"You can't see me can you?"
New Way to Kill Cane Toads
It has recently been discovered that the way to fight the intrusive cane toad in Australia is to fence off all waterholes and dams. Without water they die. Another method has also been identified. A chemical that is in the toad itself is used against it. Tadpoles contain this chemical that kills toad eggs on contact. Those that survive grow at a slower rate than normal, so they are more vulnerable to predators.
The chemical is harmless to native species. Ways of implementing this strategy nationwide need to be developed, but this is only a matter of time. The pest has just reached the far west coast of Australia, leaping its way across the whole country.
West Australians are on search and destroy missions into the night. Queenslanders gave up on this years ago at it had no impact on their numbers. The fight continues.
The chemical is harmless to native species. Ways of implementing this strategy nationwide need to be developed, but this is only a matter of time. The pest has just reached the far west coast of Australia, leaping its way across the whole country.
West Australians are on search and destroy missions into the night. Queenslanders gave up on this years ago at it had no impact on their numbers. The fight continues.
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Science
More University Students Studying Online
Soon universities and colleges made of bricks, stone and concrete with be a thing of the past as young and old turn to the Internet to get their degrees. Leading Australian universities are trying to "buck the trend" by not offering online course, but if they don't change their student enrolments will fall. Initially it was mature age students who chose to study online; now more of the young are studying this way as well.
Next year the restriction on the number of places Australian universities can offer will be abolished. The market will open up as institutions will be able to offer as many openings as they want. With no investment in new buildings planned new offering have to be online. Charles Sturt University already has two-thirds of its students studying online with growth at 14 per cent a year.
For many, the only time they will set foot on a university campus will be to receive their degrees. Lecturers will no longer be able to hide their heads in text books. They will have to be up-to-date on journal articles and world happenings and be virtual entertainers because their recorded lectures will have to be interesting to hold student attention. The days of the stuffy, tweed-dressed professor bonded by a guaranteed, safe contract to a university are numbered.
A problem will persist for some time, however. Access to information is tied to academic books and journals only accessible in a physical library. University libraries will have to make these publications available online to registered students. This will mean that all journal article will have to be scanned and stored, and the latest books written by specialists must be available in eBook form.
Next year the restriction on the number of places Australian universities can offer will be abolished. The market will open up as institutions will be able to offer as many openings as they want. With no investment in new buildings planned new offering have to be online. Charles Sturt University already has two-thirds of its students studying online with growth at 14 per cent a year.
For many, the only time they will set foot on a university campus will be to receive their degrees. Lecturers will no longer be able to hide their heads in text books. They will have to be up-to-date on journal articles and world happenings and be virtual entertainers because their recorded lectures will have to be interesting to hold student attention. The days of the stuffy, tweed-dressed professor bonded by a guaranteed, safe contract to a university are numbered.
A problem will persist for some time, however. Access to information is tied to academic books and journals only accessible in a physical library. University libraries will have to make these publications available online to registered students. This will mean that all journal article will have to be scanned and stored, and the latest books written by specialists must be available in eBook form.
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Education
New Laser Processing of Uranium Is a Danger
The last thing the world needs is an easier way to enrich uranium. There is nowhere to put the used uranium and the disaster in Japan shows the potential risk and damage from nuclear power stations.
A new laser enrichment process has been developed by General Electric. It enables production of enriched uranium cheaper, quicker and in larger amounts. It is feared that "rogue" states will get hold of the knowledge and make uranium for nuclear bombs.
Claiming that nuclear power is a way of reducing greenhouse gases is ridiculous. If more power plants are built more will be at risk from natural disasters. Vast tracts of land will be left uninhabitable as in Japan. It is ironic that GE has made this leap forward in partnerships with a Japanese company, Hitachi.
They are talking now about turning the damaged power plant back on because the country cannot manage without it. Workers there will have to wear full-protection suits all day every day to generate electricity.
A new laser enrichment process has been developed by General Electric. It enables production of enriched uranium cheaper, quicker and in larger amounts. It is feared that "rogue" states will get hold of the knowledge and make uranium for nuclear bombs.
Claiming that nuclear power is a way of reducing greenhouse gases is ridiculous. If more power plants are built more will be at risk from natural disasters. Vast tracts of land will be left uninhabitable as in Japan. It is ironic that GE has made this leap forward in partnerships with a Japanese company, Hitachi.
They are talking now about turning the damaged power plant back on because the country cannot manage without it. Workers there will have to wear full-protection suits all day every day to generate electricity.
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Science
More Disabled People Suffer Other Illnesses
Disabled people have poor health generally. A report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have made this "Discovery". It is only common sense really. Living with a permanent disability has to be tough and a drain on the body's resources. The stress of living makes these people dependent on cigarettes and food, so they tend to be overweight.
On a scale of health, the greater the disability the worse the general health. Living with constant pain is a problem 40 per cent of them face. Only four per cent of other Australians suffer constant pain.
