Progress on pitches

I seem to be getting a bit better at naming pitches I hear but I think perhaps only my relative pitch is improving. Using the Pitch Hero app for the iPhone, I am spending all available free time on this experiment. I’ve found no evidence that anyone without absolute pitch has been able to acquire it as an adult. ( You need to start before age 7 they say. ) Still, if I can get a perfect score ten times in a row with this app I will be ready to retake the absolute pitch test I took.

Our newest ancestor: Australopithecus sediba

In a discovery that could rewrite the story of human evolution, scientists working in South Africa have uncovered the skeletal remains of a new species of ancient human.

The two partial skeletons of an adult female and child were found in miners’ debris in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in 2008 by Professor Lee Berger from South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand.

The species – named Australopithecus sediba – has features of both earlier bipedal apes and more recent species of early Homo, the scientists claim. The anatomy and age of the remains are described in two papers in the latest issue of the prestigious journal Science.

An international team of more than 60 scientists was involved in the identification and dating of the skeletons, including Dr Andy Herries from the University of New South Wales, Dr Robyn Pickering from the University of Melbourne and Dr Paul Dirks from James Cook University.

“The newly documented species appears to be a very good transitional form, maybe the best yet found, between Australopithecines and early members of the genus Homo,” Professor Berger said.

via UNSW: The University of New South Wales – Sydney Australia – News – Our newest ancestor.

Palin’s speech most anticipated at Republican conference

When Sarah Palin speaks in public, she always finds the media spotlight. Or maybe the spotlight finds her.

Either way, the former Alaska governor will again be firmly in front of the cameras Friday afternoon, when she addresses the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The three-day event is billed as the largest GOP gathering of party officials, operatives, activists and strategists before the 2012 Republican National Convention, when the party will formally nominate its candidate for president.

While the 2012 election may seem far in the future, early jockeying is already under way, and the conference is considered the first real cattle call for possible Republican White House hopefuls.

The conference is “kind of like the jump-start for the 2012 presidential cycle,” says Roger Villere, the Louisiana GOP chairman and one of the organizers of this year’s conference.

While only Palin knows whether she will indeed make a bid for her party’s presidential nomination, it’s a safe bet that her speech is the most anticipated of the eight possible White House hopefuls who are addressing the convention.

via Palin’s speech most anticipated at Republican conference – CNN.com.

Translation: The shadow government has selected the Democrats to win the next election.

FDA says studies on triclosan, used in sanitizers and soaps, raise concerns

The Food and Drug Administration said recent research raises “valid concerns” about the possible health effects of triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in a growing number of liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, dishwashing liquids, shaving gels and even socks, workout clothes and toys.The FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency say they are taking a fresh look at triclosan, which is so ubiquitous that is found in the urine of 75 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The reassessment is the latest signal that the Obama administration is willing to reevaluate the possible health impacts of chemicals that have been in widespread use.In a letter to a congressman that was obtained by The Washington Post, the FDA said that recent scientific studies raise questions about whether triclosan disrupts the body’s endocrine system and whether it helps to create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. An advisory panel to the FDA said in 2005 that there was no evidence the antibacterial soaps work better than regular soap and water.The FDA was responding to inquiries from Rep. Edward J. Markey D-Mass., who has been pushing federal regulators to take stronger action to restrict the use of triclosan and other chemicals that have been shown in laboratory tests to interfere with the delicate endocrine system, which regulates growth and development.”The proliferation of triclosan in everyday consumer products is so enormous, it is literally in almost every type of product — most soaps, toothpaste, cosmetics, clothes and toys,” Markey said. “It’s in our drinking water, it’s in our rivers and as a result, it’s in our bodies. . . . I don’t think a lot of additional data has to be collected in order to make the simple decisions about children’s toys and soaps that people use. It clearly is something that creates a danger.”

Markey wants triclosan banned from all products designed for children and any product that comes into contact with food, such as cutting boards. Other countries, including the members of European Union, have banned or restricted use of the chemical.

Brian Sansoni of the Soap and Detergent Association, which represents the $30 billion U.S. cleaning products industry, said concerns about triclosan are unfounded.

“These products and ingredients have been reviewed, regulated and researched for decades,” he said. “We believe the science strongly supports the safety and efficacy of these products. It’s more important than ever that consumers continue to have access to these products. It’s a time of increased threats from disease and germs.”

