- Indomitable microbes may have finally be found. Ryan
Lynch, a microbiologist with the University of Colorado in Boulder, and his
research team have conducted DNA analysis of the Martian-like landscape on top
of some South American volcanoes and found communities of bacteria, fungi, and
archaea capable of surviving not only in their current inhospitable
environment, but of deriving their energy in ways not currently known, perhaps
from volcanic gases. “We haven’t formally identified or characterized the species,”
Lynch said. “But these are very different than anything else that has been
cultured. Genetically, they’re at least 5 percent different than anything
else in the [DNA] database of 2.5 million sequences.” That database is a
near-exhaustive collection of microbes continually updated as researchers
worldwide add to it. Lynch’s team collected soil samples from the dry slopes
of the tallest volcanoes in the Atacama region. With über-high ultraviolet
radiation levels, soils so depleted that nitrogen levels were below detectable
limits and temperatures that swing from 14 to 133 degrees Fahrenheit in less
than 24 hours, the region is a perfect crucible for hearty microbes. The
question for the project was how the organisms survive there. Researchers found
no evidence the organisms were photosynthetic, eliminating one option. Instead,
Lynch believes the microbes may derive their energy from the small amounts of
carbon monoxide and dimethyl sulfide that are carried to the region by wind.
With only a few species of microbes to examine, testing this idea was simpler
than it would have been in more temperate locations. These volcanoes on the
Chile-Argentina border rise to altitudes of more than 9,685 feet above sea
level and have remained ice-free for thousands of years due to a lack of water,
which also limits biodiversity. “Overall,
there was a good bit lower diversity [in the Atacama samples] than you would
find in most soils, including other mountainous mineral soils,” Lynch said. In
this harsh environment, only the heartiest microbes can survive. They travel
through air, are carried about by winds, are sucked up into clouds, form rain
droplets, and then fall back to the ground as precipitation. Factor in
high ultraviolet radiation and extreme temperatures and it’s a hard-knocks life
for a microbe. Lynch’s next step is to determine if the conditions in the
Atacama region are similar enough to conditions on Mars for the microbes there
to survive on the Red Planet………….
- Summer really has arrived. An animated family movie is in
first place at the box office, a surefire sign that parents are looking for an
entertaining way to get their children out of the house for a few hours. “Madagascar
3: Europe's Most Wanted” claimed the top spot with $60.4 million in its debut, besting
fellow newcomer “Prometheus,” which claimed $50 million in its opening weekend
for a solid start given the immense hype and attempts at mystery used in
promoting the film. Last week’s top film, “Snow White and the Huntsman,” sank
to third place with $23 million for a two-week total of $98.5 million. However,
star Charlize Theron does have two of the top three movies for the weekend and
could have had all three if she had convinced the producers of “Madagascar 3”
to write her into the script as an extra zebra or meerkat. Fourth place
belonged to the remake awfulness of “MIB 3,” which earned $13.5 million and has
hauled in $135.5 million in three weeks of release. “The Avengers” dropped to
fifth, its lowest spot in six weeks of release, but made an additional $10.8
million for a cumulative domestic total of $571.8 million. The plucky underdog
tale of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” continued with a second consecutive
sixth-place result, thanks to a $3.2 million weekend in limited release.
“Marigold” has made $31 million so far, besting “What to Expect When You're Expecting,”
which remained in seventh place once more with $2.7 million in weekend earnings
for a four-week total of $35.7 million. The ever-sinking “Battleship” fell to
eighth place and made a measly $2.3 million in its fourth weekend, giving it a
scant $59.8 million against its colossal $209 million budget. Sacha Baron Cohen’s
“The Dictator” was ninth with $2.2 million and “Moonrise Kingdom” checked in at
No. 10 with $1.5 million. “Dark Shadows” (No. 11), “For Greater Glory” (No. 13)
and “Chernobyl Diaries” (No.15) all fell out of the top 10………..
