Author Topic: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before  (Read 63017 times)

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Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #140 on: November 16, 2013, 10:49:09 AM »
That's a pretty cool idea. But yeah, without genetic evidence of separate ancestors it's going to be hard to prove such a theory.
Btw, why does it have to have happened through mating? Couldn't one also have been a parasite to the other?
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Offline jasc15

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #141 on: November 17, 2013, 12:10:35 PM »
Thats an interesting idea.  A parasite infects an insect, causing it to transform into another animal.  There are other species that have similar metamorphoses, so could the same parasite infect other animals in the same way, or could there just be a category of species of the parasite that perform this function?

Offline jasc15

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #142 on: January 15, 2014, 01:35:05 PM »
https://www.nature.com/news/ampere-to-get-rational-redefinition-1.14512

The definition of the ampere is being refined.  Since the charge of an electron has been measured precisely...

Quote
The charge of the electron and Boltzmann’s constant have both been measured precisely

...shouldn't that automatically pin down the ampere?  If not, this is really the redefinition of the coulumb, isn't it?

Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #143 on: January 15, 2014, 02:16:08 PM »
The Boltzmann constant is down to a stochastic effect though, right? You can measure it very accurately, but I would think you can only use it for defining yet another stochastic effect, heat. (i.e. Kelvin)
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Offline TempusVox

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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #145 on: January 15, 2014, 03:42:21 PM »
That's awesome!
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Offline TioJorge

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #146 on: January 15, 2014, 03:43:41 PM »
SO amazing. Gives me chills.

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Offline TempusVox

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #147 on: January 15, 2014, 03:44:37 PM »
Thats an interesting idea.  A parasite infects an insect, causing it to transform into another animal.  There are other species that have similar metamorphoses, so could the same parasite infect other animals in the same way, or could there just be a category of species of the parasite that perform this function?

Your query reminded me of this. Basically spores infect ant, ant clamps onto central or primary leaf veins, and never let go. Fungus uses ants mandibles as a means to extract plant nutrients, thereby ensuring its survival.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis

Scary shit.
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Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #148 on: January 15, 2014, 04:07:26 PM »
Oh, the zombie ants. Yeah, that is crazy scary.

A few days ago I went on a Wikipedia article-hopping spree, where I eventually ended up on the page for "Amniotes". Amniotes are animals that have a protective layer around their offspring during gestation (in humans, the "amniotic sac"). While that in itself is not that exciting, the article pointed out that this protective layer was an adaptation of formerly aquatic animals to be able to have offspring on land. Fish are all anamniotes because they don't need that layer, but all land-living animals are. Except amphibians, who circumvented the problem by reproducing in water, and then leave it when growing up.
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Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #149 on: January 18, 2014, 12:28:53 PM »
"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Offline Podaar

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #150 on: January 20, 2014, 08:45:41 AM »
2 very cool posts! Thanks rumborak!
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Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #151 on: February 03, 2014, 07:31:15 AM »
I didn't know where else to put this but I saw a documentary on TV today about programming the computer that competed on Jeopardy. Very interesting stuff about the difficulties of programming AI in general, and it's funny seeing the early failings of the project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAzeGkuQmUU

And here are the two episodes of Jeopardy, in case anyone has watched that far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLR1byL0U8M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDA-7O1q4oo
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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #152 on: February 03, 2014, 09:54:09 AM »
I didn't know where else to put this but I saw a documentary on TV today about programming the computer that competed on Jeopardy. Very interesting stuff about the difficulties of programming AI in general, and it's funny seeing the early failings of the project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAzeGkuQmUU

And here are the two episodes of Jeopardy, in case anyone has watched that far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLR1byL0U8M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDA-7O1q4oo
Awesome, i'm watching it at the moment. Had to of course google Eliza....



