Samwise rides again

From the hive-minds of the Bee BC …

The small room is packed with bumblebees - hundreds upon hundreds of them going about their business in small wooden hives.

Despite their scientific setting, the insects look just the same as bumblebees found in the wild, apart from one small - really small - difference.

Most are adorned with minuscule silver tags, so tiny that at first they are hard to see. But every so often, as they catch the laboratory lights, they glint and sparkle, standing out from the bees’ fuzzy bodies.

These tiny accessories are Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags

They have been fitted to the bees by scientists at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL), who want to keep track of the animals’ whereabouts so as to better understand these brainy bugs.

“Bumblebees have a relatively small brain - they have about 950,000 brain cells, humans have 100 billion - but they can achieve rather impressive feats of learning and memory given what they have got.”

Recent research has revealed that bees are able to recognise individual human faces, which, according to Dr Raine, is not that surprising given the daily challenges they face whilst foraging.

He explained: “When you think about your average park or meadow there might be dozens of species of flowers which are all different in terms of colour and shape and scent, and they are all differing in the rewards they are providing.

“Ultimately, the bees’ job is to go and find the best rewards from these flowers and they have to be flexible and learn and remember information, all the while making and breaking associations. This is all really quite complicated.”

Their navigational skills are impressive, too.

“These tiny animals leave their nests, fly back and forth between flowers, then they are somehow able to add all of these vectors together and fly back to their nest in a straight line,” said Dr Raine.

“These tags allow us to collect data from the bees without disturbing them and they help us to monitor a lot of bees simultaneously,” Dr Raine told the BBC News website.

“Before we had them, we would have to stop the bee, record which bee it was, weigh it, then put it back to continue its business.”

The RFID devices, which are incredibly small so they do not affect behaviour, store information about the individual bees (the researchers are studying Bombus terrestris, one of 16 species of true bumblebee).

Each time the bees pass by an RFID reader, the reader records and saves information about the individual bee, where it is and when it is there.

The scientist said: “As well as placing readers at the entrances of the hives to see who is going in and out of them, we are starting to use the RFID readers on artificial flowers - feeding stations that function like a flower - so we can measure who is visiting them and when.”

In the wild, bees will often visit flowers in a sequence that they repeat time and time again.

“This makes sense biologically,” explained Dr Raine. “If you take the nectar out of the flowers, they will begin to refill, so you do not want to visit that flower again until it is as full up as possible.”

But what is really clever, he adds, is that the bees will work out shortcuts so that they can create the shortest, most efficient journey possible.

“We are really interested to see how they form these routes - we call them “traplines” - and we are using RFID technology to help us to understand how the bees are performing these feats of spatial learning.”

“There are a number of problems in computer science, logistical problems to do with how you move through networks and how you go the shortest distance between various points.

“We are hoping the RFID tags will help us to find out how bees, with their small brains, can find optimal or near optimal solutions to finding the shortest routes between flowers.

“And by finding out how they are doing this, we are hoping it could lead to some simple rules of thumb to solving similar network problems in computing.”

Bees around Europe have suffered a huge drop in numbers in recent years: three species in the UK have recently become extinct; another eight are in serious decline.

Scientists believe that habitat degradation around their nesting and foraging sites could be to blame.

This seems pretty cool, though I think the OSPF ideas are really just a way of gaining funding, though maybe in the future CS students will study the “Traveling Bee problem“.

I am also not convinced by the intelligence they are ascribing to the bees, though not to discount the feats performed by the bees, it reminds me of the research regarding the Ant pedometer, which was very interesting, but I could not agree with the term “pedometer” per se, but whatever you need to grab headlines I suppose.

So how long before we see references to Bees being tagged with RFID chips appears in some civil liberties text ?

;OD

I am not against RFID at all, but am very much against improper use, or infringement of civil liberties through technology, but that idea tickles me, until someone actually does it, then I shall once again decry the state of humanity.

Aunty reports …

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has launched his re-election campaign by calling the opposition a group of “witches, prostitutes and charlatans“.

He told supporters in Harare that he was certain of victory in next month’s presidential and parliamentary polls.

Mr Mugabe also called his rivals “traitors and two-headed creatures”.

Now thats what you call an election campaign, take note all American Presidential wannabes.

The economy has collapsed under Mr Mugabe, with the annual inflation rate at more than 100,000%. He is accused of rigging the last election in 2002.

Considering the state of the economy, and his confidence he is going to win, I would lay good money that he will be rigging it again. Admittedly if I had run the economy into the ground, I would be keen to hold onto power too, the alternative is probably not worth thinking about.

President Mugabe, 84, was cheered by the crowd as he launched into an attack on those standing against him and the Western leaders he says are trying to remove him.

Cheered ?

Maybe he is popular after all …

moar funny pictures

Sorry, could not help myself.

Another of my photos was included in the Schmap guide to Maui and Moloka’i.

