May be that there is no "cost" to this trait. Think about it for a second in terms of the 'gators environment: Alligators and crocs make their daily living by floating in an organic-rich environment that contains innumerable bacteria, parasitic worms, amoeba, and other nasties. When they do get out of the water, it's to crawl up on a culture medium called "mud".
In an environment like this, it seems that natural selection would weed out weak immune systems post-haste and reward only the most hardy. Any skin-breaking injury in a swamp can be deadly.
Being that gators and crocs have lived in these or close to these environs for quite a while now, I would have expected at least some sort of adaption along these lines.
It costs $10 _per person_ to count us? That's unbelievable. Perhaps if they just count people (as the Constitution requires) rather than gather race and demographic information, they could cut their costs. If they did that, there wouldn't be enough information to allow groups to claim "victim" status for whatever social variable they perceive that sets them apart. Remember, the census does more than count, it helps us cordon-off certain groups on our Level Playing Field.
Just from reading the article, it seems that the people who are doing the study have a preconceived notion of what they want to find or will find. And in just two weeks.
Is this a science-like fluff piece by the BBC or is this supposed to be a true scientific dig that will be documented by the BBC?
Most of the Crystal cleavage I've had dealings with has been quite beautiful, firm, but never hard. This Crystal was quite impure as well as actually enjoying punishment.
True, but again, there's less of it in a CFL than there is in a traditional long tube. No one was worried about those, but now people are freaking out about something a tenth the size. There's just no need to buy into the hysteria, let alone spread it - and especially from a position of authority as your friend seems to be. I think alot of the mercury hub-bub is a panic reaction. After all, we used to play with it when I was a kid -- I had a jar full of it collected from old HVAC mercury switches and I've yet to come down with Mad Hatter's Disease http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mad2.htm. The subject may not deserve the hysteria it's getting, but it's really nothing to ignore, either. I'm just saying that you need to be conscious that it's there and what it can do. I'm not by any means a true environmentalist, but cinnabar is one thing, elemental Hg loose in our environments is another.
I can see where you're coming from, but I don't think I'd go as far as considering my friends stupid or idiots. Hg is bad stuff, it dosen't get expelled from the body and tends to collect, and is not safe at any level in a gaseous (vapor) state. Buildings get gutted if it's found in them. And it's very dangerous for children, which is a concern for me and mine. I still use the bulbs, I'm just a wee bit more careful about handling them.
As for the color, I just by the "warmer" type vice the "bright white". I'm used to my blackbody-cold yellow.
I agree with the comments on light color. We've used some of the CF's around our house and removed them for the most part as the light is cold and makes everyone look ill. On top of that, we've had quite a few of them go bad after only a few hours of use.
And what's up with the mercury? My buddy in the local Fire Dept. hazmat squad told me that my house should have been evacuated and a hazmat clean-up crew sent in after I dropped a CF bulb and broke it inside the house...
Slashdot Mirror
GAAAAH! Funny. ...and no mod points.
Hey! This could be the same sort of publicity goldmine that the PETA freaks get by throwing paint on people wearing fur!
Dude. I'm amazed no one thought of this sooner...
I thought it was *my* right...
It probably means just that. Familiar paradigms are important to a lot of people.
Ya. That was the first thing I thought about when I read the blurb: Wow. Wireless internet in severe weather. Whose great idea was this?
Where are my mod points? You are spot on.
His artwork is great, much of it done with POV-Ray. He's got a zazzle page here. His website is pretty fascinating as well.
I wish I had mod points. This needs to be pointed out over and over again.
Whew! I bet shipping was a bitch.
May be that there is no "cost" to this trait. Think about it for a second in terms of the 'gators environment: Alligators and crocs make their daily living by floating in an organic-rich environment that contains innumerable bacteria, parasitic worms, amoeba, and other nasties. When they do get out of the water, it's to crawl up on a culture medium called "mud".
In an environment like this, it seems that natural selection would weed out weak immune systems post-haste and reward only the most hardy. Any skin-breaking injury in a swamp can be deadly.
Being that gators and crocs have lived in these or close to these environs for quite a while now, I would have expected at least some sort of adaption along these lines.
Now, why don't sharks get cancer?
I knew that was coming as soon as I hit submit.
Chill. No shore, no break. But damn, what a ride down the backside!
Yup. Already had most of your post typed out before I saw you had it up already....
Just from reading the article, it seems that the people who are doing the study have a preconceived notion of what they want to find or will find. And in just two weeks. Is this a science-like fluff piece by the BBC or is this supposed to be a true scientific dig that will be documented by the BBC?
Most of the Crystal cleavage I've had dealings with has been quite beautiful, firm, but never hard. This Crystal was quite impure as well as actually enjoying punishment.
I can see where you're coming from, but I don't think I'd go as far as considering my friends stupid or idiots. Hg is bad stuff, it dosen't get expelled from the body and tends to collect, and is not safe at any level in a gaseous (vapor) state. Buildings get gutted if it's found in them. And it's very dangerous for children, which is a concern for me and mine. I still use the bulbs, I'm just a wee bit more careful about handling them.
As for the color, I just by the "warmer" type vice the "bright white". I'm used to my blackbody-cold yellow.
I agree with the comments on light color. We've used some of the CF's around our house and removed them for the most part as the light is cold and makes everyone look ill. On top of that, we've had quite a few of them go bad after only a few hours of use.
And what's up with the mercury? My buddy in the local Fire Dept. hazmat squad told me that my house should have been evacuated and a hazmat clean-up crew sent in after I dropped a CF bulb and broke it inside the house...