Tales of Naked Science

10 Futuristic Materials

2012-01-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

1. Aerogel

Aerogel protecting crayons from a blowtorch.

This tiny block of transparent aerogel is supporting a brick weighing 2.5 kg. The aerogel’s density is 0.1 g/cm³.
Aerogel holds 15 entries in the Guinness Book of Records, more than any other material. Sometimes called “frozen smoke”, aerogel is made by the supercritical drying of liquid gels of alumina, chromia, tin oxide, or carbon. It’s 99.8% empty space, which makes it look semi-transparent. Aerogel is a fantastic insulator — if you had a shield of aerogel, you could easily defend yourself from a flamethrower. It stops cold, it stops heat. You could build a warm dome on the Moon. Aerogels have unbelievable surface area in their internal fractal structures — cubes of aerogel just an inch on a side may have an internal surface area equivalent to a football field. Despite its low density, aerogel has been looked into as a component of military armor because of its insulating properties.

2. Carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are long chains of carbon held together by the strongest bond in all chemistry, the sacred sp₂ bond, even stronger than the sp3 bonds that hold together diamond. Carbon nanotubes have numerous remarkable physical properties, including ballistic electron transport (making them ideal for electronics) and so much tensile strength that they are the only substance that could be used to build a space elevator. The specific strength of carbon nanotubes is 48,000 kN·m/kg, the best of known materials, compared to high-carbon steel’s 154 kN·/kg. That’s 300 times stronger than steel. You could build towers hundreds of kilometers high with it.

3. Metamaterials

“Metamaterial” refers to any material that gains its properties from structure rather than composition. Metamaterials have been used to create microwave invisibility cloaks, 2D invisibility cloaks, and materials with other unusual optical properties. Mother-of-pearl gets its rainbow color from metamaterials of biological origin. Some metamaterials have a negative refractive index, an optical property that may be used to create “Superlenses” which resolve features smaller than the wavelength of light used to image them! This technology is called subwavelength imaging. Metamaterials would used in phased array optics, a technology that could render perfect holograms on a 2D display. These holograms would be so perfect that you could be standing 6 inches from the screen, looking into the “distance” with binoculars, and not even notice it’s a hologram.

4. Bulk diamond

We’re starting to lay down thick layers of diamond in CVD machines, hinting towards a future of bulk diamond machinery. Diamond is an ideal construction material — it’s immensely strong, light, made out of the widely available element carbon, nearly complete thermal conductivity, and has among the highest melting and boiling points of all materials. By introducing trace impurities, you can make a diamond practically any color you want. Imagine a jet, with hundreds of thousands of moving parts made of fine-tuned diamond machinery. Such a craft would be more powerful than today’s best fighter planes in the way an F-22 is better than the Red Baron’s Fokker Dr.1.

5. Bulk fullerenes

Diamonds may be strong, but aggregated diamond nanorods (what I call amorphous fullerene) are stronger. Amorphous fullerene has a isothermal bulk modulus of 491 gigapascals (GPa), compared to diamond’s 442 GPa. As we see in the image, the nanoscale structure of the fullerene gives it a beautiful iridescent appearance. Fullerenes can be made substantially stronger than diamond, but for greater energy cost. After a “Diamond Age” we may eventually transition to a “Fullerene Age” as our technology gets even more sophisticated.

6. Amorphous metal

Amorphous metals, also called metallic glasses, consist of metal with a disordered atomic structure. They can be twice as strong as steel. Because of their disordered structure, they can disperse impact energy more effectively than a metal crystal, which has points of weakness. Amorphous metals are made by quickly cooling molten metal before it has a chance to align itself in a crystal pattern. Amorphous metals may the military’s next generation of armor, before they adopt diamondoid armor in mid-century. On the green side of things, amorphous metals have electronic properties that improve the efficiency of power grids by as much as 40%, saving us thousands of tons of fossil fuel emissions.

7. Superalloys

A superalloy is a generic term for a metal that can operate at very high temperatures, up to about 2000 °F (1100 °C). They are popular for use in the superhot turbine areas of jet engines. They are used for more advanced oxygen-breathing designs, such as the ramjet and scramjet. When we’re flying through the sky in hypersonic craft, we’ll have superalloys to thank for it.

8. Metal foam

Metal foam is what you get when you add a foaming agent, powdered titanium hydride, to molten aluminum, then let it cool. The result is a very strong substance that is relatively light, with 75–95% empty space. Because of its favorable strength-to-weight ratio, metal foams have been proposed as a construction material for space colonies. Some metal forms are so light that they float on water, which would make them excellent for building floating cities, like those analyzed by Marshall T. Savage in one of my favorite books, The Millennial Project.

9. Transparent alumina

Transparent alumina is three times stronger than steel and transparent. The number of applications for this are huge. Imagine an entire skyscraper or arcology made largely of transparent steel. The skylines of the future could look more like a series of floating black dots (opaque private rooms) rather than the monoliths of today. A huge space station made of transparent alumina could cruise in low Earth orbit without being a creepy black dot when it passes overhead. And hey… transparent swords!

10. E-textiles

If you meet up and talk to me in 2020, I’ll likely be covered in electronic textiles. Why carry some electronic gadget you can easily lose when we can just wear our computers? We’ll develop clothing that can constantly project the video of our choosing (unless it turns out being so annoying that we ban it). Imagine wearing a robe covered in a display that actually projects the night sky in realtime. Imagine talking to people over the “phone” just by making a hand gesture and activating electronics in your lapel, then merely thinking about what you want to say (thought-to-speech interfaces). The possibilities of e-textiles are limitless.

U.S. Navy Has Trained Dolphins Ready if Iran Mines the Strait of Hormuz

2012-01-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

CNN reports that the U.S. Navy plans to involve its trained dolphins in the Strait of Hormuz if Iran mines it. The trained dolphins are very real. They have been trained to mark or locate sea mines. They are described on this page of the U.S. Navy's website as the MK4 Marine Mammal System.

The MK 4 MMS uses dolphins for detecting and/or marking the location of sea mines that are tethered off the ocean bottom. These deep-water mines are easy targets for the dolphin's highly effective echolocation. The MK 4 MMS offers reliable and effective mine detection, classification, and marking capabilities in areas that are highly cluttered or where rough seabed, high marine growth, and other complex acoustic conditions hamper the performance of Navy hardware systems.

The Navy has also trained dolphins to find mines sitting on the ocean bottom or buried in sediment. The can also help identify safe corridors for the initial landing of troops during a land invasion.

If Iran decides to mine the Strait of Hormuz to slow the transport of oil then the U.S. Navy may put some of its trained dolphins to work to locate the mines so they can be destroyed or deactivated. Iran recently threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz oil route, but Iran makes a lot of threats it never acts on.

CNN says the U.S. Navy has been training the dolphins for years. Fish rewards, particularly sardines, are used to train the dolphins. The dolphins would be airlifted to the Strait of Hormuz if they are needed. Take a look at a video here:

Isaac Asimov

2012-01-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

Isaac Asimov graffiti in a park in the Pignetto area of Rome (!)

(if you don't know who he was, look him up!)

WTF Wikipedia, how am I gonna do my homework?”

2012-01-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

What's the Big Idea?

Wikipedia’s call to “imagine you live in a world without free knowledge” may have been dramatic, but it was also effective: after 24 hours of living without the history of everything at your fingertips, you probably got the point. Journalists compared the shutdown of hundreds of websites yesterday to the loss of a digital limb. "This is what happens when you make the Internet mad," declared an editorial in the Washington Post. One student tweeted, “Wtf Wikipedia, how am I gonna do my homework?”

Clearly, we like our encyclopedias like we like our news: infinite, free, and constantly accessible. The message behind the Internet blackout was that two controversial pieces of anti-piracy legislation, SOPA and PIPA, could put an end to all that, by shifting the responsibility for policing online copyright violations from content creators to internet service providers.

The most contentious provision of SOPA mandates that "a service provider shall take technically feasible and reasonable measures designed to prevent access by its subscribers located within the United States to the foreign infringing site (or portion thereof) that is subject to the order." Copyright holders would be able to obtain a court order against websites accused of "enabling or facilitating" infractions.

This amounts to online censorship, according to the community - comprised of monoliths like Google, Facebook, and Wikipedia as well as startups and venture capitalists - that has formed in opposition to the legislation. But is the controversy really about free speech, or is it just another showdown between rich and powerful Hollywood, and even richer and more powerful Silicon Valley? How will SOPA and PIPA affect you and me? Big Think put the question to VC Brad Burnham, an outspoken critic of the legislation.

"A lot of people have positioned this debate as just a battle between the tech industry and the content industry, and it’s an insiders’ game - it’s a bunch of rich guys playing around with each other," he said. "I don’t think that’s the case. What we’re talking about is the freedom to innovate. That’s a very profound and important thing... if you think about the problems that we’re trying to solve, the internet isn’t the problem. The internet is the solution." Established web companies like Google and Yahoo have the money to hire lawyers to make their case in court, says Burnham. It's web startups and the people who use them that will suffer.

Read the rest of the article here

Forensics lesson makes an impression on Pleasantville students

2012-01-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

PLEASANTVILLE – Blood spatter analysis, footprint and bite mark impressions, drug testing, hair and fiber analysis and fingerprinting are just some of the topics explored in an elective course being offered at Pleasantville High School, now in its second year.

Taught by Darlyne de Haan, a former state forensic scientist, the course is aimed at providing students with an introduction into forensic science as a career track. “This is a huge, growing field,” de Haan said. “It’s a comprehensive science. There are all sorts of options besides traditional law enforcement: psychology for profiling, statistics and forensic accounting.”

to read more, click here

Welcome Back New & Returning South Pointe Students!

2012-01-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Block III. On this blog you'll find links to interesting science stuff. Click on something, check it out, and come back and leave a comment to earn extra credit. Click on the comment button below, or email me at jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net Make sure you include your name in the comment, or I won't know who gets the extra credit (10 points each time you have a meaningful comment).

For the 1st one this block, it's a piece of cake. Just leave a comment showing me you've been to the blog, and you get the credit. Were you paying attention? Just leave a frakin' comment with your frakin' name and you get some extra credit points. Capisce? (that's Italian for "do you understand me?")

Check back regularly, at least once a week, for more extra credit options.

Hi Ho! JG

The 5 Most Mind-Blowingly Huge Machines Built By Science

2012-01-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

The 5 Most Mind-Blowingly Huge Machines Built By Science

Christopher Hitchens Is Hailed by Stephen Fry as a Man of Style and Wit

2012-01-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Christopher Hitchens Is Hailed by Stephen Fry as a Man of Style and Wit

Actor and author Stephen Fry salutes Christopher Hitchens as an inspiring polemicist but also as an abiding fan of P. G. Wodehouse and a magnificent writer.

When a dog isn't a dog

2012-01-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

When a dog isn't a dog
By CNN National Security Producer Jennifer Rizzo

When an insurgent rocket attack badly injured Cpl. Dustin Lee while he was on patrol in Iraq, his shrapnel-impaled partner, Lex, picked himself up to lie over Lee - an effort to protect him.

"He knew Dustin was injured," said Lee's mom, Rachel. Lex was his bomb-sniffing dog.

Lee didn't survive his injuries, but Lex did - and became a part of the Lee family when Rachel adopted him.

"When Dustin was killed, one of the first things I asked about was Lex, because of their camaraderie. They depended on each other"

Lex, a German shepherd, served in the Marines as a military working dog.

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!

2011-12-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!

To my Biology and Forensic Science students, glad to have known you (well, most of you). It's been an honor to have been your teacher (that's for all of you). You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Have a good holiday break, and I'll see you next year! Peace...JG

2011-11-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Me releasing a Red-Tailed Hawk at the Nina Mason Pulliam Audubon Center...cool beans

2011-10-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back New & Returning South Pointe Students!

Glad to see you've made it to Block II. Just a reminder, on this blog you'll find links to interesting science stuff. Click on something, check it out, and come back and leave a comment to earn extra credit. Click on the comment button below, or email me at jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net Make sure you include your name in the comment, or I won't know who gets the extra credit (25 points each time you have a meaningful comment).

For the 1st one this block, it's a piece of cake. Just leave a comment showing me you've been to the blog, and you get the credit. Were you paying attention? Just leave a frakin' comment with your frakin' name and you get some extra credit points. Capisce? (that's Italian for "do you understand me?")

Check back regularly, at least once a week, for more extra credit options.

Hi Ho! JG

2011-10-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'm at the ASTA conference at the Mesa Convention Center. It's totally cool...five hundred dedicated, engaged, and enthusiastic teachers sharing ideas, stories, and awesome lessons. If you're a science teacher, you need to hook up with the Arizona Science Teachers Association. Visit our web page at http://www.azsta.org, tweet us at @AZScienceTA, or like us at our Facebook page at http://www.Facebook.com/pages/Arizona-Science-Teachers-Association/

Science Works, Dudes and Duddettes!

2011-09-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

Final Shot at Extra Credit...

It's been like a ghost town around here lately. If anyone is out there, and paying any sort of attention, drop me a line, I'll give you some extra credit for being a clever and alert student.;)

Oh, and you actually have to do something else:

If you're in Biology class, visit this link below, and write me a one paragraph summary of it...

What Your Skull Shape Says About You

If you're in Forensic Science, visit this link below, and write me a one paragraph summary of it.

