Aug
What lightning looks like from space
Did you know that every 50 seconds there is a lightning strike somewhere in the world? In Focus have a nice collection of photographs capturing this frequently stunning phenomenon from several vantage points around the world, including the one above from Space.
As noted by In Focus,
An elusive “red sprite” flash, photographed by Expedition 31 astronauts aboard the International Space Station on April 30, 2012. The sprite (upper right) appears high above a lightning strike (bright spot in the clouds). Red sprites only last for a few milliseconds, sending pulses of electrical energy up toward the edge of space—the electrically charged layer known as the ionosphere—instead of down to Earth’s surface.
(via Twisted Sifter)
Jul
Outback scenes
The Australian outback - one of the most vast, misunderstood, and beautiful examples of nature’s richness.
To celebrate the iconic Outback, Australian Geographic presents a selection of their classic photos.
See the full collection here.
Jul
Jun
H5N1 Influenza Virus: The answers
The scientific community is abuzz this week, following the publication of a second controversial H5N1 paper that identifies a series of mutations that give the virus the ability to spread through the air.
To bring you up to date on the current status of this potentially deadly virus, Ed Yong at Nature magazine has kindly presented the top five questions regarding H5N1, including:
- Why is it so successful?
- Where is it now?
- How does it kill?
- Will it become transmissible in humans?
- What else could cause a pandemic?
For the answers to these questions and more, head to Nature for the full article.
Jun
Nature photography post #2
It seems that today is nature photography day, which can’t be a bad thing.
From Australian Geographic:
A hauntingly still photo of Lake Wanaka in New Zealand, by Victorian Neville Jones, was a finalist in the Amateur Nature category of the 2012 Epson International Pano Awards.
Jun
Beautiful wildlife photography
Hungarian photographer Bence Máté has the unique ability to capture those beautiful, fleeting moments of wildlife in their natural habitat.
Head to My Modern Art for more.
Jun
![Continental axis theory: Geography may have a significant effect on cultural diversity
In his excellent 1997 book Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond talks a lot about the dominant trajectory of Asian and European civilisations through history, which he asserts to be a result of these continents consisting of narrower bands of latitude.
Specifically, Diamond’s model proposes that these “narrower” continents have less variation in climate resulting in the adaptation of similar plants and animals. This in turn leads to more efficient agricultural innovations, which is soon followed by culture and ideas.
It’s an intriguing implication that has been somewhat validated by the results of a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In it, the researchers used the persistence of language as an indicator of cultural diversity and according to Nature magazine, concluded that:
If a country had a greater east–west axis than a north–south one, the less likely it was for its indigenous languages to persist. [The results indicate] that east–west countries have more homogeneous cultures.
This paper is significant in two ways as it: (1) provides much-needed experimental reinforcement of Diamond’s model, and (2) as noted by the authors, suggests that societies of low economic growth are not a reflection of a particular culture’s capacity, but instead reflect the “historical patterns fostered by geographical constraints that discouraged the integration of cultures”.
Head over to Nature for more.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5hp4gQUBo1r53gljo1_1280.jpg)
Continental axis theory: Geography may have a significant effect on cultural diversity
In his excellent 1997 book Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond talks a lot about the dominant trajectory of Asian and European civilisations through history, which he asserts to be a result of these continents consisting of narrower bands of latitude.
Specifically, Diamond’s model proposes that these “narrower” continents have less variation in climate resulting in the adaptation of similar plants and animals. This in turn leads to more efficient agricultural innovations, which is soon followed by culture and ideas.
It’s an intriguing implication that has been somewhat validated by the results of a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In it, the researchers used the persistence of language as an indicator of cultural diversity and according to Nature magazine, concluded that:
If a country had a greater east–west axis than a north–south one, the less likely it was for its indigenous languages to persist. [The results indicate] that east–west countries have more homogeneous cultures.
This paper is significant in two ways as it: (1) provides much-needed experimental reinforcement of Diamond’s model, and (2) as noted by the authors, suggests that societies of low economic growth are not a reflection of a particular culture’s capacity, but instead reflect the “historical patterns fostered by geographical constraints that discouraged the integration of cultures”.
Head over to Nature for more.
Jun
The collective intelligence of many microbes
One the many lessons bacteria teach with their colonies of trillions is this. When it comes to groups, Nature does not favor tribes, she favors size … She favors humongous social groups that network their information so well that they form a high-powered collective intelligence, a group brain. (via Networks thrive in complexity | Harold Jarche)
May
Rare genetic variants more likely than common ones to result in disease
A common problem with the mass-sequencing of genetic material, especially the human genome, is how to translate this information into meaningful scientific data. Following the publication of the first draft sequence of the human genome in 2001, a natural starting point has been the comparison between sequences of different origin in an attempt to identify degrees of disease susceptibility and potential markers. But this approach, arguably, has so far proven to be unsuccessful.
However in an article in Nature magazine this week, Erika Check Hayden highlights the results of two recent papers (here and here) that suggest that “the most common genetic variations actually have very small impacts on complex human traits, and that it is the rarer variations - carried by fewer than five people in a thousand - are more significant to human health”.
Head over to Nature for more - it’s an interesting read.
About Me
Hi there, I'm Jim: PhD student in the biological sciences, enthusiast, friendly neighbour, Australian.
