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schrecken licht

The Environment

Newly Discovered Carnivorous Jungle Plant Gobbles Rats Whole

By Stuart Fox Posted on 8.18.2009 19 Comments
Deep in the jungle primeval, Nepenthes attenboroughii awaits its furry prey. But N. attenboroughii isn't a stealthy cat or poisonous lizard. It's a plant, and it eats rats. Scientists recently discovered this new species of pitcher plant on the verdant face of Mount Victoria in the Philippines. It is the largest carnivorous plant ever discovered, and has been named after the famous naturalist and TV personality Sir David Attenborough.

8.21.2009 at 11:31pm - Comment by schrecken licht

I know this lady who is a hoarder and she has thousands of rats (and mice too) on her property and in her house - she sure could use a whole bunch of these plants! It would be a lot easier than setting dozens of traps...
Science

Five Human Achievements That Could Top Walking on the Moon

By Stuart Fox Posted on 7.20.2009 62 Comments
Possibly the single most influential event in the public's interest in science and technology (not to mention one of humankind’s greatest adventures), the Apollo 11 mission touched the collective dreams of millions, while pushing science and technology swiftly forward at an unprecedented pace. But in the decades since man first walked on the moon, science has advanced so rapidly that technology which even a few years ago might have been considered magic has become commonplace. Even so, it would be naïve to assume that Apollo 11 ever represented science and technology’s pinnacle, and that nothing forthcoming will similarly explode the world’s collective dreams and perceptions of what it means to be human. So what’s next? What will be the next worldwide event or discovery that fundamentally changes the way we look at ourselves and the universe we live in?

7.25.2009 at 03:13pm - Comment by schrecken licht

First, to those who condemn religion and what you believe is hatred and bigotry born out of such, you are apparently too daft and ignorant yourselves to realize you are doing the very thing you purport to condemn. Secondly, here's something to put in your pipe and smoke: Take a look at chimpanzees - do they have religion? I don't think so, and I don't think anyone else who makes a career out of studying their behavior thinks so either. And yet they fight - they fight small wars - they have "gang bangs" - they kill each other in premeditated attacks - despite the fact that they have no faith in a higher power to speak of (and are unable to comprehend that which is beyond their present reality). So, let's send a bunch of Atheists to Mars, since you people seem to think that's all the human race fights and kills over. Let's see if they can hack the 500 day mission without finding something to want to kill each other over. Sorry, but that's just human nature. It's the nature of our closest relatives and it's in our nature as well. It has nothing to do with faith. Take away religion and I guarantee humans will ALWAYS find something else to bicker over. One other thing to consider: Hitler was an atheist, and look at the horrors he brought about. His motive? Race and ethnicity, primarily. Gee, let's see if we can make everyone on earth the same Caucasian color like Michael Jackson tried to do to himself. Maybe that will end all wars... Now, having gotten the idiocy out of the way, with regards to energy, I think a lot would be solved cost-wise (and getting away from fossil fuels at the same time) by simply allowing more (and encouraging) nuclear power plants to be built. Not free, but far cheaper than coal and oil (and in today's dollars) wind and solar. Existing technology, yes, an improvement, certainly. Regarding AIDS, I too am one who thinks that a far more important cure would be that of cancer. I personally know of only one person who died of AIDS, my cousin, who got a tainted transfusion in 1981. Yet I know scores of people who have fought and sometimes died of cancer, including my grandmother and my mother. I'd like to see a manned mission to Mars too, but I don't think it's a priority today with all that's going on in the world right now. And here's a good one (half-joking) - since the first and only humans to set foot on the moon (which is a feminine symbol in Greek mythology) were men, how about sending an all female crew to Mars (which, of course, is male in mythology)? You know, Men are from Mars and women from Venus! Of course, if we ever went to Venus (not that any human would want to do that) we'd then have to send all men again!
The Environment

The First Secretary of Climate Change

By Posted on 6.29.2009 41 Comments
For years, Steven Chu argued that leadership on climate change should be wrested from the politicians and turned over to the scientists. But on Capitol Hill this April, on Earth Day, as Chu testified on the scientific merits of the most ambitious climate-change bill ever to come out of Washington, you might have wondered whether he regretted getting his wish.

6.26.2009 at 11:26pm - Comment by schrecken licht

I agree with Commonsense...also, it is extremely irresponsible that you seem to be in favor of the passage of what is now an extremely draconian "climate change" Cap and Trade bill. This bill, if it becomes law, will devastate the economy, and it will be like the late 70's under Jimmy Carter all over again, but this time it won't be OPEC that's doing the damage - it will be our own government! I think it's a good and wise thing to look for alternatives to fossil fuels, if for no other reason then the fact that it will become prohibitively expensive to continue to recover oil in the future. There's a finite supply on earth. However, when it comes to getting people to do things, carrots almost always work better than sticks. Twisting the collective nations' arm to "punish" people and businesses for using fossil fuels is plain wrong and it will backfire. You can see, in an extreme sense, what government repression has wrought in Iran. A much better legislation would reward people for not using fossil fuels, or cutting back, not by punishing those who have no choice about how they heat their homes and use electricity. That said, the whole "climate change" thing is truly jumping the gun. Is it possible that burning oil and coal could alter the earth's climate? Maybe... but no one truly knows for sure. And let's assume for a moment that it does - but by how much? Again, there is no consensus as to what percentage is caused by human activity (and OTHER human activities like deforestation and black-topping everything in site!) and what is due to natural cycles like solar variations, volcanism, etc. You seem to have forgotten how science works - while some things become law, most things end up being hypothesis and theory. For instance, take evolution. While as a whole it is universally accepted as fact (save for a few fundamentalist religious denominations), however, the determination of what animal evolved from what changes all the time. When dinosaurs were discovered, very few though they were related to birds, most thought they were giant lizards. Anyone who would have proposed a bird-dinosaur theory would have been marginalized and ignored. Now, of course, it is accepted that the link is factual, at least for some species of dinosaur. But, and here's the big BUT - no one ever proposed passing any draconian legislation based on the idea that dinosaurs are related to either lizards or birds. With regards to climate change and carbon dioxide, what is accepted as "fact" today may well be disproven in the near future. This is why legislation such as the Cap and Trade is folly - much, much more study and consideration is needed and much less money needs to be flowing from people and companies that would profit handsomely from harsh restrictions.
Technology

Developing Lasers for the Battlefield

By Posted on 10.7.2008 16 Comments
Laser weaponry is a hot topic lately (excuse the pun), especially for those who question the ethics of using them on the battlefield. In late September, the Senate approved a Defense Authorization Bill that would provide new funding for military laser weapons.

10.7.2008 at 10:30pm - Comment by schrecken licht

Actually the Geneva Convention only prohibits the use of lasers specifically designed to blind enemy personnel - there is no prohibition on other anti-personnel uses, such as using lasers to kill enemy combatants. But that would be awesome - maybe they could incinerate Bin Laden with a laser!