Science News of the Day

[tmiller51]

The Milky Way Enigma -How Galactic Forces May Control Life on Earth

"Earlier this year, research revealed that the rise and fall of species on Earth seems to be driven by the undulating motions of our solar system as it travels through the Milky Way. Some scientists believe that this cosmic force may offer the answer to some of the biggest questions in our Earth’s biological history—especially where evolution has fallen short.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that marine fossil records show that biodiversity increases and decreases based on a 62-million-year cycle. At least two of the Earth's great mass extinctions-the Permian extinction 250 million years ago and the Ordovician extinction about 450 million years ago-correspond with peaks of this cycle, which can't be explained by evolutionary theory.

Earlier this year, a team of researchers at the University of Kansas came up with an out-of-this-world explanation for the phenomenon. Their idea hinges upon the fact that stars move through space and sometimes rush headlong through galaxies, or approach closely enough to cause a brief cosmic tryst.

Our own star moves toward and away from the Milky Way's center, and also up and down through the galactic plane. One complete up-and-down cycle takes 64 million years- suspiciously close to the Earth's biodiversity cycle."

Tim

[Dardedar]

All Octopuses Are Venomous

livescience.com

Contrary to what was known, all octopuses are venomous, a new study finds.

Researchers knew that the blue-ringed octopus packed venom. Now they say all octopuses and cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous. In fact they all share a common, ancient venomous ancestor, the study indicates, and the work suggests new avenues for drug discovery.

While the blue-ringed octopus species remain the only group that are dangerous to humans, the other species have been quietly using their venom for predation, such as paralyzing a clam into opening its shell.

"Venoms are toxic proteins with specialized functions such as paralyzing the nervous system" said Bryan Fry of the University of Melbourne. "We hope that by understanding the structure and mode of action of venom proteins we can benefit drug design for a range of conditions such as pain management, allergies and cancer."

While many creatures have been examined as a basis for drug development, cephalopods (octopuses, cuttlefish and squid) remain an untapped resource and their venom may represent a unique class of compounds.

Fry obtained tissue samples from cephalopods ranging from Hong Kong, the Coral Sea, the Great Barrier Reef and Antarctica. The team - scientists from the University of Brussels and Museum Victoria - then analyzed the genes for venom production from the different species and found that a venomous ancestor produced one set of venom proteins, but over time additional proteins were added to the chemical arsenal.

The origin of these genes also sheds light on the fundamentals of evolution, presenting a prime example of convergent evolution where species independently develop similar traits.

LINK

DAR
Curious how God left all of these clues that keep making it look like species have evolved over time.

[Dardedar]

DAR
Old timers may remember a clown on the old, long defunct, "NWA Politics" site named "BUBBA." He liked to use all caps a lot. He claimed that no one wanted to buy hybrids. I pointed out at the time that there were waiting lists and they couldn't make them fast enough. Time for an update. New car sales have been hit across the board of course but consider:

Yesterday, Ford announced it had built its 100,000th hybrid SUV. Today, Toyota coyly released a statement that outshines the Blue Oval 10-to-1. Toyota Motor Sales has now sold more than one million Toyota and Lexus hybrids in the U.S. and dominates 75 percent of the hybrid market here. TMS has sold six hybrid models in America, including the Prius, the Highlander hybrid SUV, the Camry hybrid and the Lexus GS 450h, LS 600h and RX 400h models. This summer, the new RX 450h and HS 250h will appear. Oh, and the new 2010 Prius.

The amazing thing is that, through the end of January 2009, 1.7 million Toyota and Lexus hybrids have been sold around the world. In June 2007, Toyota announced it had sold a million hybrids and, last spring, total Prius sales topped the 1m mark. Toyota had said they hope to be building a million hybrids a year by 2020, but they have moved up the date to "early in the next decade." Toyota will introduce ten new hybrid models globally by 2012.

Link

George Will said on Snuffy today (ABC) that Toyota sells the Prius at a loss. I was doing a little checking and am sure this is crap although he is probably referring to Japan effectively subsidizing it to some degree by keeping stocks of the rare earth metals necessary for the batteries. I really doubt that Toyota spent more to make those 1.7 million hybrids than they sold them for.

