Potspoon!

Flex Your Mussels

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 15:01:00 +0000

Epioblasma raniana

Freshwater mussels play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems. They are amazing filters and are capable- in tight clusters- of filtering as much water as a treatment plant. It's no wonder why researchers working with the Illinois Natural History Survey, a division of the University of Illinois, have been working so hard to save two endangered species or mussel.

They moved individuals of the two endangered species- the northern riffle shell (Epioblasma rangiana)and the clubshell (Pleurobema clava)- from the Allgheny River in Pennsylvania to another area in the Ohio River Basin in Illinois. The species hadn't been seen in this area in about 100 years and have been transplanted with an 80% success rate. The area they were moved from was a site due for bridge restoration which would have greatly impacted the already dwindling numbers of these mussels.

You can read more at the University of Illinois site here.

The Effects of Fructose

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:18:00 +0000

Fructose remains highly controversial because previous studies claimed liver disease was not caused by fructose, but by higher caloric intake. This study sets out prove that all calories are NOT created equal.

Check out this article! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130619164437.htm

Monday Blues: GENETIC MUTANT FREAKS! or not so much...

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:09:00 +0000

I've talked about eyes a few times before, but usually in relation to sea critters or bugs. Today, it's about all you blue eyed people. Yes. All of you. You are all mutants! This is an old article, but a fun one to tie into my old Monday Blues series.

According to a team at the University of Copenhagen, all blue- eyed people in the world share a common ancestor. A genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene is to blame. This gene is the one responsible for skin and hair color as well. If all the switches on this gene are" turned off," you get albinism. People in Turkey, Jordan, and Denmark all had this one switch on the exact spot of their DNA mutated, leading the team to the conclusion that all blue eyes stem from one mutation between 6 and 10,000 years ago.

You can read more here. And don't worry, you're all cute mutants.

This Week in Science

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:22:00 +0000

This has been an exciting week in science! I know what you're thinking, so were a LOT of other weeks... where have you been? I have had things to deal with. If you read Roogoodoo at all, you may know what some of those are.... anyway. On to the science news!

In space related news, Jeff Bezos (a.k.a. that billionaire guy from Amazon.com), funded the recovery of the Apollo 11 rockets from their longtime home in the bottom of the ocean. For those that somehow don't recall, this was the mission and shuttle that landed the first humans on the moon.
Stingray behavior is changeable. A study published in PLoS ONE noted the way rays at the infamous Stingray city in the Caymans acted compared to their non-human-fed counterparts.
You're a cheater! Don't believe me? Well, a study has proven it... sort of. Our brains are cheaters when it comes to remembering social ties and relationships. You can read more about your cheating mind here.
Lastly, in tech news, Apple wants Siri to take over the world. They may not want it to be as malicious as Pinky and the Brain may have wanted it, but they do want her voice to be your companion. From everyday tasks in your home, to the voice of your entertainment center, Apple plans on taking her places.

That's it for highlights. Keep stirring up knowledge!

Photo from Absolute Divers.

Great News of the Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Unilever and schools to recycle those plastic deodorant tubes:

Program recycles deodorant containers - NewsandSentinel.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Christmas tree genetics uncovered:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121213132542.htm

New advances in solar cells being woven into fabric:

http://www.treehugger.com/solar-technology/silicon-based-fibers-could-make-fabric-solar-cells.html

Gold mining is for the bugs:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121212-termites-gold-metals-bugs-weird-science-environment/

Hope you guys have an awesome week!

Freaky Facts Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:47:00 +0000

Pluto’s journey around the Sun takes 248 Earth years. This means that, since its discovery in 1930, it still has 177 years to go until it has made a complete orbit around the Sun.

Thanks, random science fact app!!!

More Uses for Scotch... Tape, That Is

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 12:26:00 +0000

In a new article posted to ScienceDaily, researchers have found another remarkable use for Scotch brand tape as a smart material.

Researchers cut the tape into half centimeter "fingers" that, when exposed to water, turned into little claws that were great at picking up water droplets.

Its uses can be varied to suit the researchers needs. It's cost effective and reusable and van babe used for things like collecting pollen, water, and microbes:
Because it has an adhesive side, it is very functional for this sort of work. You can read more at the link above.