New Forensic Fingerprinting Approach Retrieves Elusive Prints

2011-08-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Forensic Science Mini-Mystery I Answer

Since Lubbock died by his car with his key case in his hand, he was preparing to drive away, probably in pursuit of Thurston. If he had seen her or her parked car, he would have approached her or looked for her instead.

He was shot from the direction of the hedge. She could therefore have shot him only by moving her car out of sight and then returning to hide and wait for him. He left the inn so soon after she did, however, that there was not enough time for that. She therefore did not shoot him.

2011-08-15T01:08:00.003-07:00

2011-08-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Perseid Meteor Shower Facts

Every August, the night sky is peppered with little bits of comet debris in what we call the annual Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids are bits of the comet Swift-Tuttle and often create the most amazing meteor shower of the year.

Here are 10 cool facts you can use to impress friends and family late at night or early in the morning while watching for shooting stars: click here to see the rest of the story

2011-08-08T00:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome New and Returning South Pointe Students!

Glad to see you've made it this far. On this blog, you will find links to articles, images, and video that is of interest to science. Generally, click on a link, check it out, then come back and leave a comment on it to earn extra credit. Click on the comment button below, or email me at jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net Make sure you leave your name in the live or email comment, or I won't know who gets the extra credit (25 points each time you have a meaningful comment).

For the 1st one, it's easy as pie. Just leave a comment showing me you've been to the blog, and you get the credit.

Check back regularly, at least once a week, for more extra credit options.

Welcome aboard! JG

2011-07-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 189th birthday, Gregor Mendel!

GREGOR MENDEL: Google Doodle celebrates the father of genetics

Gregor Johann Mendel — who was born on this day in 1822 — is honored Wednesday with his own Google Doodle, which spells out the company's home-page logo in ... peas, of course

2011-07-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

NSTA Statement Regarding the Release of A Framework for K–12 Science Education by the National Research Council (NRC)

Arlington, Va.—July 19, 2011—The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) believes the Framework for K–12 Science Education, released today by the NRC, has the potential to bring about transformational changes in science education. The Framework for K–12 Science Education is the most significant and promising step forward in science education since the release of the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and Benchmarks for Science Literacy. The Framework builds on the strengths of these standards documents while refocusing the field on a vision to better engage students and build their understanding and appreciation for science and engineering over the K–12 years.

One significant aspect of the framework is the recommendation that new standards integrate three key dimensions: practices needed to engage in scientific inquiry and engineering design, content that includes a limited number of core ideas in four disciplinary areas, and cross-cutting concepts that bridge both the sciences and engineering.

Also noteworthy is the Framework’s inclusion of engineering which focuses on how science is utilized through the engineering design process, and the distinctions and relationships between engineering, technology and applications of science. The Framework also brings much needed attention to the practices of science, especially at the K–2 level, that will support science instruction through the interdisciplinary connection to language arts and math.

“This framework emphasizes the importance of engaging students more deeply in the process of doing science, not just learning content,” said NSTA Executive Director Dr. Francis Eberle. “NSTA applauds the NRC for its outstanding work on this document and for engaging the science education community during the development process. Much work lies ahead. We look forward to working with Achieve to translate the Framework into new science standards that can be supported by all states, and to involve science teachers in the development process.”

The Framework will serve as the basis for the development of Next Generation Science Standards, a state-led effort managed by Achieve, Inc.

About NSTA

The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), www.nsta.org, is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA’s current membership includes approximately 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.

Contact

Kate Falk, NSTA
(703) 312-9211
kfalk@nsta.org

2011-07-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake Tribute Attributes Firing of Utah Archaeologists to a Combination of Political Retribution and a Lack of Respect for the Past

The positions of state archaeologist Kevin Jones and assistants Derinna Kopp and Ronald Rood were eliminated, not only to save money, but to settle scores. The three had become an annoyance to some of the powerful people in the Legislature, governor’s office and the Utah Transit Authority, and they had opposed powerful real estate developers. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/52175670-82/state-ancient-utah-archaeologists.html.csp

2011-07-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

New Evidence Suggests God Also Had Incredibly Busty Daughter

ARABAH VALLEY, ISRAEL—In a discovery that biblical scholars say could alter our most fundamental understanding of Christianity, recently unearthed manuscripts suggest that in addition to His Son, Jesus Christ, God also had a daughter with absolutely humongous breasts.
Scholars say Tammi of Nazareth may have been a major religious figure nearly two millennia before the bra was invented.

The documents, found in a cave near the Jordanian- Israeli border and estimated to have been composed circa A.D. 200, recount the life, teachings, and death of Jesus' well-endowed twin sister, Tammi of Nazareth. According to experts, the revelation points to a more dualistic conception of the divine, one with the male principle embodied in Jesus and the female principle represented by Tammi and her giant, heaving bazoingas.

"It's a monumental shift," said Boston College religion professor Paul Ferber, claiming that the newly discovered texts are more significant than the Gospel of Judas or the Dead Sea Scrolls. "Tammi has single-handedly undercut the male hegemony we've come to associate with the Christian faith, and added an important new dimension to the holy scripture."

"Also, the various sources are in clear agreement that Tammi had the most enormous jugs in all of Galilee," added Ferber, gesturing with his hands."Seriously. Like, out to here."

The existence of Tammi has caused scholars to reexamine the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and replace it with a Quadrinity that includes the Daughter figure—though some, including Ferber, argue it should actually be reconstrued as "a five-way Quintinity, counting as two separate divine powers both of Tammi's bodacious watermelons."

According to the manuscripts, written in Greek on papyrus scrolls, Tammi led a ministry contemporaneously with her brother's. Although she promulgated similar ideas concerning faith, humility, and forgiveness, and appeared to possess the same miraculous powers, Tammi seems to have had more difficulty communicating her message. In one passage, for example, her disciples repeatedly coax her into washing their feet, apparently for a better vantage point from which to observe her "heavenly radiance." And while she, like Jesus, walks on water, the feat is described as almost disappointing to many onlookers, who had apparently hoped to see her run.

Professor Ned McCormick of Duke Divinity School said a complete understanding of Tammi's teachings will require decades of research, with particularly close scrutiny given to the dozens of detailed illustrations.

Explaining the difficulty of interpreting the texts, McCormick cited a passage that reads: "Saith Tammi, 'Consider ye this on the forgiveness of one's enemies: Let he who would slander you sup at your table, let he who would inflict…I saith unto thee: Look upon mine eyes, which dwell within mine head, and not upon mine bosom, wherein no wisdom dwells.' And then did Tammi snappeth her fingers together, saying, 'Seriously; I doth mean it. Up here.'"

"In all fairness to her disciples, it must have been impossible to concentrate with a couple of cannons like those in your face," McCormick said. "Especially in that desert heat, with nothing but a thin linen vestment between you and two of the most succulent milk-makers you've ever laid eyes on, beads of sweat slowly making their way down from her throat and running along the swells before descending into that perfect cleft between…oh my Lord."

The circumstances surrounding Tammi's death are unclear, but the texts seem to suggest that while she was not crucified, she did, like her brother, die in Judaea, rise from the dead, and ascend bodily into heaven in her early 30s, well before her breasts would have begun to sag.

While the documents make no direct mention of Tammi's participation in the Second Coming, Ferber said he would not be surprised if her followers held similar eschatological views and worshipped her as a kind of tandem messiah who would one day return to earth along with her brother, "her ginormous gazongas defying gravity as she descended bodily in glory from heaven" to establish the Kingdom of God.

"Maybe I'm just being hopeful," Ferber said, "but I'd sure love to see those holy ta-tas with my own eyes."

2011-06-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Capitalizing on curiosity

By Claire Reinburg | Published: March 12, 2011

Featured speaker Larry Lowery’s lively presentation at the San Francisco NSTA conference highlighted research findings about how children learn to inspire teachers to incorporate new practices in their classrooms. Lowery encouraged teachers to further expand students’ opportunities to learn and explore using their various senses. He showed a functional MRI image to illustrate the lit-up areas of the human brain that can follow from the simple sensory experience of touching an animal’s fur.

When a student holds a classroom pet, examines a leaf through a hand lens, or hears a bird call, multiple areas and receptors in the brain are activated, providing a rich network of connections that deepen the learning experience.

In an engaging illustration, Lowery suggested that viewing a single image of a single leaf doesn’t teach us anything. However, viewing two different leaves side-by-side invites comparisons that capitalize on our brain’s tendency to learn through examining differences and contrasts. Students who look closely enough at two different leaves to see varying edges and vein patterns may never again walk in the woods without noticing and appreciating nature’s wonderful array of leaves and trees. As Lowery said, “the beauty of the world is enhanced when you see the world the way a scientist sees.”

Lowery is professor emeritus at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley, and is principal investigator for the Full-Option Science System (FOSS), the widely used K-8 science program funded by the National Science Foundation and developed at the university. Early in his distinguished career, Lowery studied with Richard Stebbins and was part of the team at Berkeley that developed the Animal Coloration program, a classic resource for activities on the evolution of concealment that NSTA Press published in an updated and revised edition.

Lowery also edited the popular NSTA Pathways to the Standards Elementary Edition, which provides a wealth of inspiring classroom vignettes and tips for teachers who work with our youngest scientists.

2011-06-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

A very controversial figure, boldly (whether rightly or wrongly) attacking a serious social question involving human rights, control over our own bodies, and how far religious perspectives, even commonly held ones, should be able to influence personal liberty...jg

Assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian dies at age 83

Jack Kevorkian, the retired pathologist who captured the world's attention as he helped dozens of ailing people commit suicide, igniting intense debate and ending up in prison for murder, has died in a Detroit area hospital after a short illness. He was 83.

Even admirers couldn't resist. Adam Mazer, the Emmy-winning writer for "You Don't Know Jack," got off one of the best lines of the 2010 Emmy telecast. "I'm grateful you're my friend," Mazer said, looking out at Kevorkian. "I'm even more grateful you're not my physician."

When asked in 2010 how his own epitaph should read, Kevorkian said it should reflect what he believes to be his "real virtue. "I am quite honest. I have trouble lying. I don't like people who lie."

2011-05-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

So Long and Thanks For All the Fish!

To all my Fantastic Forensic Science Students, it's been a blast learning how to keep America safe with you, and I look forward to when it's your turn to get the bad guys. Take with you this Sherlock Holmes quote: "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Justicia pro totus!

2011-05-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

2011-05-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Bulletproof Dog That Stormed Bin Laden's Lair

BY Elbert Chu
Mon May 16, 2011

If you see this dog coming for you, run. Thanks to his extensive training--and customized body armor that can cost upwards of $30,000--he's bulletproof, can hear through concrete, and can record high-def video of missions, even in the dead of night.

Since the moment it was revealed that the "nation's most courageous dog" [Update: named "Cairo"] served alongside the 80 Navy SEALs who took out Osama bin Laden, America's fascination with war dogs has hit a fevered pitch. And while the heart-tugging photos of these four-legged heroes are worth a look, so is the high-tech gear that helps them do their job.

For the rest of the story, click here

2011-05-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

Ignite Your Brainpower with the 20 Smartest Foods on Earth

Just in Time For Final Exams....

by Sara Ost on August 19, 2008 in Food

Simply put, your brain likes to eat. And it likes powerful fuel: quality fats, antioxidants, and small, steady amounts of the best carbs.

On a deadline? Need to rally? Avoid the soda, vending machine snacks and tempting Starbucks pastries and go for these powerful brain boosters instead. The path to a bigger, better brain is loaded with Omega-3 fats, antioxidants, and fiber. Give your brain a kick start: eat the following foods on a daily or weekly basis for results you will notice.

20 foods that will supercharge your brain:

1. Avocado
Start each day with a mix of high-quality protein and beneficial fats to build the foundation for an energized day. Avocado with scrambled eggs provides both, and the monounsaturated fat helps blood circulate better, which is essential for optimal brain function. Worst alternative: a trans-fat-filled, sugar-laden cream cheese Danish.
Green it: you don’t need to buy an organic avocado – conventional is fine. But make sure your supplementary protein is free range, cage free, or organic.

2. Blueberries
These delicious berries are one of the best foods for you, period, but they’re very good for your brain as well. Since they’re high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, they are safe for diabetics and they do not spike blood sugar. Blueberries are possibly the best brain food on earth: they have been linked to reduced risk for Alzheimer’s, shown to improve learning ability and motor skills in rats, and they are one of the most powerful anti-stress foods you can eat. Avoid: dried, sweetened blueberries.
Green it: buy local and organic, and be mindful of seasonality. When blueberries are out of season, opt for cranberries, grapes, goji berries, blackberries or cherries to get your brain boost.

3. Wild Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for your brain. These beneficial fats are linked to improved cognition and alertness, reduced risk of degenerative mental disease (such as dementia), improved memory, improved mood, and reduced depression, anxiety and hyperactivity. Wild salmon is a premium source, but we’ll highlight a few other sources on this list for vegetarians and people who just don’t like salmon. Avoid farmed (read: sea lice infested) salmon.
Green it: the California salmon stock is threatened, so choose wild Alaskan salmon only, and eat small portions no more than twice a week.

4. Nuts
Nuts contain protein, high amounts of fiber, and they are rich in beneficial fats. For getting an immediate energy boost that won’t turn into a spike later, you can’t do better than nuts. The complex carbs will perk you up while the fat and protein will sustain you. Nuts also contain plenty of vitamin E, which is essential to cognitive function. You don’t have to eat raw, plain, unsalted nuts, but do avoid the ones with a lot of sweetening or seasoning blends. Filberts, hazelnuts, cashews, and walnuts are great choices, with almonds being the king of nuts.

