Pandora Here We Come!!

The awesome world of the blue smurfs with severe pituitary problems that was seen in Avatar, may soon not be a thing of fantasy. According to Universe Today, in the article "Scientists Predict Earth-Like Habitable Exoplanet Will Be Found in 2011" scientists have predicted...

hmmm?

I guess the title of the article really says it all.  No need to rehash it.  Check out the article.  Its pretty interesting.

I mean who doesn't want to be blue badass?

Not Me!

We detect the smell of rotten fish before the smell of roses. Really was this a surprise?

The IgNobel prize, for the last twenty or so years has been a parody of the Nobel prize, awarding odd, silly and irreverent research.  Research, as the IgNobel website decrees, "that makes people laugh and then think."  While this years winners have yet to be announced, I feel the scientific article "The fish is bad: Negative food odors elicit faster and more accurate reactions than other odors", might be a great candidate.  

Because initially it does indeed make you laugh.

Why do the differences in the way we smell things really matter?  Doesn't research like this seem to be a bit of a waste of time and resource?

No it's not a waste of time. becuase it begins to make use think.

While, the conclusions of the research that our olfactory sense (sense of smell) will react to noxious odors faster than pleasant smells is not entirely surprising.  I mean how many times have you found yourself near a pile of dog crap, yet find yourself admiring your boyfriend/girlfriend's cologne/perfume instead?  Highly unlikely.  

However, these data indeed  indicate the existence of a physiological olfactory response that reacts quicker to stressful or dangerous stimuli.  While we may enjoy the smell of roses, our sensitivity to noxious fumes and stimuli is likely far more important evolutionarily speaking for our survival.  Bad smells often equate to bad consequences.

Not surprising conclusions, but still important.  All knowledge is important.


You can also read about this article on physorg.com.

Lets give our wishes and prayers to the fire victims of San Bruno, CA and Boulder, CO.

Two serious fires have marred our great country in the past few days in San Bruno, California and Boulder Colorado.  Let's pray for those that have tragically effected by the flames.  If you want to help, please give to your favorite charity such as American Red Cross.  Please give what you can.

Peace.

Is It True!!? What We Did Today, Can It Actually Effect What We Did Yesterday?

According to physicist Dr. Jeff Tollaksen from Chapmen University, future events may in fact effect events in the past and present.  In the Discover Magazine article, "Back From the Future,"  Zeeya Merali reports on the series of quantum physic experiments in which Tollaksen and his group found that time may actually flow backwards as much as it does forward.  


While physics is generally not my major area of interest, and most of it is quite over my head, findings such as these really can have serious philosophical implications.  The idea that future events could effect the past does really begin to make you think about the concepts of fate versus free will.  Who knows maybe this idea of quantum physics can explain those random bouts of intuition that everyone experiences once in a while, such as when you think of someone and then they call.  Or like the time I chose a weird way to drive home, as my wife indicated from the passenger seat, but then fortunately missed a high speed police chase chase and a tragic accident by a few seconds.

A little food for thought :) 

Can't get mad! Science and fish say it may simply be male nature.

According to an article at www.physorg.com, Your plaice or mine? Male fish refuse to ask for directions", male fish are quite stubborn especially during breeding season. While in the frisky mood, male fish do not take informational cues from neighboring fish like normal, but rather do the opposite and go their own way. I guess if it works for fish...:)