Monday, 28 May 2012
Entertaining stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
"raised by wolves"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Henry_%28voice_actor%29
More Impossible Photos -- the funniest kind of illusion :D
http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/6315/
[video] Igudesman and Joo: Don't Want No Trouble
Ig and Joo accost a busker by... joining in??
http://youtu.be/1wJ0YmWrq6w
[video] Igudesman and Joo: Noseland: The Move - Trailer
(Featuring Julian Rachlin)
http://youtu.be/JGoyuEThq4k
[video] Slash's new album, Apocalyptic Love, is out now, and here's the title track
http://youtu.be/AbZjtIgNM88
[video] Armor Games presents Detective Grimoire
This is really fantastic! And made in part by soemone i went to school with.
Okay okay, it's a plug, but do watch the demo video. It's really great....
http://www.detectivegrimoire.com/
Airbus is going to 'roll out' some extra-wide aircraft so that they can fit obese people in!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-airbus-airlines-fat-profits-obese.html
This week's award for 'Funniest Fungus Name'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spongiforma_squarepantsii
The top ten most ridiculous movie posters at the Cannes film festival this year
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/25/the-top-ten-most-ridiculous-movie-posters-at-cannes-this-year/
Religion/Superstition stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
[video] Potholer54: How to confuse a creationist -- Homosexuality, Evolution and the Bible
http://youtu.be/YuK9pxjBwX8
Petition: Save the Gays of the Ukraine from institutionalised homophobia
http://www.allout.org/en/actions/ukraine
[video] Thunderf00t: Pakistan blocks Everybody Draw Muhammed Day III
http://youtu.be/J9ZKwFhh_Gw
Even i thought there might be something to acupuncture (although only a very small something), but, like all mirages, they disappear as you get a better look.
The devious behaviour of acupuncture pseudo-scientists:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/bait-and-switch-acupuncture-studies/
A psychiatrist who did pioneering research into 'curing' homosexuality has apologised for conducting an unreliable study, and presenting the results in a manner unwarranted by the method employed. Basically, he's apologising for bolstering the homophobia that so many people have had to suffer. Good on him :)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21835-gay-cure-psychiatrist-apologises-for-flawed-study.html
Shed Science: What's all the fuss about GM wheat?
http://youtu.be/tjL3OiQ-Tqg
The EU food agency rejects a French ban on GM maize, because the claims of their being dangerous are ungrounded
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-eu-food-agency-france-monsanto.html
Poking fun at William Lane Craig, in his all-too-common misunderstanding of what 'atheism' means :D
http://youtu.be/g07YFApHOrw
I thought Canadians were better than that, too. My prejudice has been blown wide open!
Yet another theist, making it blatantly clear that they are woefully ignorant of the subject they claim authority in. How can anyone make these claims, unless in ignorance of their inanity??
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/05/23/i-had-a-better-impression-of-canadians-before-i-read-that-tripe/
http://youtu.be/YuK9pxjBwX8
Petition: Save the Gays of the Ukraine from institutionalised homophobia
http://www.allout.org/en/actions/ukraine
[video] Thunderf00t: Pakistan blocks Everybody Draw Muhammed Day III
http://youtu.be/J9ZKwFhh_Gw
Even i thought there might be something to acupuncture (although only a very small something), but, like all mirages, they disappear as you get a better look.
The devious behaviour of acupuncture pseudo-scientists:
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/bait-and-switch-acupuncture-studies/
A psychiatrist who did pioneering research into 'curing' homosexuality has apologised for conducting an unreliable study, and presenting the results in a manner unwarranted by the method employed. Basically, he's apologising for bolstering the homophobia that so many people have had to suffer. Good on him :)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21835-gay-cure-psychiatrist-apologises-for-flawed-study.html
Shed Science: What's all the fuss about GM wheat?
http://youtu.be/tjL3OiQ-Tqg
The EU food agency rejects a French ban on GM maize, because the claims of their being dangerous are ungrounded
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-eu-food-agency-france-monsanto.html
Poking fun at William Lane Craig, in his all-too-common misunderstanding of what 'atheism' means :D
http://youtu.be/g07YFApHOrw
I thought Canadians were better than that, too. My prejudice has been blown wide open!
Yet another theist, making it blatantly clear that they are woefully ignorant of the subject they claim authority in. How can anyone make these claims, unless in ignorance of their inanity??
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/05/23/i-had-a-better-impression-of-canadians-before-i-read-that-tripe/
Politics stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
The Queen of Great Britain is a mystery to all members of the public. Which is odd, considering how high-profile she is. She is on all the stamps and coins, after all.
Despite this, we know very little about her - and there's a reason for that - everything she does is secret (sssh!)
We are, quite literally, not allowed to know.
As the Queer's 60th Jubilee approaches, all criticism has been censored, and we still know just about nothing about what she really does all day long.
