Stone the crows - it's the first time I've heard of that

OPINION: News of top scientific discoveries is quickly syndicated round the world but a lot of stuff goes unreported. In the past month, for example:

The universe is 30 times more run-down than thought. Australian astronomers have re-computed the rate at which the universe is running down. They discovered that super-massive black holes dominate the entropy of the universe and when these are taken into account they figure that the universe is running down 30 times faster than previously calculated.

Charley Lineweaver, a doctor from the Australian National University Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and his PhD student Chas Egan say: "The next step is to find out how much time we have left before the universe and all life in it dies in the inevitable heat death."

It's a worry.

Sharp-eyed crows. If you shoot at a wild crow, it will later flee at the distant sight of you. Field biologists in Florida wanted to find out if crows recognised people by their faces, their gait, their dress, or what they carried. To find out, the scientists donned rubber caveman masks, then captured and ringed some wild crows.

Afterwards, the banded birds fled whenever they were approached by anybody wearing rubber caveman masks. On the other hand, the crows behaved normally when approached by others wearing masks of former US vice-president Dick Cheney (renowned for his quail-shooting escapade), which had not previously been seen by the birds.

The crows had remarkably good memories. They recognised the threatening caveman face three years after being frightened by them.

Oldest Roman coin ever found in Britain. I had always supposed that Julius Caesar was the first Roman to set foot in Britain in 55BC. Last month, staff at a Leicester Museum disabused me of that notion as they've dated a silver coin dug up in their county to 211BC. The coin was part of a hoard with 5000 other coins, a helmet, a decorated silver bowl and the remains of more than 300 pigs. They say this is further evidence that the ancient Britons traded with continental Romans long before Caesar came ashore.

Female primary school teachers transmit their fear of maths to girl pupils. Researchers at the University of Chicago find that few female primary school teachers are qualified in maths, most of them fearing the topic. Their anxieties show up in the classroom, where girl pupils, but not boys, pick up on the fear and do worse at maths. Psychology professor Sian Beilock, who led the research, says: "Having a highly math- anxious female teacher may push girls to confirm the stereotype that they are not as good as boys at math, which in turn, affects girls' math achievement."

Tomatoes. Genetic engineers in India have discovered how to extend the shelf life of tomatoes by up to 45 days. They did this by silencing a couple of genes responsible for softening the fruit. The Indians plan to apply their technique to other soft fruits and vegetables.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Newest First

Oldest First

Dov Henis   #3   07:59 pm Mar 27 2010

Universe 30 Times More Run Down Than Thought The Science Establishment-Guild Is As Obstinately Blind As Thought

A. From "Universe Is 30 Times More Run Down Than Thought, Astronomers Find" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126104844.htm

Cars run out of petrol, stars run out of fuel and galaxies collapse into black holes. As they do, the universe and everything in it is gradually running down.

B. From "Cosmic Evolution Simplified" http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/240/122.page#4427

"Since the big-bang resolution of E/m superposition ALL the energy of the universe is destined for the galactic clusters expansion plus laying down of the gravity natrix for the eventual cosmic impansion, and ALL the mass is destined to revert to energy for these ends."

Dov Henis (Comments From The 22nd Century) 28Dec09 Implications Of E=Total[m(1 + D)] http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/184.page#4587 No Dark Matter, No Maybe http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/240/122.page#4545

Lonewolf   #2   10:57 am Feb 08 2010

What will we do when we find out how long we have to live? Where will we go? Maybe we, as a race, are going to finally have to face our limitations and admit we arn't the superior and ever progressing being that we think we are.

Or are we going to spend billions / trillions to try and build our own cosmic universe to save ourselves from destruction.

Michael   #1   09:11 am Feb 08 2010

The *youngest* coin in a hoard establishes a *lower limit* on the age of the hoard. The actual date the hoard was buried is some time *after* that date.

If I were to bury the loose change in my pocket now, it will include a 1991 2-dollar coin, minted well before I first set foot in New Zealand. Will the Leicester Museum date my arrival in New Zealand at 1991?

And these people are ther professionals?????

Ad Feedback