Plague scientist dies of… the plague

Debora MacKenzie – It must be a recurrent nightmare for researchers who work with deadly microbes: being killed by your own research subjects. Microbe hunters know better than anyone else just how nasty infectious disease can be, and they spend much of their professional lives wielding bleach and maintaining stringent lab protocols to keep the objects of their fascination at bay. But sometimes one jumps the fence. Just such a tragedy caused the death in 2009 of Malcolm Casadaban, aged 60, a respected plague researcher at the University of Chicago. But how it did so was a mystery, until now.

Plague has a fearsome reputation, being blamed (unfairly, some believe) for the medieval Black Death. But the bacteria are far harder to catch than many lab pathogens – in nature you must inhale lots of bacteria, or have them injected by a flea bite. The plague bacteria Casadaban was working with were deliberately weakened, and unlike ordinary plague, they aren’t even on the US list of potential bioweapons bugs. Medical investigators later found they couldn’t even kill mice with the bacteria that killed the scientist.

So how did Casadaban die? It turns out his death was a medical coincidence worthy of the hit TV series House, in which crack diagnosticians try to figure out tough cases. Their patients typically have unusual combinations of conditions, something Casadaban unfortunately fell prey to.

Casadaban’s lab bugs were weak because they have trouble taking up iron, which they need to make crucial enzymes. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, Casadaban had haemochromatosis, a genetic disorder in which people accumulate high levels of iron in their blood and organs. When the weakened bacteria somehow hit Casadaban’s blood, they suddenly received an influx in iron and regained their strength.

There are several tragedies here, besides the loss of a good scientist. One, the bacteria may have entered his bloodstream because, like many experienced researchers, he occasionally didn’t take all the safety precautions, such as rubber gloves. Why bother, with such safe bacteria?

This is one more reminder that nature can bite in ways we don’t always expect. …

via Short Sharp Science: Plague scientist dies of… the plague.

Kepler Spacecraft Finds 2 Planets Sharing Same Orbit

To date, the telescope on the Kepler spacecraft has detected 1,235 planet candidates, and while Earth-bound telescopes are trying to determine if 54 of those planets may have conditions that could harbor life, one unique planetary system may have been uncovered.

Unique because it’s the first time scientists have discovered what may be two planets sharing the same orbit of their home sun, New Scientist reports.Since planets are so far away and smaller than their host stars, Kepler is only able to “see” the potential planets by measuring any decreases in the brightness of stars, which would be caused by planets passing in front of them.

If this dual-orbiting planet hypothesis gets confirmed, researchers suggest it would lend credence to a theory that our moon was created when a planet-sized object, sharing a similar orbit to Earth’s eons ago, possibly crashed into our home world.

“Systems like this are not common, as this is the only one we have seen,” said Jack Lissauer, a space scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

The double-planetary system, dubbed KOI-730, is described in greater detail by Lissauer and his colleagues in the Astrophysical Journal.

via Kepler Spacecraft Finds 2 Planets Sharing Same Orbit.

UFO lights up Brazil skies: Footage of ‘flying saucer’ hovering over Sao Paolo

The grey, saucer-shaped object could be seen for nearly a minute before suddenly disappearing in a bright flash of light.

The spectacle is followed by two more mysterious bursts of light.

Brazilian television channel G1 obtained the footage from some motorists who spotted the object near the town of Agudos.

The motorists, who the channel did not identify, said they rushed from their car to film the object with a hand-held camera.

G1 reports that the two camera-operators said that the earth shook just as the two blasts of light appeared – a fact that was corroborated by other people nearby at the time.

Yet no seismic activity has been reported in the area, the nearest tremors occurring south, in Chile.

Philip Cavaca, an expert in video editing, told G1 that the two that reported the sighting are nothing more than expert hoaxers.

‘It can be seen in one frame. When the truck goes by, you can tell that the UFO was moved, which is unnoticeable to the naked eye,’ Cavaca said.

By freezing the image you can see the exact frame in which the so-called UFO alters, Cavaca claimed.

But many internet users, viewing the footage after it went viral, believe otherwise. …

via UFO lights up Brazil skies: Footage of ‘flying saucer’ hovering over Sao Paolo | Mail Online.

Pentagon reveal financial terrorists may have triggered economic crash

Terrorists and other ‘financial enemies’ were likely responsible for the near collapse of the U.S. financial system in 2008, a new Pentagon report has concluded.

The 2009 report, Economic Warfare: Risks and Responses, said financial terrorism by Jihadists or countries such as China may have cost the global economy $50 trillion in a series of co-ordinated strikes against the U.S. economy.