There is only one reason to suppress information about your career activities - they would be bad for your reputation if people learned of them!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-majesty-secret.html
Important petition for all UK residents - keep your private info private - demand parliament keep the electoral role from entities that can not use it for favourable purposes
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34200
Official Protesters of the London 2012 Olympic Games
10 reasons you should boycott the Games as they are
"We're not opposed to the sports events, and we're all in favour of having a big party – but only if everyone's invited"
http://www.protestlondon2012.com/10reasons.html
Oh, the Cuntservatives - how they love to victimise the 'underclass'. This time, they've been claiming that there are 120,000 'broken' families, and if we could only expunge them from society, everything would be rosy. Unfortunately, reality's not that simple
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-families-uk.html
"Well played, Daily Mail"
They've got misogyny down to a 'T'
https://twitter.com/ffffelix/status/204330392495460353/photo/1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18225881
Michael Rosen on the Boris Broadcasting Corporation, and the Conservatives' London voicebox - the E'en Stannit (Evening Standard)
http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/boris-broadcasting-corporation.html
"A former head of security and fraud at Lloyds has been charged over her involvement in a £2.5m false invoicing scam"
Oh, my sides! Accountancy Live reports far too many of these kinds of stories :D
http://bit.ly/MZAEe4
Despite this, we know very little about her - and there's a reason for that - everything she does is secret (sssh!)
We are, quite literally, not allowed to know.
As the Queer's 60th Jubilee approaches, all criticism has been censored, and we still know just about nothing about what she really does all day long.
There is only one reason to suppress information about your career activities - they would be bad for your reputation if people learned of them!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-majesty-secret.html
Important petition for all UK residents - keep your private info private - demand parliament keep the electoral role from entities that can not use it for favourable purposes
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34200
Official Protesters of the London 2012 Olympic Games
10 reasons you should boycott the Games as they are
"We're not opposed to the sports events, and we're all in favour of having a big party – but only if everyone's invited"
http://www.protestlondon2012.com/10reasons.html
Oh, the Cuntservatives - how they love to victimise the 'underclass'. This time, they've been claiming that there are 120,000 'broken' families, and if we could only expunge them from society, everything would be rosy. Unfortunately, reality's not that simple
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-families-uk.html
"Well played, Daily Mail"
They've got misogyny down to a 'T'
https://twitter.com/ffffelix/status/204330392495460353/photo/1
"It is reported that Lady Warsi was claiming £165.50 a night subsistence allowance.""Hell, I wouldn't mind trying to 'subsist' on *£1158.50 per week*..." - Mark Doran
"Baroness Warsi, co-chairman of the Conservative Party, has admitted failing to declare rental income received for more than a year on a north London flat.""Add that to the £1158.50, and that's going to be at least two and a half grand extra per week, all straight into the pocket..."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18225881
Michael Rosen on the Boris Broadcasting Corporation, and the Conservatives' London voicebox - the E'en Stannit (Evening Standard)
http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/boris-broadcasting-corporation.html
"A former head of security and fraud at Lloyds has been charged over her involvement in a £2.5m false invoicing scam"
Oh, my sides! Accountancy Live reports far too many of these kinds of stories :D
http://bit.ly/MZAEe4
Business news from the week 21-27/5/12
A Boston University student's been fined $675,000 for downloading and sharing just 30 songs!
This is just ridiculous! Copyrights suppress productivity, and concentrate wealth in the hands of the music industry - not the musicians - the industry. This 'intellectual property' shit has to go!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-court-wont-student-music-download.html
Google's finally getting rapped over the knuckles for being a monopolistic bully. No organisation is immune from 'getting too big for its boots', even Google
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-eu-google-weeks-ease-antitrust.html
Facebook, however, doesn't have as pleasant a history. Facebook's flotation on the markets has got it in trouble both with its investors, and people who would have been, if it hadn't been doing dodgy back-room deals with banks
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-lawsuits-pile-facebook-flotation.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-facebook-ipo-debacle-investor-dander.html
This is just ridiculous! Copyrights suppress productivity, and concentrate wealth in the hands of the music industry - not the musicians - the industry. This 'intellectual property' shit has to go!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-court-wont-student-music-download.html
Google's finally getting rapped over the knuckles for being a monopolistic bully. No organisation is immune from 'getting too big for its boots', even Google
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-eu-google-weeks-ease-antitrust.html
Facebook, however, doesn't have as pleasant a history. Facebook's flotation on the markets has got it in trouble both with its investors, and people who would have been, if it hadn't been doing dodgy back-room deals with banks
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-lawsuits-pile-facebook-flotation.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-facebook-ipo-debacle-investor-dander.html
Prehistoric stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
The melanin-containing pigment in squid ink has not changed in 180 million years!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-squid-ink-jurassic-period-identical.html
Thought T-Rex's arms were titchy? These guys had stumps!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-dinosaur-tiny-arms-unearthed-argentina.html
Evidence has been found that indicates icthyosaurs (ancient not-dinosaurs) suffered from 'the bends' (where bubbles of nitrogen form in the blood after rising too quickly in the water)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428665.200-dino-dolphins-suffered-from-the-bends.html
Europe's oldest musical instruments are 40,000 years old! They were discovered in the region that is now southern Germany
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-earliest-musical-instruments-europe-years.html
A piece exploring the developmental similarity of dinosaurs and their avian relatives' skulls
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-developmental-crucial-evolutionary-shift-dinosaurs.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-squid-ink-jurassic-period-identical.html
Thought T-Rex's arms were titchy? These guys had stumps!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-dinosaur-tiny-arms-unearthed-argentina.html
Evidence has been found that indicates icthyosaurs (ancient not-dinosaurs) suffered from 'the bends' (where bubbles of nitrogen form in the blood after rising too quickly in the water)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428665.200-dino-dolphins-suffered-from-the-bends.html
Europe's oldest musical instruments are 40,000 years old! They were discovered in the region that is now southern Germany
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-earliest-musical-instruments-europe-years.html
A piece exploring the developmental similarity of dinosaurs and their avian relatives' skulls
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-developmental-crucial-evolutionary-shift-dinosaurs.html
Biology stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
86 million-year-old bacterial populations have been discovered, still alive, inside the highly-deoxygenated clay of the pacific ocean
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428664.400-buried-microbes-exist-at-limit-between-life-and-death.html
You might think you're good at reading people's feelings, but this computer's got you licked when it comes to reading static images, which humans are no better than chance with!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-excel-frustration-video.html
The Naked Scientists explain - What is a fungus?
