Global rebound anemic: Roubini - Yahoo! Finance: "Advanced economies face years of anemic growth and the risk of a double-dip recession as their citizens cope with sluggish employment and highly indebted governments, economist Nouriel Roubini said on Monday.
A sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone has rattled financial markets in recent weeks as investors worry that fiscal austerity measures dictated by a $1 trillion European Union-International Monetary Fund rescue plan could stifle already hobbled global growth.
In contrast, some emerging markets risk overheating and are showing symptoms of a potential asset bubble.
'Labor market conditions will remain very weak in some advanced economies,' said Roubini, known as Dr. Doom and most famous for having predicted the U.S. housing crisis.
'Savings will have to rise faster than consumption for the coming years. That is why growth will remain anemic,' Roubini, who heads U.S.-based economic consultants RGE Monitor, told attendants at a seminar in Sao Paulo."
Monday, May 31, 2010
Was economic collapse a planned power grab?
Was economic collapse a planned power grab?: "For years, whispers of the secretive organization of world leaders known as the Bilderberg Group were considered fodder for conspiracy theories, but in the wake of massive economic upheaval, Europe's mainstream has joined the clamoring to find out what kind of financial wizardry has been going on behind the Bilderberg curtain."
Half a pound of human please | The Sun |News
Half a pound of human please | The Sun |News: "The man, who preserves corpses of animals and humans with a special plastic solution to display them around the world, is now selling cross-cuts of bodies in what German media have called his own 'cabinet of horrors.'"
Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran - Times Online
Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran - Times Online: "Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline.
The first has been sent in response to Israeli fears that ballistic missiles developed by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, a political and military organisation in Lebanon, could hit sites in Israel, including air bases and missile launchers."
The first has been sent in response to Israeli fears that ballistic missiles developed by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, a political and military organisation in Lebanon, could hit sites in Israel, including air bases and missile launchers."
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Navy’s Drone Death Ray Takes Out Targets at Sea | Danger Room | Wired.com
Navy’s Drone Death Ray Takes Out Targets at Sea | Danger Room | Wired.com: "For years, the U.S. Navy has been pursuing a workable ray gun that could provide a leap ahead in ship self-defenses. Now, with a series of tests of a system called the Laser Weapon System, or LaWS), it may be one step closer to that goal.
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the service’s technology development arm, announced today that LaWS had “successfully tracked, engaged, and destroyed” a drone in flight, during an over-the-water engagement at San Nicholas Island, Calif."
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the service’s technology development arm, announced today that LaWS had “successfully tracked, engaged, and destroyed” a drone in flight, during an over-the-water engagement at San Nicholas Island, Calif."
Genetically Engineered Fruit Fly Smells Light : Discovery News
Genetically Engineered Fruit Fly Smells Light : Discovery News: "Fruit flies usually avoid light. But these larvae flock to it. That's because genetic scientists from Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum Germany spliced a gene for a protein that activates under light into cells in the flies olfactory system that responds to smells. So when the light is turned on, the protein activates, but sends the signals through the fly larva's smell system. The fly perceives the odor of banana, marzipan or glue, normal smells present in rotting fruit, and go into the light."
Paper reveals EU plan to boost GM crop cultivation | Reuters
Paper reveals EU plan to boost GM crop cultivation
| Reuters: "Europe faces a major overhaul in the way it deals with genetically modified (GM) crops, after the European Commission sparked controversy with new plans to circumvent its cumbersome legislative review process.
The EU executive wants to let national governments decide whether or not to grow genetically modified crops without a long drawn-out review of the bloc's current GM legislation, an initial impact assessment seen by Reuters showed.
Details of the plan, which would open the door to widespread GM cultivation in Europe, provoked a furious reaction from environmentalists already angry at the EU executive's decision to approve the commercial growing of a GM potato in March."
| Reuters: "Europe faces a major overhaul in the way it deals with genetically modified (GM) crops, after the European Commission sparked controversy with new plans to circumvent its cumbersome legislative review process.
The EU executive wants to let national governments decide whether or not to grow genetically modified crops without a long drawn-out review of the bloc's current GM legislation, an initial impact assessment seen by Reuters showed.
Details of the plan, which would open the door to widespread GM cultivation in Europe, provoked a furious reaction from environmentalists already angry at the EU executive's decision to approve the commercial growing of a GM potato in March."
NASA: Is Approaching Space Object Artificial?
NASA: Is Approaching Space Object Artificial?: "NASA authorities report that an unknown object approaching the Earth from deep space is almost certainly artificial in origin rather than being an asteroid. Object 2010 KQ was detected by the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona earlier this month, and subsequently tracked by NASA's asteroid-watching service, the Near-Earth Object Program headquartered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California."
