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Science Tidbits

By possum

One more time the chance is here to gather around for another day of new and exciting, tantalizing news in the realm of science.  New discoveries.  New takes on old knowledge.  The base of information and knowledge grows at a rate much too fast to keep up with all that is available.

Over the fold are some selections from a few of my favorite science news sites around the world.  Tidbits include new amphibian species discovered in Columbia, more benefits of cellulosic ethanol, evidence of chocolate in very early America, advances in kidney donor surgery, a very large and ancient snake, and yet another dire prediction of the effects of global warming.  Follow over the fold and down the yellow brick road for one more session of science education and entertainment.
With extinctions on the rise some species still find safe havens for their survival.

Over a period of three weeks, the scientists identified approximately 60 species of amphibians, 20 reptiles and almost 120 species of birds, many of them apparently found no where else.

Pictures of some Columbian amphibians are here.  Next comes assessment of the relative risk of loss of these new species as scientists continue to study the creatures.

Amid all the discussion about alternative fuels and the corn based ethanol controversy comes news of increased benefits to cellulosic based ethanol.

The study finds that cellulosic ethanol has fewer negative effects on human health because it emits smaller amounts of fine particulate matter, an especially harmful component of air pollution.

Studies already show benefits in terms of lowered greenhouse emissions from cellulosic ethanol.  Other potential advantages include lowered amounts of fertilizer runoff into flowing water and lakes.

As a confirmed chocoholic this news was particularly exciting and interesting.

The (chocolate) residues, found on pottery shards excavated from a large pueblo (called Pueblo Bonito) in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico, suggest the practice of drinking chocolate had traveled from what is now Mexico to the American Southwest by about 1,000 years ago.

It is nice to know chocolate was enjoyed in such a long distant past.  Thinking of chocolate deprivation at any point in time would be far too distressing.

In the usual instance a kidney donor may expect a relatively large abdominal incision for removal of the organ.  This incision leads to postoperative discomfort for many donors.  Now a team of U.S. surgeons has removed a donor kidney through a small incision in the back of the vagina.  The surgery combined laparoscopic and conventional techiques.

There might be some discomfort but nothing like having a wound the size of a kidney on the surface of the body which might cause pain for several weeks.

One more miracle of modern surgery which may bring more women to think of being organ donors.

Fossil remains of a 60-million-year-old snake reveal a creature large enough to make today's anacondas seem ordinary by comparison.

Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis by its discoverers, the size of the snake's vertebrae suggest it weighed 1,140 kilograms (2,500 pounds) and measured 13 meters (42.7 feet) nose to tail tip.

Being no snake fan myself, it is good to be living long after this monster roamed a very different earth than the one we know today.

The West Antarctic ice sheet is massive, extending some 6,000 feet above sea level.  The mass is large enough to produce a gravitational pull which attracts more water to its vicinity.  Researchers at the Oregon State University have calculated the effect of both melting ice and loss of gravitational effect.

If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet completely melted, the East Coast of North America would experience sea levels more than four feet higher than had been previously predicted - almost 21 feet - and the West Coast, as well as Miami, Fla., would be about a foot higher than that. Most of Europe would have seas about 18 feet higher.

This means much more of North America than often predicted may be underwater if warming and melting continue.

For more science news see these and other websites:

General Science Collectors:
Eureka Science News
New Scientist
LiveScience

Blogs:
ScienceBlogs
Tetrapod Zoologyvertebrate paleontology
Laelapsmore vertebrate paleontology
Cantauri Dreamsspace exploration
Deep Sea Newsmarine biology
A Few Things Ill Considered
Techie and Science News:
Wired News
Techonology Review

Science RSS Feed: Medworm

NASA picture of the day.  For more see the NASA website.  These pictures are evidence of your tax dollars hard at work.

Martian Rocks, NASA, Public Domain

Peace.

Full post as published by Never In Our Names on February 06, 2009 (boomark / email).