Original material from Perdue University.

Largest known crocodile could swallow a human

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:49:00 +0000

Largest known crocodile could swallow a human

This croc once lived in East Africa and is the largest known true crocodile. It is believed to have exceeded 27 feet in length, according to University of Iowa researchers. Read more at the link above.

Paper Thin Televisions

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:40:00 +0000

TV as thin as a sheet of paper? Printable flexible electronics just became easier with stable electrodes

Very cool technology reminiscent of the Fifth Element. I can't wait. :) I guess I don't have to get a flat screen just yet. I can wait for the flattest screen!

Penguins from Space!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:37:00 +0000

It appears that there are way more emperor penguins in Antarctica than originally thought. In an article originally published in PLoSONE, a survey done using a Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite revealed that there may be twice as many penguins as originally thought.

Because the penguins' black color stands out so visibly against the snow, they were easily spotted via satellite. Viewing from space allowed researchers to analyze 44 coastal colonies in Antarctica. You can read more about viewing penguins from space here.

An Emperor Penguin Population Estimate: The First Global, Synoptic Survey of a Species from Space

What's Going On...

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:54:00 +0000

Bad Blogger! Oops, my bad!

Hey guys! Sorry about my erratic posting behavior. I haven't really figured out my new schedule. There are lots of reasons behind my current state of affairs and since I do like to keep Potspoon! more science related, if you wish to know what is going on, please read my current ramblings at Roogoodoo. To better understand what that post is all about, click on the tab above marked Bipolar Disorder. As many of you know, mental health is not something I take for granted and I hope my ramblings and sporadic posts about it help people... or in the very least, let them know they are not alone!

Keep learning!

Plastic found in nine percent of 'garbage patch' fishes

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 13:42:00 +0000

ScienceDaily (2011-07-01) -- The first scientific results from an ambitious voyage led by a group of graduate students from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego offer a stark view of human pollution and its infiltration of an area of the ocean that has been labeled as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch."

Read more here.

Credit: J. Leicther

Yum Yum Strawberies are Healthy!

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:36:00 +0000

I love strawberries. A lot. They are yummy and sweet and refreshing and juicy... and pretty darned healthy, too. Besides just having a bunch of good vitamins and being great jams, strawberries are appearing to be beneficial in another way: boosting red blood cells.

The boost they get is in how responsive they are to anti-oxidants. Oxitative stress (the "oxi" you are trying to "anti") is associated with various diseases.

The study was done by Spanish and Italian researchers. Subjects were given 1/2 kilogram of berries a day or roughly the equivalent of one pound. That's a lot of berry. The pound was spread throught the day and this was done for two week. The results? Blood plasma had increased antioxidant capacity and red blood cells resisted fragmentation.They are now doing the studies with a quarter to half that amount: average strawberry consumption.

How delicious! What a yummy study in which to participate. You can read more at ScienceDaily.

New Mammals Discovered

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Here we are: in the Philippines, again. Luzon, again. Like last time, we are finding more critters, too! This time, seven species of mammal. Mice. All very genetically different; some only found on ONE mountain. This increased the number of known mammals (excluding bats) from 42 to 49. They increased mammalian integration by 17%!

Where were these mice all this time? Apparently they are very shy and liked to hide. They aren't pests and prefer to eat earthworms and bugs and seeds.

A Dr. Scott Steppan, head of one of the labs conduction the DNA part of the survey, said,

"The Philippines is an ideal place to study the evolution of animal diversity, even better than the famous Galapagos Islands. These animals have been evolving in the Philippine archipelago for millions of years."

Do you think we, as humans, have made the mistake of assuming a place like Panama is a biodiversity hotspot because it actually is, or is it because that is where everyone does research?

Debate!: Childhood Allergies

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:02:00 +0000

Bailey Jane and Piper Jaimes in their favorite spot: the kitchen.

My gal pal, Bailey and her partner in crime and cuteness Piper, have this great blog called Foodie Patoodie! (love the use of exclamation points in titles, by the way) where she actually got some heat for giving her 10+ month old baby a PB&J for the first time. This, coupled with my obnoxious obsession with teaching people, made me realize how misinformed... and slightly paranoid... a lot of people are. So, I blog. Hey, any excuse to update this thing, right?

