The secret of eternal youth is in a crooked mirror
Old skin is getting younger in the mediaSergey Ivashko, Infox.ru
A press release about the first stage of a preliminary study on the effect of human genes on the skin led to a sensational result: after several shrinkages and shrinkage, a panacea for old age was almost born.
Press release
A British-American group of scientists managed to uncover another mystery. After spending several years and millions of dollars, the specialists of the multinational company P & G issued a press release in which they reported the following: "We believe that out of about 25 thousand human genes, about one and a half thousand are responsible for the condition of the skin. However, we have studied only 20 thousand of these 25, and only superficially. But we think that about seven hundred genes are responsible for the retention of water by cells, and about two hundred more are responsible for the production or breakdown of collagen."
The essence of the work
The research, admittedly, is fundamental, but almost as meaningful as the Human Genome project. Why the company's specialists have been shamanizing and meditating on the map of the human genome for so long and using such methods is unclear. After all, even the work of just one gene can radically change the appearance of a living being. And now it is clearly clear that not only the work of one particular gene plays a role in the body, but also their totality. And gene A, which creates protein X, together with gene B, which itself encodes the production of protein Y, together can "weld" protein Z, whose work lies in a completely different plane than the first two. And in general, the DNA of different human tissues contains different modifications of genes.
So a superficial study (and not even of the whole, but of a part, albeit a larger one) of the genome can hardly tell in detail about the work of each specific gene. Moreover, at such a level that, based on the information received, we can produce any skin preparations. After all, no matter what anyone says, there are still 5 thousand genes that have not been studied at all by representatives of the corporation, which, accordingly, can be responsible for anything (including skin). The only reasonable explanation is that we are talking about the first stage of preliminary research, which is designed to somehow narrow down the range of further, more detailed searches.
Nevertheless, the funds have been disbursed, the time has been spent, it is necessary to report. Better with a pump. And the only reasonable explanation sounds undignified and unapologetic. Therefore, a group led by the head of the scientific department of the company Jay Tiesman (Jay Tiesman) and, most likely, under the dictation of the PR manager of the company issued a press release in which all of the above and described, embellishing in all possible ways and pouring the meager facts with promises of eternal youth in the infinitely distant future.
Rejuvenation of the media
Correspondents Infox.ru we were glad that not only Russian officials can master budgets, and continued working on really serious things. However, a correspondent of the London Daily Mail fell for the bait. Having not really understood anything, he, as usually happens in such cases, copied the press release, adding a couple of lively phrases from Tisman to it.
The note of the London newspaper was distorted by the NY Times, adding there (for solidity, apparently) a couple of lines from its own sources. All this was quoted by the BBC radio station. And the London correspondent of ITAR-TASS heard it early in the morning. Now imagine how much the British radio station has shortened and simplified this deeply fundamental message for its unwilling listeners. And you will understand exactly what the correspondent of the Russian news agency heard at seven o'clock in the morning.
We must pay tribute to him – he remembered (or managed to write down) the key figures: 25 thousand, 1.5 thousand, 700. And the word "gene". True, he took the snide remarks of British DJs from the series "In the near future there will not be a single person with wrinkles on the planet, unless he wants to have them on purpose" at face value, but what will you take from a person at seven o'clock in the morning? Moreover, there are no text messages on either the radio station's website or the company's website, and the BBC most likely did not refer to the newspapers. Or maybe the correspondent didn't hear the links. But in the end, we got a message under the following heading: "Scientists have revealed the secret of eternal youth, in the near future people will be able to part with wrinkles forever."
When it appeared on the open tape of Prime-TASS, it had just struck half past nine in Moscow. The brains of the morning shift of journalists have already woken up, so this message did not go to the people. Almost.
The exception was the "News of Science", which, as usual, without thinking, quickly copied everything. Down to phrases that directly contradict each other: "The mechanism of skin aging has several key reasons, among which is the weakening of the ability of cells to retain water. The loss of water causes the formation of wrinkles. As it turned out, 700 genes are responsible for this process. If their active work is maintained, wrinkles will not appear on a person's face, scientists note." Scientists, by the way, did not say anything like that.
Soon, "PolitBayki" signed up for the list of "hit" (having diversified the message with several details). In the afternoon, the rejuvenating waves reached the "News.<url>", "Komsomolskaya Pravda", "AiF", "NEWSru Israel", several other equally exclusive sites and (already in the evening) just "Pravda". The headlines didn't change much, as there was nowhere else to go. "The secret of eternal youth has been found" – what else is needed for a high rating among people who take any dietary supplement almost as a panacea?
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru22.07.2009