SuperMegaMonkey: Science: May 2013 Archives

Science

The cicadas will be here in a few weeks, just like you always wanted.

[I]n about eight weeks, once the transformation is complete, the brood's males will start chirping their distinct mating calls all over the Garden State.
Steven Melendez, a data news developer for WNYC, said he has received reports of sightings from Flanders to Westfield, Short Hills and South Orange. WNYC partnered with RadioLab to create the Cicada Tracker map to record sightings on the East Coast.

*shudder*

I'm not leaving the house.

By min | May 23, 2013, 2:38 PM | Science | Link

More Star Trek in Real Life

It's like a tricorder.

Meet Scout, a device that can monitor and track your vital signs, temperature, ECG, heart rate, oximetry and stress by just holding the it up to your forehead for 10 seconds.
As simple as it sounds, to use the device you simply hold it against your forehead and wait. Results are synched from Scout to your smartphone, where you can track your health over time. On a basic level, you can see that your temperature or heart rate is elevated from the norm at any given time. On a larger level, you can also see potential problems headed your way by noticing abnormalities before they become physical issues.

But would it have warned me months ahead of time that i was in danger of having a back spasm? Cause that's the sort of shit i need a diagnostic report for so that i know my muscles are shriveling up and can do something about it before the injury occurs.

I don't need it to tell me my temperature. I need it to tell me what the hell is with those random sharp pains in my chest.

By min | May 22, 2013, 8:55 AM | Science | Link

Food Replicators!!!

NASA is funding research into making a 3-D printer for food. That's awesome.

But they're going to have to program them to make the container as well as the food else it'll be really difficult to request your "tea, Earl Grey, hot".

By min | May 21, 2013, 1:56 PM | Science & TeeVee | Link

Poles Positions

Did you know the distribution of snow and rain and humidity actually causes the earth's geographic poles to shift? Mean either!! Cause that sounds crazy, picturing the earth as this wobbly ball that has to re-center itself occasionally. Now, thanks to climate change and Greenland melting, the poles have shifted at a much faster rate than before.

From 1982 to 2005, the pole drifted southeast toward northern Labrador, Canada, at a rate of about 2 milliarcseconds --or roughly 6 centimetres -- per year. But in 2005, the pole changed course and began galloping east toward Greenland at a rate of more than 7 milliarcseconds per year.
...
They found that recent accelerated ice loss and associated sea-level rise accounted for more than 90% of the post-2005 polar shift.
...
When mass is lost in one part of a spinning sphere, its spin axis will tilt directly toward the position of the loss, he says -- exactly as Chen's team observed for Greenland. "It's a unique indicator of the point where the mass is lost," says Ivins.

Guess Santa better start packing.

By min | May 20, 2013, 3:09 PM | Science | Link

3-D Nanoscale Sculptures

I thought this was pretty kewl. By changing the concentration of carbon dioxide or acidity in a solution, scientists were able to make self-assembling nano-materials form into flower-like structures, complete with leaves, stems,and vases.

Although the structures created in this study are just for show, the technique has potential for future applications. The folds of these 3-D microstructures pack a large amount of surface area into a tiny space--an important consideration for the production of chemicals that depend on catalysts, substances that speed up chemical reactions. The more surface area available, the more catalysts you can add--and the more efficient the reaction.

By min | May 19, 2013, 1:14 PM | Science | Link

Friday Holy WTF-ery: Flesh Eating Bacteria

John Hanneman, the guitarist for Slayer, got bit by a spider which infected him with a flesh-eating bacteria. Ultimately, he died of liver failure, which may or may not have been related to the goddamned flesh-eating disease on his arm.

WTF? Robin's fear of spiders is now completely justified. They can transmit a bacteria to you that will eat you!

Why the hell does a flesh-eating bacteria even exist?? It shouldn't exist!

And how can you avoid getting infected?

The best way to defend yourself against necrotizing fasciitis is to avoid the bacteria that cause it. That means washing your hands thoroughly and often, steering clear of people who have sore throat symptoms (in case they have strep throat), and taking care of injuries. If you receive a cut or abrasion, wash it thoroughly with hot water and soap and apply antibiotic ointment. And don't pop skin blisters -- the National Institutes of Health says keeping the skin intact is a powerful line of defense to ward off infection.

So, basically, stay away from people and never get a cut.

By min | May 3, 2013, 10:11 AM | Music & Science | Link

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