Category: Science & Technology
A BUG-EYE VIEW
“The compound design of the fly’s eye incorporates perhaps 28,000 small eyes, or ommatidia,” explained team-member Dr Jianliang Xiao from the University of Colorado at Boulder, US. “That’s the direction we want to move in,” he told BBC News.
According to the report on BBC News, the digital “bug eye” camera is designed to reflect the structure of an insect’s corneal lens with a crystalline cone and light-sensitive organ at the base. Together these sections of the bug’s eye form a “picture” of the world pieced together from the various sensory inputs. In the robotic adaptation, microlenses are positioned above photodetectors. Proprietary software designed for the bug-eye camera is used to sync the information and piece together the signals to form a full image. The initial image is flat and then stretched over a hemispherical shape to give the impression of a 180-degree view.
“Picture the following: a palm-sized micro aerial vehicle uses an artificial faceted eye to navigate autonomously through a collapsed building while other sensors onboard scan the environment for smoke, radioactivity or even people trapped beneath rubble and debris,” the research team reported in the Nature journal article.
A little buzz-worthy news about technological advancements, I’d say!
METEOR EXPLOSION OVER ARGENTINA
It seems this year is to be the year of epic close encounters of the space debris kind. In February we watched in awe as a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, shattering windows for miles in all directions with its sonic boom. This month, on April 21, the night sky over eight provinces in Argentina was illuminated by the light of a giant fireball as another meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere and exploded. The flash of light was only seconds in length, but was bright enough to be seen across the country with residents in Santiago del Estero stating that they could feel the ground rumble beneath their feet in its wake.
An Argentinean meteor expert told Red Orbit that the meteor in question was entering the Earth’s upper atmosphere at approximately 80,000 mph. Jorge Coghlan, director of the Santa Fe Astronomical Observatory in Argentina, added in a radio interview with a local Argentina station that the piece of space dust measured between nine and eighteen inches in diameter and exploded about forty miles over the Earth. Coghlan is urging people to be skeptical, however, of many of the videos posted on YouTube, with the exception of surveillance videos and images captured by the concert attendees directly under the explosion.
In the video below the band Los Tekis was performing in Salta, Argentina at the Zamba Festival when the explosion occurred. Matías Díaz, who filmed the event, stated on the band’s website, “People demanded an encore of the Tekis, then they returned to the stage and was at that moment when the sound was cut and decorated the right side was a large green light falling from the sky. People at first did not know it was, thought someone had thrown a vengala but then began to speak of a meteorite.”
While the meteor that exploded over Chelyabinsk in February was nearly thirty times larger than the one over Argentina, and exploded only eighteen miles over the surface of Earth, it is still a “close call” and makes one wonder just how many more of these events we can expect in the coming months. The Argentinean meteor is speculated to be part of the annual April Lyrids meteor showers, which occur from April 16-26 each year with the peak being April 22. These meteors are the “dust” shed by the tail of the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher and have been observed and documented by astronomers for over 2,500 years.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjgRzLZSQ5g&version=3&hl=en_US]
OF DEMONS AND DREAMS
The correlation between demons and dreams is a complex and highly debated discussion amongst the metaphysical and psychological worlds. Certain camps of thought stalwartly believe in the physical manifestation of these entities existing independently of humanity, without a true spiritual connection to any particular religion, though they are inextricably linked to us through their need to feed from our energies. Other schools of research remain true to the religious concept of demons as “spawn of the Devil” and punishment for our “sins,” while those rooted in pure science and logic claim that they are products of our own chemical imbalances and psychological scars inflicted over time by our fellow humans and ourselves.
The link between visions of demons and other malevolent entities during a sleep disorder known as “sleep paralysis” is explored in a new short film and multi-platform art project, entitled simply “The Sleep Paralysis Project”, by Carla MacKinnon. Based on her own personal experiences struggling with the disorder, the project aims to explore the eerie psychological phenomena in which one’s mind becomes conscious while their body remains in a state of deep relaxation. However, this form of consciousness is not akin to being “awake” for the mind is still in the grips of whatever dream it is processing, thus creating the sensation of a “waking dream” or illusion. This disorder affects between five and sixty percent of the population, according to surveyors.
The strangest part about the documented cases of sleep paralysis is perhaps the consistency of the form of the waking dreams. If they are a part of one’s dream, the hallucinations should be as varied as the individual, taking on a multitude of different scenarios and creatures. However, it appears that the most common hallucinations involve entities with “demonic” appearances, crones, or unseen “malevolent presences” somewhere within the room where the person is sleeping. These creatures are often the perpetrators of an attack in which the victim believes they are being suffocated and in some cases this suffocation takes the form of a supernatural rape by an incubus, succubus, or other supernatural creature. The concept of demonic entities stretches back as far as humanity itself with myths and legends as varied as the peoples who gave birth to them.