Having a disability is not the only problem. Nearly 70 per cent of the group have up to four other chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, asthma, diabetes, mental illness and arthritis. Ninety nine per cent knew they were ill compared to 31 percent of the rest of the population who said they were in poor health.
The Government crackdown on disabled people under 36 who have to work at least part time appears to be misplaced.
On a scale of health, the greater the disability the worse the general health. Living with constant pain is a problem 40 per cent of them face. Only four per cent of other Australians suffer constant pain.
Having a disability is not the only problem. Nearly 70 per cent of the group have up to four other chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, asthma, diabetes, mental illness and arthritis. Ninety nine per cent knew they were ill compared to 31 percent of the rest of the population who said they were in poor health.
The Government crackdown on disabled people under 36 who have to work at least part time appears to be misplaced.
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Health
Your Dog Could Be Taken
People want dogs. They really do. Apart from pit bull crosses used for fighting, pedigree and cute dogs are also being taken by "admirers". There was a time when you just tied your dog up outside a shop and when you came back the pet was still there, but not today. Do this and you may never see your beloved friend again.
When thieves in the UK break in to steal your car keys they are likely to take the family dog as well. In the US dogs are stolen from parked cars and when they go for a run in the park with their owners.
Microchips are no deterrent. The new owners never take dogs to places where chips can be scanned. Unchipped dogs are resold. Some are held for ransom money to be paid.
Introducing laws making microchipping compulsory only works when dogs reach a shelter, and this only happens when the new owners have lost interest in them.
When thieves in the UK break in to steal your car keys they are likely to take the family dog as well. In the US dogs are stolen from parked cars and when they go for a run in the park with their owners.
Microchips are no deterrent. The new owners never take dogs to places where chips can be scanned. Unchipped dogs are resold. Some are held for ransom money to be paid.
Introducing laws making microchipping compulsory only works when dogs reach a shelter, and this only happens when the new owners have lost interest in them.
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Society
Elephants Can Solve Problems
Only a few animals including humans experience the "aha" moment. That is when there is an attempt to solve a problem and a mental moment occurs when the solution is identified.
Tests were set up for elephants to retrieve food through the bars of their enclosure. Unfortunately, they didn't use poles provided to them to pull the food towards them. When elephant use their trunk to pick things up they lose their ability to smell the food, so they don't bother.
Another test was worked out which left the trunk free: food was hung up above the elephant's heads and objects to stand on were put inside their pen. A young elephant rolled a cube under the food, placed his front feet on the cube then grabbed the tasty treat. He later rolled the cube down a hill, put it under some flowering tree blossoms and promptly stood on the cube to reach the food. This shows application of a concept to different situations. When the cube was taken away he used a tire or ball to reach suspended treats.
Oddly, two females in the same pen as the test elephant did not attempt to reach the food at all. Maybe they weren't interested.
Elephants are intelligent creatures especially when doing forestry work. They know what their handlers want them to do. This test shows that they also have insight into problems and can solve issues that confront them.
Tests were set up for elephants to retrieve food through the bars of their enclosure. Unfortunately, they didn't use poles provided to them to pull the food towards them. When elephant use their trunk to pick things up they lose their ability to smell the food, so they don't bother.
Another test was worked out which left the trunk free: food was hung up above the elephant's heads and objects to stand on were put inside their pen. A young elephant rolled a cube under the food, placed his front feet on the cube then grabbed the tasty treat. He later rolled the cube down a hill, put it under some flowering tree blossoms and promptly stood on the cube to reach the food. This shows application of a concept to different situations. When the cube was taken away he used a tire or ball to reach suspended treats.
Oddly, two females in the same pen as the test elephant did not attempt to reach the food at all. Maybe they weren't interested.
Elephants are intelligent creatures especially when doing forestry work. They know what their handlers want them to do. This test shows that they also have insight into problems and can solve issues that confront them.
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Science
Whales Took an Evolutionary Leap Forward
Eons ago ancestors of whales made a major leap forward in evolution of their mouths. Whales living today can filter-feed in large amounts because the lower jaw is flexible in movement.
Ancient fossils such as Janjucetus hunderi do not have such a mobile lower jaw. The development of this attribute probably initially evolved to consume large living prey. It began with a wide upper jaw and normal teeth - no comb filters. Erich Fitzgerald from the Museum Victoria in Melbourne has created a family tree showing whale evolution.
The way whales feed is unique. It is believed that sucking when feeding still takes place, a left over from the days of the wide upper jaw.
A big question is why whales went back into the sea in the first place.
Ancient fossils such as Janjucetus hunderi do not have such a mobile lower jaw. The development of this attribute probably initially evolved to consume large living prey. It began with a wide upper jaw and normal teeth - no comb filters. Erich Fitzgerald from the Museum Victoria in Melbourne has created a family tree showing whale evolution.
The way whales feed is unique. It is believed that sucking when feeding still takes place, a left over from the days of the wide upper jaw.
A big question is why whales went back into the sea in the first place.
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Anthropology
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