Archive of entries posted by Oppo

Science Stuff: Cable Bacteria Are Old Hat. A.I. Systems Will Live-Stream Bacteria, So They Don’t Need To Be Plugged Into Anything

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Breakthrough Discovery: Scientists Find Organism That Transmits Electricity Like a Wire
Daily Galaxy | May 06, 2025

A newly discovered species of bacteria that conducts electricity like a living wire is shaking up the scientific world. Named Candidatus Electrothrix yaqonensis, the organism was found in Oregon’s Yaquina Bay mudflats and described in a study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. …

Unlike its microbial cousins, Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis features pronounced surface ridges, up to three times wider than those of other cable bacteria. These ridges house highly conductive fibers made from rare nickel-based proteins, a previously unseen biological structure. …

The bacterium’s ability to transport electrons over long distances gives it an edge in the complex chemistry of marine sediments. These traits allow it to connect sulfide-rich layers deep in the mud with oxygen or nitrate at the surface, completing critical redox reactions.

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Straight Line of the Day: The Next Step After 3-D Printed Calamari: …

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Scientists Create 3D-Printed Calamari With More Protein Than Real Squid
Study Finds | April 28, 2025 | Poornima Vijayan and Dejian Huang, National University of Singapore

Scientists successfully 3D printed plant-based calamari rings using mung bean protein and microalgae, creating a seafood alternative that closely matches real squid in texture and even surpasses it in protein content.

Straight Line of the Day: The National Endowment for the Arts Has Begun Terminating Grants, Including Yours, Which Was…

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The National Endowment for the Arts Begins Terminating Grants
New York Times | May 3, 2025 | Michael Paulson

The endowment told arts organizations that it was withdrawing or canceling current grants just hours after President Trump proposed eliminating the agency in the next fiscal year.

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Cheers, Mate!

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Britons’ lives among least fulfilling, world study shows
The Times | 4/30/25 | Rhys Blakely

A study of whether the inhabitants of different countries are “flourishing” has put the UK close to the bottom of the world rankings. The research surveyed more than 200,000 people on six continents.

They were asked questions designed to gauge not just

happiness and

physical health, but their

sense of purpose,

the quality of their relationships, and their

financial stability.

Hmmm….

I may have a problem: my rankings (on a scale of 1 to 10) would be

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Promoted Comment: As Sung By Ochi Bunker

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Hats off to BobB:

Boy, the way that Trotsky played
Kulaks made the hit parade
Oligarchs, they had it made
Those were the days

Couldn’t trust no welfare state
Ev’rybody lost some weight
Gee, wasn’t old Stalin great?
Those were the days

And you knew who you were then
Girls turned on girls and men on men
Mister we could use a man like Lavrenty Beria again

People couldn’t be content
Wonder where your family went?
Gulags, where dissidents are sent
Those were the days

Ten times better than anything Weird A.I. Yankovich could come up with.

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