Mutating Matter: New Technology Creates “Soft” Robots That Flow Like Mercury (A Weekend Feature)
Mutating Matter: New Technology Creates “Soft” Robots That Flow Like Mercury (A Weekend Feature): "Like something out of Terminator 2, researchers are developing techniques for warfare of the future to create materials that self-assemble or alter their shape, perform a function and then disassemble themselves. These capabilities offer the possibility for morphing aircraft and ground vehicles, uniforms that can alter themselves in any climate, and “soft” robots that flow like mercury through small openings to enter caves and bunker complexes."
NOAA hurricane forecast alarming - USATODAY.com
NOAA hurricane forecast alarming - USATODAY.com: "The hurricane forecast this year is the most ominous the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever issued — 'an active to extremely active' season:
• 14 to 23 storms big enough to be named.
• Eight to 14 hurricanes — storms with winds of 74 mph or greater.
• Three to seven major hurricanes — those with winds exceeding 111 mph.
That is the most named storms NOAA has forecast since it began issuing the outlook in 1998. Only 2005 had more actual named storms: 28, including 15 hurricanes. One of them was Katrina."
• Eight to 14 hurricanes — storms with winds of 74 mph or greater.
• Three to seven major hurricanes — those with winds exceeding 111 mph.
That is the most named storms NOAA has forecast since it began issuing the outlook in 1998. Only 2005 had more actual named storms: 28, including 15 hurricanes. One of them was Katrina."
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Monsanto's Poison Pills for Haiti
Ronnie Cummins: Monsanto's Poison Pills for Haiti: "'A new earthquake' is what Haitian peasant farmer leader Chavannes Jean-Baptiste of the Peasant Movement of Papay (MPP) called the news that Monsanto will be dumping 60,000 seed sacks (475 tons) of hybrid corn seeds and vegetable seeds on Haiti, seeds doused with highly toxic fungicides such as thiram, known to be extremely dangerous to farm workers. Hybrid seeds, like GMO seeds (in contrast to Creole heirloom or organic seeds) require lots of water, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. In addition, if a small farmer tries to save hybrid seeds after harvest, hybrid seeds usually do not 'breed true' or grow very well in the second season, forcing the now-indentured peasant to buy seeds from Monsanto or one of the other hybrid/GMO seed monopolies in perpetuity. Monsanto wanted initially to dump GMO seeds on Haiti, but even the corrupt Haitian government knew that this would spark a rebellion, so Monsanto cleverly decided to dump hybrid seeds instead. The Haitian small farmers organization has committed to burning Monsanto's seeds, and has called for a march to protest the corporation's presence in Haiti on June 4, for World Environment Day."
Hurricane plus oil equals more problems - CNN.com
Hurricane plus oil equals more problems - CNN.com: "A predicted busy hurricane season this summer is on a collision course with an unprecedented oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the results are anyone's guess, weather experts say. 'The problem is that this is a man-made experiment we wish we hadn't made,' said Jenni Evans, a professor of meteorology at Penn State University. Scientists on Thursday said as much as 19,000 barrels of oil have been spewing every day from the BP well in the Gulf, making it the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Most of the oily water lies off the coast of Louisiana, where marshes and wildlife have been coated and the state's fishing and tourism industries have taken direct hits."
Friday, May 28, 2010
Darpa’s Beady-Eyed Camera Spots the ‘Non-Cooperative’ | Danger Room | Wired.com
Darpa’s Beady-Eyed Camera Spots the ‘Non-Cooperative’ | Danger Room | Wired.com: "Soon, keeping your head down won’t be enough to stump high-tech security cameras, thanks to Pentagon-funded researchers developing mini-cameras that can nab threats by hunting down — and scanning — their eyeballs. A team of electrical engineers at Southern Methodist University (SMU), led by Professor Marc Christensen, first created the cameras with funding from Darpa, the Pentagon’s research agency. Called Panoptes, the devices use low-resolution sensors to create a high-res image that can be captured using a lightweight, ultra-slim camera. Because they don’t use a lens, the cameras were originally designed for miniature drone sensors and troop helmet-cams."
Big volcanic eruptions in Guatemala, Ecuador - Yahoo! News
Big volcanic eruptions in Guatemala, Ecuador - Yahoo! News: "GUATEMALA CITY – Explosive eruptions shook two huge volcanos in Central and South America on Friday, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes and disrupting air traffic as ash drifted over major cities. Guatemala's Pacaya volcano started erupting lava and rocks Thursday afternoon, blanketing the country's capital with ash and forcing the closure of the international airport. A television reporter was killed by a shower of burning rocks when he got too close to the volcano, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of Guatemala City."
