Science!
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I was wondering whether a new thread just related to science stories would be interesting to anyone (other than me).
To start off,
Bacteria can coordinate their behavior by exchanging signals that reveal how many of them there are. But unexpectedly, VIRUSES can eavesdrop on those signals, to launch infections only when there are enough hosts around
The Viruses That Eavesdrop on Their Hosts
By listening to signals exchanged by the bacteria they target, they can bide their time until they have enough fresh targets to infect.
From the story:
Quorum sensing was already a revolutionary concept. As Bassler uncovered its details over decades, she and others were shocked to realize that supposedly simple organisms such as bacteria could communicate and coordinate. But viruses are even simpler. They’re not even technically alive! They’re entirely different entities from bacteria, yet they are intercepting and interpreting the same molecular messages. It’s like a rock eavesdropping on a bird.
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If you are in an area that has hot dry summers, putting solar panels in your paddocks increases grass growth - HUGELY
Solar panels increase grasses for sheep and cows by 90%
Researchers have determined that an Oregon solar facility altered the microclimate variables of mean air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and soil moisture beneath itself significantly - increasing water efficiency, allowing for much greater biomass growth.
The analysis found that several key grazing grasses were able to significantly increase their output, and in total the researchers found that greater than 90% more biomass was grown in areas partially or fully covered by solar panels. The paper suggests it was mostly due to significantly increased water efficiency – 328%. This efficiency allows semi-arid regions, with a wet winter, to store more water in the ground, allowing for a longer growth during the growing season.
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@stockcar86 BUT THEY'RE SUCKING ALL THE GOODNESS OUT OF THE SUN AND CAUSING CANCER!!!
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Explains a few people I’ve encountered over the years
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@stockcar86 great idea for a thread , cheers
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Best thread for it i guess, i was watching Planet Earth with the kids the other day, and Dave told me about this fucking horrific fungus.
This clever but evil little bastard releases its spores, insects breath them in, and then the spores take over the now fucked insect's brain. It basically drives the insect to walk up a plant, and then grip on. The fungus then grows out of the fucking insects head, and the cycle begins again.
Fuck. That!!
My kids swore off going anywhere near mushroom after watching that.
Nature is metal.
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Explains a few people I’ve encountered over the years
I thought Neanderthals and Denisovans were separate species. If they can interbreed and produce offspring, isn't that the definition of the same species?
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@stockcar86 said in Science!:
Explains a few people I’ve encountered over the years
I thought Neanderthals and Denisovans were separate species. If they can interbreed and produce offspring, isn't that the definition of the same species?
Horses and donkeys can breed and produce offspring. They are different species......
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@mariner4life said in Science!:
Best thread for it i guess, i was watching Planet Earth with the kids the other day, and Dave told me about this fucking horrific fungus.
This clever but evil little bastard releases its spores, insects breath them in, and then the spores take over the now fucked insect's brain. It basically drives the insect to walk up a plant, and then grip on. The fungus then grows out of the fucking insects head, and the cycle begins again.
Fuck. That!!
My kids swore off going anywhere near mushroom after watching that.
Nature is metal.
It fucking is. I remember seeing something similar where (I think) a fly would lay it's eggs inside a fire ant. It would then take over the fire ants brain and make it walk away from the nest and lie down awaiting the eggs to hatch and eat it.
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@no-quarter said in Science!:
@mariner4life said in Science!:
Best thread for it i guess, i was watching Planet Earth with the kids the other day, and Dave told me about this fucking horrific fungus.
This clever but evil little bastard releases its spores, insects breath them in, and then the spores take over the now fucked insect's brain. It basically drives the insect to walk up a plant, and then grip on. The fungus then grows out of the fucking insects head, and the cycle begins again.
Fuck. That!!
My kids swore off going anywhere near mushroom after watching that.
Nature is metal.
