"One two, one-two-three, dance on man!"
Higher Carbon Levels in Sea Water Changes Hermit Crab Behavior
More research is proving that the theory of animals becoming bolder with climate is correct. Sea water is retaining more carbon dioxide. This is altering the body chemistry of some animals.
Tests were done on the hermit crab and a "toy" of its main predator the octopus. In a laboratory, hermit crabs were split into two group and put into aquariums. The water in one aquarium was at a pH of 7.6; the other had a pH of 7.1. This may seem to be only a small amount of difference in acidity but it was significant on behavior.
The flicking of antennae (testing for danger of preying animals) and oxygen levels were measured. The hermit crabs in the more acidic pH 7.1 water flicked their antennae less often. Crabs in the 7.6 aquarium definitely responded much quicker when a toy octopus was dipped into the water.
Visitors at the Third International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World had a good laugh at the crab behavior. A more serious problems could be the declining level of safe hermit crab abodes. Higher acidity is dissolving abandoned shells that hermit crabs jump into and carry around as homes.
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Marine Biology
Mothers Keep the DNA of Their Sons
Mothers keep the DNA of their children in their system for a lifetime, particularly the genes of male offspring. The DNA resides in the mother's brain. It is not know what the overall effect is on a woman. It was found, however, that presence of male DNA reduced the incidence of Alzheimer's.
All mammals exchange DNA in this way. It is called fetal microchimerism and has bad effects as well as good. While improving disease resistance it can lower autoimmune reactions.
http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/All mammals exchange DNA in this way. It is called fetal microchimerism and has bad effects as well as good. While improving disease resistance it can lower autoimmune reactions.
Until recently humans were not known to have microchimerism, though other animals such as rats did. Autopsies on middle aged deceased woman found male DNA spread throughout the brain. A 101 year old lady had DNA present even at her advanced age.
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Science
Pensioners Hoarding Is a Witch Hunt
I live and spend money in Australia. Rarely do I get a $100 note in change. Indeed, the economy seems to be flooded with $50 bills. Most people carry a wallet full of them. Despite being completely ruined if folded (they keep the crease for ever), the government keeps destroying the old and releasing new $50 notes.
Now, for someone like a former Reserve Bank official to make the absurd claim that pensioners are hoarding their savings in $100 bills in order to keep their pensions, really takes the cake. What fox hole does he live in? It is just as easy to hoard in fifties as it is in one hundreds, particularly when they come brand spanking new from ATM machines.
Peter Mair is so sure he is right that he is writing to Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens. He wants pensioner discounted car registrations, council rates and discount phone rentals stopped forthwith. Ask for a pensioner discount on your telephone line rental and you'll get a belly laugh back. It just does not happen. You can put down you have broadband, but Social Security wants to see a copy of the actual account before you to get a few dollars extra from them.
Make it harder to hoard, Mr Mair says. Print dollar bills again and don't circulate large denomination notes. The result would be people pushing wheel barrow loads of cash around to do their weekly shopping. It would take a bold Australian government to adopt the "cashless" society system of Singapore. Though Australians use cards for most transactions many still like the idea of cash in their pockets. Peter Mair thinks the feel of cash can be met by leaving metal coins in circulation. If he would just look around the shops he would find people at checkouts trying to dump the heavy pocket loads of valueless coins for notes.
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Science
Cat in New Zealand Falls Five Stories and Walks Away
A New Zealand cat falls from a great height and lives!
Alison and Graham Pike live a quite life in an apartment on Auckland's viaduct. They had no idea that their tabby cat, Camo, would become a celebrity. Spending life on an apartment balcony can be quite dangerous. One small slip and you fall a very long way. And Camo did fall.
It is not actually a free-fall from the balcony - there are things in the way to block the fall. The cat either jumped onto the glass balustrade then fell on to the tarseal, or ducked under the balustrade then slid off and fell further. A balcony lower down sticks out more than the fifth level balcony so the cat would have bounced off that before finally landing at ground level. In all it must have been like an obstacle course for the cat.
Well, the outcome was a broken jaw and three broken teeth. Mr and Mrs Pike were informed by security staff that their cat was under the restaurant sofa and its mouth was bleeding.
