3D4Medical took advantage of the Windows Bridge for iOS. With all of its features intact, users will now be able to explore Complete Anatomy at full force. It particularly goes well with Surface and Windows Ink, where notes and sketches can quickly be jotted down while doing hands-on researching.

Complete Anatomy has over 6,500 structures of the human body in 3D view. With it, youll be able to visualize the model through muscles, bone structure, nerves, etc. to research more into theanatomy. Further, you can customize the model to simulate conditions with tools for cutting, fractures, adding growthsand more. With help from expert references, you can explore the body and research further with the community by sharing your findings or downloading anothers on the fly.

The release on Windows 10 also brought the app updated to 2.2.2.0 where it received a few more features and model enhancements.Such as:

If youre interested in researching the human body, or even just curious, Complete Anatomy is free to download on the Windows Store as of today. Check it out by clicking on the link below.

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Award-winning medical app, Complete Anatomy, heads to the Windows Store - OnMSFT (blog)

Grey’s Anatomy’s Sarah Drew previews Japril the Sequel – EW.com (blog)

Could Jackson and April be on the way to reconciliation?

On Thursday, Greys Anatomy presents Japril: The Sequel, a follow-up to last seasons Japril: The Movie episode, which took a Momento-like approach to chronicling the origins of Jackson (Jesse Williams) and Aprils (Sarah Drew) relationship all the way to their untimely divorce.

Its totally different, Drew says of the sequel. Stylistically, its totally different, and this one is really more about Jackson. April happens to be there, along for the ride, and throughout the journey of the episode, it does become a little bit about the two of them, but its mostly about something that Jackson is going through.

During the hour, Jackson and April head to Montana to treat a patient, but Jackson has ulterior motives he wantsto meet his estranged father. Theres a girl who needs a throat transplant, and its too delicate for her to be moved and brought here, so we go out there, Drew tells EW. It was supposed to be Meredith Grey [with Jackson], but then Catherine Avery puts April up to be there instead. Were forced to be in the same space, working on a case together, in an unfamiliar location without any distractions or any of the normal life stuff surrounding us.

April, however, doesnt know about Jacksons intentions to meet his father, leading to tense moments between the former couple. The episode starts with them in a pretty contentious place, snipping at each other and fighting with one another, Drew says. Hes especially distracted, especially cold, and especially short with her. Shes just taking it and is getting more and more frustrated with him until she discovers the reason behind all of this behavior, which is that hes here to find his father. It puts to rest all of that stuff.

RELATED: Greys Anatomy: Before They Were Stars

So, will the sequel offer hope for Japril fans? She shows up really as a rock for him, Drew says. She knows him better than anybody else, and she can read him pretty well. She also can meet his needs before he knows to ask for them; we get to see that play out in this episode. She tells him what he needs to hear in the moment, and shes not needing anything in return from him.

I love this episode, Drew continues. Its a pretty neat opportunity to see another dynamic between the two of them. So often in our history together, April has been the one to spin out of control, and Jacksons been the one to try to pull her back and ground her. This is an opportunity for the roles to be reversed. I love it, because its an opportunity for April to really show up for him in a way I dont think she has for him before.

Greys Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Grey's Anatomy's Sarah Drew previews Japril the Sequel - EW.com (blog)

Workplace Genetic Testing Isn’t Just Unethical, It’s Scientifically Unsound – Huffington Post

In 2008, Congress passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act to prevent employers and insurance companies from discriminating against Americans based on their medical records.

Now a House committee is taking steps to remove GINAs protections.

On March 8, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce narrowly approved HR 1313, which could allow employers to require genetic testing as part of a workplace wellness program. Employees could face financial penalties if they refused.

The idea behind this is to make employees healthier and reduce health care costs for companies. But medical ethicists argue that this is not only unethical, its scientifically incoherent. Simply put, an employer wouldnt be able to glean anything particularly useful from commercially available genetic testing.

