This weeks Science stories

[Tao_Equus]

To start a quite stunning story about the adaptability of the brain.

Man with tiny brain shocks doctors - health - 20 July 2007 - New Scientist

[Tao_Equus]

Evidence, perhaps, that ancient Egyptian surgeons were proficient at both amputation and the design of prosthetics to compensate for missing body parts.

Deciphering the Cairo toe - The Boston Globe


A huge lake formed during a period of glaciation 400,000 years ago may have carved out what we know as the English channel, separating the UK from continental Europe and giving us the distinctive chalk cliffs of Dover.

Breach of ice age lake made Britain an island | Science | The Guardian

Finally, I have long felt that the effects of exhaust fumes on the body have long been downplayed. Recent rises in the incidence of many conditions have paralleled increasing emissions from motor vehicles. I predict that links will be found for many things from ADHT to diabetes and even that the so called effects of passive smoking are more to do with car pollution than tobacco. Here is a link that shows a connection between emissions and heart disease:
Exhaust fumes linked to rise in heart disease | Science | The Guardian

[Tao_Equus]

Seems that girls really do like PINK
BBC NEWS | Health | Why girls 'really do prefer pink'

Quantum RAM in you next computer?
Blueprints drawn up for quantum computer RAM - tech - 21 August 2007 - New Scientist Tech

An finally a new generation of marine based turbines for production of clean energy.

Underwater turbines set to generate record power - tech - 21 August 2007 - New Scientist Tech

[flowperson]

Whilst Tao's away...I shall play. I found this to be really interesting, and fascinatingly here, science will compliment human efforts to discover more and more of what our ancestors recorded in the past, sacred and secular.

flow....

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'Super-scope' to see hidden texts

[Muslimwoman]

{MW squeals with delight and nods with respect in Tao's direction}

Keep them coming guys, what a brilliant thread thank you both.

[flowperson]

Hi All:

IMHO, something extrordinarily profound is going on inside of the planet, and specifically in the south Asia area covered by the indonesian nation. And, even more curiously much of the activity occurring over the last two days in excess of 5.0 on the richter scale is occurring at the depth of 10km. If you want to know about the sorts of catastrophies this area can produce (remember the tsunami ?) click on the second link which describes the global chaotic effects of the Krakatoa explosion.

Might this have something to do with the recent close approach of Mars and the Earth ?

flow....

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/...quakes_all.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krakatoa

[flowperson]

I believe that we could chalk this up to the principle of unintended consequences due to repeated and intended activities. Nature just doesn't always respond in the ways that we try to force her to...huh ?

flow....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/...llergyincrease

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by flowperson

I believe that we could chalk this up to the principle of unintended consequences due to repeated and intended activities. Nature just doesn't always respond in the ways that we try to force her to...huh ?

flow....

Too Clean? Fight Against Germs Fuels Allergy Increase - Yahoo! News

That supports an observtion I made when I first went to Egypt Flow. Most of the people I know live in abject poverty, so hygiene isn't anywhere near our standards. One family I visit have an open sewer in the street outside their apartment. My assumption was that they would get sick regularly but they didn't, I did.

You look at things like light switches, covered in years of muck and think about the transfer of germs to kitchen utencils and food but they obviously just have a greater build up of antibodies due to living in such conditions. I used to nag all the women in my family, "you must clean or you will get sick" but honestly I have given up, they get sick less often than I do, as my body is just not used to encountering germs so has low defences.

[flowperson]

Hi MW...I'm with you there. For example, when we in the U.S. insist upon eating chickens drenched with antibiotics we all pay a price, super evolved germs that are more virulent and drug resistent. You can't fool mother nature.

flow....

[bob x]

Might this have something to do with the recent close approach of Mars and the Earth ?

That happens every other year, like clockwork. The recent close approach was only a percent or so closer than all the other times.

[flowperson]

Hi Bob...well it's a little more complex than just every two years. I was wrong about the closest approach being this year though. That turned out to be an E-mail hoax, but it did happen a few years ago. Here's an article on it all. This has developed into something more mysterious though. Here's a NY Times article explaining what is known.

In Peru, a Crater and Questions - The Lede - Breaking News - New York Times Blog

flow....

Harvard Gazette: Mars' approach spurs CfA 'Fever'

[flowperson]

Hi. Here's a couple of new items that caught my eye. Keep in mind that we share DNA with both bugs and velociraptors, albeit in different time frames and places.

flow....

http://www.livescience.com/animals/0...ender_bug.html
http://www.livescience.com/animals/0..._feathers.html

[flowperson]

There is an ongoing set of debates that center around "human/machine interfaces" and what might be the result of humanity's growing propensity to "self-direct" its evolutionary pathways, given the fact that we are increasingly acquiring the abilities to do so. This overview is a good starting point to review the history and possibilities of such thought patterns.

flow....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/we...ew/23john.html

[flowperson]

And as a counterbalance to speculation regarding what humans may become in the future, there are still many discoveries enlightening us as to where we all came from.

And while we're on the issue of origins, did'ja ever wonder where oxygen came from, and when it appeared ?

flow....

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Georgia clues to human origins

Earth's First Breath Came Earlier Than Thought | LiveScience

[flowperson]

Once upon a time I worked for a very large research university. The bulk of the work was done by underpayed and sleep-deprived graduate assistants. A few years ago when the Bushie-Feds announced their intent to open intensive research projects at universities around the country to study deadly viruses and germs, I said..."HUH" ? Now we know why I thought that was a questionable decision.

flow....


http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?...002-1464355680