In an astonishing conclusion, the report claims two unidentified traders deliberately devalued trillions of dollars’ worth of stocks at the height of the crisis.

The report also concludes that untraceable actors undertook a three-tiered attack beginning in 2007, and that ‘Phase III [of the attack] may be under way right now.’

‘In addition, these same actors have clearly demonstrated the means to carry out such an attack.

‘There is sufficient justification to question whether outside forces triggered, capitalised upon or magnified the economic difficulties of 2008.’

The report concluded that: ‘Without question, there were actors who had the motive to harm the U.S. economy.

The report was commissioned in early 2009 by the Pentagon’s Irregular Warfare Support Program – which prepares U.S. government and military agencies for emerging non-traditional threats.

Its author, economic analyst Kevin Freeman, published it in June 2009 before passing it on to investigators at the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in November 2010.

Although never classified, sources indicated that the report emerged only after concerned Congressmen and Defence Department officials highlighted its existence to media sources.

Speaking to MailOnline, a source close to the report added: ‘It is my understanding that people in the DoD and government officials thought this should be brought to public attention.’

Speaking to the Washington Post, Mr Freeman said that American security forces needed to address vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system.

He said: ‘We spend hundreds of billions of dollars on weapons systems each year.

‘But a relatively small amount of money focused against our financial markets through leveraged derivatives or cyber efforts can result in trillions of dollars in losses.

‘This is the equivalent of box cutters on an air plane.’

When asked who he thought may be responsible for the attacks, Mr. Freeman added: ‘Unfortunately, the two major strategic threats, radical jihadists and the Chinese, are among the best positioned in the economic battle space.’ …

via Pentagon reveal financial terrorists may have triggered economic crash | Mail Online.

I thought the housing crash caused it.

 

Unborn child to ‘testify’ on Ohio abortion bill

A fetus has been scheduled as a legislative witness in Ohio on a unique bill that proposes outlawing abortions after the first heartbeat can be medically detected.

Faith2Action, the anti-abortion group that has targeted Ohio to pilot the measure, called the in-utero witness the youngest to ever come before the House Health Committee at 9 weeks old.

Faith2Action president Janet Folger Porter said the intent is to show lawmakers who will be affected by the bill, which abortion rights groups oppose. Ohio Right to Life has not endorsed the measure.

An aide to committee Chairman Lynn Wachtmann said a pregnant woman will be brought before the committee and an ultrasound image of her uterus will be projected onto a screen. The heartbeat of the fetus will be visible in color.

via Unborn child to ‘testify’ on Ohio abortion bill.

It that doesn’t work, Janet has convinced her husband to donate a committee of composed of  60 million of his best sperm, every one of which is sacred, to testify as a corroborating witnesses.

Buyer Beware of ‘Bathtub’ Cheese

State and local health inspectors are teaming up to catch vendors selling illegal bathtub cheese. The homemade cheese is known to be tainted with harmful bacteria.

“There have been several incidents where we have seen it sold at local markets,” said Chief Environmental Health Specialist Donna Fenton.

Bathtub cheese is homemade cheese, also known as queso fresco, and is a staple for Hispanic immigrants.

“It’s normal there in Mexico. You can make your own thing so you can eat,” said fruit market owner George Flores.

The cheese is often made in bathtubs or back yard troughs.

“The cheese has been made in a coffin, or they use PVC pipe just purchased from a local hardware store. Sometimes it’s done in galvanized metal containers that can also leach contaminants,” said Fenton.

Not only is the cheese unsanitary, but its ingredients can also harbor bacteria. Raw, unpasteurized milk and coagulants used to make the cheese can contain salmonella, E. coli, tuberculosis and listeria.

“Listeria in particular can cause miscarriages in pregnant women,” said Fenton.

Yet people still continue to buy the cheese, which can cost $10 to $12 per pound.

“It’s not uncommon to find it in the local markets, swap meets, street vendors, or you may have a neighbor who’s trying to sell it from their home,” said Fenton.

“Yeah, they come once in a while. Not to our business but to our home. In a truck,” said Flores.

Bathtub cheese comes in different types, such as panela, queso seco, asadero, queso Oaxaca and Cotija, and is often sold in grocery bags without proper packaging. That’s exactly what 23 ABC and inspectors found inside Lopez’s Fruit Market: four pounds of what inspectors believe to be bathtub cheese. Flores and his wife were given a citation and the cheese confiscated. …

“It may look good, appetizing, and you see it sold at the markets. A lot of times it’s not safe. It’s just not worth the risk of you having a life-threatening illness,” said Fenton.

