# Wtf/wtg science **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [January 1, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672 "2021-01-01T15:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![1695814](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/1695814/32/38506_2.png) [@1695814](https://community.goactuary.com/u/1695814)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/22 "2021-05-06T13:54:58Z")
WTF? WTG, science! ---
**Author:** ![SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/srednivashtar/32/2894_2.png) [@SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SredniVashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/23 "2021-05-06T16:58:19Z")
We are right now planting boxes of genetically modified mosquito eggs (just add water!) in Florida, with permits up to 750 million gm mosquitoes. These are a hybrid of a couple kinds of mosquitoes, and then further engineered with a genetic disorder that causes the females to die without antibiotics. The idea is that the males (which don’t bite) will breed and pass on their deadly gene. Their daughters will die and their sons will live to pass on the gene again, eventually wiping out most of the mosquito population. In short we are living in a scifi movie about playing God. [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01186-6](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01186-6) Fwiw, we’ve been doing this in Brazil for a while now. There were some concerns about things going awry, not sure if they ever really figured it out. ---
**Author:** ![YankeeTripper](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/yankeetripper/32/946_2.png) [@YankeeTripper](https://community.goactuary.com/u/YankeeTripper)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/24 "2021-05-06T17:39:12Z")
^Sounds like what they tried in Jurassic Park… ---
**Author:** ![Snake](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/snake/32/1846_2.png) [@Snake](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Snake)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/25 "2021-05-06T18:26:11Z")
So, I know mosquitos are pests and very annoying. However, they serve a function in the larger ecosystem as food for many different types of creatures like fish or bats. It seems a project like this is designed to cause mosquitos to go extinct. If that happens, does it create problems in the ecosystem? I mean, aren’t you pulling a layer out of the food chain? Or is the mosquito really an invasive species and other insects will take their place? ---
**Author:** ![SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/srednivashtar/32/2894_2.png) [@SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SredniVashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/26 "2021-05-06T18:36:14Z")
I don’t know. I don’t think this could cause them to go all-the-way extinct. I also think it is intended to be temporary fix applied seasonally, although who knows (life finds a way!) Also, I don’t know if they are invasive, but I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff in the ecosystem that is unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Snake](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/snake/32/1846_2.png) [@Snake](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Snake)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/27 "2021-05-06T18:42:01Z")
I watched a neat show about Yellowstone one time on PBS. It was about the reintroduction of wolves. One of the interesting things was that some of the streams that flowed through Yellowstone improved because of the reintroduction. It terms out that elk (I think it was elk, it may have been some other hooved beast) cause damage to riverbanks and the lack of wolves meant excess elk. The excess elk led to high erosion rates in these streams which meant unhealthy waterways. The reintroduction of the wolves decreased the elk and improved the waterways. Sometimes the connections between things aren’t obvious but they still exist. ---
**Author:** ![magillaG](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e79b87/32.png) [@magillaG](https://community.goactuary.com/u/magillaG)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/28 "2021-05-06T18:42:57Z")
I believe it’s targeting a type of mosquito that is only 4% of the total population of mosquitoes, but responsible for almost all human disease. Maybe that particular kind even is an invasive species? Anyway, other kinds of mosquitoes would still be there. ---
**Author:** ![Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Actuary321](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Actuary321)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/29 "2021-05-06T19:34:22Z")
Snake, neat show but mostly myth. [https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/scientists-debunk-myth-that-yellowstone-wolves-changed-entire-ecosystem-flow-of-rivers/349988](https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/scientists-debunk-myth-that-yellowstone-wolves-changed-entire-ecosystem-flow-of-rivers/349988) ---
**Author:** ![SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/srednivashtar/32/2894_2.png) [@SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SredniVashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/30 "2021-05-06T19:44:56Z")
Thanks- yes, it’s species specific, and the species in question is invasive to American. ---
**Author:** ![SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/srednivashtar/32/2894_2.png) [@SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SredniVashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/31 "2021-05-06T19:50:20Z")
Disappointing but still refreshing to read the sentence: “Willows are like ice cream to these ungulates!” ---
**Author:** ![Snake](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/snake/32/1846_2.png) [@Snake](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Snake)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/32 "2021-05-07T14:37:25Z")
Thanks to all. Good to know both the targeting a specific type of mosquito and the wolf thing. I watched the clip (well, half the clip) and it definitely wasn’t what I saw on PBS. The segment I was thinking about came from either Nature or Nova, which isn’t to say it was any more accurate then the linked clip. I don’t recall any talk of willows or beaver. It had to do with erosion caused by movement of elk on the riverbank and was really an aside from the point of the show. The video lost me when the guy claimed that a forest sprang up in 6 years. So I’m going to hold onto privately liking wolves more because they fix rivers and not share the story publicly any longer. ---
