Weekly Science Headlines

[00.dusk]

Article is trash. The research was done by astrophysicists and not biologists, who went into greater detail. Put bluntly, they might "survive", but only if they were already in their "tun", a dessicated state of biological suspended animation. Active tardigrades in extreme environments aren't much more durable than the average nematode. And in almost every case where everything but tardigrades die, they aren't going to last very long, if they ever even wake up. Also: different species aren't accounted for. It's kind of like saying "E. coli could be growing in the Chernobyl power plant!" because D. radiodurans is nigh impossible to kill with any sensible amount of ionizing radiation and you didn't bother separating the two.

Article here. Still sensationalist trash up front, but it becomes quickly apparent that this was a case of someone stepping outside of their specialty and making really stupid conclusions.

[Abbot Mythos]

Article is trash. The research was done by astrophysicists and not biologists, who went into greater detail. Put bluntly, they might "survive", but only if they were already in their "tun", a dessicated state of biological suspended animation. Active tardigrades in extreme environments aren't much more durable than the average nematode. And in almost every case where everything but tardigrades die, they aren't going to last very long, if they ever even wake up. Also: different species aren't accounted for. It's kind of like saying "E. coli could be growing in the Chernobyl power plant!" because D. radiodurans is nigh impossible to kill with any sensible amount of ionizing radiation and you didn't bother separating the two.

Article here. Still sensationalist trash up front, but it becomes quickly apparent that this was a case of someone stepping outside of their specialty and making really stupid conclusions.

You are right about the authors. I checked their CVs, and none of them have any type of degree in what I call 'The Life Sciences.'

Also, I had assumed that since the article appeared on the Nature website, it had undergone peer review. But, that does not seem to be the case, as their ArXiv.org version was first submitted on 13-Jul-17, and, apparently, revised only once on 17-Jul-17.

I'll have to be more careful about this type of article in the future.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Junk science has become so prevalent on most media platforms, social and otherwise, that it gets increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff unless you're an expert in a particular field, or willing to spend more time than is worthwhile.

Bad signal is probably one of our greatest challenges right now.  The very real threats we face require intelligent responses, but when you take bad signal as your data, well, GIGO.

[Abbot Mythos]

"Link to the Past: Evidence of Humanity's Oldest Ropes Unearthed"

Yeah, I know, rope is mundane stuff in our world. But, our ancestors needed rope to move those big rocks to build Stonehenge. And, sailing boats have been dependant upon rope from the time the first one was launched. So, being able to make rope, at least, as far back as 42,000 years ago was a really big deal.

From the article, "At first glance, the discovery in Germany's Hohle Fels cave looked like it could be the mock-up for a 42,000-year-old set of brass knuckles: four carefully carved small holes placed close together on an 8-inch-long (20 centimeters) strip of mammoth ivory."

And, "Initially, the scientists interpreted the find as artwork, but archaeologists had never found anything that remotely resembled the ivory piece, the researchers said. Instead, the rifling, etched in the bone with incredible care, suggested a practical use: fiber forced through the holes could produce four strands of rope with a right-hand twist that could in turn be fashioned into a larger rope, the study said. Using a bronze casting of the artifact (it is illegal to take such objects out of Germany), Rots and her Liege staff made 10 feet (3 m) of rope in 15 minutes."

Here's the link, for anyone who might be interested: https://www.livescience.com/59756-oldest-ropes-tools-unearthed.html

[Abbot Mythos]

'Nastiest' Jurassic crocodile named after Motorhead's Lemmy

"The Lemmysuchus obtusidens was a giant 19-foot long crocodile that was considered one of the 'biggest coastal predators of its time,' using its broad snout and large blunt teeth to crush shelled prey in a way that Lorna Steel, curator of London's Natural History Museum, believed would have delighted Lemmy."

Here's the link: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/08/11/Nastiest-Jurassic-crocodile-named-after-Motorheads-Lemmy/7221502458844/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=16

[P3nT4gR4m]

This has been bummed up to be anything from accelerated wound healing to repairing stroke damage. Goes into human trials next year.

[Prelate Diogenes Shandor]

Junk science has become so prevalent on most media platforms, social and otherwise, that it gets increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff unless you're an expert in a particular field, or willing to spend more time than is worthwhile.

Bad signal is probably one of our greatest challenges right now.  The very real threats we face require intelligent responses, but when you take bad signal as your data, well, GIGO.