First off: I am not denying that childhood allergies exist. I AM saying that they aren't as prevalent as you would think and a lot of contributing factors to the ones that do have allergies. Now on to the studies!

Some info on Allergies:

While it is true that approximately one in five Americans have allergies, only about 2.5% of Americans have food related allergies. Allergies are your immune systems abnormal response to a harmless substance (like a flower) causing varying reactions from sneezes to rashes.

When a person is exposed to an allergen, a few things happen. First, the body produces antibodies. The antibodies produced attempt to contain the allergen. Then through a serious of really complicated chemical reactions, you get histamines in your blood and you react. WebMD does a great job of explaining the really scientific jargon, but you know me... I don't wanna scare you off that fast!

All of a Sudden, Everyone's Allergic:

Everyone seems to talk about food allergies and my child this and her child that. Some schools won't even let their children bring milk or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school. Okay, go ahead and get mad, but really? Those are staples of child hood! So many food allergy fears are actually taken overboard. A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics showed that there was an over-reaction to food allergy and many of the children involved in the study had 84-93% of the restricted foods restored to their diets. That is a LOT of food unnessesarily restricted!

Being overprotective and too cautious during early years can actually make things worse. We need germs, having a pet in the house won't increase a babies risk for animal allergies, and simple things, like having low levels of vitamin D in a babies diet, can affect development of allergies. For the record: higher levels of vitamin D lowers sensitivity to allergens in children. Now do go out and rush around getting supplements, just let the kids eat. Preferably a WELL ROUNDED DIET!

Now What?:

Well... discuss it with me? Do you think avoiding known allergens is the way to go, or do you believe in trial and error? Are we being too overprotective? Where do we draw the line? Debate!

Area 51 Revealed... finally

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sun, 22 May 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Ok, so yes I am a geek. I even went to Roswell and all that fun stuff, but Area 51 documents are becoming unclassified and many old vets of the site are coming forward to talk, finally.

Tonight at 10 pm EST, you can watch them talk. On National Geographic Channel, you can watch the new documentary, Area 51 Declassified. Am I excited? Oh, yes! Will I get to watch it? Probably not. My house has it, but the cable goes in and out (yay island living) and even though it is behaving, chances are I will miss it. Friends houses with satellite instead? They aren't nerds like me. No NatGeo (shame).

I WILL buy the DVD though: make no mistake.

News Snippets

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:19:00 +0000

As most of you know, science happens all the time, and usually I was really good at reporting all the fun science news. Then I got busy, then I got lazy (Twitter makes sharing stories to darn easy), then busy again... but who cares??? I have a blog to write! Who says all the post have to be long and amazing?!?!

Here are some stories that I have found to be interesting these past few days:

Sixty Second Science did a podcast about sugar being able to flush out microbes. Sugar actually helps antibiotics work more effectively in chronic infections.
There was a great video showing chimpanzees exhibiting what humans would consider "mourning behaviors" and, of course, was posted to National Geographic. What do you think? Are they just unusually quiet and curious or does it seem like mourning?
Elevated levels of radiation were found in seaweed near the "injured" nuclear plant in Japan.
Locally, one guys stupid laziness caused an island wide (two islands actually) power outage. Fantastic.
Whales in the West Indies have West Indian accents. It's true. Studies have shown that whales have regional accents and dialects!

So go and read... You might learn something!

Earth Week Tip #3: Get Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:50:00 +0000

Pay attention to your vistas.

How does going outside help with being green? Well, there are a few, but don't think of it as just being green (or "blue" as I like to call it), think of it as a key to better overall health and yet ANOTHER money saving tip!

People who go out in nature have the tendency to have a better appreciation for the natural world. Not only that, but there is strong evidence that people who have more green spaces around (i.e. parks and gardens) have better cognitive functions, less anxiety, lower blood pressure, can stabalize blood sugar better, and have better immune system functionality.

You may see critters!

