I’ll be speaking tomorrow at SUNY Plattsburgh on the occasion of the publication of the new edition of Parasite Rex. I’ll be talking about the many ways in which parasites have infiltrated my mind since the book first came out a decade ago. I hope some Loominaries will be able to attend, and be infiltrated as well.
Where: SUNY Plattburgh, Plattsburgh NY. Room 206, Yokum Hall. (Directions and campus map)
When: Friday, April 15, 12:15 pm.
More details here.
As a fish swims over the ocean floor, it’s being watched by hundreds of rocks. The rocks are actually the eyes of a chiton, an armoured relative of snails and other molluscs. Perhaps uniquely among living animals, it sees the world through lenses of limestone, and its eyes literally erode as it gets older.
Chitons are protected by a shell consisting of eight plates. The plates are dotted with hundreds of small eyes called ocelli. Each one contains a layer of pigment, a retina and a lens. People have known about the ocelli for years, but no one knew what they were made from or how much the chitons could actually see with them.
Daniel Speiser from the University of California, Santa Barbara has solved the mystery by studying the charmingly named West Indian fuzzy chiton. It all started with a surprising bath. Speiser had removed the lenses from a chiton and dipped them in a mildly acidic liquid, which was meant to clean them. Instead, it quickly dissolved them!
The vast majority of animal lenses are made of proteins, which should be unharmed by weak acid. The chiton lenses were ...
An interview with me is running on the latest episode of “Consilience,” a podcast on science and skepticism out of South Africa. The conversation, which takes up the second half of the podcast, covers lots of ground. We talked about my new book, A Planet of Viruses, the secret weapons whales use for fighting cancer, and the enduring, tiresome mistake people make of thinking of bloggers as angry children. Check it out.
What’s the News: Geologists have known for years that tectonic plates affect climate patterns. Now they say that the opposite is also true, finding that intensifying climate events can move tectonic plates. Using models based on known monsoonal and plate movement patterns, geologists say that the Indian Plate has accelerated by about 20% over the past 10 million years. “The significance of this finding lies in recognising for the first time that long-term climate changes have the potential to act as a force and influence the motion of tectonic plates,” Australian National University researcher Giampiero Iaffaldano told COSMOS.
How the Heck:
The researchers plugged information from research on monsoonal patterns and the Indian Plate’s movement into a model, which indicated that the monsoonal erosion that has battered the eastern Himalaya Mountains for the past 10 million years erodes enough material to account for the plate’s counter-clockwise rotation. By gradually shaving off rocks from the eastern flank and decreasing crustal thickness, the monsoonal rains essentially lighten the load on the ...
What’s the News: Japan raised its assessment of the severely damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to Level 7, “Major Accident,” the highest ranking on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. The explosion at Chernobyl in 1986 is the only other nuclear accident to be ranked at Level 7. Both accidents were extremely severe, the two largest nuclear power accidents ever—but there are some big, important differences between them.
What’s Similar:
A Level 7 accident is a “major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects requiring implementation of planned and extended countermeasures,” according to the IAEA. Both plants clearly meet these criteria: Fukushima will require an extensive clean-up effort, and the international community is still working to make the area near Chernobyl safe.
The situation at Fukushima also qualifies as Level 7 by the numbers. Japanese officials estimate the reactors have released between 370,000 and ...
Perusing Google Earth’s quilt of aerial images is good for hours of stalkerish fun (Find your house! Find your ex’s house!). But every now and then, Google’s geo toy can also bend the fabric of reality—literally:
Something’s wrong with this picture…
Get ready for a bumpy ride!
Artist and programmer Clement Valla has discovered 60 strange, beautiful scenes where Google Earth’s mapping has gone awry, as you may have seen in a post on Boing Boing. So what’s really happening in these pictures? Here’s Valla’s explanation:
The images are the result of mapping a 2-dimensional image onto a 3-dimensional surface. Basically, the satellite images are flat representations in which you only see the topmost object—in this case you see the bridge, and not the landmass or water below the bridge. However, the 3D models in Google Earth contain only the information for the terrain–the landmass or the bottom of the ocean.