- How long did it take for racism to read its ugly head at
the Euro 2012 soccer championships? Less than a day, that’s how long. The most
explosive scoring burst of the tournament so far came from Russia in a 4-1
win over the Czech Republic Friday in Wroclaw. Apparently, Russian fans had
just as explosive a burst of racism and bigotry in them during the match. UEFA,
the governing body for soccer in Europe, is seeking more evidence to
investigate reports of "alleged abuse directed at Czech Republic
players" during Russia's victory. The alleged racism was targeted at Czech
defender Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is black. Anti-racist experts appointed by
UEFA to monitor matches (yes, they knew it was going to happen) reported that fans
verbally abused Selassie. Racism is a common theme at the European
championships, as four years ago, UEFA fined Croatia 20,000 Swiss francs (then
$19,600) for its fans' neo-Nazi flags and chants during a Euro 2008
quarterfinals loss against Turkey in Vienna, Austria. Racism wasn’t the only
misconduct by Russian fans, as UEFA has also charged the Russian soccer
association Saturday with "improper conduct" after fans were filmed
fighting with stadium stewards during the match. "UEFA has opened
disciplinary proceedings against the Football Union of Russia for the improper
conduct of its supporters," the organization confirmed. Using security
footage and images, UEFA investigators will review the case against Russia
Wednesday to identify "crowd disturbances, the setting off and throwing of
fireworks and the display of illicit banners." The violence left four
stewards at the stadium in Wroclaw hospitalized, victims of attacks that
included punching security officers in the concourse. Police said Russian fans
became aggressive when stewards tried to capture a man who had thrown
firecrackers toward the pitch. Firecrackers, near-riots and general hooliganism
are nothing new at soccer matches and sadly, neither is racism predicated on
extremist views. Stay classy, soccer fans…………
- Sidewalk chalk: medium of creative child artists on hot
summer days or hazard to society? That debate is raging in the Denver suburb of
Stapleton, where the local homeowners’ association has scanned the summer
horizon ahead of them and identified a threat they do not want to see come to
fruition. Simply put, the organization of ass hats who thrive on making rules
like how high their neighbors can cut their grass, how many lawn ornaments a
person can have and how high the fence around a person’s yard can be want to put a
stop to sidewalk chalk art. “The association is trying to go down a path of do
no harm and prevent the sidewalk art as opposed to… until such time as it can
get together and discuss it,” the legal representation for the organization
explained. That position isn't sitting well with at least one Stapleton mother who
says she moved her family to the neighborhood specially because it is
family-friendly – or so she thought. “My initial reaction was, ‘You have to be
kidding me,’” Sarah Cohen said. “We live on a courtyard and we all bought into
the notion that we were sharing a space.” Her 3-year-old daughter Emerson, who
obviously needs something beyond SpongeBob to keep her occupied over the
summer, enjoys drawing with sidewalk chalk. “It’s definitely better than video
games,” Cohen explained. “It’s a simple pleasure for her.” A simple pleasure
that the homeowners’ association says is against the rules because in a shared
space, anything that offends, disturbs or interferes with the peaceful
enjoyment isn’t allowed. A few complaints from anonymous neighbors later, a
full-fledged brawl was on and now, the issues will be debated at a future
homeowners’ association meeting………….
- If only the 5,975 U.S. Republican presidential debates over
the first few months of this year had been so riveting. Instead of a bunch of
rich, boring white dudes arguing over who is a bigger liar as one
crazy-but-non-threatening white chick tries to get involved despite her total
lack of political competence, just imagine how entertaining those debates would
have been with Greek
far-right politician Ilias Kasidiaris, spokesman for the Golden Dawn party,
involved. Kasidiaris has been in hiding since Thursday, when he attacked a
female panelist and threw water in the face of another woman during a live
televised election debate. Kasidiaris channeled his inner misogynist during the
debating, bolting from his seat during the heated TV debate and throwing a
glass of water at Rena Dourou, a deputy with the radical Syriza party, after
she declared his party "will take the country back 500 years.” When turned
Liana Kanelli, an MP with the KKE communist party, stood up to condemn the
action, Kasidiaris attacked and struck her repeatedly. In what may have been a
fit of ‘roid rage from his weightlifting past or post-traumatic stress disorder
from his time serving in the Greek military's special forces, Kasidiaris
slapped Kanelli around the face three times as she threw up her arms in
self-defense. "No, no, no", the talk show's presenter, Giorgos
Papadakis, shouted as he tried to intervene. Kanelli fled the studio in fear
and the attack sparked street protests across the country as people denounced
the "dark force" of fascism. Rather than make a public statement, Kasidiaris
elected to take the coward’s way out by posting a Facebook statement saying he
regretted becoming involved in an incident which is damaging his party's image
ahead of the general election on June 17. "The events that took place on
Thursday morning on Antenna TV were staged with the sole aim of provoking an
extreme reaction on my part," he wrote. "I am sorry that, without
intending to, I got mixed up in a case that has confused public opinion and was
aimed at hitting Golden Dawn. I will go to the prosecutor in person to sue
those behind the illegal actions that have taken place in the last two
days." It sounds like he’s definitely owning his action and in no way
making excuses. Just the kind of leadership Greece needs as it plunges into
financial chaos………
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