2nd Iceland volcano issues ominous warning - Science- msnbc.com
2nd Iceland volcano issues ominous warning - Science- msnbc.com: "Icelandic President Olafur Grimsson has warned governments around Europe that a significant eruption at the volcano is close. 'We [Iceland] have prepared ... it is high time for European governments and airline authorities all over Europe and the world to start planning for the eventual Katla eruption,' he said."
Are Terminators Real? : Discovery News
Are Terminators Real? : Discovery News: "It's nearly impossible to discuss the future of autonomous military robots without thinking of the 1984 movie, 'The Terminator.' The sci-fi thriller portrayed a futuristic war waged among the remnants of civilization and an antihuman army of robotic tanks, planes and (of course) cyborgs with laser guns.
Are terminators real?"
Are terminators real?"
Human-animal hybrids in life vs. death struggle
In what may seem more like a Hollywood science-fiction plot, as in the forthcoming movie "Splice," lawmakers are trying to prevent scientists from combining human and animal embryos to make "human-animal hybrids." In "Splice," two scientists defy ethical boundaries and splice together human and animal DNA to create a new organism, also known as a chimera.
Human-animal hybrids in life vs. death struggle
Safety Rules Can’t Keep Up With Biotech Industry - NYTimes.com
They are the highly trained, generally well-paid employees in the vanguard of American innovation: people who work in biotechnology labs. But the cutting edge can be a risky place to work.The casualties include an Agriculture Department scientist who spent a month in a coma after being infectedby the E. coli bacteria her colleagues were experimenting with.Another scientist, working in a New Zealand lab while on leave from an American biotechnology company, lost both legs and an arm after being infected by meningococcal bacteria, the subject of her vaccine research.
Congress, Obama Take Sudden Interest in Synthetic Biology | Wired Science | Wired.com
Congress explicitly took up the subject of synthetic biology for the first time Thursday during a hastily convened hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The Wired crowd has been talking about how to engineer biological machines for years, but Craig Venter’s announcement last week that he’s created a synthetic cell has drawn the attention of the very highest levels of government.
The hearing came shortly after President Barack Obama ordered a six-month review of synthetic biology by a panel of scientific stars.
S.Korea's Constitutional Court has ruled that human embryos left over from fertility treatment are not life forms
S.Korea's Constitutional Court has ruled that human embryos left over from fertility treatment are not life forms and can be used for research or destroyed. In its ruling on Thursday the court upheld an existing law allowing the use of leftover embryos for research. The law also allows fertility clinics to dispose of frozen embryos five years after fertilisation treatment is completed.
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell: UFOs are Real
The recent bombshell disclosures of Dr. Edgar Mitchell have set the Internet ablaze with articles, blogs, and forum discussion. Finally, a man who is respected highly, and a national hero, has with a somber, straight face told the world without reservation that we have been visited by UFOs, aliens are real, and our government is indeed, covering up this information.
President told aliens are on earth | The Daily Telegraph
EX US President Eisenhower was briefed about the presence of extraterrestrial intelligent beings on Earth and was invited to meet alien visitors.
Henry W. McElroy, Jr, retiring State Representative to New Hampshire, declared this week that former US President Eisenhower was briefed about the presence of extraterrestrial intelligent beings on Earth.
Toxic Oil Spill Rains Warned Could Destroy North America | EUTimes.net
A dire report prepared for President Medvedev by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources is warning today that the British Petroleum (BP) oil and gas leak in the Gulf of Mexico is about to become the worst environmental catastrophe in all of human history threatening the entire eastern half of the North American continent with“total destruction”.
Russian scientists are basing their apocalyptic destruction assessment due to BP’s use of millions of gallons of the chemical dispersal agent known as Corexit 9500 which is being pumped directly into the leak of this wellhead over a mile under the Gulf of Mexico waters and designed, this report says, to keep hidden from the American public the full, and tragic, extent of this leak that is now estimated to be over 2.9 million gallons a day.
Privacy fears mount as ad targeting grows | The Australian
In the quest for better targeted advertising, marketers are using high-tech tools that can pinpoint a person's location, demographics and habits, raising the hackles of privacy activists.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Space Review: The EMP threat: fact, fiction, and response (part 1) (page 1)
A nuclear weapon explodes high above the US, unleashing a deadly electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that almost instantly knocks out much of our electrical grid. The electronic control systems in our water, oil, and gas distribution systems fail, and other infrastructure such as telecommunications and transport grind to a halt. While it would be far too high up in the atmosphere (40–400 kilometers) to directly kill people by blast and heat, such an attack would have “the capability to produce significant damage to critical infrastructures and thus to the very fabric of US society”, according to the congressional “Commission to Assess the Threat to the U.S. from EMP Attack”.
