Something a bit lighter, what happens when...

A good part of our nation is in a cold spell, a really cold spell, which means from whether you are sitting right now at a Maine auto insurance company office or sitting here in Toledo at your computer, chances are? It's cold, it's cold enough that any of us from a huge number of locations could go to our microwaves, heat up a cup of water so that it is very, very hot and walk out our doors to discover we can make instant snow. Videos are popping up all over YouTube of people brave enough to do this. Which means, we can watch it, and not have to venture out there ourselves to do it...




One does have to wonder though, if this is global warming, why can't we have the warm part?

:-)

Political affiliation could be all in the brain?

I covered this on one of my other blogs from the scientific/technology aspect, but I also wanted to share it here because there could be some political ramifications if this research is proven true. It's being claimed that Political Affiliation can be tracked by brain scan. The study which did involve a small number, stated:

Researchers have long known that conservatives and liberals score differently in psychological profiling tests. Now they are beginning to gather evidence about why this might be. David Amodio of New York University, US, and his colleagues recruited 43 subjects for their test.

They asked the participants to rate their political persuasion on a scale of -5 to 5, with the lowest number representing the most liberal extreme and the highest number representing the most conservative score.

Brain recordings taken using electroencephalogram (EEG) technology showed that liberals had twice as much activity in a deep region called the anterior cingulate cortex. This area of the brain is thought to act as a mental brake by helping the mind recognize "no-go" situations where it must refrain from the usual course of action.

I really recommend reading the full article, as they are already discussing how this could be used when it comes to campaigning...

Inspiration...the many ways to seek it...

I'm a fan of inspirational quotes, at times you'll find one that just fits perfectly for the moment and then feel "inspired". Yes, that's why they call them inspirational quotes. Are there other ways to feel inspired and motivated? Of course, there are many different ways a person can feel motivated, inspired or challenged.

A unique way that some look for inspiration or peace is through binaural beats and their many different CD selections. I do realize that we do not use the full potential of our brain and I have and still use meditation techniques in my daily life, but I have to admit the description of the one CD, Digital Drug sounded intriguing:

Use the Digital Drug CD for:

* Boosting your mood, increased happiness
* Alert yet relaxed state of mind
* Inebriated feeling, without the alcohol or headache!
* Rocketing your visualization skills
* Increased confidence, getting rid of inhibitors

If this is something that intrigues you as well? I recommend stopping by their website and learning more about the different CD's they offer.

President Vetos Stem Cell Research bill and the debate continues...

Once again Republicans and Democrats can not come to an agreement on a topic considered to be important by many Americans which resulted in a Presidential veto that the Democrats do not have enough votes to overcome.

Compromise is not something that either side appears able to do. While it's being reported on Fox and elsewhere that the President is going to sign an executive order that will expand the NIH embryonic stem cell registry to include all types of "ethically produced" stem cells, and is said is supposed to encourage scientists to work with NIH to add new "ethically derived" stem cell lines to the list of those eligible for federal funding. We are still at an impasse as to one of the most basic questions when it comes to stem cell research. Is it necessary to use embryos as a part of this process or is it possible to not use embryos. Science can't even seem to agree on this issue and while it's being stated that a good majority of Americans support the concept of stem cell research, it is not clear which type is even being referenced on many of the polls I've looked at.

Neither side should play politics when it comes to something as important as stem cell research, yet all to often both sides only portray their side of the discussion rather than to be honest. Since this is predicted to be a presidential campaign issue, be prepared for more misinformation...The simple truth is, most of us don't know even what is possible yet with stem cell research, only what is thought could be done...

Some look forward to aspects of Global Warming...

I wrote about this topic on Great Expectations last night with two videos of interest but today's Washington Post points out some comments by some residents of Greenland that see some advantages for them if there is a warming trend. Some selected parts of the recommended article:

"It's good for me," said Ernst Lund, a lanky young man who is one of 51 farmers raising sheep on the southern tip of Greenland. "I can keep the sheep out two weeks longer to feed in hills in the autumn. And I can grow more hay. The sheep get fatter," he said.

