Results tagged “science” from The Daily Nugget

It seems that until now very few people seem concerned about disappearing bee populations. Well, Haagen-Dazs is warning that 40% of their flavors need fruits and vegetables that are pollinated by bees. This means that premium ice cream prices will go up and flavors may disappear altogether. Bottom line, if you like ice cream you should consider donating to bee population research. Contact the UC Davis Department of Entomology at (530) 752-0475 and ask how you can help financially.

Scientists now believe that birds have special molecules in their eyes that allows them to literally see the Earth's magnetic field within their normal field of vision. This becomes particularly helpful for the birds when migrating long distances. It is likely that the magnetic field looks like dark or light spots or lines within their normal vision.

Well, at a very small scale anyway. Scientists have found that when water in two beakers is exposed to a high voltage, a floating water bridge forms between the beakers. The water stream can be as wide as 3mm in diameter and as long as 25mm. It's interesting that while water is everywhere in nature, some of its unique properties are still a mystery. Via BoingBoing.

The reference International Prototype Kilogram (IPK), a cylindrical shaped piece of platinum-iridium alloy that is stored in Sèvres, France, just outside of Paris, has mysteriously shrunk by 50 micrograms. The kilogram remains the only unit of measure based on a physical artifact instead of fundamental physical properties that can be reproduced in different laboratories.

Scientists are unsure what has caused the main prototype to become lighter, although the fact that it has been cleaned more frequently than the other "sister" official prototypes suggests that it is losing mass through the cleaning process, which cannot be perfect because it is physical (not frictionless) in nature and the prototype is stored in air (not in a vacuum). Interestingly, the weight loss is equivalent to the weight of an average fingerprint.

Currently, there are proposed future definitions for the kilogram that will render the IPK obsolete. If you are a total geek, you'll thoroughly enjoy the proposals which vary from counting atoms of silicon and gold, to the weight of a huge number of electrons in a vacuum, to measuring the mass of an object with electricity passing through it. The IPK's days are numbered.

According to scientists in the field, a major breakthrough in artificial life is likely to come in 3 to 10 years. Artificial life in this instance refers to creating life, protocells, in a petri dish using only chemicals found in DNA. This research may lead to man-made life forms that may assist in solving problems like finding a cure for cancer or getting rid of toxic waste and green house gases. If we could create a single cell from scratch that would be nothing short of amazing!

In 1957, a few folks in Oklahoma thought it would be a good idea to bury a brand new car, a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere, in a concrete time capsule for 50 years. The concrete structure was built to withstand a nuclear explosion, but apparently not seeping ground water. The car turned into a rusted mess! Check out the cool photos of it being unearthed. Even cooler are the photos they took when they buried it.

Scientists are studying ways to harness the energy of the jet stream, continuous 300+ mph winds that constantly rage 6 to 9 miles above our heads. If we are able to do that, the world's electricity needs could be met very easily, since 1 percent of the jet stream has enough power for our entire civilization.

The old adage that "no two snowflakes are alike" is likely false, according to scientists. However, your chances of finding a like pair are infinitesimal.