Author Archives: Steve Caplan

About Steve Caplan

I am a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska where I mentor a group of students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers working on endocytic protein trafficking. My first lablit novel, "Matter Over Mind," is about a biomedical researcher seeking tenure and struggling to overcome the consequences of growing up with a parent suffering from bipolar disorder. Lablit novel #2, "Welcome Home, Sir," published by Anaphora Literary Press, deals with a hypochondriac principal investigator whose service in the army and post-traumatic stress disorder actually prepare him well for academic, but not personal success. Novel #3, "A Degree of Betrayal," is an academic murder mystery. "Saving One" is my most recent novel set at the National Institutes of Health. Now IN PRESS: Today's Curiosity is Tomorrow's Cure: The Case for Basic Biomedical Research (CRC PRESS, 2021). https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B006CSULBW? All views expressed are my own, of course--after all, I hate advertising.

Out of control

Posted on 23 December 2012 by Steve Caplan

The tragic, premature and incomprehensible loss of so many young lives due to the horrific shootings recently in Connecticut are a blight on American society. Unfortunately, this is not a new thing, although the massacre of children so young may … Continue reading →

Posted in armed guards, common sense, education, gun control, guns, LaPierre, military, National Rifle Association, NRA, too late, US | Comments Off on Out of control

Reverse genetics, ok, but reverse shoplifting?

Posted on 10 December 2012 by Steve Caplan

Most of us in the biomedical sciences will be familiar with the term coined “reverse genetics-” namely the use of DNA sequences to understand the function of a gene by testing for phenotypes. But how about “reverse shoplifting?!” I recently … Continue reading →

Posted in author, authors, humor, lab lit, novels, promoting, reverse genetics, reverse shoplifting, science, shopdropping | Comments Off on Reverse genetics, ok, but reverse shoplifting?

Frustrated, Flummoxed and (just plain) Fed-up

Posted on 7 December 2012 by Steve Caplan

I am sick of the middle-east–or more accurately, the middle-east is making me sick. I have spent a good deal of my adult life actively defending the State of Israel; both by bearing arms in the military, and by serving … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaza, ideology, IQ, Israel, Netanyahu, occupied territories, Research, researchers, science, settlements, West Bank | Comments Off on Frustrated, Flummoxed and (just plain) Fed-up

First Aid and CPR for Hypochondriacs

Posted on 2 December 2012 by Steve Caplan

When I heard the announcement, I knew that it was the right thing to do. How could it not be? What could be of more value, functionally and educationally, than doing a first aid + CPR course with my 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in AED, CPR, education, First Aid, hypochondria, hypochondriac, hypochondriasis, Manny, medic, science | Comments Off on First Aid and CPR for Hypochondriacs

An age-old question

Posted on 22 November 2012 by Steve Caplan

Let me start out by saying “!#%%$#@!!–I’ve been scooped!” It’s bad enough that it happens in science, but for a blog?

Posted in education, Marco Rubio, Republicans, Research, science, young earth creationists | Comments Off on An age-old question

Is science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) the big winner of the US elections?!

Posted on 10 November 2012 by Steve Caplan

Let me start off by offering my utmost congratulations to the statistician-bloggers who predicted the outcomes of the US elections with startling accuracy. The methodical and scientific approaches of using poll aggregates with statistical variables introduced in a wholly scientific … Continue reading →

Posted in akin, drew linzer, education, fivethirtyeight, humor, losers, mourdock, myth busters, nate silver, Obama, presidential elections, princeton election consortium, Research, romney, sam wang, science, science stem, senate races, votamatic | Comments Off on Is science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) the big winner of the US elections?!

Beyond Beleaf

Posted on 4 November 2012 by Steve Caplan

No time to write a “real blog” what with the unbeleafable pileup to deal with in my yard. And I’m preoccupied with the US elections (see my Occam’s Corner blog tomorrow!).

Posted in humor, leaf, leaves, there goes the weekend, trees | Comments Off on Beyond Beleaf

Vain in my veins

Posted on 25 October 2012 by Steve Caplan

As part of my exhaustive (exhausting?) all-encompassing marketing of my two novels, “Welcome Home, Sir” and “Matter Over Mind,” I have undertaken a campaign to get my novels purchased and on the shelves of public libraries. Indeed, this is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, humor, library, novels, science, Vanity | Comments Off on Vain in my veins

And for those serial denials, there’s always science…

Posted on 19 October 2012 by Steve Caplan

A short time ago, I wasted some time watching excerpts from an interview of the Iranian president by Piers Morgan on CNN. Even the pause in answer due to the translations couldn’t mask the embarrassment that I felt watching the … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-semitism, CNN, Holocaust denial, Israel, Middle East, Research, science | Comments Off on And for those serial denials, there’s always science…

Keeping up appearances: I’ve been boto(x)-shopped!

Posted on 6 October 2012 by Steve Caplan

It’s remarkable how hard it can be to keep up with the technology needed for success in science. It seems that almost weekly I am being forced to change software programs for manipulating DNA, proteins and so on. Part of … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, botox, Ethics, humor, Photoshop, pictures, postdoc, Research, science | Comments Off on Keeping up appearances: I’ve been boto(x)-shopped!