Kim Hoegh-Dam is betting a fortune that the changing climate will bring the cod back to Greenland. The effusive 44-year-old businessman has lined up more than $1 million to buy a small fleet of cod trawlers and three processing plants.

"Global warming will increase the cod tremendously and will bring other species up from the south," he said with confidence.

While if the predicted 23 foot increase in sea levels takes out parts of cities, I don't think everyone will agree it's beneficial but this does bring an interesting perspective to the discussion of global warming as well as the reality that our world has changed in the past and man has prevailed.

Finding human remains and artifacts in Lake Okeechobee

Really interesting story today covered by Fox News on Florida Drought Exposes Old Debris in Lake Okeechobee. Archaeologists are rushing to try to discover as much as possible at least 17 sites because the recent drought in Florida has exposed areas up to a mile and a half wide in some part that have been underwater for possibly over a thousand years. According to the news piece they've found some interesting things:

The boats uncovered, however are relatively intact. They include a steam-powered dredge believed to have been used to dig a canal, a steam ship whose remains are scattered across a mile and a half, a wooden motorized canoe, an early 1900s catfishing boat with a large one-cylinder engine and a fifth boat so badly decayed it is hard to determine its purpose.

Predicting ten hurricanes...do I hear 11?

Once again it is time for our wonderful people down at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make their best guess estimate or what they call a "forecast" that predicts the hurricane season. What is the number for this year?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season will be more active than normal with 13 to 17 tropical storms, and as many as ten of them could become hurricanes, the U.S. government's top climate agency predicted on Tuesday.

Of the seven to 10 hurricanes forecast, three to five will be major ones of Category 3 or higher with winds over 110 mph (177 kmh), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its annual forecast.

An average Atlantic hurricane season brings 11 tropical storms, of which six reach hurricane wind speed of 74 mph (119 kmh), including two major hurricanes, NOAA said. The hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1, typically peaks between August 1 and late October.

How did they do last year with their predictions?
Earlier forecasts for the season also have predicted the return of an active pattern this year, after last season when no major hurricanes hit the United States. Forecasters had expected an active 2006 season, but only 10 storms formed.

In the you learn something every day category...

What modern science can accomplish never ceases to amaze me, when I came across the word peptide, I thought it was some off brand of Pepcid. I then discovered it does come from the Greek word meaning "digestible" but that they are really from the family of short molecules related to amino acids. What modern science can do with these peptides as far as research and testing was very awe inspiring.

DNA discrimination?

I was doing research on the topic of DNA and I was surprised to discover that it appears the two main people credited with the discovery of DNA, James Watson and Francis Crick, may have been influenced by previous work done by Rosalind Franklin. To the point that she should have received more credit for the discovery of DNA. It's felt by many that part of the reason this happened was during the 1950's women were discriminated against when it came to science. While it appears Watson gave more credit to Franklin as well as others did after she died, during her lifetime and still in some textbooks, she is not well known for this.

Circumcision preventing AIDS is in dispute...

Despite the headline at the Washington Post that the World Health Organization has decreed that circumcision can prevent AIDS by 60%, it's far from something that scientists agree on.

This article states the opposite:

The research, published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology, found that circumcised virgins and adolescents in Kenya, Lesotho, and Tanzania, where the practice is common, were consistently and substantially more likely to be infected with HIV than their uncircumcised counterparts.

The scientists found that the cut in itself was causing many new AIDS cases among adolescents as it was performed in unhygienic situations with un-sterilized and often, shared instruments.

Another group that states that the mere absence of a foreskin does not radically prevent getting AIDS.

The main problem with promoting this as a way to prevent AIDS is creating the belief that the real way to prevent AIDS, practicing safe sex, is not as important. It also downplays the importance of continuing to develop/promote vaccines.

Must read post on Anartica at Washington Post...

Today's Washington Post has an amazing article on Anartica that not only provides information but some fantastic web interactive material that I highly recommend you check out. If you haven't signed up for a free online subscription to the Washington Post, there's no time like the present because if you are interested in Nature or Geography this is something you don't want to miss. It has a National Geographic type feeling about it and I hope the Washington Post continues to do this type of interactive presentation...