Interesting scientific stuff

Beautiful.

I wonder if Gransnet took some hints from the Sept. 19th photo?

Wonderful space photo from Wired Science.

The NASA rover, Curiosity, zaps its first rock on Mars

Thanks, bags - it still doesn't tell me how they get through or past the heart if they're heading for the brain! will ask a doctor colleague

I'm hoping there is a little green man to be seen when the HR pics are available! Seriously though it is fascinating stuff.. i find it mind blowing if i think about it too much!

There's some info about angioplasty and vascular stenting here, knotty.

As there is no science thread humph and this is and isn't only about health have decided to post here. DH had angioplasty 5 years ago and had 3 stents inserted in his blocked up arteries via his groin (he's fine, he had a heart attack at home and I kept my head and immediately called ambulance although we both got a big fright). At the time I was fascinated enough at the thought of work being done on his heart all the way up there from entry point in his groin. Then I saw something briefly on telly the other night where someone had a coil put in to treat a cerebral aneurysm also with access via their groin! So it's been puzzling me ever since - how do you get to someone's head/brain to work on it, past their heart and all sorts of other organs, up their neck, into their head, having started off at the groin? Is it fairly easy? Is it quick? Is there a clear run in the artery from the groin to the brain or do you have to negotiate obstacles? Think will have to retrain as a surgeon. .

Can't wait to see the higher resolution images.

J. is agog with excitement, and I haven't needed to watch the video because I have been given a blow by blow verbal account of the landing and how it was done. I haven't known him be so talkative for quite some time!
My interest has certainly been piqued by his enthusiasm and your post B.

Hope there are no cats there! Morning all!

Curiosity has landed on Mars. Good video explanation of how it's done here Exciting stuff!

There was an article in The Scotsman yesterday about some new research by scientists at Toronto University and UnivCalifornia Santa Cruz into the role of seawater in climate change.

It was very interesting, Bags, and Mr A will be pleased that his oft-repeated opinion that the seasons are changing because the Earth's orbit is shifting has been given credence!

That's a fascinating article Bags. Doesn't lend to skim-reading, as you say - I had to keep reading the paragraphs again but it's very readable. Great to read an astronomer's perspective that analyses how the seasons vary. Thanks

Here's an interesting (read slowly!) article by Duncan Steel about how the extremes of Earth's orbit vary over time and the difference it makes to the starts, finishes and lengths of seasons.

Steel is a British astronomer currently living and working in Australia. Robot Steel in Arthur C Clarke's book The Hammer of God is named after him. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the International Astronomical Union.

Beautiful picture of soil moisture anomolies (departure from 'average' or 'normal' for the time of year). It is actually part of the video of changing soil moisture content and has been stopped at the 2010 Russian heatwave, which shows up clearly.

www.tuwien.ac.at/fileadmin/t/tuwien/fotos/pa/download/2012/47_2012/Soil_Moisture_Anomaly.jpg

A commenter who goes by the name of "henrythethird" gives a precis of a paper published in 2009 in the Journal of Climate. To paraphrase: a group of scientists looks at the theory that we should be seeing a pattern of increased drought across the world. They analysed drought patterns across the globe from data available between 1950 and 2000. They found no evidence to support claims of an increasing incidence of drought.

The very 'cool' video I referred to can be seen here, scroll down a bit if you don't want to read the article. It's really beautiful quite apart from its scientific value.

wattsupwiththat.com/2012/06/19/30-years-of-soil-moisture-imaged-from-satellite-data/#more-65923

NASA are going to send 'Global Hawk' unmanned aircraft over storms this year to suss out hurricane strength. The project looks really interesting. Here is the article

Report from the Roal Astronomical Society about Henrik Svensmark's new paper about the effect of supernovae on biodiversity here on Earth. Fascinating.

www.ras.org.uk/news-and-press/219-news-2012/2117-did-exploding-stars-help-life-on-earth-to-thrive

Very lovely.

Stunning image of sunrise and Aurora Borealis!

www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2212.html

Yes, we have all the Attenborough series on DVD except the latest one, which we'll no doubt acquire soon. They are fascinating.

When people in a study were told to choose the best looking people from photos, they chose the ones whose features were the most symmetrical.
I love number patterns and spotting symmetry in nature.
Bagitha, do you have a DVD player? If so, have you seen David Attenborough's series? I am fascinated by the undersea world (I think we would have got much better returns from exploring the seabed than from wasting time on the moon) and I had not known that there is life which is not dependent on the sun.
I am working my way through your links and really enjoying them.
Scientists throughout history have been a contentious lot but I think it is only by peer pressure that advances will be made.

I hope this new research, described in the Indie, into the relief of chronic pain and perhaps a cure for addiction makes good strides forward. What a difference to quality of life it could make!

wind blown formations on Mars , European Space Agency

Liked your "Nice to see science being done as it should be done." bagitha

Have never forgotten reading the 'Double Helix' back in the 70s ...when there was a race to understand the mechanics of genetics. No one shared anything with any one ...all findings were kept secret as each scientist wanted the kudos of discovery.
it really saddened me as had always thought that scientists were working for the good of the people ...not their own glory.

It left such a strong impression that have always, now, wondered about the research into our understanding of/cure for cancer ...whether all the pieces are out there... but that pieces of the puzzle need to be shared??