Good points

The race for space tourism seems to be slowing

'It's always next year': The long wait to realise the dream of space tourism

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/blueprintforliving/the-long-wait-to-realise-the-dream-of-space-tourism/7323136

Tardis001 at April 15, 2016 at 8:24 PM

Rumpole at April 15, 2016 at 8:02 PM

Tardis001 at April 15, 2016 at 7:51 PM

Speaking of extinction:

The southern subspecies of the black-throated finch is no longer taking flight in New South Wales, with scientific officials declaring it extinct
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-16/extinct-status-as-black-throated-finch-no-longer-takes-flight/7329422

Incidentally, the recently approved Carmichael Mine in northern Qld is within the habitat area of the northern subspecies of the Black-throated Finch.

That is sad news, but surely species extinction is a fact of life that has been occuring long before mankind appeared on the earth ?

Isn't it just part of the evolutionary process ?

Extinction is part of the NATURAL evolutionary process.  Humans have increased the extinction rate significantly, so that it is no longer a natural process.  All governments, including the Australian Government, signed a UN treaty in 1978 to protect biodiversity within their own country.  Consequently, the Australian Government had to pass environmental legislation to adequately protect Australian biodiversity.  The extinction of a species from human causes is a violation of that treaty and Australian environmental legislation (in particular, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 at a Commonwealth level and the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995 in NSW).

The other consideration is that everything in the environment is linked.  If one species becomes extinct, then other species that interacted with it are affected too.  For instance, the Black-throated Finch fed on the seeds of native grasses.  A lot of the seeds that they fed on would have passed stright through the digestive tract and excreted in the bird's droppings.  Therefore, the grass seeds are dispersed to new areas and germinate into new grass clumps.  Now that the Black-throated Finch is extinct in NSW, these grass seeds are not dispersed as widely and it is easier for introduced grasses and weeds to invade and grow in areas where the native grasses once dominated the landscape.

I'm sure the sadness and logic of what you have written are totally lost on the miners who see only dollar signs of profit being of far greater importance, if not good, than the loss of a "mere bird".  How wrong it is that governments conveniently forget about the treaty they signed and give the go ahead to such greed.

gusset at April 15, 2016 at 9:09 PM

Tardis001 at April 15, 2016 at 8:24 PM

Rumpole at April 15, 2016 at 8:02 PM

Tardis001 at April 15, 2016 at 7:51 PM

Speaking of extinction:

The southern subspecies of the black-throated finch is no longer taking flight in New South Wales, with scientific officials declaring it extinct
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-16/extinct-status-as-black-throated-finch-no-longer-takes-flight/7329422

Incidentally, the recently approved Carmichael Mine in northern Qld is within the habitat area of the northern subspecies of the Black-throated Finch.

That is sad news, but surely species extinction is a fact of life that has been occuring long before mankind appeared on the earth ?

Isn't it just part of the evolutionary process ?

Extinction is part of the NATURAL evolutionary process.  Humans have increased the extinction rate significantly, so that it is no longer a natural process.  All governments, including the Australian Government, signed a UN treaty in 1978 to protect biodiversity within their own country.  Consequently, the Australian Government had to pass environmental legislation to adequately protect Australian biodiversity.  The extinction of a species from human causes is a violation of that treaty and Australian environmental legislation (in particular, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999 at a Commonwealth level and the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995 in NSW).

The other consideration is that everything in the environment is linked.  If one species becomes extinct, then other species that interacted with it are affected too.  For instance, the Black-throated Finch fed on the seeds of native grasses.  A lot of the seeds that they fed on would have passed stright through the digestive tract and excreted in the bird's droppings.  Therefore, the grass seeds are dispersed to new areas and germinate into new grass clumps.  Now that the Black-throated Finch is extinct in NSW, these grass seeds are not dispersed as widely and it is easier for introduced grasses and weeds to invade and grow in areas where the native grasses once dominated the landscape.

I'm sure the sadness and logic of what you have written are totally lost on the miners who see only dollar signs of profit being of far greater importance, if not good, than the loss of a "mere bird".  How wrong it is that governments conveniently forget about the treaty they signed and give the go ahead to such greed.

Unfortunately, governments (especially those in Australia and on the conservative side of politics) are good at concluding "no significant impacts" on theatened species and their habitats when it comes to assessing big proposals such as mines.

Key sugar needed for life could have formed in space:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/key-sugar-needed-life-could-have-formed-space

Tardis001 at April 16, 2016 at 1:30 AM

Key sugar needed for life could have formed in space:

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/key-sugar-needed-life-could-have-formed-space

Obviously this an Alien Plot to make the Human Race Obese reducing our ability to resist the invasion.  

Coca Cola, the right drink for the modern astronaut !

For those who like eating fish:

Pollutants in fish inhibit the human's natural defence system

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160416094626.htm

Evidence that the Toclafane have visited in the past?