D.

[Dardedar]

Google 3D software is helping kids with autism express themselves. An impressive short video clip.

[Dardedar]

Larry Dossey:

"There are other benefits that are profoundly spiritual. Premonitions open us up to each other and to the greater world. As mentioned, they show that we are part of something larger than the individual self, that we are an element in the great "pattern that connects," as ecologist-philosopher Gregory Bateson put it. Premonitions suggest that we are linked with every consciousness that has ever existed, or that will ever exist.

Many outstanding scientists have realized this. The renowned physicist David Bohm said, "Each person enfolds something of the spirit of the other in his consciousness." Nobel physicist Erwin Schrödinger also believed that minds are in some sense united and one. He said, "To divide or multiply consciousness is something meaningless. There is obviously only one alternative, namely the unification of minds or consciousness.... n truth there is only one mind."

Huff Po

DAR
There are lots of people roasting it in the comment section.

[tmiller51]

CREATING life in the primordial soup may have been easier than we thought. Two essential elements of RNA have finally been made from scratch, under conditions similar to those that likely prevailed during the dawn of life.

The question of how a molecule capable of storing genetic information - even DNA's simpler cousin RNA - could ever have arisen spontaneously in the primordial cooking pot has perplexed scientists for decades. RNA consists of a long chain composed of four different types of ribonucleotides, which each consist of a nitrogenous base, a sugar and a phosphate.

Most people assumed that these three components first formed separately, and then combined to make the ribonucleotides. The only trouble was that it seemed impossible that two of the four bases with particularly unwieldy chemistry ever reacted spontaneously with the sugar.

To tackle this problem, John Sutherland from the University of Manchester, UK, tried to work out a new recipe for RNA that gets by without forcing isolated bases and sugar molecules to react. His team experimented by cooking up ribonucleotides from five small molecules thought to be present in the primordial soup. "We started with the same building blocks as others, but take a different route," Sutherland says.

And this time the cooks seem to have got it right. The recipe and conditions that they came up with to mix the five ingredients - including a good blast of UV light - produce ribonucleotides via a joint precursor molecule that contains both the base and the sugar instead of making each in their free form (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature08013).

Full Article

[Doug]

Oklahoma is Bad for Boners

NOTE: I had to alter the use of the V-word or the program would automatically remove it and insert the word "Spam."

Tulsa top in study's V-i-a-g-r-a need list
A health magazine assesses several factors to produce that rating.

By KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer
Published: 5/14/2009

Tulsa men might want to start exercising, losing weight, controlling their diabetes and stop smoking.

In fact, Tulsa men might go crazy trying to get fit after they read this.

The list of the 100 U.S. cities that are most in need of V-i-a-g-r-a puts Tulsa at the top, the April edition of Men's Health magazine reports. Oklahoma City is right in there, ranking No. 6.

See here.

DOUG
Weren't we just discussing the ill effects of religious belief with Udell? Is it just a coincidence that the most religious areas of the country have the worst marriages, the least education, the worst health, and the most poverty?

[ChristianLoeschel]

This idea of RNA evolution is intriguing, but the article you posted has very little real information of value.
Luckily, I have access to Nature at work Ill get back to ya!

[Doug]

A reporter called BK about this and had trouble getting to the bottom of it. See here.
=====================
Partial transcript:
[phone rings, I answer]
BK: The sign was put up yesterday.
Me: And it's not a mistake?
BK: No.
Me: It reflects the opinion of BK international?
BK: Yes. Would you like to talk to the home office? I can give you a number.
Me: I've got the number, I've already contacted them. Thanks.

When it comes to climate change, BK doesn't have the best reputation. Climatecounts.org, a not-for-profit organization that rates companies based on attitudes toward global warming, describes Burger King as "A choice to avoid for the climate-conscious shopper."
======================================
DOUG writes:
There were two BK's in Memphis with this message on their signs.

[kwlyon]

There were two BK's in Memphis with this message on their signs.