Triclosan was developed as a surgical scrub for medical professionals. It is also used in pesticides. In recent years, it has been added to a host of consumer products to kill bacteria and fungus and prevent odors. It can be found in everything from kitchen cutting boards to shoes, often packaged with labels that tout “antibacterial” properties. …

via FDA says studies on triclosan, used in sanitizers and soaps, raise concerns.

Surprised? I hope not. Long time readers: in 2004, I did tell you to avoid triclosan, so where was the FDA for the past  six years ($96 billion dollars)?

Why is this coming out now?   If a known danger makes a lot of money for a corporation, the danger will be denied, year after year. Drug companies police themselves and that is not working.  Since they pay for the studies, they selectively publish only the result that are favorable or inconclusive.  It takes a number of really big lawsuits to get a money maker banned, and usually a number of people have to die first.

All soap is antibacterial. Soap breaks bacteria open, killing them. Just use ordinary soap.

Soap is itself an effective microbicide due to the fact that soap breaks down oils. All bacterial cell walls are based on lipid chains, which are oil-based. The simple act of applying soap to the hands and rubbing vigorously will cause the cell walls of any bacteria on the hands to be ripped apart by the soap, disintegrating and killing any bacteria present. A comprehensive analysis from the U-M School of Public Health indicated that plain soaps are just as effective as consumer-grade anti-bacterial soaps with ‘triclosan’ in preventing illness and reducing bacteria on the hands. – answers

Here is some information on a triclosan lawsuit:

Triclosan, a chemical used as an antibacterial in soaps, hand sanitizers and other household products, has been associated with serious, long-term effects on human health and the environment. Triclosan has been shown in animal studies to disrupt the endocrine system, and other research has indicated that the chemical might help to create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics

Our triclosan injury lawyers are aggressively investigating the potential health problems associated with this chemical. Triclosan is found in scores of household products, and it has become almost impossible for consumers to avoid exposure to it. In addition to antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers, triclosan is also found in toothpastes and mouthwashes, deodorants, cosmetics including hair products and lipsticks, household cleaners, plastics, and children’s toys – just to name a few. If you believe exposure to triclosan caused illness in yourself or a loved one, our triclosan injury lawyers want to hear from you today

Triclosan has already been banned or restricted in other countries, including the European Union. In the U.S., however, regulatory agencies have failed to act on this serious public health threat. In 2005, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that antimicrobial soaps and sanitizers do not reduce the risk of illness and infection in the home, yet products made with triclosan remain on the market. Our triclosan injury lawyers are committed to making sure the manufacturers of triclosan-containing products are held accountable for any illnesses or injuries they have caused…

Triclosan was developed as a surgical scrub for medical professionals. But in recent years, it has been added to everything from soaps to clothing because of its antibacterial properties. Triclosan is so ubiquitous that it is found in the urine of 75 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chemical has also been found in about 60 percent of U.S. streams.

Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals which is suspected of causing cancer in humans. While the companies that manufacture products containing triclosan claim that it is safe, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered it as a pesticide….

Human gut microbes hold ‘second genome’

The human gut holds microbes containing millions of genes, say scientists.

In fact, there are more genes in the flora in the intestinal system than the rest of our bodies. So many that they are being dubbed our “second genome”.

A study published in the journal Nature details the analysis of the genes, carried out to better understand how the gut flora is affected by disease.

“Basically, we are a walking bacterial colony,” said Professor Jeroen Raes, one of the researchers involved.

“There is a huge diversity. We have about 100 times more microbial genes than human genes in the body. We also have 10 times more bacterial cells in our body than human cells,” he told BBC News. Most of the microbes present in our bodies live in the gut. …

Professor Raes, who works at Vrike Universiteit Brussel, explained why the microbes warranted such an intensive study: “Gut flora is crucial for our health. We’re basically living in symbiosis with these microbes.

“The bacteria help digest food, provide vitamins, protect us from invading pathogens. If there’s a disturbance, people get all sorts of diseases such as Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis, and a link has also been made to obesity.”

Untangling a mess

The researchers have developed what is called a metagenome, a combined genome of all the bacteria sequenced at once. …

By mapping the genes, the scientists have found a way around the problem of having to culture bacteria in order to study them.

