November 4, 2010
A blivet [bliv-it], also known as a poiuyt, devil’s fork or widget, is an undecipherable figure, an optical illusion and an impossible object. It appears to have three cylindrical prongs at one end which then mysteriously transform into two rectangular prongs at the other end.
In traditional U.S. Army slang dating back to the Second World War, a blivet was defined as ‘ten pounds of manure in a five pound bag’ (a proverbial description of anything egregiously ugly or unmanageable); it was applied to an unmanageable situation, a crucial but substandard or damaged tool, or a self-important person. In some areas of the U.S., it refers to a juvenile prank, clearly connected with the original military usage: a sack full of excrement is ignited on the victim’s porch, while the pranksters ring the doorbell and run. The victim attempts to put the flames out by stamping on the bag.
Posted in Humor, Language, Science |
Leave a Comment »
November 4, 2010
Stelarc (Stelios Arkadiou) is a Greek-Australian performance artist whose works focuses heavily on extending the capabilities of the human body. As such, most of his pieces are centred around his concept that the human body is obsolete. He is currently a visiting Professor in the School of Arts at Brunel University, West London.
In 2007, Stelarc had a cell-cultivated ear surgically attached to his left arm. In 2005, MIT Press published ‘Stelarc: The Monograph’ which is the first extensive study of his prolific work.
Posted in Art, Science, Technology |
Leave a Comment »
November 4, 2010
The Vacanti mouse was a laboratory mouse that had what looked like a human ear grown on its back. The ‘ear’ was actually an ear-shaped cartilage structure grown by seeding cow cartilage cells into a biodegradable ear-shaped mold. The earmouse, as it became known as, was created by Dr. Charles Vacanti, an anesthesiologist at the University of Massachusetts and Dr. Linda Griffith-Cima, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at M.I.T. in 1995.
Posted in Health, Science, Technology |
Leave a Comment »
November 1, 2010
Opal is a mineraloid (a mineral-like substance that does not demonstrate crystallinity) which is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl and basalt. The word opal comes from the Latin opalus (to see a change of color).
The water content is usually between three and ten percent, but can be as high as twenty percent. Opal ranges from clear through white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black. Of these hues, the reds against black are the most rare, whereas white and greens are the most common. These color variations are a function of growth size into the red and infrared wavelengths. Opal is Australia’s national gemstone.
Posted in Science |
Leave a Comment »
October 28, 2010
The Mimic Octopus is a species of octopus that has a strong ability to mimic other creatures. It grows up to 60 cm (2 feet) in length. Its normal coloring consists of brown and white stripes or spots. Living in the tropical seas of South East Asia, it was not discovered officially until 1998, off the coast of Sulawesi. The octopus mimics the physical likeness and movements of more than fifteen different species, including sea snakes, lionfish, flatfish, brittle stars, giant crabs, sea shells, stingrays, flounders, jellyfish, sea anemones, and mantis shrimp. It accomplishes this by contorting its body and arms, and changing color.
Although all octopuses can change color and texture, and many can blend with the sea floor, appearing as rocks, the mimic octopus is the first octopus species ever observed to impersonate other animals. Based on observation, the mimic octopus may decide which animal to impersonate depending on local predators. For example, when the octopus was being attacked by damselfish, it often mimics a banded sea snake, a damselfish predator. The octopus impersonates the snake by turning black and yellow, burying six of its arms, and waving its other two arms in opposite directions. The mimic octopus is often confused with Wunderpus photogenicus, another recently discovered species. The Wunderpus can be distinguished by the pattern of strong, fixed white markings on its body.
Posted in Science |
Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
A Calabi-Yau space is a mathematical construction used by physicists to describe parts of nature that are too small to see with the human eye. Physicists use Calabi-Yau spaces in studying high energy physics of which string theory is a part. These structures add 6, 7, or more dimensions to the four dimension (three for space, one for time) model of the universe.
