Hi, folks! I've got a set of nano-reviews up at Nerds of a Feather!
Live Long and Evolve: A non-fiction book by an evolutionary biologist about what life on other planets might look like, charmingly interwoven with relevant Star Trek lore.
The Extractionist: a very Cyber futurist heisty type book, which I found well constructed but somehow dull
THe Frame-Up_Magical art thieves. Perfectly fine, but not special.
This is one of my all-time favourite #documentaries. It has a bit of a cult following. Was it done weirdly on purpose, or by accident? Serious and hilarious at the same time. Get out the popcorn!
Cane #toads An Unnatural History.
We totally randomly met two #bicycle riders this morning near our home, apparently they're traveling around #Greece & #Albania with bicycles. They are a #German & #Italian couple. We invited them at my mom's home and we all had lunch together. Apparently they are #PhD candidates in #Austria, one in #chemistry and the other one in #biology. Very interesting young people. It was a good day today.
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius), males have black backs and wings, with bright orange breasts and bellies. Females are similar, but duller overall. Native to western North America. #nature#photo#biology#wildlife#birds
Eupeodes, the aphideater flies (the larvae feed on aphids) unlike mosquitoes or bees are not attracted to perfumes, but they are attracted to nectar and pollen. #biology#ecology#flowers#nature#insects#science
Fungal flora on board the Mir-Space Station, identification by morphological features and ribosomal DNA sequences - PubMed
"This report is on the morphological and molecular biological identification, using 18S- and ITS1-rDNA sequences, of the "space fungi" isolated on board the Russian Mir-Space Station as the major constituents of the fungal flora. The six fungal strains were isolated from air by using an air sampler or from condensation. Strains were identified as Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus versicolor, or Penicillium sp. by both methods. The species of space fungi were common saprophytic fungi in our living environment, potential pathogens, and allergens. This study concluded that the environment on board the space station Mir allows the growth of potentially pathogenic fungi as true in residential areas on the earth. Therefore, to prevent infection or other health disorders caused by these fungi…"
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel says AI will help scientists understand "most diseases" in three to five years.
@Semafor quotes the executive: “The reason we still have people dying of cancer, people suffering from Alzheimer's, is we do not understand the fundamental biology of those diseases.”