For those avoiding carbs, macadamia nuts are much higher in fat than most nuts. By the way, peanuts just aren’t ideal. Aside from the fact that many people are allergic, peanuts have less healthy fat than many other types of nuts…maybe that’s because peanuts are not actually a nut! They’re still much better than a candy bar, however.
Green it: try to choose organic, raw nuts, and if you can’t get those, at least avoid the tins of heavily-seasoned, preservative-laden nuts that may have taken many food miles to get to your mouth.

5. Seeds
Try sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed, and tahini (a tangy, nutty sesame butter that tastes great in replacement of mayo and salad dressing). Seeds contain a lot of protein, beneficial fat, and vitamin E, as well as stress-fighting antioxidants and important brain-boosting minerals like magnesium.
Green it: Again, just look for organic and try to avoid the highly-seasoned, processed options. In general, things like fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts are pretty low-impact, environmentally speaking, in comparison to meats and cheeses.

6. Coffee
Thine eyes do not deceive (even if you are in the midst of a sugar crash). Coffee is good for your brain. Did you know coffee actually contains fiber? That’s going to help your cardiovascular system. Coffee also exerts some noted benefit to your brain in addition to providing you with a detectable energy boost.
The trick is not to have more than a few cups. But you can safely enjoy 2-4 cups daily – we are talking about supercharging here. Just please don’t go ruining a good thing by loading it up with sugar! Espresso beans are actually a phenomenally healthy snack, by the way.
Green it: brew yourself some fair-trade organic coffee to benefit both the planet and the workers who grow your beans. Use a thermos instead of a throwaway cup.

7. Oatmeal
Nature’s scrub brush is one of the best foods for cardiovascular health, which translates to brain health. Additionally, oatmeal is packed with fiber, a reasonable amount of protein, and even a small amount of Omega-3′s. It’s a good grain that will sustain you throughout the morning so you aren’t prone to irritability or an energy crash.
Green it: the healthiest oatmeal is the real, steel-cut deal. Steer clear of those little microwavable packets that are loaded with sugar. All that packaging isn’t very green.

8. Beans
One more for carb-lovers. (The brain uses about 20% of your carbohydrate intake and it likes a consistent supply.) Beans are truly an amazing food that is sadly overlooked. They’re humble, but very smart. Not only are they loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein, they’re ridiculously cheap. An entire bag of beans usually costs only a few dollars and will provide many meals. Beans provide a steady, slow release of glucose to your brain – which means energy all day without the sugar crash. Don’t go eating a whole platter of frijoles, though – just 1/4 of a cup is fine.
Green it: look for heirloom beans that are raised sustainably, like those from Rancho Gordo.

9. Pomegranate
Opt for the fruit over the juice so you get more fiber. Pomegranates contain blueberry-like levels of antioxidants, which are essential for a healthy brain. Your brain is the first organ to feel the effects of stress, so anything you can do to offset stress is a smart choice.
Green it: pomegranates are seasonal and not generally local for most of us, so enjoy sparingly and rely on other berries like acai, grapes and cherries when you can’t get this fruit.

10. Brown Rice
Brown rice is a low-glycemic complex carbohydrate that is excellent for people sensitive to gluten who still want to maintain cardiovascular health. The better your circulation, the sharper your brain.
Green it: don’t buy the excessively-packaged “boil in a bag” rice packets. Just make up a big batch of brown rice in a rice cooker on Sunday so you have it on hand for easy lunches all week.

11. Tea
You have to brew tea fresh or you won’t get the benefits of all those catechines (antioxidants) that boost your brain. Because tea has caffeine, don’t have more than 2-3 cups daily.
Green it: buy organic, fair trade loose leaf or packets to support sustainable business practices.

12. Chocolate
Things are looking increasingly better for chocolate. It’s got brain-boosting compounds, it’s loaded with antioxidants, and it has just the right amount of caffeine. Chocolate sends your serotonin through the roof, so you’ll feel happy in short order. Dark chocolate is also rich in fiber. (Remember, fiber = healthy cardiovascular system = healthy brain.)
Green it: go for super dark, fair-trade, pure organic chocolate, not the sugary, processed milk chocolate candy bars.

13. Oysters
Oysters are rich in selenium, magnesium, protein and several other nutrients vital to brain health. In one study researchers found that men who ate oysters reported significantly improved cognition and mood! Not all shellfish are good for you but oysters are a sure bet.
Green it: oysters are actually one of the most eco-friendly seafood options, so eat up!

14. Olive Oil
Though we know the brain does need a small, steady supply of glucose, don’t overlook fat. Studies have consistently shown that a low-fat diet is not the health boon we hoped it would be (remember the 90s low-fat craze?). In fact, avoiding fat can increase foggy thinking, mood swings, and insomnia. A diet rich in healthy fats is essential to clear thinking, good memory, and a balanced mood. Your brain is made of fat, after all.
One study of men found that those who relied on the processed vegetable fats found in salad dressings, snacks and prepared foods had 75% higher rates of mental degradation (dementia, memory loss) than men who ate healthy fats. Most processed foods and fast foods use corn oil, palm oil, soybean oil and other Omega-6 fats. You don’t want Omega 6 fats. Even saturated fat is safer than Omega 6′s.
Choose healthy fats such as those present in olive oil, nut butters, nuts and seeds, flax, oily fish, and avocados. Avoid processed fats found in pastries, chips, candy bars, snacks, junk food, fried foods and prepared foods. Eating the wrong fat can literally alter your brain’s communication pathways.
Green it: look for organic, local, or farmers’ market options when it comes to your food. You should also explore herbal remedies for mood swings and brain health.

15. Tuna
In addition to being another rich source of Omega-3′s, tuna, particularly yellowfin, has the highest level of vitamin B6 of any food. Studies have shown that B6 is directly linked to memory, cognition and long term brain health. Generally, the B vitamins are among the most important for balancing your mood. B6 in particular influences dopamine receptors (dopamine is one of your “feel good” hormones along with serotonin).

My personal cocktail: SAMe (nature’s happiness molecule) and a mega-dose of B-complex keeps me humming even when I’ve got a mountain of work to do. Which, like you, is all the time.
Green it: only eat tuna from sustainable fisheries, and if you’re looking for a B6 source that is vegetarian, opt for a banana, which contains a third of your day’s requirement (tuna offers nearly 60%).

16. Garlic
Garlic – the fresher the better – is one of the most potent nutritional weapons in your arsenal. Eat it as much as your significant other can stand. Not only is it fabulous for reducing bad cholesterol and strengthening your cardiovascular system, it exerts a protective antioxidant effect on the brain.
Avoid: I know it makes life easier, but don’t even think about buying the chopped or peeled garlic. Nutritional benefits = zero.
Green it: just choose organic, and go for local if you can get it.

17. Eggs
Eggs contain protein and fat to provide energy to your brain for hours, and the selenium in organic eggs is proven to help your mood. You really needn’t worry about the overblown cholesterol fears. (I have quite a bit to say on this topic but I’ll restrain myself for once.)
Green it: choose organic, free range, vegetarian fed eggs.

18. Green Leafy Vegetables
Spinach, kale, chard, romaine, arugula, lolla rossa – whatever green you like, eat it daily. Green, leafy vegetables are high in iron (slightly less “green” iron sources include beef, pork and lamb). Americans tend to be deficient in iron, which is too bad, because the deficiency is linked to restless leg syndrome, fatigue, poor mood, foggy thinking, and other cognition issues.
Green it: choose organic, and shop at your farmers’ market or order from a local CSA. Leave out the red meat a few days a week and rely on a big, well-seasoned green stir fry or salad.

19. Tomatoes
Go figure, but tomatoes don’t usually make the brain-boosting food lists. (Thank goodness I found the one that did so I’m not the only one.) Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that is particularly good for your brain – it even helps prevent dementia. You have to cook tomatoes to get the lycopene – take that, raw foodies! Just kidding. But this does mean that ketchup is good for your brain. Although because of the sugar in it, you should look to other sources for most of your lycopene intake, such as fresh tomato sauce.
Green it: try to eat tomatoes that are local and get your lycopene in vitamin form when tomatoes aren’t in season. You’ll know when that is – the tomatoes will be pale, tasteless, and pithy.

20. Cacao nibs
That’s right, I’m putting chocolate on this list twice. My boyfriend knows I need it. I eat chocolate or cacao nibs daily and I think you might want to consider it, too. Cacao nibs are among the top five most powerful brain foods, right next to wild salmon and blueberries. My girlfriends and I like to mix cacao nibs with frozen blueberries and a generous splash of organic heavy cream while we watch really bad television on Sunday nights.
Green it: as long as it’s fair trade and organic, it’s green.

Things that drain your brain:
Alcohol kills your brain cells outright! Alcohol also interferes with dopamine production. Moderate amounts of alcohol, particularly resveratrol-rich red wine, can help improve your health, but anything beyond a glass or two of wine daily is a recipe for reduced brain function and energy loss.

Corn Syrup and Sugar lead to health problems like diabetes and obesity, and they’re terrible for your brain. Don’t eat sugar except on special occasions or as an infrequent treat. If you can’t cut back that much, try to limit yourself to just two bites of whatever tempts you daily.

Nicotine constricts blood flow to the brain, so while it may “soothe” jittery nerves, smoking will actally reduce your brain function severely – and the effects are cumulative.

A high carbohydrate lunch will make you sleepy and sluggish. Opt for a light meal with some quality protein, such as a salad with grilled chicken breast or vegetables and hummus or wild American shrimp and avocado.

SOURCES:
Vita Search
Public Library of Science
PubMed

2011-05-16T02:23:00.000-07:00

Farewell, my space shuttle

By Leroy Chiao, Special to CNN

May 15, 2011 1:54 p.m. EDT

Editor's note: Leroy Chiao served as a NASA astronaut from 1990 to 2005 and flew four missions into space, including flights aboard the space shuttles Columbia, Endeavour and Discovery.

(CNN) -- When space shuttle Endeavour blasts off Monday on its final journey, I'll be thinking about the shuttle's three remarkable decades of service.

I grew up during the Cold War and the Space Race. I was raised on "Star Trek." To me, the guys in "The Right Stuff" were Mickey Mantle and the Beatles on a rocket ship.

The Apollo 11 moon landing was the biggest moment of my childhood. It made me want to reach for the stars like those real-life heroes had done. And while I was building my dreams, NASA was constructing the vehicle that would bring me to the stars.

As NASA toiled, I was working on my own version of the shuttle -- in my parents' garage, out of toilet paper tubes and balsa wood. America was intoxicated by the space program and I was an addict for the excitement, drama and promise for the future that it would deliver with every launch.
In the '60s the anticipation for the decades ahead was as boundless as the universe itself. We were young, cocky and convinced that we could conquer the limits of space. And while space travel eventually became almost commonplace for many Americans, the fire inside me for space exploration never dimmed.

On one warm July morning in 1994, my boyhood fantasy of rocketing into the heavens in a state-of-the-art NASA spacecraft was fulfilled.

I had achieved what all my boyhood friends only dreamed of. I was an astronaut, a space cowboy -- and the space shuttle Columbia was my steed. That ship will always hold a special place in history, as the first of the shuttles to fly into space. It will have a similar place in my heart, along with those of many of my fellow astronauts.

Despite its perceived lack of sexiness, the shuttle is the most amazing, accomplished and capable flying machine ever conceived and built. She launches into low Earth orbit carrying a crew of up to seven astronauts, and a payload capacity of more than 50,000 pounds.

After completing an orbital mission of about two weeks, she brings it all home with a soft landing on a conventional runway. The only thing missing is a baggage check and "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns.
After a three-month processing flow (a little lube job, a waxing, and maybe getting the tires rotated), this baby is ready to do it all over again. Unparalleled in performance, the shuttle is what every astronaut has ever dreamed of having -- and the most accomplished spacecraft NASA has ever produced.

Sadly, NASA also made promises that the shuttle was unable to keep. Two-week turnarounds and inexpensive launches never materialized.

NASA didn't know what it didn't know. Nobody had created and operated a reusable, winged spacecraft like this one before.

The losses of Challenger, Columbia and their crews showed us unforeseen and sadly cataclysmic vulnerabilities. We mourned our losses and learned from these tragedies. The knowledge we gained from these painful experiences, along with all the shuttle's glorious abilities, will contribute to the design and operation of future spacecraft.

I have many vivid and poignant memories of flying aboard the shuttle. Floating in my sleep bunk just hours after my first launch, I couldn't sleep until I rotated 90 degrees to "lay on my side."

I watched shooting stars from the cabin window. I watched over my family from space when I identified Houston below me. There were our "aerobatic Olympics" in the Spacelab module. Simply watching the enormity of the Earth below me was incredible.

The shuttle also brought lifelong friendships among the many people whose lives she touched, all over the world. Astronauts and specialists from international space programs formed unlikely alliances in space that were never possible on Earth.

I myself formed deep friendships with several of my American comrades, as well as those from Japan, Europe, Canada and Russia. The shuttle was the vehicle for all of that, literally and figuratively.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But hard as they tried, nobody else ever got it right.

The development of the Soviet Buran shuttle, which flew only once and without a crew, nearly brought the Soviet program to its knees. The French Hermes and Japanese Hope spaceplane designs never lifted off of their respective drawing boards. Our soon-to-be-scuttled shuttle stands as a symbol of American ingenuity, know-how, persistence and greatness. No other vehicle past, present or currently contemplated for the future even comes close to her capability and elegant beauty.

