Interesting Stuff Thread

robindch

The good folks in NASA release thousands of fantastic high-definition photos of the Apollo missions:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectapolloarchive/

recedite

One eyed Jack wrote: »

..the Francis Crick Institute to use new "gene editing" techniques on human embryos.

I see this relatively new institute now has a fancy new facility in London, so they are obviously positioning themselves to become a pioneering world leader in gene therapies. Which will probably lead on to genetic enhancement technologies. I suppose there'll be plenty of money to be made in both areas, in the not so distant future.

silverharp

this is a surprise, havnt listened to it yet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd_XaZqda1k

looksee

Listened to half of it, will listen to the rest later. I skipped the 8 minutes of football at the beginning, but after that I found it very interesting.

Kivaro

Asteroid to make March flyby as close as 11,000 miles from Earth:
http://stgist.com/2016/02/a-large-asteroid-could-hurtle-close-to-earth-in-march-nasa-says-it-wont-hit-6704

But don't worry; scientists aren’t really sure what trajectory the asteroid is going to take when it does make its flyby in March. :eek:

And don't worry even more; because if it misses in March, it will be back again in 2017. :eek::eek:

Hotblack Desiato

It's OK, I have insurance.

Kivaro

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

It's OK, I have insurance.

Do you think this is why FG just announced that they are now abolishing the USC tax?

looksee

On Tuesday, NASA published a statement saying that, based on available data, the 2013 TX68 could fly past our planet as far out as 14 million kilometers to as close as 17,000 kilometers, but the space agency clarified that it won’t hit Earth.

Why is 14 m kilometers 'as far out as' and 17 m kilometers 'as close as'? Shouldn't that be the other way round, or is this some esoteric astronomical way of looking at this that I am not familiar with?

Pherekydes

looksee wrote: »

Why is 14 m kilometers 'as far out as' and 17 m kilometers 'as close as'? Shouldn't that be the other way round, or is this some esoteric astronomical way of looking at this that I am not familiar with?

I read it as 14 million and 17 thousand.

looksee

Pherekydes wrote: »

I read it as 14 million and 17 thousand.

sbsquarepants

I don't like that margin of error - somewhere between 17000 and 14000000. It seems very un NASA like!

If it can be "X" far away or "X" x 1000 far away, why could it not be "X"/1000 times closer?
Basically this thing could be anywhere between mars and crumlin:eek:

Nodin

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I don't like that margin of error - somewhere between 17000 and 14000000. It seems very un NASA like!

If it can be "X" far away or "X" x 1000 far away, why could it not be "X"/1000 times closer?
Basically this thing could be anywhere between mars and crumlin:eek:

Be realistic now, theres no way it would take the chance of going near crumlin.

Anyhoo, press conference announced -

"With rumors flying, scientists are set to make a big announcement on gravitational waves"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/02/09/with-rumors-flying-scientists-are-set-to-make-a-big-announcement-on-gravitational-waves/?tid=sm_fb

Nodin

And they did find them......

"Scientists announced Thursday that, after decades of effort, they have succeeded in detecting gravitational waves from the violent merging of two black holes in deep space. "
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/02/11/cosmic-breakthrough-physicists-detect-gravitational-waves-from-violent-black-hole-merger/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_gravitaionalwaves_sos_1040am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Theres a horror movie in there somewhere.....sexy young Scientists meddle something something gravitational waves leading to (logically) Satan Unleashed.

Hotblack Desiato

Interesting blog post by David Byrne on online echo chambers.

http://davidbyrne.com/the-echo-chamber

silverharp

https://news.vice.com/video/rescuing-ex-muslims-leaving-islam?utm_source=vicenewstwitter

round the world, people who leave the faith of Islam face state persecution, imprisonment, torture, and even execution, as well as violence, death threats, and ostracization from their own communities.

Many ex-Muslims risk so-called honor killing, forced marriage, kidnap, and communal violence at the hands of their families for "bringing shame" on their community. In Western countries, ex-Muslims are often thrown out of the family and face isolation and exclusion.

