The CDC's- Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse

From the CDC website:

“So what do you need to do before zombies…or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen? First of all, you should have an emergency kit in your house. This includes things like water, food, and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation shelter or utility lines are restored). Below are a few items you should include in your kit, for a full list visit the CDC Emergency page.”

Obviously, this was meant to be a clever and entertaining way to try and raise peoples awareness of disaster preparedness, but personally, I think it was a completely irresponsible thing to do. Not because it was a potential waste of time of money, or because doing so made light of the very real danger that occurs during an actual emergency. But because they’re so-called zombie emergency kit fails to include even basic survival items, like a flamethrower, or a chainsaw. More importantly, not once does the website advise survivors of the coming zombie apocalypse of the necessity to destroy the brain of any and all persons they may encounter whom they believe to have been infected with the zombie plague. How crazy is that?

In the end, the only thing there is to be learned from the CDC’s alleged guide to the zombie apocalypse, is that there is STILL only one place, one man, to which the world can turn in the event of a real zombie related emergency.

Hail to the king baby!

-CAINE-

Source: The CDC VIA: Compendium oF Strange
Image credit: Zombie Banner-The CDC , Bruce- Unknown ( if you know share so I can credit)

Cephalopods In Space!

When salmonella was sent into space for 12 days aboard the space shuttle Atlantis in September of 2006, it was discovered upon it's return to Earth that the microbes had altered the way in which they express a portion of their genes, as compared to a strain of the bacteria that had remained in the lab here on Earth. The apparent result of this alteration, was that it had become almost three times as likely to kill mice infected with the microbes, than it's Earth-bound counter part. Studies like this were able to clearly show that disease microbes grow faster, and become more virulent, when held in the weightless environment of space.

Which is why, amongst the various cargo carried into space by Endeavor on it's final flight, is a sample of juvenile Bobtail squid. These baby cephalopods were sent up by microbiologist Jamie foster, to determine what effect, if any, the environment has on helpful bacteria, like those which give the squid the ability to generate bioluminescence.

Bobtail squid are a tiny variety of cepholopods which have evolved their ability to generate bioluminescence by forming a symbiotic relationship with a particular species of bacteria called Vibiro Fischeri, the juvenile squid are exposed to this bacteria shortly after hatching, which take up residence in the animals light organs. Fed on a solution of sugar and amino acids by the squid, the bacteria in turn helps the animal to avoid predators by matching the amount of light hitting the top of it's mantle, thus helping to hide it's silhouette from predators below. Because the animal is not born with the bacteria in it's system, and because the process only involves a single species, unlike the symbiotic relationships human beings form with the thousands of species of bacteria which inhabit our digestive and immune systems, The Bobtail squid seems an ideal candidate for this sort of test.

Preliminary experiments conducted in simulated microgravity on Earth appear to have shown problems with the uptake of bacteria by the squid. And if the shuttle study shows the same result, it would suggest that astronauts' relationships with their own microbes might also be affected.

-CAINE-

Source: New Scientist.com VIA: GGB on tumblr
Image credit: Jenny Huang

Why god might Kill You With a Bear, & when it's OK to Bang Daddy

One of the most common arguments made by both believers, as well as apologists who think anti-theists like myself go too far in our arguments against religion, is the idea that the teachings of the bible have within them some intrinsic moral value. And that even if you choose not to believe in the god around which those teaching are supposedly centered, there are worthwhile lessons to be learned amidst all the idiocy and ignorance that dominate the books of god. But it doesn't take any thinking person more than a quick glance through the new and old testaments (or the quran, or any other deity driven religious text for that matter), to see that the teachings of christianity are filled with, racism, slavery, incest, and sexism, as well as countless acts of violence, murder, and genocide; all of which are of course neatly justified in the name of an invisible monster, who is accountable to no one. Ya, sounds like an outstanding place to turn for morality to me.

But I suppose, if you were to do some major editing on your own and only focus on the "good" parts, or as the VAST majority of modern religious teachers do; insist that certain parts of the bible were obviously not meant to be taken literally, and just wildly reinterpret the bad parts so they fit better with modern day values, it is possible to stumble upon a reasonable moral value or two. They're all rather obvious, common sense, golden rule sorts of moralities, and they certainly don't make up for the rest of the crap in the bible, but they're still there I guess.

But what if you don't pick and choose? What if instead, you taught people, in particular children, ALL the stories of the bible as the literal truths that many believers take them to be, and in complete and graphic detail? That would be okay right? I mean it is the word of god isn't it? Well, that's exactly the idea behind today's video,"The Tutor", in which a pleasant looking young bible tutor explains to her two young students why god might decide to kill them with a bear, and when it's ok to bang Daddy, by sharing with them the tales of Elisha (2 Kings 2:23-24), and Lot (Genesis 19).

Enjoy!

-CAINE-

Australian Grad Student Solves Universe's Missing Mass Problem...sort of

I HAVE RETURNED! (No, despite the facial hair & ponytial, I am not Jesus)

Like a laser-eyed Abraham Lincoln being ridden into glorious battle by a mustache-wearing, flag wielding bear in monocle and top hat, I have returned! Not that anyone noticed I was gone. How could you really given the lousy posting schedule I've been keeping as of late? But gone I was, having decided it wise to give my brain a brake from generating content for a while and to instead spend some time pondering which of my various personal projects (both working as well as the unpublished and incomplete ones you don't yet know about), I wanted to keep going.

After muddling it all over for a while, I THINK I finally settled on a plan that should allow me not only to maintain a more regular posting schedule around here, without resorting to too much empty link-baiting, but one that will also afford me enough free time to focus on the projects that Ive decided to keep going. So IF this new plan works out, you should expect to see an influx of new posts around here and on tumblr, as well as more new music, an art project or two, and a few other things I've been working on in secrete for some time now. though my weekday posting habits will likely stay pretty much the same, I just work too many hours to make time for blogging during the week.

Of course, I've said things like this before, and I as I pointed out then, things rarely go as planned around here so you probably shouldn't quote me on any of this. But ultimately, I'm really trying to find a way to turn all this time I spend playing on the net, into a more profitable endeavor, so we'll see.

-CAINE-

Image Credit:“The Civil War” by Matthew McKeown

San Francisco Model/labyrinth Made Out of 100,000 Toothpicks

Artsist Scott Weaver's, "Rolling Through The Bay", is a composite of various landmarks from around San Francisco,all created in astonishing detail usuing some 100,000 toothpicks. Oh, and it's also a ping pong ball labyrinth. It's certainly an amazing piece of art, and I am duly impressed.

But what I always find most astonishing about works like this, is the truly unfathomable amount of free time, not to mention patience, some people apparently have. I can't even make the time to draw a picture anymore, and I don't have the patience to set up a hundred of... ANYTHING, much less a hundred thousand of those things.

-CAINE-

Source:The Bold Italic VIA: Laughing Squid
Images and video by:The Tinkering Studio, The Exploratorium

Scott Weaver's Rolling through the Bay from Learning Studio on Vimeo.