Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c910IR // #c910Synthesis

Don't ask whether the sensor is changing the cell. If you can see it glowing, it is. Start from that and work out how much, instead of hoping the effect is too small to matter.

— In our words · Source: An Inconvenient Truth: Calcium Sensors Are Calcium Buffers (Shane M. McMahon & Meyer B. Jackson)

[Use when]

When you're tempted to trust a reading because the tool “shouldn't” affect anything.

[Why it matters]

Flips the burden of proof. The distortion isn't a rare glitch to rule out. It's the normal case, so the honest starting point is to expect it.

More from An Inconvenient Truth: Calcium Sensors Are Calcium Buffers

#c909To watch brain cells work, scientists fill them with tiny sensors that glow when they catch calcium, the cell's “go” signal. But catching…When a measurement has to grab, hold, or touch the thing it's measuring. Ask how much the grip is changing… #c911Sensors that hold calcium loosely change the signal less. The catch: they also glow less, so they're harder to see. You're trading a…When choosing how hard to look: more sensitivity usually means more interference. #c912Before trusting the picture, estimate how much sensor is actually in the cell. The authors suggest checking the microscope against samples…When results from different cells, animals, or labs disagree. Check whether they were simply watched with…