Science & TechnologyS


Shopping Bag

Five 'eco-friendly' products that actually harm the environment


RT
Sat, 03 Aug 2019 17:44 UTC
eco friendly
Main image: A man on an e-scooter Reuters; inset top right: Stainless steel water bottles Wikimedia Commons; inset bottom right: solar panels Pixabay
The green brigade of climate activists and canny corporations are constantly pushing products and ideas that are seen as kinder to our planet. However many of these are far less eco-friendly than we're being led to believe.

The latest example came just this week when a study published in Environmental Research Letters found that the shared electric scooters so-beloved of hipsters in cities around the world actually produce more greenhouse gas emissions per mile than travelling by bus, bicycle and even moped.

The researchers found that the materials it took to manufacture the battery, wheels and frame of the scooter and the companies collecting, charging and redistributing the scooters each day had a significant impact when it came to greenhouse gas emissions.

Comment: Wind turbines? The list goes on...

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Brain

It's Sentient: Meet the classified artificial brain being developed by US intelligence programs

Sarah Scoles
The Verge
Wed, 31 Jul 2019 11:06 UTC
artificial intelligence illustration
© Illustration by Ana Kova
At the final session of the 2019 Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, attendees straggled into a giant ballroom to listen to an Air Force official and a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) executive discuss, as the panel title put it, "Enterprise Disruption." The presentation stayed as vague as the title until a direct question from the audience seemed to make the panelists squirm.

Just how good, the person wondered, had the military and intelligence communities' algorithms gotten at interpreting data and taking action based on that analysis? They pointed out that the commercial satellite industry has software that can tally shipping containers on cargo ships and cars in parking lots soon after their pictures are snapped in space. "When will the Department of Defense have real-time, automated, global order of battle?" they asked.

"That's a great question," said Chirag Parikh, director of the NGA's Office of Sciences and Methodologies. "And there's a lot of really good classified answers."

Comment: Calling this AI 'Sentient' is a bit of a stretch. Although it's likely quite sophisticated as far as data collection and parsing, it's not really thinking for itself. While true AI seems perpetually 'just around the corner', it seems we're not there yet.

See also:

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Info

Genes can spring into action hours or even days after an organism dies, says new study

Kate Golembiewski
Discover Magazine
Fri, 02 Aug 2019 09:42 UTC
Gene
© Immersion Images/Shutterstock
From the time we see Bambi's mom bite the dust, we all know what death is. At least, we think we do. But the simple definition of death — that the body stops working — doesn't take into account how weird our bodies actually are.

"We really know nothing about what happens when you die," says Peter Noble, a former professor at the University of Alabama. Noble knows firsthand that surprises await scientists studying the end of life: he helped discover that long-dormant genes can spring into action hours or even days after an organism dies.
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Gold Seal

Famed Yale computer science professor quits believing Darwin's theories

Jennifer Kabbany
The College Fix
Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:30 UTC
gelernter
'The origin of species is exactly what Darwin cannot explain'
David Gelernter, a famed Yale University professor, has publicly renounced his belief in Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, calling it a "beautiful idea" that has been effectively disproven.

Gelernter, who is known for predicting the World Wide Web and has developed many complex computing tools over the years, is today a professor of computer science at Yale, chief scientist at Mirror Worlds Technologies, member of the National Council of the Arts, and a prolific author.

In May, the Claremont Review of Books published a column by Gelernter headlined "Giving Up Darwin." In it, he explained how his readings and discussions of Darwinian evolution and its competing theories, namely intelligent design, have convinced him Darwin had it wrong.

In particular, he cited Stephen Meyer's 2013 book Darwin's Doubt as well as The Deniable Darwin by David Berlinski. The professor expanded on his views in an interview with Stanford University's Hoover Institution that was published last week.


Gelernter stops short of fully embracing intelligent design, both in his essay and during his interview. He said in his interview he sees intelligence in Earth's design, and has no quarrel with ID proponents, but notes the world is a mess, its suffering far outweighs its goodness.