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/scrapbook/show/20120525/
The origin of colour vision has been traced back a billion years, to bacteria who were benefited by photonic wavelength identification (seeing in colour). There are species that have more genes than we (who only have three - for red, green, and blue); one species of shrimp has been identified as having twelve.
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-genetic-mutations.html
Spelling words solely with the mind - a brain computer interface.
Bionerd23 uses an electroencephalogram to demonstrate how words can be constructed with eye-movements alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6iNowj_nBc
An interesting side-effect of gastric bypass operations, where part of the duodenum, and most of the stomach are removed, is a reduction in cravings for alcohol!
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428664.100-weightloss-surgery-reduces-desire-for-alcohol.html
Research has pinpointed how plants 'know' when to flower, by identifying the confluence of stimuli regarding time of day (circadian rhythm) and time of year (daily photodetection)
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-genes.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428664.400-buried-microbes-exist-at-limit-between-life-and-death.html
You might think you're good at reading people's feelings, but this computer's got you licked when it comes to reading static images, which humans are no better than chance with!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-excel-frustration-video.html
The Naked Scientists explain - What is a fungus?
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/scrapbook/show/20120525/
The origin of colour vision has been traced back a billion years, to bacteria who were benefited by photonic wavelength identification (seeing in colour). There are species that have more genes than we (who only have three - for red, green, and blue); one species of shrimp has been identified as having twelve.
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-genetic-mutations.html
Spelling words solely with the mind - a brain computer interface.
Bionerd23 uses an electroencephalogram to demonstrate how words can be constructed with eye-movements alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6iNowj_nBc
An interesting side-effect of gastric bypass operations, where part of the duodenum, and most of the stomach are removed, is a reduction in cravings for alcohol!
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428664.100-weightloss-surgery-reduces-desire-for-alcohol.html
Research has pinpointed how plants 'know' when to flower, by identifying the confluence of stimuli regarding time of day (circadian rhythm) and time of year (daily photodetection)
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-genes.html
Wildlife stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
[video] Researchers film rare striped rabbit in Sumatra, Indonesia
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-rare-striped-rabbit-sumatra-video.html
[video] The method by which razor clams pull themselves into the sand has been identified by researchers. Clue: it involves sucking
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-uncovers-secret-speedy-burrowing-razor.html
The Argus butterfly, which was once a rare sight across the UK, is one of the few to be benefited by climatic change in the region
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-global-winner-rare-butterfly.html
The incredibly high sensitivity of sponges to the environment around them could make them a perfect indicator of environmental hazards
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-sea-sponges-early.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-rare-striped-rabbit-sumatra-video.html
[video] The method by which razor clams pull themselves into the sand has been identified by researchers. Clue: it involves sucking
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-uncovers-secret-speedy-burrowing-razor.html
The Argus butterfly, which was once a rare sight across the UK, is one of the few to be benefited by climatic change in the region
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-global-winner-rare-butterfly.html
The incredibly high sensitivity of sponges to the environment around them could make them a perfect indicator of environmental hazards
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-sea-sponges-early.html
Climate stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
Climate researchers said Thursday the planet could warm by more than 3.5 degrees Celsius (6.3 degrees Fahrenheit), boosting the risk of drought, flood and rising seas
Most models have presumed activity to mediate the change, which has not transpired. This prediction is considered to be more realistic
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-climate-scientists.html
"...within the next 38 years, it will be the fastest rate of warming ever"
It's that pace of change that will cause the problems - even plant species can migrate, to cope with slow changes
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-sophisticated-simulations-future.html
Massive amounts of CO2eq is currently being stored in water-borne species of seagrass. Upturning of this carbon store could release up to 19.9 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere!