Plus, going outside is great for family time and bonding and is a cheap date or fun time. Bring some food (lighter fare is nice, enjoy the sunshine and you can save money on silly little things, like electricity for movies, video games, TV, running the air conditioner or fans, running the oven to cook (sandwich anyone?)... etc. Read outside. Have a nice conversation with your friends/family. Take pictures. Draw. Make memories. Do a cartwheel. You may find something in the area that is cheap and amazing that you never even knew existed! Pay attention and you may see some amazing critters, too!

You might enjoy the view so take pictures.

Want to make it even cheaper? Pay attention to all the cool things there are to do in your local state parks. There is usually a calendar of events and many of them are really cheap or even free.

Even better? Well, it is National Park Week which means you can go to more than 100 National Parks for free. There are also all kinds of events and programs running. Appropriately, this years theme is "Healthy Parks, Healthy People." If you're healthy, you spend less on medical and drugs, too.

Told ya my tips would save you money!

Come back later for more Earth Week Tips!

Earth Week Tip #2: Gas Reduction

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 22:59:00 +0000

From Jcarlosn's photostream on Flickr.

Now it doesn't seem to make much sense that thinking of gas would be on a tip list. Remember, this is about ways you can take little steps. Maybe little steps will lead to bigger steps, but for now, leave the tree-hugging to us and enjoy the fuzzy feelings with the easy stuff. Besides, if you get better gas mileage, you use less fuel. Less fuel = less pollution AND a little spare change in your pocketbook.

With gas prices what they are ($4.49 per gallon here is what I paid yesterday), every little bit helps. Besides... lowering our reliance on oil is a good thing, too. We are approaching the anniversary of the BP thing.

I did write an article about the Science Behind Saving Gas for 5 Minutes for Going Green and with the exception of the gas price ratio, all the tips still work:

Drive SLOWER
Keep tires properly inflated
Clean out your car
Change your air filter

You can find more helpful tips at FuelEconomy.gov or read the article at the link above!

Keep reading for more tips!

Earth Week Tip #1: Tap Water

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:12:00 +0000

Refreshing!

Going out to eat? Drinking still water? Unless you are getting fancy mineral water, or sparking water, or something really specific, just get tap. Odds are, the bottles of cheapy water usually served are municipal water anyway.

Plastic bottles have a heavy toll on the environment. According to treehugger, 1.5 million barrels of oil are consumed each year in the US just for the production of these bottles. That's a years worth of fuel for 100,000 cars. Since 90% of bottles are NOT recycled, the little bottles end up in land fills where it takes up space as they hardly decompose at any sort of sustainable rate.

If you are unsure about tap water in your area, go to EPA.gov to find out about municipal water quality.

If the average US citizen consumes 22 gallons worth of bottled water a year, think how many bottles you'll save just by going tap! Think about how much money you'll save, too!

Bottles of water are about 16.9 ounces. At 22 gallons per year on average, that's 167 bottles per person a year. On the low end (i.e. Assuming you only buy cheap bottled water with occasional splurges at bars and restaurants), if the average bottle cost is about $1.50, you're spending $250.50 a year.

So, tip #1: easy, not a drastic lifestyle change, and cheap!

Stay tuned for more tips!
Keep Rockin', Love, Mimi

Earth Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Baobab, Adansonia sp.

We here at Potspoon! get a little excited about things like Earth Day. It's the little things. So to celebrate, we are posting tips all week long on easy ways you can go blue (or green, even though Earth is predominately water). We are turning it into Earth WEEK! The tips will all be way that you can go evironmentally concious without a drastic lifestyle change or without breaking the bank.. Feel free to post your simple tips on the wall of our Facebook page or Tweet them to us @Potspooners. For right now, some pictures of the amazing species that live on Earth, via Wikimedia Commons.

Rose-tip anemone Condylactis gigantea

Caracal Caracal caracal

Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Emperor shrimp Periclimenes imperator

Local Science

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:26:00 +0000

Here in the VI, science based articles seem to be in the news a lot lately. It makes me feel especially nice as a lot of them are (while technically political news) pertaining to the environment.