The cat has learned something though - It doesn't go out on the balustrade anymore. You see it is new to this way of living. The couple only moved into the apartment with their cat 15 months ago. Living high up is much different than living at ground level.
Alison and Graham Pike live a quite life in an apartment on Auckland's viaduct. They had no idea that their tabby cat, Camo, would become a celebrity. Spending life on an apartment balcony can be quite dangerous. One small slip and you fall a very long way. And Camo did fall.
It is not actually a free-fall from the balcony - there are things in the way to block the fall. The cat either jumped onto the glass balustrade then fell on to the tarseal, or ducked under the balustrade then slid off and fell further. A balcony lower down sticks out more than the fifth level balcony so the cat would have bounced off that before finally landing at ground level. In all it must have been like an obstacle course for the cat.
Well, the outcome was a broken jaw and three broken teeth. Mr and Mrs Pike were informed by security staff that their cat was under the restaurant sofa and its mouth was bleeding.
The cat has learned something though - It doesn't go out on the balustrade anymore. You see it is new to this way of living. The couple only moved into the apartment with their cat 15 months ago. Living high up is much different than living at ground level.
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Science
Sauropods Were Ideally Suited to Grow Large
The largest animals ever to roam the Earth were sauropod dinosaurs in the Jurassic and Cretaceous eras. They did not eat meat. Despite having to constantly eat grass and leaves the heaviest reached 50 tonnes.
The periods going back from the present are Cenozoic, Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic and Paleozoic. The last four are grouped into the Mesozoic era. It is in this general broad time frame that the gigantic dinosaur arose and died off.
Though for the most part these creatures walked with their heads in an horizontal position, for feeding it is presumed that they reached up vertically to feed on young branches and leaves high in the trees. Other herbivores could not reached up to this rich food source. Mammals had not yet risen. Giraffes appeared much later.
Having plenty of food meant the sauropods could evolve and become very large. Their bones were light and with a small head the neck became long. They swallowed food whole so they had tiny jaw muscles. Food remained in the body a long time. This enabled thorough digestion of leaves and even some wood. Not masticating in itself left more energy to grow bigger.
They were bird-like, having an efficient respiratory system; thus the significant body heat was dissipated. The high basal metabolic rate meant they could live longer and survive to become adults and reproduce. Having many young from eggs maintains a species more effectively than the mammalian way of breeding.
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Science
Study on Livestock Pollution Not Sound
Much has been said about cattle that increase carbon and methane levels in the atmosphere. Test were done on cattle in the European Union. Options were considered on how the emissions could be reduced. It was found that dairy and beef cattle contributed 60 per cent of pollution for the whole livestock industry.
Because little can be done about body waste emissions, efficiency factors were at the center of the study. Poor land use was the second highest factor in global greenhouse gas emissions after direct production. Pollution for wasted food followed inefficient use of land.
As usual the investigators did their calculations on how much pollution could be lessened if their advice was adopted by the livestock industry. It was estimated that the lowest impact would be a reduction of 12 per cent. Optimists in the group said 60 per cent.
Somehow consumption of meat was to be reduced. Just how this was to be done was not made clear. With people in developing countries adopting a taste for Western food potential meat consumption will probably increase, even if in the EU less is consumed.
It was found that changing to grain fed beef from grassland beef would decrease pollution. This is a questionable hypothesis considering more high quality grain would have be grown to feed more cattle. It is a very expensive way of producing beef as well. This finding was based on the assumption feed lots would be constructed on poor grazing land and good grazing land was left alone. This in itself would be a decrease in overall production efficiency. To reduce greenhouse gasses consumers would ultimately have to pay the price. Like the carbon tax, few countries will introduce a more costly meat production system purely because it will raise the price for consumers.
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Science
New Research on Box Jellyfish
There has been a breakthrough in the research on box jellyfish. They have thousands of stinging cells on their ten-foot long tentacles. New discoveries have been made into their evolution. This will help in finding antivenom and new treatment for stings to humans.
Some species of jelly fish have good sight: they have 24 eyes, can sense light and form images of their surroundings. Little is known, however, about what they actually see. They don't need to see to mate. Females and males just get together and fertilize eggs in a mass spawning, though some species do appear to mate one-on-one.