When the flat image is projected onto this 3-dimensional surface, the bridges are projected down onto the terrain below the bridge. In other words, the bridge appears to follow the terrain that it actually goes over.
The view is further complicated ...
At the end of May, 2010, the European Space Agency’s orbiting Herschel telescope was pointed toward a dark cloud in space over 2500 light years away. What it saw may solve a bit of a scientific mystery… and is also truly beautiful:
[Click to ennebulanate.]
This object is called IC5146, and consists of the Cocoon nebula on the left, and two long streamers of gas extending to the right. Herschel is very sensitive to cold dust in the very far infrared; in this image blue shows gas and dust emitting at a wavelength of 70 microns (the reddest color the human eye can see is roughly 0.7 microns), green is 250 microns, and red 500 microns — that’s over 700 times the longest wavelength light the eye can detect.
The Cocoon nebula is a well-known gas cloud being lit up by a massive, hot star in its center. In the visible light image inset here — grab the stunning high-res version to compare to the Herschel shot — the dust is dark, since it absorbs the kind ...
Heads up, this article has *spoilers* about the movie Hanna.
Joe Wright’s new film, Hanna, staring Saoirse Ronan is being hailed as the anti-Sucker Punch for its portrayal of a rich, rounded, and compelling female lead. Hanna is a young woman in her late teens (her age is indeterminate) who can beat you up, break your neck, and shoot you down six ways from Sunday. Why is she able to do that? Well, that right there is an interesting question. You see, Hanna was genetically engineered to have “high intelligence, muscle mass, and no pity.” But here’s the rub: she was also raised to be a trained assassin.
So who is to credit (or perhaps, to blame) for Hanna’s ability to crush faces with naught but her hands and an emotionless grimace? Is it her genes or her training?
The film ostensibly portrays Hanna as a naive heroine striving against her draconian and demonic “mother” figure, Marissa Wiegler, with the help of her noble father, Erik Heller. But I submit that is not the case: I believe the “teaching” and “nurture” Heller gives to Hanna makes him as much a monster ...
Sensory and rheological properties of Polish commercial mayonnaise.
“Sensory and rheological analyses were performed to compare seven commercial mayonnaises having various fat contents and containing, or not, thickening and stabilizing agents. It was found that mayonnaise samples differed in their sensory and rheological properties. The samples with a higher fat content scored higher in sensory analysis than the low-fat ones. The mayonnaises studied showed non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic flow with yield stress and thixotropy. All mayonnaises, although to a different degree, exhibited a decrease in the apparent viscosity at constant shear. The mayonnaise samples which contained thickeners and stabilizers had a greater rheological stability.”
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Photo: flickr/ ryPix
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One of the aspects of genetics which I think tends to reoccur is that people have a fixation on the two extreme ends of visible genetic inheritance. On the one hand you have discrete Mendelian or quasi-Mendelian traits where most of the variation is controlled by only a few genes, and which may exhibit dominance/recessive expression patterns. And you also have the classic quantitative traits which exhibit continuous variation and a normal distribution. Mendelism leads to strange ideas about atavism/throwbacks, and a promiscuous utilization of the idea of dominance/recessivity (e.g., “non-white genes are dominant to white genes”). Continuous traits are more comprehensible in their confusion, as they are the intuitions which led to the models of “blending inheritance” which were in the air before the triumph of Mendelian genetics in the first decade of the 20th century. But they lead to the logical inference that variation should slowly “blend away” through admixture. This was a major problem with 19th century models of evolution through natural selection; blending eliminated the variation which was necessary for the action of selection to be effective. A blending model also explains why there is a common perception that racial admixture will lead to the elimination ...
