The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
Amazon may become greenhouse gas emitter
Rain forest could go from sink to source
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337827/title/Amazon_may_become_greenhouse_gas_emitter
BTW, here is a link to the peer reviewed paper: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v481/n7381/full/nature10717.html
So, as I have mentioned before, blaming climate change exclusively on the burning of …
Miracle material graphene can distil booze, says study
Membranes based on the “miracle material” graphene can be used to distil alcohol, according to a new study in Science journal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16747208
Amazing enough that this stuff appears to be an effective …
No Need to Panic About Global Warming
There’s no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to ‘decarbonize’ the world’s economy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Expecting unbiased discussions on global warming from the Wall Street Journal is sort of like expecting an unbiased review …
New drone has no pilot anywhere, so who’s accountable?
The Navy is testing an autonomous plane that will land on an aircraft carrier. The prospect of heavily armed aircraft screaming through the skies without direct human control is unnerving to …
The Pirate Bay Introduces ‘Physibles’: Napster For Physical Objects
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/03113717519/pirate-bay-introduces-physibles-napster-physical-objects.shtml
I have been keeping an eye on this 3D printing idea over the last couple of decades. It is still very much a niche industry, but it is evolving at …
How Now, Brown Fat? Scientist Are Onto a New Way to Lose Weight
http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/26/how-now-brown-fat-scientist-are-onto-a-new-way-to-lose-weight/
I have read about this ‘brown fat’ conundrum many times. I am coming to the conclusion that what has really set us apart from our ancestors …
Genetically Engineered Stomach Microbe Converts Seaweed into Ethanol
A genetically modified strain of common gut bacteria may lead to a new technology for making biofuels that does not compete with food crops for arable acreage
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=genetically-engineered-stomach-microbe-turns-seaweed-into-ethanol
I am able to …
Math formula may explain why serial killers kill
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/18/math-formula-may-explains-why-serial-killers-kill/
Hopefully my title got you to pay attention. The title, though, does point out to what I consider a serious deficiency in the article, the addressing of the ‘so what?’ response. …
After my initial theoretical calculations (see http://sol-biotech.com/wordpress/2011/12/28/biofuel-calculations/) several people greeted my 25 apples/sqft assumption with a lot of skepticism. I also developed a lack of faith in the number when I compared my bushels/acre based on 25/sqft with the …
The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods
New research shows that when we eat we’re consuming more than just vitamins and protein. Our bodies are absorbing information, or microRNA.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-very-real-danger-of-genetically-modified-foods/251051/
When I first saw the title I figured I …