Gotta love that hard hitting environmental research coming out of Hamburger University! (Yes...I am aware that Hamburger U is affiliated with McDonald's....I apologize for associating the late great ray crock with this tom foolery)

[Dardedar]

Paleontologists brought to tears, laughter by Creation Museum

PETERSBURG, Kentucky (AFP) – For a group of paleontologists, a tour of the Creation Museum seemed like a great tongue-in-cheek way to cap off a serious conference.

But while there were a few laughs and some clowning for the camera, most left more offended than amused by the frightening way in which evolution -- and their life's work -- was attacked.

"It's sort of a monument to scientific illiteracy, isn't it?" said Jerry Lipps, professor of geology, paleontology and evolution at University of California, Berkeley.

LINK

[tmiller51]

Planets habitable for life my not be as rare as often assumed:

"Edward Guinan, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Villanova University in the USA, and his "Sun-in-Time" project team have studied stars that are analogues of the Sun at both early and late stages of its lifecycle. These "solar proxies" enable scientists to look through a window in time to see the harsh conditions prevailing in the early or future Solar System, as well as in planetary systems around other stars. These studies could lead to profound insights into the origin of life on Earth and reveal how likely (or unlikely) the rise of life is elsewhere in the cosmos."

"Guinan explains a surprising realisation that emerged from their work: "The Sun does not seem like the perfect star for a system where life might arise. Although it is hard to argue with the Sun's ‘success' as it so far is the only star known to host a planet with life, our studies indicate that the ideal stars to support planets suitable for life for tens of billions of years may be a smaller slower burning ‘orange dwarf' with a longer lifetime than (stars like) the Sun ― about 20-40 billion years. These stars, also called K stars, are stable stars with a habitable zone that remains in the same place for tens of billions of years. They are 10 times more numerous than the Sun, and may provide the best potential habitat for life in the long run". He continues: "On the more speculative side we have also found indications that planets like Earth are also not necessarily the best suited for life to thrive. Planets two to three times more massive than the Earth, with a higher gravity, can retain the atmosphere better. They may have a larger liquid iron core giving a stronger magnetic field that protects against the early onslaught of cosmic rays. Furthermore, a larger planet cools more slowly and maintains its magnetic protection. This kind of planet may be more likely to harbour life. I would not trade though ― you can't argue with success"."

Full Article

Tim

[Dardedar]

Nye, Aykroyd Receive Council’s First Awards

Bill Nye, creator, writer, and host of the award-winning PBS and syndicated television series Bill Nye the Science Guy, was honored by the Council for Media Integrity for his program, targeted at young people, which presents science as a lively, creative, and fun endeavor. Nye was given the Council’s first “Candle in the Dark” Award for his outstanding contributions to the public’s understanding of science and scientific principles.

Bill Nye the Science Guy (see SI, January/February 1997) is a joint production of PBS, Disney, and the National Science Foundation and is telecast daily in most big-city markets. He was presented his award by Kendrick Frazier, editor of the Skeptical Inquirer.

Nye was once a student of Carl Sagan’s at Cornell University. He said he was delighted to receive an award linked in any way to Sagan, who died December 20 and whose last book, The Demon-Haunted World, was subtitled “Science as a Candle in the Dark.” He thanked CSICOP and the Council for recognizing his program as a contribution to the nation’s science education.

In marked contrast to Nye’s award, the actor Dan Aykroyd was presented in absentia the Council’s “Snuffed Candle” Award. Aykroyd is host of the new television program Psi Factor and has been a long-time promoter of all sorts of paranormal claims. The award recognized Aykroyd “for encouraging credulity, presenting pseudoscience as genuine, and contributing to the public’s lack of understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry.”

CSICOP Senior Research Fellow and Council member Joe Nickell said he had been trying to inform Aykroyd of the award by mental telepathy but had not yet had any response. He said he would attempt to send the handsome plaque to Aykroyd by telekinesis.