This could largely be due to the battle between their engaged/conscious mind and the terrifying sensation of being trapped in their own body, paired with a variety of repressed psychological and emotional issues buried within the subconscious. The link between sleep paralysis and these haunting, iconic symbols begs the question of whether or not this may be a sign of our vaster interconnected “human consciousness” as a sentient species existing in one plane of reality, or perhaps merely a shared understanding of mythology and our own capacity for evil as it represents? Or is it something more sinister that pierces the veil between this world and another during sleep?
MacKinnon’s research to discover the origins of her own waking nightmares has allowed her to explore the gamut of these disturbing tales, as well as interview fellow sufferers for their own intimate accounts. Her artistic short film and corresponding art project are set to debut in May at the Royal College of Arts in London. According to the official website: “The film uses stop motion animation, live action film and projection mapping techniques to evoke and explore the worlds experienced between sleeping and waking. The film is Carla MacKinnon’s graduation piece for the Royal College of Art’s Animation Masters course, created in collaboration with arts and technology studio seeper with music by Dominic de Grande.”
For additional information visit http://www.thesleepparalysisproject.org/ or the project’s blog at http://sleepparalysisproject.wordpress.com/.
ONE-WAY TRIP TO MARS
Sick and tired of your home planet? Looking for a permanent vacation, perhaps of the off-world variety? You’re in luck! Say bon voyage to humanity and set sail with Mars One, a Dutch organization that is seeking volunteers for a one-way trip to Mars for colonization purposes.
Yes, I said “one-way trip” with no promise of returning to the big blue planet. One might think that this would be a bit discouraging to potential stellar jet-setters, but no! According to an article on the BBC News, Mars One has already received thousands of applications. Unlike organizations like NASA, which will only fund a mission if the astronauts have a safe and reliable way to return home, Mars One is ready to cannon a spacecraft of willing individuals towards the Red Planet to found its very first human settlement. The problem with this venture is just how the colony would survive once they got there amidst such harsh conditions such as a lack of natural resources and the intense cosmic radiation called solar wind.
Minor details, minor details.
Mars One will be broadcasting all aspects of their project via a reality TV format with hopes of encouraging fellow independent companies to become investors. The timeline for this epic adventure is a mere ten years from now with the mission launching into space in 2023. As far as what lofty qualifications an applicant must possess, the standards seem a bit generic with the basics being “resilient, adaptable, resourceful and must work well within a team.” This sounds more like a job posting for a sales associate position rather than an off-world colonist. But what do I know? I’m just a writer…
According to Mars One’s co-founder Bas Lansdorp, one of the main reasons a return to Earth would be next to impossible for the explorers is due to the fact that the seven to eight month journey, combined with Mars’ weaker gravitational field, would severely alter their bone density and muscle mass. A reentry into Earth’s atmosphere would most likely kill the astronauts. Billions of years ago, when Mars once had a strong magnetic field to protect it, the story may have been different. Ah, but humanity was yet to be even a twinkle in the eye of primordial sludge.
All of these obstacles aside, Mars One is ready to accept your application today! And, don’t worry about being lonely up there on the Red Planet with just a rover and your madcap companions to keep you company. Mars One plans on sending new supplies and additional colonists every two years. Until the launch of this mission, keep an eye out on Dutch reality TV for developments.
Maybe we could even send the Kardashians?
Interested in tossing your astronaut’s helmet into the proverbial ring? Visit http://applicants.mars-one.com/.
GERMANS ENGINEER ALGAE-POWERED HOUSE
German engineering firm Arup is taking “green building” to an exciting new level. At the recent International Building Exhibition the firm revealed their latest innovation, installed in the BIQ building, which utilizes the energy generated by the growth and decomposition of algae to power an entire house through a process called “adaptive shading.” The “algae house” was designed in collaboration with Austrian design firm Splitterwerk Architects and German consultancy SSC Strategic Science Consult,
During “adaptive shading” the algae are fed a constant stream of liquid nutrients and carbon dioxide through a water circuit running through the exterior of the building. When they reach maturity and are ready to be harvested the algae are then transferred to a “technical room” inside the building and fermented in a biogas plant. The heat absorbed by the exterior of the building is used to warm the hot water tank, which encourages the algae’s growth. Increased algae growth also provides additional shade for the building’s occupants during sunny weather.