So I’ve been seeing headlines like this today: Physicians Recommend Different Treatments for Patients Than They Choose for Themselves, Study Finds. Here are the numbers:
A total of 242 physicians returned the colon cancer questionnaire (response rate of 48.4 percent), and when asked to imagine they had received the cancer diagnosis, 37.8 percent of physicians chose the surgical procedure with a higher rate of death, but a lower rate of adverse effects. Conversely, when asked to make a recommendation for a patient, only 24.5 percent of physicians chose this option.
The second scenario asked 1,600 physicians to imagine that a new strain of avian influenza had just arrived in the U.S. One group of physicians were asked to imagine they had been infected, and the other group was asked to imagine that his or her patient was infected. One treatment was available for this strain of influenza: an immunoglobulin treatment, without which persons who contract flu have a 10 percent death rate and a 30 percent hospitalization rate with an average stay of one week. The treatment would reduce the rate of adverse events by half, however it also causes death in 1 percent of patients and permanent neurological paralysis in ...
This is quite simply the bestest thing ever.
Man, if my school had an assembly like this for us when I was a kid, I might’ve stuck with studying dinosaurs. Also? I want one for Dragon*Con.
Rear Admiral Craig Steidle Named President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
"The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce that Rear Admiral Craig E. Steidle (U.S. Navy, Ret.) has been named as President, effective May 15. Admiral Steidle was approved for the position by a unanimous vote of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation's board of directors and will serve full-time in this capacity working from the organization's headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C."
Rear Admiral Craig Steidle to lead Commercial Spaceflight Federation, The Hill
"The commercial space industry truly represents the future of America in space, and I'm excited to be a part of it," Steidle said. "This industry is inspiring kids, keeping America economically competitive, creating thousands of jobs, and ensuring our leadership in space. It is a privilege to lead the Federation as we embark on the grandest adventure of the 21st century: opening up space to everyone."
Keith's note: Quite honestly, CSF probably could have done a better job explaining Craig Steidle's selection and the importance thereof. If you check the comments section of this post and you will see that Jim Muncy makes that case quiet eloquently.
Astrobiologists Discover Strange Benthic Microbial Mats in Antarctica
"Photosynthetic microbial mats forming large conical structures up to half a meter tall have been discovered by astrobiologists in Lake Untersee, Antarctica. This research is described in a forthcoming article in the journal Geobiology. During the expedition, three members of the field team, Dale Andersen (SETI Institute), Ian Hawes (University of Canterbury), and Chris McKay (NASA ARC) explored the lake beneath its 3 meter thick ice-cover and discovered the large conical structures that dominate the under-ice landscape."
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's Statement On The 2011 Spending Bill
"With this funding, we will continue to aggressively develop a new heavy lift rocket, multipurpose crew vehicle and commercial capability to transport our astronauts and their supplies on American-made and launched spacecraft. We are committed to living within our means in these tough fiscal times - and we are committed to carrying out our ambitious new plans for exploration and discovery."
Keith's 14 Apr note: Successful firing (Image). More at their Facebook page. Nothing whatsoever has been issued by JSC PAO about this event. This is sheer incompetence on the part of JSC PAO.
Keith's 16 Apr note: The project's official website is now online.
NASA JSC Project Morpheus Update
Internal NASA memo: "Out in the open field at the new Morpheus launch pad. West of JSC Building 14. If all goes well and there is no Govt. shutdown, the series of test firings may begin sometime Monday. The rocket engine burns methane and oxygen and is pressurized with helium. Note the ground restraint straps to keep it from "wandering." This constraint is necessary since there is no active flight control system installed yet. There is ES Div. engineering support to this program, but very little publicity."
Keith's 11 Apr note: I asked JSC PAO why they are ignoring Morpheus. I got this response: "Morpheus is at an early phase of testing, there will be more info as the project continues to develop. The release was the initial step in making people in the local area aware of the upcoming tests that the project will be conducting this week and next. NASA social media sites are in the process of being linked to NASA web pages which will continue to provide updates." In other words, they are not interested.
