Science Links for July 10, 2008

Science Etcetera, Jupiterday 20080710

July 10th, 2008

A moment of science please, for philanthropist John Templeton, who worked to reconcile science and religion, passed away at 95.

Creationists point to flatfishes having both eyes on one side of their head as disproving evolution, because an intermediate organism, with eyes halfway over to one side of its head, would be disadvantageous. Well, scientists have found that intermediate fossil. So creationists can suck it (Hmmm… This bullet doesn’t synch with the previous).

heteronectes chaneti - Two Sides of the Same Fish
Credit: Matt Friedman, University of Chicago

Scientists are fooling themselves if they think harvesting stem cells from a 4-cell embryo will “lessen ethical concerns.” (No reconciliation in this bullet either. Sorry Templeton.)

Big brains evolved independently in two higher primates

If the Moon was formed in a fiery explosion of material from Earth impacting with a Mars-sized object, then why didn’t the water found recently in it’s volcanic glasses get vaporized?

We might have a way to determine the color of the feathered dinosaurs from melanosomes in the fossils.

70-year-olds are having more sex and more satisfying sex than they were in the past (Couldn’t find a creative commons photo to accompany this bullet. Sorry.).

An IQ test for your dog.

Binary Asteroids, asteroids that spin around each other and travel in pairs, are pretty common, a new hypothesis suggests the sun causes them by spinning a single asteroid until it splits,.

Binary Asteroids “Antiope”
Source

The American Academy of Pediatrics has made the controversial recommendation that cholesterol lowering drugs could be given to eight year olds.

People in bad marriages tend to prevent their kids from dating.

It’s easy to forget how big Africa is. As we can see in this image, we could fit America, India, Argentina, Western Europe, and China on its landmass.

New standard for the Turing test, computers can’t make someone cry at a sonata the way a human can.

The countdown begins, just 10 more shuttle flights for NASA.

Showing the unpredictable effects of Global Warming, Mt. Shasta’s glaciers are growing in Northern California, while the rest of the world’s glaciers are retreating.

Create your own universe with Universe Sandbox (HT oranchak):

6 comments to “Science Etcetera, Jupiterday 20080710”

Your link to the image of Africa is the link for the parent’s not letting their kids date.
by Carolyn July 10th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I would REALLY like a cat IQ test. I had the idea of a “caddock” (a paddock for cats) so that I could release them all simultaneously and test them, acquiring the smartest cat. Of course, shelters would never let you do this. They don’t even let you touch them through the cage. (Not getting a cat from a shelter ever again.)
by ClintJCL July 10th, 2008 at 8:17 am
They don’t even let you touch them ?! WTF! How can you judge its personality if you cant interact with it?
by chriggy July 10th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
You have to wait until a volunteer isn’t helping someone else, and ask them to let you play with a kitten. Then chances are all their stupid little rooms are full so you have to wait for one to free up. Then when you *finally* get to play with a kitten, and you decide you want it, they tell you it was already adopted.

It was absolutely miserable.
by Carolyn July 10th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Sorry about the link. It’s fixed now. : )
by ideonexus July 10th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Speaking of that Africa link. My 7th grade “social studies” teacher made that same argument, or at least, similar too. Wanted us all to respect Africa, just because the USA fit into it.

I ignore that request immediately, because Africa is a continent, and USA is a country.

I mean, North America is only 6million sq km less than Africa, they arent too far apart.

And North America wins by a huge landslide if you count the fact that USA owns the Moon.
by DJ Nicko July 10th, 2008 at 10:44 pm