Astronasty

The US Army Had a "Mega Blimp?"

2013-02-16T11:10:00.001-05:00

The US Army shuts down a mega-blimp program. How bizarre that it exists!
This oddity is called the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle.

Check out the article over on Wired:
"Army Kills The Military’s Last Remaining Giant Spy Blimp"
"...LEMV. Built by Northrop Grumman, it’s a dimpled blimp as long as a football field; seven stories high; and carries a price tag of over half a billion dollars."

image credit: US Army

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Stem Cell 'Ink' Printed Into Living Dots : Discovery News

2013-02-12T12:09:00.001-05:00

The potential for 3d printing is apparently boundless!
"The scientists used a printer that has specialized valves, which are adjustable and control the rate at which the cells are released. That allowed them to put the stem cells where they are needed and keep them intact."
-Discovery News:
Stem Cell 'Ink' Printed Into Living Dots : Discovery News\

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NASA - Stunning Views of The Earth at Night

2012-12-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

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Brand new from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio,
here are the five short (~20 second) videos of Earth at night. The globe is alight with the signs of our civilization. It's truly awe inspiring.

This is a YouTube playlist of the 5 videos from my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/AnotherTimeline

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio / Earth Observatory

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Ecstasy Used for Treating PTSD Proven Effective

2012-11-27T12:33:00.000-05:00

[edit: 4 days later, they're covering it on CNN on TV. Glad to see it's reaching the national media!]

Surprisingly, a clinical trial using the illegal drug Ecstasy (MDMA) to treat PTSD has proven quite effective. This should hit home with a lot of people, including myself, since the disorder is so widespread. Who doesn't know at least a friend of a friend with this disorder?

Just like medical marijuana, an illicit drug if unauthorized, ecstasy may have action on the horizon for medical use. This would require more studies (and a lot of lawyers of course.)

Ecstasy used in treatment is definitely having an effect. After the trial, 95% correctly guessed which group (drug or placebo) they were assigned to.
Like a regular study, placebos and X were divvied out. To quote from the paper's abstract: "The rate of clinical response was 10/12 (83%) in the active treatment group versus 2/8 (25%) in the placebo group."

The finding have great potential for future reduction of suffering.
The credentials to take this seriously are there. The study is online at NIH.gov, posted from the Journal of Psychopharmacology. You can read it at the following link: (Scientists really don't name papers with advertising revenue in mind.)
"The safety and efficacy of ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study"

But what is PTSD like really?
Explained quickly in the original paper's introduction:
"Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating anxiety disorder characterized by re-experiencing, hyperarousal and avoidance symptoms."
Here, the symptoms are described well, but this can be quickly misconstrued if you aren't already familiar with the disorder because of the term hyperarousal. This Medical Dictionary defines it for us: "Hyperarousal: a state of increased psychological and physiological tension marked by such effects as reduced pain tolerance, anxiety, exaggeration of startle responses, insomnia, fatigue, and accentuation of personality traits."
This describes a great deal of the symptoms, but horribly, not all of the horrors involved for these suffering victims.

Hope is on the horizon. Bring on the legislature.

I was turned on to this new study by a great blog I'd recommend, Science Based Medicine:
Science-Based Medicine » Ecstasy for PTSD: Not Ready for Prime Time

For another spin, a NY Times Article brings the topic to their huge following of readers:
"A ‘Party Drug’ May Help the Brain Cope With Trauma"

Mithoefer, M., Wagner, M., Mithoefer, A., Jerome, L., & Doblin, R. (2010). The safety and efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25 (4), 439-452 DOI: 10.1177/0269881110378371

Image Credit: Wimimedia Commons Public Domain
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4 New NASA Videos On My YouTube Channel

2012-11-24T13:42:00.001-05:00

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I try to keep up with NASA, ESO, ESA, even ArXiv, when they lag behind in social media and forget to upload to YouTube. Sometimes copyright statements are clear and I can do it on my own. Sometimes I have to contact the scientists.

Here are some new videos I have recently put up on my YouTube Channel.

"NASA - (Narrated) Learn What LRO Has Learned About Linne Crater"
"If you want to learn more about the history of Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system, craters are a great place to look. Now, thanks to LRO's LROC instrument, we can take a much closer look at Linn? Crater on the moon--a pristine crater that's great to use to compare with other craters!"
"

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010700/a010792/

Here are some quick shots, 11 seconds or less:

"NASA - Animation Depicting How Moon Craters Are Changed By Subsequent Impacts"

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010700/a010792/

"NASA - Animation Depicting a Simulated Earth Crater Using Moon Crater Data"

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010700/a010792/

"NASA - Animation Depicting a Slow Dolly Across Craters on the Moon"

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010700/a010792/

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Editorial: Eccentric Behavior

2012-11-05T09:53:00.002-05:00

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I can see two main reasons for eccentric behavior - attention seeking (by either person to person viewing or fishing for an experience for storytelling), personal aesthetics, or both.

