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Stephanie Beavers

~ Always be yourself. Unless you can be a dragon. Then always be a dragon.

Tag Archives: Science

A Goldfish Is Better Than You

25 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in News

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analytics, animal, animals, attention, attention span, author, culture, fish, goldfish, multitasking, pet, pets, psychology, Science, science news, social analytics, society, Stephanie Beavers, writer

At least it’s likely, in terms of attention span, at least. You see, goldfish have an average attention span of nine seconds. According to a study by Microsoft, the average human attention span had dropped to eight.

Interestingly, in 2002, the average attention span was twelve seconds; technological shifts in the last decade or so are the most likely cause for the drop to eight seconds, as recorded in 2013. As I can’t imagine this has improved in the last few years (I suspect the reverse is true), if you have an average attention span or less, then a goldfish is better than you at paying attention to stuff.

Have you ever seen a goldfish? That’s kind of sad.

Source: Wiki Media Commons

In actuality, it’s not quite as bad as it sounds. For although humans have seen a decline in the ability to focus on tasks for longer periods of time, we have improved our ability to multitask. Here are the pertinent bits:

those who use social media heavily had more “intermittent bursts of high attention.” The study says: “They’re better at identifying what they want/don’t want to engage with and need less to process and commit things to memory.”

Just because we may be allocating our attention differently as a function of the technologies we may be using, it doesn’t mean that the way our attention actually can function has changed.

Seriously though, check out the full IFLS article. Or is your attention span too short? Your loss, there’s some cool stuff in there.

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“Proof” of Time Travel!

18 Monday Apr 2016

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Adidas, author, culture, history, Science, science fiction, science news, Stephanie Beavers, time, time travel, writer

1,500-Year-Old Mummy Appears To Be Wearing Adidas Trainers

Time for conspiracy theorists to have a field day:

Adidas on a mummy

Photo credit: Fresh to death. Khovd Museum


That’s right, folks, a mummy wearing Adidas!

You don’t have to be a writer to come up with a half-baked plot for this one. Was someone sent back in time and can’t get back? Is this a call for help? Was sending them back an accident in the first place…or nefariously planned?! The mystery remains locked…in the past! /sosorryforthegodawfulteaserline

Seriously though, all this is proof of is that these guys were really good craftsmen.

The mummified remains were found 2,803 meters (9,196 feet) up in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains. The mummy, thought to be a native Turkic female, is estimated to be over 1,500 years old. Its discovery was prompted after local herdsmen stumbled across the grave and alerted the Khovd Museum.

Score one for history, here’s a nice little time-locked piece of history. They found other artifacts in the tomb as well, offering insight into the people of that time. You can see and read more here.

Well readers, can you come up with some crazy/hilarious/hokey plot-lines for an Adidas-clad time-traveler? Share in the comments!

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Microrobots, Bugs, and Cars

14 Monday Mar 2016

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author, bugs, Microrobots, MicroTug, nature-inspired, robotics, robots, Science, science fiction, science news, Stephanie Beavers, writer

What do you get when you create bug-inspired microrobots? Six tiny “MicroTugs” that can move car all by themselves. Check it out:

Now, I’m not much of a bug person, but that’s impressive. Each MicroTug weighs only 100 grams. The car weighs 1800kg. These little machines can move 100x body weight up a wall, or 2000x body weight along the ground. Wow.

Want more? I found their website: Biomimetics and Dexterous Manipulation Lab!
They have this little guy too:

gecko robot

Credit: straight off the website linked above

For all the “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore” moments, there are cool things like this to give us a little hope. …Or at least keep us entertained.

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Physics Fun With Marshmallows

07 Monday Mar 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

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author, experiment, fun, marshmallows, Science, Stephanie Beavers, vacuum, writer

Okay, I lied. Well, kinda. I mean, physics are responsible for what happens to these marshmallows, but we don’t really talk about it. No, we just listen to a Russian guy chatter as he makes these marshmallows “inflate.”

Check it out:

And now you know what happens when you put marshmallows in a vacuum. I felt like my life was much improved for the knowledge, how about you?

