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POPS50 Billion Suns! -The Biggest Single Object in the Universe Based on this self-regulating maximum rate, scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Massachusetts, and the European Southern Observatory, Chile, have calculated an upper limit for these mega-mammoth masses. Fifty billion suns, that's 100 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 kg, otherwise known as "ridiculously stupidly big" and triple the size of the largest observed black hole, OJ 287.
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POPSMinke whales shedding blubber The study is Japanese which puts the problem in a nut shell. They say the whales are 'suffering' because of a low krill number. What is significant about that? Tuna eat krill.
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POPSWhy you should go with your gut feeling To uncover this ability, Pessiglione and colleague Chris Frith, of University College London, tested 20 volunteers with a simple game based on winning and losing small amounts of money. On a computer screen, the volunteers watched an animated abstract pattern which for a couple of tenths of a second included one of three symbols part way through. Unbeknownst to the subjects, the symbols indicated whether they would lose or gain £1 or break even if they accepted the gamble. Surprisingly, subjects got better at predicting whether they would win or not, eventually plateauing at slightly above chance, strong evidence that volunteers do not consciously notice the symbols but are affected by them nonetheless.
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POPSWhy Greenland isn't so green Greenhouse gas levels before the Industrial Revolution were 280 parts per million (ppm), and now stand at around 385 ppm - just shy of the 400 ppm that prevailed in Greenland's pre-ice era. The more they study climate models the more uncertainty they have, because the weather keeps showing them it involves a lot more than they imagined. But almost any weatherman could tell you that. They usually have trouble predicting tomorrows weather. They also know, that in 20 years they'll be forgotten, and people will be asking the incumbent weathermen. Who will still be predicting a 60% chance of showers. In case you were interested In 982 Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder., he named the land Grænland ("Greenland").] Greenland was also called Gruntland ("Ground-land") and Engronelant (or Engroneland) on early maps. They also say (in Wikki) that while only small parts of the island are green, they are, they are Very green. Perhaps it's the contrast.
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POPSGene test could 'prevent' heart disease I believe genetic testing should be an option, not a requirement. That may be a good principle for adults, but the call is for testing to be done on 'at risk' children under 10. I'd be surprised if they could find anyone in the world that wasn't subject to some genetic risk or another. Still, a DNA Database is as good as a chip, or an ID card, and much better than a finger print...but I'm a cynic..or perhaps an optimist with experience.
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POPSResearchers regrow crucial inner ear cells One of the most common causes of hearing loss, is constant exposure to loud noise, which can literally snap the hairs off the base. The more exposure, the more hairs snap off, and of course now we are beginning to see the effects of the 'ipod syndrome' where the volume is maxed out. Like standing next to speakers that are turned up to 11. (You might need to know about the band Spinal Tap) There is no doubt that prevention is better than cure, but some people wont listen. Until they reach the point where they can't listen.
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POPSTelescope spots monster galactic cluster They theorize that the fact that it's 7.7 billion light years away (as far as they know) meant that it was before the acceleration due to dark energy made it impossible for galactic clusters that large to hold together. It reminded me of a poem by Hughes Mearns. 'Antigonish' As I was going up the stair, I saw a star that wasn’t there. It wasn’t there again today, I wish, that star would stay away. (I thought I'd adjust it to cover Light years, and dark matter.)
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POPSNemo's nose helps find way home They discovered some of the scents that attracted the clown fish to to the reefs that provide a suitable habitat. The scent from the leaves of one coastal plant Xanthostemon, a kind of myrtle attracted them. They also found scents, such as the leaves from the Melaleuca Nervosa, a kind of paperbark which is another type of myrtle, that repelled them. They say this could have implications regarding tree planting and reforestation near marine habitats.
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POPSTests clear way for mini 'Big Bang' The 'Higgs bosun' has so far been undetected, so it's theoretical, but it is thought to represent the quantum force that gives things their mass. So far they have found theorized quanta by their behavior, but they haven't been able to find one that makes things 'heavy' Higgs Bosun is supposed to fill the gap
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POPSNanomaterial cleans up flourescent bulbs Household energy saving bulbs are a concern because of the mercury they contain, and the number that are starting to be used today, but another example was the long fluorescent bulbs, which may not burn out or break too often, but are often shipped in bulk to recyclers after a renovation, or demolition. The compact fluorescent bulb use less mercury than incandescent bulbs running on electricity from coal, which releases mercury when burned. The mercury from the CFL bulbs can be recovered.
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POPSScientists identify childhood cancer gene They are beginning to find genes that are believed to be involved in a number of types of cancer. The study of these genes may not only tell us how they work, but why they are there, and how they are related to some essential, and regular metabolic functions, what exactly can turn a regular/benign cell cancerous, so potential sufferers can be Identified early.
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POPSColossal squid was 'lethargic blob' So they caught one squid, and now they think all squid are the same. Giant Squid don't travel as well on the surface. If it was getting shorter, I wonder how big she was before she started to brood?.
