Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Starting in Space, Ending in Gas
Cardiff researchers claim that they've found strong evidence to support the panspermia theory of life's origins on Earth. They say that comets contain all kinds of hydrocarbons and organic compounds necessary to life, and also lots of radiation and clay particles to catalyze reactions and keep everything 'warm' enough to survive. I'm inclined to buy into panspermia, as it makes the probability math of life's beginning on earth just that much less terrifying. But who knows?
Having come in to this life, one way or another, all organisms (especially humans) are rather keen on staying alive longer. One way to do that, according to Japanese researchers, may be to drink more coffee. They found that women who drank three or more cups a day had half the risk of developing colon cancer as did non-drinkers. They did not find an effect in men, but I'm still calling it one more excuse for me!
And for those with joint problems, help may be on the horizon. Canadian researchers claim that injections with hyaluronic acid speed and improve sprained ankle recoveries. The stuff is also supposed to slow aging and make life better in general, and until it's approved in medicinal form, you can get it by eating huge quantities of sweet potatoes.
Life has to end, so it may as well go up in smoke, right? A biotech startup in the US claims that they've convinced bacteria to produce hydrocarbons which could be used to make gasoline. The upside? No more oil crisis. The down side? Unending smog, global warming, and, yeah, gasoline-producing bacteria.
Having come in to this life, one way or another, all organisms (especially humans) are rather keen on staying alive longer. One way to do that, according to Japanese researchers, may be to drink more coffee. They found that women who drank three or more cups a day had half the risk of developing colon cancer as did non-drinkers. They did not find an effect in men, but I'm still calling it one more excuse for me!
And for those with joint problems, help may be on the horizon. Canadian researchers claim that injections with hyaluronic acid speed and improve sprained ankle recoveries. The stuff is also supposed to slow aging and make life better in general, and until it's approved in medicinal form, you can get it by eating huge quantities of sweet potatoes.
Life has to end, so it may as well go up in smoke, right? A biotech startup in the US claims that they've convinced bacteria to produce hydrocarbons which could be used to make gasoline. The upside? No more oil crisis. The down side? Unending smog, global warming, and, yeah, gasoline-producing bacteria.
Labels: aging, biotech, coffee, colon cancer, comets, fuel, gasoline, health, hyaluronic acid, Japan, joints, medicine, panspermia, pollution, science, space