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428664.600-mowing-down-seagrass-meadows-will-cut-loose-carbon.html
More plant species are suffering the ravages of climatic change than previously thought. Warmer winters are disrupting their growth cycles
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-species-global-previously-thought.html
Physics (and Maths) stuff from the week 21-27/5/12
[video] Thunderf00t - Putting Your Hand In The Large Hadron Collider
What would really happen?
Watch out for the spelling mistakes :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj6v8MtuVdU
Ah - metamaterials - materials deliberately engineered to have wacky properties. These have been designed to be auxetic - that means they get chunkier the more you stretch them. Sound unintuitive? Take a look
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428664.300-impossible-material-would-stretch-when-compressed.html
Diagram: http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2866/28664301.jpg
A solar-powered plane? That'll never get built!
What's that, you say? It has, and it's already flown?
[faints]
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-solar-impulse-intercontinental-flight.html
[video] How big is a billion? Bigger than you think, if you speak English as a first language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-52AI_ojyQ
A french team has demonstrated the paramagnetic properties of droplets of liquid oxygen. Paramagnetism occurs in many materials, when they respond to a magnetic field by replicating one inside themselves. This causes them to behave in a similar way to real magnets, but only while they're inside a real magnet's field. Unlike with ferromagnetic materials, their magnetic properties disappear when the other magnet does. To demonstrate their paramagnetism, they have suspended droplets above a glass surface, much like beads of oil do in a frying pan - the heat causes a thin layer of gas to separate the droplet from the hot surface, with very little friction, freeing it to race around the pan at high speed. I've seen it - it's great fun. It's the same process that causes lumps of potassium to float, as demonstrated in this vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHjLPF5ruds
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-french-team-paramagnetic-properties-liquid.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramagnetism
Think Earth's a wet planet? It's nothing, in comparison to Europa!
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120524.html
[video] The Naked Scientists explain - What Is An Alloy?
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/scrapbook/show/20120518/
Interesting formations seen in Mercury's magnetosphere. Watch the video, in the hyperlink, too - it's a really fascinating video. Meteorology FTW, LOL
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21832-magnetic-space-whirlpools-give-mercury-a-plasma-shower.html
8.6% efficient solar cells? That's a bit shit, isn't it? The best have already breached 15%!
Whoa - these are made of graphene - which means they could make solar cells cheap and abundant - something we desperately need in the renewables industry
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-dopant-graphene-solar-cells-highest.html
Another partial solar eclipse :)
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120522.html
Geez - it' a wonder we're still here! But seriously - improved imaging techniques have counted twice as many dangerous asteroids as before. 4700 of them are at least 100m across, meaning they'd leave craters at least 2km across!
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428663.200-number-of-asteroids-that-pose-risk-to-earth-is-doubled.html
Llewblog - FAQ on electric cars - it's pretty concise
http://llewblog.squarespace.com/electric-cars/2012/5/24/ev-faq.html
What would really happen?
Watch out for the spelling mistakes :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj6v8MtuVdU
Ah - metamaterials - materials deliberately engineered to have wacky properties. These have been designed to be auxetic - that means they get chunkier the more you stretch them. Sound unintuitive? Take a look
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428664.300-impossible-material-would-stretch-when-compressed.html
Diagram: http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2866/28664301.jpg
A solar-powered plane? That'll never get built!
What's that, you say? It has, and it's already flown?
[faints]
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-solar-impulse-intercontinental-flight.html
[video] How big is a billion? Bigger than you think, if you speak English as a first language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-52AI_ojyQ
A french team has demonstrated the paramagnetic properties of droplets of liquid oxygen. Paramagnetism occurs in many materials, when they respond to a magnetic field by replicating one inside themselves. This causes them to behave in a similar way to real magnets, but only while they're inside a real magnet's field. Unlike with ferromagnetic materials, their magnetic properties disappear when the other magnet does. To demonstrate their paramagnetism, they have suspended droplets above a glass surface, much like beads of oil do in a frying pan - the heat causes a thin layer of gas to separate the droplet from the hot surface, with very little friction, freeing it to race around the pan at high speed. I've seen it - it's great fun. It's the same process that causes lumps of potassium to float, as demonstrated in this vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHjLPF5ruds
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-french-team-paramagnetic-properties-liquid.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramagnetism
Think Earth's a wet planet? It's nothing, in comparison to Europa!
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120524.html
[video] The Naked Scientists explain - What Is An Alloy?
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/scrapbook/show/20120518/
Interesting formations seen in Mercury's magnetosphere. Watch the video, in the hyperlink, too - it's a really fascinating video. Meteorology FTW, LOL
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21832-magnetic-space-whirlpools-give-mercury-a-plasma-shower.html
8.6% efficient solar cells? That's a bit shit, isn't it? The best have already breached 15%!
