|
Quote:
2. 'Scientists' are loathe to pronounce certainty in value-laden terminology like catastrophic. 3. The response to purported scientific consensus about the future of climate isn't so much about whether or not we wish it to be true as it is the complex analysis of the best response to the pronouncement for the bulk of humanity. |
Quote:
|
Why this black hole image is important to confirmation of the theory of relativity:
<iframe width="1140" height="641" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zUyH3XhpLTo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> |
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If we were able to look at a black hole from different orientations we would be able to see light even from parts of the accretion disc behind the black hole as they are lensed above and below the shadow region <a href="https://t.co/uDZ0USiy4q">pic.twitter.com/uDZ0USiy4q</a></p>— The Science Plug (@TheSciencePlug) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSciencePlug/status/1116196913219538946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> |
The black hole in that image:
1. is large in diameter than our entire solar system, and 2. weighs more than our entire galaxy |
Soo.... Are black holes flat like the Earth and moon?
|
This is really cool and I love that it has made this thread so active. Even if Tyson had to try to politized the moment. :shake:
|
|
Quote:
Great. Now I have to clean brains up off my walls. |
Quote:
At the least they are hyper-compressed but retain 3D sphericality. Like if the entire mass of the earth was the size of a golf ball. Would probably be perfectly round and smooth as the compressive forces wouldn't allow any other shape or any features to the region. Likely time doesn't 'exist' as a dimension within either. |
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
|
Katie Bouman rocks!
|
Quote:
|
holy cow. 55 million light years away. I think I am safe.
Unless AOC says different. |
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A Chinese company says its automatic sperm extractor is helping clinics collect semen from donors reluctant to masturbate in a hospital setting. <a href="https://t.co/zBqf4wWVQi">pic.twitter.com/zBqf4wWVQi</a></p>— AngryMan (@AngryManTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AngryManTV/status/1114259441384398853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> |
Quote:
Image: Not Safe for Work
|
|
NASA is going back to the moon!
NASA Moon 2024 Budget Amendment Available, Media Teleconference Today <iframe width="1173" height="660" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8VZuQcLNS-8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> NASA leaders, including Administrator Jim Bridenstine, will host a media teleconference today, Monday, May 13 to discuss how a new budget amendment for the fiscal year 2020 proposal will help NASA’s plan to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024. The media teleconference at 7 p.m. EDT will discuss details of the budget amendment. To participate, media must contact Katherine Brown at katherine.m.brown@nasa.gov no later than 6:45 p.m. today. Audio and visuals from the teleconference will stream live at: https://www.nasa.gov/live The agency budget amendment and supporting information are available online at: https://www.nasa.gov/budget Administrator Bridenstine also will host an employee town hall at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 14 live from NASA Headquarters in Washington. The meeting will be carried on NASA Television and the agency’s website. NASA is sending astronauts to the Moon and then on to Mars, in a measured, sustainable way. The direction from Space Policy Directive-1 builds on the hard work NASA is doing on its Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, agency efforts to enable commercial partners, its work with international partners at the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit, and what NASA learns from its current robotic missions at the Moon and Mars. Learn more at: https://www.nasa.gov/moontomars |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Hey you science guys, got a question.
I seen an article about the new 5G being dangerous to humans, due to electromagnetic radio frequency, or something like that. Do you guys know anything else about that? I’m at the doctor right now and don’t have a ton of time to start reading. So I figured I would ask since I saw this thread on the front page |
Quote:
|
Quote:
There was actually a push by a news company called RT in Russia to put out misinformation regarding 5G tech, which is likely the origin of whatever you heard. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/12/s...th-russia.html |
Quote:
By comparison, ionizing radiation (x-rays, gamma rays) begins in the petahertz range, literally 1,000,000 times shorter wavelength. |
Thanks guys, I figured it was probably bullshit. I thought it was most likely bullshit, but was curious where the information was coming from. Seeing that it was likely coming from a Russian news company explains a lot about it. Thanks again guys, I will do some more reading about it
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
I was going to say, a person can get free medical advise on here might as well save your coin on that. Unfortunately you can't get prescription drugs, however there are natural remedies abound.
