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Doughnut, Ice Tea and Some Live Typhoid Bacteria.

Published

on May 27, 2008

. 0 Comments

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention my next travel destination Nicaragua can be a pretty germy place. Along with a few other immunizations, I was prescribed an oral vaccine for Typhoid Fever sold under the name Vivotif Berna. It was not easy to get a hold of. When I went to my doctor in hopes Vivotif Berma to get a prescription, she insisted that she had never heard of it and hinted that I must be mistaken in it’s existence. I sat in the doctor’s office for nearly 45 minutes while she made phone calls but eventually she did return with a prescription paper in hand. “You learn something new every day” She told me.

I headed over to Bi Mart to get the prescription filled. They told me it would take only 15 minutes, but ended up taking over an hour. The pharmacist finally called me to the desk and not only did he have the pills but also a huge book with tiny print. “So lets see what we have here” he said as he squinted at the page. “The pills must be refrigerated at all time. You are to take one every other day with cold water 1 hour before a meal. Make sure you don’t chew or break the pills.” I’d never heard instructions like these before. “Those pills are alive, huh?” I asked. “I suppose they are. So go home and stick them in the fridge. Have a nice trip.”

The fact that it was 100 degrees outside and I had to walk 2 miles to get back to my room worried me a little. I didn’t want the lil’ buggers to wake up but I’ve already taken 1 and I feel fine so far. However, If I don’t post for a few days, assume the worst.

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Comment Response: Ocean Fossils at Siskiyou Summit? Say What?

Published

Fingel

on May 18, 2008

in Science and Uncategorized

. 1 Comment

Guy DiTorrice commented on my previous post Southern Oregon Universtity Geology 103 Field Trip:

Interesting to note that some of Oregon’s oldest fossils are found at one of the state’s highest elevations — south of Ashland near Siskiyou Summit! And, that most of the fossils found at the I-5 exposures are from an ocean environment. How did that happen???

It may seem a little strange that oceanic fossils are found so far inland from the ocean. In fact, the last thing you expect to find while going for a walk on Mt. Ashland is a bunch of clam shells. However, there is a reasonable explanation…
Continue reading ‘Comment Response: Ocean Fossils at Siskiyou Summit? Say What?’

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Southern Oregon Universtity Geology 103 Field Trip

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Fingel

on May 15, 2008

in Science

. 1 Comment

On Wednesday Dr. Elliot’s geology 103 class went for a field trip. The main focus was on gathering fossil specimens from various locations. The fossils were all found in the Hornbrook formation, contained within Osberger Gulch Sandstone. The rocks were formed during the Cretaceous, which gives them and the fossils an age of approximately 95,000,000 years.

The interpretation is that the sediments were deposited from a beach or shallow marine environment. The abundance of the shells and the broken state of them suggests a high energy environment, so waves must have been present. By far the most common fossils (and original hard parts) were clams and mussels, but gastropods were also present. One lucky student even found a shrimp.

Dr. Elliot and 2 other students climbing a tilted bed of sandstone on the side of Interstate 5, just south of Ashland.

A nice collection taken inches away from a fault that dampened and softened the surrounding sandstone making it easier to collect

Identifying Fossils

One of the many local scorpions we found. We didn’t kill it in hopes that it would die in a depositional environment somewhere and make a nice fossil.

Trying to remove a fossil from the sandstone.

Relic of time.

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Robots That Will Own You

Published

Fingel

on May 6, 2008

in Science and technology

. 2 Comments

We all know that its not a question of if we will be replaced by robots, but when. After looking at a few of these machines, the day may be closer than anyone thought.

Boston Dynamic’s Big Dog

From Boston Dynamic’s web site: “BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics family of robots. It is a quadruped robot that walks, runs, and climbs on rough terrain and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog’s legs are articulated like an animal’s, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule, measuring 1 meter long, 0.7 meters tall and 75 kg weight.”

This thing is as creepy as it is cool. It seems unreal that a machine could exist that appears so lifelike. The only way to really see how impressive it is would be to watch the video. It recovers after being kicked, slips on ice but never falls over, and walks over a pile of bricks. The amount of work put into this dog must be staggering. Check it out:

Robotic Exosuit

This robotic exoskeleton designed by Sarcos gives the wearer superhuman strength. Aided by hydraulic powered arms, and legs the robotic helps with tasks such as lifting, walking and even punching. Sarcos says that later versions will include protective armor that will cover the body, and versions that become autonomous once stepped out of.