Whoa - these are made of graphene - which means they could make solar cells cheap and abundant - something we desperately need in the renewables industry
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-dopant-graphene-solar-cells-highest.html
Another partial solar eclipse :)
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120522.html
Geez - it' a wonder we're still here! But seriously - improved imaging techniques have counted twice as many dangerous asteroids as before. 4700 of them are at least 100m across, meaning they'd leave craters at least 2km across!
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428663.200-number-of-asteroids-that-pose-risk-to-earth-is-doubled.html
Llewblog - FAQ on electric cars - it's pretty concise
http://llewblog.squarespace.com/electric-cars/2012/5/24/ev-faq.html
Comment #2 -- GM food and the raid of Rothamsted Research
On 27th May, 2012, a group called ‘Take The Flour Back’ attempted to raid a research institution in Hertfordshire, UK, called Rothamsted Research, to destroy crops that they say are dangerous, which is why they portray them as “contaminants”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18224637
On a purely pedantic note, this can not be true, because the word ‘contaminant’ implies that an object’s presence is un-intentional. The presence of these plants is very intentional indeed – they are there for the purposes of experimentation, so that we can know whether they are dangerous, whether they grow well, and whether they can be used to feed the world’s burgeoning homo sapiens population.
I am going to ignore the fact that their behaviour would be illegal desecration of somebody else’s property – the reason the police were there to keep them out – and concentrate on whether they should have intended to destroy those crops.
This might seem a rather provincial idea to many, but i regard opposition to GMOs (genetically modified organisms) as a superstition-based movement. I shall explain why...
Genetic Modification is defined thusly: Manipulation of the genome of an organismic population to favour particular genetic characteristics.
In no way does this definition require genetic modification to involve pipettes and white lab coats and scary-looking... places where people try to learn about stuff...??
The truth is that genetic modification – manipulation of genomes – has been done for centuries. All breeding processes are genetic modification. If you apply selection pressure to a species, that pressure will cause its genome to modify in response to your demands.
Whenever you see a dog on a lead, whenever you see a horse at a race, whenever you go to the shops and buy some vegetables, you are looking at genetically modified organisms.
A sprinkling of articles referencing genetic modification through history:
http://phys.org/news/2012-04-ancient-egyptian-cotton-unveils-secrets.html
http://phys.org/news/2011-12-evolution-warp-hatcheries-salmon-genetics.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-genes-underlying-key-domestication-sorghum.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802091205.htm
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-short-nosed-dog-owners-pets-problems.html
What my point is, is that genetic modification and genetic engineering are terms with different meanings. One is a lot vaguer than the other.
The process of chemically cutting short strands of DNA out of one genome, and chemically stitching it into another genome, is a process known as horizontal gene transfer. Most modification exploits vertical gene transfer – from parent to offspring – if the successor carrot is bigger, sweeter, and nicer looking, it gets held back, and the others get thrown to the pigs. This causes the genome of the remaining carrots to augment toward your ideal.
I use the example of carrots because they have changed so dramatically, over the centuries of their cultivation; from a small, yellow, bitter root plant, to a large, orange, sweet vegetable:
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/history.html
Horizontal gene transfer, however, is not new – in fact, it’s even older than vertical gene transfer. Back in the days of the ‘primordial soup’ of yaw, when eukaryotes were only gleams in the DNA strand’s eye, genes were thrown around hither and thither, and the ones that found a permutation encoding for self-replication suddenly exploded in number. (That’s a ‘suddenly’ on a geological timescale, of course). Genetic material is still shared this way, even by complex eukaryotes such as trees:
http://phys.org/news/2012-02-genetic-migrates.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120608100846.htm
Horizontal gene transfer:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527441.500-horizontal-and-vertical-the-evolution-of-evolution.html
To reject genetic modification on the basis of its being ‘unnatural’ is perverse, but the method by which the anti-GMO protesters have pursued their cause is indicative, not of a sincerely scientific cause, but of a superstitious one (one not based on evidence).
Just recently, the EU rejected a ban on GM maize by France because there is no evidence that genetic engineering is any more dangerous than the un-engineered modifications that have been done for millennia
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-eu-food-agency-france-monsanto.html
By penetrating the site and seizing the plants involved, they will be doing exactly the opposite of what they intend to achieve:
-- They intend to prevent the spread of genes into the wider environment (despite it being already available in other plants/animals), by trashing the plants, and carrying material off on their clothes
-- They claim the pollen will blow beyond the site, and ‘infect’ the surroundings, despite wheat not pollinating that way, and despite the space that’s deliberately left around the crops to prevent any pollen migrating off-site
-- They claim GMOs are dangerous, despite no evidence yet demonstrating this claim, and despite these experiments being the only way of finding such evidence – they’re undermining their own cause
-- They claim GMOs are going to put billions of people's lives in the hands of super-rich agricultural corporations, despite this research being publicly funded, the researchers being forbidden from profiting by the research, and non-engineered organisms already being in the hands of profit-motivated agricultural corporations
GMOs could be the saviour of mankind – giving it crucial time to develop, socially, and control its population size and economy, improving the lives of the billions who live on this planet.
