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rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#228: Nov 11th 2014 at 12:58:31 PM

Plants talk to each other using an internet of fungus: "It's an information superhighway that speeds up interactions between a large, diverse population of individuals. It allows individuals who may be widely separated to communicate and help each other out. But it also allows them to commit new forms of crime.

No, we're not talking about the internet, we're talking about fungi. While mushrooms might be the most familiar part of a fungus, most of their bodies are made up of a mass of thin threads, known as a mycelium. We now know that these threads act as a kind of underground internet, linking the roots of different plants. That tree in your garden is probably hooked up to a bush several metres away, thanks to mycelia."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#229: Nov 11th 2014 at 10:57:35 PM

Climate change leadership needed to save Great Barrier Reef: "A decision by G20 leaders to discuss climate change at their meeting in Brisbane this week is good news for the Great Barrier Reef, researchers say.

The University of Queensland's Dr Juan Ortiz, lead author on a study of the reef released today, said the research was the most detailed to date and the first to show definitively that the reef could be preserved if emissions were reduced, with visible benefits within 20 years."

Tools and primates: Opportunity, not necessity, is the mother of invention: "Whether you are a human being or an orang-utan, tools can be a big help in getting what you need to survive. However, a review of current research into the use of tools by non-human primates suggests that ecological opportunity, rather than necessity, is the main driver behind primates such as chimpanzees picking up a stone to crack open nuts."

Tree diseases can help forests: What's bad for a seedling can be good for biodiversity: "Plant diseases attack trees and crops and can hurt lumber and food production, but University of Utah biologists found that pathogens that kill tree seedlings actually can make forests more diverse."

'Eyespots' in butterflies shown to distract predatory attack: "Research has demonstrated with some of the first experimental evidence that coloration or patterns can be used to "deflect" attacks from predators, protecting an animal's most vulnerable parts from the predators most likely to attack them."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#231: Nov 12th 2014 at 1:12:54 PM

Gene turns mosquito into vampire: "Out of the millions of species of insects, only about a hundred suck human blood. Now, scientists say they’ve figured out how one mosquito became a vampire: a gene that makes it particularly sensitive to human odor."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#232: Nov 13th 2014 at 12:14:42 PM

Switching on a dime: How plants function in shade and light: "The question of how photosynthetic efficiency is maintained affects plants on which humans depend, including crops and even forests, so answering this question has practical implications for improving agricultural productivity.

The team, which also includes Carnegie's Ari Kornfeld and Joseph Berry, discovered that a protein, called KEA 3, is crucial for immediate adjustment of photosynthetic efficiency in fluctuating light conditions."

Intimidating chimpanzee males are more likely to become fathers: "Chimpanzee males that treat females aggressively father more offspring over time. The findings are based on genetic evidence of paternity and suggest that sexual coercion via long-term intimidation is an adaptive strategy for males in chimpanzee society."

What were the legendary man-eating snakes of Borneo?

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rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#233: Nov 13th 2014 at 5:00:02 PM

Females protect offspring from infanticide by forcing males to compete through sperm: "New research shows the females of some species will have many mates to ensure unclear paternity, so that males can't resort to killing their rival's offspring for fear of killing their own. This forces males to evolve to compete through sperm quantity, leading to ever-larger testicles. Scientists find that as testis size increases, infanticide disappears."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#234: Nov 14th 2014 at 12:28:06 AM

Fukushima Radiation Detected Off California Coast: "The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant experienced a meltdown following the earthquake that hit Japan in March 2011, dumping cesium-134 into the Pacific Ocean and causing spectacular concern about what would happen when the radiation made its way over to North America. That day has finally come, according to scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Traces of the radiation have been detected 160 km (100 miles) off the coast of Northern California, but the levels are far too low to present any immediate health risks."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#235: Nov 14th 2014 at 7:38:04 PM

Russian Scientists Explore Mysterious Siberian Hole: "Now that temperatures have dropped and the area has been sufficiently re-frozen, scientists have been able to rappel down into the first Yamal crater in order to explore it up close and take samples from within. With air temperatures at -11˚C (12.2˚F), the researchers climbed 16.5 meters (65 ft) down into the funnel of the crater and onto the frozen lake at the bottom. The lake is predicted to be at least 10.5 meters (35 feet) deep.

