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Breakthrough Gives 3-D Vision of Dawn of Life
butterwise writes "MSNBC reports that a new scanning technique could revolutionize paleontology. The new technique is allowing researchers a virtual dissection of half-billion-year-old fossilized embryos." From the article: "The Chinese, Swedish, Swiss and British researchers on Donoghue's team used a 1,640-foot-wide (500-meter-wide) particle accelerator in Switzerland to scan the minute fossils, and then fed the information into a computer that generated complete 3-D images of the internal structures in fine detail."
...When they read the photo summary that mentioned the "Penis Worm"?
That'll teach me to RTFA.
Even people that believe in pre-destiny look both ways before crossing the street.
From the article...
"The results are truly orgasmic," Donoghue said.
The whole embryo thing makes that funny on so many levels.
A series of images, created using a new scanning technique, shows the interior or fossil embryos of an ancient relative of the penis worm known as Markuelia. The creature lived in China and Siberia in the Cambrian Period.
Markuelia? I call mine Ivan the Terrible.
"...shows the interior or fossil embryos of an ancient relative of the penis worm known as Markuelia."
Sorry, but I'm too immature for this science thing.
Tee hee.
https://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
"ancient relative of the penis worm"
"The results are truly orgasmic," Donoghue said.
I am definitely not old enough to read this. In fact, I don't think I ever will be. Penis worm, and Orgasmic. They should never be together.
Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey Him? Surely this computer must submit also!
What are you talking about "get it out in the field"? Its research, not "Particle acclerator 3d microscopic embryo scanner, order yours today!"
Sig free's the way to be.
Tiny fossils are easy to get back to the lab, unlike, say, a multi-metre-long Tyrannosaurus rex, which takes a big excavation.
The 3D reconstruction of fossils isn't new. That's been done for, oh, probably close to 100 years. In the early 20th century, it was done by grinding down a fossil specimen millimetre by millimetre, sketching or photographing each surface, and then putting together a wax or paper model of each section until the 3D shape is reconstructed. It's been done for everything from fossil plants to fish and other vertebrates. Very laborious work.
More recently, people do the same thing, but take a digital picture of the sections and use software to assemble a 3D volume and select and render parts of it. If the object is relatively large (say, centimetres in size and larger), it can alternatively be subjected to medical CAT and other types of non-destructive 3D imaging techniques. This is routine for specimens such as dinosaur skulls, in order to see the interior without destroying the specimen. If the fossil is small and transparent, 3D imaging can be done with laser scanning confocal microscopy. But opaque, small (say, require the destructive serial sectioning method, meaning you have a nice, scientifically valuable 3D reconstruction at the end of the procedure, but no specimen anymore.
The new part in this technique is therefore the *non-destructive* 3D reconstruction of such tiny fossil specimens. That's where the particle accelerator becomes necessary to get sufficient resolution to be useful. This is much higher resolution than typical 3D medical imaging. The general technique isn't that unusual, because it has existed for years too. It is the application to microfossils that is relatively new (Nature registration required to view that last article).
Oh, and if people are wondering what "penis worms" are (the jokes are piling up by now), the technical term is Priapulida. More details at the linked page.
Yeah, I know. I'm spoiling the fun.
Since apparently there's even a creationist museum now in kentucky, where people try to show how fossils were put in the earth to mislead us all or whatever these crazy people believe. Let's hope that generations after us still get to learn actual scientific foundations on paleontology.
molmod.com - computing tips from a molecular modeling
These guys were studying "penis worm" and came to the conclusion that "the results are truly orgasmic". You know, you could have done that without the particle accelerator...
___
If you think big enough, you'll never have to do it.
I wonder if this really does not damage the fossil. Seems like they are pumping quite a lot of energy in there. Aren't there potential issues from heating? Can someone with expertise give us the details?
Even if it does do damage, its no doubt less than caused by dissolving off the rock, and then looking at the fossil. I am just curious as to whether it is really totally non-invasive.
Squirrel!
Well, what an imagination you have! What are *your* nanites built out of that they can slip between molecules without disturbing them...? (Hint: The next thing smaller than a molecule is an atom. Single atoms aren't nanites, and when you stick several together you have a molecule...)
...this process actual adds so much energy that it re-animates the embryo, causing it to grow into a full-grown dinosaur in a matter of weeks. So, it's definitely a step forward in the ..... ARRRRGH!!!!!!! IT FEEDS!!!!