Obvious attention seeking:

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

If the eccentricity is an aesthetic preference, the initial experimentation might be done with the goal of wider experience, which in my opinion can be healthy. Eccentricity developed would be the test turning into habit.

With the goal of making a story by doing something taboo or odd, social media allows us for instant gratification. There is obvious potential for social backlash however if your eccentricity is taboo and known. Considering this, you have to be prepared for negative responses from people who align themselves with their culture's taboos. Personal aesthetic alone can outweigh the potential backlash. Attention seeking on the other hand gains easy reinforcement. A combination of these makes the eccentricity an easy fit into one's routine.

Wikipedia gives examples of using a quill or wearing a top hat as examples of anachronistic (use of outdated, misplaced antiquated objects, cliches, etc. in a modern setting) eccentricity.

Image Credit: Public Domain - BWCNY

You might feel guilty or scared of rejection sharing your eccentricity, with valid fear. Sexual eccentricity can definitely be such a case, often viewed with prejudice. On the taboo side, a penchant for fetish porn, clothing yourself abnormally, or a connection of pain directly with pleasure are all primarily done for the aesthetic.

Unaccepted eccentric habits are often easily noticeable when it's involved with something like eating or drinking, where hiding it from public eyes gets tricky. I eat my pizza with a knife and fork. When I was young, my brother Joe taught me how to use a fork and a knife in a specific way, and encouraged me to use them with a much wider variety of foods than normal. Habit became aesthetic. Buffalo wings -- fork and knife.

I'd go further into my own naughty taboos but I've got a reputation to keep up! Feel free to share your own in the comments section... If you dare!

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4 of the Newest and Coolest Videos Out of NASA

2012-11-04T08:30:00.003-05:00

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Straight from my YouTube Channel, here are the latest and greatest, some incredible new videos just released on NASA's website.

First,
"NASA and Japan Team Together To Launch Satellite (Animation)"
Nine U.S. and international satellites will soon be united by the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, a partnership co-led by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). NASA and JAXA will provide the GPM Core satellite to serve as a reference for precipitation measurements made by this constellation of satellites, which will be combined into a single global dataset continually refreshed every three hours.

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

"NASA's Animated Dynamics of Hurricane Bonnie"
This animation of Hurricane Bonnie uses data from NASA's TRMM Satellite. Beginning with a wide view of the world, we zoom in on a swath of atmosphere taken by TRMM. Then we go inside and see how the actual dynamics of the hurricane are at work.

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

"NASA Explains The Eye of a Hurricane and Hurricane Dynamics"
Rapid changes in wind speed and vortexes are all involved in this voiceover animation explaining hurricane dynamics.

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

"NASA Animation - Gamma Rays Hit Satellite"
This animation tracks several gamma rays through space and time, from their emission in the jet of a distant blazar to their arrival in Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT). During their journey, the number of randomly moving ultraviolet and optical photons (blue) increases as more and more stars are born in the universe. Eventually, one of the gamma rays encounters a photon of starlight and the gamma ray transforms into an electron and a positron. The remaining gamma-ray photons arrive at Fermi, interact with tungsten plates in the LAT, and produce the electrons and positrons whose paths through the detector allows astronomers to backtrack the gamma rays to their source.

Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Cruz deWilde

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Watch a Nova Explode

2012-11-02T09:58:00.003-04:00

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Quickly, I'd love to share with you a fascinating 12 second video of an actual nova we've been tracking visually here since 1953. Below, you can see "Optical ejecta... based on proper motions measurements of 282 knots from ~20 images spanning 25 years"

Sometimes you can find some real gems on Cornell University's ArXiv.org
"A 3D view of the remnant of Nova Persei 1901 (GK Per)"

Credit: Liimets et al. 2012, ApJ, 761, 34 and AAS

Thanks to Tiina Liimets for allowing me to upload this.
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Advanced Robotics for the Disabled: Segue-Wheelchairs and Exoskeletons

2012-10-31T14:08:00.000-04:00

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Science Based Medicine's new article "Cyborg Therapeutics" brings to light some absolutely stunning robotics developed for the handicapped. I'll share with you some media on these innovations.

First to see is the iBot. I'm heartbroken to discover that this product is discontinued.

The Segue-Meets-Wheelchair device is otherworldly,

a seemingly sci-fi creation,

a paraplegic's dream wheelchair.

Watch and see:

Credit: Independence Technology L.L.C. - iBOT® Mobility System.