On April 12 of this year, the space shuttle celebrated her 30th birthday. The last shuttle mission, flown by Atlantis, is scheduled for July.

Space shuttle, you left us far too soon. You'll never be grounded in the hearts of all of us who loved you.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leroy Chiao.

2011-05-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

Four planets will cluster together next week

Jupiter (seen here) will hang low in the sky, along with Venus, Mars and Mercury, on Tuesday.

Four planets will huddle close together, visible to the naked eye, in the predawn sky next week, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.

"The best view is from the southern states because the path the planets follow across the sky (the ecliptic) stands at a little higher angle relative to the horizon," the magazine's editors said.

"Peak streak" time arrives for meteor showers
Venus and Jupiter will be easy to spot hanging low in the east as dawn brightens on May 10. They are the brightest objects in the night sky after the Moon. Venus, the brighter of the two, will be to the right of Jupiter.

Mercury will be visible to the lower right of Venus, about the same distance from Venus to Jupiter. It won't be as bright but its proximity to Venus will help you find it. To the lower left of Jupiter you'll find Mars, which may be too low and faint to see without the aid of binoculars.

StarDate magazine is a bi-monthly publication of The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, which houses many telescopes responsible for a wide range of astronomical research. McDonald Observatory is also pioneering the next generation of astronomical research as a founding partner of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Blow Your Mind II

2011-05-02T02:04:00.000-07:00

Terrifying Brown Spiders Moving North with Global Warming

Ben Jervey - Contributing Editor, GOOD Environment

My colleague Liz has been begging—seriously begging!—me to warn the American public about the growing threat of the terrifying and deadly brown recluse spider. Researchers have founds that the range of this extraordinarily venomous spider—a bite from which can, in some cases, kill—is expanding due to climate change, and that they'll be moving farther north to more populous parts of the country.

"The actual amount of suitable habitat of the brown recluse doesn't change dramatically in the future time slices, but what is changing is where that area is located," said Erin Saupe, a researcher from the University of Kansas.

Here's the map. The green dotted line marks current habitat. The blue masses are the areas they're expected to move to as temperatures increase.

So, really, the story here is not that the brown recluse spiders are expanding their range because of warmer temperatures, but rather that they're going to have to relocate. Which is probably welcome news to folks in Texas and Oklahoma and across the current habitats. But it's a big bummer for those of us who are up further north and wouldn't know one from a daddy long legs if it were climbing up the wall of our wood shed.

Photo (cc) by OakleyOriginals on Flickr

Blow Your Mind I

2011-05-02T02:01:00.000-07:00

For the First Time, Humans See Quantum Entanglement With the Naked Eye

By Clay Dillow Posted 04.29.2011

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-04/researchers-see-quantum-entanglement-naked-eye-first-time

Quantum Entanglement, Visible to the Naked Eye Jule_Berlin via Flickr

Physicists at the University of Geneva in Switzerland have devised a new kind of quantum experiment using humans as photon detectors, and in doing so have made the quantum phenomenon of entanglement visible to the naked eye for the first time.

For those that need a primer, entanglement is that strange quantum phenomenon that links two particles across distances such that any any measurements carried out on one particle immediately changes the properties of the other--even if they are separated by the entire universe. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance.” And indeed it is weird.

Nicolas Gisin at U. of Geneva noted that Italian physicists had previously done an interesting thing with entangled photons. Rather than entangling just a few as experimenters usually do, the Italian team had entangled a pair of photons and then amplified one of them to create a photon shower containing thousands of particles, all linked to the single other photon from the original pair. That is, there was one “microscopic” photon, and a shower of “macroscopic” photons, all tied together at the quantum level.

Gisin realized that while the naked eye can’t see a single photon, it can certainly see thousands. So he used a setup similar to the Italians’, but rather than putting a photon detector in front of the macroscopic photons he put himself and his colleagues there. The beam of photons produced by the amplifier would appear in one of two positions in their darkened room, depending on the polarization state given to their microscopic single photon. Time after time, when the human results were tested against photon detectors, they got a positive result.

It may sounds like a bunch of scientists sitting in a dark room looking at blinking lights, but it represents the first time quantum entanglement has been directly observed with the naked eye.

Sort of. The Swiss team also found that what they were looking at wasn’t necessarily macro-micro entanglement. Even when they deliberately broke the quantum link between micro and macro and then ran their “human detector” experiment, they still got a positive result. This is due to the imperfection of detectors (even human ones) and a loophole in what’s known as the Bell Test (which, in a nutshell, is used to measure entanglement) that’s negligible in small quantities of photons but grows along with their quantity. This introduces a degree of uncertainty (for a better explanation of this, click through the Nature link below).

What the Swiss team does know is this: when they started, they had two entangled photons. Even though flaws may have been introduced in the amplification process, they could still “see” the effects of entanglement. A new method is being devised by the original Italian researchers (who also detected this flaw in their research) to verify micro-macro entanglement with lasers. Unfortunately, humans can’t be used as detectors for these experiments, as the highly focused beams of light would be the last thing those humans would see.

2011-04-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

Oh, no, not that annoying dictionary atheist argument again!

From Pharyngula

Once upon a time, there was a man who thought rather highly of humanity's potential. Sure, there were things humans did that were awful -- they could be violent, and careless, and short-sighted -- but they also did amazing things like science and art that other species didn't. Overall, he thought that calling someone "human" was a high compliment. And this idea colored his thinking in such a way that it began to shape his expectations of people; maybe we should expect human beings to do more than eat and excrete and reproduce, and maybe we should recognize that the word "human" meant an awful lot more than just a certain flavor of meat or the species of your parents.

He also noticed that every single human being he ever met, without exception, was more than a perambulating set of chromosomes. Some were good at math and others liked to dance and others were kind and yet others liked to argue, and these were the virtues that made them good and interesting, and made them…human, in this best sense of the word. So when he praised being human, it wasn't for the accident of their birth, it was for the qualities that made being human meaningful.

Unfortunately, not all humans liked having the fact that words carry greater connotations than the most narrow, most literal, most concise, dictionary-style definitions, despite the obvious fact that they all do. They got quite irate.

"I am a human because I am not a squirrel, or a hyena, or a fish, or broccoli," some said, "and I resent the fact that you think there's more to me than being a not-squirrel!"

"You expect me to be good at math to qualify as human?" complained some of the slower, less alert people, who failed to notice that the man had made no such specific requirements.

"The only thing that all humans have in common is that they were born to other humans, and can only reproduce with humans," said other complainers, "therefore, that is all that 'human' can imply or mean. How dare you taint my pure and perfect language with complications and nuances and expectations!"

And the man listened to their arguments for a while, and argued back for a while, and then he came upon a simple solution. He told the not-squirrels and identity-by-rutters and functional illiterates and simple-minded machine-coders to fuck off, and it was good.

"Ad hominem!" they squeaked.

"Who cares what barely human people think, anyway," he shrugged.

2011-04-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Live human heart grown in lab using stem cells in potential transplant breakthrough

By David Derbyshire of the Mail Online
4th April 2011

Breakthrough: Scientists are hopeful their artificial heart will be beating within days

Scientists are growing human hearts in laboratories, offering hope for millions of cardiac patients. American researchers believe the artificial organs could start beating within weeks.

The experiment is a major step towards the first ‘grow-your-own’ heart, and could pave the way for livers, lungs or kidneys to be made to order.

The organs were created by removing muscle cells from donor organs to leave behind tough hearts of connective tissue. Researchers then injected stem cells which multiplied and grew around the structure, eventually turning into healthy heart cells.

Dr Doris Taylor, an expert in regenerative medicine at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, said: ‘The hearts are growing, and we hope they will show signs of beating within the next weeks. ‘There are many hurdles to overcome to generate a fully functioning heart, but my prediction is that it may one day be possible to grow entire organs for transplant.’

Patients given normal heart transplants must take drugs to suppress their immune systems for the rest of their lives.

This can increase the risk of high blood pressure, kidney failure and diabetes.

If new hearts could be made using a patient’s own stem cells, it is less likely they would be rejected.

The lab-grown organs have been created using these types of cells – the body’s immature ‘master cells’ which have the ability to turn into different types of tissue. The experiment follows a string of successes for researchers trying to create spare body parts for transplants.

In 2007, British doctors grew a human heart valve using stem cells taken from a patient’s bone marrow.

HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN HEART

The donor heart is removed from the body; pig hearts may also be suitable.
Detergents are then used to strip the cells from the heart leaving behind the protein skeleton or 'ghost heart'.
Stem cells grown from cells taken from a patient are then added to the ghost heart.
The stem cells then multiply and generate new heart cells. now all that is left is the hope that these will start beating.

A year later, scientists grew a beating animal heart for the first time.

Dr Taylor’s team have already created beating rat and pig hearts. Although they were too weak to be used in animals, the work was an important step towards tailor-made organs.

In their latest study, reported at the American College of Cardiology’s annual conference in New Orleans, researchers created new organs using human hearts taken from dead bodies.

The scientists stripped the cells from the dead hearts with a powerful detergent, leaving ‘ghost heart’ scaffolds made from the protein collagen.

The ghost hearts were then injected with millions of stem cells, which had been extracted from patients and supplied with nutrients. The stem cells ‘recognised’ the collagen heart structure and began to turn into heart muscle cells. The hearts have yet to start beating – but if they do, they could be strong enough to pump blood.

However, the race to create a working heart faces many obstacles.

One of the biggest is getting enough oxygen to the organ through a complex network of blood vessels. Scientists also need to ensure the heart cells beat in time.

Dr Taylor told the Sunday Times: ‘We are a long way off creating a heart for transplant, but we think we’ve opened a door to building any organ for human transplant.’

2011-04-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

Scientists grow 'embryonic eye' in test tube

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent, 6 Apr 2011

Eye transplants to cure blindness have taken a step closer after scientists managed to 'grow' a retina in the laboratory for the first time. Researchers were amazed when stem cells in a test tube spontaneously organised themselves into a complex structure that resembles the developing embryonic eye.

The surprising development could lead eventually to whole retinas being cultured and then transplanted, restoring sight in the blind and visually impaired. The team from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan, first cultivated embryonic stem cells in a test tube and then added proteins to trigger them into developing.

They hoped that they would form a recognisable organ but were still stunned when over 10 days they clustered together and began to grow the "optical cup" of a retina.Tests showed that the cells were functioning normally and were capable of communicating with each other.

The research was done on mouse eyes, but there is no reason why a similar technique would not work on humans, said the experts.They hope that within 10 years to be able to start clinical trials on retina implants.

"This is an absolutely stunning achievement," said Professor Robin Ali, an ophthalmologist at University College London."It is a landmark not just for the retina but for regenerative medicine as a whole."

More than a million people in Britain suffer from vision problems caused by a damaged or malfunctioning retinas. The retina is the "business end" of the eye, where nerve cells convert light into electrical and chemical signals that are sent to the brain down the optic nerve. If it is not working then the eye is useless.

Professor Yoshiki Sasai, lead author said: "What we've been able to do in this study is resolve a nearly century-old problem in embryology, by showing that retinal precursors have the inherent ability to give rise to the complex structure of the optic cup."

His team, who filmed the technique as it unfolded, grew floating clusters of the mouse cells in a special tissue culture in the laboratory that had previously been successfully used to make a variety of brain cells.

By adding particular proteins they were able to get the cells to build a three dimensional layered structure reminiscent of the optic cup within 10 days.The retinal neurons ultimately organised into a six-layer structure closely resembling that of a retina shortly after birth.

This could eventually lead to treatments aimed at repairing the eyes of people with conditions that limit or destroy their sight. Potential applications include regenerative medicine approaches to the treatment of progressive genetic disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa.

Prof Ali, who reviewed the research published in Nature, said: "For the first time, we see unfolding in real time the beautiful events that shape the early stages of mammalian eye development. "But even more remarkable is that these are not recordings from live animals, but of self-organising 3-D cultures of embryonic stem cells."

2011-04-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

You are required to watch Tim Minchin's excellent short animated movie.

2011-04-04T02:16:00.000-07:00

The Decorah triplets: A birds-eye view of our own

It is unequivocally captivating. In fact, I personally am addicted, along with millions of others, and it's giving Decorah, Iowa much attention, especially since going national and beyond.

If you've not logged onto the website sponsored by the Raptor Resource Project, I suggest you immediately cease from reading my blather and go online to www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles.

Over the years, I have been subjected to newborn birds and other small wildlife, due to various reasons, which resulted in overseeing their care. Not all made it, but for those that did, raising to maturity and letting the animals free were major accomplishments on many levels. (However, don't get me started on the lack of sleep toward clockwork feedings.)

This likely enhanced my own obsession with the Decorah Eagles. By the video's angle, one would never know that the nest, which took months to prepare, weighs well over a ton, averaging between five and six feet wide. The pair has used this same one since 2007, as it is nestled 80 feet high within a cottonwood tree. And, the first of three eggs pipped early Saturday morning.

We humans are fortunate to have been given this opportunity for experiencing nature at its finest - from a birds-eye view. Late Saturday night, an owl came within close proximity, likely anticipating the carcass of a rabbit in their nest (caught just two days before the first hatching). It could be heard hooting just out of camera shot. The mother, covering her brood, glared intently as she called to her mate, perched on a nearby branch. Evidently, the owl became what it is known for and thought better of a possible tangle with the mighty beings, not to be heard again.