|
Quote:
|
You sound like the old woman on Facebook that bitched at me for saying that instead of I have seen or I saw
Next time I write a post on Facebook or CP, I will make sure I get it pre approved from her and you. I didn’t know we were being graded on it, and how high of a problem that rates in life. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
When “I seen” is typed a million of times a day, along with “could care less” . Along with all the **** ups with your, you’re, there, their, they’re. Me typing doesn’t rank very high on my give a **** list, until a random internet person tells me to care, because other random internet people might think less of me. |
There was a time that I could SEE. And I HAVE SEEN. Boys like these, younger than these. Their arms torn out, and their legs ripped off. But, there no sight, like an amputated spirt. There is no prosthetic for that.
|
Quote:
to many poeple care spelling and grammer and that kinda shit. |
|
That makes you a fart smeller.
|
Quote:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-s...-idUSKCN1SU0A5 |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
Quote:
Actually, it's a rhetorical question premised on a prediction based on an opinion. None of those things are facts. |
Quote:
|
“NASA intends to shift its human spaceflight program out to the Moon and cis-lunar region, evaluating new habitat technologies, surface transportation systems, fuel generation, and storage solutions, as well as additional technologies that need to be developed prior to traveling to the surface of the Moon and deeper into space.”
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/f...tegic_plan.pdf NASA plan from 2011 https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/516579main_...ategicPlan.pdf My view, having worked DOD programs with NASA, and serving with Charlie Bolden in the USMC, ( Obama’s NASA Director) and several former astronauts that I served with (I was not in thier club but I had several of them back in the day take squadron patches and other such to orbit for me) that were basically at odds with Charlie’s direction. NASA started to lose its way 30 years ago when it started putting school teachers in Space. This was about the time Charlie joined NASA.They went from risk takers stretching the limits of aviation technology and space to overly cautious globalists. The practical effect was that in DOD, we had to do our own thing for hypersonics, power source technology, imagery and satellites. You see this in the rise of commercial enterprises as well. but I’d prefer the risk taking leading edge technology attitude |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
How the states came to be...
|
Quote:
|
Promising....
UNM Researchers Develop Vaccine That Could Protect Against Alzheimer's Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive memory disorder that affects nearly one in three seniors and is on the rise, currently affecting 43 million people worldwide. Behind the memory impairments, there is a perfect storm of destruction in the brain, stemming in part from accumulations of a protein called tau. Normally a stabilizing structure inside of neurons, tau can accumulate in long tangles that disrupt the ability of neurons to communicate with one another. University of New Mexico researchers have developed a vaccine that could prevent the formation of the tau tangles and potentially prevent the cognitive decline typically seen in Alzheimer’s patients. In a paper published last week in NPJ Vaccines, the team reported it had engineered a vaccine using virus-like particles (VLPs, for short) that eliminated the tau tangles in mice that had been bred to develop symptoms like those affecting human Alzheimer’s patients. “We’re excited by these findings, because they seem to suggest that we can use the body’s own immune system to make antibodies against these tangles, and that these antibodies actually bind and clear these tau tangles,” said Nicole Maphis, a PhD candidate in UNM’s Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. Maphis, working in the lab of Kiran Bhaskar, PhD, an associate professor in UNM’s Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, found that when the vaccine was given to mice, they developed antibodies that cleared the tau protein from their brains – and the response lasted for months. Then, she tested the animals in a battery of maze-like tests. Mice receiving the vaccination performed remarkably better than those that hadn’t. MRI scans showed that the vaccinated animals had less brain shrinkage, suggesting that the vaccine prevented neurons from dying. Maphis also found significantly fewer tangles in both the cortex and the hippocampus – areas in the brain that are important for learning and memory, and which are destroyed in Alzheimer’s. “These results confirm that targeting tau tangles using a vaccine intervention could rescue memory impairments and prevent neurons from dying,” Maphis said. The vaccine was created with help from UNM scientists David Peabody and Bryce Chackerian. The pair helped pioneer the use of VLPs to create vaccines targeting dengue virus, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus and amyloid beta protein (which is also present in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients). VLPs are derived from viruses that have their genomes removed, leaving only their outer protein shell. Lacking a genome, they’re unable to reproduce, but the body’s immune system still recognizes them as foreign invaders and manufactures antibodies to neutralize the proteins attached to their surface. In this case, a portion of tau protein on the surface of the VLP triggers an immune response, leading to the elimination of the tau tangles. Going forward, Bhaskar hopes to obtain funding to commercialize this vaccine in order to create an injection that could potentially be tested in human patients. However, moving a drug from bench to bedside can cost millions of dollars and take decades. |
Quote:
|
I hope it all proves to be true, Alzheimer's has been what I have always assumed I would die from, I guess since my great grandmother passed away from it 20some years ago. If they are on to something not sure if it can have immediate applications, but I'd love to know that progress is being made in this area.