Archived UFO - Related PDF Files - UFO Casebook Files
For your reading (dis)pleasure -- Click below for a number of UFO case files, photos,etc...
Is Europe heading for a meltdown? - Telegraph
This financial crisis is worse than the sub-prime crash of 2008 because the sums are so much bigger and it is governments that are in dire straits. Edmund Conway explains the dangers.
Crop circle 'inspired by most beautiful formula in mathematics' appears in Wiltshire - Telegraph
The circle, which is more than 300ft in diameter, was cut into a field of oil seed rape by Wilton Windmill at Wilton near Marlborough.
Experts say that the design may be connected to Euler's Identity, a complex formula devised by the 18th Century Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler.
For the World is Hollow ... and I Have Touched the Sky!
As noted in Part I -- as a direct result of the recent "ultra-close-approaches" of the European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft to "Phobos" -- the tiny, inner Moon of Mars -- a variety of scientific experiments aboard that spacecraft have now converged, after analysis of their results by the Enterprise Mission ... on an artificial "moon" hypothesis for "the origins of Phobos"-- As a ~15-mile-long, extremely old and battered ... ancient spaceship.
Imminent, official confirmation of this data -- which we at Enterprise have held (and published on ...) for over twenty years -- will change EVERYTHING.
Lucifer Instrument Helps Astronomers See Through Darkness to Most Distant Observable Objects | Popular Science
A new instrument with an evil-sounding name is helping scientists see how stars are born. Lucifer, which stands for (deep breath) "Large Binocular Telescope Near-infrared Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research," is a chilled instrument attached to a telescope in Arizona. And yes, it's named for the Devil, whose name itself means "morning star." But it wasn't meant to evoke him, according to a spokesman for the University of Arizona, where it is housed.
Search on for Death Star that throws out deadly comets - Telegraph
Nasa scientists are searching for an invisible 'Death Star' that circles the Sun, which catapults potentially catastrophic comets at the Earth.
BBC News - First human 'infected with computer virus'
Dr Mark Gasson from the University of Reading had a chip inserted in his hand which was then infected with a virus.
The device, which enables him to pass through security doors and activate his mobile phone, is a sophisticated version of ID chips used to tag pets.
In trials, Dr Gasson showed that the chip was able to pass on the computer virus to external control systems.
If other implanted chips had then connected to the system they too would have been corrupted, he said.
"Splice" Yourself
Cloning and DNA manipulation is at the center of a many heated ethical debates, but why not have a little fun with it via this site featuring an online game based on the forthcoming Adrien Brody/Sarah Polley sci fi horror thriller, Splice—the story of scientists who cross the species boundary by splicing human and animal DNA to disastrous results.
Finally, lawmakers to hear 'Bilderberg conspiracy'
Once considered a "conspiracy" theory, the secretive story of the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission and Bilderbergs – tycoons worth more than the combined wealth of all Americans – will be told in public before the European Parliament.
Author Daniel Estulin, whose work "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group" has sold millions of copies, has been invited to present an unprecedented speech before the European Parliament in Brussels June 1 on the subject of the secretive cabal.
"This is an opportunity to bring Bilderberg into the mainstream," Estulin said. "A subject that was once considered to be in the domain of conspiracy theories is now being taken very seriously indeed."
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=156861
Author Daniel Estulin, whose work "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group" has sold millions of copies, has been invited to present an unprecedented speech before the European Parliament in Brussels June 1 on the subject of the secretive cabal.
"This is an opportunity to bring Bilderberg into the mainstream," Estulin said. "A subject that was once considered to be in the domain of conspiracy theories is now being taken very seriously indeed."
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=156861
Creation of Earth's 1st Synthetic Life: Could There be Unintended Consequences?
This is “the first self-replicating species we’ve had on the planet whose parent is a computer.”
Dr. Craig Venter -pioneer of the human genome
2010 might be looked back on as the year of the Earth's first non-biological self-replicating species. The genome pioneer J. Craig Venter has taken another step in his quest to create synthetic life by synthesizing an entire bacterial genome and using it to take over a cell.
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/05/the-earths-1st-synthetic-life-could-there-be-unintended-consequences.html
Dr. Craig Venter -pioneer of the human genome
2010 might be looked back on as the year of the Earth's first non-biological self-replicating species. The genome pioneer J. Craig Venter has taken another step in his quest to create synthetic life by synthesizing an entire bacterial genome and using it to take over a cell.