“To use bio-chemical processes for adaptive shading is a really innovative and sustainable solution, so it is great to see it being tested in a real-life scenario,” said Jan Wurm, a research leader at Arup, in an interview with DeZeen.com.
“As well as generating renewable energy and providing shade to keep the inside of the building cooler on sunny days, it also creates a visually interesting look that architects and building owners will like,” he added.
HafenCity and the International Building Exhibition, the two major urban development projects featured as topics of the IBA conference in Hamburg, address issues facing modern European cities. These concerns include the questions: how can metropolises embrace progress and growth in a specifically European manner, preserving their traditions, developing new qualities and yet responding appropriately to future social needs and community requirements?
Until this year, algae-powered buildings have been merely concepts, such as the modular algae pod-covered building and the biofuel-powered skyscraper in London. The Arup design is a remarkable leap forward towards the realization of a self-sustainable building that harnesses and utilizes the inherent power of nature.
The International Building Exhibition will remain on display until November 3, 2013 in Hamburg, Germany.
**Photo by DeeZeen.com
CREATORS OF THE “BIGDOG” ROBOT UNVEIL THE “PETMAN”
Boston Dynamic’s cute little puppy robot we came to have a strange affection for evolved into the rather menacing, futuristic war beast known as the “BigDog.” Now, in 2013, they have taken their science to a thrilling new level with the newly introduced fully assembled anthropomorphic robot entitled “PetMan.” Now, complete with a head and clothing, the robot has been filmed walking, sitting, jumping, and turning its torso in the video below. In one instance it even holds up both hands in an “I surrender!” motion. Its walk still resembles that of an early C3PO, but the advancements are impressive lending to the consideration that truly humanoid androids in our workforce, homes, and military may not be too far in the future.
“PetMan” was not developed to exist outside the lab, however. The purpose of this particular robot is to test hazardous material suits or flak jackets that may be sprayed with a vast array of toxic agents—basically anything a lab assistant with common sense would refuse to sign up for.
Its capacity for a wide range of motion is not the least of the robot’s impressive evolutionary traits. BD has equipped “PetMan” with the ability to mimic actual sweat and heat to evaluate the body temperature of the person within the suit itself. Equipped with temperature, humidity, and chemical sensors, “PetMan” can determine the safety level and give an accurate determination of whether a person would expire or become dangerously incapacitated by the conditions within the suit.
We can thank the Defense Department’s Chemical and Biological Defense program for funding this particular Boston Dynamic project. The DDCBD is also assisting Boston Dynamic with capital for the development of the “Atlas” robot, which is designed to navigate terrain. We can expect to see a video of this new robot on YouTube later this year.
The latest footage of the new “PetMan” robot in action!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFrjrgBV8K0&version=3&hl=en_US]
Check out this spooky footage of DARPA’s previous creation, the “BigDog”.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA4ARPs0R-E&version=3&hl=en_US]
**Photos & Illustrations by Boston Dynamics http://www.bostondynamics.com/robot_petman.html
EVIDENCE OF NEANDERTHAL-HUMAN HYBRID IN NORTHERN ITALY
The theory of a Neanderthal-human hybrid may now be considered scientific fact after evidence that was presented in northern Italy earlier this week revealed a distinctive crossover of genetic traits between the two species. A paper published on PLoS ONE discusses aspects of the discovered skeletal remains, including fragments from a jawbone and cranium, which point to the gradual crossbreeding of the Homo neanderthalensis with the modern Homo sapiens, or humans.
Further analysis is needed to cement the theory, but if proven correct, the 30,000 to 40,000 year-old remains will be of the very first hybrid in existence. Previously, genetic research had revealed that humans with DNA of European and Asian descent were between one and four percent Neanderthal. However, the evidence up until now was not conclusive and based solely on “ambiguous fossils.” The Neanderthal genetic line declined and eventually vanished around 30,000 years ago through a mix of interbreeding and human conquest.
The fossilized jawbone and cranial fragments was discovered in 1957 in Riparo Mezzena in the Monti Lessini mountains of northern Italy. Researchers analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which revealed the Neanderthal lineage. However, the shape of the bone possessed characteristics more closely in line with traits of the modern human. Since mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child, researchers have concluded that the remains are from a “female Neanderthal who mated with male Homo sapiens.”
“From the morphology of the lower jaw, the face of the Mezzena individual would have looked somehow intermediate between classic Neanderthals, who had a rather receding lower jaw (no chin), and the modern humans, who present a projecting lower jaw with a strongly developed chin,” said study co-author Silvana Condemi, an anthropologist at the University of Ai-Marseille, to Discovery News.