It is a misdemeanor crime to sell or give away bathtub cheese. And it’s a felony if you make it to sell or give away. …

via Buyer Beware of ‘Bathtub’ Cheese – East Bakersfield News Story – KERO Bakersfield.

NJ congressman tops ‘Jeopardy’ computer Watson

Turns out all it took to top Watson, the “Jeopardy”-winning computer, was a real-life rocket scientist.

Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey is just such a scientist. The congressman topped the IBM computer Monday night in a “Jeopardy”-style exhibition match held in a Washington hotel.

Holt says it was fun to beat the heralded computer. But he also says it’s important that Americans realize how important math and science education is to the nation’s future.

The Democrat from the Princeton area built a lead in categories including “Presidential Rhyme Time,” in which the correct response to “Herbert’s military strategy” was “Hoover’s maneuvers.” The congressman also correctly identified hippophobia as the fear of horses.

Watson beat him to the buzzer with the answer “love” when prompted on what Ambrose Bierce described as “a temporary insanity curable by marriage.” …

Holt played the first round along with Rep. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican. At the end of the round, Holt had earned $8,600 to Watson’s $6,200.

But the computer ultimately triumphed in later rounds against other representatives, amassing a combined $40,300 to the humans’ $30,000.

Holt received a round of applause Tuesday at a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee for besting the computer.

He thanked crowd and gave a shout-out to “neuron based thinking, instead of semi-conductor thinking.”

Holt said it was fun to beat the heralded computer. But he also said it’s important that Americans realize how crucial math and science education is to the nation’s future.

“I was proud to hold my own with Watson,” Holt said. “More importantly, I was proud to join IBM and other members of Congress to highlight the importance of science and math education and research and development.

“While it was fun to outdo Watson for one night in trivia, it is vital that, as a nation, we out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world for generations to come,” he said.

via NJ congressman tops ‘Jeopardy’ computer Watson – Yahoo! News.

…  For the last three years, I.B.M. scientists have been developing what they expect will be the world’s most advanced “question answering” machine, able to understand a question posed in everyday human elocution — “natural language,” as computer scientists call it — and respond with a precise, factual answer. In other words, it must do more than what search engines like Google and Bing do, which is merely point to a document where you might find the answer. It has to pluck out the correct answer itself. Technologists have long regarded this sort of artificial intelligence as a holy grail, because it would allow machines to converse more naturally with people, letting us ask questions instead of typing keywords. Software firms and university scientists have produced question-answering systems for years, but these have mostly been limited to simply phrased questions. Nobody ever tackled “Jeopardy!” because experts assumed that even for the latest artificial intelligence, the game was simply too hard: the clues are too puzzling and allusive, and the breadth of trivia is too wide.

With Watson, I.B.M. claims it has cracked the problem …

Technically speaking, Watson wasn’t in the room. It was one floor up and consisted of a roomful of servers working at speeds thousands of times faster than most ordinary desktops. Over its three-year life, Watson stored the content of tens of millions of documents, which it now accessed to answer questions about almost anything. (Watson is not connected to the Internet; like all “Jeopardy!” competitors, it knows only what is already in its “brain.”) During the sparring matches, Watson received the questions as electronic texts at the same moment they were made visible to the human players; to answer a question, Watson spoke in a machine-synthesized voice through a small black speaker on the game-show set. When it answered the Burj clue — “What is Dubai?” (“Jeopardy!” answers must be phrased as questions) — it sounded like a perkier cousin of the computer in the movie “WarGames” that nearly destroyed the world by trying to start a nuclear war.

This time, though, the computer was doing the right thing. Watson won $1,000 (in pretend money, anyway), pulled ahead and eventually defeated Gilmartin and Kolani soundly, winning $18,400 to their $12,000 each.

“Watson,” Crain shouted, “is our new champion!”

It was just the beginning. Over the rest of the day, Watson went on a tear, winning four of six games. It displayed remarkable facility with cultural trivia (“This action flick starring Roy Scheider in a high-tech police helicopter was also briefly a TV series” — “What is ‘Blue Thunder’?”), science (“The greyhound originated more than 5,000 years ago in this African country, where it was used to hunt gazelles” — “What is Egypt?”) and sophisticated wordplay (“Classic candy bar that’s a female Supreme Court justice” — “What is Baby Ruth Ginsburg?”).

By the end of the day, the seven human contestants were impressed, and even slightly unnerved, by Watson. Several made references to Skynet, the computer system in the “Terminator” movies that achieves consciousness and decides humanity should be destroyed. …

via NYTimes

Russian flight controllers find UFO with aliens that speak in ‘cat-like language’

Air traffic controllers in Siberia claim they were buzzed by a high-speed UFO with a female sounding alien who spoke in an unintelligible cat-like language. The mystery object suddenly burst onto flight monitors over the remote Russian diamond capital of Yakutsk.

