Adventure Ausrama Blog

Science: the latest meteorite give insight into formation of the solar system Scientists are interested in a space rock. The meteorite crashed into the Australian outback a year ago and has unique features. It is currently in London undergoing tests and will eventually be returned to the Museum of Western Australia. The meteorite is small, only as big as a tennis ball. Because its trajectory was tracked its origin is known. This is unusual: of the 50,000 meteorites that have hit the Earth over the last 200 years  the sources of only 10 have been ascertained. Tracking of the meteorite was carried out by Curtin University, London's Imperial College and the Ondrejov Observatory in the Czech Republic. The point of impact was only 100m from the projected point. Meteorites are the oldest rocks being 4.5 billion years old. Critical information about the formation of the solar system will be gained. ◆ Science by Ty Buchanan   ◆ Adventure Australia Funny Animal ...

Genetic modification is favored in health but not for food. Convincing people to eat genetically modified food still has a long way to go to gain majority acceptance. Yet, just about everyone is in favor of using gene technology to treat health problems. This is a strange anomaly. Gene manipulation of any kind will change the world we live in. Once a change has been made and it spreads through the environment it is there forever. Drug companies admit they have lost the war in Europe. There is no way that GM food will ever be accepted there. It is largely an emotional decision, not scientifically based. Possibly, in the near future, Europe will ban DNA experimentation in health as well. This will be counter-productive. If money is invested in nations that welcome gene science then the environment will change anyway because we all live in the same world. There is a major problem looming, however, on the real future of genetically modified crops. To be profitable far...

Lincoln red cattle are genetically strong, ideal for farmers. Lincoln Red cattle are large. They provide a lot of meat. However, many consumers have never heard of the breed, mainly because investment in marketing has been minimal. A marketing program is planned. In many ways the meat is superior to the much vaunted Angus. Admittedly, only a thousand head are produced each year in Western Australia. If consumers knew of the quality meat more could be ready for market very quickly. The breed comes from the cold and windy east coast county of Lincolnshire in England. There true origin is the Bos urus cattle of Scandinavia. While not currently popular with consumers in Australia, they have "taken-off" in Europe. It has pluses for farmers. It efficiently converts feed to meat and grows rapidly. Crossbreeds in particular grow very fast. Unusually for meat animals they make good milkers as well. ◆ Genetics by Ty Buchanan   ◆ Adventure Australia Funny Animal ...

testing EquipmentLaw: Police drug testing equipment so faulty they do not stand up in court. You can trust the police. Can't you? Sure, even if the equipment they use to convict you for drug use do not work accurately, or not at all! Draeger Drug Test 5000 machines are the malfunctioning equipment. Furthermore, a third of saliva testing kits (STKs) go strait in the bin when they do not work. The kits should turn blue, but nothing happens. Even an investigation into quality control has not solved the problems. If you are charged with drug taking using the equipment any solicitor worth his salt will get you off scot-free. Moreover, the test for cannabis has never worked. This is like the mine detectors sold to the Afghan government that were found to be just a plastic casing with nothing inside. Draeger is pulling a fast one and getting away with it. State police departments or state governments, who do the purchasing, must be stupid. ◆ Law by Ty Buchanan ...

The sex of central bearded dragon hatchlings is determined by the prevailing temperature during incubation. Some females carry male genes and behave like males. They are more confident and active than other females. The "tomboys" also have more offspring. Australian central bearded dragon Of great interest is how genetic and climatic factors affect gender. In lab test incubation, if the temperature was over 32 degrees females with male chromosomes hatched as females. Below 32 degrees the dragon expressed its genetic disposition and hatched as males. High temperature females were larger than males which is normal for the species. It appears that male type behaviors of these females is genetically determined. Some of the females were even bolder than normal males. Male chromosomes affect the brain which is driven to express male traits. Only one other animal has the feature of environmental and genetic factors determining sex - the skink. Other animal...

Culture: we buy on impulse with east credit and fast pay. We are all guilty of it. What is it? Impulse buying of course! It may not be for major purchase - we usually have a think about them before making a decision. Well most of us do. Minor things like snack bars and quick coffees are usually done on a whim. A site like eBay where thing are cheap but generally of low quality is also a vehicle for fast shopping. Some people purchase "quickie" items more than others. It all depends on ones personality. Even being out with others affects buying behavior. Having money to buy is less of a factor because easy credit is available. A person's prevailing mood also has an effect: happiness drives impulse buying. Advertising is perceived differently by individuals. "Buy one and get one free" is a trap for some. Indeed, Westerners seem to be particularly prone to buying things with little thought, people in Eastern cultures not so much. Culture does ...

Anthropology: Cat mummy in Western Australian Museum a fake. It is known that ancient Egyptians made counterfeit mummies, particularly of birds and cats who were given as offerings to the gods. In 1982 an X-ray of a cat mummy showed that it was a fake, probably made in the early 20th century. Staff of the Western Australia Museum who were custodians of the "mummy" were shocked and disappointed by the discovery. A recent CT scan of the "mummy" highlights a human femur broken in the middle then molded to take the shape of a cat. The scan has been sent to Cairo for further study. To solve this problem once and for all a determination of its real age needs to be done. Why waste time looking and re-interpreting?  The WA Museum is still so ashamed of the issue that is has never released a photo of the fake cat mummy nor will show the X-ray or scan to the public. Genuine fake-cat mummy from Saqqara in  Egyp Genuine mummies are on display today at the WA M...