(no subject)

I have to agree with alterjess: Building what are disturbingly reminiscent of Cylon Raiders may not end well...

Mermaid Parade photos

( Pictures from the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. )

(no subject)

Genes from cold-loving bacteria may one day be used to create live bacterial vaccines for common pathogens such as Salmonella and the tuberculosis bacterium, according to a study published yesterday (July 12) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

(no subject)

A liquid armour has been shown to stop bullets in tests carried out by UK scientists at BAE systems in Bristol.

The researchers have combined this "shear-thickening" liquid with Kevlar to create a new bullet-proof material.
The company is keeping the chemical formula of the liquid a secret, but it works by absorbing the force of the bullet strike and responding to it by becoming much thicker and more sticky.

(This whole thing rather reminds me of walking on cornstarch...)

(no subject)

Has anyone here read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality? I've been hearing quite a bit about it elsewhere, and I'm curious as to the reasons for the buzz.