The title should say it all: via Warren Ellis (via Paul Di Filippo), I give you SciVee – a video-sharing community site devoted to the dissemination of scientific research.
[tags]science, video, internet, community[/tags]
Tag Archives: science
Are alien lifeforms already on Earth?
Is the emergence of life a localised one-shot fluke, or does it happen all over the place? It’s not a question we can answer with certainty yet, but that’s probably why it’s such a fascinating thing to ponder. Scientists in the latter camp suggest that life may have arisen here on Earth more than once, and according to Scientific American they are engaged in a search for examples of Terran microbial lifeforms which aren’t (or rather weren’t) based on the building blocks of the biology that we’re more accustomed to – which might add evidence in favour of the emergence of extra-terrestrial life. [Via Slashdot] [Image from Wikipedia]
Of course, some of the creatures that have existed on Earth that were based on the familiar biological patterns can still seem pretty alien, if only in the B-movie/pulp magazine manner – 2.5 meter long monster sea scorpion, anyone?
[tags]life, biology, science, extraterrestrial[/tags]
You had me at “harmless mucus-like mash of molecules”
In considering anti-virus treatments which go beyond vaccinations, researchers are zapping them with a superfast laser; by pulsing at the same frequency as the virus, it’s possible to destroy its shell without harming the surrounding human cells.
(Yet another) reason why biofuels may not be the answer
In addition to worries about driving up food prices around the world, especially in developing nations, there comes a study from Nobel Prize-winning scientist Paul Crutzen that biofuel may be even worse for us than fossil fuels. The team calculates that biofuels can release 50-70% more carbon dioxide than fossil fuels, as well as release roughly twice as much nitrous oxide (N2O) as previously thought.
I think the problem here is that everyone is looking for a way to maintain their current standard of living and not admit that this level of energy usage will have to decrease. The funny thing is, it’s not all that difficult to reduce the usage, if only just a little. I think it’s actually more difficult to get your car converted to biodiesel than biking/walking to nearby places and not leaving lights on. But that’s just me.
(via SciTechDaily) (image from neilsphotoalbum)
Update: Apologies, I misread the news report. I should’ve found the original paper first. It turns out that Dr. Crutzen found that N2O was marketdly increased, and if the environmental effects of N2O were converted into how much cooling CO2 would do, it comes out to be the afore-stated 50-70% increase. Which is a lot. Dr. Crutzen also stated he did not take into account the fossil fuel required to power the agricultural process (plowing, harvesting, etc), not did it take into account any beneficial co-products. He only focused on N2O production. It seems there is also some controversy about the efficacy of the calculations used. Please see the paper here(pdf).
News flash: space germs can kill
From the Department of Science that Scares Me comes this little piece on salmonella sent to space that came back more dangerous than before. The researchers describe it as a mutation that allowed the bacteria to survive in a certain kind of environment – microgravity – that fortuitously allowed them to be more effective (read: deadly) in organisms.
Thanks for giving me something more to worry about. Sheesh!
(via DailyTech)