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Two degree rise could spark Greenland ice sheet meltdown: WWF

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:49:28 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: I live by the sea, I am buying a snorkel...

A less than two degree Celsius rise in global temperatures might be sufficient to spark a meltdown of the Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic sea ice, the WWF warned in a new study released Thursday.

"Scientists now suggest that even warming of less than 2 degree Celsius might be enough to trigger the loss of Arctic sea ice and the meltdown of the Greeland Ice Sheet," the WWF said in a statement to accompany the findings.

"As a result, global sea levels would rise by several metres, threatening tens of millions of people worldwide."

The melting of Arctic sea ice could affect ecosystems, while a meltdown of the Greenland Ice Sheet could lead to a sea level rise of up to seven metres, with a devastating impact for the rest of the world.

The WWF urged governments meeting for UN climate talks in Poland starting Monday to "develop a strong negotiation text for a new climate treaty" due at the end of next year.

Tags: climate change, greenland

'Non-genital Orgasms" - Orgasms that have nothing to do with the genitalia

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:20:09 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: Perhaps more unusual-sounding than orgasmia is the concept of orgasms that have nothing to do with the genitalia at all.

Clip Source: health.howstuffworks.com

Non-genital Orgasms

Clip Source: health.howstuffworks.com

Perhaps more unusual-sounding than orgasmia is the concept of orgasms that have nothing to do with the genitalia at all. Some people can orgasm from being touched in other places on the body, such as the nipples. In this case, researchers believe that the sensations in the nipples are transmitted to the same areas of the brain that receive information from the genitals. However, people have also reported actually feeling orgasms in other parts of their bodies, including their hands and feet. Several people have even described having orgasms in limbs that were no longer there. One reason may be the layout of the cortical homunculus, a map that shows how different places of the brain's sensory and motor cortices correspond to the organs and limbs of the body.

For more articles you might like on sex, the brain and sex on the brain, try the links

Clip Source: health.howstuffworks.com

How Sex Works

Solar-powered sea slug harnesses stolen plant genes

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:36:16 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: In another surprising development, the researchers found the algal gene in E. chlorotica's sex cells, meaning the ability to maintain functional chloroplasts could be passed to the next generation.

The researchers believe many more photosynthesis genes are acquired by E. chlorotica from their food, but still need to understand how the plant genes are activated inside sea-slug cells.

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

Elysia chlorotica, the solar-powered sea slug, is about 3 cm long (Image: PNAS)" />

It's the ultimate form of solar power:

eat a plant, become photosynthetic. Now researchers have found how one animal does just that.

Elysia chlorotica is a lurid green sea slug, with a gelatinous leaf-shaped body, that lives along the Atlantic seaboard of the US.

What sets it apart from most other sea slugs is its ability to run on solar power.

Mary Rumpho of the University of Maine, is an expert on E. chlorotica and has now discovered how the sea slug gets this ability: it photosynthesises with genes "stolen" from the algae it eats.

Young E. chlorotica fed with algae for two weeks, could survive for the rest of their year-long lives without eating

They confirmed that if the sea slug used the algal chloroplasts alone, it would not have all the genes needed to photosynthesise.

attention to the sea slug's own DNA and found one of the vital algal genes was present.

Its sequence was identical to the algal version, indicating that the slug had probably stolen the gene from its food.

Tags: marine life, genetics, gene jumping

10 Important Differences Between Brains and Computers

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 06:22:28 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "These differences may be crucial to understanding the mechanisms of neural information processing, and ultimately for the creation of artificial intelligence. Below, I review the most important of these differences (and the consequences to cognitive psychology of failing to recognize them)".

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

10 Important Differences Between Brains and Computers

"A good metaphor is something even the police should keep an eye on." - G.C. Lichtenberg

Although the brain-computer metaphor has served cognitive psychology well, research in cognitive neuroscience has revealed many important differences between brains and computers

Brains are analogue; computers are digital

The brain uses content-addressable memory

The brain is a massively parallel machine; computers are modular and serial

Processing speed is not fixed in the brain; there is no system clock

Short-term memory is not like RAM

No hardware/software distinction can be made with respect to the brain or mind

Synapses are far more complex than electrical logic gates

Unlike computers, processing and memory are performed by the same components in the brain

The brain is a self-organizing system

Brains have bodies

Bonus Difference: The brain is much, much bigger than any [current] computer

Secret Quest: The Path of the Christian Gnostics

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:42:23 GMT

clipped by: 111JustinMN
clipper's remarks: Discover the secret quest of the Christian Gnostics, who have emerged in different forms throughout history, walking the hidden path towards spiritual transformation.

Part 1 examines the question, "What is a Gnostic?". Starting with the early years of Christianity, this video explores the Gnostic origins of Jesus and his disciples and the secret aspects of his teachings. Discover how the theology of Paul of Tarsus diverged from the Gnostic teachings of Jesus and came to compete with the Church of Jerusalem, which was led by Jesus' disciples.

With the fall of the Church of Jerusalem, Pauline Christianity became dominant. Those who knew and practiced the secret heart of Jesus' teachings went underground — hidden from view but continuing their quest for spiritual enlightenment.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: god, jesus, bible, gnostic, christ, christianity, church, spiritual, mystic