Holding Back the Sun

post from SciScoop Science Blog on 26 November 2008 07:06:29 PM. © SciScoop Science Blog

Could the key to global warming be to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the earth's surface by creating large layers of artificially produced clouds?

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http://www.sciscoop.com/story/2008/11/25/34826/574

Canadian fireball update

post from Bad Astronomy on 26 November 2008 06:00:00 PM. © Bad Astronomy

I still haven’t heard of any meteorites found from the Canadian fireball the other day, but lots of videos are turning up. The best is probably this one taken by the dashcam of a police car who happened to be facing the right way:Kinda makes you[...]

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http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/11/26/canadian-fireball-updat
e/

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Odontochelys, a transitional turtle

post from Pharyngula on 26 November 2008 03:00:14 PM. © Pharyngula

Now this is an interesting beast. It's a 220 million year old fossil from China of an animal that is distinctly turtle-like. Here's a look at its dorsal side:

a, Skeleton in dorsal view. b, Skull in dorsal view. c, Skull in ventral view. d, Body in dorsal view. Teeth on the upper jaw and palatal elements were scratched out during excavation. Abbreviations: ar, articular; as, astragalus; ca, calcaneum; d, dentary; dep, dorsal process of epiplastron; dsc, dorsal process of scapula; ep, epiplastron; fe, femur; fi, fibula; gpep, gular projection of epiplastron; hu, humerus; hyo, hyoplastron; hyp, hypoplastron; il, ilium; ipt, interpterygoid vacuity; j, jugal; ldv, last dorsal vertebra; m, maxilla; n, nasal; na, naris; op, opisthotic; p, parietal; phyis, posterolateral process of hypoischium; pm, premaxilla; po, postorbital; prf, prefrontal; q, quadrate; sq, squamosal; st, supratemporal; sv1, 1st sacral vertebra; ti, tibia; ul, ulna; vot, vomerine teeth; I, V, 1st and 5th metatarsals.

Notice in the skull: it's got teeth, not just a beak like modern turtles. The back is also odd, for a turtle. The ribs are flattened and broadened, but…no shell! It's a turtle without a shell!

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/466579004/odontochelys_
a_transitional_tu.php

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Interview with Paul Harris

post from Bad Astronomy on 26 November 2008 03:00:00 PM. © Bad Astronomy

My fellow skeptic Paul Harris is also a long-time radio show host; I used to listen to him at WMAL when I was living in DC, and I’m happy to call him my friend now. I’ve done a few interviews with him in the past, and on Tuesday we had a nice[...]

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http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/11/26/interview-with-paul-har
ris/

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Kirkkonummi 3 -- Reprise

post from Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted) on 26 November 2008 02:59:59 PM. © Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: south Kirkkonummi, Finland, nature, image of the day

Birding in south Kirkkonummi, Finland.

Image: GrrlScientist 22 November 2008 [larger view].

Thanks to two of my readers, the snowflakes on my camera lens were removed from this image. This image was improved by a reader named Brandon, who removed the snowflakes and also "bumped up the color a bit" to accentuate the gold in the vegetation.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/grrlscientist/~3/466578792/kirkkonumm
i_3_reprise.php

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Sad Thoughts upon my Return

post from Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted) on 26 November 2008 02:15:24 PM. © Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: Helsinki, Finland, Espoo, Finland, photography, nature

Sun setting behind a rocky ridge somewhere near the border between Espoo and Helsinki in Finland.

Image: GrrlScientist, 18 November 2008 [larger view].

The flight back to NYC from Helsinki was fine; long, but uneventful. The crew were great and the plane wasn't as jam-packed as the flight leaving NYC was .. I wonder why? Perhaps the children of Finnish immigrants are doing the same thing as the children of Polish and Indian immigrants are reportedly doing: leaving this country and going to their ancestral homes because the economic opportunities are somewhere close to nonexistent in America. Not that I blame them and in fact, I would eagerly do the same if I could.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/grrlscientist/~3/466521840/sad_though
ts_upon_my_return.php

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Hamlet’s skullduggery

Well, I’m not sure what to make of this. A man donated his body to science, with the proviso that his skull be used in the Royal Shakespeare Company in a performance.For years, no actor could stomach using the guy’s cranium… until one[...]

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http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/11/26/hamlets-skullduggery/

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FISH FECES TO FUEL THE FUTURE

VTT Technical Research Center of Finland has launched a three year project called ENERFISH, which will use fish waste to produce biodiesel. Due to the large number of fish production plants in Vietnam, the pilot biodiesel production plant will be constructed next to the Hiep Thanh Seafood JSC fish processing plant.

"Using waste from the fish processing industry as a renewable energy source can be turned into a highly profitable business operation," says Aulis Ranne, senior scientist at VTT.
The last few years has seen a move away from food crops for biodiesel, and a search for alternatives. One such alternative is the olive stone, which can be turned into bioethanol. The use of the olive stone for biofuel allows the olive processing industry the chance to make valuable use of the 4 million tons of waste that is generated annually by olive stones.
One of the latest possibilities is the fungus Gliocladium roseum, which lives inside the Ulmo tree in the Patagonian rainforest. This fungus makes biofuel more efficiently than any other known method.
Solix Biofuels, located in Colorado, is growing another biofuel source- freshwater algae. The company has raised $15.5 million in capital and will begin with a 5 acre plot to produce "biocrude". Algae can double its volume in hours and yields far more body weight in oil than any biofuel feed stock currently being used. It actually brings back memories of botany a few years back. Our group was presenting on algae as a source of biofuel, and somehow I got the short end of the stick. Yep, I was lucky enough to be "Allie Algae" and had a fuzzy green poncho and green pom-pom hat as part of my costume. I only wish I had pictures to share.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ohfortheloveofscience.com/2008/11/fish-feces-to-fuel-future.html

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