Scientists performed radio location tests, peering 200 meters (650 ft) down into the soil. They also took samples of the ice, soil, gas, and air that could help determine if this really was a pingo. The team was led by Vladimir Pushkarev, director of the Russian Centre of Arctic Exploration, who is waiting to see the results from the measurements before speculating on an official cause. However, the team tentatively believes it could have been due to gas hydrates, which are icy crystals of water and gas found in permafrost and under the ocean."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#236: Nov 15th 2014 at 1:03:19 AM

Rare rays' DNA mapped to prevent inbreeding: "Marine biologists want to take DNA samples from 120 rays in European aquariums to find out how diverse DNA is within the species, which will give clues as to how inbred individuals are.

This information will allow aquariums to pair up breeding adults that are more genetically diverse in the hope they produce healthier offspring. Inbreeding within a small breeding group can cause stillbirths and shorten individuals’ lifespans."

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rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#237: Nov 16th 2014 at 11:19:16 PM

Why European Fruit Flies Hold Their Liquor Better Than Tropical Ones: "Fruit flies have a taste for alcohol. We already know that they’re to thank for our pleasing beer aromas. And as it turns out, some fruit flies can hold their liquor better than others, thanks to a naturally evolved ethanol resistance. The findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Biology this week.

The cosmopolitan Drosophila melanogaster feed on and breed in decaying fruit, which can contain ethanol concentrations as high as seven percent. Previous studies have shown that those living in temperate regions like Europe are more resistant to ethanol poisoning than those who live in the tropics. Although the physiological basis of this difference is unclear."

Spaceship-Style Floating Lab Could Be Exploring Our Oceans In 2016: "Despite covering more than 70% of our planet’s surface, we know surprisingly little about Earth’s oceans. With more than 95% of the world’s underwater realm unexplored, scientists know more about the surface of the Moon and Mars than the bottom of the ocean. Due to intense pressures and poor visibility, the deep ocean is an extremely challenging place to study. But that could be set to change in the not too distant future, thanks to a pioneering architect’s ambitious project which will see a $50 million floating laboratory take to the seas.

Much like an International Space Station (ISS) for the sea, the 58-meter (190-foot) tall vessel will advance basic science and improve technology. While drifting unobtrusively across the ocean, the laboratory will continuously analyze a myriad of physical, chemical and environmental parameters to give us new insight into the ecosystem of the open ocean."

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SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#238: Nov 16th 2014 at 11:26:16 PM

Something interesting regarding alcohol and Drosophila: Apparently female flies seek out alcohol-rich fruits to lay eggs when they sense the presence of parasitic wasps.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#239: Nov 17th 2014 at 4:09:46 PM

World's largest earwig is declared extinct: "The world’s largest earwig has officially been declared extinct.

The St Helena Giant Earwig (Labidura herculeana) could attain lengths of up to eight centimetres.

Previously found in Horse Point Plain, a protected area on St Helena Island, the last confirmed live adult of this insect was seen in May 1967."

Iguanas evolved one-way lungs surprisingly like those of birds, study finds: "Whether birds are breathing in or out, air flows in a one-directional loop through their lungs. This pattern was unexpected and for decades, biologists assumed it was unique to birds, a special adaptation driven by the intense energy demands of flight.

But that view is wrong, according to University of Utah scientists who now have shown that bird-like breathing also developed in green iguanas - reptiles not known for high-capacity aerobic fitness. The finding bolsters the case that unidirectional bird-like flow evolved long before the first birds, arising nearly 300 million years ago in a common ancestor of lizards, snakes, crocodiles and dinosaurs including birds."

Tiny fish provides giant insight into how organisms adapt to changing environment: "An Indiana University-Dartmouth College team has identified genes and regulatory patterns that allow some organisms to alter their body form in response to environmental change.

Understanding how an organism adopts a new function to thrive in a changing environment has implications for molecular evolution and many areas of science including climate change and medicine, especially in regeneration and wound healing.