Comment: Gelernter's column can be read here:

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Alarm Clock

What can go wrong? Scientists create first hybrid human-monkey embryo in China

Hnery Holloway
Daily Star
Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:25 UTC
DNA human embryo
© Getty images
Scientists have successfully formed a hybrid human-monkey embryo - with the experiment taking place in China to avoid "legal issues".

Researchers led by scientist Juan Carlos Izpisúa spliced together the genes to grow a monkey with human cells.

It is said the creature could have grown and been born, but scientists aborted the process.

The team, made up of members of the Salk Institute in the United States and the Murcia Catholic University, genetically modified the monkey embryos.

Researchers deactivates the genes which form organs, and replaced them with human stem cells.

And it is hoped that one day these hybrid-grown organs will be able to be translated into humans.

Meanwhile, scientists in Japan are developing human-rat chimeras for the same purpose in a new biotech arms race.

Project collaborator Estrella Núñez hailed the experiment as "very promising".

Comment:

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Microscope 1

Major class of viruses reveals complex origins that don't fit evolutionary theory

Richard Harth
ScienceDaily
Wed, 31 Jul 2019 17:17 UTC
dna in cell
© Juan Gärtner / Adobe Stock
Comparing a living cell to a virus is a bit like comparing the Sistine Chapel to a backyard dog house. Lacking the intricate machinery of living cells, viruses represent biology stripped down to an extreme level. They are the true minimalists of the biological world.

Nevertheless, the field of virology is brimming with unanswered questions about these architecturally simple, yet mysterious entities. In new research, Arvind Varsani, a molecular virologist at Arizona State University, joins a prestigious international team to explore a particular class of viruses, ferreting out genetic fragments revealing the complexities of viral evolution.
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Meteor

Seven asteroids are headed for Earth this August

Inigo Monzon
International Business Times
Tue, 30 Jul 2019 10:59 UTC
Image of two different asteroids captured by NASA
© NASA/JPL/JHUAPLImage of two different asteroids captured by NASA.
NASA has detected a total of seven asteroids headed for Earth in August. According to the agency's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the biggest asteroid from the group is five times taller than the Statue of Liberty.

The first asteroid that will approach Earth is called 2019 ON. CNEOS noted that the space rock is about 180 feet long and is traveling at a speed of 10,400 miles per hour. It is expected to approach Earth on Aug. 1 at 11:23 am ST. During its approach, it will zip past Earth from a distance of 0.01729 astronomical units or roughly 1.6 million miles away.

Trailing behind 2019 ON is asteroid 2006 QQ23. According to CNEOS' data, this is the biggest asteroid that will approach Earth next month. It has an estimated diameter of 1,870 feet and has a velocity of 10,400 miles per hour.

CNEOS estimated that 2006 QQ23 will fly past Earth on Aug. 10 at 7:23 am ST. It is expected to be about 0.04977 astronomical units or around 4.6 million miles away from the planet during its flyby.

The third asteroid that will visit Earth in August is 454094 2013 BZ45. This asteroid is about 820 feet long and is traveling at 18,250 miles per hour. It will enter Earth's neighborhood on Aug. 12 at 12:14 am ST. Its closest distance to Earth during its visit is expected to be at 0.04352 astronomical units or around 4 million miles away.

Comment: A few years ago NASA created a 'Planetary Defense Coordination Office' with a view to track meteors headed toward Earth, and "redirect" potentially dangerous asteroids as part of a long-term planetary defense goal.

However, asteroid 'redirection' or 'deflection' remains just theoretical. A more accurate way of looking at it is that NASA is funding deflection and redirection of the topic of space threats by 'getting the message out' that 'everything is just fine'.

See also: Expecting an asteroid? Proposed budget for NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office suddenly increased three-fold

As Fireball Numbers Increase it is well worth remembering what can come out of the sky, without any warning at all:



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Galaxy

Crab Nebula blasts Earth with highest-energy photons ever recorded

Korey Haynes
Astronomy
Tue, 30 Jul 2019 10:45 UTC
Crab Nebula
© NASA/CXC/ASU/J. Hester et al.This image of the Crab Nebula in x-rays shows the pulsar clearly spinning at the nebula's center.
Astronomers using the Tibet AS-gamma Experiment have discovered the highest-energy light ever measured from an astrophysical source. Photons streaming from the Crab Nebula were recently measured at energies well over 100 tera-electronvolts (TeV). That's a trillion electron volts, or some 10 times the maximum energy that the Large Hadron Collider sees when it slams particles together.