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POPSScientists unlock Iceman's dress code Oetzi the ice man is about to become a star in the fashion industry. The technique they used to find out what his clothes were made of, can also be used in the fashion industry, or police to detect or trace fake animal materials, and to identify coats made from cat and dog hair, that are planned to be prohibited in Europe next year.
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POPS'Green' chemistry may get the midas touch I imagined 'green' chemistry would involve copper but...They think the size of the Gold particles may make them reactive due to quantum effects. I wonder how that theory extends to smaller particles or even mono-atomic (single non-metallic atoms powdered or in suspension) gold. I bet we'll find out.They regularly seem to be finding uses for gold, that are completely unlike any use it has had before. Still, all it can take for any element to be used in a revolutionary way is a new approach. Gold just happens to fascinate us so particularly.
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POPSNoseless seats a less pressing option It should be a great alternative for recreational use, and some professions where bike riding is part of the job description, but it isn't really an option for sports racing, where time is more important than comfort. Some bike racers would prefer to have a groin injury, than lose a second. Another remedy suggested by Dr Barnes, apart from seat adjustment, is a good quality chamois in the shorts. - However you may want to be careful not to use it to dry the car. Another thing. Police may know how to ride a bike, but what fraction have ever adjusted the seat?
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POPSCats happy to share if they're top dog It's the dog's fault according to the researcher. The example at the bottom of the clip, is used as an analogy. And they've never seen a jealous cat? One problem is that the dog starts copying the cat. When very often in 'cat free' homes, the dog will copy (for better or worse) the owner.
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POPSStem cells could allow 'blood farms' One of the issues recently has been the shelf life of blood, where the rotation principle-first in first out can leave blood 'stale' and unsafe. There is also the fact that the contributions cannot meet the demand, and the increase in surgery that requires large volumes of blood. Transplant, and heart surgery being prime examples. They have been searching for a means of producing blood artificially, but the prospect of using stem cells, makes it more likely to be a reality. One of the most important aspects is that the red cells have no nucleus, so no nucleic DNA. A fact that can relieve many ethical, and practical problems.
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POPSLanguage no barrier to counting It never occurred to me that if you didn't have a word for a number, you couldn't count. Sounds like English teachers trying to muscle in on the maths crowd. I thought we used words for numbers so we could tell someone how many there are when we run out of fingers. (and toes). Perhaps some people associate numbers with words, some with pictures, perhaps even with a particular sound. Same numbers, different parts of the brain processing. Sometimes you can tell how many there are by the look on someone's face.
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POPSFuture engines full of compressed air They are expected to be so popular, that there will soon be fueling stations for them. Maybe they could just supercharge the tyre pump. The car is expected to need 2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometers. The prototype of the bike, can hold 91/2 litres of compressed air, which will carry a rider for just over a kilometer.
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POPSNew 'arsenic-breathing' bacteria found While arsenic may be toxic because of the way it substitutes phosphorous in the process of burning energy, I don't recall boiling water being too healthy either. When life on earth was just kicking off, there was little free oxygen, and plenty of boiling water. Arsenic based photosynthesis is likely to have been working long before the green/chlorophyll based photosynthesis evolved.
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POPS'Flexi-bee' could pre-empt varroa mite.
Of course there is the honey, but there is also the critical role bees play in pollination, particularly crop fertilization. The loss of honey bee populations has the potential to have a devastating effect in many crops that at the moment we take for granted. There are two suggestions. One is to prevent the mite laying by altering a chemical released by the bees. The other disrupts the life cycle of the mite. It doesn't have to be either/or, both approaches need to be tried, in addition to further suggestions. The main thing we have to worry about taking into account our record of 'fixing' problems in nature (we don't seem to be that good at it) Is that our efforts don't further endanger the bee populations At the moment however, if we do nothing we will lose the bees. There is the possibility, that bees will develop their own resistance to the mite naturally. Selective breeding may be an option. I would be more inclined to listen to a beekeeper than a geneticist,.
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POPSKill-joy pill could treat alcoholism The drug's effects only last an hour, and don't stop people being being drunk, only feeling good about it. You wonder if it will be a big seller? How does a drunk mouse gesture for a drink?
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POPSPill may put women off 'Mr Right's' scent In the last few years there have been great discoveries regarding the role of scent or pheromones, in sexual or physical attraction. We are only just beginning to learn how important they are. They recorded a difference in preferences, but the preferences tested were limited to genetic potential. They can't be sure how this factor extends to other elements of a relationship.
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POPSRobot controlled by own biological brain They used rat neurones. Maybe we'll discover what rats have been thinking, or how the nature of thinking varies from species to species, if and what significant 'character' differences there are. We may even find rats have the potential to be much smarter than we thought they were. The neurons act in response to stimuli. Maybe the best way to describe them is 'curious' It can be fairly certain there will be no official testing with human neurones, but there will be testing. I also wonder if the instinct for self preservation goes that deep - Sounds like the kind of thing that would interest the military.
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