Science/technology/Health/History and Environment thread.

Smudger

This thread is to house the million and one topics that arise on a daily basis to do with scientific breakthroughs, technological advancements and various health and environmental news that usually share information with the first two mentioned.

In short this thread is ArlongParks version of the national geographic.

To give an example of topics we've had recently that fall into this thread I'll give a list below of cool things that have cropped up.

Artificial blood vessels made on a 3D printer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14946808

A planet orbiting two suns - the first confirmed alien world of its kind
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14940885

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915114004.htm
A new class of cells in the spinal cord that act like neural stem cells

Scientists Take First Step Towards Creating 'Inorganic Life'

[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915091625.htm

After 15 years of uncertainty, a shipwreck off the coast of](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915091625.htm) North Carolina has been confirmed as that of the infamous 18th-century pirate Blackbeard
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/08/110829-blackbeard-shipwreck-pirates-archaeology-science/

Edit: For some reason the links are carrying over to the next sentences so i've removed the link redirection. So if you want to view the material just copy paste it into your search bar.

Outerspec

One of these breakthroughs will lead to the zombie apocalypse.

Seriously though, very interesting thread. I really hope they make great developments with the spinal cord cells that can hopefully be stimulated and/or altered so that they're capable of repairing themselves. It'd treat vast injuries involved with spinal cord injuries and be a wonderful step in helping out in fighting paralysis.

Smudger

I'm sorry i couldn't offer more material on the main introduction post. I know we've had a million and one breakthroughs and stories of interest but i can't seem to find the old links on the sites I usually visit. Might have to search manually to come up with more.

Edit: Might as well throw this in here while i'm browsing.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14842720
The UK has formally joined forces with a US laser lab in a bid to develop clean energy from nuclear fusion.

Hiroy

http://thetruthbehindthescenes.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/ancient-mayan-space-vehicle-reverse-engineered-and-they-flew/

On the topic on technologies, this is a blog entry written by a guy that reversed engineered a model airplane from ancient Mayan civilization. I don't believe in theories that insist such things were made by extraterrestrials, but I believe that ancient civilizations were more intelligent than we give them credit for. It's kinda amazing. Aside from the video where he made the thing fly, there's also some clippings from the show "Ancient Aliens"(which is interesting, though theories kind of go all over the place… like they doubt what humans are capable of)

Smudger

I love these obscure history channel documentaries.

So much evidence pointing to an answer without that final piece of confirmation, as with hundreds of other ancient replicas and evidence, from the pyramids energy to other end of the spectrum delving into more religious theories.

I can't help but enjoy watching this, regardless of my view of it being true or not.

Smudger

Don't know if this will merge or bump it after this long.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15181187

I know this seems quite boring, but looking through the article made me realise the full application of this discovery, which yet again pushes our limitations even further.

Cool stuff me thinks.

Malintex_Terek

@Smudger:

Artificial blood vessels made on a 3D printer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14946808

This looks extremely dangerous and extremely stupid. Artificial heart, I can imagine. Lungs? Sure. Blood vessels? Bad, bad idea.

igetownd

@Smudger:

Don't know if this will merge or bump it after this long.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15181187

I know this seems quite boring, but looking through the article made me realise the full application of this discovery, which yet again pushes our limitations even further.

Cool stuff me thinks.

Ooh, quasicrystals. Boring? Not at all… to me at least.

They [Scientific Community] said it was impossible. But THEY'RE WRONG!!! That's the basic gist of this discovery.

–- Update From New Post Merge ---

@Malintex_Terek:

This looks extremely dangerous and extremely stupid. Artificial heart, I can imagine. Lungs? Sure. Blood vessels? Bad, bad idea.

I agree. I think the artificial blood vessels were made on the assumption that capillaries are static. Textbook knowledge says they are not. So, I have no idea what the basis of "printed" capillaries is.

Smudger

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6037844.stm

A](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6037844.stm)ll those years in science turned upside down! lol

Also some come new info on the black death. I always thought this had been studied to its fullest, but apparently not.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15278366

zachri

@Smudger:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42086000/jpg/_42086172_solar_system_planets4_416.jpg

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6037844.stm

A](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6037844.stm)ll those years in science turned upside down! lol

Also some come new info on the black death. I always thought this had been studied to its fullest, but apparently not.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15278366

was just randomly browsing this thread and saw that diagram. I've never heard of Ceres or Eris before seeing that o A o
poor dwarf planets.
FACT: Pluto didn't even make one full orbit around the Sun before being named a dwarf planet.

Smudger

My very easy method just speeds up naming planets just fucked up big time.

Also here's another interesting article.

Yarns made of the tiny straws of carbon called nanotubes have an astounding ability to twist as they contract, scientists have found.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15287185

igetownd

@Smudger:

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6037844.stm

A](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6037844.stm)ll those years in science turned upside down! lol

Ceres and Eris, and Pluto's demotion, were announced a while ago, but I still feel people can learn of this update.

Also some come new info on the black death. I always thought this had been studied to its fullest, but apparently not.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15278366

The Black Death will always retain a certain amount of uncertainty and mystery, just because it's old history. But, yeah, the only organism we can claim that we know everything about is Escherichia Coli (E. coli), and even then that's a gross overstatement.

Smudger

[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15305579

Plugging gadgets into a socket in the wall, or loading them with batteries - or maybe even unfurling a solar panel - is how most of us think of getting electricity. But what about plugging them into your body?

T](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15305579)his isn't as crazy as you would think. Just imagine how popular this could be in the future, from medical equipment to powering you ipod…

zachri

@Smudger:

[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15305579

T](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15305579)his isn't as crazy as you would think. Just imagine how popular this could be in the future, from medical equipment to powering you ipod…

Is it bad that my first thought after reading that was Uncle Fester?

Brizan

http://www.themarknews.com/news?open=7120 and here I thought that the hydro-thermal vent theory was dated… sweet thread though!

igetownd

@Smudger:

[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15305579

T](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15305579)his isn't as crazy as you would think. Just imagine how popular this could be in the future, from medical equipment to powering you ipod…

I wonder if we can have our bodies powering our weapons. Then it'll be like mana enhancing our swords, except we use guns, so mana-powered guns.

It'll be cool if we could increase our energy output and metabolism. It's nice to be able to fire a Hadouken.

Smudger

@igetownd:

I wonder if we can have our bodies powering our weapons. Then it'll be like mana enhancing our swords, except we use guns, so mana-powered guns.

It'll be cool if we could increase our energy output and metabolism. It's nice to be able to fire a Hadouken.

Glad i'm not the only one that thought about weaponization, lol.

Though saying that we are still limited in our weaponry and the confines/space of our bodies. Something simple like an eye transplant might be cool (e.g if you wanted to see in the dark)

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