Organic sem-conductors

The path to develop better solar energy products from silicon are exhausted. Other materials need to be examined to provide more efficient solar panel operation. Scientists are analyzing a wide spectrum of materials.
Solar panels
Plastics show a great deal of promise, particularly at the molecular level. Organic sem-conductors appear to be the key to future developments. This is a type of plastic that conducts electricity.  More effective conductivity seems to be the key not so much heat generation.

It is expensive to make silicon conductors for solar cells. OSCs can be manipulated at the molecular level to reduce energy loss, thus more energy is accumulated. Improved efficiency will see the whole production method change for solar cells.
 
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Squirrel Posers

Quick pose squirrels for a photo camera snap
"Quick - pose.  There's a camera!"
 
 ✴ Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan 
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Un-Accredited Chinese Herbalists to Work in Australia

Chinese herbs treatment
The trade deal between Australia and China is off to a bad start. Australia becomes an open market for quack traditional Chinese medicine. China is already responsible for the demise of African animals because of superstitious beliefs about curative properties of ordinary parts of animal bodies.

Australia has not even policed homeopathy properly. Constituents are diluted into insignificance where they cannot possibly have any effect. They are harmless at best. Homeopaths live well on treatment based on a mythical foundation.

Under the agreement between China and Australia Chinese herbalists will be allowed to register and set up shop in Australia without any accreditation. They will come in their tens of thousands to partake of a lucrative market of stupid people.

I was once visiting an Australian doctor of Chinese origin who was filling-in for the regular GP. He was giving me acupuncture treatment as advised by my GP and he said, "You don't believe in this baloney do you?"

It seems odd to me that as most Westerners drop old beliefs the demand for alternative medicine is actually increasing. Alternative therapists boldly claim that science has proved their treatment to be valid. This is incorrect. Regulated tests show no benefits whatsoever! Their claims are mere hearsay. This is another legacy of Tony Abbott - sign everything to do with the free market and sod the voters. Ah well, he will get his further down the track.
 
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High Five Cat

high five kitty cat
"That's a flyer, man.  High five!"fiveFiv
 
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Measure Land Moisture by Satellite

No longer will Australian farmers waste their time working land that has no future. Satellite technology has improved to the point where moisture level of farmland can be determined. Waiting for rain that will make no difference is info that farmers can now 'bank' on.
Measure moisture of land by satellite
Measuring moisture level is now something done by computer, from aerial surveys. The labor-intensive, time-consuming chore is a thing of the past. Soil that has potential rejuvenation can be targetted. The cost is out of the reach of individual farmers at present but the price is falling.

It is possible, if use of the new technology becomes widespread, that the output of certain crops can be estimated. Potential shortages will be foreseen and action taken in future plantings. When weather predictions are included the position of markets months ahead will be known.
Technology by Ty Buchanan
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Shrek Movie Donkey

Donkey shrek movie audition
"Yeah, I auditioned for the Shrek movie."
 
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Report Saying Little Gain from BDA Work on Sheep is Wrong

A group investigating Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) genetic modification of sheep finds the pay-off for investment is poor.  It gives only benefit of $1.5 million for the period 2010 to 2013.  The return of only $0.45 for each dollar invested does pay for operating costs, it says.
A group investigating Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) genetic modification of sheep
The Australian Wool Innovation body which carried out the research disputes this.  It says the consultancy has not done its job.  Indeed, the money paid to them was wasted.  The report said that MERINOSELECT did make a profit, but  overall the project ran at a loss to woolgrowers.  How can one sector be okay while the rest is rubbish?

Professor Julius van der Werf of the Sheep CRC program said that the estimates were wrong.  The total gross genetic gain needs to be valued at ten times what the BDA group determined.  Tremendous gains lay in the future because genetic improvement is cumulative.  Net present value should be $6.4 M not $0.7M.  This is what you get when investigators do not fully understand the field of research.

Closing the study off in 2013 was clearly a mistake.  Future benefits will definitely accrue from the basic investment.  Gain is geometric (2,4,6...), not arithmetic (1,2,3...).  The whole analysis is based on a false premise.  Obviously the money given to the investigating body needs to be refunded.
Genetics by Ty Buchanan
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Clint Monkey

Make my day monkey with a gun
"Go ahead.  Make my day!"
 
