Rowie's Scribbles

I enrolled for Origins offered by the University of Copenhagen after Useful Genetics . I thoroughly enjoyed this MOOC for several reasons: 1) I've always been fascinated by the origin of life There are times when I wonder how did I become what I am? How did the metabolisms occuring inside me even as I type this get "programmed"? How can the orca (or killer whale) be more closely related to wolves than each other? I think humans are naturally curious about where we come from and this course addresses the questions that I'm sure many of us think of. The course addresses the big questions and presents the theories in an unbiased manner. 2) The lecture videos seem to "bring" me into the classroom The presenter is not the same every week, the Natural History Musuem brings "specialist" lecturers to share their experience and their knowledge with us. As such, sometimes we're walking along the cliffs to study rock formation patterns or browsin...

Have you heard of white lions of South Africa? I chanced upon some images & found out the following facts (taken from Global White Lions Protection Trust/WLT site ): 1. They are not albino lions; they're a genetic rarity only found in the Timbavati region. 2. The genetic marker that makes them unique has yet to be identified. Hence they're still classified under the general species Panthera leo . 3. Earliest recorded sightings was in 1938. However oral records of African elders indicates they have been in the region for many centuries. 4. The white lion gene is carried by tawny lions, hence white cubs occur in many prides within the region. 5. Due to their unique features, the white lion was hunted almost to extinction & the last white lion sighted in the wild was in 1994. 6. Currently there is NO LAW protecting the existence of white lions. These creatures are revered by the local communities in their endemic region. Often described as a gift from god, these animals ar...

What is Combustible Ice? This “combustible ice” was later revealed to be methane hydrate (MH), a mixture of methane (CH 4 ) & water. Frozen water molecules form a crystalline lattice structure, trapping high concentrations of CH 4 molecules. MH forms in 2 types of geologic environments with low temperatures & high pressure, where sufficient gas is present: 1. Below permafrost layers of rock 2. B eneath ocean floor (water depth>500m) The MH deposits may be several hundred meters thick. MH forms via the following methods: 1. Biogenic: biological activity in sediments 2. Thermogenic: geological processes deeper within the earth Under atmospheric conditions, CH4 begins to escape the structure, causing the fizzling phenomenon. Put a lit match to the fizzling ice & it will burn. 1m 3 of MH releases 164m 3 of natural gas. MH was discovered in the 1970s during explorations by oil & gas companies, & was regarded as a peculiarity. Today, the industry frequently en...

Loch Ness, sea dragons, sea serpents: myth or reality? Well the oarfish is real, for sure. Known as the dragon of the deep, this odd creature is the longest bony fish is the sea. This deep-sea species are usually found in tropical regions; it's not uncommon to see them because they tend to wash up ashore & float at the water surface when they are sick/dying. Description Longest oarfish ever measured was 11m long. The oarfish has a tapered & elongated silver-colored body - it has a majestic-looking dorsal fin, with the color ranging from pink to red. The anal fin & claudal fin (ie at the end) is greatly reduced/non-existent: the body tapers to a fine point. The species has no teeth - it is scaleless, covered by easily-abraded, silvery guanine - not eaten because of gelatinous property. The species have been known to swim by undulating its long dorsal fin - it has also been observed swimming vertically. Not much is known about their reproductive cycle but spawning has bee...

The Mola. What a cute name haha; it is derived from the Latin word mola which means millstone which refers to the mola's roundish shape. Also known as the ocean sunfish, the mola is the heaviest of the bony fishes, with large specimens reaching 14 ft (4.2m) vertically & 10 ft (3.1m) horizontally & weighing nearly 5000 pounds (2268kg).  The mola looks like a huge fish head without a tail Interesting facts: They are found in temperate & tropical oceans around the globe. Their shape is formed because their back fin simply never grows! It folds upon itself to form a rounded rudder called the clavus.  They are frequently seen "lying on their side" basking under the sun: hence the common name "sunfish". Sunbathing in horizontal position They eat jellyfish. However since jellyfish isn't the most nutritional food in the world, they have to consume A LOT to maintain their huge bulk. They are harmless to humans, although they have been known to be curious...

Seeing that many people are having flu right now (with the insanely hot sun & heavy rains, who wouldn't be, eh?), I think it would be interesting to know more about the flu, or its full name, influenza. It's a pretty common ailment but how much do we know about it, really? Read through to find out :p Briefly... Influenza is caused by a virus that attacks the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, bronchi, sometimes even the lungs). Infection usually lasts for a week. Symptoms: headache, fever, non-productive (dry) cough, sore throat, rhinitis, myalgia, severe malaise. Usually recovery will take 2 weeks. However this is serious in the very young, the elderly & those with medical conditions like lung diseases, diabetes, cancert, kidney &/heart problems. Influenza epidemics is one of the most widespread on Earth & cause significant economic drawbacks (hospital & other healthcare costs, loss of production) Annually 5-15% of the population are affected by this di...

Nice tag, huh? Sometimes we can't help but feel steamed when things don't go the way we want them to, whether it was something we couldn't avoid, or something that just messed up. Either way, everyone has felt anger before, but for some people, this emotion gets the better of them & they respond inappropriately. As the tag goes, we should control our anger before it controls us. But how? Anger Anger is a natural healthy emotion that range from mild irriation to intense rage. Anything can set off anger; bad Internet connection, insulting people, even the humid weather can tick people off. Anger can be cause by external & internal problems: external problems are from the surrounding environment & the people in it; internal problems are worries from within.  Response When we are angry, we experience increasing heart rate & blood pressure, plus a surge in energy hormones like adrenaline & noradrenaline. The common response is to react aggressively, which is ...