University of Florida’s scientist Subrata Roy has created a UFO that is not unidentifiable. His UFO is a “wingless electromagnetic air vehicle,” (aka WEAV) that is a saucer-shaped craft and is similar to the movie The Hunt For Red October’s submarine that was powered by a magnetohydrodynamic drive instead of propellers or moving parts.
Magnetohydrodynamics is the study of electrically conducting fluids (e.g. plasma, salt water or liquid metals). So The Hunt’s sub had a series of electrodes that ionized and then pushed the water out, silently propelling the submarine forward. In the case of the WEAV’s sub, it uses thin ceramic plates placed on the top, bottom and sides that steer the craft. The electrodes convert the air to plasma by ionizing it and then an electrical current is passed through the plasma pushing around the surrounding air creating momentum. Did you get all that? Either way, “If this works and we are able to fly it, this will be a quantum shift in how we see flying objects,” said Roy.
Sorry to break all of the UFO fan’s hearts, but the craft does need air to function and thus cannot fly to another planet to pick up neighboring aliens for a drink at the local pub. Nonetheless, this craft is certainly gaining attention from NASA, the US Air Force and UFO theorists.
The WEAV is set to fly for the first time in roughly 4 months.
Sources: 1, 2, 3
Tags: Science + Technology.
Canadians are always looking for new reasons to drink beer…
Kudos goes out to my sis for this little gem.
Tags: That's Life.
With the help of 30 international labs, research biologist Linda Holland has solved the sequence of the amphioxus genome (aka lancelet). Although it’s not a well-known marine animal, the worm-like creature has stolen the scientific spotlight since it is the closest invertebrate relative to vertebrates, despite the genetic split from vertebrates over 520 million years ago. As a result, the creature’s genetic code is bringing up some interesting discussions on the origins of life.
The lancelet remains very similar to its ancestor in Cambrian times as it has evolved very slowly allowing scientists to use it as a starting point to compare it to the vertebrate evolution. Specifically, they are able to study how invertebrates have recycled genes.
A human gene has roughly 25% more genomes than the lancelet because during evolution humans have duplicated genes for different functions. The neural crest cells, for example, help the development of cell pigmentation, collagen, skull and spine cartilage in humans. But here’s the catch: the lancelet has a brain and a spine and makes them the same way as vertebrates do but the lancelet has no neural crest cells. In other words, invertebrates have managed to use “old genes” to create new functions equivalent in sophistication to our own.
Therefore human and amphioxus genomes are more similar in nature than we know, they started with different genetic ingredients.
HOW COOL IS THAT?
Sources: 1, 2, 3
Tags: Latest News. · Natural History. · Science + Technology.
Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad and nature demonstrates this beautifully…
Just like my Dad is the backbone of my family, this weedy sea dragon found at the Georgia Aquarium is literally the carrier of 70 eggs on his tail. Scientists don’t know what turns these lil’fellas on (unlike their recent discovery of the UV rays triggering a sexy response for Chinese Jumping Spiders) as such this is a rare occasion for the species as it is the 3rd of it’s kind to become a Daddy in captivity.
During mating the female lays the eggs via a long tube to her mate’s tail where a patch of skin provides the eggs with oxygen. New eggs are a light pink colour and as they ripen over the course of 8 weeks they turn dark purple at which point Daddy flaps his tail to assist in the hatching process. This type of reproduction is very rare as the sea dragon is 1 of 3 species where the male carries the babies to full term – the other being seahorses and pipefish.
He is expected to give birth in July and the survival rate for captive sea dragons is about 60% thus far. Fingers crossed that the Aquarium can up that survival rate as the sea dragon is a threatened species due to pollution and low rate of survival for its infants.
The love of a father is one of nature’s greatest masterpieces.
-Anonymous
Tags: Uncategorized
We now know that there are white lions, tigers and whales…but is there such a thing as real life unicorns?
I am thrilled to present to you an image that will excite the child in you and a picture that reignited the ‘little girl who could talk to the wind’ in me…
This 1-year old Roe deer - nicknamed Unicorn - is found in a nature preserve in Prato, Italy and is literally a dream come true. He was born in a research facility and has a twin brother who was born with two horns which has lead scientists to believe that Unicorn’s single horn is a lovely genetic flaw. Even more baffling is the horn that is smack dab in between Unicorn’s ears; the single-horned “defects” are often sitting on one side or another. The position of the horn is being speculated as a possible early trauma during fawn-hood.
In the past it was believed that the narwhal contributed to the myth…but could a deer with this anomaly be the the possible origin behind the legend of the Unicorn? “It’s very likely” says Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato.
Ok, so maybe I photoshopped the image colour a LITTLE bit..but isn’t it fun to believe?
Click here to see the original image.
Source: 1
Tags: Nature. · Rad Stuff.