Scientists think the key is a pulsar lurking deep inside the heart of the Crab Nebula, the dense, rapidly spinning core left when a star exploded in a supernova almost a thousand years ago. Actually, since the nebula is located over 6,500 light-years away, the explosion occurred about 7,500 years ago, but the light from that explosion didn't reach Earth until 1054 CE, when it exploded in our night skies as a bright new star, spotted by astronomers around the globe.

The supernova's light faded after just weeks, but since then, the detritus has grown and spread, and it now glows wonderfully in the night sky at nearly every wavelength. It crackles in low-energy radio waves, blasts out high-energy gamma and x-rays, and shines at visible wavelengths in between.

Comment: See also:

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Info

Infants learn early about social hierarchies and power dynamics, study suggests

Natalie Parletta
Cosmos Magazine
Tue, 30 Jul 2019 22:32 UTC
Red and Blue Bears
© RENÉE BAILLARGEONInfants watched as the red bear either intervened to redress a wrong perpetrated by the blue against the yellow bear or ignored it.
It's well-known that humans have evolved to rely on leaders to settle grievances in their social group. A new study shows this expectation appears in children as young as 17 months.

The discovery builds on evidence that young children understand social hierarchies and power dynamics, says lead researcher Renee Baillargeon, from the University of Illinois, US.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved showing 120 infants a series of interactions between puppets.

The performers were three bears with female voices who played a protagonist, wrongdoer and victim.

First, leadership status was determined. In one condition, the protagonist issued commands that the other bears obeyed, establishing the bear as a leader. In the other, the bears ignored the commands, signalling non-leadership.

Then the infants were shown the main event. In each play, the protagonist produced two toys for the others to share, but one bear grabbed both toys.

In both conditions - with a leader or non-leader - the protagonist either intervened by taking one of the toys from the wrongdoer and giving it to the victim or did nothing.
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Butterfly

Millions of butterflies flying to Scotland in 'once-in-a-decade' phenomenon

Dayna McAlpine
Edinburgh Live
Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:01 UTC
Painted Lady Butterfly Migration
Painted Lady butterfly migration
The UK could be experiencing a once-in-a-decade wildlife phenomenon this year with a mass influx of painted lady butterflies, experts have said.

TV naturalist Chris Packham is urging people to take part in the world's largest insect citizen science survey, the annual Big Butterfly Count, to see if the painted ladies are arriving in their millions to the UK's shores this year.

The painted lady butterfly is a common immigrant from the continent to the UK each summer where its caterpillars feed on thistles (you can see why they're heading to Scotland) but around once every 10 years there is a painted lady "summer" when millions arrive en masse.

This summer is set to be just that rare summer as the wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, which runs the Big Butterfly Count, said unusually high numbers have been reported across Europe over the spring and early summer with large numbers now spotted crossing to the UK.

Comment: The Guardian provides some more detail of how some butterflies are able to complete those kinds of arduous journey's:
Every September an incredible migration phenomenon begins. Clouds of stripy orange monarch butterflies set off on a 2,500km journey, travelling from southern Canada to warmer climes in southern California and Mexico. Come spring they follow the milkweed blossom and travel back up north. No butterfly completes the entire trip: after flying many hundreds of kilometres the female butterflies lay eggs and pass the baton to the next generation. Now a new study, published in Biology Letters, reveals how these amazing insects make use of the weather to aid their journey.

Miniaturised radio transmitters were attached to the butterflies and their journey tracked using a series of automated telemetry towers. The results show how monarchs soar high to take advantage of strong tailwinds, powering along at up to 31kph. Those that have to travel furthest seem to travel fastest, but all butterflies took rest days every now and then. Warmer temperatures also help (though only up to a certain point) and on a good day they managed to travel over 100km. Light rain didn't seem to have any adverse effect, but the researchers note they didn't track any individuals during heavy rain events. Perhaps they shelter and make up lost time later?
See also: And check out SOTT radio's:

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