 ✴ Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan 
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Catholic Church Propaganda Against Gays is Hypocritical

Is everyone fed up with churches interfering in free speech and actions? We all have the right to say what we feel as long as it not directed at specific people with different heritage or beliefs. However, churches want those who are not religious to shut up. They are virtually saying shut up or we will shut you up.
Catholic Church against gay marriage
Ironically, the state itself is responsible for much of this. It is absurd in this day and age for a parliament to be opened with prayers to a God who does not exist. It is all superstitious nonsense! Obviously, Australian Muslims are upset by prayers to a Christian God when some elected representatives are Muslims.

At the moment the Catholic Church is targetting gay people to stop the majority pushing for gay marriage.  The Church has a program it is using in schools to try to brainwash our children. Surely, it should be taken to task for discrimination. Particularly when the Catholic Church has been harboring homosexuals for centuries - the main reason for priests abusing children. There is absolutely nothing in the bible about it being wrong to participate in same sex liaisons. The Greeks did it. The Romans did it.

The Catholic church has never seen the light! While the majority of its followers adopt some form of birth control, it insists on unprotected sex - a danger in this age of AIDs. Of course, the church has the support of our bigotted prime minister who says he is the "the last holdout for the traditional position."
Society by Ty Buchanan
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Cow and Gate

Cow stuck on gate
"I heard horses do this"
 
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Vitamin Gene Treatment for Migraine

Queensland University of Technology plans to use genetic modifiers in vitamins as a treatment for migraine. This is problematic as health professionals do not really know what migraine is. Botox injections to the forehead has been used successfully to relieve the pain to date. It is quite a "quacky" area of medicine. About the only main factor about it is that it causes a feeling of nausea along with the pain and an aversion to light.
Migraine
India is the test ground for the gene treatment. A migraine marker in the Parsi population is the target. If vitamins are useful per se, why is the ailment common in the West where we take too many of them? As a child and adolescent I suffered from it. In my opinion it was brought on when the eyes were overworked. Reading small text was a no no for me. As I grew older it faded and I can say I have not had a migraine for 20 years.  Have I changed my diet or vitamin intake - not really.

Just how scientists make the link between genes and vitamins is unclear. But then, scientists are clever people. There are many categories of migraine, so pinning down particular genes is going to be difficult. Articles on genes vis-a-vis vitamins is a bit wishy-washy. Researchers are not very specific about how they will go about it.
Genetics by Ty Buchanan
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Head Fisherman

Man eaten by a fish
"You go fishing far too much George!"
 
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A Useful New Brew Tester: brewPal

Brewing goes high-tech. Well at least it does for small breweries. There is nothing worse than gulping down a cool stubbie and getting a flat, foul tasting experience. This seldom happens, of course, due to testing of the product in its creation.
Stubby beer from small Australian brewery
Invisible Sentinel has made a fantastic new product that solves most of the problems. A tiny device like a pregnancy tester called brewPal fits comfortably into your hand.  It analyses a beer's DNA and shows only one of two findings: either the beer is clear, or it has a spoiling infection.

When you exercise, lactic acid builds up in your body. This makes you feel tired. Excess lactic acid is also the cause of "off" beer. Unwanted bacteria produce the acid. Lactobacillus and Pediococcus are resistant to hops so they thrive in the brew. Oddly, some beers need these bacteria.

Culturing beer in the lab was time-consuming, especially in the hunt for Lactos and Pedis. It takes a week. Small companies can now test their beer with brewPal at the time of bottling to ensure a quality product. At last a company makes something really useful!
✴ Biology by Ty Buchanan
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Egg Kitten

"But I didn't come from an egg!"
 
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BAYER Signs Herbicide Development Deal with GRDC Australia

It is not only humans that are becoming resistant to drugs developed to fight disease, chemicals used by farmers to combat crop destroyers are also not working so well. The world's supply of grain is at risk.
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) signs deal with BAYER
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in Australia is signing a deal with Bayer CropScience. This Herbicide Innovation Partnership aims to find more effective weed-fighting chemicals.

More than 40 Australian researchers will be taken on board at the Bayer’s global centre of excellence in Germany. Australian is a major grain producer and Bayer will target agriculture in this country.  Benefits will spread to other countries.

Australian farmers spend $3.25 billion on weed control every year. This is the largest input cost, greater than fertilizer. Resistance to herbicides is pushing the cost higher as growers spray more to defeat weeds.
Chemistry by Ty Buchanan
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