Enzyme Update

How enzymes work....as we think now. (Throw out the lock and key!)

Grossman, L. (2010). Enzymes Exposed: Clearer views of the cell’s movers and shakers threaten a century-old mainstay of biology. Science News, 178(2), 22-26.

Caterpillars + Bacteria = Interesting Relationship

Caterpillars use bacteria to produce green islands in yellowing leaves.

Wolbachia bacteria are a fascinating species, among other things, it put its entire genome into a fruit fly, gives its hosts a variety of superpowers from making them capable of asexual reproduction, causes sex changes in male butterflies, or even killing off the males of the species. So is this relationship straight parasitism (as many would argue), mutualism, or commensalism? It probably depends upon whom you ask!

Multitasking Muddles Brains, Even When the Computer Is Off

Blog Posting from Wired Blogs about multitasking - you're not as good as you think!

Multitasking Muddles Brains, Even When the Computer Is Off

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New Scientist Article: The Fat that Makes You Thin

An article about the latest fat to hit the news: Brown Fat.

The fat that makes you thin - health - 14 August 2009 - New Scientist

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Why do we have to learn order and naming?

Reviving the Lost Art of Naming the World.

Article from the NY Times about the lost art of taxonomy and an argument for learning the names and order of life.

Quiz to see if you can identify bird names in a language you don't know.

Take it as a listening quiz if you can - which *sounds* like it goes with a bird?

Bees!

Watch this. (fascinating video about how honeybees attack hornet predators)

Then read this. (more to the story, it's not just the heat!)

And as a side note, I was recalled to IHS!

Sleep helps build long-term memories - MIT News Office

Not the first time I've read this, not the first time you've heard this, but GET MORE SLEEP.

Sleep helps build long-term memories - MIT News Office

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Vacation Destinations + Connectivity

Extremophiles (or where NOT to spend summer vacation).

Connectivity

I attempted to post this directly from the site.  That way you see the blurb, a thumbnail image, and some fancy formatting that says "this is not just Ms. Jones posting homework."  That was fail, as it "could not contact blog" or similar, so I posted the old fashioned way.  It's ridiculous to call it the "old fashioned way" since that would actually be taking out an ad in a printed newpaper or posting it on the bulletin board at ye olde community center.  No, it's the copy-paste old fashioned of the last decade.  As opposed to the other ways offered from wired.com, which include:

Text, AIM, email, Digg, Yahoo! Buzz, Stumble, Facebook, Technorati, Newsvine, Furl, MySpace, Propeller, G Bookmarks, Blinklist, Delicious, Mixx, Live, Blogmarks, Stumbleupon, Xnga, Reddit, Y! Bookmarks, Blogger, WordPress, Twitter, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, Diigo, TypePad, Mr Wong, Oknotizie, Slashdot, BX, Current, Faves, Care2, Fark, Kirtsy, LiveJournal, N4G, Meneame, Orkut, Fresqui, Sphinn, Friendster, Yigg, Simpy, Dealspl.us, and Funp. 

Typing that was exhausting.  I'm going to go read my printed Wired.  There's an article about chickens and dinosaurs that looks interesting.  (online for a limited time).

Why learn anatomy?

So you don't end up like these people.

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 2 May 2009

The "Whale Galaxy", a mere 25 million light years away.

Ice Ice Baby

Near-perfect baby mammoth.