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Show me the study where a researcher feeds some animal deuterated water and then show how its life is extended by a statistically significant amount. Before yo
by dcurtis 18y ago
Show me the study where a researcher feeds some animal deuterated water and then show how its life is extended by a statistically significant amount.
Before you can actually produce such a study, this entire article is sensationalist and the editors at New Scientist should be embarrassed to publish it.
The article says that up to 35% of body water can be heavy, but after that point it becomes "lethal." What exactly happens to make it lethal, and why has the author assumed that it is "harmless" to drink small amounts? Where's the study showing that small amounts are "totally harmless?"
- riahi 18y agoThe wikipedia article on Heavy water has some interesting comments to some of your later questions. In particular, it seems that high levels of deuterated water inhibits formation of the mitotic spindle, thereby preventing cell division. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_water http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_water
- ars 18y agoNormally isotopes don't cause chemical changes, but with hydrogen they do. Deuterium is twice as heavy as hydrogen, so it moves slower, and is less reactive - for some reactions this can make a big difference. With the other isotopes the change in mass isn't anywhere near that.
- dcurtis 18y agoThis makes sense. But has any human being-- or any animal in nature-- ever ingested deuterium in any significant amount? How can you not know if this will change ever-so-slightly the way DNA transcription takes place, or example? I just think it's kind of irresponsible for a reporter at a science publication to make cavalier statements about things like this-- "It's completely safe..."-- without having any science to back them up.