Interesting Stuff Thread

Dr Venter told BBC News: "We've now been able to take our synthetic chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell - a different organism.

"As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and converts into the species specified in that genetic code."

The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.

"This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell," said Dr Venter.

sink wrote: »

One way to look at it is this is the first life which does not share a common ancestor with all other known life. Our lineage along with all other known life until this point, stretches back 3.7 billion years. This lifeforms lineage is separate and stretches back a few days! That is pretty profound.

Nevore wrote: »

Careful who reads that Gal, might get slapped with a sexual harassment suit. :P

Mark Hamill wrote: »

Sounds like a description of a sitcom

strobe wrote: »

No kidding, you should check out the research they did into how people develop phobias. I'll try to dig up some clips or something, I saw a documentary about it before. One experiment involved three sets of parents of three children bringing them in once a week from the time they were babies till they were three, to see if the doctors could induce a lasting phobia into them.

They basically let the kids play with a bunny rabbit (the phobia they were trying to induce being a fear of rabbits) and at random times one of the doctors would suddenly pull the rabbit away from them while another doctor wearing a halloween monster mask would charge into the room and scream into the kids faces. When the kids eventually stopped being as frightened as they were initially of the screaming monster guy they would find a new way to terrify them during bunny rabbit playtime. Some of the most disturbing footage I have ever seen.

From the Article about testing spinal anaesthesia wrote:

The procedure was simple enough. Hildebrandt had to make a lumbar puncture by plunging a large needle through the membranes that protect the spinal cord into the fluid-filled space beneath. Then he had to fit a syringe on the needle and inject a solution of cocaine. But preparations for the experiment had been less than meticulous.

Hildebrandt made the lumbar puncture. Then, with his finger over the hub of the needle to prevent fluid from leaking out, he took up the syringe of cocaine – only to find it was the wrong fit. As he fumbled with the needles, Bier's cerebrospinal fluid began to squirt out. Horrified, Hildebrandt stopped and plugged the wound. This was when the pair should have called it a day. Instead, Hildebrandt offered to take Bier's place.

At 7.38 pm, after checking the needles more carefully, Bier began. The cocaine worked fast. "After 7 minutes: Needle pricks in the thigh were felt as pressure; tickling of the soles of the feet was hardly felt." Bier jabbed Hildebrandt in the thigh with a needle. Nothing. He tried harder, stabbing the thigh with the surgical equivalent of a stiletto. Still no response. Then, 13 minutes into the experiment, Bier stubbed out a cigar on Hildebrandt's leg.

Bier now wanted to know how far the insensitivity extended, and invented a simple test. "Pulling out pubic hairs was felt in the form of elevation of a skinfold; pulling of chest hair above the nipples caused vivid pain." So now he knew. It was more than 20 minutes since Hildebrandt had stopped feeling pain. How much more could he take? Bier increased his efforts. He smashed a heavy iron hammer into Hildebrandt's shin bone and then, when that failed to have any effect, gave his testicles a sharp tug. In a final burst of enthusiasm, Bier stabbed the thigh right to the bone, squashed hard on a testicle and, for good measure, rained blows on Hildebrandt's shin with his knuckles.

After 45 minutes, the effect of the cocaine began to wear off. The two surgeons, one missing a significant amount of cerebrospinal fluid, the other battered, burnt and suffering from serious stab wounds, went out for dinner. "We drank wine and smoked several cigars," wrote Bier.

linked article wrote:

It's hardly a secret that large segments of the population choose not to accept scientific data because it conflicts with their predefined beliefs: economic, political, religious, or otherwise. But many studies have indicated that these same people aren't happy with viewing themselves as anti-science, which can create a state of cognitive dissonance.
...
...
Regardless of whether the information presented confirmed or contradicted the students' existing beliefs, all of them came away from the reading with their beliefs strengthened. As expected, a number of the subjects that had their beliefs challenged chose to indicate that the subject was beyond the ability of science to properly examine. This group then showed a weak tendency to extend that same logic to other areas, like scientific data on astrology and herbal remedies.
...

Dades wrote: »

Will go well with your illuminous ceiling stars.

kiffer wrote: »

I've seen this before! In that documentary about that girl in america... It's the Hellmouth... Well a Hellmouth, there's another one in Cleveland.

Dades wrote: »

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100601-sinkhole-in-guatemala-2010-world-science/



The gods must have been playing swingball.