Skimming the surface: NASA attempted a very close (and very risky) flyby of Saturn’s moon Enceladus using the Cassini spacecraft this Wednesday. The purpose of the maneuver allows the probe’s instruments to sample the plumes of giant geysers that erupt from the moon’s south pole, spewing out ice particles, carbon dioxide, methane, and other substances. It is believed that liquid water may exist on this moon and scientists are excited to see the data the probe gathers. At its closest point, Cassini will only be 50 kilometres from the moon’s surface.
Link: tinyurl.com/2cmgfk
Rock and roll robots:
Computer scientist Graham Grindlay has developed a device that teaches humans how to drum. Named HAGUS (short for Haptic Guidance System), the robotic music instructor uses motors to move a drumstick that guides the student’s hand. The device was tested on individuals with no prior drumming experience, who subsequent to the test became more accurate developed with slightly better timing than those who hadn’t used the system. Drummers around the world now fear for their jobs as robotic drumming technology improves.
Link: tinyurl.com/2ok4t8
How global climate change makes fish deaf:
As the scientific community studies global climate change more closely, some very unexpected (and downright bizarre) side effects are observed. The Australian damselfish is a pertinent example. It is known that the temperature and acidity of the ocean are increasing, alongside rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. It is expected that more damselfish will be born with defective ear bones because of this. Increased acidity of the world’s oceans causes less dissolved calcium to be available for growing fish to absorb and use to form bones. Damselfish use their acute sense of hearing to navigate a their way back home, so those born with defective ears are thought to be more likely to get lost at sea and die. Hearing aid manufacturers take note: a new market may open up.
Link: tinyurl.com/2lbfeo
The price of Eastern progress:
It has been calculated that within two years, greenhouse gas emissions from China will surpass the combined reductions achieved by the countries signed to the Kyoto protocol. Researchers from the University of California predict that China’s emissions by 2010 will be 600 million tonnes greater than measured in the year 2000. By contrast, the U.S. Energy Information Agency calculates only a 115 million tonne reduction of emissions achieved by the Kyoto protocol countries in the same time period. Chinese carbon dioxide emissions are estimated to increase 11 per cent per year—more than doubling previous estimates that topped out at five per cent.
Link: tinyurl.com/2m696a
One step forward, six thousand steps back:
Bill 2211, recently approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives Education Committee, may open up a whole new can of worms if passed. Essentially, the bill allows students in public school not to be penalized for expressing a religious point of view regarding any topic taught. Reading between the lines, if a teacher asks how old the Earth is on a test, and a student writes down six thousand years, they won’t lose marks for their scientifically incorrect answer. Other states, such as Texas, have introduced similar bills with mixed results. Maybe it is time to introduce a separation of church and education.
Link: tinyurl.com/2phz7z
If you are what you eat, we’re screwed:
Although slightly alarmist, this article from cracked.com is a thoroughly entertaining run-down of some of the disturbing things we unknowingly eat. Hidden behind disarming names, such as “natural red no. 4.” are some interesting (and somewhat gross) products. I don’t recommend reading this if you’ve just eaten.
Link: tinyurl.com/ysyexb
Evidence of an overmedicated society:
Those resourceful people at the Associated Press decided to investigate the water supplies of Americans—and came up with some intriguing results. At least 41 million Americans have some type of pharmaceutical drug in measurable quantities in their water. In five months of study, drugs were found in 24 metropolitan areas. The drugs cover a wide range, from anti-convulsants to antibiotics, from mood stabilizers to sex hormones. While the concentrations of these drugs are very low—measured as parts per billion or trillion—many question the effects of long-term exposure to these compounds. Already, the AP probe has set a series of senate hearings in motion. It seems you can’t drink the water anywhere, these days.
Link: tinyurl.com/2j4pbq
More Hobbit skeletons found (scientists still searching for Gandalf’s body):
There was buzz surrounding the discovery of several tiny skeletons (about three feet tall) on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2004. Some scientists argued that the skeletons represented a new species of human they called Homo floresiensis. A recent finding of similar skeletons on the Pacific Islands of Palau calls this hypothesis into question. The remains, ranging from 900 to 2,800 years of age, seem to be modern humans that grew smaller over many generations due to living on an island. This phenomenon, known as insular dwarfism, has been seen with other species, such as now-extinct mammoths and elephants living on various islands around the world.
Link: tinyurl.com/33h7xp
Life is everywhere
The list of crazy places bacteria are known to inhabit now includes the outside of space shuttles, super-hot thermal vents at the bottom of the ocean, and samples of ice from Antarctica. The newly discovered bacterium Microbacterium hatanonis was found contaminating hairspray. Scientists analyzed the bacteria’s genome determined that it is an entirely new species. A related species, named Microbacterium oxydans, was also found in hairspray, but was originally discovered inhabiting hospital environments.
Link: tinyurl.com/2ctamc
Talk about extreme marketing
Apparently unsatisfied with the over six billion people on Earth, Doritos has decided to beam a 30-second ad into outer space. The publicity stunt is targeted at the Ursa Major constellation, where it is believed the necessary conditions for life exist in certain solar systems there. If any aliens see the ad, I hope they aren’t led to believe that a tortilla chip company governs the Earth.
Link: tinyurl.com/2mu5tv
