“I am creating an artificial life,” - american geneticist Krayg Venter said. He is actively discussed in the world of science for the exploration of DNA. He entered the race for the deciphering of the human genetic code. He managed to build a synthetic chromosomes using laboratory chemicals, and that gave reason to declare the establishment of the first artificial life forms on Earth.

Mr. Venter said that this milestone in the history of genetics will be “very important event in human history. We go from reading our genetic code to the ability to write it. This gives us a hypothetical ability to do things that never even seen before. ”

The team of 20 leading scientists gathered by Venter, headed by Nobel laureate Hamilton Smith has built synthetic chromosomes, constituting a breakthrough in the field of bioengineering technologies. Using laboratory made chemicals, they painstakingly designed chromosomes, which has a length of 381 gene and contains 580 000 pairs of basic genetic code.

DNA sequence based on the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium. Fully reconstituted artificial chromosome, which scientists christened as Mycoplasma laboratorium, was tagged by ink for easy recognition.

Then it were transplanted into a living bacterial cell and in the final stage of the process they expected that it would take control of the cell. As a result - a new form of life. The team of scientists has successfully turn over the genome of one type of bacteria into another cell type, noticeably changing the properties of cells. Vr. Venter said he was “100% confident” that the same technique will work for artificially created chromosomes.

Vitality of the new body will depend on its ability to copy itself and metabolism in the molecular structures of cells, which will be introduced modified DNA. That is, in the usual sense, it will not be fully synthetic life form. But it would be artificial chromosomes, and she will manage the same cell, responsible for the construction of the vital cells.

It turns out that events are developed without the participation of society and state. Venter, in fact, created the “chassis on which you can build almost anything. This may be contributions to medicine in the form of new drugs or creating a huge threat to humanity in the form of biological weapon. ”

Mr. Venter believes that the designer of genome has enormous potential, if its activity is properly regulated. He hoped that in the long-term period this discovery may lead to a previously unknown sources of energy. Maybe it will be a bacterium, which can help absorb excess carbon dioxide, thus solving the problem of global warming. Or we can produce fuel such as propane or butane, made entirely of sugar.

This is one of the most unusual and most magic shows in the world of nature. There are very little pictures of birth of the dolphins. Moreover, such qualities as these.

First comes the tail, then the light appears and young:

Animal’s young in the blood cloud:

These pictures were made in the basin of wildlife in Rimini, Italy. Photographer Leonardo Stanzani was in the right place at the right hour. Most births occur at night when illumination for shooting very bad.

Mom-dolphin teaches baby of swimming style:

With the help of tiny video cameras installed to the tail feathers of crows researchers found that birds use a variety of tools. They may use twigs for forage and may make their own tools paring down and bending branches or nibbling grass stalks.

According to researcher Christian Ruts from Oxford University, it was able to see previously unknown way to use of tools by crows. As it turned out birds apply tools while they are on the earth. These tools were produced from a small stalk of grass to catch fish, which then cut into the nest.

Previously it was known that crows of New Celedonia used sticks to detect larvas in the carrion trees. But only now discovered that birds use the tool and on the ground. The results can be summarized as follows: ecological niche in which crows use tools, has larger than they previously thought. The results were published in the journal Science.

Ruts and group of researchers studied crows of New Caledonia in the laboratory. It was observed that birds constructed tools: bend wires for food extraction. It was necessary to verify whether a crows are the same in nature? But it is difficult to observe birds at the Pacific island of New Caledonia because of impassable forests and acute sensitivity to the presence of birds of people around them. That is why idea to attach 13g video camera to feathers is appeared. At the same place in the laboratory experiments were conducted at the crows, and then it was decided to continue study in the forest. One gram of the weight is comparable to that clip. The camera is attached to the tail feathers of crows and then is bended to look in front to record abdomen, legs and sometimes head of bird.

It was noticed that crows can construct a very unusual instruments, but they never pick any random rod.

Ruts claims that birds choose rod knowingly breaking off it, sometimes they pare down them or bend in the hook. They also like to use dry stalks of grass, which are more flexible. Especially good tools birds kept for future use. During the study crows per hour on average ate eight pieces of something (beetle larvae, small lizards and small fruit).

Observations were amazing! There is a great temptation to accept the perceived rationality of the New Caledonian crows, but it is necessary be careful with the conclusions. The fact that some actions seem to be clever to researcher-man has not yet proved that it is indeed a manifestation of mind.

For example, it is impossible to call spider clever only because it spin web that provide it food. In fact, all may be different. Probably, these crows have learned by chance ever to use tools, and now simply reproduce automatically obtained once skills, that is distinguish between the conscious action and instinct are increasingly blurred. Using of tools - the only unusual feature of New Caledonian crows that is interested for researchers. To confirm the hypothesis about the reasonableness of crows, scientists are looking for environmental factors that could form such behaviour during evolution.

British scientist James Lovelock and physicist Chris Repley, director of the London Science Museum offered option of eliminating the problem of global warming. For the first time, their ideas were published in one of the issues of the journal Nature, writes National Geographic News.

It is supposed to to fill ocean by giant pipes that will raise the cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths. It will contribute to algal seaweed, captured carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The idea is akin to planting new trees. If we recall that 2/3 of Earth is covered with water, then it should be more effective. The preliminary calculation showed that required from 10000 to 100000 pipes with 10m of width and 330m of length.

Wave energy will cause the pipe to rock. Unidirectional hydraulic valve under the influence of circulating water will raise the nutrient-rich surface water. This will stimulate the growth of algae and reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Besides flowering algae will produce more dimethyl sulfide ((CH₃) 2S), which helps to form clouds reflecting sunlight.

Theoretically, this idea should work, but only practice shows how well. Preliminary tests in laboratories (cylindrical tubes used in tanks with water) showed that in small-scale concept is correct.

Plans to translate the idea into practice in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Coral Sea. Cold surface water in these places can the same help revive coral in the Great Barrier Reef.

It may be that the proposed solution to the problem of global warming will help curb climate change only in one bay or the Gulf (global warming interactive). Moreover, the process of releasing nutrients will be uncontrollable, and its surplus podeystvuet adversely on the marine flora. On the surface will also rise and carbon dioxide! Then the problem only worsen. It is undeniable that the intervention of the ocean might cause him irreparable harm ( “Plan to Dump Iron in Ocean as Climate Fix Attracts Debate” [July 25, 2007]), but the suspension of global warming is questionable.
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