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POPSFor the first time, everyone can see the whole world "Google Earth has introduced 21 layers of data from various organizations that provide information about specific ocean sites." I find this collaborative work inspiring, in relation to how humanity can unite in creating a win win situation for all.
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POPSSave the languages, save the world Linguistic integrity is as important to our survival as a species as environmentalism. Check out the source to see why. Many resources and information at www.terralingua.org.
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POPSThreat To Medicines From Plant Extinctions The world's most widely-used cancer drug, is Paclitaxel, which is derived from the bark of several species of yew tree. Its complex chemical structure and biological function has so far made it impossible to produce artificially. ----- 80 per cent of the global population - rely on traditional plant-based medicine as their primary form of healthcare. -----
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POPSEndangered Indonesian coral reefs Southeast Asia's biologically diverse coral reefs will disappear by the end of this century and wipe out coastal economies if climate change isn't addressed, conservation group WWF said in a report. The report, released to coincide with the World Ocean Conference in Manado, Sulawesi, warns that a do-nothing scenario will lead to a steady rise in sea temperatures and the death of the coral reefs.
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POPSThe Physics of Dance Notes from a presentation by physics professor George Gollin on the physical laws which every ballet dancer must eventually master, whether explicitly aware of them or not. It must be noted that professor Kenneth Laws has written three books on the physics of dance and just had an interesting interview with Studio 360 on the subject.
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POPSAlmost Gone The International Union for Conservation of Nature has released its Red List of the world's most threatened plants and animals. Here's a look at some of the animals on the verge of extinction
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POPSScientists Find a Second Code Hidden in DNA How cool is this? A secondary DNA meta-code has been discovered superimposed on top of the same "genetic code" whose transcription it influences! (Douglas Hofstadter would have had a field day with this!) Highly efficient from an information science point of view. There are so many wonders to be discovered within our very selves!
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POPSFacing the Freshwater Crisis As demand for freshwater soars, planetary supplies are becoming unpredictable. Existing technologies could avert a global water crisis, but they must be implemented soon
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POPSHow a simple mathematic formula is starting to explain the bizarre prevalence of altruism in society This new mathematic model for society’s evolution is particularly interesting because not only it reveals a logic behind the large numbers of cooperators that we know exist in all human societies, but also it gives us a glimpse of the principles that can help “pushing” them into a better, fairer, path. Evolutionary game theory is a mathematical approach used to study (and predict) the evolution of social interactions, in which the study of conflict and decision-making is treated – like its name indicates – as a game.
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POPSViking Treasure Hoard
more (at source): The hoard – which includes a silver cup estimated to be worth more than £200,000, as well as 617 coins and various silver fragments, ingots and rings, will go on display in both York and in the capital after careful conservation work which began a month ago. Experts hope the process will reveal crucial details about the Viking era. Initial examinations suggest the treasure dates to 927 or 928. Conservation experts have already revealed remarkable insights: the cup, which has been gilded inside and out, is most likely to have belonged in a church, with vines decorating its exterior – a Viking symbol of Christ. Some of the coins shed new light on the period – parts of Britain such as Staffordshire and Yorkshire were already believed lost by the Vikings and under Anglo-Saxon dominion, yet there are coins which show the Vikings were still creating their own currency in these regions. One such coin, with the word "Rorivacastr" on it, is believed to have originated from
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POPS3,000-year-old oak barrel of butter found in Kildare bog more (at source): The barrel is also split along the middle, which is common with utensils filled with butter found in the bogs. A conservator at the National Museum, Carol Smith, told that the butter expands over time, causing the split. The barrel is about three feet long and almost a foot wide, and weighs almost 35kgs, (77lbs). The butter has changed to white and is now adipocere, which is essentially animal fat, the same sort of substance that is found on well-preserved bodies of people or animals found in the bog. The two men put the barrel in the cab of their tractor and brought it back to their base. "We put it in a black plastic bag," Mr Fitzharris explained. And last Tuesday in the Conservation Department of the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks, the two men were reunited with the barrel in the company of Monasterevin man and one of the museum's keepers, Pádraig Clancy and conservator Carol Smith. Mr Clancy was contacted by Bord na Móna's archaeo
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POPS'Eureka machine' works (it is not April 1st) The Cornell machine uses a computer program that can search through huge amounts of data and look for underlying patterns. For example, a falling apple will abide by Newton's second law, which is often stated as F=ma, where F is the force acting on an object, m is its mass, and a is its acceleration. When fed information on the mass of the apple and its velocity as it falls, the machine would be able to work out the equation. Lipson tested the machine by giving it information from basic lab experiments, such as swinging pendulums and tiny cars that moved up and down tracks on a cushion of air. After crunching through the data, the machine pinged and displayed several laws of motion and conservation of momentum. The system runs its own checks to decide whether the laws it has found are likely to be interesting.
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POPSMcCain AWOL from Senate; may lose home state Has missed 400 votes, more than any other Senator; 111 - The number of days since McCain last attended a committee hearing (of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on April 9). 25% - How many full SASC hearings McCain has attended during the 110th Congress. 89% - How many full SASC hearings McCain has skipped since April 2007 (32 out of the last 36 hearings). 2007 - The last year in which McCain attended any Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee hearings or subcommittee hearings.
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