Theres this notion that somehow we could give you a genetic test and find out your risk factors and control them or monitor them,Arthur Caplan, the founding director of New York Universitys Division of Medical Ethics told The Huffington Post.Thats science that isnt here yet.

Dr. Lainie Ross, professor of clinical medical ethics at the University of Chicago Medicine, said,Were advancing in our understanding of genetics, but were nowhere near being able to say, Because you have this gene, you definitely should take this medicine or not.

Even Dr. Tom Price, the former orthopedic surgeon and Affordable Care Act opponent who now heads the Department of Health and Human Services, expressed reservations about HR 1313.

Im not familiar with the bill, but it sounds like there would be some significant concerns about it, Price said Sunday on Meet the Press. If the departments asked to evaluate it, or if its coming through the department, well be glad to take a look at it.

In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration cautioned that some laboratory tests could harm patients because they led to false diagnoses and unnecessary treatments (the agency later withdrew its regulatory proposalsand left lab test regulation up to President Donald Trumps FDA commissioner and Congress).

In fact, in a study in which researchers gave nine labs a genetic variant and asked them to analyze it, the labs gave different answers 22 percent of the time.

Even if everyone agrees that a genetic variant can cause disease, the actual risk to an individual of developing that disease is not that clear, Heidi Rehm of Brigham and Womens Hospital told the STAT health news site. That risk depends on environmental factors as well as other genetic ones, but truthfully we dont know what those factors are.

Forced genetic testing could push highly personal, sensitive and potentially inaccurate informationon individuals who may not want to know if they have specific health risks, particularly if they carry genetic mutations for serious or incurable conditions.

Genetics is based on probabilities, not certainties. So, although a test may find that you have an increased risk of breast cancer, to use one example, that does not mean you are certain to get the disease.

It maypush people into seeking out untested treatments or treatments that they really dont need because they come from a low-risk family, Ross said. Its not good medical practice.

Then theres the possibility that employers and insurance companies could use genetic information (which might not even accurately represent disease risk) to discriminate against employees and customers. Insurance companies could potentially charge people who show a risk for certain genetic conditions higher premiums, and unscrupulous employers would have the ability to make hiring and firing decisions based on employee health.

Theres also the dicey question of which genes employers and insurance companies might choose to look at.

Cherry-picking who gets insurance could potentially stigmatize one group of people.

We all have health risks. Were all going to die, Ross said. This is all about risk, and we want to share the risk.

Workplace wellness programs are popular (about half of U.S. companies with 50 or more employees had workplace wellness programs in place, according to a 2013 report from the nonpartisan Rand Corp. think tank), but theres not much evidence that such programs improve employee health.

Most of the studies that do exist fail to prove causation, show only short-term effects or are written by the wellness industry,according to The New York Times. The more rigorous studies are more likely to show that wellness programs neither save money nor improve employee health.

Thats not to say health and wellness shouldnt be employer priorities. But workplace wellness programs that incentivize and penalize employees based on their health are fundamentally unethical, according to Caplan.

The notion that your boss is in the best position to monitor your health is morally tenuous, he said. For example, your boss doesnt care if your job is stressing you out. Theyre not going to fix that. Theyre just going to tell you to lose weight.

If your boss really cares about your health, then they can build a gym and incentivize you to go down there when they give you that extra 30-minute break.

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Workplace Genetic Testing Isn't Just Unethical, It's Scientifically Unsound - Huffington Post

Overeating? As with drug use, genetics may drive our choices – Genetic Literacy Project

Asking whether or not we really have free choice is a metaphysical question, perhaps left to those in the movie The Matrix. But throughout our lives,the decisions we make areinfluencedas much bypersonal choices as they are by genetic wiringcreated by millennia ofadaptations.

