September 25, 2006

• Science Tidbit

  Lots of new discoveries on the horizon. I thought I would share a few things with you today.

  Crickets loose their song. More here about crickets in Hawaii. A parasitic fly attracted to male cricket’s mating songs will lay eggs in the cricket- eventually hatching and killing it. The result? Over three generations, most of the crickets evolved with flat wings- that don’t make the chirping! How do they mate, then? They group around the poor schmucks who still have curved “chiping” wings and get the ladies that way. This is micro-evolution at work (micro meaning evolution WITHIN a species).

  Ever thought of planting grass… on your roof? Well, it is now possible. The Today Show recently talked about America’s obsession with the perfect lawn- well, now those crazy lawn fanatic can take it a step farther and onto their own roofs! Or, be creative, and put it on your FLOOR and give yourself a grass carpet livingroom!

  Watch a video and see how kind people are being to the lower species- a recent artist decided to enable a fishy to explore land in his own little robotic vehicle. Quite a unique thing- perhaps one day we’ll visit people’s homes and occasionally see a fish cruising around their house in their own mobile fish bowl? “Now now, Guppy, you know I hate it when you park your bowl infront of the door!”

  You’ll never think of frisbees the same way again once you hear about the death frisbees the US air force has decided to implement. Ever have problems with pesky terrorists in Iraq trying to hide in hard to reach places? Fear no more- new death frisbees are robotic frisbees armed with heavy explosives that will seek out and destroy harmful pests in all those hard to reach places (sounds like a commercial for a new home product, doesn’t it?). Suggestions for ways to combat this new form of deadly combat (and it IS deadly- the force in a spinning object alone is incredible) include utilizing current robotic dog technology. Some suggest genetic size experiments with dogs- imagine a giant collie chasing robotic frisbees through a battle field?

  Ever thought that the government might consider taxing you if you are too wasteful and generate too much trash? Not possible, right? WRONG. Now, you too can get a small coin-sized chip embedded in your state-issued trash bin that will identify you as the owner when the garbage truck weighs the trash you give them each week. The chip is being used in England now, but what government wouldn’t jump at the chance to justify getting money back from wasteful people in the name of encouraging a less wasteful society? Think of it as similar to water conservation for the trashy of the world.

  [Edit: After checking my county-issued trash can today, I realised that they may have already implemented this here in Columbia, SC!!! Why? Because there is a quarter-sized, round "blip" on the lip of the trash can on the side that faces the garbage truck. On the outer area around the round indentation there are a series of numbers and markings. Also, the trucks now are designed to pick up the trash can- probably weighing it. This means that if you live around here in SC, your trash is probably being weighed and logged under your name and address in the county/state database!!! Very interesting to know, isn't it?]

  [Final edit: I have checked with the local solid waste org, and was assured that presently the only identification on the trash containers is a number that is used incase our trash cans are lost or mixed up. This number is attached only to the address- not to a name or any personal information. There are no other things- no ID tags, etc. nor do they presently weigh trash cans or keep track of that information. Let's hope they keep it this way and fight it if they do not!]
  
  And let’s not forget the invention that will allow people to breath underwater without a tank! Artificial gills- they are real technology now, tank-less diving!

  Ever think about wanting a silk shirt for the summer-time… one that will also happen to protect you from sharp objects or stray bullets? You just might get your wish- the key to producing spider-silk (which is stronger than steel and can stretch up to 50 percent before breaking, four times stronger than the silk we currently use) in usable quantities has been found!

  Ever wonder how some insects walk on water? The secret has now been revealed- and it is the key to some incredible new inventions for our time, as well. Imagine one day being able to swim through water without it touching the special dive-suit you wear? This concept lead to a later discovery in how to use this technology for the purpose of getting oxygen from the water as well!

  And finally, as our finale, have you ever wondered what the hormones they feed our livestock might eventually do to them? Two headed cows, pigs with more than two eyes? Well, the chicken that laid your recent omlette eggs just might have four legs. She’s a normal chicken- she just happens to have an extra pair of legs dangling behind her. Almost as fun as the faithful story of Mike the headless chicken. Listen to his theme song sometime!

  
  

  • 10:20 am
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