Minnesota Public Radio featured the new Saint Paul condo developments, down by the Mississippi River, this morning. The Mississippi is predicted to reach flood stage by Friday, and these folks are going to have a pretty good view of the rising water. Check out our full feature on the rising Mississip', with a time-lapse of the river's rise.
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Albert Einstein c. 1921: Photo by Ferdinand Schmutzer
Courtesy Public domain via WikimediaScientists at Princeton University and elsewhere spent the last couple years testing Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity and have come to the conclusion that the theory holds up just as well in the vast and distant regions of the universe as it does in our own solar system. First published in 1915, the landmark theory describes the very fabric of time and space, and gravity, and the way they interact with each other. It was further confirmed with experiments done during a total eclipse of the sun in 1919. The new research findings appear in the recent issue of Nature.
SOURCES.
Princeton University story
Shipwreck ettiquette – Titanic vs. Lusitania: Which ship had the more polite men?
We just said bon voyage to the Titanic exhibit here at the Science Museum of Minnesota, but I came across this very interesting article about male behavior patterns when ships are sinking. Researchers have analyzed the behaviors of men on board Titanic (which sank in about three hours) and men on board Lusitania (which sank in 18 minutes). Which ship saw more "gentlemanly" behavior? Think about it and then read the results of the research findings right here.
Minnesota state officials have announced that ash trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer(EAB) beetles have been found in Minneapolis. This destructive insect pest had already been confirmed in St.Paul in 2009, so officials were not surprised to find that it had spread. A quarantine has been in place for much of the past year, restricting the movement of ash in and out of Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Minnesota has one of the largest concentrations of ash trees in the United States, making it particularly vulnerable. You can see a map here that shows where in Minnesota the EAB has been found, and can read more about how to detect or prevent the spread of this tree-killing pest in ARTiFactor's earlier post.
The capital of New Rubbishland: Little Filthington.
Courtesy brutalLike The Highlander, there can be only one Trashlantis.
And yet, the presence of another garbage island has been declared, in the Atlantic Ocean this time. (The quick Trashlantis disclaimer: it's not really an island or a continent, or something you could even see from the the surface. It's lots and lots of tiny bits of floating plastic. Just thought we'd go over that again.)
The patch spans about 16 degrees of latitude, and it shall henceforth be known as... New Rubbishland.
(Good looking out, Gene.)
Folks, this is exciting news! Reproductive biologists think they've found the secret that makes sperm move - specifically, how this male reproductive cell knows when to begin swimming toward the female egg. For those of you who slept through biology class or had teachers that couldn't divulge the gritty details, let's just say that sexual reproduction is a lot more complicated than most of us realize (hint: it doesn't involve a stork, unless you happen to be a stork). Thankfully, some researchers at the University of California have found a way to study the inner workings of human sperm cells, discovering how differences in pH between male and female bodies triggers a chain reaction that gets sperm going. Why does this matter? By understanding how male reproductive cells work, scientists might be able to better address problems of infertility, or design new forms of contraception. While the researchers involved in this study admit that a male birth control pill probably isn't going to appear anytime soon, this discovery does point to new possibilities.
The Good Old Days: This may appear to be overkill (on the part of the illustrator), but recent finds indicate caveman life was no picnic.
Courtesy Mark RyanHairs extracted from prehistoric hyena droppings in South Africa are most likely those of early humans that lived in the region around between 195,000 to 257,000 years ago. The human hairs - extracted from a nine-inch block of fossilized dung (coprolite) - are the most ancient yet known. Whether the ancient human had been attacked by the hyena or his remains scavenged by it is not known, but the discovery illustrates some of the difficulties that confronted early man. The findings have been accepted for publication in the Journal of Archaeological Science. In the meantime, click here to learn more.
Oarfish (Regalecus glesne)
Courtesy Public domain via WikimediaWatch rare video and read the BBC science report of the bizarre oarfish caught on camera swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Oarfish (Regalecus glesne) are rarely seen in action and can grow over 50 feet in length. Scroll further down the page for rare video of manefish (Caristius macropus) behavior.
Forests are showing increased growth
Courtesy Mark RyanData collected by scientists (including citizen scientists) from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) indicates the forests they studied are growing two to four times faster than expected. Forest ecologist Geoffrey Parker and his colleagues recorded the growth of more than 250,000 trees, and attribute the increase to climate change. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
SOURCE
Smithsonian.com
Who's your daddy? King Tut's DNA results to be announced later this month
Tut's ancestory to be revealed: Later this month, authorities will be releasing the DNA test findings conducted on the mummy of King Tut. The research could determine who his ancestors were.
Courtesy Bjørn Christian TørrissenIn what sounds more like a script from a Maury Povich show, archaeology authorities in Egypt have announced they will be sharing the findings of DNA testing done on the mummy of King Tut later this month.
Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, has announced that a news conference Feb. 17 at the Cairo Museum will share the results of the testing, which could include determining the ancestory of the boy pharaoh.
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