It was shown flying at a speed of slightly over 6000 mph, and rapidly changing direction in the early morning sky, it is claimed. The UFO was logged at a height of 64, 895 feet above sea level and appeared to interfere with aviation frequencies.

On footage posted on You Tube, an air traffic controller made clear he sought to make contact with the UFO. The Russian aviation workers are heard in the control tower trying to make contact with the ship. A radar shows the UFO moving rapidly through the skies while surrounding planes in the air travel much slower.

‘I kept hearing some female voice, as if a woman was saying mioaw-mioaw all the time,’ he told the pilot of a passing Aeroflot flight. His communication to the Russian plane were disrupted by interference from the UFO, it was claimed. The air traffic control monitor automatically designated the UFO as ’00000′ because it did not have a flight number.

The footage was first posted last month but it is unclear when it was taken. A shot of the airport did not appear to show any snow which is normal for eight months a year in Yakutsk, where the temperature last night was minus 36C. At one point the UFO is showing moving away from Yakutsk at great speed before turning and heading back towards the city.

There was no comment last night from airport officials on the alleged UFO

Some experts claim that it is widely known that UFOs have made contact and landed on earth but details have never been made public.

via Russian flight controllers find UFO with aliens that speak in ‘cat-like language’ | Mail Online.

Translation:

“Radar system has demonstrated the speed of the object 9800 km / h, and the height of 19,780 meters. He changed direction instantly and did not send any indefikatsionnyh no signals, and a secondary radar pointed object by default as the number 00000. Aviabort also stated that the object interfered with aviation frequencies, complicating the work of pilots and air traffic controllers. “

Too bad we don’t get to hear the cat-aliens in the video. Reader comment:

Nobody is speaking about aliens exept the daily mail on this. it is an unidentified aircraft only. wich means it could be anything. the meowing that the flight controller heard, maybe that was because the communications on the plane was encrypted(just a random guess), and it was actually a foriegn spyplane/fighter jet just probing the area. Russia have been doing it to us (the UK) for over 20 years. Im not a skeptic, either. i beleive there is something out there, but this is just sensationlist journalism.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

 

Supatra Sasuphan hairiest girl: ‘Wolf child’ says Ambras syndrome makes her popular

Her nicknames may include ‘wolf girl’ and ‘monkey face’.

But 11-year-old Thai girl Supatra Sasuphan today insisted that she was after being officially recognised as the world’s hairiest girl.

Although the schoolgirl from Bangkok has faced merciless teasing at school, Supatra says being given a Guinness World Record for her hair has helped her become extremely popular.

‘I’m very happy to be in the Guinness World Records! A lot of people have to do a lot to get in,’ she said. ‘All I did was answer a few questions and then they gave it to me.’

Supatra is one of just 50 known sufferers of Ambras Syndrome – caused by a faulty chromosome – to be documented since the Middle Ages. Before the disease was understood, sufferers were branded ‘werewolves.’

She has thick hair growing over her face, ears, arms, legs and back. Even laser treatment has failed to stop the hair growth.

But while most sufferers have been shunned, Supatra has gradually been embraced by her community, and became a popular and outgoing child. …

‘When neighbours first saw Nat they asked what kind of sin I had done. I was very worried about what she would be when she grew up because of other children teasing her,’ he said.

But Supatra’s sweet nature quickly won over people in her community.

Sammrueng, a jewellery maker, said: ‘She gets along with others really well and is very generous. She has a lot of friends.

‘She is just the same as any other little girl her age.

‘But her teeth grow slowly and she can’t see very well.”

Doctors tried to remove the hair with laser treatment when she was two-years-old but despite numerous sessions it kept growing back as thickly as before.

Supatra’s hair has got increasingly thicker as she has grown up so her mother has to cut it back regularly for her.

She uses baby shampoo to wash her hair as she is allergic to stronger brands.

Sammrueng said: ‘I still hope one day she will be cured. We will do anything we can if it will help her.’ …

via Supatra Sasuphan hairiest girl: ‘Wolf child’ says Ambras syndrome makes her popular | Mail Online.

Here genes would be interesting to examine and compare to others in her family who do not have this condition.  That might help scientists find the cause.

Ant Death Circles Explained

Here’s another one with a human hand for perspective.

From a certain vantage point, you would see that we do this too, financially, for example… and in other ways. The blind are following the blind and all it takes is stopping… and having the courage and creativity to march into unknown territory.