From Aunty …

NHS statistics show the number attending A&E after a dog attack has risen by more than 40% in the last four years to nearly 3,800 a year.

Young children and teenagers are the most likely groups to be treated at hospital after a dog bite.

During the four-year period the number of patients under 18 treated for dog bites in London more than doubled, and in the West Midlands it rose by 80%.

In contrast, the number of under-18s injured by dogs in the East Midlands rose by just 2% over the same period.

The Liberal Democrats want to see stricter legal duties laid on dog owners, and control orders to impose conditions on ownership - or in severe cases disqualify irresponsible owners.

Of the attack figures Mr Lamb added: “These are dramatic increases. I think in some communities these dogs have become a badge of honour, a fashion accessory in a way, and I think that’s very disturbing.”

Chloe Grayson, nine, is still recovering from a sudden unprovoked dog attack which has left her left cheek seriously scarred.

Chloe was bitten on the face at a neighbour’s house, when she went into the kitchen to ask her mother for a glass of water.

Nicola Grayson said her daughter had blood pouring down her face, and was screaming: “Mummy, I’m going to bleed to death”.

Chloe’s scars are healing well but Nicola said her daughter had been left terrified of dogs.

She said: “Emotionally it’s been very bumpy; she can change from being happy and playful to being an emotional wreck, worrying if she’ll be allowed to go to a party because of her scar.”

Some local authorities are concerned that teenagers and young men are buying menacing dogs as a status symbol.

In London where the increase in attacks has been the greatest, the Greater London Authority, Metropolitan Police, RSPCA and Battersea Dogs’ Home are launching a campaign on responsible dog ownership.

The London borough of Wandsworth is among the local councils using byelaws and ASBOs to deal with owners who fail to control their dogs.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said comprehensive legislation was in place to deal with people who failed to control their dogs.

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 four types of dog are banned: the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro .

Also Dangerous dog crime ‘on the rise’.

The Vog is currently pretty dense, Kīlauea apparently emits around two thousand tons of vog every year, but at the moment it is pumping out so much that they have had to close off access to one of the craters.

Vog is made up of huge amounts of Sulphur Dioxide and thus Sulphuric Acid and trace amounts of selenium, mercury, arsenic, and iridium amongst others, floating in the air for us to breathe.

It hasn’t rained here much recently either, which would flush it out of the air, and it is quite sunny which becomes quite blinding as the air in some places is almost white.

A couple of my computers are, at the moment, not making it to the firmware prompt, which is quite worrying. From experience I am fairly confident that they will begin to work again shortly as if nothing happened, I am wondering if the the failure to boot and the vog are not unconnected. In the case of my Mac, it fails to POST claiming not to find any good RAM banks after testing, however I have had problems before relating to the bus where by the machine was fine, except it could not see the hardisk or the super-drive.

I’ve also wondered if the vog does not increase the chances of whiskers growing, not knowing enough about whiskers and their effect I could not say for certain, NASA have a page describing them. Of course whiskers are not required for the sorts of problems I am currently seeing with my computers.

Health is definatly effected by the Vog, I have recently become aware that many recurring symptoms are actually more acute at the moment, and that these are all common when Vog is quite dense. This is slightly reassuring that I do not have hypochondria, but is not so reassuring when you realise just how dangerous the effects of Vog exposure are and permanent damage can result.

KonaWeb have a list of ten things you can do :

Ten things YOU can do to lessen adverse health effects of VOG
First, it is important to note that individuals may have a wide range of sensitivity to VOG.

1. Drink lots of fluids to loosen mucus and clear lungs. Hot tea may be especially good. (Caffeinated teas also contain theophyliine - a bronchial dilator, further, both of these materials also help the clearance of the lungs).

2. Don’t overexert yourself when VOG levels are high. Even better, take it easy.

3. If practical, avoid high VOG areas during times of thick VOG.

4. Avoid exposure to other air pollutants on the job and at home. Consult your doctor, or if possible, a toxicologist or an industrial hygienist.

5. Don’t smoke and avoid people smoking or burning trash, especially during VOG episodes.

6. When VOG is strong, avoid contact with colds, flu, molds, mildew, pollen, and dust. (Some of the lung clearance and immune functions could be compromised by high VOG.)

7. For very high VOG, stay indoors, close the windows, and run an air purifier or air conditioner. Indoor plants (especially spider plants) may help clean the air. You also can try hanging up sheets that have been soaked In a mixture of one teaspoon of baking soda to one liter of water (which can help trap acid aerosols and gases.)

8. Keep any respiratory and heart medications you use handy. Consult your doctor.

9. Respirators or wet handkerchiefs may help if VOG levels are very high, but may hurt individuals with pre-existing respiratory or heart ailments, due to increased breathing resistance and, therefore, increased stress. Consult your doctor about your state of health, and consult an industrial hygienist about respirators.

10. Get some baseline lung function tests (after breathing “clean” air one week or more), then get retested if/when breathing becomes more difficult during high VOG episodes. Have your doctor keep records of both your lung function and approximate VOG levels.

