Rudy Tanzi isn’t as hot as A-Rod or Barry Bonds and, frankly, neither is his trading card. But publisher SAGE Crossroads hopes the geneticist’s glossy - and those of 49 other scientific all-stars - will fuel public interest in trying to "unlock the mysteries of aging," as the box says. Each Topps-style card bears a researcher’s mug and position on the front. On the back, where stats like batting averages would normally appear, are personal details. Tanzi, we learn, specializes in neurodegeneration, has discovered three genes, and plays jazz piano. While none of aging’s major-leaguers look capable of hitting an 80-mph curveball, the cards’ flip sides reveal a biomed geek’s field of dreams. For example, Albert Einstein College of Medicine researcher Ana Maria Cuervo’s crucial finding was that "A-synuclein, a protein involved in Parkinson’s disease, clogs the autophagy system." And UCLA’s Rita Effros even reveals her "favorite biomarker of aging." Wanna know what it is? We’ll trade you Effros for a mint-écondition Cynthia Kenyon. - Daniel H. Pink
Each Topps-style card bears a researcher’s mug and position on the front.
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