Many bacteria are very difficult to grow in cultures in the lab. From looking at the genes, the researchers hope to be able to investigate how the flora changes when a person has a disease.

“It will allow us to understand diseases better,” said Professor Raes. “We know there is a microbial component but we don’t know exactly how [it works]. We will use it for prognostic and diagnostic markers so we can predict disease severity or sensitivity to these diseases.”

Dr Dusko Ehrlich said the work was showing promising results: “We have extremely interesting findings based on the results of this gene catalogue. We already have very exciting results in terms of differences between healthy and sick people.”

via BBC News – Human gut microbes hold ‘second genome’.

Geologist connects regular changes of Earth’s orbital cycle to changes in climate

In an analysis of the past 1.2 million years, UC Santa Barbara geologist Lorraine Lisiecki discovered a pattern that connects the regular changes of Earth’s orbital cycle to changes in Earth’s climate.

The finding is reported in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.

Lisiecki performed her analysis of climate by examining ocean sediment cores. These cores come from 57 locations around the world. By analyzing sediments, scientists are able to chart Earth’s climate for millions of years in the past. Lisiecki’s contribution is the linking of the climate record to the history of Earth’s orbit.

It is known that Earth’s orbit around the sun changes shape every 100,000 years. The orbit becomes either more round or more elliptical at these intervals. The shape of the orbit is known as its “eccentricity.” A related aspect is the 41,000-year cycle in the tilt of Earth’s axis.

Glaciation of Earth also occurs every 100,000 years. Lisiecki found that the timing of changes in climate and eccentricity coincided. “The clear correlation between the timing of the change in orbit and the change in the Earth’s climate is strong evidence of a link between the two,” said Lisiecki. “It is unlikely that these events would not be related to one another.”

Besides finding a link between change in the shape of the orbit and the onset of glaciation, Lisiecki found a surprising correlation. She discovered that the largest glacial cycles occurred during the weakest changes in the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit — and vice versa. She found that the stronger changes in Earth’s orbit correlated to weaker changes in climate. “This may mean that the Earth’s climate has internal instability in addition to sensitivity to changes in the orbit,” said Lisiecki.

She concludes that the pattern of climate change over the past million years likely involves complicated interactions between different parts of the climate system, as well as three different orbital systems. The first two orbital systems are the orbit’s eccentricity, and tilt. The third is “precession,” or a change in the orientation of the rotation axis.

via Geologist connects regular changes of Earth’s orbital cycle to changes in climate.

Hand-reared owl is scared of heights

IT’S a soar point, but this owl is terrified of HEIGHTS – so he can only fly a few feet off the ground.

Troy the tawny was reared by bird experts after his mum abandoned him when he was a chick.

Falconer Gareth Tonen, 25 – who can hand-feed the tame owl – tries to help him take off… but Troy’s just too-woo scared.

Ashley Smith, chief of the Hawk Conservancy Trust in Andover, Hants, said: “He’s never been higher than his handler can lift him. Now we’re working on letting Troy realise he’s a bird.”

If that’s as high as he goes, ‘ow’ll he ever fly the nest?

via Hand-reared owl is scared of heights | The Sun |News.

They walk among us: 1 in 5 believe in aliens: survey

Aliens exist and they live in our midst disguised as humans — at least, that’s what 20 percent of people polled in a global survey believe.

The Reuters Ipsos poll of 23,000 adults in 22 countries showed that more than 40 percent of people from India and China believe that aliens walk among us disguised as humans, while those least likely to believe in this are from Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands (8 percent each).

However, the majority of people polled, or 80 percent, don’t believe aliens in our midst.

“It would appear that that there’s a modest correlation between the most populated countries and those more likely to indicate there may be aliens disguised amongst them compared with those countries with the smaller populations,” said John Wright, Senior Vice President of market research firm Ipsos.

“Maybe the it’s a simple case that in a less populated country you are more likely to know your next door neighbor better,” he said.

More men than women — 22 percent vs 17 percent — believe that alien beings are on earth.

Most of those believers are under the age of 35, and across all income classes, the survey showed. Of those who do not believe, most are women.

via They walk among us: 1 in 5 believe in aliens: survey – Yahoo! News.