On the other hand it's only for the past millenium or so that there's been any appreciable amount of good signal at all (and only since the renaissance that there's been any in europe and the places they've spread to). Prior to that there were only superstitous barbarians.

[Junkenstein]

Presented without comment:

http://www.ibtimes.com/uranus-opens-closes-every-day-let-out-planets-solar-wind-study-finds-2558234

[Abbot Mythos]

"Gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger observed by LIGO and Virgo"

This time, three different detectors picked up the gravitational waves, allowing physicists to significantly narrow down the location of the source.

Here's the link: https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20170927

[Abbot Mythos]

"Magic mushrooms may 'reset' the brains of depressed patients"

Patients taking psilocybin to treat depression show reduced symptoms weeks after treatment following a 'reset' of their brain activity.

The findings come from a study in which researchers from Imperial College London used psilocybin – the psychoactive compound that occurs naturally in magic mushrooms – to treat a small number of patients with depression in whom conventional treatment had failed.

Here's the link: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_12-10-2017-16-22-36

And, who doesn't need a good 'reset' of their brain activity once in a while. Tell me more Mr. Scientist!

[Doktor Howl]

Junk science has become so prevalent on most media platforms, social and otherwise, that it gets increasingly difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff unless you're an expert in a particular field, or willing to spend more time than is worthwhile.

Bad signal is probably one of our greatest challenges right now.  The very real threats we face require intelligent responses, but when you take bad signal as your data, well, GIGO.

On the other hand it's only for the past millenium or so that there's been any appreciable amount of good signal at all (and only since the renaissance that there's been any in europe and the places they've spread to). Prior to that there were only superstitous barbarians.

But we aren't dealing with the bronze age.  We are dealing with the tail end of the information age.

[Abbot Mythos]

"Neutron star smashup seen for first time, 'transforms' understanding of Universe"

Scientists have for the first time witnessed the crash of two ultra-dense neutron stars, cataclysmic events now known to have generated at least half the gold in the Universe, excited research teams revealed Monday.

Shockwaves and light flashes emitted by the cosmic fireball travelled some 130 million light-years to be captured by Earthly detectors on August 17, they revealed at simultaneous press conferences around the globe as a dozen science papers were published in top academic journals.

"We witnessed history unfolding in front of our eyes: two neutron stars drawing closer, closer... turning faster and faster around each other, then colliding and scattering debris all over the place," co-discoverer Benoit Mours of France's CNRS research institute told AFP.

The groundbreaking observation solved a number of physics riddles and sent ripples of anticipation through the scientific community.

Most jaw-dropping for many, the data finally revealed where much of the gold, platinum, mercury and other heavy elements in the Universe came from.

Telescopes saw evidence of newly-forged material in the fallout, the teams said—a source long suspected, now confirmed.

Here's a link: https://phys.org/news/2017-10-neutron-star-smash-up-discovery-lifetime.html

[Abbot Mythos]

Northern Michigan University offers marijuana degree: "Not easy at all"

MARQUETTE, Michigan — A university in Michigan is offering an unusual degree — in marijuana.

Northern Michigan University in Marquette began its medical plant chemistry program this semester, with about a dozen students in the first class, the Detroit Free Press reported . The program combines chemistry, biology, botany, horticulture, marketing and finance.

Here's the link: http://fox6now.com/2017/10/15/northern-michigan-university-offers-marijuana-degree-not-easy-at-all/

Let's hear it for "higher" education!

[Abbot Mythos]

Researchers Find Name of Allah Woven into Ancient Viking Burial Fabrics

Allah's name has been found embroidered into ancient Viking burial clothes, a discovery researchers in Sweden have described as "staggering".

The silk patterns were originally thought to be ordinary Viking Age decoration but a re-examination by archaeologist Annika Larsson of Uppsala University revealed they were a geometric Kufic script.

They were found on woven bands as well as items of clothing, in two separate grave sites, suggesting that Viking funeral customs had been influenced by Islam.

Here's the link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/allah-viking-burial-fabrics-clothes-name-woven-found-islam-uppsala-sweden-funeral-customs-a7996166.html

I doubt the neo-nazis of the world are very happy about this.

[LMNO]

somewhat discredited.

http://stringgeek.blogspot.com.au/2017/10/viking-age-tablet-weaving-kufic-or-not.html