|
Quote:
|
Another promising medical article...
An enzymatic pathway in the human gut microbiome that converts A to universal O type blood Blood transfusion is an indispensable part of the health care system, saving many thousands of lives annually. The blood used must be carefully matched since transfusion with mismatched blood types can lead to fatal consequences. However, this can be problematic in emergency situations, where there is no time for blood matching: in that case the use of universal donor blood (Type O) is essential, but supply of O Type blood is often short. Enzymes can be used to convert A and B type red blood cells (RBC) into O type, broadening the supply. However the enzymes available to date have not worked well on whole blood, thus new enzymes are needed. We in the Withers Laboratories asked: Where do we find those enzymes? Interestingly the answer to this question was, within us! In recent years the research community has started to realize the importance of the human microbiome in the context of human health. However, it may prove to be even more important since the microorganisms within us also harbor enzyme activities we do not even known about, yet. The human gut is covered with mucins, large glycoproteins presenting a variety of glycan structures on their surface, including those of the blood group antigens. Bacteria within the gut derive some of their energy by foraging these glycans, so must produce enzymes to cut them off. We investigated this community by use of functional metagenomics - a technique that allows the screening of enzyme activity without culture bias. By screening a library of gut microbiome enzymes using fluorogenic substrates that mimic the blood antigen carbohydrates, we identified a set of enzymes expressed by a particular bacterium, Flavonifractor plautii, that are able to cleave the A antigen very efficiently. An important factor in the efficient cleavage of substrates bound to cell surfaces, such as the A antigens on the RBCs, is the ability of the enzyme to associate with the cell surface. Some enzymes do this by acquiring a net charge that is complementary to that of the cell surface. In our case the enzymes carry carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) that interact with other cell surface glycans allowing them to rapidly cleave the nearby A antigens. The combination of high substrate activity and affinity for the RBC surface makes our enzymes very efficient in the removal of A antigens from RBCs in whole blood samples. In the future we hope these enzymes will be widely deployed for the production of enzymatically converted universal donor blood (ECO O Type RBCs) directly after blood donation. In addition to their use in RBC conversion we plan to test the use of these and related enzymes in the removal of antigens from other important cell surfaces and tissues. Such approaches could widen the availability of good “matches” in organ and stem cell transplantation's. For me it was very interesting to see what our gut microbiome had to offer and I am keen to see what kind of other activities will be discovered within the human gut microbiome in the future. |
Quote:
|
Fungal Hallucinogens Send Cicadas on Sex Binges After Their Genitals Fall Off MIKE MCRAE 26 JUN 2019 In latest gruesome nature news, scientists have discovered new details on a fungus that compels its cicada hosts to mate long after their genitals have gone and their bodies have turned into what one researcher colourfully describes as 'flying salt shakers of death'. The fungus is called Massospora cicadina, and its effects read like an abstinence campaign for cicadas. But it also appears that it affects the sex-crazed cicadas by sending them on one heck of a drug trip. A team of researchers from the US has analysed the biochemistry in periodical cicada populations infected with pathogenic fungi, finding evidence of a