The most dangerous jelly fish, in Australia, is the Box Jellyfish (sea wasp or stinger). Some can immobilize while others can kill. The Portuguese man of war is held to be very dangerous, but despite its name it cannot kill humans. Chironex flecken, an Australian box jellyfish, can be lethal. A similar type, Chironex yamaguchii, has killed people in Japan.
Evolution of jellyfish has been pinned down by DNA extracted from tissue samples. It is now known how species are related. It was found that several types cause Irukandji Syndrome which leaves sufferers with body pain, severe depression and feelings of impending doom. If you are stung by members of this group then these symptoms can be expected. Some types have been isolated from others for a long period of time. Sea level changes from tectonic plate movements apparently create new species.
Some species of jelly fish have good sight: they have 24 eyes, can sense light and form images of their surroundings. Little is known, however, about what they actually see. They don't need to see to mate. Females and males just get together and fertilize eggs in a mass spawning, though some species do appear to mate one-on-one.
The most dangerous jelly fish, in Australia, is the Box Jellyfish (sea wasp or stinger). Some can immobilize while others can kill. The Portuguese man of war is held to be very dangerous, but despite its name it cannot kill humans. Chironex flecken, an Australian box jellyfish, can be lethal. A similar type, Chironex yamaguchii, has killed people in Japan.
Evolution of jellyfish has been pinned down by DNA extracted from tissue samples. It is now known how species are related. It was found that several types cause Irukandji Syndrome which leaves sufferers with body pain, severe depression and feelings of impending doom. If you are stung by members of this group then these symptoms can be expected. Some types have been isolated from others for a long period of time. Sea level changes from tectonic plate movements apparently create new species.
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Science
Rate of Food Allergies Is Rising
Why does Australia have the highest rate of food alergy in the world? This is a question that should be answered. Managing the problem is important. Research is needed to find out why this is the case.
People in developing countries are rapidly catching up with the Western world as they adopt a "modern" food consumption style. Clearly we are eating the wrong kind of food. Refined products and those with artificial food flavoring, coloring and preservatives must be responsible.
Humans have eaten natural food for over 99 per cent of evolutionary time. The way we live has also changed. Children today are protected from the natural environment. Only a small minority of Western children actually play outside, where there are are natural flora and fauna so they can build resistance.
Food allergy has increased more than alergies such as asthma. Only northern Europeans evolved to be able to digest milk. It is no wonder that mixed race citizens and even those of general European decent have a milk allergy. When Asian people move to Western countries whole families go down with allergies.
We need a return to the old ways. Children need to put down electronic game pads, go outside and experiment with nature. A controversial thing is mothers' milk. Feeding young children cows milk is unnatural. Mothers pass on disease resistance when they feed babies breast milk. It contains immune-modulating compounds that make a young child's gut operate more efficiently.
For many allergies there is no treatment. The only answer is to find the "culprit" and stop ingesting it or being near it. Even autism has been shown to respond to high doses of probiotics.
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Science
Mammoth Cloning Still Not Possible
We have heard so much about how scientists are going to clone a mammoth. For many this idea remains "pie in the sky" - a lot of talk and no action. There is plenty of mammoth raw material around to do tests on. The problem is getting good DNA that can be cloned.
Scientists are jumping up and down again with the recent find of a frozen mammoth in Siberia. They say this time their will be "living cells". This is very optimistic. The new mammoth will probably be like all the others. Only partial DNA will be found. Even though bone marrow has been identified this time, cloning is a long shot. No living cells have so far been found in any extinct animal, as far back as 10,000 years when mammoths roamed the Earth.
There are problems in analyzing human DNA even though the human genome is known. The complete DNA of mammoths has not yet been determined. A prize is offered by the X Prize Foundation for the first cloned extinct animal. Scientists can hope I suppose.
Scientists are jumping up and down again with the recent find of a frozen mammoth in Siberia. They say this time their will be "living cells". This is very optimistic. The new mammoth will probably be like all the others. Only partial DNA will be found. Even though bone marrow has been identified this time, cloning is a long shot. No living cells have so far been found in any extinct animal, as far back as 10,000 years when mammoths roamed the Earth.