**Author:** ![Celalta](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/celalta/32/302_2.png) [@Celalta](https://community.goactuary.com/u/Celalta)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/33 "2021-05-07T20:36:46Z")
3d model of van Gogh’s The Starry Night Photogrammetric model of the canvas surface of Vincent Van Gogh’s the Starry Night. Frame digitally added. 180,000 face model with 6144x6144 texture and normal maps. Decimated from 16 million faces. Initial point cloud 329 million points. https://sketchfab.com/models/756b03a918544497b7a4ba644e37550b/embed? ---
**Author:** ![meep](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/meep/32/44_2.png) [@meep](https://community.goactuary.com/u/meep)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/34 "2021-05-07T20:46:48Z")
It can’t be Starry Night that I did this with (because there’s always so many crowds around), but a different Van Gogh – I went really oblique to the painting to look at it from the side so I could see the paint heaped up. probably not this one, either: ![image](https://community.goactuary.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/bbfdd1c32d89910c6f331dcfedc21a2f385d1faf.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/srednivashtar/32/2894_2.png) [@SredniVashtar](https://community.goactuary.com/u/SredniVashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/35 "2021-05-07T23:27:20Z")
I saw that \<3. In fact, I stuck it into Unity, and played with the notion of a silly game where you have to walk around the swirls, like a kind of hedge maze. More generally, most of the whole friggin louvre is available for download these days. ---
**Author:** ![soyleche](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/soyleche/32/42_2.png) [@soyleche](https://community.goactuary.com/u/soyleche)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/36 "2021-05-07T23:34:55Z")
Thinking of going to this: > **[Van Gogh Exhibit Phoenix: The Immersive Experience](https://vangoghphx.com/)** > > The original Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Phoenix. Immerse yourself! Don’t miss out on the best way to experience Van Gogh’s art in Phoenix this year! ---
**Author:** ![ArthurItas](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/arthuritas/32/63_2.png) [@ArthurItas](https://community.goactuary.com/u/ArthurItas)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/37 "2021-05-08T00:03:26Z")
Sort of strange that they have a ton of cities listed for that show that does not include mine, but my city has a different Van Gogh specific exhibit that looked fun. I was planning to attend. > **[Van Gogh Atlanta, GA Exhibit: The Immersive Experience](https://vangoghexpo.com/atlanta/)** > > Thanks to the most recent virtual projection technology you will become a part of the spectacular universe of Vincent Van Gogh in Atlanta. ---
**Author:** ![meep](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/meep/32/44_2.png) [@meep](https://community.goactuary.com/u/meep)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/38 "2021-05-12T01:57:00Z")
[https://www.npr.org/2021/05/10/994262792/cats-take-if-i-fits-i-sits-seriously-even-if-the-space-is-just-an-illusion?utm\_campaign=npr&utm\_term=nprnews&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR3Q3NFEy5W\_HRKVEDmHHtQR5JvWixlMklRjDC1KdxOs4D4qom-odjvNpJI](https://www.npr.org/2021/05/10/994262792/cats-take-if-i-fits-i-sits-seriously-even-if-the-space-is-just-an-illusion?utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR3Q3NFEy5W_HRKVEDmHHtQR5JvWixlMklRjDC1KdxOs4D4qom-odjvNpJI) I found out about this through a friend… whose cat was in the study ---
**Author:** ![ArthurItas](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/arthuritas/32/63_2.png) [@ArthurItas](https://community.goactuary.com/u/ArthurItas)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/39 "2021-05-12T16:59:46Z")
Paralyzed man learns to communicate by imagining handwriting. Scientists decoded the brain activity involved in handwriting. [https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/12/996141182/paralyzed-man-communicates-by-imagining-handwriting](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/12/996141182/paralyzed-man-communicates-by-imagining-handwriting) ---
**Author:** ![dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@dr\_t\_non-fan](https://community.goactuary.com/u/dr_t_non-fan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/40 "2021-05-12T17:12:29Z")
Maybe they can let doctors use it for prescriptions. Hey-yo! ---
**Author:** ![meep](https://community.goactuary.com/user_avatar/community.goactuary.com/meep/32/44_2.png) [@meep](https://community.goactuary.com/u/meep)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 11:51am UTC](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672/41 "2021-05-16T11:51:38Z")
> **['Extinct Fossil Fish' Dating Back 420 Million Years Found Alive in Africa](https://www.newsweek.com/extinct-fossil-fish-dating-back-420-million-years-found-alive-madagascar-1591688)** > > A "four-legged fossil fish" predating dinosaurs has been recently rediscovered by groups hunting sharks with deep-sea nets. So, the coelacanth had been found back in 1938, but then in recent decades was considered endangered due to shark fishing… and evidently the catches have been increasing. > Lead author Andrew Cooke told Mongabay News that he and the other researchers were shocked at the increase of accidental coelacanth captures. > > “When we looked into this further, we were astounded [by the numbers caught]…even though there has been no proactive process in Madagascar to monitor or conserve coelacanths,” he said. > > Their study goes on to purport that, with Madagascar likely being the “epicenter” of various coelacanth subspecies, it is imperative that conservation steps are taken to preserve the ancient species. > > Despite Cooke’s documented instances of recent coelacanth hunting and suspected trafficking, not all researchers agree with their findings. it’s not astounding or anything, just interesting that maybe coelocanth numbers are increasing, which may be why more shark fishermen are catching them. [Previous page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.goactuary.com/t/wtf-wtg-science/1672.md?page=3)