10 Daily Things

The world’s most successful bacterial parasite has effectively become a part of at least 11 different animals by writing its entire genetic code into theirs, according to research that sheds important light on evolution.

Scientists have discovered copies of the genome of the Wolbachia bacterium lurking within the genetic code of fruit flies, wasps and nematode worms. So ingrained are the bacteria’s genes that they appear to have biological roles within the host animal.

The findings have important implications for evolution, as they show that genes can transfer from bacteria to unrelated multicellular organisms and take on new functions much more readily than was supposed previously.

This suggests that large-scale gene transfers may allow larger animals and plants to acquire new genes with beneficial effects extremely quickly, and then to pass them on to future generations. Such transfers are known to occur between bacteria and to have happened in the evolutionary past. Mitochondria, structures or organelles that provide cells with energy, are relics of bacteria that were absorbed by their host cells, as are the chloroplasts that allow photosynthesis in plants.

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This video is a Neal Adams animation about his theory that the Earth is growing. This collides with the Pangea theory. Watch it, you will be amazed.

“Galactic Suite”, the first hotel planned in space, expects to open for business in 2012 and would allow guests to travel around the world in 80 minutes.

Its Barcelona-based architects say the space hotel will be the most expensive in the galaxy, costing $4 million for a three-day stay.

During that time guests would see the sun rise 15 times a day and use Velcro suits to crawl around their pod rooms by sticking themselves to the walls like Spiderman.

Company director Xavier Claramunt says the three-bedroom boutique hotels joined-up pod structure, which makes it look like a model of molecules, was dictated by the fact that each pod room had to fit inside a rocket to be taken into space.

“It’s the bathrooms in zero gravity that are the biggest challenge,” says Claramunt. “How to accommodate the more intimate activities of the guests is not easy.”

But they may have solved the issue of how to take a shower in weightlessness — the guests will enter a spa room in which bubbles of water will float around.

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At who-sucks, there is an amazing collection of 24 bizarre real life sea monsters. The collection includes real photos of the creatures, taken by fishermen of science labs and comments for each one. Some creatures seem more alien than anything you can imagine.

Here is a selected sample of the collection.

Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish related to the sharks and rays, and are sometimes called ghost sharks or rabbitfishes. For defense, most chimaeras have a venomous spine located in front of the dorsal fin.

The Colossal Squid, sometimes called the Antarctic or Giant Cranch Squid, is believed to be the largest squid species.

Typified by large heads with large mouths and eyes, grenadiers (rattails) have slender bodies that taper greatly to a very thin caudal peduncle or tail.

Oarfish are large, greatly elongated, pelagic Lampriform fish.

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A trick of the mind.