The Crusher

Another one of DARPA’s research projects. The “Crusher” is one helluva vehicle that can handle a wide variety of terrain. The machine can be remote controlled or drive itself autonomously. the thing already has a machine gun mounted on top - it will have obvious uses for the military.

My Little Robozinho

Sure, he doesn’t look like much now, but he’ll soon be taking over the world and hes only going to answer to one man - me. Start sending in checks for protection now and you will be spared.

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Little Known Fact: Blue Jays are Vicious Carnivores

Published

Fingel

on April 15, 2008

in Bizzare and Science

. 8 Comments

Look at that Blue Jay, isn’t he cute? They are so beautiful, and so are their songs! I wonder what he had for lunch, probably some berries or something. Such wonderful little creatures.

Little does my grandma know, as she watches the birds fly and sing out her window, that Blue Jays actually readily kill and eat other song birds.

I didn’t know either, until today. I was sitting in the Cascade Dining Hall enjoying my breakfast looking out the window, when I saw a Blue Jay eating something in a tree. As I looked closer, I realized that it was another bird! I rushed outside to try to get a video. Just as I started to film, the bird saw me and flew away with the carcass, dropping the decapitated head at my feet. You can view the pretty graphic picture here.

What a way to start the morning! Since I had never even heard of this before, I decided to do some research. The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is actually a member of the Crow (Corvidae) family. All crows eat meat, some more than others. Although Blue Jays eat about 3 times as much plant matter as it does meat, a large part of their diet is made up of other animals such as mice, fish, bats and other small birds. All members of the crow family are know for their intelligence, thats why its so hard for Fluffy to kill them. You can read more about the Corvidae family on this fascinating website: http://science.jrank.org/pages/1886/Crows-Jays.html

Still don’t believe me? Check out this youtube video, the guy had better luck filming it than I did:

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Amazing Geological Oddities

Published

Fingel

on April 13, 2008

in Science

. 103 Comments

Moving Rocks at the Racetrack Playa, Death Valley California.

Death Valley in California is home to rocks that seem to move on their own. Pebbles to Boulders are found scattered around the “racetrack” with trails that turn, loop, and zigzag behind them. Some of the Rocks move, others don’t. It was thought for some time that magnetic forces were the cause of the phenomena. Scientists now believe that the cause is wind. When there has been enough water to soak the flat clay, and temperatures lower below freezing, it causes tiny ice crystals to form. When the surface of a rock is slick enough in these conditions wind will actually have enough power to move them around, leaving a trail.

The Richat Structure, or “Eye of the Sahara.”

This spectacular landform in Mauritania in the southwestern part of the Sahara desert is so huge with a diameter of 30 miles that it is visible from space. The formation was originally thought to be caused by a meteorite impact but now geologists believe it is a product of uplift and erosion. The cause of its circular shape is still a mystery.

The driest place on Earth, Atacama Desert.

The Atacama Desert receives less than 1mm of rain per year, and at one point not a single drop of precipitation landed on its dry surface for 400 years. It’s caused by the Andes rainshadow; meaning that the trade winds moving east along South America lose all moisture when they slam against the steep slopes of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is found nestled up against the western slopes of the mountain range. Interestingly, several thousand miles south the winds change direction, and the deserts are then found on the eastern side of the Andes, such as the Monte Desert in Argentina.

The Naica Mine, Cave of Crystals, Mexico.

These caverns found in a mine in Chihuahua Mexico
are home to some of the largest crystals ever discovered and are an impressive sight. The crystals are made mainly of Gypsum, and under these extremely rare conditions were allowed to grow unimpeded.

The Curtain of Fire, Hawaii.

These amazing lava fountains erupted during the first stage of the Puu Oo eruption in January, 1983. The lava created a wall of magma 100-160 feet high along a fissure along the Eastern Rift of Mount Kilauea.

Sinkholes

What could be more terrifying than the earth opening itself and swallowing your entire home? Among other places, this can become a reality in the Southeastern United States. Sinkholes are found in regions of Karst Topography, where pockets of loose sedimentary rock found under the surface can be eroded by groundwater, leaving behind caverns and caves, some of which collapse.

Stone Forest, Southwest China.

The Shilin (Chinese for stone forest) is an impressive example of karst topography. The rocks are made of limestone and are formed by water percolating the ground’s surface and eroding away everything but the pillars.