plant-associated amphetamine and a psychoactive chemical found in magic mushrooms. Now, this really shouldn't need to be said. But we feel obligated to say it anyway. This is in no way to suggest cicada fungal pox should be considered for your next high. "These psychoactive compounds were just two of less than 1,000 compounds found in these cicadas," says West Virginia University forest pathologist Matt Kasson. "Yes, they are notable, but there are other compounds that might be harmful to humans. I wouldn't take that risk." The way the pathogenic fungal species produce the molecules could point the way to new pharmaceuticals, though, since the enzymes typically responsible for the compounds are strangely absent in this instance. Spore-spreading horror shows like M. cicadinahave been in the research books for more than a century, with recent investigations further fleshing out the processes they use to complete their life cycle. Today we understand that a small fraction of cicadas are first infected by spores on their body and in the soil as they emerge as adults. These can then develop into full-blown Stage II infections, where the fungus blooms inside their bodies and turns them into mini crop dusters of doom. To increase chances of infecting another cicada, the fungus has a few tricks up its sleeve. One is to encourage male hosts to flap their wings in a rather feminine manner, attracting other males to stop by for a quick snuggle. With the deed done, the spore-dusted suitor departs to find other mates, spreading the disease as it goes. As if that's not enough, the fungus turns them into rampant sex-bots of destruction. Even as the cicada bodies turn mouldy and start losing parts – including bits of their abdomen and their genitals – they don't slow down. "Infected adults maintain or accelerate normal host activity during sporulation, enabling rapid and widespread dispersal prior to host death," says Kasson. While a number of fungi have evolved clever ways to hijack their host's behaviours to help them get around, those of the order M. cicadina belongs to haven't received the same level of scrutiny. By pulling apart the diverse array of metabolites inside wild infected insects, the researchers have now added another layer of detail to the fungus's method for hostile takeover. In four cicadas infected with M. cicadina they found signs of a plant-derived alkaloid called cathinone, a compound similar to ephedrine. It's possible that the stimulant could have evolved in the fungus to keep their hosts' appetites down and give them a boost to get them through those long days of plague orgies. What's especially interesting is that this could be the first example of a cathinone to be produced inside something other than a plant. Another fungal pathogen called M. levispora was also associated with raised levels of a tryptamine called psilocybin - the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms. This one might not come as much of a surprise. There's good reason to suspect the chemical evolved in fungi as a way to suppress insect appetites, changing their behaviour in a dissuasive fashion. Finding these mind-altering substances inside the infected insects is one thing. The mystery is how they got there, especially without hints of the usual intermediate metabolites, or even expected genes. The next step is to dig into the fungal genomes and see how they express themselves inside their hosts. "We anticipate these discoveries will foster a renewed interest in early diverging fungi and their pharmacologically important secondary metabolites, which may serve as the next frontier for novel drug discovery," says Kasson. Please don't make us remind you to leave the experimenting to the professionals. https://www.sciencealert.com/fungal-...ItZB8r3YgEl680 This research was published in Fungal Ecology. |
Fascinating!
|
The energy involved is pretty mind-bottling.....