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/05/the-earths-1st-synthetic-life-could-there-be-unintended-consequences.html
Russia markets cruise missile system that hides in 40-foot shipping container.
A Russian company is marketing a devastating new cruise missile system which can be hidden inside a shipping container, giving any merchant vessel the capability to wipe out an aircraft carrier.
Potential customers for the formidable Club-K system include Kremlin allies Iran and Venezuela, say defense experts. They worry that countries could pass on the satellite-guided missiles, which are very hard to detect, to terrorist groups.
“At a stroke, the Club-K gives a long-range precision strike capability to ordinary vehicles that can be moved to almost any place on earth without attracting attention,” said Robert Hewson of Jane’s Defense Weekly, who first disclosed its existence.
A promotional video for the Club-K on the website of Moscow-based makers Kontsern-Morinformsistema-Agat shows an imaginary tropical country facing a land, sea and air attack from a hostile neighbor.
It fights back by loading three shipping containers concealing Club-Ks onto a truck, a train and a ship, disperses them, and then launches a devastating strike on its enemy, destroying its warships, tanks and airfields.
“The idea that you can hide a missile system in a box and drive it around without anyone knowing is pretty new,” said Hewson, who is editor of Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons.
“Nobody’s ever done that before.”
http://www.tactical-life.com/online/news/russia-markets-weapon-that-hides-in-40-foot-shipping-container/
Potential customers for the formidable Club-K system include Kremlin allies Iran and Venezuela, say defense experts. They worry that countries could pass on the satellite-guided missiles, which are very hard to detect, to terrorist groups.
“At a stroke, the Club-K gives a long-range precision strike capability to ordinary vehicles that can be moved to almost any place on earth without attracting attention,” said Robert Hewson of Jane’s Defense Weekly, who first disclosed its existence.
A promotional video for the Club-K on the website of Moscow-based makers Kontsern-Morinformsistema-Agat shows an imaginary tropical country facing a land, sea and air attack from a hostile neighbor.
It fights back by loading three shipping containers concealing Club-Ks onto a truck, a train and a ship, disperses them, and then launches a devastating strike on its enemy, destroying its warships, tanks and airfields.
“The idea that you can hide a missile system in a box and drive it around without anyone knowing is pretty new,” said Hewson, who is editor of Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons.
“Nobody’s ever done that before.”
http://www.tactical-life.com/online/news/russia-markets-weapon-that-hides-in-40-foot-shipping-container/
Zero Hour: The Day The Grid Stood Still
There are several causal factors, natural and manmade, that could bring out modern grid to a stand-still, arguing for the need for distributed, hardened power. Disruption could come from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from a military nuclear detonation, or it could come from a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun.
http://pesn.com/2010/04/30/9501641_Zero_Hour_The_Day_The_Grid_Stood_Still/
http://pesn.com/2010/04/30/9501641_Zero_Hour_The_Day_The_Grid_Stood_Still/
The Risk Of Yellowstone's Mighty Volcano
The tourists are showing up as the season gets going at Yellowstone National Park, some of them oblivious to what lies beneath.
"The volcano?" asked a young woman who had just started her summer job in West Yellowstone.
"I've heard about the one in Iceland, not the one in Yellowstone."
The volcano in Iceland has CBS station KCNC-TV thinking about the power that's roiling under the earth's surface. The Iceland volcano forced airlines all over Europe to cancel flights because the ash -- tiny particles of glass can clog and damage engines as it hits at hundreds of miles per hour.
If the Yellowstone volcano has a major eruption, you won't be thinking much about flying.
"Almost everybody knows something about Mt. St. Helens," said the US Geological Survey's Dr. Harley Benz.
Benz is scientist in charge at the USGS office in Golden. He's busy tracking earthquakes these days, but spent five summers in Yellowstone writing his master's thesis on the volcano. Benz explained there are three known major eruptions, 2.1 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago and 640 thousand years ago.
In the eruption 640 thousand years ago, the ash was 1000 times greater than Mt. St. Helen's. And that wasn't the biggest. When the Yellowstone volcano went off 2.1 million years ago scientists figure is pushed out 585 cubic miles of material. When Mt. St. Helens erupted 30 years ago this week, it ejected one-10th of a cubic mile of material. Do the math -- that's about 6,000 times the size of Mt. St. Helens.
"We're talking about a huge area that was covered in tens of feet of ash," said Benz. "In a very large area out to 100 miles from the center."
Ash would cover a large portion of the western United States.
In Denver, 500 miles away from Yellowstone, we've seen 2 to 3 feet of ash in past super eruptions.
http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/yellowstone.benz.volcano.2.1710007.html
"The volcano?" asked a young woman who had just started her summer job in West Yellowstone.