There are problems in analyzing human DNA even though the human genome is known. The complete DNA of mammoths has not yet been determined. A prize is offered by the X Prize Foundation for the first cloned extinct animal. Scientists can hope I suppose.
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Science
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7, won't, can't, cannot
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7
Firefox programmers are just as useless as those at Microsoft Internet Explorer. They drink coffee all day and then go home to play with their hardware.
They are paid to do a job then do something else, wasting their work hours away. You would not believe that programmers must be the most absent minded people in the world. They concentrate on putting useless complex things into software that users just will not use, but they forget to cover the basics.
There is a reason why Firefox 14 will not update to Firefox 15. Firefox 14 is installed in a Mozilla Firefox folder in the C: drive Programs Files folder in Windows 7 64bit. Oddly, Firefox 15 is installed in C:\users\name\AppData\local\Mozilla folder in Windows 7 32bit and in the 64bit. You are given no option to change it.
You can go to "Add-ons" and not see Windows Media Player there. Download Firefox WMP Plugin from here. You will probably still not get any sound.
Firefox programmers are just as useless as those at Microsoft Internet Explorer. They drink coffee all day and then go home to play with their hardware.
They are paid to do a job then do something else, wasting their work hours away. You would not believe that programmers must be the most absent minded people in the world. They concentrate on putting useless complex things into software that users just will not use, but they forget to cover the basics.
There is a reason why Firefox 14 will not update to Firefox 15. Firefox 14 is installed in a Mozilla Firefox folder in the C: drive Programs Files folder in Windows 7 64bit. Oddly, Firefox 15 is installed in C:\users\name\AppData\local\Mozilla folder in Windows 7 32bit and in the 64bit. You are given no option to change it.
To see the AppData folder go to the "name" folder from "Users" in Explorer. Click "Organize". Click "Folder and search options". Click the "View" tab. Then click the little circle to the left of "Show hidden files, folders and drives".
You will need to access this folder later.
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7
UPGRADING TO MOZILLA FIREFOX 15
Forget about Firefox 14 in the program folder for the moment. Download a fresh copy of Mozilla Firfox 15 and install it. Mozilla will just leave the old Firefox 14 where it is so you can drag out a fresh shortcut link from the exe file onto your desktop and run both versions. Aren't Firefox programmers clever. Don't tell them - they haven't noticed it yet!
Forget about Firefox 14 in the program folder for the moment. Download a fresh copy of Mozilla Firfox 15 and install it. Mozilla will just leave the old Firefox 14 where it is so you can drag out a fresh shortcut link from the exe file onto your desktop and run both versions. Aren't Firefox programmers clever. Don't tell them - they haven't noticed it yet!
Run Firefox 15 from the start menu or from the new link it "hopefully' put on your desktop. From the word GO you will get a warning band across the top of the page in the browser when you encounter a website with background sound. You will probably get a message telling you that you need to install Quicktime. After you install it you will get the warning again and again. You may get something else - a warning telling you that Quicktime has malfunctioned. Every time you go to a website with sound you will get the same warning. With no sound from Firefox 15 you go to Google, search and find this blog.
It is not a Quicktime problem!
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7
SOLUTION
You can go to "Add-ons" and not see Windows Media Player there. Download Firefox WMP Plugin from here. You will probably still not get any sound.
Open this folder: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
(the old Firefox 14 folder)
In another window open this folder:
C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Mozilla Firefox.
Be careful because it may be in a sub,sub folder like,
C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox.
C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Mozilla Firefox.
Be careful because it may be in a sub,sub folder like,
C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox.
Copy the "Plugins" folder from Firefox 14 to the folder of Firefox 15.
THE IDIOTS HAVE NOT PROVIDED A PLUGINS FOLDER IN FIREFOX 15. HOW COULD THEY POSSIBLE FORGET???
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7
You will now have sound in Firefox 15. If you have already uninstalled Firefox 14 you can get the files in the Plugins folder from here.