Consider the simple act of eating. We may think our food consumption isdriven byspur-of-the-moment choices. But the reality is that our individual genetics play a major role in thepleasure we derive from eating. Our physiological response to food (anticipation, selection, consumption, satisfaction) is based in a complicated reward system in the brain involving the mesolimbic network, as well as neurotransmitters such as dopamine. There is a question that stems back to at least the ancient Greeks: Inone version, Hera asked Tiresias, who derived more pleasure from sex, men or women? (Spoiler: Apparently women do 9x more!) Of course its rhetoric, but similarly, we cant assume and shouldnt presume that one persons experience with eating behaviors is the sameas anothers. This could be at the root of why some people find dieting so miserable and difficult, while others find iteffortless.

Do you really consciously choose what you will do?

Why do we think its genes?

Its been established that a series of gene variants is associated with addiction, which is an aberration of the brains reward system, and that these gene variants are heritable (having an alcoholic or other drug addict in the family increases the likelihood that others would be found to have addictive behaviors). More research must be done, butits a good bet that the two (drug cravings and food cravings) are closely linked in the brain.

An interesting look at this issue from a different direction can be found in the workings of the drug Contrave (a combination of bupropion and naltrexone) approved in 2014 for treatment of obesity. Bupropion has shown effectiveness as an appetite suppressant, while naltrexone blocks the effects of opioid drugs removing the reward offered to addicts.

One of the things we learn is thatthere are similarities between drugs and eating at least in terms of the pleasurederived by users. Naltrexone(and the similar naloxone) work through a direct and interesting mechanism: They prevent or reversethe effects of opioids by blocking opioid receptors, thereby preventingthe drugs from having an active site to dock and cause physiological activation.

Many drug overdoses lead to death because of respiratory depression, sedation, and hypotension (low blood pressure). By halting these drug effects, doctors have successfully revivedopioid usersfrom unresponsive states. Naloxonealso can reverse the negative mental and mood effects ofcertain drugs.

In those people using it for weight loss (as a component of Contrave), the drug modifies the response to the pleasure and craving of food in much the same way that it stops drug cravings.The person never feels the high he or she would typically experience fromeating.

Establishing further connection between genetics, brain architecture and food cravings, Contrave has been suggested to work bystimulatingneurons in the hypothalamus to generate theappetite-suppressant effect, whileblocking feedback mechanisms in the brain.

Researchersof Contraves dual mechanism of actionalso suggest that itmight have effects on themesolimbic reward system, adding, that this may lead to further weight reduction by modulating reward values and goal-oriented behaviors.

So certainly which foods we find desirable is in part influenced by our genetics, as well as our life experiences. But how effortful we need to be in our vigilance to avoid or reduce certain trigger foods may have more to do with the neurobiological effects of addiction than we may like to think.

Ben Locwin, PhD, MBA, MS, is a contributor to the Genetic Literacy Project and is an author of a wide variety of scientific articles in books and magazines. He is an expert contact for the American Associationof Pharmaceutical Scientists(AAPS), a committee member of the American Statistical Association (ASA), and has been featured by the CDC, the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and other media outlets. Follow him at@BenLocwin

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Overeating? As with drug use, genetics may drive our choices - Genetic Literacy Project

Creating something out of nothing – BioNews

Last week saw an exciting breakthrough in embryology (reported elsewhere on BioNews), as stem cells from an adult mouse were used to grow a structure resembling a mouse embryo in vitro for the first time seemingly creating something out of nothing.

If it were possible to apply this research to human embryology, it could make scientists less dependent on fertilised eggs; using in-vitro-derived embryos could speed up research and potentially assuage some ethical concerns.

This type of research and its ethical, social and legal implications sit firmly within the scope of BioNews, and within the public engagement and policy work of the Progress Educational Trust (PET). The creation of eggs and sperm outside the body has already been selected as a theme for our Annual Conference in December.

It is vital that questions such as this are discussed in BioNews by a range of commentators. We strongly believe that we should give a platform to a variety of people whether we agree with them or not so that our readers can assess different arguments and draw their own conclusions about challenging issues.

But, sadly, we can't create something out of nothing we need to raise funds to enable us to continue publishing BioNews. So please help us reach our 4,000 target via PayPal (click here), by text (text 'PROG23 10' or any other amount to 70070), or by post (as detailed here).

