10/21/03 Panspermia. Red rain in India after airburst contains bacterial cells. Analysis supports the panspermia hypothesis, the theory of life on Earth originated in comets. Bacteria exists in space, can survive in space and can reach the surface of the Earth without being destroyed.

---

10/13/03 Human Genetic Anomalies. Doctors separate twins joined at head.

---

10/13/03 Thoughts Control Objects. Monkeys' thoughts control objects via brain implants.

---

10/10/03 Pain Center in Brain. Eisenberger at UCLA finds physiological basis for social pain in anterior cingulate cortex.

---

9/16/03 Magnetic Fields Effects on Humans. Dr. Valerie V Hunt (UCLA Dept of Physiological Sciences, University of Iowa & Columbia University) had a room constructed in which the magnetic field intensity could be varied and when "the magnetism was decreased, gross incoordination occurred. The entire neurological integrating mechanism was thrown off. Subjects could not balance their bodies; they had difficulty touching finger to nose or performing simple coordinated movements. They lost kinesthetic awareness."

---

9/16/03 Stem Cells: Stem cells into sperm cells. Embryonic stem cells have been encouraged to grow into sperm cells for the first time, Japanese scientists report. "In May, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania broke the first barrier by growing eggs from mouse embryonic stem cells, and made the surprising discovery that eggs could be made from either male or female stem cells."

---

8/14/03 DNA Advances: Human DNA has been combined with rabbit DNA in a Chinese cloning experiment.

---

5/14/03 Extinctions: Ocean's big game fish 'near extinction' Industrial fishing has wiped out 90 per cent of populations of world's biggest species over the past 50 years. See overpopulation.

---

12/27/02 DNA Advances: First artificial DNA can create new forms of life Scientists have made the world's first synthetic DNA - the molecules that form the blueprint for life. The breakthrough means that the first artificial organisms could be "born" within two years and raises the prospect of humans redesigning whole species, including themselves. The DNA was created at the University of Texas where researchers have mapped out the exact way it will be configured to create synthetic organism one (SO1), the microbe destined to be the world's first man-made creature. Articles about this appeared back in 1999, that means the time is now! Scientists as of July, 2002 had created an artificial polio virus. According to the BBC, "US researchers built the infectious agent from scratch using the genome sequence for polio." A virus is much simpler to create, however, than a bacteria. For background and great links, try this site.

---

11/24/02 Nanobacteria Debate: According to some, they do not exist, yet others are calling Nanobacterium sanguineum the smallest cell-walled organism yet described; it is smaller than the Vaccinia virus, although larger than most other viruses. Nanobacteria which live in the blood have been shown to cause the calcification in coronary artery disease and vascular disease plaque. (Miller V, et al, Mayo Clinic, Journal American College of Cardiology, March 2002) - They may also cause kidney stones and even dental plaque. The existence of nanobacteria has been suggested for over 10 years. They were one of the lines of evidence used by NASA scientists to claim that tiny structures in a Martian rock were fossil bacteria. - BBC. Followers of this site will also note claims that in 1930's Raymond Royal Rife created a super microscope which he used to see and kill cancer causing bacteria the size of viruses. One problem, however, with claims of super small bacteria is the theory which says bacterial cells must be larger than 0.14 micrometers based on the size of the macromolecules considered necessary for a living cell. (nas.edu) Rife claimed the cancer causing BX bacteria transformed into virus and fungus (cryptomyces pleomorphia). Might the above limitation be allowed for by a metamorphosis? The average diameter of nanobacteria measured with electron microscopes is about 0.2 micro meters, yet nanobacteria capable for starting replication in culture, have sizes approaching 0.05 micrometers based on electron microscope and filtration results. This is according to Kajander E.O., et al. 1997 in: Nanobacteria from blood, the smallest culturable, autonomously replicating agent on Earth. (Proceedings of SPIE 3111:420-428.) SPIE looks legit. Like Rife, nanobacteria remain controversial. Careful! While Rife seems to me to have been a serious scientist, many now use his name to make cancer cure claims that may be false. Read More about nanobacteria.

---

10/28/02 Insect Records: A rock fan has collected 39,000 grasshoppers to win tickets to see an Elton John show. Brandy Elliott, 26, of Saskatchewan, Canada, won a contest held by Z99 radio, beating her closest rival by 6,000 grasshoppers. She used three huge nets attached to a quarter-ton truck to catch the insects. The competition helped Saskatchewan's grasshopper problems. Okay, eww. Who counted them? Reminds me of the Elton John lyric, "Funny how one insect can damage so much grain."

---

10/21/02: Xenotransplantation: Pigs created with human genes. Scientists mix swine sperm with human DNA in step toward creating organ transplant pigs. Rant: Once again our technology has surpassed our moral maturity. We call it murder if you kill a human to take that person's organs, right? Right, but this is just a pig. Okay, if we grow human organs in the pig, the pig is 1% human tissue, right? Yeah, but it's still a pig. Think about this: there was a case of a lung donor where the recipient dreamed the full name (first and last) of the donor. They NEVER tell recipients the names of donors. The guy looked up the dead girl's parents and thanked them. Either he heard her name in the operating room during the operation (seems unlikely) or MEMORIES are stored in human organs! What kind of tortured dreams are the xenotransplantation recipients going to have? Then again, the rumor I've read is that pigs have 1/2 hour orgasms ... No, seriously. Do we want to start playing God like this, mixing species? Even ignoring the moral questions, a pig virus may wipe humans off the face of the earth. Revenge of the SWINE! Enjoy that bacon.

 

Return to News Index | Strange Index