Posted by
chrisd
on from the but-are-they-using-their-power-for-evil dept.
ammonoid writes "The BBC news website reported this story about the possibility that the biologically selfish interests of microbes in the atmosphere to reproduce may be partly responsible for the formation of clouds, and observed patterns of rainfall. "
could be usefull
by
FreakCERS
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
An interesting aspect could be if we were able to controle these microbes, or perhaps geneticaly engineered ones, and use them to generate "rainfall on command"...
For instance if a forestfire erupts, we could just "summon" our small allies, and extinguish the flames with little or even no risc for human lives.
(Not that forestfires are to be put out, as they are quite good for the environment, but you get the point)
Re:could be usefull
by
SpdyVkng
·
· Score: 2, Informative
AFAIK forest fires are natural. Our fight to control forestfires makes forests less vital. A good and normal forestfire gives room for a different flora and fauna than which a forest has.
Our continual fight against forest fires makes it easier for future fires to gain catastrophic proportions. (Ie. we protect a lot of land against forest fires; a few dry years come, and wooosh, a lot more burns than if the normal cycle of events were allowed.)
Paul
--
The Speedy Viking
possible crazytalk scenarios
by
DrSkwid
·
· Score: 3, Funny
The microbes started life on earth after drifting here from across space on a comet this making the microbes god and heaven is indeed in the clouds. The image of god is water. Man, made from water, is literally made in the image of god. (mind you nothing special about man, so are cucumbers).
-- There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Microsoft controlling the weather?!! oh..microbes.
Meh.. It *COULD* happen.
-- I'm a big retard who forgot to log out of Slashdot on Mike's computer! LOOK AT ME.
Not particularly surprising.
by
cp99
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Given that there is huge amounts of bacteria just about anywhere, it's not too surprising that they can have a significant effect of the world. Especially a system like the weather which is controlled by many different interplaying forces.
-- Warning: Some ideologies on the Net are smaller than they appear.
Re:Not particularly surprising.
by
ammonoid
·
· Score: 2, Informative
I take it by pseudoscience you are refering to the Gaia hypothesis. If not you may disregard my reply. While I don't agree with the strong hypothesis of planet Earth as a single "superorganism", the notion that the biosphere has been shaped by a feedback between selection on organisms, and the effects that their metabolic products have on geological systems, is entirely reasonsable. The shift in atmospheric oxygen levels can be linked clearly to the rise of cyanobacteria, which produced oxygen as a by-product of their metabolic activities. This gave rise to ozone, that handy compound that stops UV playing too much pinball with metazoan DNA.
-- "Hope is a duty from which paleontologists are exempt."
David Quammen
The boy nodded his understanding. "Can I ask you something?" The Jedi Master nodded. "What are midi-chlorians?"
Wind whipped at Qui-Gon's long hair, blowing strands of it across his strong face. "Midi-chlorians are microscopic life-forms that reside within the cells of all living things and communicate with the Force."
"They live inside of me?" the boy asked.
"In your cells." Qui-Gon paused. "We are symbionts with the midi-chlorians."
"Symbi-what?"
"Symbionts. Life-forms living together for mutual advantage. Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. Our midi-chlorians continually speak to us, Annie, telling us the will of the Force."
"They do?"
Qui-Gon cocked one eyebrow. "When you learn to quiet your mind, you will hear them speaking to you."
Anakin thought about it for a moment, then frowned. "I don't understand."
Qui-Gon smiled, and his eyes were warm and secretive. "With time and training, Annie, you will."
Slashdot Mirror
An interesting aspect could be if we were able to controle these microbes, or perhaps geneticaly engineered ones, and use them to generate "rainfall on command"...
For instance if a forestfire erupts, we could just "summon" our small allies, and extinguish the flames with little or even no risc for human lives.
(Not that forestfires are to be put out, as they are quite good for the environment, but you get the point)
The microbes started life on earth after drifting here from across space on a comet this making the microbes god and heaven is indeed in the clouds. The image of god is water. Man, made from water, is literally made in the image of god. (mind you nothing special about man, so are cucumbers).
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Microsoft controlling the weather?!! oh..microbes.
Meh.. It *COULD* happen.
I'm a big retard who forgot to log out of Slashdot on Mike's computer! LOOK AT ME.
Given that there is huge amounts of bacteria just about anywhere, it's not too surprising that they can have a significant effect of the world. Especially a system like the weather which is controlled by many different interplaying forces.
Warning: Some ideologies on the Net are smaller than they appear.
Wind whipped at Qui-Gon's long hair, blowing strands of it across his strong face. "Midi-chlorians are microscopic life-forms that reside within the cells of all living things and communicate with the Force."
"They live inside of me?" the boy asked. "In your cells." Qui-Gon paused. "We are symbionts with the midi-chlorians."
"Symbi-what?"
"Symbionts. Life-forms living together for mutual advantage. Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. Our midi-chlorians continually speak to us, Annie, telling us the will of the Force."
"They do?" Qui-Gon cocked one eyebrow. "When you learn to quiet your mind, you will hear them speaking to you."
Anakin thought about it for a moment, then frowned. "I don't understand."
Qui-Gon smiled, and his eyes were warm and secretive. "With time and training, Annie, you will."