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Scientists just found a compound that kills 98% of a drug-resistant bacteria (MRSA)
Articles of interest to a medical doctor with interests in Psychiatry, Technology and Ophthalmology.
Hi Reddit! I’m Jennifer Koss, director of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. I’m Mark Eakin, a coral scientist with the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and coordinator for NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch. And I’m Randy Kosaki, deputy superintendent for research and field operations at the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
We’re here to answers your questions on the longest global coral bleaching event on record and what we can, and are, doing to help.
Did you know that in October 2015, NOAA declared the third ever global coral bleaching event on record? Since then, we’ve reported that it could extend well into 2017. This bleaching event is hitting U.S. coral reefs disproportionately hard. Here at NOAA, we estimate that as of March 31, 2016, all U.S. coral reefs have been exposed to ocean conditions that can cause corals to bleach.
Coral bleaching and disease, brought on by climate change and coupled with events like the current El Niño, are the largest and most pervasive threats to coral reefs around the world.
While this news has us worried, don’t count corals out! They are remarkably resilient organisms. Here at NOAA we are working with marine resource managers and communities all over the US and internationally to reduce local stressors—like fishing pressure and pollution—to promote reef health and help these amazing creatures resist or recover from bleaching events.
We’re here today to discuss the latest information on this bleaching event, what happens to corals when they bleach, explore what this all means, and identify what NOAA scientists are doing to address this threat.
We’ll be here from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. today to answer your questions on corals and the ongoing bleaching event. Ask us anything!
Hi Reddit,
Our names are Roslyn Dakin and Suzanne Amador Kane. We study animal behavior and vision.
Roz is a postdoctoral fellow in zoology at the University of British Columbia. She studies bird courtship, mating behavior, and flight. Suzanne is a biological physics professor at Haverford College. Her research focuses on how physics influences animal behavior.
Along with coauthors Owen McCrossan, Jim Hare, and Bob Montgomerie, we recently published a study in PLOS ONE titled, "Biomechanics of the Peacock's Display: How Feather Structure and Resonance Influence Multimodal Signaling".
When peacocks try to impress females, they fan their feathers and vibrate them at a very high rate, causing the eyespots to hover against an undulating, shimmering background. We explored the physics of this display. We found that the individual feathers move as standing waves. Furthermore, the peacock’s tail as a whole has a resonant peak frequency matching the vibration frequency of the display (about 25 times per second). This indicates that the tail is well-suited to perform the display efficiently. However, when we studied individual peacocks in the field, we found that individuals with longer feathers used slightly higher frequencies on average, suggesting that the display may reveal a male’s capacity to generate muscular force. It’s still an open question as to how (or if) this display influences the female, her perception of the peacock's iridescent colors, and how she chooses a mate.
We are excited to answer your questions at 1pm ET. Ask Us Anything!
Also, be sure to watch a video on vibrations of peacock feathers and our lab experiments from this study.
Hi Reddit! I am Brian Hogg and I’m the Senior Historic Preservation Planner at the University of Virginia (http://ift.tt/29bgz7C). I work with a small group of colleagues to plan, design, and execute renovation projects on the buildings that Thomas Jefferson designed for the University of Virginia, as well as for other historic buildings on Grounds (we don’t call it a campus).
The Academical Village (Jefferson’s term) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (http://ift.tt/1FnWscF), a National Historic Landmark (http://ift.tt/29bgxg5), and is on the Virginia Landmarks Register. One of my current projects is the renovation of the Rotunda, which Jefferson designed as a classroom and library, the physical and intellectual centerpiece of this place. The building has a complicated history – additions, a fire, a renovation, another renovation – but through that we’ve tried hard to find a balance between preserving its historic character while adding enough amenities and equipment to make it function well in a 21st century academic environment. The renovation work has also been a blend of traditional techniques and materials with modern ones. For instance, we replaced the 16 exterior marble capitals with new ones that were carved on six-axis CNC machines. It took three weeks of carving 24/7 to rough them out on the machines, and another three to finish them by hand.
There have been some discoveries, like our chemistry hearth and the design of the original north elevation (http://ift.tt/291KjH9), as well as a few surprises. The project will wrap up before the start of classes this fall – August 23, 2016, a non-negotiable deadline. I graduated from UVA, and got a degree in historic preservation from Columbia. Before returning to the University in 2004, I spent 17 years on the regulatory staff of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
As we approach the 4th of July, Ask Me Anything about restoring buildings at a University designed by one of the USA’s Founding Fathers, or anything else about the restoration and preservation of old structures.
I’ll be back at 3:00pm EDT to answer your questions!