Readercon 15, Burlington, MA, 11-13 July 2003
Eric M. Van on Adenosine and the Nature of Depression
"So, who wants to be the receiving cell? Glenn! You be the receiving cell. I send you ATP...."
"...you convert it into adenosine, and send it back to me. It holds me in check...
"Now, though , you get really hot. You've got a good thing happening here, and you want more dopamine... or more serotonin. So when I send out ATP again, you don't turn it into adenosine, it doesn't come back to me..."
"...and the brakes come off: I flood you with dopamine.
"It's Noah's Dove, essentially. ATP is Noah's Dove: it's the signal that gets sent out, if it comes back, we know nothing's happening."
Audience member: "Noah's Duck?"