It fucking is. I remember seeing something similar where (I think) a fly would lay it's eggs inside a fire ant. It would then take over the fire ants brain and make it walk away from the nest and lie down awaiting the eggs to hatch and eat it.
What was amazing was ants would recognise the zombie-fied ant, and carry the fucking thing away from the nest to ensure the fungus didn't grow close enough to infect everybody else
yea, those little bastards who lay their eggs inside still living animals so they protect the egg, and then provide food later are fucking evil too.
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@mariner4life said in Science!:
@no-quarter said in Science!:
@mariner4life said in Science!:
Best thread for it i guess, i was watching Planet Earth with the kids the other day, and Dave told me about this fucking horrific fungus.
This clever but evil little bastard releases its spores, insects breath them in, and then the spores take over the now fucked insect's brain. It basically drives the insect to walk up a plant, and then grip on. The fungus then grows out of the fucking insects head, and the cycle begins again.
Fuck. That!!
My kids swore off going anywhere near mushroom after watching that.
Nature is metal.
It fucking is. I remember seeing something similar where (I think) a fly would lay it's eggs inside a fire ant. It would then take over the fire ants brain and make it walk away from the nest and lie down awaiting the eggs to hatch and eat it.
What was amazing was ants would recognise the zombie-fied ant, and carry the fucking thing away from the nest to ensure the fungus didn't grow close enough to infect everybody else
yea, those little bastards who lay their eggs inside still living animals so they protect the egg, and then provide food later are fucking evil too.
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@stockcar86 said in Science!:
Explains a few people I’ve encountered over the years
I thought Neanderthals and Denisovans were separate species. If they can interbreed and produce offspring, isn't that the definition of the same species?
Horses and donkeys can breed and produce offspring. They are different species......
Usually the offspring are sterile though aren’t they ?
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@stockcar86 said in Science!:
Explains a few people I’ve encountered over the years
I thought Neanderthals and Denisovans were separate species. If they can interbreed and produce offspring, isn't that the definition of the same species?
Horses and donkeys can breed and produce offspring. They are different species......
Usually the offspring are sterile though aren’t they ?
Looks like it. But female ligers (Tiger/Lion) can breed with other pure cats, the males only fire blanks
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There’s been a few cases of this now , shark virgin birth
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There’s been a few cases of this now , shark virgin birth
Something like this must be genetically encoded. Parthongenesis (spelling?) can't be spontaneous - it must be triggered by certain conditions to allow the female sharks to create offspring when there are no males around. I'd be interested in knowing whether the babies are clones or have any chromosome differences
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@stockcar86 said in Science!:
There’s been a few cases of this now , shark virgin birth
Something like this must be genetically encoded. Parthongenesis (spelling?) can't be spontaneous - it must be triggered by certain conditions to allow the female sharks to create offspring when there are no males around. I'd be interested in knowing whether the babies are clones or have any chromosome differences
It might similar to the way the marbled crayfish reproduces and what it’s offsprings DNA are like
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@stockcar86 said in Science!:
There’s been a few cases of this now , shark virgin birth
Something like this must be genetically encoded. Parthongenesis (spelling?) can't be spontaneous - it must be triggered by certain conditions to allow the female sharks to create offspring when there are no males around. I'd be interested in knowing whether the babies are clones or have any chromosome differences
It might similar to the way the marbled crayfish reproduces and what it’s offsprings DNA are like
I remember that story - all clones. Not a good genetic diversity model, but if it works...
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@stockcar86 said in Science!:
@stockcar86 said in Science!:
There’s been a few cases of this now , shark virgin birth
Something like this must be genetically encoded. Parthongenesis (spelling?) can't be spontaneous - it must be triggered by certain conditions to allow the female sharks to create offspring when there are no males around. I'd be interested in knowing whether the babies are clones or have any chromosome differences
It might similar to the way the marbled crayfish reproduces and what it’s offsprings DNA are like
I remember that story - all clones. Not a good genetic diversity model, but if it works...
New Plymouth still exists
