Stuff we linked to on Twitter last week

Arsenic bacteria

The big story of the week – and for not always the right reasons

• Ed Yong provides a clear and measured write-up: bacteria that use (mostly) arsenic, rather than phosphorus in DNA & proteins. And not everyone is convinced about that.
• The Columbia Journalism review looks at the storm of hype and speculation that blew up in the wake of NASA’s poorly-worded press conference announcement.
• The bacteria may be throughly terrestrial, but we can still view their home, Mono Lake, from space. Oh yes, and it’s only still there thanks to those pesky environmentalists.

Earthquakes

• Despite repair delays, fact only 3300 of 110,000 quake-affected houses in Canterbury severely damaged is *good* news.
  http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4413092/Three-year-wait-likely-after-quake
• Interesting: discussions of Californian building codes in light of this year’s earthquakes in Chile & NZ.
  http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-earthquake-scare-20101201,0,164471.story
• [But isn’t this just asperity theory?] : How Earthquakes Can Be Predicted: Researchers Reveal New Means
  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101130100524.htm
  (via @geocastaway)

Volcanoes

• Reports on the new lava flows at Ethiopia’s Erta’Ale in the last weeks of November:
  http://bigthink.com/ideas/25256
  (via @eruptionsblog)

Planets

• What can geysers tell us about volcanoes on Earth and distant moons? (interview with Susan Kieffer)
  http://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2010/11/29/what-can-geysers-tell-us/
  (via @theAGU)
  Also, check out Sue’s blog: http://www.geologyinmotion.com.
• Rethinking Martian volcanism: Olympus Mons just ‘a small parasitic cone’ on Tharsis Rise?
  http://feeds.nationalgeographic.com/click.phdo?i=7e1dffb2775b513af0e5b1a2939f831c
• 2010 Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar –
  http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/12/2010_hubble_space_telescope_ad.html
  (via @big_picture)

Fossils

• High altitude ice age fossil bonanza in Colorado (video) )
  http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2010/11/fossils-pouring-out-of-ground.html
  (via @Geoblogfeed)

(Paleo)climate

• Comprehensive roundup of sci papers describing our world in 2060 (4 C warmer)
  http://tyndall.ac.uk/communication/news-archive/2010/four-degrees-and-beyond-special-issue-journal-%E2%80%93-tyndall-centre-bring
  (via @mims, @edyong209)

Environmental

• Climate Change is real, it’s too late to stop it, get used to it. Hope this is wrong, fear it’s not )
  http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/michael-mccarthy-climate-change-cant-be-stopped-so-adapt-to-it-2149699.html
  (via @Eaterofsun)
• Andrew Light: What Can Emerge From Cancun [Very little, apparently…]
  http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/12/04/cancun-climate-prospects/
  (via @ClimaTweets)
• NY places 6 mo moratorium on fracking. : "Hydraulic Fracturing in the Spotlight"
  http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/hydraulic-fracturing-in-the-spotlight/
  (via @AGUSciPolicy, @nytimesscience)
• [Solar panels beget solar panels. Very sci-fi] Sahara desert project aims to power 1/2 the world by 2050
  http://tw.physorg.com/210488666
• [Fascinating, bit is it feasible?] “Ground-breaking” study gets underway into waste heat storage.
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/groundbreaking-study-waste-heat-storage@rivrchik)
• The growing global demand for natural resources threatens to undermine Europe’s economy, a report warns.
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11865650

General Geology

• the Accretionary Wedge #29 is up, with some good entries: -wedge-29.html
  http://annsmusingsongeologyotherthings.blogspot.com/2010/12/accretiona
  (via @perrykid, @sfoxx)
• Some great photos of onset of Neoproterozic glaciation in VA’s Konnarock Formation by @callanbentley
  http://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2010/12/01/the-konnarock-formation/
• Tundra, Permafrost, Fires, and Methane -permafrost-fires-and-methane #esci-sem
  http://my.opera.com/nielsol/blog/2010/11/29/tund
  (via @olelog)
• Nice story by Charlie Petit of Science News Cratons pose geological puzzle
  http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/66927/title/Continental_Hearts
  (via @aboutgeology, @theAGU)
• [Estimated cooking time: 2 billion years!] : How to make a Grand Canyon in seven easy steps
  http://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2010/12/02/how-to-make-a-grand-canyon-in-seven-easy-steps/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
  (via @Geoblogfeed)

Interesting Miscellaney

• Well-articulated Gender and blogging (and everything else): Where the women are and why it matters.
  http://biochembelle.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/gender-and-blogging/
  (by @biochembelle)
• [Some interesting thoughts] : What has changed in science and what must change.
  http://gilest.ro/2010/what-has-changed-in-science-and-what-must-change/
  (via @BoraZ)
• Gender Ratios in PhD programs – Check out this illuminating Comic by Jorge Cham:
  http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1401
  (via @AWISnational)