Science. Freaking awesome science.

[CCS]

First Genetic Results From Scott Kelly's Year In Space Reveal DNA Mysteries

Among other things:

As identical twins, the brothers are genetically very similar. However, researchers found that while he was in orbit, Scott’s telomeres—the caps on the ends of chromosomes—grew longer than his twin brother’s. Though Scott’s telomeres returned to their pre-flight lengths shortly after he returned to Earth, these results were totally unexpected, since telomeres naturally shrink over the course of one’s life, and the stresses of spaceflight are supposed to accelerate this. At least that was the idea.

“That is exactly the opposite of what we thought,” Susan Bailey, a radiation biologist at Colorado State University, told Nature.

John Charles, chief scientist at NASA’s Human Research Program, said scientists are interested in telomer length during space travel because their erosion could cause health defects during long-term missions. It is critical to understand these potential health risks before sending astronauts on long voyages, such as one to Mars.

Even though Scott’s telomeres miraculously lengthened, this is still worth reviewing.

“It’s important to appreciate that telomere lengthening is not always a good thing, as telomere lengthening is also associated with some disease processes and pathologies,” Charles told Gizmodo. “That is not the case in this instance, however.”

Sweet. Time to biff humans on to the face of Mars and watch as they evolve into beings genetically distinct from humans... MARTIANS!

[Lightspeed]

Organic molecules found on dwarf planet Ceres

Near a large crater on Ceres' northern hemisphere, called the Ernutet crater, the space probe found a distinct molecular fingerprint in the light. It was the signature of a class of organic molecules that have methyl and methylene groups. These are basically chemical chunks of carbon and hydrogen atoms grouped together, such as CH3 and CH2. Dawn couldn't tell exactly which molecules were down on Ceres, but they're likely to be tar-like minerals such as kerite or asphaltite. In a word: organics.

[Ab]

the fuuuuuuuuck

[pxpx]

Symbiote confirmed. Digging bunker now.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by pxpx

Symbiote confirmed. Digging bunker now.

This is how it starts ...

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Elon says it's ready to fire again:
https://www.instagram.com/p/_-d28bQEc9/

If this successfully launches and lands again, I think that's the moment we enter a new age of space travel.

Falcon 9 first stage has landed on Of Course I Still Love You — world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket.

Yeah. Boy.

[CCS]

Scientists have eliminated HIV in mice using CRISPR

An important breakthrough has been made in the eradication of AIDs. Scientists have found they can successfully snip out the HIV virus from mouse cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

Right now patients with the deadly virus must use a toxic concoction of anti-retroviral medications to suppress the virus from replicating. However, CRISPR/Cas9 can be programmed to chop out any genetic code in the body with scissor-like precision, including, possibly, all HIV-1 DNA within the body. And if you cut out the DNA, you stop the virus from being able to make copies of itself.

Science. Amirite?

[Ab]

CRISPR is some awesome-slash-bravenewworld shit.

CRISPR is a fucking source-code editor for DNA. Turn off HIV, turn on superintelligence, turn off cancer, turn on viral immunity.

[Deadmeat]

Booo GMOs
Stop spreading your chemiKILLS
Something about big pharma!

[Lightspeed]

It's mundane, but I loves me some domestic science:
Research reveals how to make your vegetables last longer

New research from the University of Otago has revealed the best home storage methods to lengthen the shelf life of vegetables.

[Lightspeed]

New Zealand the eleventh country to launch into space

[[Malks] Pixie]

A shit ton of our taxpayer dollars being blown up right there.

[MadMax]

^ antivaxer

[StN]

"Self driving car avoids collision"

"Mahia peninsula space port"

Two phrases a kid from the 70's would expect to hear in 2017.

[[Malks] Pixie]

Originally Posted by MadMax

^ antivaxer

Seeing as my post wasn't a critique of the actual science your comment is both irrational and somewhat mentally deficient - which is what I've come to expect so no changes there

[CCS]

Originally Posted by [Malks] Pixie

A shit ton of our taxpayer dollars being blown up right there.

Cool, huh?

[[Malks] Pixie]

Well the technology is cool, no doubt about that. What I find kind of less cool is that it's R&D done on the back of the NZ tax payer (oh and hey they're applying for even more funding), with intellectual property rights going to a US based company, serving a primarily US/Europe based customer base, and then requiring us to spend more NZ tax payer money to set up an agency to oversee it's operations which will be ongoing costs even if Rocket Labs move off shore (which they ostensibly are anyway).

But yeah, the tech is fucking cool, just a pity it's not ours.

[CCS]

What a sad guy.

