celestialdancer

Might We Be Descendants of Hobbits After All???

celestialdancer — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:19:40 +0000

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100317-hobbits…

Newfound stone tools suggest the evolutionary history of the “hobbits” on the Indonesian island of Flores stretches back a million years.Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com

I have vaguely been following this story’s unfolding for a number of years.

Half-Male Half-Female Chickens

celestialdancer — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:12:09 +0000

Clipped from news.nationalgeographic.com

It was a tough egg to crack, but scientists have finally explained why some chickens are born half male and half female.

The bodies of these hen-rooster hybrids, or gynandromorphs, have a mixture of genetically male and female cells, the research reveals.

Only about 1 in 10,000 chickens are born as gynandromorphs, which have male features—such as a rooster’s comb and a defensive leg spur—on one side of their bodies and dainty, henlike features on the other.

To test this theory, Michael Clinton of the University of Edinburgh and his team analyzed cells from three gynandromorph chickens.

To their surprise, the team found that the chickens’ cells were normal. What was strange, however, was that male cells made up one half of the body, and female cells composed the other half.

The scientists believe gynandromorphs are created when chicken eggs become fertilized by two sperm—one carrying male genes and another carrying female genes.
Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com

Black Penguin - One in a Zillion

celestialdancer — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:01:07 +0000

There is video footage at the source site.

Clipped from news.nationalgeographic.com

National Geographic Traveler contributor Andrew Evans recently spotted and filmed an all-black king penguin—a very rare mutant—on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.

This all black-feathered king penguin could be ‘one in a zillion.’

The video was recorded on the Sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia by National Geographic Traveler Magazine contributor editor Andrew Evans on his bus2Antarctica expedition.

While many king penguins and other penguins can have feather-coloring mutations, usually, the variations are partial.

Dr. Allan Baker, an ornithologist and head of the Department of Natural History at the Royal Ontario Museum, called the discovery of the ‘all-black’ king penguin “astonishing.” He jokingly said ”it’s a one in a zillion kind of mutation,” and scientifically calls it ‘very rare.’
Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com

The Global Population Situation

celestialdancer — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:15:31 +0000

http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/global_population#

I was heartened to find this, as people have been speaking about this for over 20 years and very few have listened and heeded their insight. I just wonder whether we will ever see a day when humans on this planet choose to learn through opportunity, rather than necessity. The current situation to me is one of necessity = learning through suffering rather than learning through opportunity, intuition, wisdom.

A final note my thoughts on abortion. When I look at death, we say a person is dead when they breathe their last breath. So, more than just intellectually, it makes sense to me, that a fetus can only be considered truly alive when it takes its first independent breath outside of its mother’s womb.

Before that, it is the mother’s breath & nutrients that are simply helping the physical form to develop. So besides the huge guilt trips via religion et al, I do not see anything wrong with abortion, because the baby is not actually breathing its own breath, it is a bit like a parasite within the womb of its mother.

Secret Island TV - Expedition to Lampi Island

celestialdancer — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:46:55 +0000

There are more videos at the source.

Clipped from beforeitstoolate.org

If you are in to adventure, or want to follow blow by blow, a real life scientific adventure, then this is for you. Secret Island TV.

We mounted an expedition to Lampi Island 25 miles of the Myanmar (Burma) coast. 100 square miles of unexplored and uninhabited forest teaming with wildlife, but ruled by a heard of killer elephants. The local sea gypsies say the bull has killed at least 15 people.

This Before It’s Too Late expedition saw a group of international and Myanmar scientists and conservationists begin the first of what was hoped to be a number of scientific expeditions to the island.

Their mission to begin a scientific survey of the island by documenting species. Also to track down the herd of elephants and study them if possible.

But you know what they say about the ‘best laid plans of mice and ……..

See more at beforeitstoolate.org

Free Hormonal Contraception Halves Abortion Rate In Norway

celestialdancer — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:35:33 +0000

I wonder why these sorts of things are implemented more globally?

Clipped from www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (Mar. 15, 2010) — Three thousand five hundred, 20- to 24-year-old women from Tromsø and Hamar in Norway were offered free hormonal contraception for a year. The result was that the abortion rate in the trial cities was halved.

The project came to an end in December 2009, and the results obtained by the SINTEF Technology and Society scientists were quite clear:

The abortion rate in the trial cities was halved, and the women involved were very happy to be given free contraception of this sort, according to the project manager, research manager Anita Øren.
Read more at www.sciencedaily.com

Interviews & Versions of Boy In The Bubble - Paul Simon & Peter Gabriel

celestialdancer — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:39:48 +0000

The interview is really worth listening to (www.petergabriel.com) and then for your own interest, if you wish listen to both versions. Peter’s version is like crystal beauty, the clarity and meaning of the lyrics shine with the light of the stars.

Clipped from www.petergabriel.com

Peter, Paul Simon, Bob Ezrin and John Metcalfe talk about the two songs and the process of recording the two tracks in this video.

February’s Full Moon sees the release of the second ‘double A-side’ - Digi 45 from the ‘Scratch My Back’ project on iTunes. Peter Gabriel’s version of ‘The Boy In The Bubble’ and Paul Simon’s reciprocal cover of ‘Biko’
Read more at www.petergabriel.com

Clipped from www.youtube.com

See more at www.youtube.com

Doves - Kingdom of Rust

celestialdancer — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:54:04 +0000

“My God it takes an ocean of trust in the kingdom of rust…”

Clipped from www.youtube.com

See more at www.youtube.com

Call For Support to Keep A Worldwide Ban on Ivory Trading

celestialdancer — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:06:05 +0000

The introduction to the email with the following clipped link. It seems that even though the 13th March has passed they want the world citizens to keep up the pressure to keep the worldwide ban on ivory trading. Follow the link to sign the petition.

Amazing — in just over 3 days, more than 300,000 of us have signed this petition to keep endangered elephants protected! Help sustain that momentum by forwarding this link to everyone you know right now:

Clipped from www.avaaz.org

Within days, two countries are seeking to break the worldwide ban on ivory trading — a decision that could wipe out whole elephant populations and bring these magnificent animals closer to extinction.

But many African states and conservationists support extending the ban on elephant-slaughtering ivory trade. The decision will be made at a UN meeting in Doha starting on 13 March, and global public opinion could tip the balance!
Read more at www.avaaz.org

If You Are Going To Eat Shell Fish You Had Better Be Aware of Where They Came From

celestialdancer — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:12:21 +0000

Clipped from news.yahoo.com

BEIJING (AFP) – China’s coastal waters are increasingly polluted by everything from oil to pesticides, contaminating the nation’s marine life including the shellfish supply, state press reported Friday.

Most shellfish in offshore areas contained “excessive harmful chemicals” such as lead, cadmium and the insecticide DDT, the China Daily said, citing a new report released by the State Oceanic Administration.

Levels of lead detected in shellfish were 50 percent higher than normal, while cadmium and DDT levels were about 40 percent higher, the report said.

Lead can damage the human nervous system and cause blood and brain disorders if consumed in unsafe amounts, while DDT is listed as a “moderately hazardous” pesticide by the World Health Organization.

The administration’s report said that about 147,000 square kilometres (59,000 square miles) of China’s coastal waters failed to meet standards for “clear water” last year, an increase of 7.3 percent over 2008.Read more at news.yahoo.com