Homo sapiens migrated into the Riparo Mezzena region approximately 41,000 years ago where the Neanderthal already possessed an established culture. The two species coexisted for a lengthy duration before the modern human finally dominated the territory and phased out the Neanderthal lineage. Some experts within the scientific community still doubt the hybrid theory pointing to evidence from Spain, which suggests the Neanderthal species was actually extinct thousands of years before the arrival of the modern Homo sapiens. Genetic similarities, they say, are the result of common ancient ancestors.
The debate and research of the Neanderthal-human hybrid theory will, no doubt, continue. To read the full article published on PLoS ONE visit http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0059781.
EXPLODING METEORS AND ASTEROID NEAR-MISSES
Could it be the Mayans were a couple of months off?
It might seem like something out of the movie Armageddon, but within a day of each other two frightening and spectacular astronomical events occurred that show just how close we could get to a real doomsday scenario.
The first happened in the skies over Russia, when on Thursday a meteor streaked through the skies over Russia, exploding with a shockwave that shattered glass windows for miles around, injuring up to 1000 people.
The second event occurred yesterday when an asteroid labeled 2012 DA-14 flew by Earth at a record-breaking distance of just 17,200 miles — the closest ever recorded for an asteroid of its size.
While that may still seem like quite a distance, to put it in perspective, the asteroid came closer to our planet than some communications satellites we have in orbit. In the grand scheme of our universe, that’s just a hair’s breadth away.
Had the 50 meter rock actually hit the Earth, it would have enough destructive force to level a city the size of New York, not to mention the environmental catastrophe it would cause. It is believed by scientists that a large asteroid that hit the Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Watch this video, which shows Nasa’s coverage of the asteroid’s near-miss fly-by.
The interesting thing is neither of these events are related to each other. Apparently it’s just a cosmic coincidence.
“Information is still being collected about the Russian meteorite and analysis is preliminary at this point,” NASA said in a statement. “In videos of the meteor, it is seen to pass from left to right in front of the rising sun, which means it was traveling from north to south. Asteroid DA14′s trajectory is in the opposite direction, from south to north.”
SOURCES:
Asteroid 2012 DA14 in record-breaking Earth pass
Russian Meteor Not Related to Asteroid Flyby, NASA Confirms
BREAKING NEWS: HAS SCIENCE PROVEN THE EXISTENCE OF BIGFOOT?
Today may go down in history as the day the legendary creature known as Bigfoot is finally scientifically proven to exist.
In the scientific journal DeNovo, Dr. Melba Ketchum has published her long-awaited peer-reviewed paper on Sasquatch DNA entitled “Novel North American Hominins, Next Generation Sequencing of Three Whole Genomes and Associated Studies.”
From the DeNovo website:
One hundred eleven samples of blood, tissue, hair, and other types of specimens were studied, characterized and hypothesized to be obtained from elusive hominins in North America commonly referred to as Sasquatch. DNA was extracted and purified from a subset of these samples that survived rigorous screening for wildlife species identification. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, specific genetic loci sequencing, forensic short tandem repeat (STR) testing, whole genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) bead array analysis, and next generation whole genome sequencing were conducted on purported Sasquatch DNA samples gathered from various locations in North America. Additionally, histopathologic and electron microscopic examination were performed on a large tissue sample. vel non-human DNA.
In addition to the publication of Dr. Ketchum’S paper, DeNovo has released this brief but tantalizing video clip from the Erickson Project’s upcoming Bigfoot documentary that appears to show a sleeping Sasquatch named Matilda.
Not surprisingly, it appears some others are jumping on the “DNA Proves Sasquatch is Real” bandwagon. From Denver CBS 4 comes this report about a group of Colorado researchers who are making their own claims that they have proof of Sasquatch DNA. According to researcher Dave Paulides, “This DNA is like nothing else in the world.”
Paulides says his research group has collected hundreds of samples of DNA evidence. He focused his search in Northern California’s redwoods. He says strands of hair are from a Sasquatch, genetically tested to reveal a previously unknown species.
“This isn’t an animal. This is a subspecies of a human, and we believe they travel in groups,” Paulides said.
What does all of this mean? Are we any closer to the scientific community accepting the reality of the existence of Bigfoot?
Only time will tell…
SOURCES:
Colorado Researchers Say DNA Proves Bigfoot Is Real
VIDEO FOOTAGE:
Clip licensed to the Sasquatch Genome Project. Any use must give proper attribution.