Scientists are proposing that whales who forage in polar waters and migrate to lower latitudes are doing it to maintain healthier skin. In a research paper in Marine Mammal Science, scientists propose that whales conserve body heat in colder waters by diverting blood flow away from their skin. This leaves the a layer of dead tissue….
Category: Science and Technology
The New Idria Cinnabar Mine
I thought this was interesting. Almost amazing how we used to be so nonchalant about something that causes so many health problems. (via @YosemiteSteve)
Messenger’s Pictures From Mercury Leave Scientists Dumbfounded
Scientists got a little surprise this week when they began analyzing photos and data sent back by the Messenger spacecraft who made a pass of Mercury earlier this month. Turns out Mercury isn’t quite what they expected. Messenger’s Pictures From Mercury Surprise Scientists – washingtonpost.com: “The Messenger spacecraft that sped past Mercury on Jan. 14…
The Sky is Falling The Sky is Falling
An out of control spy satellite that was reported as “crashing to earth” has experts assuring people that the chance you might actually be hit by the pieces of the satellite as “very slim”. BBC: “In reality, a spy satellite heading uncontrollably towards Earth is not an uncommon event, says Dr Ruediger Jehn, a space…
Hyperfast Star Alien in Origin
A super fast moving star has proven to be an enigma to scientists but now a new theory has surfaced that the star may actually be alien in origin. Science Daily: “A young star is speeding away from the Milky Way so fast that astronomers have been puzzled by where it came from; based on…
Get Your Edugroove On
Here’s something cool and new: iTunes is now offering iTunesU, a collection of lectures from Yale, Harvard, Stanford and other universities across the nation. I just downloaded Yvon Choinard, famous Yosemite big-wall climber and president of Patagonia clothing talking at Stanford University. Nice part is it’s FREE.
Have You Caught the WoW Disease?
Two years ago a virtual plague unintentionally spread across the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft now researchers want to study the dynamics of the virtual plague to see if it can help scientists model and predict the spread of real world diseases. Ars Technica: “There were a number of features in the virtual outbreak that…
Canonical to Release Web-based Desktop and Server Administration Tool
Canonical, the company behind the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu, is looking to capture the business market by releasing a tool to administrate servers and desktop machines across a broad network. This is the first time a Linux distributor has sought to directly infiltrate the office environment largely held by Microsoft. ArsTechnica: “Landscape makes it possible…
En Masse Bigfoot Sightings Spur Investigation
A rash of recent big foot sightings in rural India is prompting authorities to investigate. What makes these sightings different is almost all have been within the last month. Discovery Channel: “The bizarre sightings have been made in the Garo hills area of Meghalaya state, close to the borders with Bangladesh and Bhutan, with villagers…
Who Killed the Iceman?
Researchers in Switzerland have solved one mystery only but now are faced wih a “who dunnit?” that’ll be a little more difficult to solve. Discovery Channel News: “A prehistoric hunter known as Oetzi whose well-preserved body was found on a snow-covered mountain in the Alps died more than 5,000 years ago after being struck in…