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Creating something out of nothing - BioNews

Anatomy of a Sarah Galvin Poem – TheStranger.com

Listen, everyone loves Sarah Galvin, and for obvious reasons. But despite being an increasingly visible writer/performer, and a frequent Stranger contributor, Galvin is the kind of writer whose technical skills tend to go unappreciatedeven unnoticedbecause her presentation is so pleasing.

Fans love Galvin's poems for their wild imagery and surprising turns, but all the fireworks can obscure the philosophical questions she explores. At the risk of giving away too many secrets, I asked her to illustrate the process that led to "My Internet Dating Profile," a poem in her new collection, Ugly Time.

1. The title is ironic. The reader is prepared for a casual (and maybe frazzled) poem about dating, but by the third stanza, Galvin starts digging deep into our assumptions about the idea of "innocence."

2. This video is real. Galvin says she was "impressed and also horrified" by the animals' behavior: "Whenever I have that response to anything, I have to study it."

3. She watched the video approximately 15 times. "It wasn't about pornography, it was about figuring out what a human being is. It seemed like all of humanity's problems and also everything that's great about humanity."

4. This "moment" refers to the moment of the reader reading the poem but also to the moment the speaker meets her date. "That was a really romantic night for me, and it was enhanced by my having done something so human just beforehand, something that I was ashamed of," Galvin says. "I wanted to make the poem beautiful to other people in the same way that evening was beautiful to me."

5. Galvin introduces lyrical language to counter the plain language used in the first two stanzas in order to "keep the engine running," she says. The poem swings back and forth between those two registers.

6. "There are multiple videos," Galvin says. "And it's always frogs and toads. And always in the mouth."

7. The break here transforms the line into an index entry, reinforcing the idea that the poem's main subject is the innocence of the chimp's seemingly cruel and bizarre act.

8. Galvin claims she wasn't thinking of William Butler Yeats's poem "Leda and the Swan" when writing this poem. In Yeats's poem, Zeus takes the form of a swan and rapes Leda, eventual mother to Helen of Troy. Yeats wonders if Leda absorbed the god's knowledge and strength during the assault. "I love Yeats, but I wasn't thinking of that poem," Galvin says. "I just always imagined that meeting god was like being fucked to death."

9. The lyrical language returns, like the ocean waves the line invokes.

10. "What I was trying to do in this last stanza was reverse and mix up everything," Galvin says. "I invert the weak and the powerful forces. The frog swallows the chimp, the earth crushes god, we kiss, everything explodes. And that's why the date was worth anything."

11. Image from the 1951 film Royal Wedding. "I just imagine everybody in the heat of passion is drunk, and they all got the moves like Fred Astaire, and they're dancing around like they don't know what they're doing. Like this chimp.

12. "It ends with two people penetrating each other, because that's what love is. You explode and destroy each other in this crazy moment" Galvin says.

13. Nobody controls who is the frog or the chimp or the sun or the ocean or what role they play on the date. Part of the thrill of love is that you don't know. And in a good relationship, you're both at the same time. Ideally nobody is hurting anybody.

14. In life, this date occurred at Lullaby Moon, an event at Gas Works Park that happens every September. According to Galvin, the evening was magical. Performers dressed up like Shetland ponies and fairies and danced around the park. Candles attached to balloons floated all around. Organizers dressed up boats to look like floating beds, and the beds floated past the gasworks as the sun gave way to the new moon. "We were drinking wine from mugs when my date said, 'You look just like Peter Pan.' And I was like, 'A hobo said that to me one time.' And she was like, 'Fuck you!' And then we made out."

