Science

[Nautipus]

Originally Posted by GrayMouser

One word of advice for anyone doing underwater research: specialize in warm-water phenomena.

No matter what the immediate temptations of research grants, interesting fields, or employment opportunities, sooner or later you're going to want to be on a tropical beach explaining your latest find to appreciative bikini-clad maidens, or appreciative bikini-trunk-clad lads (depending on your gender and/or preferences).

LOL!

I've actually done several cold water dives, and they're just as fun as warm water, and generally are more nutrient rich and offer a huge spectrum of animals to observe. And yes, It would be nice to be on some tropica beach somewhere, explaining my heroic expeditions to a battalion of bikini clad maidens ( ) But my real joy is the sea. I've spent more time underwater than I have anywhere else, and I love it. The thrill is like no ther, I swear. But I'd still like to be on a boat in the middle of the ocean away from everybody and just do my reseach.

[The Telcontarion]

Originally Posted by Nautipus

LOL!

I've actually done several cold water dives, and they're just as fun as warm water, and generally are more nutrient rich and offer a huge spectrum of animals to observe. And yes, It would be nice to be on some tropica beach somewhere, explaining my heroic expeditions to a battalion of bikini clad maidens ( ) But my real joy is the sea. I've spent more time underwater than I have anywhere else, and I love it. The thrill is like no ther, I swear. But I'd still like to be on a boat in the middle of the ocean away from everybody and just do my reseach.

a man after my own heart; Ahh, the sea..boats and the sounds of the waves and the...smell....

...I man can get lost therein, yet find peace thereof; Alas, the realm of Aule.

[Nautipus]

Originally Posted by The Telcontarion

a man after my own heart; Ahh, the sea..boats and the sounds of the waves and the...smell....

...I man can get lost therein, yet find peace thereof; Alas, the realm of Aule.

Ahhhhhh.....

We be friends

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Nautipus

That was pretty interesting, and they didnt give an opinion on what came before the Big Bang (of course, they are a huge company in the public eye, so they have to be careful ) Which is far different from other Big Bang advocates I've talked to.

Originally Posted by Nautipus

I would just like somebody to tell me, preferably in the Science thread, what caused the big bang. And if you say "well the nothing caused it" without explaining, I'll just go off!

What came before the Big Bang is not part of the theory, as far as I know. It makes sense, I suppose - consider that the Big Bang is reckoned as the start of the Universe, time and the current laws of physics, then how exactly can one have anything before that?

Also, if you have read the link Sis provided you with, you should have found this alinea:

It is beyond the realm of the Big Bang Model to say what gave rise to the Big Bang. There are a number of speculative theories about this topic, but none of them make realistically testable predictions as of yet.

[Nautipus]

I read the link, and I realize that the theory is not speculative about what was before the Big Bang. But I have talked to many people about this and they all have their own pet theory, and I was curious to see what different people could bring to the table.

[Insidious Rex]

The Big Bang was the beginning of time itself (and space) so any discussion about what happened before the big bang or what caused it, in the usual sense of physical causation, is simply meaningless. A frustrating answer for sure but technically accurate as far as science is concerned.

Be careful about applying the simplistic concepts of cause and effect which define our world to the quantum chaos of pre-existence. It doesnt work. Just as trying to predict the state and nature of atomic particles at any given moment is impossible, so is trying to explain WHY the universe popped into being. Remember, its common knowledge that sub atomic particles simply pop into and out of existence randomly for no apparent reason. Apply this kind of bizarre physics to the Big Bang also.

[Nautipus]

Strange stuff.....and a little ways out of my field too. If you read in the Venting thread, there are two scenarios there that were talked about by different people that seem somewhat outlandish, but I guess I agree that simple cause and effect is somewhat irrelevent when it comes to Big Bang.

A friend and I were talking about what it would take to be able to predict the future, and I thought that if you were to be able to look ahead, would you not need to have present knowledge of all the actions of every particle in the universe? I dont know, it's a little over my head.

I'm going to go ahead and throw this out there: I dont beleive in the Big Bang, but it is kind of interesting.

[Lotesse]

Yes, what I. Rex said -

anyway I see this is Science thread, wanted to show you something. Behold, the Dumbo Octopus!



He lives very, very, very deep down in the ocean, and yes - flaps his ears to propel himself along.



Here's a little Dumbo Octopus, funny little guy...




Also known as the "Dumbo octopus", the Grimpoteuthis is a benthic mollusc found on the ocean floor at depths of 300-400 meters. Dumbo octopuses, which can grow to up to 20 centimeters, are soft-bodied or semi- gelatinous octopuses with a pair of fins located on their mantle and webbing between their arms. Grimpoteuthis swim by moving their fins, pulsing their webbed arms, pushing water through their funnel for jet propulsion, or all three at once. They can swim up off the bottom and hover a bit just above the seafloor looking for snails, worms, and other food.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Nautipus

I'm going to go ahead and throw this out there: I dont beleive in the Big Bang, but it is kind of interesting.