According to posts made today to the Project's Facebook page "Hot fire delayed until tomorrow due to weather." This image has the caption "Running through final checks and tweaks with the extra time. Hot fire, here I come!". This image is captioned "My team is covering the straps with insulation in preparation for Monday's hot fire." Follow their Twitter for updates on the hot fire test since JSC PAO won't be paying attention.
Keith's 12 Apr note: This image shows a view looking down at Morpheus. This image shows prepaprations for today's test. Meanwhile JSC PAO continues to officialy ignore this activity. FAIL.
Keith's 12 Apr 6:00 pm EDT note: Twitter update: "Hot fire portion of test scrubbed for today. Continue with an igniter test and then wrap up for the day. Watch here for info on future tests"
Keith's 13 Apr 11:00 pm EDT note: According to a Twitter update: "Unless something comes up in the post test overviews, my next hot fire test will be on Thursday." ... "Problem appears to have been faulty regulator on the helium trailer used to bring tanks up to pressure. This is why we test, and test a lot"
Why Does JSC Hide Their Cool Stuff?, earlier post
Photo: Space Station Crew Celebrates Yuri's Night On Orbit
"On Orbit Expedition 27 crew members pose for a photo near the galley in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station in honor of the 50th anniversary of the spaceflight of Yuri Gagarin, the first human launched in space on April 12, 1961. A portrait of Gagarin is at center. Pictured are Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev (bottom center), commander; NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev (center) and Andrey Borisenko (top left), NASA astronaut Ron Garan and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli (right), all flight engineers."
Why Houston Did Not Get A Shuttle, Wayne Hale
"Immediate reaction from many people in the Houston area was that the Orbiter disposition decision was politically tainted. For example, this was the explanation of my old Rice classmate Annise Parker, her honor the Mayor of Houston. Maybe there is some truth to that. It's hard to say what goes on inside the Washington beltway with any certainty. But my suspicions lie closer to home. Houston didn't get an orbiter because Houston didn't deserve it."
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Meeting 19 May 2011
"This notice sets forth the schedule and summary agenda for a partially closed meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and describes the functions of the Council. "
Keith's 12 Apr note: I just got a call from from someone rather senior Rick Weiss at OSTP at the White House. He Weiss called to officially complain about the use of the OSTP logo with this meeting notice and told me that their lawyers told him that they wanted it removed (or something scary would happen to me I guess). I have been doing this for more than a decade as do many news outlets. Use of the logo to illustrate a story on an agency does not imply any sort of affiliation or endorsement and is covered by fair use provisions.
(Sigh) I have to hope that these White House guys have more important things to do than to have their senior staff call little websites to complain about logos used in connection with OSTP stories and information. The caller Weiss did not sound too thrilled to have to make the call (I guess their lawyers are afraid to do so).
Here are more websites that are not authorized to use this logo for the White House Logo Police to call. Rest assured, I'll be tracking the White House logo cop enforcement progress: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
F.B.I., Challenging Use of Seal, Gets Back a Primer on the Law, NY Times
"Cindy Cohn, the legal director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, called the dust-up both "silly" and "troubling"; Wikipedia has a First Amendment right to display the seal, she said. "Really," she added, "I have to believe the F.B.I. has better things to do than this."
Keith's 13 Apr note: Wikipedia openly uses the OSTP logo here, here, here and here. Why hasn't Weiss called them with a take-down notice?
None of the websites I have listed has removed the OSTP logo. I informed Weiss of this list. Selective enforcement = no enforcement, Rick.
NASA Chief Suggests JWST Won't Launch before 2018, Space News
"Hutchison also said NASA's 2012 budget includes too much money for commercial crew initiatives. NASA is seeking $850 million to seed development of privately developed spacecraft and rockets capable of transporting astronauts to the international space station. "While I know the commercial companies will eventually become successful I do not feel that the information now available justifies such a large investment of federal dollars for commercial vehicles," Hutchison said."
