Science Etcetera Jupiterday, 20080327

March 27th, 2008

Unknown Nebula

Smoking in the first five months has negligible health effects on unborn children (HT Clint).

The bizarre reality behind squid sex.

Two-thirds of NASA’s major new programs are over budget or behind schedule. Might be why Alan Stern stepped down as head of science programs at NASA.

CT scans can reduce lung cancer deaths by 80 percent says research funded by a cigarette company.

Biggest Rabbit Ever.

China’s government admits that Three Gorges Dam is an environmental disaster.

Nokia, Pioneer, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and many other companies are infringing on the patent for LEDs.

Counter-intuitive, but training fish to jump into nets could make for an environmentally-friendly way to farm them.

Bill Gates plays it, Radiohead plays it, the cool game for geeks Contract Bridge.

Hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells of rotten eggs, produces suspended animation in mice.

90 percent of the hibernating bats in four caves and mines in New York have died since last winter.

A lack of oxygen and ~~an overabundance~~ a lack of molydenum prevented animal life from appearing on Earth for 2 billion years.

Spiders save energy by living upside-down.

Humans lived in Europe 1.3 million years ago.

Researchers have identified all 1,116 proteins found in human spit.

100 Educational Websites for Kids.

Science is a universal language, so even though today’s Moment is in Spanish, I think it’s possible to follow The Science of Cowboy and Cowgirl Flatulence:

3 comments to “Science Etcetera Jupiterday, 20080327”

I actually dislike Contract Bridge, because of all the conventions, which give an advantage to those who want to arbitrarily remember a bunch of arbitrary conventions. At that point, it turns from a good strategy game, to a memory game with very little strategy — if you bid better, you win, and if you use conventions, you can bid better. It’s almost like cheating via sending secret codes has become part of the game itself, and I don’t like that. So I’d rather play the very cutthroat hearts. (Spades bad too: Don’t want partner. Want to beat THREE people, not TWO.)
by Clint March 27th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I guess Even Cowgirls Get the Toots.

I absolutely adore the Pantalones de Pedos. One of my co-workers in Florida, Ismael, taught me this phrase in Spanish that has served me well for the past ten years: Un Pedo Es Un Placer. I’ll let you translate that.
by flyingsirkus March 28th, 2008 at 3:11 am
Cool quote! I gotta find a reverse of that. : )
by ideonexus March 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pm