Science Etcetera, Moonday 20080804

August 4th, 2008

The Lomatia tasmanica is a plant that has cloned itself for 43,000 years, making it vulnerable to threats, which is why environmentalists are asking for help to expand its population.

Lomatia tasmanica
Credit: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

Water bugs breath underwater by trapping a thin layer of air to their bodies, which allows some to hibernate all winter underwater.

Parasitic dodder vines read the RNA of their host tomato plants.

Welcome to the blogosphere Pillonaut, who’s is blogging from bed for a NASA study of the effects of long-term immobility on the human body.

New research claims the dinosaur soft tissue found in a Tyrannosaurus thigh bone is actually bacterial slime.

Photo: International Space Station transitions across the Sun.

ISS Passing Across the Sun

Is religious diversity an evolutionary defense against disease?

We have mosquitoes to thank (in part) for defending the forests we have today from over-development by humans.

People who live in older towns have lower rates of obesity, because such places were designed with walking in mind.

Soon you will be able to own a jetpack that gets 30 minutes of flight time for $100,000. I’ll be adding this to my Amazon wishlist if anyone’s thinking Winter Solstice presents for me.

The Large Hadron Collider Rap: