Day: December 7, 2013

While You were Distracted

While you were distracted with Obamacare….or jobs report or the death of Mandela….stuff goes on and these are some of the more interesting things that happened……

The discovery of freshwater in an unusual spot and an intriguing study about parental fears highlight this week’s discoveries:

  • New Water Source: Under the Sea? Under trillions of tons of water might not be the most obvious place to look for … more water, but that’s where scientists have found vast reserves of freshwater that could sustain future generations as aquifers run dry.
  • Parents May Pass Memories to Their Kids: It may be possible to learn your parents’ fears—without ever experiencing the relevant threat. Researchers taught mice to fear a cherry blossom smell, then looked at the creatures’ sperm. A portion of DNA tied to the scent was particularly active, and two generations of descendants were found to be “highly sensitive” to the smell.
  • Crocodiles, Alligators Trick Prey With Sticks: For the first time, scientists have documented examples of reptiles using tools. Specifically, researchers found that some species of the order Crocodylia (which includes crocs and alligators) use sticks to trick their prey.
  • ‘Pit of Bones’ Yields Oldest Human DNA: Technological breakthroughs have allowed scientists to sequence human DNA from an astonishing 400,000 years ago—but analysis of an ancient leg bone has raised more questions than answers. For one thing, the early human whose remains were unearthed in Spain had a much closer genetic link to an earlier species than to later Neanderthals, a surprise.

Click for more incredible discoveries.

And now you have been updated….and that is WHY I am here!

Life Is Where You Find It

The weekend and I will do as usual….I will post on something other than the sandal du jour or the latest talking points……

The common theory is that if we re to find life elsewhere in the universe a key ingredient will be…..water.  Water in various forms have been found in the planets of our solar system and the theory is that there maybe millions of other planets with this necessary ingredient……and then beyond……

(Newser) – It’s seen as more of a confirmation of theory than a startling discovery, but scientists have found water in the atmosphere of five huge planets outside our solar system. A potential sign of life? Not quite, explains the LA Times. These five gas giants (or “hot Jupiters”) are too close to their suns and thus way too hot for that. Still, researchers say the Hubble discovery is a “step forward” in the hunt for better-suited planets, reports Space.com. It’s also the first confirmed detection of such water vapor.

“It is one thing to say these planets should have water vapor and it’s another thing to actually measure it,” says a University of Maryland astronomer who co-authored the study in the Astrophysical Journal. And a NASA scientist says the discovery “really opens the door for comparing how much water is present in atmospheres on different kinds of exoplanets—for example, hotter versus cooler ones.” For the record, the five planets have the “unromantic” names of WASP-17b, HD209458b, WASP-12b, WASP-19b, and XO-1b, notes National Geographic

Good news?  What will this knowledge accomplish?