Bundy Bear Nazi Secrets Revealed

Yes, the Bundaberg Bear is a Nazi!

Shocking revelations that everyone’s favourite Australian alcohol mascot has a hidden past as former officer in the SS.

MOAH WTF at pictureisunrelated.com

Babies hate your marriage

Research from the University of Denver on 218 couples, showed that in 90% of couples, having a baby accelerated deterioration of their marriages.

The researcher “cautions against concluding that children damage overall happiness in life” – but just look at those cold hard statistics.

I think what it most likely shows is that having a baby, or getting married, is not a suitable recourse in a failing relationship.

The research appeared to focus solely on partners relationships with each other, not the relationship between parents and their kids. Perhaps their isn’t enough love to go around.

It’s Alive in Sydney: Mystery Bug

A crawly bug I spotted on a sign in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.

It was so white, I wasn’t sure if it had been accidentally covered in paint (under the outer plates still looked dark).

Pope’s likeness too scary for Sydney streets (or not)

Where it all started.

At last years World Youth Day a fake popemobile was used at a  No To Pope Coalition rally. More details on that and other activities can be found at WorldTruthDay.org

Ian is returning to court this week to combat the charges of “having a roof ornament likely to distract motorists”.

He’s being defended by the NSW Council for Civil Liberties.

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UPDATE: All charges dropped.

You can still visit WorldTruthDay.org or SydneyAtheists to get more information and discuss freethought activities in Sydney .

Under the house is not a cancer clinic

The definition of quackery – offering cure for cancers bought of the internet being supplied by untrained staff in someone’s garage.

Choice quotes:

“We haven’t announced it yet, we haven’t told the world, it’s very secret.” (Naturopaths don’t care about curing cancer, they care about making money).

“It’s not a garage, Chris, it’s under the house*, okay” (In response to why she was not operating but in her “backyard, garage”).

You’ll all be quite thankful that successful investigation and prosecution has seen Ms Newlands fined $12,000 and banned from “making any claims she is able to treat, cure, or benefit any person suffering from cancer”.

I must say, it is good to see some action, but it is awfully lenient (especially seeing as she was charging $2,000 per client). And I don’t think I’m alone in being a little perturbed that making such claims (when not a registered medical practitioner) is not already an offense of some kind.

(Press release and more info at Sceptic’s book of Pooh-Pooh)

*For those of you not familiar with Queensland architecture. Most older “Queenslander” style homes are built up on stilts to promote airflow. “Under the house” is usually an semi-enclosed space not fully protected from the elements that can be used as a storage area, carport, laundry and/or tool shed.

Synergy in Nature

see more pwn and owned pictures

Synergy fails.

It’s Alive in Sydney: Sexy legs, sees

A millipede on a rock – in Badangi Reserve on the Lower North Shore of Sydney.

Taking this photo with a flash prompted me to ask Alex Wild (currently featured at SciBorg’s Photo Synthesis) if flash photography can harm or distress insects and other invertebrates. His answer – not that he knows*.

This critter did not curl up and die afterwards, at least not that I saw, so my conscience feels fine.

More millipede shots below the fold as I tested my camera out in the field.

A spoonful of sugar helps the sugar go down

We learned the other week that lying to children can convince them that vegetables are cool¹. Well, the Australian sugar industry was obviously paying intention because they have released “healthyhealthier sugar“.

Yes! The power of science – “Sugar: with low sugar”. Lols.

Careful framing branding word selection is well afoot in this release. The news report claims the low GI sugar “can be used to reduce diabetes, obesity and blood pressure”. Okay, yes in theory it could potentially reduce incidence of developing these diseases, and may offer more options for those needing to monitor their GI intake. But let’s be clear, it’s use won’t act as some sort of cure, or alleviate your symptoms. It’s just possibly a better alternative (than standard sugar).

Okay, it’s hard to fault the industry too hard for actually working towards solutions to growing nutrion-based health issues – but perhaps the marketing and awareness campaign is laying it on a little thick.

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¹and mutagens are good for you

Zombie genetics

Last month there was an interesting genetics story about the discovery of the zombie gene (or “Jesus gene”*).

IRGM, which may or may not be involved in Crohn’s disease, appears to have reactivated in humans after becoming degraded in our ancestors around 25 million years ago.

It is really interesting – perhaps mostly because we can now actually show that this is the case, and guesstimate an era like 25MYA as the original inactivation.

I don’t think its quite as surprising as its being made out to be. It makes plenty of sense given what we know about how genetics evolve. It’s not too inconceivable that if genes can become inactive through random mutation, that so to can inactive genes become re-activated through a similar process.

Just because a gene is inactivated doesn’t exactly mean it’s going to go straight to gobbleygook. By not actually contributing anymore, that gene has effectively removed itself from any selective pressure – including negative. It won’t be selected to become more inactivated. There is no benefit for an organism to scramble the signal any further.

Actually this discovery might show that their is some benefit in not deliberately scrambling genes that aren’t currently expressed. But is that a benefit that selection can act upon?

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*everyone knows Jesus isn’t real though, right, kids?

Zombie facials

see more Celeb Look-A-Likes

This is a bit disturbing, as at least in the movies, the T-Virus started out as a “skin rejuvinator” to bring dead skin cells back to life.

Well, at least Avon isn’t an illuminati-run trans-national that dabbles in highly experimental bioweaponry on the side … or are they!??

Breath of fresh death

via the March issue of Mini-AIR (Annals of Improbable Research)

Each month AIR holds a limerick contest where readers are asked to help describe selected research in rhyme.

Here is last month’s winning entry by INVESTIGATOR A.S. KASWELL:

Cadaverine has so few charms

And Putrescine raises alarms.

We make them at night,

Say Cooke, Leeves and White -

Our mouths become chemical farms.

What does it mean…

It’s Alive in Sydney: Crab and Go

A crab amongst the rocks in Cabbage Tree Bay, Manly, NSW.

Taxonomy Fail, on tour

Seen in New Zealand:

I can see that they may have been misled by the presence of body fur. However, a quick leg count one notices a superfuosity in limbs by an order of 50%. I also note the lack of nipples with which to feed its young.

We conclude this is not a mammal, and may be considering an action regarding false claims in advertising.

Is there a doctor in House?

I’m not a particular fan of medical TV Shows – okay, who doesn’t like Scrubs – I guess I mean medical dramas.

Too many plots and too many issues, and perhaps occasionally a little overdramatic when it comes to scientific accuracy (something you can hardly fault a comedy for).

So it does intrigue me that medical dramas like House and Gray’s Anatomy are being considered educational tools in medical hospitals. No, not on how to perform an Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction- but precisely about those plots and issues that seem superfluous to the medicine.

It’s Alive in Sydney: Skink

I can’t remember if I mentioned my new camera purchase.

A Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD. It was a little more than what I was planning on purchasing, but I got a good deal on a ex-display stock.

Now, I have a flickr account to go along with it. And thanks to my dad, it’s now an unlimited pro account, which is good seeing as though it took 48 hours to fill up the complementary storage.

Here’s the first in a series of critters taken around a Sydney.