"You're always nagging. Wha, wha, wha, wha." Funny Animal Photos
Binge Drinking Causes Type 2 Diabetes
Drinking alcohol is not an innocent pastime. We know it damages the liver. However, a link has been found between binge drinking and the onset of type 2 diabetes. How it does this is not fully understood.
Rats were put on a "diet" of 3 g/kg of alcohol for only three days. Even when the alcohol had completely left their systems insulin resistance was still occurring. The effect lasted 54 hours after ingestion of alcohol had ceased.
Impaired adipose tissue and hepatic functions were believed to be the cause. There was more hypothalamic inflammation affecting insulin signaling.
There is hope for a treatment. Inhibiting brain protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) can block the detrimental action on insulin of binge drinking,
Society
Breakthrough in Artifical Intelligence
For a century now people have been assuming that robots will arrive and become commonplace in the home. Manufacturing has its industrial robots but helping robots in the home have not become reality. The problem is not so much being able to construct the physical aspects of a robot, it is the intelligence, the "brain", that is the big issue.
By doing 25,000 runs on a computer to build up experience, it was found that biological intelligence was structure into a network of modules. This is a breakthrough finding for artificial intelligence. Modules means alternatives can be chosen to meet a problem. This is what makes humans and animals so difficult to understand.
Apparently, all things evolve via modules. Such networks have not solely appeared out of intellectual necessity. Modules can be joined together with shorter network connections, using less to make more. Evolution is not wasteful.
In the computer simulation, once a cost for network connections was added modules were formed. Without the cost variable, there was no order to the simulation. In animals modules are seen in the brain, metabolic networks, gene regulation, protein-protein interaction and the vascular system. Even the Internet is modular.
Society
Cane Toad Survives a Plane Flight Across Australia
Australian cane toads really get around, in most unlikely ways. A cane toad got into a golf shoe then survived a plane trip from Brisbane to Perth. It stayed in the shoe six days before being discovered by the shoe's owner.
Apparently, this is not unusual. The pests are very tough and resilient.
In the above case, quarantine authorities would not comment, though a spokesperson did try to make out that it was a tree frog. The owner of the shoe lived in Brisbane for many years and said it was definitely a cane toad.
It seems cane toads won't have to walk across the top of Australia (as they steadily are). Crossing the country is far easier by plane.
Cane toads are intelligent as well. It is known that if water is scarce they will follow a cow drawing moisture from cow pats until the cow eventually reaches a river or dam.
Apparently, this is not unusual. The pests are very tough and resilient.
In the above case, quarantine authorities would not comment, though a spokesperson did try to make out that it was a tree frog. The owner of the shoe lived in Brisbane for many years and said it was definitely a cane toad.
It seems cane toads won't have to walk across the top of Australia (as they steadily are). Crossing the country is far easier by plane.
Cane toads are intelligent as well. It is known that if water is scarce they will follow a cow drawing moisture from cow pats until the cow eventually reaches a river or dam.
Society
UK Is Dishonest Not Paying Pensions
The battle goes on between Australia and the UK about the shortchanging of British people who were born, lived and worked in their homeland before emigrating. They paid their taxes and crucially paid there "stamp" every working week toward the state pension. However, the UK does not align payments with inflation for ex-pats living in "wealthy" countries, only those retiring in developing nations. UK governments, indeed previous governments of all political shades, have "stole" from these elderly people.
Today the British pension paid to those who emigrated permanently to Australia is worth a pittance. There is no way they could live on it. Australia has to make up the shortfall even if ex-Brits have lived in Australia for only a few years before retiring. This is disgraceful behavior from a supposedly civilized country. It certainly fails the Australian norm of a fair go.
On average the rate of pension paid to those living in the UK is more than double what ex-pats receive. Each recipient gets the British rate upon the day of retirement. This means those who live to an old age get a few pound a week.
The rule is not even consistent. Brits retiring in the US and Israel get inflationary increases. As Jim Tilley chairman of British Pensions in Australia (BPiA) says: "These guys are a bunch of hypocrites."
Society
Nullarbor Created by Many Small Rivers
The Nullarbor plain in the central-southern part of Australia is one of the driest regions on Earth. It is called the Ceduna Delta. The Murray-Darling further to the east is the largest river system extant today. It is difficult to accept that the Nullarbor was created by many small rivers flowing southward into the ocean. These rivers flowed very fast cutting through hills which were formed by the land rising between Australia and Antarctica. Ultimately, sediment was deposited in the drying riverbeds.
Analysis of sediment from drillings in the delta showed rivers flowed there 80 million years ago. Sources of gas and oil have been identified which could be tapped in the future. The Ceduna Delta is as large as the Niger Delta in Africa. It contains half a million cubic kilometers of sedimentary sandstome and shales. Hydrocarbon reserves are already being exploited in the Niger Delta.
Because the "destination" of the rivers was close to the Great Australian Bight large amounts of other minerals such as zircon are also located there. It seems predictions about carbon fuels running out are not well founded. Pollution of the planet will continue into the near future irrespective of the damage it causes.
Geology
Bull Ants Feed at Twilight
Bull ants do not feed during all daylight hours. Observation has shown that they feed at twilight. When the sun is brighter for longer for example in summer, or there is no cloud cover, bull ants forage for food later in the day. When the sun is darker, earlier, they search for food sooner in the day. It was believed that all insects fed according to circadian rhythms, but this does not seem to be the case.
Activity in the nest was affected by cloud cover. Outside activity that involves feeding occurs at twilight. Obviously, they are feeding during these short intervals to avoid predators: most animals that eat ants would be inactive at twilight.
Tests were done at ANU in Canberra. Bull ants were put in containers where diffused light was altered. It was found they only fed when the light was set at a particular low level. Evolution does take some winding paths. This shows though that evolution develops in a rational way.
Activity in the nest was affected by cloud cover. Outside activity that involves feeding occurs at twilight. Obviously, they are feeding during these short intervals to avoid predators: most animals that eat ants would be inactive at twilight.
Tests were done at ANU in Canberra. Bull ants were put in containers where diffused light was altered. It was found they only fed when the light was set at a particular low level. Evolution does take some winding paths. This shows though that evolution develops in a rational way.
Entomology
Beatboxing - Percussion Sounds of the Mouth
There must be a dearth of things to study. Scientists are now researching the odd sounds that people make. It may seem weird but its true. Those who can make odd sounds are called beatboxers.
Scientists are interested in percussion sounds. These are expressed in Celtic, Chinese, North American and Indian cultures. Hip-hop is an area of great interest. A young "practitioner" had MRI scans done on his mouth while he created percussion sounds.
The conclusion reached is that a lot of brainpower is involved in imitating percussion. It "is a small part of the larger puzzle," experts say. In my view it takes little mental concentration. Just put your tongue behind you top teeth a "tap" away.
Society
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