The second eaglet emerged from its shell Sunday morning and the final egg is due to hatch any moment. The website has to be one of the elite classroom tools currently utilized and if not, it should be. Although, the demise of nearby animals for their nourishment - whether rabbits, squirrels or birds, etc. - would be something for gentle discussion among young children who are watching - the whole circle of life thing, yada yada.

(In fact, it's highly recommended because 'dad' dropped off a fresh-feathered kill before Sunday's dusk, then sitting on the edge to partake of his dinner.)

But overall, the process, for what these eagles motion, stands for what is still good and innocent.

Hopeful and uplifting.

The day those babies soar freely in the wind will be a great day.

Indeed.

Video chat rooms at Ustream

2011-03-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

Sperm Whales May Have Name

By Brandon Keim of Wired Magazine

March 14, 2011

Subtle variations in sperm-whale calls suggest that individuals announce themselves with discrete personal identifier. To put it another way, they might have names.

The findings are preliminary, based on observations of just three whales, so talk of names is still speculation. But “it’s very suggestive,” said biologist Luke Rendell of Scotland’s University of St. Andrews. “They seem to make that coda in a way that’s individually distinctive.”

Rendell, lead author Ricardo Antunes and their collaborators, biologists Hal Whitehead, Shane Gero and Tyler Schulz, have for years studied the click sequences, or codas, used by sperm whales to communicate across miles of deep ocean. In a study published last June in Marine Mammal Sciences, they described a sound-analysis technique that linked recorded codas to individual members of a whale family living in the Caribbean.

In that study, they focused on a coda made only by Caribbean sperm whales. It appears to signify group membership. In the latest study, published Feb. 10 in Animal Behavior, they analyzed a coda made by sperm whales around the world. Called 5R, it’s composed of five consecutive clicks, and superficially appears to be identical in each whale. Analyzed closely, however, variations in click timing emerge. Each of the researchers’ whales had its own personal 5R riff.‘This is just the first glimpse of what might be going on.’

The differences were significant. The sonic variations that were used to distinguish between individuals in the earlier study depended on a listener’s physical relationship to the caller: “If you record the animal from the side, you get a different structure than dead ahead or behind,” said Rendell. But these 5R variations held true regardless of listener position.

“In terms of information transfer, the timing of the clicks is much less susceptible” to interference, said Rendell. “There is no doubt in my mind that the animals can tell the difference between the timing of individuals.” Moreover, 5R tends to be made at the beginning of each coda string as if, like old-time telegraph operators clicking out a call sign, they were identifying themselves. Said Rendell, “It may function to let the animals know which individual is vocalizing.”
Rendell stressed that much more research is needed to be sure of 5R’s function. “We could have just observed a freak occurrence,” he said. Future research will involve more recordings. “This is just the first glimpse of what might be going on.”
That individual whales would have means of identifying themselves does, however, make sense. Dolphins have already been shown to have individual, identifying whistles. Like them, sperm whales are highly social animals who maintain complex relationships over long distances, coordinating hunts and cooperating to raise one another’s calves.

Sperm-whale coda repertoires can contain dozens of different calls, which vary in use among families and regions, as do patterns of behavior. At a neurological level, their brains display many of the features associated in humans with sophisticated cognition. Many researchers think that sperm whales and other cetacean species should be considered “non-human persons,” comparable at least to chimpanzees and other great apes.

Compared to primates, however, studying the behaviors and relationships of whales is extremely difficult. They don’t take well to aquariums, and observations in the wild take place on their aquatic terms.
What’s been observed so far are just “the crude behavioral measures we get by following them in a boat,” said Rendell. “I’d argue that there is probably a vast amount of complexity out there in sperm whale society that we have yet to understand. As we get to know more about them, we’re going to continue to reveal complexities that we didn’t anticipate.”

2011-03-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Block IV!

Three down, one to go. Welcome back to my returning Biology and Forensic Science students, and a special welcome to my new Honor's Biology students. Good job guys.

Well, most of you know the routine by now. Check out the blog postings, leave me a comment or send me an email (at jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net), get some extra credit, 25 points each. No limit to the number you can do as long as the comments are thoughtful and show you actually read through to the link.

Good Luck, and let the magic carpet ride begin...

A New Evolutionary History of Primates

2011-03-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

A New Evolutionary History of Primates

ScienceDaily (2011-03-17) -- A robust new phylogenetic tree resolves many long-standing issues in primate taxonomy. The genomes of living primates harbor remarkable differences in diversity and provide an intriguing context for interpreting human evolution. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted by international researchers to determine the origin, evolution, patterns of speciation, and unique features in genome divergence among primate lineages.

Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education | Video on TED.com

2011-03-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education | Video on TED.com

2011-03-07T02:06:00.000-07:00

Demons, Entropy, and the Quest for Absolute Zero

A 19th-century thought experiment has turned into a real technique for reaching ultralow temperatures, paving the way to new scientific discoveries as well as to useful applications

By Mark G. Raizen | February 28, 2011

Image: Photograph by Adam Voorhes

In Brief

Traditional methods for cooling gases to close to absolute zero work only with a few of the elements.
Two novel techniques together can cool down atoms of virtually any element, even some molecules.
One of the techniques, which appears to break the second law of thermodynamics, is a physical realization of a celebrated 1800s thought experiment called Maxwell’s demon.
Applications range from studying the properties of elementary particles without expensive accelerators to separating isotopes for their use in medicine and research.

Supplemental Material

Video How Maxwell's Demon Cools a Gas to Microkelvin Temperatures [Animation]

As you read these words, the air’s molecules are zipping around you at 2,000 miles per hour, faster than a speeding bullet, and bombarding you from all sides. Meanwhile the atoms and molecules that make up your body incessantly tumble, vibrate or collide with one another. Nothing in nature is ever perfectly still, and the faster things go, the more energy they carry; the collective energy of atoms and molecules is what we call, and feel as, heat.

Even though total stillness, corresponding to the temperature of absolute zero, is physically impossible, scientists have edged ever closer to that ultimate limit. In such extreme realms, weird quantum effects begin to manifest themselves and to produce new and unusual states of matter. In particular, cooling gaseous clouds of atoms—as opposed to matter in the liquid or solid state—to a small fraction of a degree above absolute zero has enabled researchers to observe matter particles behaving as waves, to create the most precise measuring instruments in history, and to build the most accurate atomic clocks.

2011-02-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

What Separates Us From Chimps? As It Turns Out Not Much

Dr. Robert Sapolsky discusses his work as professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and as a research associate. Click here to see the video...

2011-02-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Need a Physics Refresher? This NFL Cheerleader Has You Covered

Who says NFL cheerleaders can’t also be science geeks?

Wendy Brown, who just completed her first season as an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader, is actually wrapping up her fifth and final year at Georgia Tech, where she’s pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering. And it was her geeky, science-centric tendencies that led her to becoming a spokeswoman for NBC’s Science of NFL Football educational series.

And, as it turns out, she’s not the only Falcons cheerleaders pursuing higher education in science, as seven of her colleagues are also going through a science-heavy course load. And when she’s got some free time during class, Brown will take to her Twitter account and have a little fun at the expense of her classmates.

For the rest of the article, click here

Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert Explain the Universe!

2011-02-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

"How'd the moon get here? Look, you pinheads who attacked me for this, you guys are just desperate. How'd the moon get here? How'd the sun get there? How'd it get there? Can you explain that to me? How come we have that and Mars doesn't have it?" -Bill O'Reilly

Once upon a time, humans looked at the tides -- going out and coming in -- and we had no idea what caused them. At high tides, the sea level would rise, and the coast would get swept up by the oceans, while at low tides, the water would recede, leaving tidepools behind.

(Image credit: smugmug.com.)
Low tides and high tides would each happen twice a day. But we started noticing that the highest high tides and the lowest low tides -- spring tides -- happened during new Moons and full Moons. On the other hands, the most moderate tides, where high tides were relatively low and low tides were relatively high -- neap tides -- happened during the first and last quarter Moon phases.
It wasn't long before we put this picture together.
(Image credit: James Irwin.)
Sure enough, the Moon is the dominant cause of the tides, with the Sun responsible for about 30% of what we get. And thanks to the laws of gravity we understand how the tides work, even in more extreme cases.
But apparently, this isn't good enough for Bill O'Reilly. After stating that nobody can explain the tides and this proves the existence of God, many people (rightly) threw the Moon in his face.
But instead of retracting his statement, O'Reilly went one step farther into it, and delivered the rant quoted atop, complete with his five great questions. Some people attacked him, others defended him, but no one's tried to teach him.
Lucky for you, Bill, I am a patient man.
1.) How'd the Moon get here? I've tackled this before, but it's been years. The Giant Impact Hypothesis is the leading theory, as simulations and measurements of the Moon and Earth's interior both support it.
Basically, in the young Solar System, you've got a star with a thin disk of matter orbiting it. Small gravitational instabilities create the first small objects. They then gravitationally attract larger ones, and the more mass you get, the more mass you pull in towards yourself.
Mercury managed to clear its orbit, as did Venus. But out by us, we had two large objects -- one roughly Venus-sized, one roughly Mars-sized -- and they finally caught up to each other.
The densest elements, of course, were primarily at the center, so when they collided, only the light elements in the crust and mantle should have gotten ejected to form the Moon, while the heaviest elements migrated down to the Earth's core. And in fact, our observations confirm that this is, in fact, the case.
(Image credit: California's Imaginarium.)
The Moon is almost completely devoid of iron, the densest abundant element on Earth. And the rocks the Apollo astronauts have brought back from the Moon have, conversely, demonstrated that the rocks on the Moon's surface -- unlike asteroids, meteorites, and Mars' rocks -- are identical in composition to the rocks on Earth's surface. So that's why we're pretty sure the Moon came from the collision of two proto-planets that collided, forming the Earth and the Moon as we know them today.
2.) How'd the sun get there? Well, there's the entire scientific field of star formation devoted to the study of it, but here's the basic story. A molecular gas cloud -- many of which exist in our galaxy -- collapsed under its own gravity, probably triggered by the explosion of a dying, massive star.
(Image credit: Canada-France-Hawaii telescope.)
And that gave rise to the Sun, along with a proto-planetary disk of gas and dust that collapsed to form the planets, comets, and asteroids, among other things.
(Image credit: David Hardy.)
3.) How'd it get there? Well, I assume you mean in context with everything else that's there. Our Sun lives in this place we call "the galaxy."
(Image credit: Axel Mellinger.)
A collection of hundreds of billions of stars, our star formed about 4.6 billion years ago out of a combination of pristine hydrogen gas from the Big Bang and recycled material from at least two previous generations of stars. Gravity holds our star in a stable orbit, about 25,000 light years from the center of our galaxy.
4.) Can you explain that to me? Over time, galaxies grow and evolve through gravitational mergers with other galaxies. The Milky Way was likely a much smaller object in the past, that has since cannibalized other galaxies and grown to its present size. In fact, headed into the future, the Milky Way is likely to merge with the Andromeda galaxy, perhaps headed for an intense gravitational interaction like NGC 4676, above.
5.) How come we have that and Mars doesn't have it? Mars doesn't have one big moon, like we do. It has two little ones, Phobos and Deimos, which give Mars its own annular eclipses.
But Mars has its own interesting story that we're just figuring out, and this little guy has truly helped uncover it over the last six years.
Now, you may tell me that science doesn't have all the answers, and you'd be right. After all, I don't have a good explanation for what caused inflation, which is the thing that sets up the Big Bang. But everything starting from that point or afterwards, we learn, and science is how we do it.
(If you need an image credit for this, you aren't paying attention.)
And if you want an alternate take on Bill O'Reilly's latest, you can always listen to Stephen Colbert's extremely informed opinion on it.

Thanks to my buddy and loyal reader Dave for tipping me off to this one! And for everyone else out there, have a great weekend!

2011-02-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

Autopsy Cutbacks Reveal 'Gray Homicides'

by Sandra Bartlett, of NPR News Investigations

There's no way that we can look at every case we should probably be looking at. When you only see 1 in every 3 cases, the possibility that a homicide's going to be missed are pretty great. - Craig Harvey, chief death investigator, Los Angeles Coroner's Office

Many underfunded and understaffed medical examiner and coroner offices have stopped doing autopsies in some categories of deaths. In some states suicides are not autopsied, in others people who die in car accidents, and many jurisdictions have stopped performing autopsies on people over the age of 60 unless it is an obvious violent death. In Oklahoma, for example, they lower the age limit to 40.

An investigation by NPR, PBS Frontline and ProPublica found concerns among law enforcement and health care professionals over the trend to assume the elderly always die of natural causes. They fear there's a quiet epidemic of what they call "gray homicides" going undetected and unpunished.

The article mentions one case in which justice was done, involving a caregiver that had been arrested in  connection with the death of one of the residents, and proved to be connected tp that of another which had already been dismissed as natural by the medical examiners office, that of Richard McDonough...  

"The deaths are complicated," Allen says. "But we can't just say it's complicated and push it aside. We can't just say they're old and they're going to die soon and not look at it as something that is significant."

Allen says if autopsies on the elderly are stopped, the truth about a suspicious death may never be learned.

"In this particular case, the truth did go to the grave; it was buried, it was 6 feet under with Mr. Kittower. And this abuse would have just continued," Allen says. "It was only that death that actually got someone to come forward. And I think [if] these secrets go to the grave ... more and more people will just get abused in the process."