The study of Calabi-Yau spaces is part of a mathematical theory known as ‘manifold theory.’ These tiny parts are interesting because although they are small, they are also very high in energy. It is like they are compressed like a spring, or like a very long rubber band wrapped around a golf ball. And the smaller we go the more energy the tiny particles contain. These models are named for mathematicians Eugenio Calabi and Shing-Tung Yau.
Posted in Science |
Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
In anatomy, heterochromia [het-uh-roh-kroh-me-uh] refers to a difference in coloration, usually of the iris but also of hair or skin. Heterochromia is a result of the relative excess or lack of melanin (a pigment). It may be inherited or due to disease or injury. Eye color, specifically the color of the irises, is determined primarily by the concentration and distribution of melanin. The affected eye may be hyperpigmented (hyperchromic) or hypopigmented (hypochromic).
Heterochromia of the eye (heterochromia iridis or heterochromia iridum) is of two kinds. In complete heterochromia, one iris is a different color from the other. In partial heterochromia or sectoral heterochromia, part of one iris is a different color from its remainder. Partial or sectoral heterochromia is much less common than complete heterochromia and is typically found in autosomally inherited disorders such as Hirschsprung’s disease and Waardenburg syndrome.
Posted in Health, Science |
1 Comment »
October 26, 2010
Propolis [prop-uh-lis] is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps (approximately 6 millimeters or less), while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax.
Its color varies depending on its botanical source, the most common being dark brown, but it can be found in green, red, black and white hues. Propolis is sticky at and above room temperature. At lower temperatures it becomes hard and very brittle. Propolis is also marketed by health food stores as a traditional medicine with a variety of uses.
read more »
Posted in Health, Science |
Leave a Comment »
October 19, 2010
Seed bombing or aerial reforestation is a technique of introducing vegetation to land by throwing or dropping compressed clods of soil containing live vegetation. Often, seed bombing projects are done with arid or off-limits (for example, privately-owned) land. The term ‘seed grenade’ was first used by NY artist, Liz Christy in 1973 when she started the ‘Green Guerrillas.’ The first seed grenades were made from condoms filled with local wildflower seeds, water and fertilizer. They were tossed over fences onto empty lots in New York City in order to make the neighborhoods look better. It was the start of the guerrilla gardening movement.
The earliest records of aerial reforestation date back from 1930. In this period, planes were used to distribute seeds over certain inaccessible mountains in Honolulu after forest fires. Seed bombing is also widely used in Africa in barren or simply grassy areas. Newer seed bombs use biodegradable shells which feed the sprout as it grows. Barren land can be turned into a garden in a little over a month. A variant of seed bombing, called tree bombing, involves dropping saplings from military aircraft, but has yet to be attempted.
Posted in Politics, Science |
Leave a Comment »
October 19, 2010
Cortisol [kawr-tuh-sawl], also known as hydrocortisone, is a steroid hormone or glucocorticoid produced by the adrenal gland, and is one of the best known ‘stress hormones.’ Stress hormones act by mobilizing energy from storage to muscles, increasing heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate and shutting down metabolic processes such as digestion, reproduction, growth and immunity.
Posted in Health, Science |
Leave a Comment »
October 10, 2010
The lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is the largest known species of jellyfish. Its range is confined to the cold waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans, seldom found farther south than 42°N latitude. Similar jellyfish, which may be the same species, are known to inhabit seas near Australia and New Zealand. The largest recorded specimen found, washed up on the shore of Massachusetts Bay in 1870, had a bell (body) with a diameter of 2.3 m (7 feet 6 inches) and tentacles 36.5 m (120 feet) long.
Posted in Science |
Leave a Comment »
September 27, 2010
Cave of the Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 metres (980 ft) deep in Chihuahua, Mexico, discovered in 2000. The main chamber contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found. The cave’s largest crystal found to date is 11 m (36 ft) in length, 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F) with 90 to 100 percent humidity.
The cave is relatively unexplored due to the extreme temperatures and high humidity. Without proper protection people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time. Additionally, the caves are accessible today only because the mining company’s pumping operations keep them clear of water. If the pumping were stopped, the caves would be submerged.
Posted in Science, World |
Leave a Comment »
