There are a lot of interesting things going on in the scientific community lately. Not that there usually aren't, but these projects seem to be particularity interesting, since most pertain to our everyday life. The first thing that I found interesting is Geo-Immersion. Let me explain what I am talking about. We have all seen animated scenes of roads, weather fronts etc. Geo-Immersion takes this animation and inserts real people and places into it. What is the advantage of doing this you might ask? Here is an example, MapQuest. When we look up directions on MapQuest they are always the same to an address that we have specified depending on how we selected the options for getting there. With Geo-Immersion the routes take into consideration the traffic flow at any given time, so the shortest route can differ depending on when you ask for the directions and when you plan to leave. You can see the live traffic flow when you use Geo-Immersion. I imagine that it will be awhile before it is available to the general public. It is being developed at the University of Southern California and can be applied to almost any situation.

Potatoes
Photo Source: USDA

Sometimes studies of the most mundane of things can lead to great advancements. Such is what is happening with the study of potatoes. I am sorry, but I really can't think of anything more boring and yet it is so important. A group of international scientists have studied the potato and produced a new map of the genes in the genome of the potato and also mapped their functions. This has given scientists new insights into the development of potatoes and it is hoped that this will help to develop potatoes that are more nutritious, disease resistant and that will not need as many pesticides when they are grown. As most of us know these pesticides are showing up in human, bodies because of what we consume. Of all the crops in the world, the potato is the world's number one non-grain food crop. Potatoes are very popular in developing countries, because they don't require much land to grow and they mature quicker than other crops. One op the great things about potatoes is that they can grow almost anywhere.

Tornado
Photo Source: NOAA

Scientists have decided to concentrate their efforts to studying tornadoes. This was probably brought on by the fact that the United States had just experienced the deadliest outbreak of tornadoes in history. Everything from April 27, 2011, the day that tornadoes ripped through Alabama and other southeastern states, is being studied. Why is it that all of a sudden tornadoes are spawning in such large numbers and have become fiercer? Does anyone know the answer to this question? I just hope it isn't being caused by some government project that went wrong. The project is being funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The scientists have decided that studying the physics of the storms is not enough, they also want to study the way people react to these storm warnings. It is hoped that maybe some method can be developed that will cut down on the number of killed and injured, by changing the way some people react to these warnings. One of the scientists stated, "One thing we're after is whether people are desensitized, because the false alarm rate is so high, especially in areas where there are only countywide alerts," One of the big problems is that the National Weather Service (NWS) had installed the NEXRAD Doppler radar system and about 80% of all warnings turn out to be false.

Spraying Pesticides
Photo Source: USDA

What is one of the worst things that we can do while growing crops? The answer is simple, use more pesticides. Unfortunately for us that is exactly what is happening and the reason is that we are destroying more natural habitat and converting it to crop usage. When we do away with the natural habitat, we increase the number of pests. A scientist connected with the National Science Foundation said, "This research suggests that there are simple ecological solutions--such as preservation or restoration of semi-natural lands within large agricultural regions--that could reduce the need for insecticides and contribute to agricultural economies," When you get rid of natural habitats you upset the balance of nature and in this case the predators that would have consumed some of these pests are gone and the pests thrive on the increased crops. It is a double edged sword.

One thing that most of us never think about, or have even heard of, is a virus infecting a bacteria, but as crazy as it sounds, it happens. Scientists have for the first time been able to examine an infected bacteria in its natural state. As a test case, Rob Phillips and his team considered the interaction between viruses and bacteria in the hindgut, or posterior part, of a termite. Using new microfluidic technology, they were able to isolate single bacterial cells from the termite hindgut in six-nanoliter chambers on an array containing 765 such chambers. This study was by no means exhaustive. Many similar associations may still be found in the termite hindgut and further inquiry may lead to a better understanding of the coevolution of a virus and its host. However, this was the first in vivo exercise, and it opens the doors of the field much wider than previously possible through in vitro culture alone.