For the rest of the article, click here

2011-01-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

25 Years Later, Challenger & Teacher McAuliffe Still Remembered

I was about 20 years old when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded soon after takeoff. I used to live not too far away from Cape Kennedy, where they launch the shuttles, and would often drive up to Cocoa beach to watch the shuttles take off, especially the night time launches. Way cool...

I remember that I happened to be in an auto-supply shop when I first heard the news, and we all rushed out side to look up. I still feel a chill when I remember seeing the erratic plume of smoke and debris, and just not believing that it could happen.

At the time, teaching was not in my master plan, but we all new of Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who was going into space. We all died a bit inside when that happened, but at the same time, I know that many of us felt great pride that a normal person, not too different than me, had "the Right Stuff," and she has always inspired me, to this day...

2011-01-24T00:41:00.000-07:00

Dog Might Provide Clues on How Language Is Acquired

From the New York Times.com

Chaser, a border collie who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., has the largest vocabulary of any known dog. She knows 1,022 nouns, a record that displays unexpected depths of the canine mind and may help explain how children acquire language.

Cass Sapir/Nova Science Now

Chaser belongs to John W. Pilley, a psychologist who taught for 30 years at Wofford College, a liberal arts institution in Spartanburg. In 2004, after he had retired, he read a report in Science about Rico, a border collie whose German owners had taught him to recognize 200 items, mostly toys and balls. Dr. Pilley decided to repeat the experiment using a technique he had developed for teaching dogs, and he describes his findings in the current issue of the journal Behavioural Processes.

For the rest of this article, click here

2011-01-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Jan. 15, 1929: Birth of a Moral Compass, Even for Science

from Wired.com

1929: Martin Luther King Jr. is born. Though his work for civil rights and peace will become widely known, he will also deliver an important warning on the perils of technological amorality. King delivered a lecture at the University of Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11, 1964, the day after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He argued that progress in science and technology has not been equaled by “moral progress” — instead, humanity is suffering from a “moral and spiritual lag.”

At 35, King was then the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was recognized for using nonviolent methods, including civil disobedience and the boycott (as well as the power of his oratory), to fight racial segregation and advance the civil rights movement in the United States.

King, a Baptist minister who was the son of a Baptist minister, preached that material advancement was meaningless without an accompanying moral structure. A visit with Mahatma Gandhi’s family on a trip to India only reinforced this conviction, while at the same time strengthening King’s commitment to nonviolence as an instrument of change.

In his Oslo lecture, King acknowledged the advances made by science and technology, but said that growing abundance was undermining the human spirit. “The richer we have become materially, the poorer we become morally and spiritually,” he said. “We have learned to fly in the air like birds and swim in the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.”

Placing too much value on material advantage while ignoring what he called the “spiritual lag” was a path fraught with peril, King said.

“Enlarged material powers spell enlarged peril if there is not proportionate growth of the soul. When the ‘without’ of man’s nature subjugates the ‘within,’ dark storm clouds begin to form in the world.”

King was killed by a sniper’s bullet on April 4, 1968, as he stood on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. He had gone there to lend support to striking city garbage workers.

2011-01-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Scientists at Work... in Madagascar

Through Mud, Sand and Water, the Long Road Home

Two days with only light rain at night have provided us a window to make our way out. The obstacles will be mud, sand and water. But we are ready. Our vehicle recovery kit includes the following tools I would recommend to anyone traveling in Madagascar: We have a high lift jack (for lifting the car up, so you can shove rocks underneath a stuck wheel), jacking plate, three lengths of towing straps, two U-clamps, two pulleys, two shovels, two spare tires, two sand ladders and, most important, a winch. If you don’t bring a helicopter to the field with you, your next best miracle tool is a winch. I can’t tell you how many times the winch has come to our rescue, saving us from another night in the mud.

For the rest of the article, click here

2011-01-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome new & old students to Block III!

As we discussed in class, this is my science and stuff blog. At least once a week, usually more often, I will post a link to a story, video,or image that I think you may find interesting.

To get extra credit, all you have to do is visit the link, come back to the blog page, and comment on the link (see the comment button below), making sure to include your name and class period in the comment. As an alternative, you can send me an email at: jgiacobbe_southpoonte@cox.net again being sure to list your name and class period in the email.

For today, all you have to do is visit the blog, and just leave a message telling me you were here, and you earn 25 extra credit points! Piece of cake!

As an added incentive, please find below a scene from my hometown beach, so imagine you're kicking back and enjoying the waves, dudes...

World's oldest human remains claimed in Israel

2010-12-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

World's oldest human remains claimed in Israel

Israeli archaeologists have discovered human remains dating from 400,000 years ago, challenging conventional wisdom that Homo sapiens originated in Africa, the leader of excavations in Israel said on Tuesday.

2010-12-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

What WikiLeaks revealed to the world in 2010

It's unsurprising that political leaders would want to convince people that the true criminals are those who expose acts of high-level political corruption and criminality, rather than those who perpetrate them. Every political leader would love for that self-serving piety to take hold.

But what's startling is how many citizens and, especially, "journalists" now vehemently believe that as well. In light of what WikiLeaks has revealed to the world about numerous governments, just fathom the authoritarian mindset that would lead a citizen -- and especially a "journalist" -- to react with anger that these things have been revealed; to insist that these facts should have been kept concealed and it'd be better if we didn't know; and, most of all, to demand that those who made us aware of it all be punished (the True Criminals) while those who did these things (The Good Authorities) be shielded:

That reaction has not been weakened at all even by the Pentagon's own admission that, in stark contrast to its own actions, there is no evidence -- zero -- that any of WikiLeaks' actions has caused even a single death.

2010-12-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Jan Brewer - Not Afraid To Do What The Federal Government Won't And Shouldn't

Arizona Governor

December 16, 2010 | ISSUE 46•50

This April, when she signed into law Arizona's tough new anti-immigration policy, Gov. Jan Brewer bravely showed the nation that if the federal government wouldn't take the most draconian measures imaginable to deal with illegal aliens, then she would do it on her own.

By demanding that police check any suspicious- looking individual's immigration status, Brewer stood up for the kind of racial profiling that other politicians wouldn't, and under any circumstances shouldn't, have the guts to support. Refusing to bow down to sense or reason, Brewer also made it possible for citizens to sue police officers who fail to carry out the troublingly vague terms of the new law, no matter how much it might tie up the state's court system—a bold stance the federal government simply couldn't be bothered with.

And shouldn't be bothered with, because it's a really, really awful idea.

Like the growing tide of up and coming conservative politicians, Brewer understands that real change—the disturbing, almost surreal kind of change that drives a wedge between Americans, increases fear and xenophobia, and makes Arizona, and by extension the nation as a whole, seem impossibly backward—has to start at home.

The loon.

2010-12-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Posted on http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/12/09/18666107.php

Some of the "Operation Payback Manifesto"

Hello World. We are Anonymous. What you do or do not know about us is irrelevant. We have decided to write to you, the media, and all citizens of the free world to inform you of our intentions, potential targets, and our ongoing, active campaign for the freedom of information exchange, freedom of expression, and free use of the Internet.

Not quite sure what to make of these guys yet. This sounds fine and dandy, but attacking corporate websites for infringing on free speech rights sounds a bit wrong-headed. Will they not become what they most despise?

Here are some more sites to check out and learn more about this:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2010/12/more_wikileaks

http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/09/technology/amazon_wikileaks_attack/index.htm?hpt=T2

http://forums.whyweprotest.net/splashpage.html

and here's a guy to follow who seems to have a more reasoned viewpoint:

http://twitter.com/#!/JPBARLOW

William Gibson, here we come!

2010-12-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Still Missed....

2010-11-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

ASU’s Ask A Biologist website wins prestigious SPORE prize



		IMAGE: Charles Kazilek is a winner of the SPORE prize for online educational innovation. Click here for more information.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has chosen Arizona State University's "Ask A Biologist," an online resource for children's science education, to receive the Science Prize for Online Resources in Education, or SPORE, award.

The prize, established to "encourage innovation and excellence in education, as well as the use of high-quality online resources by students, teachers, and the public," recognizes the website's creative content and its developer, Charles Kazilek, director of technology integration and outreach in ASU's School of Life Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

What set Arizona's Ask A Biologist apart? Reading interventionist Joan Howell with the Phoenix Elementary School District, a teacher for 20 years, says that it is Kazilek. "Charles simply knows how to connect with children," she says. "He has combined science and art and created a wonderful vehicle for learning. It keeps you aware of the Web, it's something local, it shows that ASU is a leading institution and it's infectious. We are very thankful at our school and in our district. He has opened up a world of possibility."

Kazilek's virtual world is kaleidoscopic, encompassing coloring pages, image and zoom galleries, games, stories, science career pages, teacher's resources, experiments, and language translations into Spanish and French. Entrancing more than a million visitors a year from across the globe, favorite offerings from amongst the 2,500 pages of content are the Ugly Bug contest and the Ask A Biologist's podcast, which injects children's voices, as co-hosts, in the website's audioprogramming (http://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/watch_listen).

"The Ugly Bug contest teaches kindergarteners to sixth graders how to look at things closely," says Howell. "The details of the bugs inspire all sorts of questions. It's a wonderful skill for children to develop. They don't even realize that they are learning."

The numbers are telling: more than 10,735 votes have been cast to determine 2010's ugliest bug since it debuted on Oct. 31. Locked in battle are top contenders, the assassin bug and yellow dragonfly (http://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/ubc).

Inspiration for the unusual comes easily to Kazilek, a double-ASU alumnus with a bachelor's degree in fine arts and a master of natural sciences degree, an avid photographer and aficionado of microcomputers and microscopy. Kazilek embraces the world, its challenges and puzzles with the same questioning approach as his charges.

Kazilek credits the perplexed public with much of the website's content development. "The Q&A feature has been one of the greatest tools for developing content for Ask A Biologist," he says. "It is our barometer to measure what topics and concepts excite interest, are fresh and intriguing and might be important to add to the website."

Besides showing that science is fun and answering more than 25,000 biology questions from children, teachers and parents in the last decade, Kazilek has also actively pursued building connections with the public he serves. In one year alone, he met face-to-face with 1,600 educators and nearly 1,000 K-12 students in Arizona, Washington, D.C, Indiana, and Texas.

Kazilek has likewise worked to expand his online partnerships, which have broadened his ability to expand online access to science learning. The more than 150 contributors involved in Ask A Biologist, including scientists, artists and experts from ASU and other learning institutions in the United States, such as Harvard and MIT, have grown to embrace the talents of volunteers from Panama, Columbia, India, France, England and Canada. Kazilek has also worked to bring other virtual technologies into K-12 classrooms to expand real-time access of youth to scientists at ASU and the Smithsonian Institution.

Laura Martin, director of science interpretation with the Arizona Science Center, points out that she and her staff can "refer students, teachers and families to his exceptional resources knowing that they offer good science, good pedagogy and up-to-date modes of access."

Martin is also quick to acknowledge Kazilek's enthusiasm, energy, generosity and "the creativity that has been invaluable to many of our own science center projects."

ASU and Kazilek join 11 other awardees selected in 2010 from entries from the United States and abroad. Other institutions recognized by the AAAS include Baylor College of Medicine, Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers University and the universities of Utah, Washington and Johannesburg, South Africa. A complete list of winners and their essays can be found at http://www.sciencemag.org/site/special/spore.

AAAS, who publishes the journal Science, created the SPORE competition to recognize that "being an outstanding science educator is as valuable to society as being an exceptional research scientist."
ASU and the School of Life Sciences have offered fertile ground for Kazilek's development of Ask A Biologist, the launch of a podcast series and other innovative educational approaches. Robert Page, dean of the School of Life Sciences, says "We, as a public institution, have a responsibility to reach out and make what we do accessible and relevant. Ask a Biologist is premier example of how we can and should engage the public in understanding what we do as scientists and the world around us."

###

To learn more about Ask A Biologist, which is part of the National Science Digital Library, and which is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation: http://askabiologist.asu.edu.

2010-11-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is the kinda thing we need more of?

V for Vendetta hacker broadcasts video at Washington State University

An anonymous hacker who calls himself "V" hijacked the projector systems in more than two dozen classrooms at Washington State University (WSU) last week. The hacker asked students to stand up to administrators and then invited them to meet on November Fifth, in one year, to take action on campus.

In V for Vendetta, V broadcasts a video message calling the British public to take action on November 5. "Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November." According to Wikipedia, November Fifth commemorates the anniversary of when Guy Fawkes's tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and assassinate King James I.

According to WSU 1812 on Facebook, Google offered the hacker a job. Will the hacker's video have any lasting impact at the university or be remembered as only a prank? We'll find out what happens next November Fifth.

2010-11-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

Axis of Depression

By PAUL KRUGMAN

Published: November 18, 2010

What do the government of China, the government of Germany and the Republican Party have in common? They’re all trying to bully the Federal Reserve into calling off its efforts to create jobs. And the motives of all three are highly suspect.........

So what’s really motivating the G.O.P. attack on the Fed? Mr. Bernanke and his colleagues were clearly caught by surprise, but the budget expert Stan Collender predicted it all. Back in August, he warned Mr. Bernanke that “with Republican policy makers seeing economic hardship as the path to election glory,” they would be “opposed to any actions taken by the Federal Reserve that would make the economy better.” In short, their real fear is not that Fed actions will be harmful, it is that they might succeed.

Hence the axis of depression. No doubt some of Mr. Bernanke’s critics are motivated by sincere intellectual conviction, but the core reason for the attack on the Fed is self-interest, pure and simple. China and Germany want America to stay uncompetitive; Republicans want the economy to stay weak as long as there’s a Democrat in the White House.