Why not, then? Even if it is more on the theorethical side, it still is currently the most scientifically accepted theory, and it does fit with what we know about and see in space. I'm curious, if not this, then what exactly do you think happened at the start of the universe?

[Nautipus]

Originally Posted by Lotesse

Yes, what I. Rex said -

anyway I see this is Science thread, wanted to show you something. Behold, the Dumbo Octopus!



He lives very, very, very deep down in the ocean, and yes - flaps his ears to propel himself along.



Here's a little Dumbo Octopus, funny little guy...




Also known as the "Dumbo octopus", the Grimpoteuthis is a benthic mollusc found on the ocean floor at depths of 300-400 meters. Dumbo octopuses, which can grow to up to 20 centimeters, are soft-bodied or semi- gelatinous octopuses with a pair of fins located on their mantle and webbing between their arms. Grimpoteuthis swim by moving their fins, pulsing their webbed arms, pushing water through their funnel for jet propulsion, or all three at once. They can swim up off the bottom and hover a bit just above the seafloor looking for snails, worms, and other food.

I believe that was on one of the Blue Planet videos. They're so cool though! I really like them, they remind me of both the seven-arm octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) because of how gelatinous they are, and also the Vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) because I don't know why.


To Earniel: It's not because it's on the theoretical side, it's because I'm a Christian and believe that God created the universe, not that it simply sprang into being. It's that simple to me, it may sound like a cop-out, but that's what I believe. Though it is a neat theory, it doesnt jive with what I think actually happened.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by Lotesse

Yes, what I. Rex said -

anyway I see this is Science thread, wanted to show you something. Behold, the Dumbo Octopus!



He lives very, very, very deep down in the ocean, and yes - flaps his ears to propel himself along.



Here's a little Dumbo Octopus, funny little guy...




Also known as the "Dumbo octopus", the Grimpoteuthis is a benthic mollusc found on the ocean floor at depths of 300-400 meters. Dumbo octopuses, which can grow to up to 20 centimeters, are soft-bodied or semi- gelatinous octopuses with a pair of fins located on their mantle and webbing between their arms. Grimpoteuthis swim by moving their fins, pulsing their webbed arms, pushing water through their funnel for jet propulsion, or all three at once. They can swim up off the bottom and hover a bit just above the seafloor looking for snails, worms, and other food.

Can't fool me.

That's a Pokemon.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Nautipus

To Earniel: It's not because it's on the theoretical side, it's because I'm a Christian and believe that God created the universe, not that it simply sprang into being. It's that simple to me, it may sound like a cop-out, but that's what I believe. Though it is a neat theory, it doesnt jive with what I think actually happened.

Ah, I see. So I suppose us providing those links made no difference whatsoever as your mind was made up regardless. Oh well, plugging the NASA webpages may have been useful to someone else then...

[Nautipus]

No, no! Dont think I dont appreciate the link, I do. It's just that that's not the road I travel, and I know I'm frustraing, but please dont be mad. I'm not on this site to spark arguments or cause people grief. I do appreciate the links because I know you had to search some for them, and I appreciate your input, it's very valuable to me, but I'm not going to be swayed, anyway, I'll try to keep this thread clear of my theological viewpoints.

[BeardofPants]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

Can't fool me.

That's a Pokemon.

Haha, that what I was thinking -- OMG IT'S PICACHU. o.0

[Lotesse]

That's the first thing I thought when I pulled up this little yellow dumbo octopus pic, he's a spittin' image of Picachu.

[Nurvingiel]

Science. It works.

[Nautipus]

Nice. Classy even.

[Nerdanel]

It's a break through!

http://www.wired.com/medtech/stemcel.../11/skin_cell#

Now that's good news! Scientists have managed to turn human skin cells into stem cells, which in turn can be turned into any kind of cell in the body. This might provide an opportunity, if all works out like it should, to end the use of embryonic stem cells for medical purposes, and we could end one hell of a controversy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed (since I'm not really going to help either) and will follow the progress made in this field..

What do you people think, can it be this good?

[Mari]

One of my teachers once said he was against transplants of hearts etc. because that disrupts the natural balance. In nature the weakest die and the strongest survive. In our society we try to bend nature to our wills and that's why we have overpopulation of the planet pending.
Or so he said.
I think he has a point, but if it's my mother needing someone else's liver, I don't think I'll be able to see it his way.
Stemcell research is the same. They try to accomplish something that is not natural. I'm sure a lot of people can be helped if it works, but I'm not so sure if it's the right thing to do.

[Earniel]

Any easier mechanism to produce stem cells is good news, I think. Skin cells are the last kind I would have thought of for stem cells, though.

There are still a few kinks. They first have to make sure they understand the full process of how the virus-implanted genes actually revert the skin cell. And how well the stemcells can be changed to the necessary kind.

We'll see, I suppose. Still, a good break-through.