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by [Malks] Pixie

Seeing as my post wasn't a critique of the actual science your comment is both irrational and somewhat mentally deficient - which is what I've come to expect so no changes there

Seeing as my post wasn't a critique of of your post critquing the actual science your post is all of the above.

[[Malks] Pixie]

It's okay Max, I know words are hard to get into an order that makes sense. You can try again if you like - use the CCS method and keep it short maybe.

[CCS]

The good news is that we're closer to sending Colin Craig to the moon. That's gotta be worth the taxpayer money.

[[Malks] Pixie]

^^ this I'll agree with.

[Lightspeed]

Another detection of a black hole merger by LIGO, I love this shit:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2017...-on-gravitons/

[Ab]

This is a pretty big deal.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci...07-gwmbh2.html

[Lightspeed]

I find it mind blowing to think how long people having been bumping about, getting up to shit. Cause we can get up to some shit. All that churning culture and ritual, age after age.

[Lightspeed]

Oh shit, I just realised we were down when this was released:

FRB 121102 Audio Analysis

This is a fast radio burst from a dwarf galaxy 3 billion light years away, which means it was a high energy event. We usually observe only a couple of these a year. What's cool about this one is unlike anything we've seen so far, it's repeating, which suggests the source is not a one-time cataclysm like a star collapsing into a black hole.

But really it just wigs me out listening to a "sound" from 3 billion light years away. A call from some ultimate deep.

Here's the write-up that goes with the audio:
The Sounds of Fast Radio Bursts | FRB 121102 Audio Analysis

[Spoon1]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

I find it mind blowing to think how long people having been bumping about, getting up to shit. Cause we can get up to some shit. All that churning culture and ritual, age after age.

It almost makes it forgivable that some of us believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster (or your deity of choice).

[Ab]

let's not forget the neutron-star collision last week, that was some sciencey shit.

[DrTiTus]

Originally Posted by Ab

let's not forget the neutron-star collision last week, that was some sciencey shit.

Last week? You're so 130 million years ago.

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Spoon1

It almost makes it forgivable that some of us believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster (or your deity of choice).

I wonder if there's any left behind ancient wisdom? Would we even know how to understand it? We'd probably end up cooking up silly memes out of it, acting out exactly what the wisdom warns against.

[Lightspeed]

If you think monkeys using fire to toast marshmallows isn't science, you're wrong.

Seriously, watch this monkey build a fire to toast and eat marshmallows. Best video 2017 quite possibly. Even though it's from 2014.

[CCS]

Crazy cat man to pilot steam rocket for Flat Earth Science.

"I don't believe in science," said Hughes, whose main sponsor for the rocket is Research Flat Earth. "I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles, and thrust. But that's not science, that's just a formula. There's no difference between science and science fiction."

This flight isn't to prove flat earthism itself, but a stunt on the way to a higher altitude.

Originally Posted by facebook

Hughes This jump is to raise media attention to make it possible to put me up to the karman line 62 miles up the edge of space which should be high enough to proof the flat earth

His future plans include an excursion into space. He and Stakes have already brainstormed on a "Rockoon," which is a rocket that, rather than being immediately ignited while on the ground, is carried into the atmosphere by a gas-filled balloon, then separated from the balloon and lit. This rocket will take Hughes about 68 miles up.

I wonder what happens when he gets to the Karman Line and sees a curved horizon? He declares that the earth is disc shaped?

[blynk]

When it sees that the world is round, then he will just be another one of those in on it, along with Nasa & science.

And then the next craze nutter will come out and try the same.

[CCS]

I think his mind will assplode. Then he will either live in the forest as a hermit or he will come up with something even more retarded.

[Lightspeed]

Looks like he has all the proof he needs:
Govt Shuts Down Flat-Earther's Rocket Launch

[StN]

When you want to make a statement, go with a glitter ball.

I wonder if it has the controller board from an F&P washing machine attached to play the national anthem.

[crocos]

Originally Posted by StN

When you want to make a statement, go with a glitter ball.

I wonder if it has the controller board from an F&P washing machine attached to play the national anthem.

Ab: Because you don't follow Social Media anymore, here's something positive.

[kRAdENkO]

Originally Posted by StN

When you want to make a statement, go with a glitter ball.

I wonder if it has the controller board from an F&P washing machine attached to play the national anthem.

I can help with that.

Looks like it might not be visible from NZ?

[StN]

Originally Posted by kRAdENkO

I can help with that.

Looks like it might not be visible from NZ?

Another 20 odd days for an optimal twilight appearance.

[Lightspeed]

How medical MDMA could become part of mainstream psychotherapy

There's some very promising research about the efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.