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Why We Should Build a Deathstar

01 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in Fun

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author, because reasons, Death Star, entertainment, fun, giant laser, lasers, Science, science fiction, scifi, Star Wars, Stephanie Beavers, writer

Death Star

I was having trouble blogging, so my fiance helped me. This is the result. Why should we build a Death Star? Here are his thoughts… (Okay yeah, mixed with mine.)

1. Economic benefits
Building a Death Star would be a massive capital project, causing multi-national economic stimulus. Such a construction project would require huge numbers of people and resources, generating jobs and all those other good things.

2. Unified Purpose
Building a Death Star would require a large scale coalition dedicated towards a common goal, helping to alleviate regional struggles and conflicts. If we really want to finish our Death Star, we can’t be stirring trouble up with our neighbors.

3. Technological Innovation
Building a Death Star would provide high pressure motivation to develop and test real-world, practical technologies. Obviously we don’t yet know how to build things in space or create planet-destroying lasers. We’d have to work on it. And think of all the other cool things we’d learn in the process.

4. Alternative Mining Methods
Building a Death Star would require massive amounts of resources. We would have to start mining meteors and other small scale celestial bodies. Note that developing the technology and doing so would likely reduce mining on earth, preventing further damage to our own planet caused by such activities. And who know what other industries we might relocate beyond our planet’s surface once the technology arises.

5. Life Boat
If things go bad on Planet Earth, we can abandon ship and hop on our Death Star. Theoretically, we’d have also developed space travel a little by then, and we could salvage a large portion of the planet’s population.

6. Asteroid Shield
There’s nothing like a gigantic laser to destroy asteroids before they can hit Earth.

Despicable Me minions laser

7. Deterrent Against Potentially Hostile Alien Life
Who wants to screw with a Death Star?

8. Defense Against Less Intelligent Hostile Alien Life

Shouldn’t have screwed with the Death Star. Aliens go bye-bye.

Now, of course there are also reasons why building a Death Star might be bad (after all, we never abuse any technologies we invent), but that’s a story for another blog.

What do you think, readers? Are these good reasons to build a Death Star? (You know it would be awesome.)

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Not So Science Fiction After All, The Internet Could Out-Evolve Humanity

25 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in News

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1984, ai, artificial intelligence, author, cyborgs, evil overlords, matrix, minority report, robots, Science, science news, Stephanie Beavers, technology, terminator, writer

Living things accumulate and reproduce information. That’s really the driving principle behind life, and behind evolution.

But humans have invented a new method of accumulating and reproducing information. It’s digital information, and it’s growing at an astonishing speed. The number of people using the internet is growing, as are the devices connected to it through the Internet of Things.

Photo credit: Beware the digital evolution. Pixabay, CC BY

Photo credit: Beware the digital evolution. Pixabay, CC BY

Digital information can copy itself perfectly, increases in copy number with every download or view, can be modified (mutated), or combined to generate novel information packets. And it can be expressed through artificial intelligence. These are characteristics similar to living things. So we should probably start thinking about digital technology as being like an organism that can evolve.

Digital information replicates with virtually no energy costs, and has rapid generation times. Artificial intelligence can beat us in chess and on game shows. What’s more, it’s faster than us, smarter than us in some arenas, and is already in charge of activities that are too complex for us to do efficiently.

To biologists, that sounds like the digital world might be able to out-compete us, as we argue in a paper published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

Information Growth

Any newly evolving entity can cause upheavals for life on Earth. In fact, all the major evolutionary transitions in the history of life have come about via changes to information storage and transmission.

And the digital revolution has certainly changed the way information is stored and transmitted.

The current storage capacity of the internet is approaching 1024 bytes and is growing at 30% to 40% per year, showing no signs of slowing down.

In the 3.7 billion years since life began, information in living things (DNA) has reached the equivalent of about 1037 bytes. Digital information will grow to this size in 100 years. That’s an evolutionary eye-blink.

Winners And Losers

During each evolutionary transition, there have been winners and losers. And we need to start asking if the digital transition poses a danger to humanity. We do have the advantage of hindsight to answer this question.

We know that each of earth’s evolutionary transitions essentially resulted in the enslavement of the old information carriers. RNA was the original carrier of information. When DNA came along, the role of RNA was relegated to simply relaying messages from DNA to the cell.