A second innovation, reported out of Vanderbilt University, is perhaps even more impressive. A lower body exoskeleton has been designed for paraplegics. It also uses a segue-related technology and is slated for release in 2014. Using minor hip movements you can drive these prosthetic legs that are powered by lithium batteries and run by micro-computers. Watch one man proudly walk on his own, overcoming a devastating car accident that injured his spine and ruined his legs:

Credit: Vanderbilt University

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"Our Story In 1 Minute"

2012-10-30T16:22:00.000-04:00

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Symphony of Science comes through again with something profoundly moving:

"Our Story in 1 Minute"
"A tapestry of footage tracing the cosmic and biological origins of our species, set to original music."

Credit: Symphony of Science aka MelodySheep

Video sources:

Through The Wormhole with Morgan Freeman
Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
Do We Really Need the Moon? BBC
How Planet Earth Was Made
David Attenborough's First Life
Life
Dinosaurs Alive
Journey to the Edge of the Universe
Last Day of the Dinosaurs
Walking With Cavemen
Human Planet
Mankind: The Story of All of Us
Hubble Ultra Deep Field
Wonders of the Universe
Quest for Fire
Baraka
The Tree of Life

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NASA Videos of Hurricane Sandy

2012-10-30T15:57:00.001-04:00

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Hurricane Sandy has been making quite a mess of the US Eastern coast. I'm right smack dab in the middle of it.

This just out from NASA's website. I uploaded them to YouTube for you all.
Very interesting stuff if you've kept up with it.

NASA has their own unique point of view. Which is really high up.

"NASA Satellites Capture Hurricane Sandy's Massive Size"

Credit: NASA GOES Project)

"Hurricane Sandy as it Affects the Eastern US"

Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

"A View of Hurricane Sandy From The International Space Station"

Credit: NASA / Goddard
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DARPA'S Maximum Mobility and Manipulation Program (M3)

2012-10-24T14:20:00.001-04:00

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"DARPA's Pet-Proto Robot Navigates Obstacles"
They're making a goddamn James Bond robot. I LOVE IT!

Credit: DARPA / Boston Dynamics

Info on the project from DARPA's .mil site:
"The Department of Defense’s strategic plan calls for the Joint Force to conduct humanitarian, disaster relief and related operations. The plan identifies requirements to extend aid to victims of natural or man-made disasters and conduct evacuation operations. Some disasters, however, due to grave risks to the health and wellbeing of rescue and aid workers, prove too great in scale or scope for timely and effective human response. The DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) will attempt to address this capability gap by promoting innovation in robotic technology for disaster-response operations."

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The Sky Is Falling

2012-10-24T08:03:00.001-04:00

Meteor Hits House in California - Cheezburger

Lisa Webber in northern California got a surprise from above. Yes, the house has a hole in it, but it makes for a damned good cocktail party story!

A meteoroid is one in space... A meteor is one in the atmosphere... A meteorite is on the ground.
So did a meteor hit the house or did a meteorite hit the house?

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NASA - Gradient Sun

2012-10-20T10:42:00.001-04:00

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NASA JUST NOW released a new video of brilliant colors bubbling on the moving surface of the sun. The score is majestic and it evokes pure awe. It's public domain so I immediately uploaded it to my YouTube. Here, see it now!

Gradient Sun
Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

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You have POUNDS of Microorganisms Inside You

2012-10-15T06:09:00.001-04:00

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The Human Microbiome

I hope you enjoyed the poll I posted for this article!

63% of you

thought micro-organisms comprised 3-5% of our body mass.

Close!

It's 1-3%

In the human body, we are host to a variety of 100 TRILLION different microbes.
New York Times: [link]
Discover Magazine says 200 Trillion [link]

NIH.gov says that, startlingly, the ratio in the body, is only ONE human cell to TEN foreign micro-organisms. [link]
Discover Magazine says 20 to 1. [link]

A whopping 1-3% of your total body mass is not you.
So for a 200lb. man, 2lb. to 6lb. of your weight are other living things.
It's bacteria, fungus, and other lovely little "beasties."
Again, National Institute of Health: [link]

Image: Wikimedia Commons

These organisms are all over us. Almost all of them are harmless. Bacteria comprises much, but others are there, such as fungi. 500-1000 different species of bacteria alone live in the gut alone.
Human Biome on Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microbiome]

Image Credit: Masterfile

Beyond the gut, the skin and mouth are teeming with life. Even further, we are simply covered.

Germophobes, I'm sorry to tell you, your goals may be far beyond your reach.

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Quadruped Robot Finally Runs Faster Than Humans

2012-09-25T08:17:00.000-04:00

DARPA's Cheetah Bolts Past the Competition
They're still working on him. Faster this time, just like they promised.
Old record: 18mph. Impressive!
Now? 28.3, officially faster than any human has ever ran. (Usain Bolt @ 27.78mph)
This baby is getting pretty scary.
Damn, I love what DARPA and Boston Dynamics have been doing.