Carbon dioxide may explain ‘near death experiences’

Near death experiences (NDEs), reported to include sensations such as life flashing before the eyes, feelings of peace and joy, and apparent encounters with mystical entities, may be caused by raised levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Critical Care investigated the unexplained events in 52 cardiac arrest patients.

Zalika Klemenc-Ketis worked with a team of researchers from the University of Maribor, Slovenia, to examine patients who reported NDEs. She said, “Several theories explaining the mechanisms of NDEs exist. We found that in those patients who experienced the phenomenon, blood carbon dioxide levels were significantly higher than in those who did not.”

Of the 52 patients, 11 reported NDEs. Their occurrence did not correlate with patients’ sex, age, level of education, religious belief, fear of death, time to recovery or drugs given during resuscitation. They were more common in people who had previously experienced NDEs. According to Klemenc-Ketis, “Our study adds new and important information to the field of NDE phenomena. The association with carbon dioxide has never been reported before, and deserves further study.”

via Carbon dioxide may explain ‘near death experiences’.

A malfunctioning brain could cause any number of experiences. You might experience a deep inner peace, you might hallucinate that you are a flying toaster … I’m hoping I’ll get the big answer, suddenly everything will make sense, and it I will be so profoundly funny that I’ll go out in a crazy explosion of mirth. … of course my first choice would be to avoid death and reach at least 1,000 years old in really good health with organ transplants grown from my own stem cells.

What is an ‘Earthquake Boom’?

What is an ‘Earthquake Boom’?

Earthquake Boom is a very loud, deep sounding explosion, which emanates from the earth. If directly above emanation, directional determination may be difficult as sound is not from a distinct direction as it is from a wide area of earth’s surface. It is a higher frequency audio form of the traditional shaking earthquake even though current seismographs cannot ‘see’ or ‘record’ them. Scalar devices are able to clearly ‘see’ these events along with the rest of the earthquake ‘family’ of earth-generated events such as the ‘silent’ or ‘slow’ earthquake. Another relative to the ‘family’ is the earth ‘lurch’ and a ‘fast version of slow’ earthquake – these yet to be discovered by mainstream science.

These loud explosions have been witnessed by many over the years. They also accompany traditional earthquakes as these are part of the mix of seismic activity (earthquake & earthquake boom).City residents of Spokane Washington in the summer of 2001 experienced a classic series of explosions (earthquake booms) and earthquakes in a flurry of shallow earthquake swarms. Seismologists were unable to record these booming events on seismographs.

A mysterious swarm of earthquakes unnerves Spokane
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/33455_quake01.shtml

“Long after the last Fourth of July firecracker burst in Spokane, nerve-rattling explosions still shake the city. There has been a swarm of earthquakes that boom like dynamite, surprising residents and seismologists alike.”

Recently, a loud explosion in South Carolina again follows the classic signature of the rare type of event – no seismograph recordings, no supersonic aircraft around to create sonic boom, and very loud (other proposed theories include suggested sea floor gas release or other phenomena related to historical ‘Seneca Guns’). However, earthquake booms are real events and occur from within the crust. These events also may occur in regions without a fault or without a seismically active region.

Charleston Post and Courier
Sonic boom? Earthquake? Big bang theories abound
http://www.charleston.net/stories/080203/loc_02boom.shtml

“The earthquake experts say it wasn’t a shaker, and military authorities say they didn’t have the kind of planes in the air that can make a sonic boom.”

“But whatever it was, the noise that rattled Lowcountry communities about 1:30 p.m. Friday commanded a lot of attention.”

“There was this extremely loud, percussive noise,” said Reynolds Pommering of Mount Pleasant. “My sister (on James Island) said she heard it, too, and that’s eight miles across as the crow flies. I first thought somebody had run into the building.””

Will these explosions mean an eruption is imminent?

If near volcanoes or volcanic region, the ‘earthquake boom’ is just another form of an earthquake with the energy of a small size quake. Yes, the explosion sound is very impressive and can lead to concern. Yet only larger earthquakes would be reason for scrutiny of developing conditions (USGS volcanic observatories have a wealth of instrumentation available for analysis of any developing activity related to U.S. volcanoes. Refer to excellent reference & up to date status at:

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/update.html

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