Forum • Non-Gaming • Science & Technology

Random science stories that don't warrant their own threads thread • Page 21

  • Page

    of 22 First / Last

  • jellyhead 1 Mar 2013 19:07:14 24,346 posts
    Seen 4 weeks ago
    Registered 10 years ago
    Brem, are we able to decode any the rat brain information in any meaningful way or can we only carry the signal from one rat to another?

    The transfer of activity is amazing itself but the thought of intercepting and decoding the information is astounding.

    This signature intentionally left blank.

  • Bremenacht 1 Mar 2013 19:38:49 11,116 posts
    Seen 9 hours ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    Ehhh. Well.

    I guess the context of the information could be problematic. e.g. RAT A thinks "I'd like sniff out a new rathole" but RAT B is thinking "SHAG SHAG SHAG" it could be a problem depending on which direction the signal goes in.

    Really though, you should ask DaM as he posted the link and I haven't read the article. :)

    ed. or TOOTR - 'cos he replied.

    Edited by Bremenacht at 19:39:34 01-03-2013

    This post is unsuitable for those with a high rumour-sensitivity.

  • jellyhead 1 Mar 2013 19:47:33 24,346 posts
    Seen 4 weeks ago
    Registered 10 years ago
    Fair enough :)

    I realise it is sci-fi territory but knowing how to transmit the activity also opens the door for decoding it. Eventually.

    This signature intentionally left blank.

  • Fake_Blood 2 Mar 2013 11:37:50 2,959 posts
    Seen 21 minutes ago
    Registered 4 years ago
    Psychotext wrote:
    The robot in the second item is full on nightmare fuel.

    THE END IS NEAR

  • localnotail 5 Mar 2013 10:54:37 21,427 posts
    Seen 8 hours ago
    Registered 4 years ago
    \o/
    Giant NASA spider robots could 3D print lunar base

    Fire up the Cobra!

  • X201 13 Mar 2013 18:56:13 12,971 posts
    Seen 22 minutes ago
    Registered 7 years ago
    Heads up.

    BBC 2 & BBC HD Monday 18 March.


    "When the space shuttle Challenger blew up in 1986, it was the most shocking event in the history of American spaceflight. The deaths of seven astronauts, including the first teacher in space Christa McAuliffe, were watched live on television by millions of viewers. But what was more shocking was that the cause of the disaster might never be uncovered. The Challenger is the story of how Richard Feynman, one of America's most famous scientists, helped to discover the cause of a tragedy that stunned America."
  • mal 13 Mar 2013 19:18:27 20,472 posts
    Seen 30 minutes ago
    Registered 11 years ago
    So...the cause of the tragedy was discovered, but the cause of the disaster might never be uncovered. Um. Perhaps the tragedy wasn't disastrous?

    Didn't they put this all down to a dodgy heat resist tile though?

    Edit: Never mind. Missed the tense cues. Have spoilered myself in case I revealed the ending.

    Edited by mal at 19:20:04 13-03-2013

    Cubby didn't know how to turn off sigs!

  • Jetset_UK 13 Mar 2013 19:21:44 3,478 posts
    Seen 2 days ago
    Registered 10 years ago
    I thought it was dodgy O-rings?
  • X201 13 Mar 2013 19:46:56 12,971 posts
    Seen 22 minutes ago
    Registered 7 years ago
    Jetset_UK wrote:
    I thought it was dodgy O-rings?
    Using onion rings was a big mistake.


    The O-rings were just part of it, there was a cover up and management bullying at Morton Thiacol, and the Govt. weren't busting a gut to find the true fault.
  • X201 18 Mar 2013 19:23:49 12,971 posts
    Seen 22 minutes ago
    Registered 7 years ago
    Reminder.

    This is on tonight.


    X201 wrote:
    Heads up.

    BBC 2 & BBC HD Monday 18 March.


    "When the space shuttle Challenger blew up in 1986, it was the most shocking event in the history of American spaceflight. The deaths of seven astronauts, including the first teacher in space Christa McAuliffe, were watched live on television by millions of viewers. But what was more shocking was that the cause of the disaster might never be uncovered. The Challenger is the story of how Richard Feynman, one of America's most famous scientists, helped to discover the cause of a tragedy that stunned America."
  • oceanmotion 18 Mar 2013 19:43:34 13,111 posts
    Seen 1 month ago
    Registered 10 years ago
    That been on before?
  • mal 18 Mar 2013 19:46:11 20,472 posts
    Seen 30 minutes ago
    Registered 11 years ago
    Heard an interesting story on the World Service last night, concering the use of bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections. The idea is these are viruses that only infect specific strains of bateria and kill them, which can be used in place of antibiotics.

    The benefits over antibiotics are that they're generally easier to find than new antibiotics are, since they're constantly evolving just as the bacteria are (and are thought to be the most common organism on earth). You also only need to take one or two small doses, since once the phages have found the infection they'll multiply to consume it.

    The main downside is that since these were discovered just before World War 1, a couple of world wars slowed developments, and then in 1941 antibiotics started to be commercialised. They're still a big deal in the former USSR, but they really require a big investment in infrastructure, as you can't just be prescribed phages - you need to submit a sample first so that can analyse exactly what infection you've got. And they need to be kept cool, or they'll go off. And YOU'RE FUCKING DRINKING LIVE VIRUSES! ARE YOU MENTAL?

    I don't seem to be able to link to the specific episode of the programme on the bbc website, but it's currently the latest episode on this podcasts list entitled 'HC: Bacteriophages, Fukushima mental health', and there's a flash player for it there, or you can download the mp3 podcast directly (9MB).

    Cubby didn't know how to turn off sigs!