And if Mr. Bernanke gives in to their bullying, they may all get their wish.

2010-11-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

Axis of Depression

What do the government of China, the government of Germany and the Republican Party have in common? They’re all trying to bully the Federal Reserve into calling off its efforts to create jobs. And the motives of all three are highly suspect.........

So what’s really motivating the G.O.P. attack on the Fed? Mr. Bernanke and his colleagues were clearly caught by surprise, but the budget expert Stan Collender predicted it all. Back in August, he warned Mr. Bernanke that “with Republican policy makers seeing economic hardship as the path to election glory,” they would be “opposed to any actions taken by the Federal Reserve that would make the economy better.” In short, their real fear is not that Fed actions will be harmful, it is that they might succeed.

Hence the axis of depression. No doubt some of Mr. Bernanke’s critics are motivated by sincere intellectual conviction, but the core reason for the attack on the Fed is self-interest, pure and simple. China and Germany want America to stay uncompetitive; Republicans want the economy to stay weak as long as there’s a Democrat in the White House.

And if Mr. Bernanke gives in to their bullying, they may all get their wish.

Thanks to one of my favorite students, Janae Mycah!

2010-11-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

I hate to put her on blast, 'cause she might be embarresed, but I wanted to thanks my favorite 1st Period student, Janae Mycah, for her excellent comments and her extra effort in visiting the blog and actually reading what I write!

You go girl! You will be rewarded, both in your grade, and in heaven too!

JG

2010-11-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

More on Carl Sagan's Birthday....and a Pale Blue Dot...

The Voyager 1 satellite was launched in 1977. Carl Sagan had pushed for Voyager to take a photograph of the Earth when it reached the edge of the solar system. In February of 1990, having completed its primary mission, the spacecraft was directed by NASA to turn around to photograph the planets of the Solar System. One image Voyager returned was of Earth, showing up as a "pale blue dot" in the grainy photograph at the bottom. This image shows the earth at almost four billion miles away.

In the book (Pale Blue Dot), Sagan related his thoughts on a deeper meaning of the photograph:

    From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of particular interest. But for us, it's different. Look again at that dot. That's here, that's home, that's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

    The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

    Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

    The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

    It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

2010-10-31T17:00:00.002-07:00

Stewart rally's point -- don't divide us

2010-10-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ozzy Osbourne on genome testing, Neanderthal lineage

In July, rocker Ozzy Osbourne became one of few to submit his blood to have his full genome sequenced and analyzed. The results are in, and it turns out his genome reveals some Neanderthal lineage, according to Scientific American.

Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, are expected to discuss the testing and its results Friday at the TEDMED 2010 scientific conference in San Diego, California. In a Sunday Times of London column (registration required), the former Black Sabbath front man said he was reluctant to submitting to the test at first. He eventually gave in to his curiosity over how he had managed to survive years of hard living and substance abuse.

"Given the swimming pools of booze I've guzzled over the years—not to mention all of the cocaine, morphine, sleeping pills, cough syrup, LSD, Rohypnol... there's really no plausible medical reason why I should still be alive," he wrote.

"Maybe my DNA could say why."

2010-10-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Creation Day!

From PZ Myers awesome blog Pharyngula

Daniel Phelps just reminded me that today is 23 October, the date that James Ussher, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, determined to be the very first day of creation in 4004 BCE. That makes the world 6013 years old today, in his chronology (if you're adding it up at home, remember that there is no year 0).

2010-10-17T23:46:00.000-07:00

A quote from P. Z. Myers, noted evolutionary biologist.....

"The New York Times has what I consider a skewed but also personally flattering summary of the Secular Humanist convention. Skewed, because it focuses rather more on the disagreements on tactics that were on display, but weren't really the focus of most of the discussions — it was actually an amicable meeting. Personally flattering, because it dwelt more on that firebrand Myers (my full remarks are on the record) than was actually deserved. It read as if I were flailing among the dissenters, smiting the impure atheists with the jawbone of an ass, when I was really one among many in diverse discussions.

I'm going to take it as favorable coverage, though, because the conclusion does accurately convey my views.

Mr. Myers and other "confrontationalists" surely do alienate some potential Christian allies. But they may also give comfort to people like Claire, who feel like an invisible minority. Mr. Myers is way out of the closet as an atheist — proudly, outrageously so. We're here, he's saying. And we don't believe. And we have science and reason on our side. Get used to it."

2010-10-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome To Block II!

To our returning and new students, welcome to South Pointe. As we discussed in class, I will occasionally post a link, story summary, video, or image on this blog that goes beyond what we talk about in class. If you like, you can visit this page, review what I've posted, and comment on it for some extra credit.

You can even scroll down and comment on as many posts as you like for even more extra credit. You do have to review the material, and say something that lets me know you thought about the topic.

To get the extra credit, just click on the comment link below each post, let me know what you think, and leave your full name, so I know who gets the extra credit. If you prefer, you can also send me an email with your comment at this address jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net (that's jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net).

Good luck this Block, and I hope you check back here often for clever, insightful, and really amazing stuff!

Rock on, dudes and duddettes!

Mr. G

2010-10-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

For Bobby, who I never would have known, without Dr. Edwards!

Pioneer of In Vitro Fertilization Wins Nobel Prize in Medicine

The British scientist who pioneered techniques of in vitro fertilization, which in the last generation has revolutionized treatment for infertile couples who wish to bear children, was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine this morning.

The researcher, Robert G. Edwards, an 85-year-old professor emeritus at the University of Cambridge, will receive the prize, worth about $1.5-million this year, at a ceremony in December. Mr. Edwards's work, which began in the 1950s and was conducted at Britain's National Institute for Medical Research as well as at Cambridge and at the Bourn Hall Clinic, was crowned in 1978, with the birth of Louise Brown, dubbed the world's first "test-tube baby."

Some four million more have followed. Sweden's Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, hailed Mr. Edwards, who worked with the now-deceased Patrick Steptoe, for not only making IVF possible through important discoveries but also making it safe and effective through refinements and training for IVF specialists at the clinic. In its citation, the institute said Mr. Edwards's "contributions represent a milestone in the development of modern medicine."

2010-10-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

What if God Was One of Us?
Or what if he/she/it wasn't anything at all?

2010-10-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

Federal Appeals Court Again Rules in Favor of Embryonic-Stem-Cell Research

By Paul Basken, of the The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Obama administration on Tuesday won another round in its legal battle to permit federally financed embryonic-stem-cell research, as a federal appeals panel affirmed its earlier decision to lift a temporary injunction while litigation on the issue continues.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has now ruled twice against enforcing the injunction, which was issued on August 23 by a lower-court judge in a case brought by researchers who raise ethical objections to work involving human embryos.

The decision allows the National Institutes of Health to continue its work on financing more than $70-million worth of research using embryonic stem cells, and avoids what the NIH has described as a potential disaster for a promising approach to attacking a range of ailments, including cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and paralysis.

The appeals court "understood the serious harm that the preliminary injunction would cause," said Anthony J. Mazzaschi, senior director for scientific affairs at the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The injunction was issued by Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in a case brought by two private researchers, James L. Sherley and Theresa A. Deisher.

Dr. Sherley and Ms. Deisher work with stem cells derived directly from adult patients rather than from embryos. In their lawsuit, they argue that President Obama's easing of restrictions imposed by his predecessor, George W. Bush, on federal support for embryonic-stem-cell research has unfairly deprived them of federal money for their own studies by increasing the competition for NIH funds.

The Justice Department, arguing the case on behalf of the Obama administration, says the two plaintiffs have suffered no real harm because the NIH provides far more money for work with adult stem cells than it does for work with embryonic stem cells. Dr. Sherley has already received $425,500 in NIH grant money, while Ms. Deisher has never even applied, the department said in a filing.

Obscure Provision in Federal Law

That lawsuit is continuing, but Judge Lamberth issued his injunction after concluding that the Obama administration's policy appeared to violate a longstanding provision in federal law that bans the use of federal money for research that involves the creation or destruction of human embryos. Embryos are destroyed when embryonic stem cells are obtained from them.

In a separate court filing this week, Story C. Landis, director of the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, said that 73 of the 75 embryonic-stem-cell lines approved so far by the NIH were from embryos donated before the NIH guidelines were put into effect, in July 2009, suggesting that any possible violation of the older provision, known as the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, had already largely occurred under the terms of the Bush administration's policy.

The appeals court temporarily lifted the injunction this month, but gave the parties more time to file briefs before issuing a more-permanent order. That order came on Tuesday, and will remain in place while the appellate panel carries out a more-detailed review of the arguments. That means the federal financing of embryonic-stem-cell research can continue while the case before Judge Lamberth proceeds.

A trial of the lawsuit could last several months. Each side, however, have asked Judge Lamberth to end the matter by issuing a summary judgment in its favor. Both sides contend that the judge already has enough undisputed facts to make a final ruling. Either way, the federal appeals court and possibly the Supreme Court could still be months away from delivering a final resolution to the argument.

The NIH director, Francis S. Collins, told reporters in August that the case threatens 22 grants worth $54-million that are awaiting annual renewal, and an additional $15-million to $20-million worth of new projects. His chief spokesman, John T. Burklow, said on Tuesday he couldn't comment on the latest court ruling because of "pending legal actions."

Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat of Iowa who led a Senate hearing on the matter on September 16, issued a written statement on Tuesday calling the appellate panel's ruling a sign that "the tide is turning in our favor." But Mr. Harkin made no comment in his statement about whether he would continue to press for legislative action that would end any ambiguity about Congress's intent with the Dickey-Wicker Amendment.

2010-10-05T21:09:00.001-07:00

What did you do for Blasphemy Day?

Today is the official Blasphemy Day, and I hope you all had a good time. I'm afraid I didn't do anything in particular, because every day is Blasphemy Day for me, and I'm a walking talking affront to god.

CFI had a video contest and announced the winners today. Here's the top choice in their Protect Dissent campaign:

2010-10-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Bill would exempt wolves from federal protection

Environmental groups ready to challenge legislation that would classify wolves as predators- By BEN NEARY, Associated Press

U.S. senators from Wyoming, Idaho and Utah are proposing legislation that would strip wolves in the northern Rockies of federal endangered species protection.

The legislation unveiled Thursday is the latest in a series of recent bills that generally are aimed at short-circuiting legal opposition from environmental groups opposed to seeing an end to federal wolf protections.

Much of the environmentalists' concern has centered on Wyoming, where the state has proposed classifying wolves as predators that could be shot on sight in most areas.

Wyoming officials say they would welcome removing federal protections. But environmental groups promise stiff opposition to any congressional effort to sidestep the Endangered Species Act and offer wolves less protection.

2010-09-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

Rally to Restore Sanity - 10.30.10

http://www.rallytorestoresanity.com/

2010-09-13T01:13:00.000-07:00

Scientists Are Optimistic as Appeals Court Lifts Injunction Against Stem-Cell Research

The federal government can continue to finance embryonic-stem-cell research, temporarily, because a federal appeals court on Thursday lifted an injunction that had blocked such work. The move added to optimism about eventual victory for university scientists who use this research in a search for cures for a range of devastating diseases.

The original injunction was issued August 23 by Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. The appeals court lifted it after the Justice Department argued that the ban would harm both scientists and taxpayers.

But the court also ordered the two sides in the case to submit written briefs by September 20 setting out their arguments for whether the injunction should be put back into effect for an expected trial lasting several months. During that trial, Judge Lamberth will hear a full set of arguments over the legality of the Obama administration's policy of expanded federal support for embryonic-stem-cell research.

The new appeals-court action was especially welcome to stem-cell scientists because Judge Lamberth's injunction had prevented the National Institutes of Health from distributing millions of dollars in research money at a time, near the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30, when the NIH often awards many of its grants, said Anthony J. Mazzaschi, senior director for scientific affairs at the Association of American Medical Colleges. "At least in theory by this, they can restart the grant-review process," Mr. Mazzaschi said of the NIH.

for the rest of the article, click here.

2010-09-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

2 asteroids to whiz harmlessly past Earth

(uh oh, this may be the mother ship, so if you don't see me tomorrow....)

NASA says two small asteroids discovered just days ago will zip harmlessly past Earth on Wednesday, a double flyby that should be visible through a telescope.

The asteroids were discovered Sunday by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona. The Minor Planet Center in Massachusetts, which tracks asteroids and comets, determined there was no chance of an Earth collision.

Asteroid 2010 RX30, thought to be 32 to 65 feet long, will pass within 154,000 miles of Earth shortly before 3 a.m. PDT Wednesday.

The second one, dubbed 2010 RF12, will fly by about 11 hours later at a distance of about 49,000 miles. NASA says the second one is 20 to 46 feet long.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/09/07/20100907asteroids-to-pass-earth.html#ixzz0yucqNfgZ

2010-09-07T00:28:00.001-07:00

Some Stephen Hawking Quotes

"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star..."
--Hawking putting human existence in perspective in Der Spiegel

"...But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special."
--Hawking make us feel a little better again, in the same interview

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing..."
--Hawking in an except from his new book The Grand Design, on why God might not exist.

"I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be in space."
--Hawking arguing that mankind must take to the stars to continue to survive as a species. (See some of mankind's greatest explorations and adventures.)

"I think computer viruses should count as life. Maybe it says something about human nature, that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. Talk about creating life in our own image."