"I've heard about the one in Iceland, not the one in Yellowstone."
The volcano in Iceland has CBS station KCNC-TV thinking about the power that's roiling under the earth's surface. The Iceland volcano forced airlines all over Europe to cancel flights because the ash -- tiny particles of glass can clog and damage engines as it hits at hundreds of miles per hour.
If the Yellowstone volcano has a major eruption, you won't be thinking much about flying.
"Almost everybody knows something about Mt. St. Helens," said the US Geological Survey's Dr. Harley Benz.
Benz is scientist in charge at the USGS office in Golden. He's busy tracking earthquakes these days, but spent five summers in Yellowstone writing his master's thesis on the volcano. Benz explained there are three known major eruptions, 2.1 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago and 640 thousand years ago.
In the eruption 640 thousand years ago, the ash was 1000 times greater than Mt. St. Helen's. And that wasn't the biggest. When the Yellowstone volcano went off 2.1 million years ago scientists figure is pushed out 585 cubic miles of material. When Mt. St. Helens erupted 30 years ago this week, it ejected one-10th of a cubic mile of material. Do the math -- that's about 6,000 times the size of Mt. St. Helens.
"We're talking about a huge area that was covered in tens of feet of ash," said Benz. "In a very large area out to 100 miles from the center."
Ash would cover a large portion of the western United States.
In Denver, 500 miles away from Yellowstone, we've seen 2 to 3 feet of ash in past super eruptions.
http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/yellowstone.benz.volcano.2.1710007.html
Stephen Hawking's Warning to Earth: Are Quantum ETs Possible?
On a recent Discovery program on the Universe, Stephen Hawking voiced concern about the dangers, he believes, are posed by aliens who may arrive some day on Earth: "To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational. The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like..." According to Hawking aliens "would be only limited by how much power they could harness and control, and that could be far more than we might first imagine...Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach...I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet...If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans."
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/05/stephen-hawkings-aliens-could-they-be-quantum-civilization.html
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/05/stephen-hawkings-aliens-could-they-be-quantum-civilization.html
Satanic cult teens 'sacrificed' victims then ate them
Seven young members of a satanic sect have gone on trial in Russia accused of four gruesome murders in which they "ritually sacrificed" their victims before cooking and eating parts of them.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/7760270/Satanic-cult-teens-sacrificed-victims-then-ate-them.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/7760270/Satanic-cult-teens-sacrificed-victims-then-ate-them.html
Motor Neurone Disease Group Donates £800,000 for Human/Animal Hybrid Clone Research
NORTHAMPTON, May 24, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The UK’s Motor Neurone Disease Association has announced it will donate £800,000 (US $1,200,000) to fund human/animal “hybrid embryo” cloning research by the same Edinburgh University team that created “Dolly” the cloned sheep.
The 3-year project, led by the team at the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at Edinburgh University and headed by Dr. Ian Wilmut, hopes to develop human brain cells that carry the hereditary form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) called TDP-43.
The experiments will involve removing the nucleus of the gamete or “ova” of an animal, most likely a pig or cow, and inserting the nucleus taken from a donor patient. The resulting cloned human/animal hybrid embryos that survive will be cultivated for several days until they reach the stage at which embryonic stem cells are obtainable. These stem cells, the researchers say, can be used to create nerve cells that carry the TDP-43 gene.
This form of cloning, called “somatic cell nuclear transfer” (SCNT) using both human and animal tissue, was approved for experimental use by the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in 2008.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/may/10052408.html
The 3-year project, led by the team at the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at Edinburgh University and headed by Dr. Ian Wilmut, hopes to develop human brain cells that carry the hereditary form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) called TDP-43.
The experiments will involve removing the nucleus of the gamete or “ova” of an animal, most likely a pig or cow, and inserting the nucleus taken from a donor patient. The resulting cloned human/animal hybrid embryos that survive will be cultivated for several days until they reach the stage at which embryonic stem cells are obtainable. These stem cells, the researchers say, can be used to create nerve cells that carry the TDP-43 gene.
This form of cloning, called “somatic cell nuclear transfer” (SCNT) using both human and animal tissue, was approved for experimental use by the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in 2008.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/may/10052408.html
A synthetic creation story
Last week's announcement of the 'chemical synthesis of a living organism' by Craig Venter and his colleagues at the J. Craig Venter Institute1 heads up a very long tradition. Claims such as this have been made throughout history.
That's not to cast aspersions on the new results. One can challenge the idea that Venter's bacterium stands apart from Darwinian evolution, modelled as it is on Mycoplasma mycoides. It is nonetheless an unprecedented triumph of biotechnological ingenuity.