  • X201 18 Mar 2013 20:19:14 12,971 posts
    Seen 22 minutes ago
    Registered 7 years ago
    @oceanmotion

    Nope.
  • Bremenacht 18 Mar 2013 20:25:56 11,116 posts
    Seen 9 hours ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    @X201 Cheers - I'd forgotten. 9pm.

    @mal - yeah, I read a little about that. What with antibiotics being defeated, they've got no choice but to build, I'd have thought. Best not mention Prometheus-style black goo in case it freaks anyone out.

    This post is unsuitable for those with a high rumour-sensitivity.

  • FogHeart 18 Mar 2013 22:59:09 714 posts
    Seen 7 hours ago
    Registered 5 years ago
    The Challenger story was brilliant. William Hurt appeared to be a natural choice. Feynman was such a class act, wasn't he?

    I'm sure Horizon did a story on bacteriophage research being done in Russia, but it was more than a decade ago. I wonder where they are now.
  • Maturin 18 Mar 2013 23:20:16 1,606 posts
    Seen 2 hours ago
    Registered 4 years ago
    The Challenger was excellent. Really great performance by William Hurt. Great to see something intelligent on the beeb.

    Pre-childish ragequit username - Harry

  • Bremenacht 18 Mar 2013 23:39:43 11,116 posts
    Seen 9 hours ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    Really enjoyed that. Did you recognise Joanne Whalley? I knew it was her as soon as she opened her gob!

    This post is unsuitable for those with a high rumour-sensitivity.

  • Maturin 18 Mar 2013 23:45:54 1,606 posts
    Seen 2 hours ago
    Registered 4 years ago
    Being a Stockport lad myself (though I've not been back for a few years) I can still spot a native when I see one. :)

    Pre-childish ragequit username - Harry

  • Mr-Brett 21 Mar 2013 09:26:53 11,483 posts
    Seen 25 minutes ago
    Registered 7 years ago
    Floating tech city of the future?

    Please don't use the delete button, think of the children.

  • FogHeart 21 Mar 2013 16:39:23 714 posts
    Seen 7 hours ago
    Registered 5 years ago
    That's how hydrophobia started, and we all know how that ended.
  • Bremenacht 22 Mar 2013 20:22:09 11,116 posts
    Seen 9 hours ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    The dinosaur killer was a comet. It's a bit interesting, because that one went off over Russia in the early 20thC was most likely a comet too.

    How nice to find out about the life-ending properties of comets in the year that two of them will appear quite brightly* in our sky.

    *When it's not cloudy and raining, whenever that is.

    This post is unsuitable for those with a high rumour-sensitivity.

  • localnotail 10 Apr 2013 14:13:18 21,427 posts
    Seen 8 hours ago
    Registered 4 years ago
    This has its own thread but I hate it when it gets bumped as it usually heralds bad news so I'm putting it here instead.

    One drug to shrink all tumours? - could CD47 be the answer to the fight against cancer? Looks promising.

    Fire up the Cobra!

  • Bremenacht 10 Apr 2013 14:16:29 11,116 posts
    Seen 9 hours ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    I hope it does better than Interferon.

    This post is unsuitable for those with a high rumour-sensitivity.

  • TOOTR 10 Apr 2013 18:36:50 8,818 posts
    Seen 6 minutes ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    No-one has mentioned the 'Human wags rat's tail using mind control interface' storyyet?

    "Assimilate this!" cried Worf, firing a space bazooka at the Borg.

  • mal 11 Apr 2013 17:48:35 20,472 posts
    Seen 30 minutes ago
    Registered 11 years ago
    You have a family member with no anus, but it has the potential for serious verbal diarrhea..

    Mainly linked for the headline (which you can see from the URL) and the opening paragraph which I've quoted. Goes serious from then on in, but it is quite an important story too.

    Cubby didn't know how to turn off sigs!

  • Bremenacht 11 Apr 2013 18:01:41 11,116 posts
    Seen 9 hours ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    TOOTR wrote:
    No-one has mentioned the 'Human wags rat's tail using mind control interface' storyyet?
    Ugh! That's just horrible.


    Edited by Bremenacht at 18:02:33 11-04-2013

    This post is unsuitable for those with a high rumour-sensitivity.

  • localnotail 11 Apr 2013 21:42:09 21,427 posts
    Seen 8 hours ago
    Registered 4 years ago
    mal wrote:
    You have a family member with no anus, but it has the potential for serious verbal diarrhea..

    Mainly linked for the headline (which you can see from the URL) and the opening paragraph which I've quoted. Goes serious from then on in, but it is quite an important story too.
    Horribly fascinating.

    Fire up the Cobra!

  • TOOTR 12 Apr 2013 09:40:16 8,818 posts
    Seen 6 minutes ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    Bremenacht wrote:
    TOOTR wrote:
    No-one has mentioned the 'Human wags rat's tail using mind control interface' storyyet?
    Ugh! That's just horrible.

    Yep it's pretty out there. It's not as if the humans are imagining moving the rat tail though. Still gnarly stuff. And one step closer to us being Wargs!

    I can't wait to spend my time remote controlling great white sharks in Venezuela.

    Or how about a UK Olympics team of Wargs controlling a flock of peregrine falcons to replicate synchronized red arrows style stunts.

    What a lovely species we are.

    "Assimilate this!" cried Worf, firing a space bazooka at the Borg.

  • ResidentKnievel 17 Apr 2013 10:51:46 5,386 posts
    Seen 43 minutes ago
    Registered 6 years ago
    NASA plans mission to capture asteroid

    morriss wrote: My actual real opinion is very insulting and unhelpful.

  • senso-ji 17 Apr 2013 11:31:40 4,530 posts
    Seen 45 minutes ago
    Registered 5 years ago
    Anyone fancy a one way ticket to Mars?

  • Page

    of 22 First / Last

Log in or register to reply