Giant sphere found in Bosnia sparks debate

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/04/15/strange-giant-sphere-in-bosnia-sparks-debate.html

Tardis001 at April 17, 2016 at 12:12 AM

For those who like eating fish:

Pollutants in fish inhibit the human's natural defence system

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160416094626.htm

I wish I'd read that before my lunch of barramundi.

Tardis001 at April 17, 2016 at 12:28 AM

Evidence that the Toclafane have visited in the past?

Giant sphere found in Bosnia sparks debate

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/04/15/strange-giant-sphere-in-bosnia-sparks-debate.html

No that is a prime example of Sontaran Modern Art.

Humans had cubism, Sontarans have spereism.   

Tardis001 at April 17, 2016 at 12:12 AM

For those who like eating fish:

Pollutants in fish inhibit the human's natural defence system

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160416094626.htm

The Japanese must be dropping like flies, fish is a huge part of their diet. 

Photon at April 17, 2016 at 1:30 AM

Tardis001 at April 17, 2016 at 12:12 AM

For those who like eating fish:

Pollutants in fish inhibit the human's natural defence system

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160416094626.htm

The Japanese must be dropping like flies, fish is a huge part of their diet. 

Same with the Norwegians.

I wonder how long it will be before our skin can be connected to the internet?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2084540-turn-your-skin-into-a-screen-with-a-super-thin-digital-display/

Tardis001 at April 17, 2016 at 8:23 PM

I wonder how long it will be before our skin can be connected to the internet?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2084540-turn-your-skin-into-a-screen-with-a-super-thin-digital-display/

Its hard enough getting some people to put down their mobile phones.

They should ban this screen on your skin stuff before it takes off.

It will probably give you skin cancer. 

Dinosaurs struggled to survive for tens of millions of years before extinction event, new study finds.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-19/dinosaurs-struggled-to-survive-before-extinction-event/7336596

Photon at April 18, 2016 at 5:53 PM

Dinosaurs struggled to survive for tens of millions of years before extinction event, new study finds.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-19/dinosaurs-struggled-to-survive-before-extinction-event/7336596

Dinosaurs inhabited the earth for about 135 million years, as compared to humans of about 200,000 years, so the dinos didn't do too badly.

I doubt if they contributed much to global warming.

Rumpole at April 18, 2016 at 5:59 PM

Photon at April 18, 2016 at 5:53 PM

Dinosaurs struggled to survive for tens of millions of years before extinction event, new study finds.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-19/dinosaurs-struggled-to-survive-before-extinction-event/7336596

Dinosaurs inhabited the earth for about 135 million years, as compared to humans of about 200,000 years, so the dinos didn't do too badly.

I doubt if they contributed much to global warming.

Thanks Photon, very interesting.  This article is very pertinent to our discussion the other day about extinction being a natural phenomenon.  Extinction is normally a slow process (in the case of dinosaurs it took 40 million years, if the above report is true), unless there is a large catastrophic event such as a large asteroid hitting the Earth.  As a species declines in abundance towards extinction at a slow pace, other species that interact with it have time to respond to that change.  Consequently, the natural environment remains in balance, albeit the way that balance is orientated changes.  However, when humans are responsible for the extinction of a species, the extinction process is rapid in evolutionary terms, species that interact with the extinct species do not have time to respond to declining numbers, and so the natural environment is thrown out of balance for a while.

Relax everyone, no killer robots yet

Adelaide robotics pioneer says Terminator-like takeover unlikely

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-18/adelaide-robotic-pioneer-prof-rodney-brooks-thoughts-on-ai/7334250

Tardis001 at April 18, 2016 at 6:31 PM

Rumpole at April 18, 2016 at 5:59 PM

Photon at April 18, 2016 at 5:53 PM

Dinosaurs struggled to survive for tens of millions of years before extinction event, new study finds.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-19/dinosaurs-struggled-to-survive-before-extinction-event/7336596

Dinosaurs inhabited the earth for about 135 million years, as compared to humans of about 200,000 years, so the dinos didn't do too badly.

I doubt if they contributed much to global warming.

Thanks Photon, very interesting.  This article is very pertinent to our discussion the other day about extinction being a natural phenomenon.  Extinction is normally a slow process (in the case of dinosaurs it took 40 million years, if the above report is true), unless there is a large catastrophic event such as a large asteroid hitting the Earth.  As a species declines in abundance towards extinction at a slow pace, other species that interact with it have time to respond to that change.  Consequently, the natural environment remains in balance, albeit the way that balance is orientated changes.  However, when humans are responsible for the extinction of a species, the extinction process is rapid in evolutionary terms, species that interact with the extinct species do not have time to respond to declining numbers, and so the natural environment is thrown out of balance for a while.

It’s amazing how a few dozen Volcanos exploding will bugger up the atmosphere !