--Hawking on life and man's true nature

2010-09-02T22:37:00.001-07:00

Tea Baggers and Thomas Paine (from Cracked.com at this link)

"Beck and his minions could probably benefit from actually reading some Thomas Paine. The guy whose 17th century ghost waxes emotional about 9/11 and congressional pay raises on the Internet is also responsible for these ideas:

"Pay as a remission of taxes to every poor family, out of the surplus taxes, and in room of poor-rates, four pounds a year for every child under fourteen years of age." Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man.
Huh, that sounds like the child tax credit created under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, signed by. . .

"It is painful to see old age working itself to death, in what are called civilised countries, for daily bread... pay to every such person of the age of fifty years ... the sum of six pounds per annum out of the surplus taxes, and ten pounds per annum during life after the age of sixty... This support, as already remarked, is not of the nature of a charity but of a right." Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man.

Read more: http://www.cracked.com/article_18606_8-historic-symbols-that-mean-opposite-what-you-think.html#ixzz0yRSIsTMK

2010-08-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

The Sleeper Must Awaken

(from words by Duncan Idaho and Duke Leto Atriedes)

I think, what a joy it is to be alive,

and wonder if I will ever leap inward,

to the root of this flesh,

and know myself as I truly am.

The root is there, but it is tangled in the web that is both future and past at once.

It only awaits a word to free me.

Because of this a person needs change.

Change jars something deep within us,

and allows us to grow.

Without change, something sleeps within us, and seldom awakens.

To be a complete human, the sleeper must awaken...

2010-08-16T01:24:00.000-07:00

“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth.

It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — God damn it, you’ve got to be kind. Kurt Vonnegut, from "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm pretty sure I'm just talking to myself here, perhaps a mirror, or even an evil doppelganger, because no one else seems to be coming 'round here no more...

Just in case, if any of my bright, shiny STUDENTS are listening, leave me a comment or send me an email. Cheer up an old man, and get 100 points extra credit. That's right, 100 points free and clear, for only a little teeny, tiny email or comment!

This offer expires Friday, August 20th, 2010, so act now.

Free shipping and handling!

Our lines are open, so respond quickly.

The first 50 callers (emailers/commenters) get a free cookie with each response!

Act Now! (This means you!)

2010-08-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Judge Orders Gray Wolf Back On Endangered List

by The Associated Press - posted on NPR online

A federal judge on Thursday reinstated Endangered Species Act protections for wolves...saying the government made a political decision in removing the protections..

The decision puts a halt to wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho planned for this fall. Montana wildlife regulators last month set the wolf-hunt quota at 186, more than doubling last year's number, with the aim of reducing the state's wolf population.

Gray wolves were listed as endangered in 1974, but following a reintroduction program in the mid-1990s, there are now more than 1,700 in the Northern Rockies.

2010-08-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new students, and welcome back to the old ones!

It's time to put aside the joys of Summer, and get back to work and the more sublime pleasures of school. If you've found this page, then you've probably already visited our class home page at http://www.nakedscience.org/mrg. As we discussed in class, please visit this blog every now and then for interesting and thought provoking articles, videos, and audio clips, as well as some blather from yours truly. To get some extra credit, include your name in a comment on the various postings, or send me an email at jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net

Good Luck in Block I!

2010-08-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

Requiem in pace et amor

We lost a longtime friend this weekend. Brisco County, Jr., our faithful companion of 10 years, passed away, and crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He brought us great joy and companionship through the years, and we can only hope we offered him the same.

He traveled with us across the mountains, to the sea, and back again, always vigilant, always watchful, always ready to play and run like the wind. We can never fill the whole his passing has left in our lives, yet we will only tolerate wonderful., loving memories of our short time together. He was brave and stoic until the end, of course...

Goodbye old friend, and I'll see you on the other side...

2010-07-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia advanced to the second round of a national competition for federal financing to support education reform.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia were named as finalists on Tuesday in the second round of a national competition for $3.4 billion in federal financing to support an overhaul of education policies.

The much-anticipated decision by the federal Education Department eliminated almost half of the 35 states that entered the competition, called Race to the Top.

The finalists are Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/education/28education.html?ref=education

2010-07-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

Many States Adopt National Standards for Their Schools

Less than two months after the nation’s governors and state school chiefs released their final recommendations for national education standards, 27 states have adopted them and about a dozen more are expected to do so in the next two weeks.

Their support has surprised many in education circles, given states’ long tradition of insisting on retaining local control over curriculum. The quick adoption of common standards for what students should learn in English and math each year from kindergarten through high school is attributable in part to the Obama administration’s Race to the Top competition. States that adopt the standards by Aug. 2 win points in the competition for a share of the $3.4 billion to be awarded in September.

for the rest of the article, click here

Come on Arizona, lets get with the program dudes! It's race to the top, not a political partisan driven race to mediocrity. We have so much good raw material here, and if we really want a bright future for the state, it's going to be due to having a well educated, highly skilled young workforce.

Dear Arizona Legislature and Honorable Governor, lets have a race to the top, instead of spending so much energy racing and chasing after ghosts and fictional enemies of the state.

jg

2010-07-20T00:56:00.000-07:00

Brisco & Dixie Get Some Quality Time with Mommy!

2010-07-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

Arizona regents panel rejects change to scholarships

Associated Press

An Arizona Board of Regents committee on Thursday rejected another proposal by the three state universities to change a popular college scholarship program for high achievers.
The AIMS scholarships pay tuition and fees at the state's three public universities for high school students who perform well on the standardized Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards test.
But the scholarships are costing too much and the universities want more discretion to funnel some of the money toward need-based scholarships. The award is a scholarship that equals the cost of tuition, renewable for up to four years.
An estimated 8,394 students received the AIMS scholarship in the 2009-10 school year, or about 8 percent of undergraduate students at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

2010-07-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, about a thing, cause every little thing, gonna be all right...

from CNN.com...

Is the world ready for good news?

"Someone has written, in presenting the conference, that good news is a species that is becoming extinct. If you look at any newspaper ... we are bombarded by bad news," he said as attendees chatted at a welcome party at Keble College on Monday. "But if you dig, if you look under the surface and search, you will find a lot of new technology, new science, new art, new ways of thinking, politically, socially, philosophically that may give you, when you string them all together, a more optimistic view of the future."

This article is about the third global TEDGlobal 2010, conference in Oxford., UK.

It includes everything from artists (like singer Annie Lennox) to tech guru's (like Steve jobs) to actual geniuses like Richard Dawkins and Stephen Fry. How exciting! Oh, what wonderful times we live in!

2010-06-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

What the hell is wrong with Texas these days?

These guys used to have a really top notch education system, but it appears as if they are descending into the abyss of mediocrity, heck, maybe even inadequacy. Such a shame.....

Court Rules Against Creationism Degree
nsta.org \| June 23, 2010
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by a creationism think tank and school that attempted to force the state of Texas to allow it to offer a master's degrees in science education.…

2010-06-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of Life, The Universe, and Everything!

MORE AT ATHEISTNATION.NET

2010-06-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

2010-06-20T00:42:00.001-07:00

Today in Science History

On June 19 in 1623, mathematician-physicist Blaise Pascal is born in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Pascal was a child prodigy, but was denied access to mathematics books by his mathematician father, who wanted the boy to learn history first. However, legend has it that after he was told that geometry was the study of shapes and forms, he independently discovered (without books or training) the first 32 theorems of Euclid, in the correct order. His dumbfounded father then allowed him to study mathematics.
—from The Illustrated Almanac of Science, Technology, and Invention

2010-06-15T23:34:00.001-07:00

Today in Science History

On June 15 in 763 B.C., the first eclipse in recorded history is seen over Nineveh, Assyria.
—from The Illustrated Almanac of Science, Technology, and Invention

2010-06-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Will Truth Win Out Over Prejudice & Political Posturing?

Stats contradict immigration rhetoric on crime

From the Phoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks

Gov. Jan Brewer, State Sen. Russell Pearce, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and others supporting the state’s new immigration law say it is needed to stem waves of crime. However, new reports show crime is on the decline.

Arizona is main conduit into the U.S. for Mexican cartels and smuggling rings and Phoenix is a hotbed for human smuggling related kidnapping, they say. “We’re out here on the battlefield of illegal immigration and all the crime that comes with it,” Brewer said on Fox News last month. Brewer referred to the situation as “the terror which our citizens live in day and day out along the border.” Arpaio and Pearce have made similar comments on CNN and other national news outlets.

However, the article goes on to say...

Crime in the Valley and Arizona is on the decrease, according to recent statistics.

The city of Phoenix reported 131,052 crimes in 2004. That number fell to 109,784 in 2008 and 90,024 in 2009, according to the Phoenix Police Department. Phoenix had 9,679 drug crimes last year compared to 10,741 in 2004.

Statewide, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said there were 255,133 serious crimes in Arizona in 2009. That is down 12 percent from 2008. DPS reported 341,101 serious crimes in 2002 and 291,380 in 2001.

“Statistically...the overall crime rate is lower now than it has been in recent years, however the level of attention being paid to a number of recent pieces of legislation, periodic crime sweeps conducted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department, and incidents of violence along Arizona’s border with Mexico only increases the national and international perception that Arizona is not open for business,” Rickert said.

GPEC, Thunderbird and some other business and community leaders want to launch efforts to combat such negative images propelled by the law.

Cabrera said Brewer and others are creating an “apocalyptic view” of Arizona that will discourage students from studying here, tourism and high-wage job growth. “That’s not helpful,” Cabrera said.

PHOENIX CRIME

Year        Murders        Violent crimes        Drug crimes        Total crimes

2003       254                 9,816                         8,975                     122,047
2004      238                10,503                        10,741                   131,502
2005      238                10,782                        10,114                   121,636
2006      253                11,240                         9,856                     117,446
2007     244                 11,125                         9,928                     117,872
2008     196                10,864                          9,145                     109,784
2009    139                 9,282                            9,679                     90,024

Source: Phoenix Police Department

2010-06-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

Nation Undecided On Whether It Hates Celtics Or Lakers More - from The Onion

WASHINGTON—The NBA Finals have thrown the nation's basketball fans into a state of angry confusion this week, as the bitter debate over whether they despise the Celtics or Lakers more rages on. "Kobe is such an egotistical prick that it's really easy to detest the Lakers, especially with that clenched-jaw face he makes, but come on—you have to hate the Celtics because the Big Three are so much more fucking annoying," said Jeff Connor, a St. Louis native. "I'll admit that I can't stand Pau Gasol, just because the guy rubs me the wrong way, maybe due to his disgusting greasy hair. Phil Jackson is a pretty huge asshole with all that loud whistling he does, but Rondo is the most irritating little shit, and I loathe that fat sweaty hog Glen Davis. Ray Allen is actually okay. That dick Kevin Garnett, though, is a chest-pounding idiot." After much discussion, a consensus appears to be near, as Americans are agreeing to hate the Lakers and Celtics equally

2010-06-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Think you of the fact that a deaf person cannot hear. Then, what deafness may we not all possess? What senses do we lack that we cannot see and cannot hear another world all around us? (Orange Catholic Bible)

2010-06-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ant Colony Comes To Halt After Death Of Popular Worker (from The Onion)

OLD BRIDGE, NJ—The transportation of nourishing bread crumbs came to an abrupt halt Thursday morning when ant colony 000082567KLN00067X collectively paused to remember the life of veteran worker FL77542PM4. Workers HJ997462M and IK002620FC secreted primer pheromones to signal the start of the solemn moment, and Queen XHB004-65B memorialized the event by releasing a scent trail from her engorged abdomen. Known throughout the superorganism for being in constant locomotion, FL77542PM4 had been a member of the colony since he first emerged from his pupal casing, and was considered an expert at nest construction. The service ended when fellow workers marched over his body, tore apart his thorax, and began feeding their fallen compatriot to their young

2010-06-02T17:22:00.002-07:00

Funny Cartoon from Joe's Big Blog:

2010-06-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Why create life in a lab?

Well, because we can! Of course that's not the only reason. All good science proceeds through the " What is that?," to the "How does that work?," to the "Can I take that apart?," to the "Can I put it back together?", and finally, to the "Can I make it better?" stages. We always have the "how this will make human lives better" idea in the back of our minds, but in the front, it's just the desire to boldly go where no one has gone before idea.

On top of that, the new species they created has the names of its creators, and a web page, all encoded in its DNA! Frakin' Amazing! Hey, can I take that apart to get the web page address?

2010-05-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

Amazing Original Thing To Become Hated Cliché In 6 Months

(from The Onion)

NEW YORK—An extremely clever and creative new thing will amuse the world for two and a half weeks in June, become passé by mid-September, and wind up as a trite and infuriating cliché by Christmas, sources said Monday. "Positive reviews on Boing Boing will signal the brief 'happy' phase of this exciting new thing's existence, about 11 weeks prior to the first backlash," said Wired magazine senior writer Stephen Levy. "I look forward to watching America fall in love with, make YouTube parodies of, sour on, forget about, and groan legitimately when hackneyed late-night talk show references are made to the thing." Levy estimated that the thing's creator will earn $400,000 from licensing its image for use on T-shirts that will all be donated to Goodwill by next spring.

2010-05-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

This Day in Science History

On May 29 in 1898, Alfred Nobel's heirs sign a "reconciliation agreement," indicating their approval of final plans by lawyers and accountants to execute his will. The will created the Nobel Prizes, but for the 18 months following his death, it created only hassles and bitterness.
—from The Illustrated Almanac of Science, Technology, and Invention