VOG “generally” worsens with altitude - sea level being better than higher altitudes - up to the 6000 ft. level. Above 6000 ft. VOG begins to diminish rapidly.

How to Estimate the Current Vog Levels

A simple way to judge the vog level is to look at the horizon where the ocean and sky are visable.

Vog Levels:

* Extreme: Very reduced visability, no visible horizon. Blue/grey tint to objects a mile or less in distance.

* Heavy: Reduced visability, horizon barely visible. Blue/grey tint to objects 3 miles away.

* Moderate: Horizon is blurry. Blue/grey tint to objects 5 miles away.

* Light Horizon is almost sharp. Blue/grey tint to objects 10 miles away.

* No Vog Sharp horizon and little haze to distant objects

Recognize that YOU are your own best VOG indicator. Pay attention to symptoms your body exhibits and take steps to minimize VOG if you are highly susceptable. VOG is monitored by the health department, and a RELATIVE VOG INDEX can be reached by dialing:
(808) 885-7143.

UPDATE : So it started raining this afternoon, only light rain, but rain all the same, and … my computer seems to be working again, could just be synchronicity, could be the first piece of evidence, who knows, but I can now update my iPod.

The Trib ran a story on the vog today, it included some of the advice printed above, some of my colleagues were mocking the advice on hot tea claiming it bad science. They could be right, but as not one of us is a medic, and we do not know where this advice originated, it could be anecdotal or it could be the-real-tabasco, we just don’t know ( though personally I drink hot tea all the time and still suffer, but maybe statistically I am less affected. )

My computer works, who cares.

UPDATE : Had I read my own post, and I did, I would have put in the last update that black tea contains theophyliine which is a bronchial dilator. This does not prove it’s effects against Vog exposure, but still a step toward real science. Apparently theophyliine can be effective in the treatment of chronic asthma in adults.

UPDATE : Well the rain did not last long, and within a few hours my computer died again, though shortly after it charged my iPod which is very interesting. It is sunny and Voggy again today.

UPDATE : So I hadn’t given this much thought in the last month or so, but recently the volcano has been putting out huge amounts of gas which translates to really bad vog, but it has been blowing over towards Kona and so it has been really clear here. Woke up this morning and the wind has obviously changed directions as there was the densest vog I have seen this far, in some parts on the way to work I could really smell it too, and guess what … ? … that’s right my computer refused to start, which is tantamount to proof, well, I mean, it isn’t, but it is a good way towards it, it would require a much better evidence of a causal link to disprove it at the moment.

From the Guardian …

Grooverider, whose real name is Raymond Bingham, was found guilty of possession and illegally bringing marijuana into the United Arab Emirates.

He was arrested at Dubai airport on November 23 last year after police found a small transparent bag containing 2.16g of the drug in his luggage. The four-year sentence was the minimum term allowed under UAE law, which takes a hard line on drugs.

Bingham had argued that he had no intention of bringing the drug into the country. “The drugs were in my possession and I forgot I had them in my trousers,”

“I just want this to end. I want to leave and never come back.”

Earlier this month the charity Fair Trials International warned that travellers were falling foul of the tough regime at Dubai airport. It highlighted cases including that of Keith Brown, who was arrested after a rolled up cigarette was discovered in the sole of his shoe. He was charged with possession of 0.003g of cannabis and jailed for four years.

Fair Trials added that it had had reports of a Swiss national who was sentenced to four years in prison in the UAE after three poppy seeds from a bread roll were found on his clothes.

From the press release …

“Submillimetre astronomy is a relatively new science and one where the UK has led the world over the past two decades. Our latest camera is the most powerful yet: SCUBA-2 on the JCMT should detect the equivalent of the heat from a candle on the surface of the Moon.”

Bring it on !

Aunty recounts the tail tale …

A South Korean company says it has taken its first order for the cloning of a pet dog.

A woman from the United States wants her dead pitbull terrier - called Booger - re-created.

RNL Bio is charging the woman, from California, $150,000 (£76,000) to clone the pitbull using tissue extracted from its ear before it died.

It would, of course, be a lot cheaper just to buy an almost identical dog, at least $149,000 cheaper.

“There are many people who want to clone their pet dogs in Western countries even at this high price,” company chief executive, Ra Jeong-chan, told the Korea Times.

Ra Jeong-chan skillfully avoided adding the word “suckers” to the end of that sentence.

The firm is expecting hundreds more orders for pets over the next few years and also plans to clone dogs trained to sniff out bombs or drugs.

Because cloned dogs sniff drugs better ?

They may also end world hunger.

The pitbull’s owner, Bernann McKunney, gave the company ear tissue, which an American biotech firm preserved before the animal died 18 months ago.

She is said to have been particularly attached to the dog, after it saved her life when another dog attacked her and bit off her arm.

I’m sorry, this should have been an “When animals attack …” story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYupepyWi58

Shameless plug for my new album.