Here's another gem from the squad:
DARPA Legged Squad Support System (LS3) Demonstrates New Capabilities

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Don't You Hate Spam?

2012-09-03T15:38:00.002-04:00

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For the following reason, comments now require word verification.

Sorry!

Google Blogger's spam filters on blog comments works well. They catch ALMOST everything.

My RSS feed you guys are getting auto-publishes comments and posts regardless of whether or not Google's spam filter has a delay before it kicks in. Lately that's just been ruining it.

...But it will clean up the RSS feed.

... And you can find the links for them to the right.

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Staring Up With A Smile

2012-09-03T08:11:00.001-04:00

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Over at Earth Science is a newly posted picture that captivates me. I just had to share it with all of you. The perspective makes me feel like I'm laying down on grass, hands behind my head, staring up with a smile. Never a more soothing computer wallpaper.

"Lodgepole Pine"
Photographed in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Image Credit: Bret Webster

Click to embiggen>Right Click>Save as

Setting wallpaper to "Fill"/"Stretch" works wonderfully.

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Sun Shines Through Clouds On The Water

2012-08-26T13:46:00.002-04:00

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I saw this beautiful picture over at Earth Science and HAD to share it. It's my current desktop wallpaper. It took my breath away.

Storm-Tossed Lake Balaton In Hungary

Image Credit: Taken by Zsofia Biro

Click to Embiggen>Right Click>Save As -- Desktop setting to "Fill" "Stretch" "Zoom" this one's good for just about all the options.

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Hoverbike Invented FINALLY

2012-08-23T18:21:00.001-04:00

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New Scientist online has a section called Short Sharp Science. It's my favorite section there. Today they have a great little piece titled:
"Working hoverbike recalls Luke Skywalker's landspeeder"

Aerofex, a company out of California, just released pictures and information about this new product of theirs It's damned exciting.
Here's a link to their Company Site.

Image Credit: KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features

This crazy thing...

Now the envy of everyone who has ever seen Star Wars

(or even Back to the Future)

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P.2 - Chemistry Is More Fun When You're SETTING THINGS ON FIRE!

2012-08-20T10:01:00.000-04:00

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Part 2: Second batch of 4 explosive videos.

A recap:
Periodic Videos (referring to the Periodic Table of Elements) is a group of scientists from the University of Nottingham with a huge catalog of juicy goodies.

They just released a few 20-30 second chemistry videos showing how mixing elements and solutions can SET THINGS ON FIRE! I have an inkling they do this more for fun than science.

"Magnesium Burns in Carbon Dioxide"

"Hypergolic Reaction"

"Flourine Gas and Sulfur"

s

"Diethyl Zinc Ignites in Air"

All Video Credit: Periodic Videos & videographer Brady Haran

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P.1 - Chemistry Is More Fun When You're SETTING THINGS ON FIRE!

2012-08-20T08:59:00.001-04:00

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Part 1: First 4 videos.
Periodic Videos (referring to the Periodic Table of Elements) is a group of scientists from the University of Nottingham with a huge catalog of juicy goodies.

They just released a few 20-30 second chemistry videos showing how mixing elements and solutions can SET THINGS ON FIRE! I have an inkling they do this more for fun than science.

"Thermite Reaction"

"Zirconium in Flame"

"Fire Water"

"Calcium Carbide & Acetylene"

All Video Credit: Periodic Videos & videographer Brady Haran

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Sunset Above the Atlantic Ocean

2012-08-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

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A simple post, this picture over at Earth Science blew me away. It's my favorite computer wallpaper in quite some time.

"Sunset Above the Atlantic Ocean"

Taken by Jimmy Hamilton

The desktop setting to "Fill" or "Stretch" only alters it by a few pixels. Click to embiggen. Right Click>Save As

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Who Doesn't Love Shark Week! - A Remix

2012-08-16T19:49:00.002-04:00

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I'm a big fan of Symphony of Science, always have been.
John's newest project is an incredibly fun musical piece on Shark Week. It's catchy, there's his consistently great audio production, and he chose wonderful clips for its content.

Here it is, 2:00 long, short and fun, enjoy:

"Bite of the Great White! (Shark Week remix)"

Video Credit: The Discovery Channel / Symphony of Science

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The Crescent Nebula

2012-08-16T19:25:00.004-04:00

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I was over at NASA's website today and I found a stunning image that I just HAD to share with all of you. this is The Crescent Nebula, NGC6888
NASA describes it as "a cosmic bubble about 25 light-years across, blown by winds from its central, bright, massive star."

It's large enough to be used as a computer wallpaper. With the "stretch" option it looks fantastic. Click to enlarge. Right Click and Save As to grab it.

Image Credit & Copyright: J-P Metsävainio (Astro Anarchy)
Courtesy of NASA's APOD

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