Pair of supermassive black holes discovered on a collision course The titanic duo can help astronomers predict when the historic first detection of the background 'hum' of gravitational waves from supermassive black holes will be made and whether there truly is a 'final parsec problem' Astronomers have spotted a distant pair of titanic black holes headed for a collision. Each black hole's mass is more than 800 million times that of our sun. As the two gradually draw closer together in a death spiral, they will begin sending gravitational waves rippling through space-time. Those cosmic ripples will join the as-yet-undetected background noise of gravitational waves from other supermassive black holes. Even before the destined collision, the gravitational waves emanating from the supermassive black hole pair will dwarf those previously detected from the mergers of much smaller black holes and neutron stars. "Supermassive black hole binaries produce the loudest gravitational waves in the universe," says co-discoverer Chiara Mingarelli, an associate research scientist at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York City. Gravitational waves from supermassive black hole pairs "are a million times louder than those detected by LIGO." The study was led by Andy Goulding, an associate research scholar at Princeton University. Goulding, Mingarelli and collaborators from Princeton and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., report the discovery July 10 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The two supermassive black holes are especially interesting because they are around 2.5 billion light-years away from Earth. Since looking at distant objects in astronomy is like looking back in time, the pair belong to a universe 2.5 billion years younger than our own. Coincidentally, that's roughly the same amount of time the astronomers estimate the black holes will take to begin producing powerful gravitational waves. In the present-day universe, the black holes are already emitting these gravitational waves, but even at light speed the waves won't reach us for billions of years. The duo is still useful, though. Their discovery can help scientists estimate how many nearby supermassive black holes are emitting gravitational waves that we could detect right now. Detecting the gravitational wave background will help resolve some of the biggest unknowns in astronomy, such as how often galaxies merge and whether supermassive black hole pairs merge at all or become stuck in a near-endless waltz around each other.
Spoiler!
|
Killing the seeds of cancer: A new finding shows potential in destroying cancer stem cells
https://media1.giphy.com/media/10IFxfteCnl3os/giphy.gif Scientists at The University of Toledo investigating improvements to a commonly used chemotherapy drug have discovered an entirely new class of cancer-killing agents that show promise in eradicating cancer stem cells. Their findings could prove to be a breakthrough in not only treating tumors, but ensuring cancer doesn't return years later -- giving peace of mind to patients that their illness is truly gone. "Not all cancer cells are the same, even in the same tumor," said Dr. William Taylor, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the UToledo College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. "There is a lot of variability and some of the cells, like cancer stem cells, are much nastier. Everyone is trying to figure out how to kill them, and this may be one way to do it." Taylor and Dr. L.M. Viranga Tillekeratne, a professor in the Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry in the UToledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, reported their findings in a paper recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. Cancer stem cells are an intriguing target for researchers because of their potential to re-seed tumors. When doctors remove a tumor surgically or target it with chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy, the cancer may appear to be gone. However, evidence suggests that a tiny subpopulation of adaptable cancer cells can remain and circulate through the body to seed new metastasis in far-off locations. Those cancer stem cells, Taylor said, are similar to dandelions in a well-manicured lawn. "You could chop the plant off, but it will drop a seed. You know the seeds are there, but they're hiding," he said. "You pull one weed out and another comes up right after it. Cancers can be like this as well." The small molecule they have isolated appears to lock on to those stem cells and kill them by blocking their absorption of an amino acid called cystine. UToledo was awarded a patent for the discovery late last year. For Tillekeratne and Taylor, uncovering a new class of therapeutic molecules could prove to be an even larger contribution to cancer research than the project they initially envisioned. "At present, there are no drugs that can kill cancer stem cells, but people are looking for them," Tillekeratne said. "A lot of drugs are discovered by serendipity. Sometimes in research if you get unexpected results, you welcome that because it opens up a new line of research. This also shows the beauty of collaboration. I wouldn't have been able to do this on my own, and [Taylor] wouldn't have been able to do it on his own." Tillekeratne has received a three-year, $449,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute to continue testing the effectiveness of the newly identified therapy. Because the molecules so selectively target cancer stem cells, it's possible they could ultimately be paired with other chemotherapy drugs to deliver a more comprehensive treatment. However, the researchers have found their agents show stand-alone promise in treating sarcomas and a subtype of breast cancer known as claudin-low breast cancer, which represents up to 14 percent of all breast cancers and can be particularly difficult to treat. |
Quote:
'Oumuamua: Scientists Now Say the Bizzare Cigar-Shaped Object Is Sadly Not an Alien Spacecraft https://i.imgur.com/Xz40QzH.jpg In 2017, a mysterious interstellar object was viewed by astronomers 15 million miles away. By the time it was seen, the object was already hurtling out of our solar system at a staggering 110,000 mph. Scientists gave the object a Hawaiian name - 'Oumuamua - translating roughly to "messenger from afar." Harvard researchers famously speculated that there was a very small chance that the object was an alien spacecraft. Now, scientists have released new research concluding that the flying object was almost certainly not alien. Due to 'Oumuamua's trajectory, it was named the first-ever interstellar object ever to be witnessed in our solar system. This, as well as the object's odd characteristics, led Harvard scientists to speculate that there was a chance the object was not merely a rock hurtling through space. In an Astrophysical Journal Letters paper detailing the original findings, researchers proposed an "exotic scenario:" "‘Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilization." 'Oumuamua was initially classified as a comet, though it doesn't emit gases as comets typically do. Its trajectory and spin speed are also not easily explained by gravity, suggesting it's not an asteroid. Furthermore, the object's odd cigar shape — it is only 114 feet wide despite being a quarter of a mile long — doesn't match any previously observed asteroids or comets. Despite the fact that it is the size of a skyscraper, 'Oumuamua is now too dim to be viewable by telescopes on Earth. Unfortunately, the mysterious space object's increasing distance from our solar system, at the time of the first sighting, meant that scientists had a short window in which to take readings. This lack of concrete findings only helped to fuel speculation. New findings A new study, published this week in journal Nature Astronomy, analyzed the existing data about 'Oumuamua and came to the conclusion that the alien theory is incredibly unlikely. "The alien spacecraft hypothesis is a fun idea, but our analysis suggests there is a whole host of natural phenomena that could explain it," Matthew Knight, an astronomer who co-led the study, said in a press release. "This thing is weird and admittedly hard to explain, but that doesn't exclude other natural phenomena that could explain it," he added. For example, 'Oumuamua could have been ejected by a gas giant planet orbiting another star. Theories suggest that Jupiter created the Oort cloud in the Milky Way, a huge shell of small objects at the outer edge of our solar system, that is also thought to have propelled interstellar objects into distant space. Knight and his team also feel that thanks to improving data from technology such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), we will soon know more about how unusual 'Oumuamua really is. "We may start seeing a new object every year. That's when we'll start to know whether 'Oumuamua is weird, or common," Knight said. "If we find 10 to 20 of these things and 'Oumuamua still looks unusual, we'll have to reexamine our explanations." The research was carried out by a team at the University of Maryland Department of Astronomy. |
Yeah Destin, get some!!
<iframe width="933" height="525" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nk0MRxXqo9s" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> @6:30 - I'm not crying, you're crying!! |
Quote:
|
|
Creative necessity.....
Neil Armstrong Couldn't Afford Life Insurance, So He Used A Creative Way To Provide For His Family If He Died https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S9HdPi9Ikhk/maxresdefault.jpg After all the danger, glory, and fame it's easy to forget that at the end of the day astronauts are federal employees subject to the same General Schedule (GS) pay scale as everyone from typists to CIA agents. Unfortunately, a federal salary wasn't enough for Apollo 11 astronauts to purchase life insurance. When Neil Armstrong and the rest of the crew of Apollo 11 piled atop that huge rocket packed full of fuel in 1969 they were under no illusions that it may have been the last thing they ever did. Unfortunately, neither was anyone who might have insured their lives, and helped provide security for the astronauts' families in case they didn't come home. Back then astronaut captains made about $17,000 a year, NPR reports and a life insurance policy for Neil Armstrong would have run about $50,000 a year, or more than $300,000 in 2012 dollars. What the trio did to provide for their families has become somewhat of a low-flying legend, mentioned here on the website, UK Insurance. It happened like this: Because some guys from the prior Apollo missions had gotten colds and mild bouts of queasiness on their trips, NASA had implemented a quarantine procedure before liftoffs. So about a month before they were set to go to the moon, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin were locked into a Plexiglas room together and got busy providing for their families the only way they could — they signed hundreds of autographs. In what would become a common practice, the guys signed their names on envelopes emblazoned with various space-related images. The 'covers' would, of course, become intensely valuable should the trio perish on the mission. They're now often referred to as " Apollo Insurance Covers." And to ensure the covers would hold maximum value, the crew put stamps on them, and sent them in a package to a friend, who dumped them all in the mail so they would be postmarked July 16, 1969 — the day of the mission's success — or its failure. Fortunately, the trip went off without a hitch and all three men went on to live long, healthy lives and all remained alive until Neil Armstrong's death a few days ago. The covers are still around, and not too hard to find. In 2011, Collectors Weekly pegged their average value at around $5,000. |
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is such a cool study about the origin of life. I don’t want to spoil the twist, but do check it out. To me, it’s an astonishingly beautiful solution to a hard paradox about how the first cells came to be. <a href="https://t.co/4LbkzFc2MF">https://t.co/4LbkzFc2MF</a></p>— Ed Yong (@edyong209) <a href="https://twitter.com/edyong209/status/1160998507161038848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
|
This is a photo from the surface of Venus. Taken by Russia’s Venera 13 spacecraft. It lasted 127 minutes before succumbing to the Planet’s extremely harsh atmosphere. 737K (462°C) and 9200 kPa (92 times Earth's pressure)
https://i.imgur.com/x3gFLCF.jpg Read about the interesting story of Venera 13 here: https://www.space.com/18551-venera-13.html |
Did you know?