Following up on the events in Los Angeles, Nickell wrote to Aykroyd on behalf of the Council requesting that Aykroyd and OSIR (Office of Scientific Investigation and Research — the research group behind the “cases” presented on Psi Factor) provide “full particulars” on a Psi Factor episode in which NASA scientists are killed while investigating a meteor crash and giant eggs are found and incubated, yielding a flea the size of a hog. Nickell made the request in response to a statement by Aykroyd on Entertainment Tonight that skeptics would have to withdraw their criticism once they've seen the OSIR data. It remains to be seen whether Aykroyd and OSIR will provide the data.

[Dardedar]

Obese People Have 'Severe Brain Degeneration'

By LiveScience Staff

"A new study finds obese people have 8 percent less brain tissue than normal-weight individuals. Their brains look 16 years older than the brains of lean individuals, researchers said today.

Those classified as overweight have 4 percent less brain tissue and their brains appear to have aged prematurely by 8 years.

The results, based on brain scans of 94 people in their 70s, represent "severe brain degeneration," said Paul Thompson, senior author of the study and a UCLA professor of neurology.

"That's a big loss of tissue and it depletes your cognitive reserves, putting you at much greater risk of Alzheimer's and other diseases that attack the brain," said Thompson."

LINK

[Betsy]

hey - doesn't Arkansas have one of the unhealthiest (meaning most obese) populations in the country? maybe that explains why Arkansas is even dumber than we thought...

[Dardedar]

As I pointed out in the doggie dump pile:

The rate for Arkansas. Looks like 28% obese, 64% overweight.

[Doug]

James Randi has worked long and hard to debunk the dowsing-rod-in-a-box device called "Sniffex." (Not "SniffEx," which is a legitimate electronic sensor.)


The Sniffex--a bogus device.

This device is being used by Iraqi troops to detect bombs in cars at road checkpoints. As James Randi points out, this is going to get people killed.



Read the story here.

[Doug]

A British film about Charles Darwin has failed to find a US distributor because his theory of evolution is too controversial for American audiences, according to its producer.



Creation, starring Paul Bettany, details Darwin's "struggle between faith and reason" as he wrote On The Origin of Species. It depicts him as a man who loses faith in God following the death of his beloved 10-year-old daughter, Annie.

The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia.

However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.

Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as "a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder". His "half-baked theory" directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.

Read the rest here.

[Dardedar]

Regarding that bit about the earth "cooling" recently:

AP IMPACT: Statisticians reject global cooling

Excerpts:

"The last 10 years are the warmest 10-year period of the modern record," said NOAA climate monitoring chief Deke Arndt. "Even if you analyze the trend during that 10 years, the trend is actually positive, which means warming."...

...it's important to look at moving averages of about 10 years. They compare the average of 1999-2008 to the average of 2000-2009. In all data sets, 10-year moving averages have been higher in the last five years than in any previous years....

El Nino, a temporary warming of part of the Pacific Ocean, usually spikes global temperatures, scientists say. The two recent warm years, both 1998 and 2005, were El Nino years. The flip side of El Nino is La Nina, which lowers temperatures. A La Nina bloomed last year and temperatures slipped a bit, but 2008 was still the ninth hottest in 130 years of NOAA records.

Of the 10 hottest years recorded by NOAA, eight have occurred since 2000, and after this year it will be nine because this year is on track to be the sixth-warmest on record.

LINK

[Doug]

Lab-Grown Penis Helps Rabbits Mate ... Like Rabbits
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
November 9, 2009
See here.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have engineered artificial penises in rabbits, using cells from the animals, who then used their new organs to father baby rabbits.

The work takes scientists closer to making other complex solid organs such as livers using a patient's own cells, the researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday.

It provides a tailor-made transplant, said Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine, who led the study.

"Once the tissue is there, the body recognizes the tissue as its own," Atala said in a telephone interview.

Atala focused on the penis because he is a pediatric urologist, who has specialized for years in disorders and congenital defects of the bladder and sexual organs.

"That was the inspiration for this work. We are seeing babies born with deficient genitalia all the time. There are no good options," Atala said.

He is also a specialist in regenerative medicine, which uses the body's own cells to repair damage. In this case, Atala's team used ordinary cells, not the stem cells often used in such research.