Because of a purely superstitious opposition to a process that they clearly do not understand, this whole pursuit could be wrecked.
Other viewing:
[Video] Sally LePage: What’s all the fuss about GM wheat?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjL3OiQ-Tqg
[Audio] A tour of the Rothamsted Research centre, in Hertfordshire, with interviews and explanations
http://poddelusion.co.uk/blog/2012/05/13/sense-about-science-trip-to-rothamsted/
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Comment #1 -- 'The Taxpayers' Alliance'
"Call for single 30% income tax rate"
At first i thought this was a joke. An incredibly tasteless and, frankly, shit joke!!!
But, it's actually a real demand, made by the "Taxpayers' Alliance" - a lobbying group of ultra-conservative loons, masquerading as a union! I suppose i should have guessed.
They claim not to be a front for the Cuntservatives, but have the same backers, and are strongly linked with the Cuntservative Party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TaxPayers%27_Alliance
Here's a video from The Other Taxpayers' Alliance, denouncing one of their exemplarily moronic claims
http://www.taxpayersalliance.org/news/video-the-taxpayers-alliance-think-before-you-print
MSN articles tend to disappear. Here it is on the Beeb
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18137548
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18137548
Entertaining stuff from the week 14-20/5/12
[video] Thai commercial: Bank robbery :D
(Moral of the story -- learn to read!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etbLawm_FBA
Forget Segways - these are even *more* hilarious! :D
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-segway-honda-uni-cub-personal-mobility.html
[video] I almost don't want to post this because of the horrendous Top 2 - covers of Boh Rhap and Come Together!
"Top Ten Worst Christian Song Covers"
http://youtu.be/sMPKNM7NRn4
Yep - New Scientist got in my entertainment section!
- 40000 year old porn in France
- News of the nuclear reactor in the basement of Kodak's New York research centre
- Just read the second one again! :D
- The one about taste's pretty mind-bending too, though
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428653.500-60-seconds.html
[video] 3D-printed guitars dazzle with sound *and* sight!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-spider-guitar-dazzles-style-video.html
Yes - it's true - The Darkness are going to tour with Lady GaGa!!
http://www.justinhawkinsrocks.co.uk/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1336865768&archive&start_from&ucat=1 &
Well, this is slightly weird... :/
http://youtu.be/zbYqDFvM0wE
London's 2012 Olympic Surveillance mascots.
They'll be watching you!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/05/17/londons-amazingly-explicit-surveillance-state-mascot-for-the-2012-olympics-has-a-huge-camera-eye-that-records-everything/
I know - i thought it was a spoof - but it's real!! :S
From the WTF? aisle....
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/is_this_a_thing_mens_pantie_stocking
(Moral of the story -- learn to read!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etbLawm_FBA
Forget Segways - these are even *more* hilarious! :D
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-segway-honda-uni-cub-personal-mobility.html
[video] I almost don't want to post this because of the horrendous Top 2 - covers of Boh Rhap and Come Together!
"Top Ten Worst Christian Song Covers"
http://youtu.be/sMPKNM7NRn4
Yep - New Scientist got in my entertainment section!
- 40000 year old porn in France
- News of the nuclear reactor in the basement of Kodak's New York research centre
- Just read the second one again! :D
- The one about taste's pretty mind-bending too, though
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428653.500-60-seconds.html
[video] 3D-printed guitars dazzle with sound *and* sight!
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-spider-guitar-dazzles-style-video.html
Yes - it's true - The Darkness are going to tour with Lady GaGa!!
http://www.justinhawkinsrocks.co.uk/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1336865768&archive&start_from&ucat=1 &
Well, this is slightly weird... :/
http://youtu.be/zbYqDFvM0wE
London's 2012 Olympic Surveillance mascots.
They'll be watching you!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/05/17/londons-amazingly-explicit-surveillance-state-mascot-for-the-2012-olympics-has-a-huge-camera-eye-that-records-everything/
I know - i thought it was a spoof - but it's real!! :S
From the WTF? aisle....
http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/is_this_a_thing_mens_pantie_stocking
Assorted other superstition from the week 14-20/5/12
[video]
Favouritism of Organic foods is entirely superstitious! Organic farming
basically means predominantly employing outdated techniques - they're
not intrinsically safer, and they're probably *less* healthy. The term
'organic' isn't even legally binding, so they could easily be covered in
insecticide anyway!
http://youtu.be/H3CoIqpyPYY
[Audio] Another folk superstition that i really hate - opposition to GM
food. Genetic modification has been done for millennia - all it means
is selecting for genes in the plant/animal/whatever it is. There isn't a
vegetable in a market in the country that hasn't been modified! All
that's different about 'GM' is that the changes are deliberate - not
left to chance - which makes them safer and more accurate, by my
reckoning!