When complex cells arose, they subsumed simpler bacterial cells. These became power generators (mitochondria) or solar panels (chloroplasts), serving the needs of the new cell types.

The next transition resulted in organisms with multiple cells. Most of these cells did not pass their information to the next generation, but existed simply to support those few cells that did.

The development of nervous systems that collected information from the environment provided huge advantages for animals. This activity reached its peak in human societies, with transmission of information between generations, via language and culture.

This allowed humans to dominate the planet, such that we have triggered a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene.

Extinctions

So the lessons of evolutionary history are clear. Transitions in the way information is replicated and stored often make existing organisms extinct, can lead to parasitism, or in the best case scenario, lead to a co-operative, mutual relationship.

Global leaders are already warning about the danger of autonomous military robots taking over the world, reminiscent of horror science fiction such as The Terminator.

We are increasingly connected to the digital world via devices, and direct connections to our brains are on the horizon. If we fuse our brains with the internet we may gain new sensory and cognitive capabilities.

But we may also lose our grasp of what is “us” and what is “real” (The Matrix, Inception), or expose ourselves to digital parasites.

As our activities and physiological states are increasingly being monitored, tracked and analysed, our every thought and action could be predicted (George Orwell’s 1984 or the Minority Report). Biological information systems might then become a predictable cog in a digitally governed social system.

Decision systems and artificial intelligence networks mimic human brains, and coordinate our everyday interactions. They decide on what internet advertisements we are exposed to, execute the majority of stock exchange transactions and run electric power grids. They also have a significant role in human mate choice via internet dating sites.

While we do not necessarily feel that we are the mere flesh-bots of our digital overlords, the merging of humans with the digital world has now passed the point of no return.

In biological terms, fusions like these between two unrelated organisms are called symbioses. In nature, all symbioses have the potential to turn into a parasitic relationship, where one organism fares much better than the other.

We need to start thinking about the internet as an organism that can evolve. Whether it cooperates or competes with us is cause for considerable concern.

Michael Gillings, Professor of Molecular Evolution; Darrell Kemp, Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences, and Martin Hilbert, Professor in Communication, University of California, Davis

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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These Birds Are Scarier Than You

18 Monday Jan 2016

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animal, animals, author, badass, birds, clever, creepy, falcons, hawks, nature, scarier than you, Science, science news, smarter than you, Stephanie Beavers, wildlife, writer

Fiendish Falcons Keep Birds Prisoner Before Eating Them
Australian Raptors May Be Playing With Fire

So it turns out that birds are terrifying. Majestic, oh yeah, but beneath that majesty are some twisted little birdies.
proud brown falcon

There are some falcons in Morocco that, around egg-hatching season, take some pretty extreme measures to keep their food “fresh.” Why eat rotten bird when you can “[stuff] small birds into small crevices, ensuring they were tightly wedged in and unable to escape,” or dropping “small migratory birds [into] holes and fissures with their flight and tail feathers removed” so they couldn’t fly away. Now, I know nature can be cruel, and I don’t doubt that having fresh food for the hatchlings is an evolutionary advantage, but…yikes. This is downright creepy.

Haven’t had enough cruel animal brilliance? How about this one. There are many stories and evidence to suggest that birds of prey in Australia are starting fires to flush out prey. They’re not just taking advantage of existing wildfires that drive small creatures from their homes. Oh no, They are “picking up smoldering sticks and dropping them in unburnt territory.” It’s another creepy, evolutionarily advantageous behavior.

“Reptiles, frogs and insects rush out from the fire, and there are birds that wait in front, right at the foot of the fire, waiting to catch them,” Gosford said. Small fires often attract so many birds that there is insufficient fleeing prey for all, so a bird that was being beaten to its lunch might benefit from starting a new fire with less competition.

So yeah, you could say that these birds are scarier than you. When was the last time you started a fire to flush out lunch?

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Mutant Mountain Lion

07 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by Stephanie Beavers in News

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animal, animals, author, cat, cats, cougar, mutant, mutation, Science, science fiction, science news, Stephanie Beavers, wildlife, writer

So this is a little disturbing:

Photo credit: Idaho Fish and Game mutant cougar

An anonymous hunter shot the above cougar in Idaho. And it evidently has… horns? teeth? growing out of its head.