Potato chip bags are often criticized for being most empty bags of air. But there's actually a reason for that. It's not air inside... WHY ARE POTATO CHIP BAGS FILLED WITH AIR? You know you’ve been there: You open a potato chip bag only to hear a loud pop and air release, and then you look down and the chips take up a mere fraction of the bag. This has probably left you with all kinds of questions, such as, “What air is in a potato chip bag?” “Why do bags of chips have air in them?” and “How much air is in a potato chip bag?” Now is the day you get answers. What Air Is in a Potato Chip Bag? Before we get into why bags of chips are filled with air, let’s talk about what is actually being used. The secret ingredient that you refer to as air is actually nitrogen gas. Regular air contains all kinds of particles, including oxygen and water vapor, both of which will cause the chips to rapidly decay. So food manufacturers displace the oxygen and water vapor with nitrogen to make the food more shelf stable. This process is often referred to as Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and helps foods to maintain their quality. Why Do Bags of Chips Have Air in Them? We have briefly answered the question, “Why are potato chip bags filled with air?” but now it’s time to break it down into more detail. These are the main reasons why bags of chips have nitrogen in them: It gives the chips a longer shelf life. Bacteria need oxygen to thrive, and if all of the oxygen is removed, it can’t grow. This means there is no chance of mold, mildew, or other substances showing up on the chips. It keeps away moisture. In addition to oxygen, moisture is an enemy of potato chips. By filling every last ounce of space with nitrogen, water vapor will not be able to enter the bag, and the chips will stay nice and crispy until you are ready to eat them. It keeps the chips whole. Finally, bags of chips have nitrogen in them to act as a barrier as the chips are being transported from the manufacturing facility to the store and from the store to your home. The nitrogen acts like a pillow, buffering out any impact so it keeps the chips intact. How Much Air Is in A Potato Chip Bag? The answer to this question can vary quite a bit. However, products are supposed to list the actual net weight of their product on the packaging, so you will know exactly how much you are getting. So instead of looking at the size of the bag, pay attention to the net weight of the chips inside. Even though it may seem like the nitrogen in a potato chip bag is only there to deceive you, it actually serves a very important purpose: to protect the chips from being crushed or going bad. It is especially effective because it does not impact the taste or texture at all. If you manufacturer potato chips and you want to make sure you always have enough nitrogen to keep things moving, contact us today. With our on site nitrogen gas generators, you will never run out of the nitrogen gas you need to keep your chips in tip-top shape. |
Evolution of the ISS over time:
|
That's ****ing awesome! :clap:
Quote:
|
Quote:
EDIT: Hang on, this pic is from 1982 and we haven't seen it before? |
Science is real ****ing annoying. This should not exist in my life:
Quote:
|
Quote:
Much the same with the color and iridescence of butterflies. |
|
In the future, you might be able to pick the gender of your child, should you choose. Surely to be controversial.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/dd...e349092c93.jpg Scientists Just Developed an Unnerving Method For Selecting The Sex of Mouse Sperm Human semen, If you separated it out, would on average hold a 50/50 mix of sex chromosomes - half of the sperm bearing the Y chromosome, and half the X chromosome. Despite all the myths about choosing the sex of your baby through superstitious rituals, there's not a lot we can do about changing those odds. And current techniques to separate out X and Y sperm outside the body are expensive and can damage the DNA within the cells. But now, Japanese researchers have accidentally discovered an uncomfortably simple method to separate out the X-carrying sperm from the Y in mice – and this could have huge implications for humans-to-be in the future. To understand