But, set in a historical context, what the researchers have achieved is not so much a 'synthesis of life' as a semi-synthetic recreation of what we currently deem life to be. And, as with previous efforts, it should leave us questioning the adequacy of that view.
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100524/full/news.2010.261.html
That's not to cast aspersions on the new results. One can challenge the idea that Venter's bacterium stands apart from Darwinian evolution, modelled as it is on Mycoplasma mycoides. It is nonetheless an unprecedented triumph of biotechnological ingenuity.
But, set in a historical context, what the researchers have achieved is not so much a 'synthesis of life' as a semi-synthetic recreation of what we currently deem life to be. And, as with previous efforts, it should leave us questioning the adequacy of that view.
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100524/full/news.2010.261.html
Corruptible Humanity: Could Mankind be Hijacked?
With the news coming to light yesterday regarding the creation of a new synthetic life form, the scientific community, as well as religious and policy-based institutions, are engaging in strong debate (with, perhaps, the strongest yet to come) involving the ethics of creating new biological species.
At the heart of the debate is the age old question, “does man know enough about life yet to create it?” Still others would argue, “will mankind ever know enough about life to take its complete manipulation–to the point of creation–into its hand?”
http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2010/05/corruptible-humanity-could-mankind-be-hijacked/
At the heart of the debate is the age old question, “does man know enough about life yet to create it?” Still others would argue, “will mankind ever know enough about life to take its complete manipulation–to the point of creation–into its hand?”
http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2010/05/corruptible-humanity-could-mankind-be-hijacked/
Creating synthetic life is a powerful, dangerous tool
Jim Thomas has a kit in his Montreal office he can use to make cells glow with synthetic DNA.
"I can do it in the kitchen," says Thomas. Cooking up artificial genes is fast becoming child's play.
College students now flock to an annual synthetic biology competition called iGEM -- International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition -- where they dice and splice DNA into some pretty interesting creations. Last year's winner was a U.S. team that built E. Chromi-- an E. coli bacteria programmed to turn different colours in response to the toxins it detects.
Now the world's highest profile "synbio" player -- U.S. geneticist Craig Venter -- has upped the game, with the announcement this week that his Maryland company has created the first synthetic cells from a DNA recipe stored in a computer.
"This is the first self-replicating species that we've had on the planet whose parent is a computer," Venter told reporters Thursday as he unveiled his creation in the journal Science.
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Creating+synthetic+life+powerful+dangerous+tool/3060367/story.html
"I can do it in the kitchen," says Thomas. Cooking up artificial genes is fast becoming child's play.
College students now flock to an annual synthetic biology competition called iGEM -- International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition -- where they dice and splice DNA into some pretty interesting creations. Last year's winner was a U.S. team that built E. Chromi-- an E. coli bacteria programmed to turn different colours in response to the toxins it detects.
Now the world's highest profile "synbio" player -- U.S. geneticist Craig Venter -- has upped the game, with the announcement this week that his Maryland company has created the first synthetic cells from a DNA recipe stored in a computer.
"This is the first self-replicating species that we've had on the planet whose parent is a computer," Venter told reporters Thursday as he unveiled his creation in the journal Science.
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Creating+synthetic+life+powerful+dangerous+tool/3060367/story.html
Synthetic Genome Raises Biosecurity Concerns
Researchers yesterday announced they had engineered a cell directed by genetic material sequenced entirely by humans, a breakthrough in an area of study that some observers fear could be harnessed for developing biological-weapon agents, the Washington Post reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 9, 2009).The work could someday produce microbes capable of consuming waste or creating fuel material, according to the newspaper.
President Barack Obama yesterday called for the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to "undertake ... a study of the implications of this scientific milestone, as well as other advances that may lie ahead in this field of research."
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100520_5702.php
President Barack Obama yesterday called for the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to "undertake ... a study of the implications of this scientific milestone, as well as other advances that may lie ahead in this field of research."
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100520_5702.php
Adventures in Synthetic Biology
While geologists are debating whether Earth really has entered a new epoch, the Anthropocene, named for the dominant influence on the planet’s geochemistry these days, there’s no question that biology will never be quite the same again.
The latest achievement of J. Craig Venter — rebooting a bacterial cell as a different species by giving it a man-made genetic instruction manual — is just one step on the long inevitable path into synthetic biology.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/adventures-in-synthetic-biology/
The latest achievement of J. Craig Venter — rebooting a bacterial cell as a different species by giving it a man-made genetic instruction manual — is just one step on the long inevitable path into synthetic biology.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/adventures-in-synthetic-biology/
Scientists Bring Back Artificial Life -- And Our Fear of Frankenstein
In Frankenstein, the human life form created by Dr. Victor Frankenstein has no name. But in public talks, Mary Shelley was said to have referred to the creature as "Adam" -- the human created in the Bible by God. The subtitle of the book is "The Modern Prometheus" -- another God who, according to some versions of Greek myth, created Man.