Sense About Science’s Sile Lane and Tracy Brown took a
trip to Rothamsted Research in Harpenden to see what they're really
doing in there.
http://poddelusion.co.uk/blog/ 2012/05/13/ sense-about-science-trip-to-rot hamsted/
The Unsinkable Rubber Duckies
James Randi on frauds, and the horrible things they do. And somehow their deceit manages to get people to defend them!
http://www.wired.com/opinion/ 2012/05/opinion-randi-frauds/
The Daily Fail, The Grauniad, and The Torygraph, all reported a cancer
test that could test for cancer early. But will it work? Can it work?
Margaret McCartney assesses its potential
http://www.bmj.com/content/ 344/ bmj.e3374.full?ijkey=sqaAovHsp8 mtpqB&keytype=ref
Don't use Black Salve! It's incredibly dangerous - it burns away your
skin, cancer and *all* - leaving you exposed to infections! No wonder
Meryl Dorey loves it (she's the PTSD-ish lunatic who think vaccines
cause autism, cancer... just about anything that isn't immunity against
diseases!)
http://www.quackwatch.org/ 01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Cancer/ eschar.html
[video] Stop Freaking Out Over Plastic Bottles: They’re Not Leaching Toxins Into Your Water!
http://lifehacker.com/5909676/ stop-freaking-out-over-plastic- bottles-theyre-not-leeching-po ison-into-your-water
Alternative medicine superstition's threatening Malaysian tigers *as well*
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-poaching-pressure-malay an-tiger.html
Iran's trying to sue Google because it dropped the name of that stretch
of water that's called the Persian Gulf by Iranians and the Arabian
Gulf by Arabs. Ridiculous, isn't it!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-iran-sue-google-persian -gulf.html
Religion-related stuff from the week 14-20/5/12
"Meeting ‘emotional needs’ of gay couples through civil marriage is a ‘misuse of the state’ "
This guy Sentamu's the favoured candidate for the next Archbishop of Canterbury, remember!
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/ 2012/05/17/ dr-john-sentamu-meeting-emotion al-needs-of-gay-couples-throug h-civil-marriage-is-a-misuse-of-the-state/
What is it with superstitionists and their horrifically distorted
perceptions of reality?? Do they seriously think we won't notice?!?
"I really don’t get it. It’s as if I were to sneer at creationists by
calling them scientists, or clobbered seminaries by referring to them as
research institutions"
http://freethoughtblogs.com/ pharyngula/2012/05/15/ im-rubber-youre-glue/
[video] Whose friend is Jesus? He's not a friend of the poor!
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=alQMl0WfQkw
How sick does a culture have to be for *children* to denounce *brands* as infidel? And it was only Nestle!!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-muslim-consumers-global -brands-infidels.html
Study shows Religionists are really good at loving people in the same
faction as them, and are really good at hating people in different
factions. Well, who knew?!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-religion-potent-coopera tion-conflict.html
The Cuntservatives have decided to be hypocritical backsliders one
again, by granting the C of E £30 million worth of tax freedom, so they
can do up their cult centres in privilege. Oh, the poor persecuted
Christians!
http://bit.ly/L9j6JO
Chris Bryant: Tory MP’s response to equal marriage enquiry ‘as cruel as it was offensive’
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/ 2012/05/18/ chris-bryant-tory-mps-response- to-equal-marriage-enquiry-was- cruel-and-offensive/
Church of Ireland Synod: Gay relationships cannot be ‘normative’
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/ 2012/05/14/ church-of-ireland-synod-gay-rel ationships-cannot-be-normative /
Woman jailed for train attack on 16 year old lesbian. 16. 16. 16!! All
she did was kiss her girlfriend, and the bitch beat her up for it!!!
Sometimes i really wish i were a foot taller, and able to be everywhere
at once - i really do!
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/ 2012/05/18/ woman-jailed-for-train-attack-o n-16-year-old-lesbian/
Climate stuff from the week 14-20/5/12
[video]
This is Not Cool: Murderers, Tyrants, and Madmen. Fossil fuel and motor
industry advocates such as the Heartland Institute have been doing
really sick things recently, including comparing people who don't deny
the science of global warming to terrorists and serial killers!
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=77VejUbuFsk
9% of North America's mammals are unlikely to be able to outrun
climatic change! Migration is incomparably faster than adaptation, and
yet even this proportion of *mammals* seem set to extinction due to the
changing environments in which they live
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-one-tenth-hemisphere-ma mmals-outrun-climate.html
UN talks take first steps on 2015 climate deal
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-climate.html
Utah and Harvard researchers have developed a way to identify the
sources of CO2eq emissions, using concentration measurements, and
weather data.
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-co2-global-scientists-f uture-greenhouse.html
Thunderclouds trap pollution close to the ground, exacerbating its effect
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-pollution-teams-thunder clouds-atmosphere.html
Yep. Australia's been getting hotter too
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-years-climate-australia .html
Did you know the tropic of cancer is drifting northward? Well it is.
Black carbon and tropospheric ozone is causing the atmosphere around the
middle of the earth to expand, pushing its borders further toward the
pole!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-black-carbon-tropospher ic-ozone-earth.html
Biology stuff from the week 14-20/5/12
Economic growth and overpopulation are causing this species to live well beyond its means:
- Biodiversity has plummeted
- The atmosphere is augmenting at an accelerating rate
- 2.7 billion people experience annual water shortages
- By 2030, we will need an extra planet! (which we don't have, if you hadn't noticed)
The top offenders are Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Denmark, and the USA.
And the richer nations are living at the expense of the poorer ones -- no surprise there!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-biodiversity-declines-g lobal-consumption-all-time.htm l
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-wwf-over-consumption-th reatens-planet.html
Ah - those canny corvids - carrion crows can distinguish between the voices of familiar and unfamiliar humans!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-crows-distinguish-human -voices.html
The circadian clock, that tells us when to get up, and when to go to
bed, and gets out of whack when we change time zones, evolved 2.5
billion years ago, at the same time as aerobic respiration (using oxygen
for extra spunk)
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-group-circadian-clock-c ommon-life.html
http://www.newscientist.com/ article/ mg21428653.900-biological-clock -began-ticking-25-billion-year s-ago.html
All the myths and facts surrounding left-handedness
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/ 4310
Contrary to what 'social darwinists' say (a bastardisation of
evolutionary theory), bacteria evolve to work in cooperation with other
bacterial species, and survive better than species that have not
benefited from past cooperative adaptations
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-bacterial-evolve-resour ces.html
More about birds - sparrows do the equivalent of 'alpha male' humans
during breeding season - as their testosterone surges, their songs
become more aggressive, but there's more -- their brains grow more
neurons in the singing region. This knowledge could help with stroke
treatments.
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-scientists-humans-birds -lessons.html
*Not a dinosaur* but it did have arthritis - in an animal that lived 150 million years ago
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-ancient-sea-reptile-gam my-jaw.html
More evidence of the link between low genetic diversity and susceptibility to disease, this time in platypuses
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-genetic-safety-platypus .html
Mammals living at high altitudes have evolved to cope with hypoxia
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-metabolic-high-altitude s.html
Scientists discover first ever record of insect pollination from 100 million years ago
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-scientists-insect-polli nation-million-years.html
Medical stuff from the week 14-20/5/12
Spanish
researchers have discovered antibiotics in meat-containing baby food at
0.5 to 25.2 µg/kg, and in milk-containing baby food at 1.2 to 26.2
µg/kg.
These are tiny concentrations, so won't be anything to worry
about, but it does indicate the feckless over-use and mis-use of
antibiotics by the farming industries.
Farmers use antibiotics to accelerate growth, with the consequence of breeding dangerous diseases in the host animals, such as swine flu.
The baby food itself isn't dangerous, but the mechanism by which they came to have antibiotics in them is!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-method-veterinary-drugs -baby-food.html
Brain-controlled arm could beat paralysis. Amazing work!
Whenever i think of work in this area, it reminds me of this scene from Red Dwarf: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=PidqxAAjUl4 So funny :D
http://www.newscientist.com/ article/ mg21428654.100-braincontrolled- arm-could-beat-paralysis.html
"More than 5,000 people die each year [in the US] in vehicle crashes
caused by distracted driving, many who were texting and talking on
cellphones behind the wheel"
Driving is so dangerous, and yet we
treat explosive-powered locomotion as if it's the most 'normal' thing in
the world. Now tell me you're against GM, nuclear power, and think
herbal medicine's worth the chance. Humans' risk-judging skills are a
joke!
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-cq-distracted.html
Temperature and water-borne ecosystems
There's
been some interesting news in the week regarding water temperature and
water-borne ecosystems, specifically fish, and the fishing industry, so
i've lumped them together into a special post.
Most farmed fish, if you didn't
already know, are carnivorous, and so are fed flakes of other fish (carnivorous fish tend to be bigger than herbivorous fish).
“Studies have shown that fish, such as salmon and sea bass, eat less of the plant protein product and don’t grow as fast. Their flesh does not receive the necessary levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are a key component of human nutrition. The food also contains anti-nutrients that cause difficulties with digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as toxins that can build up in the fish.”
This doesn't seem a tenable practice, so fermented plant feed is being pioneered.
“Fermentation methods could predigest the toxins and anti-nutrients in plant protein food, making it easier for the fish to absorb and maintain overall good health. It will help resolve current technical limitations of the product and address the concerns about overfishing and food shortage in the years to come.”
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-alternative-fish.html
Farm salmon are fed on wild salmon, but outcompete them, and give them
parasites (farming conditions favour pathogen populations), aswell as
suffering from water temperature increases. On top of that, increased
homogeneity's risking the fishes' health
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-hatchery-fish.html
Increasing water temperature is increasing fish gut activity, meaning they have to eat more to fulfill their nutritional needs
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-gut-reveal-effect-clima te-fish.html
http://phys.org/news/ 2012-05-keys-sockeye-decline.ht ml
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