The study, which appears in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, provides insight into phenotypic plasticity, a phenomenon that enables some organisms to change their observable characteristics in response to their environment."

Google Launches "Street View" Of Great Barrier Reef: "Dreaming of diving the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), but doubting you'll get there? Google has the answer, with a version of their popular "Street View" featuring more than 100,000 images of the enormous reef system.

Cruising the reef like this is a beautiful way to spend your time and just as likely to stimulate an appetite for visiting. However, there is a serious intent behind the project, helping both scientists and the general public track damage to the reef from multiple sources."

Seals Caught Having Sex With Penguins: "This bizarre sexual behavior was actually first documented in 2006 when scientists spotted a fur seal trying to copulate with a king penguin on Marion Island, a remote and mostly barren island in the sub-Antarctic. At the time, the researchers speculated that the incident may have occurred because the seal was frustrated or sexually inexperienced. Alternatively, they suggested, it could have been an act of aggression as the seal attempted to protect its territory. Or it simply could have been a playful act that turned sexual.

Upon returning to the island to continue wildlife observations, scientists observed the strange act a further three times, which took them by surprise to say the least.

'Honestly I did not expect that follow up sightings of a similar nature to that 2006 one would ever be made again,” said lead scientist Nico de Bruyn, “and certainly not on multiple occasions.'"

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rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#240: Nov 17th 2014 at 11:39:33 PM

Virus devastating sea stars on Pacific Coast identified: "Museum biological collections are the records of life on Earth and as such, they are frequently used to investigate serious environmental issues. When public health officials were concerned about the levels of mercury in fish and birds, for example, scientists studied museum specimens to assess historical changes in mercury contamination. Eggs in museum collections were analyzed to establish the connection between DDT, thinning eggshells, and the decline in bird populations. And now, specimens from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) have helped explain the mysteriously sudden appearance of a disease that has decimated sea stars on the North American Pacific Coast.

In a paper published Monday, November 17, 2014 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cornell University microbiologist Ian Hewson and colleagues identify the Sea Star Associated Densovirus (SSaDV) virus as the microbe responsible for Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD). NHM Curator of Echinoderms Gordon Hendler and Collections Manager Cathy Groves, along with scientists from universities and aquariums along the coast (including NHM neighbor, the California Science Center), collaborated in the study."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#241: Nov 19th 2014 at 6:24:01 PM

Tags on fish may act as 'dinner bell' for seals: "Sound-emitting tags fitted to fish to track their survival may, paradoxically, be alerting predator seals to their whereabouts, said scientists Wednesday who warned of a "dinner bell" effect.

Tests with captive grey seals showed that they learned quickly to associate the tag's sound with the presence of an easy meal, British researchers reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B."

Predatory ‘Glow Worm’ Discovered In Peruvian Rainforest

Environmental bleaching impairs long-term coral reproduction: "Bleaching — a process where high water temperatures or UV light stresses the coral to the point where it loses its symbiotic algal partner that provides the coral with color — is also affecting the long-term fertility of the coral."

A plastic that recycles itself: "Our electronic gadgets are notoriously difficult to recycle and have created waste problems few know how to deal with. The challenges of breaking down electronics begin with their plastic encasement: It is tedious to take apart, yet hazardous to burn or melt. Now researchers report that they have designed new plastics that break down upon exposure to light. Plastics are composed of long, repeating chains of small molecules. The researchers heated a solution of molecules derived from fructose—the basic building blocks for their plastics—and molecules that can absorb light to make long chains that form the plastics, which appeared as pale brown solids. The light-absorbing molecules break off from the chains when exposed to ultraviolet light at 350 nanometers wavelength, triggering degradation of the plastics."

edited 19th Nov '14 6:30:57 PM by rmctagg09

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#242: Nov 20th 2014 at 10:36:01 PM

Arctic faces an ice-pocalypse: "Thick sheets of ice coating roads, homes, and pastures. Dead reindeer, no radio transmissions, and flights canceled for days. When ice came to this Arctic mining outpost on the Svalbard archipelago two winters ago, it crippled the community for weeks and devastated wildlife for months. Now, scientists are saying such weather extremes in the Arctic—known as rain-on-snow events—may become more frequent in the future."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#243: Nov 21st 2014 at 11:43:50 AM

Darwin 2.0: New theory on speciation, diversity: "It has long been thought that dramatic changes in a landscape like the formation of the Andes Mountain range or the Amazon River is the main driver that initiates species to diverge. However, a recent study shows that speciation occurred much later than these dramatic geographical changes. Researchers have found that time and a species' ability to move play greater parts in the process of speciation."

