Time for Thorns

How do you find rocks on a beach which spontaneously combust and burn you?   We’ll have to ask this poor woman.

Using photosynthesising bacteria  to produce a substitute for oil isn’t a new idea,  but some Brits may have stumbled on a method to make the process useful.

Are you one of those people these pesky critters bite repeatedly while those around you go unscathed?   There may be an explanation,  but scientists are just  beginning to unravel   what part body heat and odor play.

I’m generally inclined to think science is beneficial to mankind,  but sometimes their methods start at faintly creepy and grow worse.   I am listing towards the creep  factor here.

If you don’t know about Schrödinger’s famously alive and dead cat,  go here.    Researchers in Japan and Australia have  transferred a complex set of  quantum information  in the form of light while preserving its integrity.    The light was manipulated so it existed in two states at the same time,  and it was destroyed in one spot and recreated in another.

Why should you care?   Because this represents a major step toward building safe,  effective quantum computers.   Simply put,  it would enable scientists to move larger blocks of information around at much faster speeds than currently possible.  And whether you’re a speed geek in the computing world,  or just want an edge in business or learning,  this will trickle down to make your life better.

Ann Coulter does a  sparkling job of pointing out that liberals are always praising science,  but never actually being willing to use it,  since it so often proves their beliefs wrong.

Some scientists manage  to do their work  and have an awful lot of fun in the process.  Wouldn’t you love it if  your job were like that?  I hope that is it.

Come to think of it,  growing things isn’t far off the mark.  You do a lot of work and spend some time snarling at the sky and wailing to Caillech,  but you’re rewarded with delicious things to eat.

If you’re not into Scottish, Irish and Welsh mythology, Caillech if the goddess of weather,  earth,  sky,  seasons,  moon and sun  –  obviously a very handy lady to be in good with if you garden.

This year’s tongue-in-cheek  awards for scientific discoveries…

Yeah,  more or less.   Think  water droplet encased in silica.