The hunter didn’t know it, but he stumbled across the machinations of an evil scientist creating an army of mutant animals! Maybe. …Okay, probably not.

Still, it’s a little disconcerting. IFLS has more details, but in short, no one knows what exactly is up with this twisted kitty.

Here are the theories:
“Firstly, it could be that it has a teratoma. This is a rare type of tumor that spawns a grotesque growth capable of containing hair, bone, teeth, and even parts of limbs or organs. These tumors are incredibly rare in humans, although there have been a few isolated examples in the animal kingdom among dogs, horses, and other mammals.

Second, it could be the remnants of a “conjoined twin” that possibly died in the womb and was absorbed by the mountain lion.

Lastly, it could be the result of an injury to the cougar’s teeth or jaw, which healed in an unfortunate way. Zach Lockyer, a local wildlife biologist, told Idaho State Journal that this is perhaps the least likely of the possibilities as the image doesn’t appear to show any injury or trauma around the jaw.”

So readers, what do you think caused it? Teratoma, conjoined twin, trauma, or evil scientist?

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Snakes Are Slimy After All

28 Monday Dec 2015

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animal, animals, author, nature, reptile, reptiles, robots, Science, science news, slimy, snake, snakes, Stephanie Beavers, wildlife, writer

So, snakes are pretty cool. But before I really knew anything about them, I heard people call them “slimy.” However, when I first met (and was able to touch) a snake, I found that their scales actually felt dry to the touch. I summarily dismissed sliminess as an insult by those who dislike snakes and moved on. Apparently I was a little too hasty.

Here’s the Secret to How Snakes Slither

Well, I was and I wasn’t.

Scientists have found a surprising explanation for snakes’ effortless slithering: A mind-bogglingly thin coat of fatty lubricant embedded on the snakes’ scales.

Thin really does mean thin. And snakes use this lubricant to keep from getting stuck on things as they drag their bodies along. This discovery points “the way toward new kinds of industrial lubricants and coatings, not to mention improved designs for snake-inspired robots.”

Snake robots. Heck yeah.

green snake is secretly slimy

So why didn’t we know snakes really were slimy?

Unlike creatures such as snails, which smooth their path by secreting and leaving behind trails of wet lubricant, the snakes’ lubricant stays embedded on the scales themselves, forming a durable, slick layer similar to what keeps our joints lubricated and limber.
And since the snakes’ lubricant doesn’t wipe off, people handling snakes were none the wiser.

Once again, scientists are seeking to imitate nature’s advanced “technology” to get ahead.

Nature has figured it out over millions of years,” says Weidner. “We can try to understand its little secrets.

Check out the article linked at the top for more details. It’s pretty cool.

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Christmas In Space

21 Monday Dec 2015

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Asteroid, author, Christmas, comet, full moon, Science, science news, space, Stephanie Beavers, writer

There Will be A Full Moon On Christmas Day For The First Time In 38 Years
Enormous Asteroid Will Zip Past Earth On Christmas Eve
“Santa’s Sleigh” Will Be Visible On Christmas Eve
A Christmas Comet To Be Seen From Dark Skies

This Christmas is set to be busy up in space!

Christmas this year will see a full Moon for the first time in 38 years – and in an odd cosmic coincidence, the last time we had one on Christmas was the year Star Wars: A New Hope was released (1977).
…The next full Moon on Christmas will appear in 2034, so you can probably hope for Star Wars: Episode 10 around then.

Folks in the UK will be lucky to see the International Space Station on Christmas Eve – light from the sun will bounce off it, making it visible on Earth. Another space object will share the sky – a 1-2km diameter asteroid is set to fly past Earth. It’ll be moving at approximately 8km per second and only 11 million km away.

Last but not least, this month and into January, Comet Lovejoy will be visible to the naked eye. Head somewhere away from city lights and maybe you’ll spot it!

For some people, observing and studying space can be a source of awe at the universe. For others, it makes them feel tiny. This month, it’s all about the Christmas cheer.

Doctor Who Christmas Special

And, of course, don’t forget the Doctor Who Christmas Special. Every Christmas! :D

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Calling - Ebook Calling On Fire by Stephanie Beavers!
Two brothers with magical abilities seek to stop an evil mage only to find the fate of an entire race in their hands.
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