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EvaUnit01 Fandom Heretic Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Fandom Heretic
#244: Nov 21st 2014 at 6:30:59 PM

My Google Fu is horribly weak. Is there a wise sensei on this thread who can inform me of what, exactly, are the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's powers and what actions are beyond their authority/powers? (it's for a college paper, so I'm trying not to abuse wikipedia....)

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#245: Nov 22nd 2014 at 1:38:48 AM

It may be better to ask this in the General US Politics Thread, since it's about a department of the US Government.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
EvaUnit01 Fandom Heretic Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Fandom Heretic
#246: Nov 24th 2014 at 9:57:32 AM

Yeah, not having very much luck over there...

rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#247: Nov 24th 2014 at 3:04:14 PM

First Ever Footage Of Terrifying Deep-Sea Animal: "A remotely operated submarine controlled by scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has filmed a small angerfish in its environment for the first time, giving amazing new insight into how these fish live.

They also collected the fish for study. This is fairly exciting, as most anglerfish that are examined are already dead. Though it might seem cruel, collecting a few specimens for study allows scientists to better understand the biology and needs of the species, which can be invaluable to conservation efforts."

The Truth About Norwegian Lemmings: "So if lemmings do not commit suicide, what is going on? What are the causes and the consequences of these wild fluctuations in lemming numbers? Based on data collected between 1970 and 1997, Stenseth and his colleagues were able to demonstrate in 2008 that what lemmings really need to thrive is the right kind of snow.

'If the snow is soft and dry then a space under the snow builds up within which the lemmings can survive very well during the winter and reproduce very well,' says Stenseth. If there are a couple of consecutive winters like this, vast numbers of lemmings can emerge in the spring, as if from nowhere."

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Aespai Chapter 1 (Discontinued) from Berkshire Since: Sep, 2014 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
Chapter 1 (Discontinued)
#248: Nov 24th 2014 at 4:10:50 PM

Are other anglerfish ever lured to their deaths by larger anglerfish, or are they smart enough to not fall for another's lure?

Warning: This poster is known to the state of California to cause cancer. Cancer may not be available in your country.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#249: Nov 24th 2014 at 8:27:21 PM

I think there are some species that eat other anglerfish.

Avoiding ecosystem collapse: Experts Weigh in: "From coral reefs to prairie grasslands, some of the world's most iconic habitats are susceptible to sudden collapse due to seemingly minor events. A classic example: the decimation of kelp forests when a decline of otter predation unleashes urchin population explosions. Three studies hold the promise of helping resource managers predict, avoid, and reverse the tipping points that lead to degraded habitats, economic losses, and social upheaval."

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#250: Nov 24th 2014 at 10:56:38 PM

Biology trumps chemistry in open ocean: "Single-cell phytoplankton in the ocean are responsible for roughly half of global oxygen production, despite vast tracts of the open ocean that are devoid of life-sustaining nutrients. While phytoplankton's ability to adjust their physiology to exploit limited nutrients in the open ocean has been well documented, little is understood about how variations in microbial biodiversity—the number and variety of marine microbes - affects global ocean function.

In a paper published in PNAS on Monday November 24, scientists laid out a robust new framework based on in situ observations that will allow scientists to describe and understand how phytoplankton assimilate limited concentrations of phosphorus, a key nutrient, in the ocean in ways that better reflect what is actually occurring in the marine environment. This is an important advance because nutrient uptake is a central property of ocean biogeochemistry, and in many regions controls carbon dioxide fixation, which ultimately can play a role in mitigating climate change."

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