General Science Thread

This is a thread for discussing general science topics that aren't really notable enough to get their own thread. Remember to be careful not to just drop a link and walk away.

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For the first topic, we have scientists discovering a way to make stem cells without harvesting them from embryos. It's only been proven with rats so far, but if it works with humans, it's a very simple solution to a whole laundry list of problems. All those ethical concerns people have about stem cells? Gone. ""If this works in people as well as it does in mice, it looks faster, cheaper and possibly safer than other cell reprogramming technologies - personalised reprogrammed cell therapies may now be viable."

A lot of scientists are calling it too good to be true, but as far as anyone can tell, it's genuine. Assuming it does work, our medical science just took a huge jump forward.

That's cool. The real question will be if these new type stem cells react exactly the same as the natural ones.

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history."

This is pretty interesting.

Seems a much more natural explanation than dark matter and dark energy, and it's a lot more parsimonious.

"It hypothesizes that the fabric of space acts much like a fluid. So, dark fluid currently provides a general and powerful model for altering the dynamics of the space-time manifold. In this theory, space would flow, coagulate, compress, or expand just like any other fluid. The idea is that when space is in the presence of matter, it slows down and coagulates around it; this then attracts more space to coagulate around it, thus amplifying the force of gravity near it. This description is similar to theories of gravitational back-reaction. The effect is always present, but only becomes noticeable in the presence of a really large mass such as a galaxy. If this effect sounds very much like a description of dark matter, then that's not a coincidence, as a special case of the equations of dark fluid reproduces dark matter. But the theory of dark fluid does not hold that actual particles of dark matter exist, but rather that this is just an illusionary effect of space bunching up on itself.

On the other extreme, in places where there is relatively little matter, as in the voids between galactic superclusters, the theory of dark fluid predicts that space relaxes, and starts stretching away from itself. Thus dark fluid becomes a repulsive force, with the same effect as dark energy."

That is interesting.

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history."

Discussion of recent developments in Big Bang theory and the "inflationary" model of same, designed for non-physicists. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2014/03/18/science-for-non-scientists-open-thread-primordial-which/

Basic takeaway: We don't yet fully understand why this happened, but now there's some testable evidence that gives us more clues.

Scientists turn to detonating cancer cells. I wonder if that means the scientists are totally uncool.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw

Young Blood May Hold Key to Reversing Aging

Of course I thought vampires.

edited 4th May '14 10:17:58 PM by probablyinsane

Plants are aliens, and fungi are nanomachines.

I thought of Elizabeth Bathory

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history."

The fact that this thread is so tiny makes me sad.

Bring on the science

Oh really when?

Ask and receive:

Environmental news: Antarctic Ice May Be Held in Place By Small Plugs—for Now

Oceanographic: Rare Catch and Release Casts Light on Giant, Elusive Goblin Shark - See more at: http://www.dailytech.com/Rare+Catch+and+Release+Casts+Light+on+Giant+Elusive+Goblin+Shark/article34862c.htm#sthash.waYO4u6k.dpuf

Green Tech: A Better Solar Cell and Without Poison

Archeology: Andean Rock Art Pointed to Festival Sites in 300 BC

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history."

Scientists reveal circuitry of fundamental motor circuit

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

I've been hoping that this thread would grow, too - though I haven't done anything to facilitate such growth. I therefore pledge that the next interesting science news that I come across will get a mention here.

I suppose the reason this thread is so slow might be that we have threads for other science stuff (mainly space exploration) and thus news about those topics tend to go into those threads; but maybe a bit of redundancy wouldn't do any harm, so why not post that stuff here as well as a more specific thread when you find something interesting.

Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.

Makes sense.

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Yeah Space, 3D Printing and Climate Change all have their own topics, that probably draws a lot of attention away from this thread.

"And the Bunny nails it!" ~ Gabrael "If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we." ~ Cyran

Nanoengineers develop basis for electronics that stretch at the molecular level

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

A cyborg sensor that could unlock anesthesia's secrets

Astronomers harness the galaxy's biggest telescope to make most precise measurement of spinning star

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Novel antioxidant makes old arteries seem young again, study shows

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

It's not "novel" to be exact, but still - that is the sort of stuff I use for worldbuilding (and as study subject).

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Flexible all-carbon electronics integrated onto plants, insects, and more

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

The reason why yawning is so contagious? Cause it helps regulate our brains temperature.

edited 6th May '14 1:28:09 PM by tclittle

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."

Research in phonon scattering sheds more light on graphene as a replacement for silicon

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Magnetic fingerprint of our galaxy revealed

Chimpanzees Show Similar Personality Traits to Humans

Redescription of the oldest-known dolphin skull sheds light on their origins and evolution

Shrinking helped dinosaurs and birds to keep evolving

edited 6th May '14 4:18:02 PM by rmctagg09

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Hubble focuses on the 'Great Attractor'

"The Norma Cluster is the closest massive galaxy cluster to the Milky Way, and lies about 220 million light-years away. The enormous mass concentrated here, and the consequent gravitational attraction, mean that this region of space is known to astronomers as the Great Attractor, and it dominates our region of the Universe."

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history."

'Somersault Spider' Backsprings Through the Desert

Small birds capitalize on weather patterns during epic migrations

Researchers model neural structures on the smallest scales to better understand traumatic brain injury

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Magnetic Brain Stimulation May Trump Drugs For Severe Depression.

And Max Planck Institute Researchers have Discovered a Gene that Controls Fat Metabolism.