Fiction is nearly fact. A group of scientists has manufactured DNA, put it into a bacterium with a similar genetic code, and nurtured this Adam as the inserted DNA took over and turned the host cell into a self-replicating life form. Igor has thrown the switch. Frankenstein has sat up on the table. "It's alive!" Humans have taken a big step toward creating a new form of life.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-ropeik/scientists-bring-back-art_b_583876.html
Fiction is nearly fact. A group of scientists has manufactured DNA, put it into a bacterium with a similar genetic code, and nurtured this Adam as the inserted DNA took over and turned the host cell into a self-replicating life form. Igor has thrown the switch. Frankenstein has sat up on the table. "It's alive!" Humans have taken a big step toward creating a new form of life.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-ropeik/scientists-bring-back-art_b_583876.html
Is Synthetic Biology (Artificial Life) A Blessing Or A Curse?
There have been game changers in science, but this Synthetic Biology (Artificial Life) is a whopper. Days ago, it was reported that scientists had created Artificial Life in the lab; this Artificial Life could basically mimic what the scientists wanted it to do.
http://www.damego.com/is-synthetic-biology-artificial-life-a-blessing-or-a-curse
http://www.damego.com/is-synthetic-biology-artificial-life-a-blessing-or-a-curse
Food industry too secretive over nanoparticles
The industry is "very reluctant to put its head above the parapet and be open about research on nanotechnology," said study chairperson Lord John Krebs.
"They got their fingers burnt over the use of GM crops and so they want to keep a low profile on this issue. We believe that they should adopt exactly the opposite approach. If you want to build confidence you should be open rather than secretive."
Nanotechnology refers to the practice of manipulating particles on the scale of one-billionth of a meter. Particles of this size behave in a fundamentally different fashion than they do on the more familiar scale, producing a wide variety of novel applications. Because nanoparticles are not currently regulated any differently than larger particles, they are already making their way into consumer products, from sunscreens and cosmetics to clothing and sporting goods. Their industrial and medical uses are also being explored.
http://www.naturalnews.com/028836_nanoparticles_food.html
"They got their fingers burnt over the use of GM crops and so they want to keep a low profile on this issue. We believe that they should adopt exactly the opposite approach. If you want to build confidence you should be open rather than secretive."
Nanotechnology refers to the practice of manipulating particles on the scale of one-billionth of a meter. Particles of this size behave in a fundamentally different fashion than they do on the more familiar scale, producing a wide variety of novel applications. Because nanoparticles are not currently regulated any differently than larger particles, they are already making their way into consumer products, from sunscreens and cosmetics to clothing and sporting goods. Their industrial and medical uses are also being explored.
http://www.naturalnews.com/028836_nanoparticles_food.html
Military Researchers Develop Corpse-Eating Robots
From the file marked “Evidently, many scientists have never seen even one scary sci-fi movie”: The Defense Department is funding research into battlefield robots that power themselves by eating human corpses. What could possibly go wrong?
Since they apparently don’t own TVs or DVD players, researchers at Robotic Technology say the robots will collect organic matter, which “could” include human corpses, to use for fuel. But if you picked up anything on flesh-eating robots over the years you know they’ll ignore that tasty soybean field and make a chow line right to the nearest dead body. And, if the machines can’t find enough dead people to eat, they can always make new ones.
Researchers seem to get a kick out of ensuring the demise of the human species, so the project is called the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot, or EATR. Wired.com readers looking to save time and trouble are invited to begin marinating themselves in a mix of 10W30 and Heinz 57 Sauce immediately.
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/07/military-researchers-develop-corpse-eating-robots/
Since they apparently don’t own TVs or DVD players, researchers at Robotic Technology say the robots will collect organic matter, which “could” include human corpses, to use for fuel. But if you picked up anything on flesh-eating robots over the years you know they’ll ignore that tasty soybean field and make a chow line right to the nearest dead body. And, if the machines can’t find enough dead people to eat, they can always make new ones.
Researchers seem to get a kick out of ensuring the demise of the human species, so the project is called the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot, or EATR. Wired.com readers looking to save time and trouble are invited to begin marinating themselves in a mix of 10W30 and Heinz 57 Sauce immediately.
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/07/military-researchers-develop-corpse-eating-robots/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