Pwned by Eliza!  :blush
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Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #153 on: February 03, 2014, 09:55:04 AM »
OH SNAP!
I used to have Eliza on our old Amiga 500. Good times. :lol
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Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #154 on: March 16, 2014, 12:52:42 AM »
So this is interesting and scary or more the idea behind it although I don't think we'll ever see something like that.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10697529/Prisoners-could-serve-1000-year-sentence-in-eight-hours.html
« Last Edit: March 16, 2014, 03:58:55 AM by MrBoom_shack-a-lack »
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Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #155 on: March 16, 2014, 03:42:49 AM »
Did anyone else instantly think Star Trek DS9 - Hard Time? Of all the technologies Trek is given credit for inspiring, I hope that doesn't become one of them. :P
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Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #156 on: March 16, 2014, 07:18:42 AM »
No offense, but that article was pretty junky.
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Offline rumborak

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"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Offline Fiery Winds

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #158 on: March 17, 2014, 11:40:38 AM »
New major discovery today seems to confirm Einstein's prediction of gravitational waves. Very cool!

https://www.space.com/25078-universe-inflation-gravitational-waves-discovery.html?cmpid=514648

EDIT: Dammit Rumby!  :lol

Offline rumborak

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"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Offline Nick

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #160 on: March 17, 2014, 04:15:04 PM »
Saw that during work and was coming to post the same thing.
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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #161 on: March 20, 2014, 05:26:16 AM »
A full chunk of awesome science talk if your up to it:

The Great Debate - The Storytelling of Science 1/2
The Great Debate - The Storytelling of Science 2/2

Goddamn NDT is intense...  :lol
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Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #162 on: March 31, 2014, 10:28:45 AM »
Gizmodo Australia: Bugs Have Already Evolved Immunity To GMO Corn. https://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIw3r-aoxo

Damn you, natural selection!!!
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Offline Chino

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #163 on: March 31, 2014, 12:33:49 PM »
Gizmodo Australia: Bugs Have Already Evolved Immunity To GMO Corn. https://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIw3r-aoxo

Damn you, natural selection!!!

Stupid nature. Being all resilient and shit.

Offline Podaar

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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #165 on: May 01, 2014, 03:34:45 PM »
Did you know that whales can explode? Well me neither...

Quit literally an exploding whale so avoid if you find that not pleasant!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCsMNurn3bQ

Story:
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/caution-dead-whale-contents-under-pressure
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Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #166 on: May 01, 2014, 04:08:01 PM »
I love that video. The guy barely escaped it :lol
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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #167 on: May 02, 2014, 12:26:46 AM »
Yea I love the silence before and the way he pokes it carefully and just runs for his life when he feels it's about to happen.  :lol
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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #169 on: May 02, 2014, 03:16:04 AM »
Yea I saw that, the genius that hatched that idea....  :lol
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Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #170 on: May 02, 2014, 04:47:18 AM »
I remember reading about something similar a long time ago, but I hadn't seen it. Both of those exploding whale videos were great. :lol
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #171 on: May 02, 2014, 07:03:37 AM »
Quote
There are actually three gasses behind this phenomenon: methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. As you might imagine, this combination smells really, really bad. Methane is a by-product of digestion, ammonia is what gives cat urine its distinct pungent odor, and hydrogen sulfide is the gas that smells like rotting eggs. So, if you can imagine a whale-sized fart/cat pee/egg bomb with blood and entrails flying at your face, that’s pretty much the full experience of an exploding whale.
I'm not sure I really can imagine that but havin smelled ammonia I might have a hunch, only 10 times worse I guess.
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Offline Chino

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #172 on: May 02, 2014, 07:05:15 AM »
I remember an article years ago about a whale that blew up in the middle of a city. It was being moved via 18 wheeler.

Offline rumborak

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #173 on: May 06, 2014, 07:39:27 PM »
Watching episode 2 of "Your Inner Fish" right now. A lot better than Cosmos, IMHO.
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Offline jasc15

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Re: The science and nature thread v. We tried this before
« Reply #174 on: May 06, 2014, 08:45:46 PM »
I also enjoyed "Your Inner Fish" more than "Cosmos" so far.  I've only seen the first 2, but I expect the third episode to be just as good.  My girlfriend even enjoys it, and I think it is because it isn't trying to be epic the way "Cosmos" does.  It clearly states what it is trying to demonstrate, then demonstrates exactly that in a very convincing and concise way.

To me, Cosmos gets a bit carried away with itself.  It begins with clear and sequential logic to explain a phenomenon, but gets way too ambitious and starts talking about black holes and other tangentially related ideas.  I've heard most of it before and can mostly hang on until the monologue circles back to the original point (though sometimes it doesn't), but I can feel the attention of others around me beginning to wane when this happens.  Not a good feature of a series meant to draw in novices.