Bob Yirka

Wow! indeed

November 25, 2020

Caballero found what appears to fit the bill—a star that is very nearly a mirror image of the sun—and is located in the part of the sky where the Wow! signal originated. He notes that there are other possible candidates in the area but suggests his candidate might provide the best launching point for a new research effort by astronomers who have the tools to look for exoplanets.

~ Bob Yirka from, https://phys.org/news/2020-11-amateur-astronomer-alberto-caballero-source.html

The original Wow! Signal was recorded in 1977. It makes me happy to think that the human race has progressed so far as to be able to detect extrasolar planets, in the right place… well, “wow” indeed.

What would it be like to be alive when, (not if, I say,) we find our first neighbor?

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High-fructos corn syrup is bad for bees?

May 30, 2013

Specifically, they found that when bees are exposed to the enzyme p-coumaric, their immune system appears stronger—it turns on detoxification genes. P-coumaric is found in pollen walls, not nectar, and makes its way into honey inadvertently via sticking to the legs of bees as they visit flowers. Similarly, the team discovered other compounds found in poplar sap that appear to do much the same thing. It all together adds up to a diet that helps bees fight off toxins, the researchers report. Taking away the honey to sell it, and feeding the bees high-fructose corn syrup instead, they claim, compromises their immune systems, making them more vulnerable to the toxins that are meant to kill other bugs.

~ Bob Yirka from, http://phys.org/news/2013-04-high-fructose-corn-syrup-tied-worldwide.html

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