★
The French Eat Golf-Ball Chips
We do live in a weird world where everything is possible but the odd thing, you think, would be impossible. In the modern world you would think a machine could be developed that could sort real golf balls from freshly picked potatoes. Unfortunately, this problem persists in France.
A golf course is situated next to a potato field. When miss-hit golf balls fall among the potatoes the machine carefully picks up potatoes and golf balls together. When the golf balls and potatoes are then processed in the chip factory the golf balls are cooked and sliced with the potatoes. They do know that a fat, juicy golf ball produces 18 slices of "chips".
The real problem arises when cooking and slicing is completed and golf ball chips and potato chips look the same. Apparently, people have actually eaten the golf ball chips from the packet. There have been complaints, however. Customers have said that it could endanger health, so a new machine will be created to identify golf balls in the potato field. Just how long this will take is not known.
A golf course is situated next to a potato field. When miss-hit golf balls fall among the potatoes the machine carefully picks up potatoes and golf balls together. When the golf balls and potatoes are then processed in the chip factory the golf balls are cooked and sliced with the potatoes. They do know that a fat, juicy golf ball produces 18 slices of "chips".
The real problem arises when cooking and slicing is completed and golf ball chips and potato chips look the same. Apparently, people have actually eaten the golf ball chips from the packet. There have been complaints, however. Customers have said that it could endanger health, so a new machine will be created to identify golf balls in the potato field. Just how long this will take is not known.
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Society
World Food at Record High Prices
Enjoy "cheap" food prices now, because they are going to rise and stay high long into the future. The world population is increasing and developing countries are developing Western tastes. Meat demand is increasing, particularly beef.
When drought hits, like in Russia, the US, Ukraine and Kazakhstan at present, high demand pushes food prices up. Farmers reap the benefit. South Australian farmers are getting 30 per cent more for grain. Though Australia relies on the export of minerals for income, it is hoped that this country will be one of the world's future food baskets. Everyone concentrates on the mineral industry. Note that SA's agricultural income rose by at third from 2009-10 to 2010-11. This is a result of food being at record high prices over the last two months.
When the US cannot supply Australia jumps in as provider. This has always been the case. The reverse is also true. Another factor in rising prices is that local consumers are moving to chicken as other meat is too expensive. There has been an incredible rise in poultry production since 2004, from 10.5 tonnes to 66.25 tonnes.
Despite high prices for pork, demand remains solid, Lamb is no longer an Australian staple. This is due to lambs being bred mainly for wool, so the meat tends to have more fat than that produced in say New Zealand or Britain. Diligent farmers are no longer producing sheep. They have moved to vegetable production such as tomatoes and mushrooms.
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Agriculture
"Yaaaah! Tom, Tom Cruise, it's me."Much to Learn About the Human Genome
It was thought that once the human genome was known "interpreting" how things work would be easy. However, this is not the case. The hereditary sequencing in our genes is not the only factor determining what we are and what we do. Only 3 per cent of human genes are actually involved in the "code". Little is known about what the rest do.
It has been discovered recently that these "dumb" genes turn the letter genes on and off. They determine whether a cell becomes a brain or kidney cell, for example. There are 3 billion base gene structures, so there is a long way to go in understanding basic functions. At any one time 80 per cent of genes are active. Some are triggered by proteins. Others change into RNA that regulate letter genes.
In regard to understanding human health, many bases just keep chromosomes quiet. A complicating factor is that genes overlap and have many end points - not singular. Over 4 million gene triggers have be found and they are not all located near their target letter gene. The next step is to find out which base changes affect susceptibility to arthritis, diabetes and so on.
It has been discovered recently that these "dumb" genes turn the letter genes on and off. They determine whether a cell becomes a brain or kidney cell, for example. There are 3 billion base gene structures, so there is a long way to go in understanding basic functions. At any one time 80 per cent of genes are active. Some are triggered by proteins. Others change into RNA that regulate letter genes.
In regard to understanding human health, many bases just keep chromosomes quiet. A complicating factor is that genes overlap and have many end points - not singular. Over 4 million gene triggers have be found and they are not all located near their target letter gene. The next step is to find out which base changes affect susceptibility to arthritis, diabetes and so on.
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Science
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