12 novembro 2014

Philae Attempts Comet Nucleus Landing



Today humanity will make its first attempt to land a probe on the nucleus of a comet. As the day progresses, the Philae (fee-LAY) lander will separate from the Rosetta spacecraft and head down to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Since the texture of the comet's surface is unknown and its surface gravity is surely low, Philae will then attempt to harpoon itself down, something that has never been done before. Featured here is an artist's illustration of dishwasher-sized Philae as it might look on Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko's surface, along with explanation balloons detailing onboard scientific instruments. Many people on a blue planet across the Solar System will be eagerly awaiting news and updates. Whether Philae actually lands, whether it lands on a smooth patch, whether the harpoons take hold, and how far the robotic lander sinks into the surface should all become known as events unfold today.



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curvyfitprincess: juicingcoach: project-raw: This is a...





























curvyfitprincess:



juicingcoach:



project-raw:



This is a fantastic infographic!



The disadvantage of drinking cow milk



Things to be careful about! I’d definitely recommend plant milks…


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upworthy: It Got 1 Woman Through College And Let Another Sleep...





upworthy:



It Got 1 Woman Through College And Let Another Sleep Till 2:00 P.M., But That’s Just The Small Stuff


*super-serious doctor voice* Instructions for optimum enjoyment: Get out your preferred birth control method. Watch video. High-five as needed. You’re welcome.



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November 13th 1833: Edwin Booth born On this day in 1833 Edwin...



Edwin Booth (1833 - 1893)





Booth's grave in Cambridge, Massachusetts



November 13th 1833: Edwin Booth born


On this day in 1833 Edwin Booth, the famous American actor and brother of Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth, was born. Booth was one of the most famous actors of his day, and was considered the greatest Hamlet of the 19th century. In an interesting coincidence, Edwin Booth saved Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert’s life when Robert almost fell onto the tracks at a train station in Jersey City in late 1864/early 1865. The fact that he had saved the life of Abraham Lincoln’s son was said to have been of some comfort to Edwin Booth following his brother’s assassination of the President.


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In 1653, English leader and staunch Puritan Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of the Realm and...

In 1653, English leader and staunch Puritan Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of the Realm and subsequently banned all St. Valentine’s Day customs. Valentine’s Day was not observed again until King Charles II was restored to the English throne in 1660.


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Spoiler alert! We found five big bloopers in Interstellar!





Spoiler alert! We found five big bloopers in Interstellar!


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"Scientific thought, then, is not momentary; it is not a static instance; it is a process."

“Scientific thought, then, is not momentary; it is not a static instance; it is a process.”



- Jean Piaget
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(From Sanitation Drive 2015 and UN Water)

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Controlling genes with your thoughts It sounds like something...









Controlling genes with your thoughts


It sounds like something from the scene in Star Wars where Master Yoda instructs the young Luke Skywalker to use the force to release his stricken X-Wing from the swamp: Marc Folcher and other researchers from the group led by Martin Fussenegger, Professor of Biotechnology and Bioengineering at the Department of Biosystems (D-BSSE) in Basel, have developed a novel gene regulation method that enables thought-specific brainwaves to control the conversion of genes into proteins – called gene expression in technical terms.


“For the first time, we have been able to tap into human brainwaves, transfer them wirelessly to a gene network and regulate the expression of a gene depending on the type of thought. Being able to control gene expression via the power of thought is a dream that we’ve been chasing for over a decade,” says Fussenegger.


A source of inspiration for the new thought-controlled gene regulation system was the game Mindflex, where the player wears a special headset with a sensor on the forehead that records brainwaves. The registered electroencephalogram (EEG) is then transferred into the playing environment. The EEG controls a fan that enables a small ball to be thought-guided through an obstacle course.


Wireless transmission to implant


The system, which the Basel-based bioengineers recently presented in the journal Nature Communications, also makes use of an EEG headset. The recorded brainwaves are analysed and wirelessly transmitted via Bluetooth to a controller, which in turn controls a field generator that generates an electromagnetic field; this supplies an implant with an induction current.




Thoughts control protein quantity

The implant was initially tested in cell cultures and mice, and controlled by the thoughts of various test subjects. The researchers used SEAP for the tests, an easy-to-detect human model protein which diffuses from the culture chamber of the implant into the mouse’s bloodstream.


To regulate the quantity of released protein, the test subjects were categorised according to three states of mind: bio-feedback, meditation and concentration. Test subjects who played Minecraft on the computer, i.e. who were concentrating, induced average SEAP values in the bloodstream of the mice. When completely relaxed (meditation), the researchers recorded very high SEAP values in the test animals. For bio-feedback, the test subjects observed the LED light of the implant in the body of the mouse and were able to consciously switch the LED light on or off via the visual feedback. This in turn was reflected by the varying amounts of SEAP in the bloodstream of the mice.


New light-sensitive gene construct

“Controlling genes in this way is completely new and is unique in its simplicity,” explains Fussenegger. The light-sensitive optogenetic module that reacts to near-infrared light is a particular advancement. The light shines on a modified light-sensitive protein within the gene-modified cells and triggers an artificial signal cascade, resulting in the production of SEAP. Near-infrared light was used because it is generally not harmful to human cells, can penetrate deep into the tissue and enables the function of the implant to be visually tracked.


The system functions efficiently and effectively in the human-cell culture and human-mouse system. Fussenegger hopes that a thought-controlled implant could one day help to combat neurological diseases, such as chronic headaches, back pain and epilepsy, by detecting specific brainwaves at an early stage and triggering and controlling the creation of certain agents in the implant at exactly the right time.





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November 12, 1815: Elizabeth Cady Stanton is Born On this day in...





November 12, 1815: Elizabeth Cady Stanton is Born


On this day in 1815, abolitionist and women’s rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in Johnstown, New York. As the daughter of a prominent judge, Stanton would grow up to lead the suffrage movement that created basic social and politics rights for women nationwide.


In November 1920, over eight million women voted for the first time after the 19th Amendment was passed, as a result of efforts led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.


Take a closer look at the deep friendship and lives of both women with Ken Burns’s “Not for Ourselves Alone” interactive guide.


Photo: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, seated, and Susan B. Anthony between 1880 and 1902 (Library of Congress).


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Orion Spacecraft Rolls Past the Vehicle Assembly Building



At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency's Orion spacecraft passes the spaceport's iconic Vehicle Assembly Building as it is transported to Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014. After arrival at the launch pad, United Launch Alliance engineers and technicians will lift Orion and mount it atop its Delta IV Heavy rocket. Orion began its journey to the launch pad at at the Launch Abort System Facility, where a 52-foot-tall protective fairing and the launch abort system were attached to the 10-foot, 11-inch-tall crew module. Resting atop a specialized Kamag transporter, Orion was moved to Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The move began at 8:54 p.m. EST and concluded at 3:07 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket in its first unpiloted flight test, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. > More about Orion Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett



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