VICE News has gained access to an underground network in London who help rescue ex-Muslims. We follow the network as it helps a young atheist escape Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and provides support and shelter for young British people on the run from their families and communities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1lnxUXWGgE

Kivaro

We all know that there are some nutjobs in Kentucky, so here is someone that goes a long way to balance it out:

Kentucky lawmaker’s bill forces men to get note from wives before purchasing Viagra.
The lawmaker says:
“I want to protect these men from themselves”
“This is about family values”

Sounds familiar?

The bill would also require the pill popper to:
“make a sworn statement with his hand on a Bible that he will only use a prescription for a drug for erectile dysfunction when having sexual relations with his current spouse.”

Got to admire this lawmaker, who is an abortion rights supporter and argues that government should not be able to interfere with people’s medical decisions.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/14/kentucky-lawmakers-bill-forces-men-to-get-note-from-wives-before-purchasing-viagra/

Pherekydes

Kivaro wrote: »

...and argues that government should not be able to interfere with people’s medical decisions.

...while interfering with people's medical decisions.

Admirable alright.

Kivaro

Pherekydes wrote: »

...while interfering with people's medical decisions.

Admirable alright.

Just in case you didn't read the article; the bill was symbolic with very little chance of getting support. She introduced the bill a week after the Republican Governor signed a bill requiring women to consult with a doctor at least 24 hours before an abortion.

Calibos

Dunno if it deserves its own thread but came across a link to this on Reddit.

disbelieve-it-or-not-ancient-history-suggests-that-atheism-is-as-natural-to-humans-as-religion

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/disbelieve-it-or-not-ancient-history-suggests-that-atheism-is-as-natural-to-humans-as-religion

Michael OBrien

Calibos wrote: »

Dunno if it deserves its own thread but came across a link to this on Reddit.

disbelieve-it-or-not-ancient-history-suggests-that-atheism-is-as-natural-to-humans-as-religion

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/disbelieve-it-or-not-ancient-history-suggests-that-atheism-is-as-natural-to-humans-as-religion

How could it not be? have you read what the ancients used to believe? No wonder there were some that doubted those myths.

looksee

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Kivaro

Calibos wrote: »

disbelieve-it-or-not-ancient-history-suggests-that-atheism-is-as-natural-to-humans-as-religion

That sounds correct. We've been atheist longer than we've they've been religious.

Hotblack Desiato

It would be simply idiotic for anyone to claim atheism is a modern phenomenon, the term was coined in ancient Greece, 5th century BCE if not earlier.

robindch

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

It would be simply idiotic for anyone to claim atheism is a modern phenomenon, the term was coined in ancient Greece, 5th century BCE if not earlier.

Idiotic, yes. However, in their argumentation and antagonism, the religious have found the idiotic less of a stumbling block and more of a stepping stone.

seamus

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

It would be simply idiotic for anyone to claim atheism is a modern phenomenon, the term was coined in ancient Greece, 5th century BCE if not earlier.

Generally people consider something "modern" if they nor there parents have any living memory of it existing before.

There are lots of things - ideas, activities, even words that we consider modern, but can actually be traced back hundreds of years.

Being atheist is "new" to people alive today in the western world because up until quite recently those who admitted to it would face ostracisation, at best. It's only become acceptable to "offend" religion in the last 30 years or so (15 years here in Ireland), which is basically unavoidable when one is an atheist.

recedite

Radical Salafist speakers visiting Dublin this weekend.
Incitement to Hatred, or Freedom of Speech? You decide... (if you can get hold of an English translation afterwards)

KomradeBishop

Good article on the corruption of corporate-funded science:
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/02/08/19223/meet-rented-white-coats-who-defend-toxic-chemicals

kleefarr

Not soon enough in my opinion..

http://yournewswire.com/the-queens-personal-doctor-publicly-condemns-big-pharma/

Shrap

kleefarr wrote: »

Not soon enough in my opinion..

http://yournewswire.com/the-queens-personal-doctor-publicly-condemns-big-pharma/

"The Queen’s Personal Doctor Publicly Condemns Big Pharma"?? Wouldn't think the mother of a fella who shamelessly touts homeopathy would lend much weight to the argument, but hey ho...

kleefarr

Shrap wrote: »

"The Queen’s Personal Doctor Publicly Condemns Big Pharma"?? Wouldn't think the mother of a fella who shamelessly touts homeopathy would lend much weight to the argument, but hey ho...

I don't recall ever seeing much about homeopathy being over priced and of no benefit?