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Anatomy of a Sarah Galvin Poem - TheStranger.com

Anatomy of a Goal: Gallagher’s effort pays off for Byron – Habs Eyes on the Prize (blog)

After being held scoreless through 40 minutes in Edmonton last Sunday evening, the Canadiens hadnt scored in 5 straight periods. They had been dominated by the Calgary Flames in a 5-0 loss on Thursday, and found themselves trailing 1-0 entering the third period at Rogers Place. The Habs desperately needed a goal to tie the game, and give themselves a chance to regain the Atlantic Division lead over the Ottawa Senators.

With under 6 minutes to go in regulation, Paul Byron gave them just what they needed. Byrons typical goals usually come off of odd-man rushes or breakaways. Often, he springs free on a counterattack or penalty kill, when his blinding speed gives him a decided advantage in a footrace to a loose puck.

This goal is different. Byron shows some quick thinking to go along with his fast feet, and he, Philip Danault and Brendan Gallagher show a nice combination of skill and trust as they turn a loose puck below the goal line into a momentum-shifting scoring chance.

Brendan Gallagher chips the puck in deep, then fights to retrieve it below the goal line with Edmontons Kris Russell (4), Benoit Pouliot (67), and Andrej Sekera (2). Byron moves into a support position above the goal line, and Danault moves in from behind the net.

Gallagher knocks the puck toward Byron.

Byron passes it back below the goal line to Philip Danault, then quickly changes direction and heads toward the net.

Danault protects the puck, and with his back to Byron, threads a brilliant backhand pass through the challenges of Pouliot and Russell.

Byron, having changed direction to now be on his forehand, receives the puck in position to shoot. Talbot is worth a look now as well. He faces toward Byron, shoulders square to the threat in a Reverse V-H position.

As Byron drives across the top of the crease, Talbot shifts his weight off of his post pad, dropping his anchor leg to seal the ice. However, hes underestimated Byrons speed, and hes already in trouble.

Talbots error is that he doesnt prepare to actively push across once Byron commits to a move across the crease. He could engage his left skate, allow his stick blade to cover his five hole, and extend across the goal line on a shallow angle (black arrow below). Instead, he allows his momentum to take him on a passive slide diagonally (red dashed arrow) toward the top right crease.

Had Talbot pushed across the shallower angle, the shorter distance would have enabled him to cover the far post more quickly, and negated Byrons speed. Talbot then would only have had to worry about Byron being able to sharply elevate the puck from a difficult stick angle.

Even with his diagonal path, its possible that with a more active push, Talbot might might have been able to cut off Byrons move to the far post.

Instead, Talbots passive slide allows Byrons speed to carry the play. Byron beats him across the angle, and the far post is open.

Now back to Byron and his linemates. Gallagher begins the play by chipping the puck deep and then, as he usually does, out battles three Edmonton defenders to get the loose puck to Byron.

When Byron initially receives the puck as a release for Gallagher, he is on his backhand and moving toward the corner, where he would be able to be challenged by Sekera.

Byron sees Danault in position below the goal line, and even though the three Edmonton defenders are also low, they are facing away from Danault, so Byron chips it back to his center (black arrow). Former Hab David Desharnais (13), clearly anticipating a release back to the right point, moves to cover that option (orange arrow), and takes himself away from Byron. Zack Kassian (44) is also clearly not expecting the play to come across the middle, and remains unengaged.

When Byron passes back to Danault, reverses and drives the net, the two essentially run a simple give and go that allows Byron to free himself from 4 defenders at once, and change his role from puck protector to attacker. Danault, for his part, shows strong awareness and stick skills. He draws the defense while protecting the puck, and finds a lane to get the puck back to Byron where he has the option either to shoot, or outmaneuver Talbot with his speed.

At no point in the entire sequence do Gallagher, Danault, and Byron risk an Oiler counterattack with their short passes. The three Habs forwards occupy three defenders deep in the offensive zone, and position themselves in such a way that they have high and low puck pressure that can disrupt any easy defensive outlet should they lose possession.

This is aggressive, low-risk, offensive hockey in which three teammates optimize their own play and trust in their teammates. Philip Danault and Brendan Gallagher help put Paul Byron in a position to force an outstanding goaltender into a small mistake, and Byron is able to use his greatest asset, his speed, to score a late goal that changes the course of an important game.