the importance, let's back up to some biology basics for a second. In all mammals (and a number of other animals) females have XX chromosomes, and males have XY. When a female produces an egg (aka ovum), it will only ever have one of the two X chromosomes – never a Y. But the male sperm has an equal proportion of X-carrying and Y-carrying swimmers. Hypothetically, if there was something slightly different between the X and Y sperm, you could separate them out if you only wanted either females or males. Until now we thought that the sperm were pretty much identical, except for the DNA that they carry. But while studying the differences between X and Y sperm in mice, the Hiroshima University team found that there were around 500 genes active in X sperm that aren't in Y. That's not super important by itself, but 18 of those genes code for proteins that stick out on the surface of the cell. They homed in on two particular receptors – called Toll-like receptors 7 and 8 on the surface of X sperm. Using a chemical called resiquimod to bind to the receptors and slow the swimming of the X sperm, they were then able to separate the Y and X sperm with surprising accuracy. When the researchers used resiquimod, and then used the fastest swimmers to fertilise some mice, the litters ended up being 90 percent male; when the slowest swimmers were used, the mouse babies were 81 percent female. Although that's not perfect sex separation, it's really high, especially for such a simple and cheap method. "The differential expression of receptor genes by the two sex chromosomes provides the basis for a novel and potentially highly useful method for separating X and Y sperm and we have already succeeded the selectively production of male or female in cattle and pig by this method," said one of the researchers, Masayuki Shimada, a reproductive biologist from Hiroshima University. "Nonetheless, use of this method in human reproductive technology is speculative at the moment, and involves significant ethical issues unaffected by the utility of this new technique." There can be some really good reasons to use sex selection in animals. For example, male cattle are not used in dairy production, and neither are male chickens in egg production. Being able to limit the conception of males in these sorts of situations has the potential to create more ethical farming. But in humans, things get considerably messier. Women currently account for 49.6 percent of the world's humans, but in some regions, couples can have strong preferences for a male child. Sex-selective practices have already led to some "alarming" demographic trends in some countries, which can have unintended social and economical effects. As Michael Le Page at New Scientist explains, allowing for this discovery to be used in people could lead to gels or other home-use items that could significantly change the likelihood of a couple conceiving a girl. "I am concerned about the social impact of this," genomics researcher Alireza Fazeli of Tartu University in Estonia told Le Page. "It's so simple. You could start to do it in your bedroom. Nobody would be able to stop you from doing it." The research has been published in PLOS Biology. |
Yikes....
Record warm water blamed for salmon deaths https://media.giphy.com/media/RMvlYZ...S9MH/giphy.gif BETHEL, Alaska (AP) - Record high temperatures in Alaska are believed to be the culprit behind salmon deaths in western Alaska. Bethel-based KYUK reports water temperatures near the town broke into the low 70s earlier this week. That's the highest river temperature ever recorded there. Ben Gray, a biologist with the state Department of Fish and Game, says that what could occur is that salmon metabolism speeds up to the point they are having heart attacks. Residents along the lower Kuskokwim River have reported dead salmon floating downstream. Gray and his colleagues counted about 20 dead salmon when they boated between Bethel and Akiak. The warm water temperatures also are suspected to be the cause of parasites infesting salmon in the river. Norton Sound residents have reported large numbers of dead pink salmon. |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:25 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