The first one I want to talk about is the fact that our current governor is trying to tackle the problem of fossil fuel usage in the VI. As laughable as it may seem, we still burn oil for electricity here. The governor laid out a plan that has the VI reducing usage and using different sources of energy within the next 14 years. While to some of my readers, this may seem like a long time, most of you know that this doesn't seem like enough at all in the Virgin Islands. Some of the renewable energy sources he mentions include solar, waste-to-energy, wind, and landfill gas.
Some of the members of the 29th legislature of the Virgin Islands are stalling a measure that would make an Emission Control Area around the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The people stalling are claiming that they knew nothing of this proposal and haven't carefully thought out how it could affect tourism to the VI. Again, this is about their bottom line, and forget the health and safety of the islanders. They have had sufficient time to consider this. I wonder why they are stalling....
The Caribbean Fishery Management council approved cuts in the amount of parrotfish local fishermen are allowed to take from federal waters. The measure came after preliminary biological opinion showed that parrotfish are vital to a healthy reef ecosystem.
One of the local hospitals had an open forum and the CEO heard quite the community outcry on how the facility handles dialysis and mental healthcare. Not only does the facility not have any staff psychiatrists, but many of their patients cannot even get dialysis there and have to move to private facilities. The mental healthcare on these islands is deplorable at best. This is something that is near and dear to me and I hate the struggle. It's sad, really.

In the very least, well, for the moment... The VI seems to be incorporating more science related things! Woohoo!

New Ways to View Potspoon!

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Blogger has some new view options so you can see your favorite blogs (like Potspoon! or Roogoodoo) In views you want. All you have to do is add /view to the end of the blog address and play around. Maybe you'll find an article you missed or even forgot about that was an old favorite, like the one I did about "Sexless Insects" I stumbled across.. Happy playing!

Waste Water Electricity?

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:53:00 +0000

River water and salty ocean water used to generate electricity

Great article. Researcher at Stanford University found a way of converting water (and not even clean water) into electricity. The ScienceDaily article at the link above does a great job of summarizing the research.

EPA Visits VI

noreply@blogger.com (Marimoy) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:45:00 +0000

Fig. 1Not related to visit, but they ARE in the VI. :D

The EPA is celebrating their 40th birthday. Part of the celebratory festivities included a visit to the Virgin Islands. The reason for the visit? Well, they help a public conference in St. Croix to talk about air quality in the USVI and to discuss methods of waste reduction, which is an ongoing issue here. Underlying many of the things discussed was the urgent need for job creation and economical effects locally.

The conference brought up two very valid suggestions for waste management in the VI, hoever, true to VI form, instead of viewing the two suggestions as a tag-team effort to better things, it became more of a battle in "one vs. other" style. The two suggestions were a waste to energy project and a reduce-reuse initiative. They were brought to the table by Alpine Energy Group and Dr. Paul Connett, author of "Zero Waste for Sustainability," respectively. To quote the Virgin Islands Daily News article:

In the first discussion of the day, it was clear where the people stood.

Reduce, reuse vs. waste-to-energy

As the two presenters each approached the podium separately, it was clear by the audience reaction that they favored Paul Connett, the author of "Zero Waste for Sustainability" over those who represented Alpine Energy Group's waste-to-energy project.

While healthy and respectable applause was offered the Alpine representatives, Connett received a loud ovation.

Connett's position was that, through education and community buy-in, the territory can expect to divert a large percentage of waste from its landfills within 18 months.

The idea, which is similar to that being promoted by the EPA's V.I. Recycling Partnership initiative, is to reduce the amount of waste produced while increasing the amount that is reused through recycling and composting.

At the end of it all, though, it was clear that the people of the VI are very aware that something needs to be done. The EPA made is stance clear, as well, informing of the measure taken to reduce cruise ship emissions between islands. This is important for us as mroe cruise ships visit St. Thomas more than any other Caribbean port. THere will be new requirements placed on HOVENSA as well. There was a consent decree filed by the EPA agaisnt HOVENSA require upgrades to reduce emissions. WHy are these things so important to a small island territory? To quote EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck, "More cruise ships visit St. Thomas than any other place in the Caribbean. By protecting your land, your air, your water, you will ensure that tourists will come back."

To read the details of the visit, read the article at Virgin Islands Daily News and to see what the EPA has succeeded in doing the past 40 years, click here.