Adventure Ausrama Blog

Chemistry: sea slug toxin will kill cancer cells. Sea slugs can be beautiful with their brightly colored coats. However, they carry the most toxic substances known. They display "you can't miss us" patterns because enemies try to avoid them. They eat meat. The closest thing to a vegetable that they consume are sponges. Latrunculin A. is the toxin stored in their bodies. They get this from food. Shrimps die immediately when they are attacked by sea slugs. Apparently, a sea slug will die if Latrunculin A. gets into its bloodstream. Tests show that the main sea slug toxin will kill cancer cells. It could potentially also be used to treat neurodegenerative disease. The problem is of course finding a transport medium and getting it to market. ◆   Chemistry by Ty Buchanan   ◆ Adventure Australia Funny Animal Photos Funny Weird Things Articles News Reviews ● Vista Computer Solutions Blog             ...

politics funding cuts to CSIRO Malcolm Turnbull loves private business so much so that he is making massive funding cuts to CSIRO. The public/private body is sacking 110 highly skilled employees from the Oceans and Atmosphere division. More sackings are in the pipeline because CSIRO has been forced into this position by first Tony Abbott and now Malolm Turnbull. The soft smile of the PM is only a thin veneer over the right wing belief that the market solves everything. No work being done here! We would be driving on dirt tracks if road funding was not public. The poor would be dying in the streets if medical treatment was private. There would be no trains to the city for daily commuters, as the only private rail tracks transport minerals to the coast. Rural people would have no means of communication if Telstra had not been a public enterprise. The copper wire still used for the Internet was put down over a century ago and is still being used in some places. We always ge...

SOCIOLOGY It was believed that the Romans were the peak civilization of the time and their toileting methods were hygienic. A quick look at the after toilet cleaning mop used by all would suggest otherwise.  It was a stick with a lump of sponge tied to the end. A tale, tale sign during Roman times was the increase in parasites. In the Iron Age they were virtually nonexistent. Fleas and mites were prevalent on all citizens of Rome. Whipworm and roundworm lived comfortably in their bodies. Getting the "runs" was routine. We know this because parasites survive for centuries in human faeces from ancient latrines and soil where the pelvis area was in human remains. Why did the Romans fail. Note, there were no tomatoes around to add natural MSG to meals and make it tastier. The Romans made their own MSG. It was a fermented fish sauce called garum. However, this made humans prone to tapeworm. Not only that, they fermented raw sewerage to enhance food. Worth a menti...

SOCIOLOGY Class in sociology is based in income - low, middle and high income earners, plus wealth. This is in conflict with assumed class by the ordinary person who believes that class is based on status. In England, for example, one's position in society can be inherited. An English earl will remain high class even though he has little income and lets the paying public into his home to pay for its upkeep. Anyway, let's get back to the issue, "at large", which is how income and wealth inequality has changed in Australia. Egalitarianism is an Aussie "thing". There is a strong belief that all Australians are equal, in daily interactions at least. An Australian can have a drink with the CEO of the business where he works. In England this is unthinkable. It simply will not happen because the boss will not allow the lowly employee into his/her circle. In the 1950s income in Australia was relatively level. It was far more equal than in other Weste...

genetics The gene responsible for schizophrenia has been found. Contrary to the popular view the ailment doesn't only cause multiple personality issues. It has three variants: 1) Positive , causing delusions, dysfunctional thoughts, movement irregularities and hallucinations; Negative , unhappiness, not finishing activities, reduced speaking and low bodily expression; and Cognitive , poor decision making, low attention, memory problems. Ten in a thousand people suffer from schizophrenia.   It usually begins before the age of 30 years. In 2014 an international program was organized to isolate the causative gene. It has been identified in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The C4 gene goes wild in sufferers, binding to more foreign molecules. This reduces the synaptic connections in the brain. Hopefully, a new more specific medication can be produced from the research data. Currently, drugs are not effective because the target has been unclear.  lifelon...

SOCIOLOGY Work is being done to make the earliest human habitation of the Great Swan Region in Western Australia clearer. This covers the glacial period before the post-glacial sea rise, 30,000 to 6,000 before the present. Aboriginals were making flake stone tools. Though for the most part natural forming cutting edges of quartz and chert were utilized Aboriginals evolved to adapt to hot conditions they survived the extremely cold conditions. Rottnest Island was inhabited during the fall in sea level but not thereafter. Aboriginals do have folk memories in the their culture about a past period when trees grew on intervening land now beneath the sea. The sea flooded in 6,500 years ago, quite recent. Pollen records of close onshore land that wetland and woodland. There were changes over the years as the climate changed. Aboriginals did not take to cave dwelling as they had to hunt for food. They lived in the open around fires. Bush food and fresh water were available t...

science Interesting things abound about Australia. It is a unique continent being isolated from the other land masses for millions of years. Animals have evolved with unusual behaviors. The cute, tiny Antichenus gets so high on testosterone that the little fellow doesn't eat or drink. He mates until he dies. The ugliest fish live in the deep sea off Australia's coast. They have large eyes, a necessity where light is almost total nonexistent.  Land creatures have evolved where some beauty is required to facilitate mating.  living in the darkest depths means seeing your mate is not so important, but large eyes, huge jaws and venomous spines are. Tourists and locals know about the deadly creatures living here. Oddly, Funnelweb spiders are not dangerous to dogs, cats, mice, lizards or snakes. An unlucky human can die if bitten by this spider.  Muscles in our bodies fibrillate.  Unsynchronized contraction of heart muscles can kill us. Bundaberg is the home of t...