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Anatomy of a Goal: Gallagher's effort pays off for Byron - Habs Eyes on the Prize (blog)

Higher education and beyond | Biochemical Society

A qualification in biochemistry or molecular biology can lead to a multitude of careers in different fields. There are many options to choose from: you could work at a university, in industry, become a science teacher or even a patent law attorney, just to name a few. You can use the resources on this page to find out what youre interested in and how to get your dream job.

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Higher education and beyond | Biochemical Society

Grey’s Anatomy – BuddyTV (blog)

Nathan Riggs had us all swooning when he finally asked Meredith out on an official date on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. Of course in true Mer form, she told him she needed to think about it before she gave him an actual answer. She probably knows that once she goes down that route, that will take whatever it is they're doing to a completely new level. But I'm all for it! I figured she needed my help to figure out if Nathan is really right for her. So I wanted to give her a few reasons to consider why she should give him a real chance.

It's Beyond Time

I think we can all agree that it's time. It's been a couple of seasons since Shonda Rhimes made me and millions of others livid with Derek's tragic and shocking death. Meredith went through her dark phase, as any woman would. And Derek's passing is almost like a faint memory as the show has clearly moved on without him. Now, it's time for Meredith to be in a serious relationship. She definitely deserves to be happy after everything she has gone through.

Grey's Anatomy Prepares to Lose a Doctor>>> He Just Might Be the One Meredith has tried to date other guys after Derek and they obviously didn't work out in the long run. But things are clearly different with Nathan. I mean, look how far he's gotten already. Mer has tried to play hard to get on multiple occasions. Still, there is something about Nathan that puts her in a vulnerable spot. Avid viewers know that no one has the ability to do this, especially not a guy. While she even tries to be strong with Nathan, every girl needs someone they can let their guard down with, and Nathan has shown that he's strong enough to play that role. Besides, I'm just ready to see her let go and be in love already. He fits right in with her friends and most importantly, loves her children. The whole thing of being guarded is getting me to the point where I want to reach through the TV and yell, "Snap out of it!"

Their Chemistry Is Undeniable We wouldn't even be having this conversation if there wasn't an undisputable spark between Meredith and Nathan. After all, they hooked up in the parking lot of the hospital after suppressing their sexual tension with each other for way too long. And yes, there was the monkey wrench when Meredith's sister, Maggie, confessed her like for Nathan (without knowing about him and Mer.) But that seemed to come out of nowhere. Plus Maggie's connection with Nathan (or lack thereof) is nowhere near the one he has with Meredith.

He's Not Alex It looks like the writers are almost trying to add a little mystery of the future between Alex and Meredith and whether they'll ever be more than friends. But let's face it, they are perfect just the way they are. They are the only two left from the group of interns that started back in the first season so from death to birthdays, they have been through everything together. And I think it should stay that way. Alex should be the one that Meredith talks to about Nathan and Alex should be the one to give her guy advice about it. They shouldn't be going anywhere near the exit for the friend zone.

He's Basically Madly in Love with Her Nathan professed his feelings for Meredith on a recent episode of Grey's Anatomy. That took a lot for him to do because considering their back-and-forth, he had no idea how she would respond, not to mention her awkward new level of closeness with Alex. Still, he put himself out there. Plus, we have to agree with Maggie that Meredith is probably the only one who will understand Nathan in the way that he needs, considering they have both experienced tragic losses in their lives. I'm going to go out on a limb and say they just might be meant for one another!

Grey's Anatomy Recap: Will Nathan Win Meredith's Heart?>>> What do you think about Nathan asking Meredith out on an actual date? How do you feel about Meredith and Alex's friendship? Do you think Maggie is better for Nathan than Meredith?

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays on ABC at 9/8c. Want more news? Like our Grey's Anatomy Facebook page!

(Image courtesy of ABC)

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Grey's Anatomy - BuddyTV (blog)