I saw this in Time a month ago - and decided to go straight to the source: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Engineering viruses: using biology to assemble materials, devices.
Ok - im not gonna copy and paste the article, but here a quick rundown:
Angela Belcher, a proffersor at MIT, has created a small, rechargeable battery - made from Viruses.
Basically, inspired by Abalone shells - which are strengthened by the shells surface proteins binding to materials in sea water, like iron and calcium - Belchers team created viruses that bind copper, and then line up into tiny little rows, and also grow cobalt oxide so that when they add lithium to the mix- you are basically getting a normal battery, working a hell of a lot more efficiently, and at the nano-level - and the resultant battery looks like a small, clear credit card.
Im no engineer, and I havent done any physics/chemistry (or even maths) for a good 7 years - so my understanding of the electronic part of this is probably way off... but the biology is way cool. With enough messing of their DNA, you could create viruses that can do pretty much anything chemically - such as use up all of our excess CO2, or create other materials that could be useful.
Anzac Day
Its getting close to 100 years, so youve gotta sit back and ask yourselves - what does this Day really mean to Australians?
Like a large portion of this country - I was not born here, and my parents do not fit into the "English, Scottish, Irish" mould that our sweet Banjo was referring to - but that doesnt make me any less Australian.
Whether you attend the Dawn Services, whether you have discussions with ANZAC Veterans, of whether you just respect and reflect during the minutes silence/horn-playing before the big footy game (GO THE PIES) - Im sure that everyone in this country has reflected on what the ANZACs actually mean to us as Australians.
To me, these are just a few of the things that they mean:
-The bond of mateship, sacrificing to help someone in need.
-The limitless effort, especially when you may not have the same skills/training as others around you.
-The larrikinism, not taking yourself too seriously, and knowing that sometimes the best thing you can do is keep the people around you happy and smiling.
-Determination and Courage
-Sacrifice (yeah, I think it needed to be said twice)
Whether its the Storming of the Bastille, or the Ride of Paul Revere, there are moments in a Nations history that define it. And the fact that these, or the ANZACs arriving at Gallipolli, are no longer as big a part of the national psyche as they once were is not really the issue - but that doesnt mean that we shouldnt stop reflecting on how important these events were in our History, and that we should be wary of moving too far away from the qualities that these individuals upheld.
Like a large portion of this country - I was not born here, and my parents do not fit into the "English, Scottish, Irish" mould that our sweet Banjo was referring to - but that doesnt make me any less Australian.
Whether you attend the Dawn Services, whether you have discussions with ANZAC Veterans, of whether you just respect and reflect during the minutes silence/horn-playing before the big footy game (GO THE PIES) - Im sure that everyone in this country has reflected on what the ANZACs actually mean to us as Australians.
To me, these are just a few of the things that they mean:
-The bond of mateship, sacrificing to help someone in need.
-The limitless effort, especially when you may not have the same skills/training as others around you.
-The larrikinism, not taking yourself too seriously, and knowing that sometimes the best thing you can do is keep the people around you happy and smiling.
-Determination and Courage
-Sacrifice (yeah, I think it needed to be said twice)
Whether its the Storming of the Bastille, or the Ride of Paul Revere, there are moments in a Nations history that define it. And the fact that these, or the ANZACs arriving at Gallipolli, are no longer as big a part of the national psyche as they once were is not really the issue - but that doesnt mean that we shouldnt stop reflecting on how important these events were in our History, and that we should be wary of moving too far away from the qualities that these individuals upheld.
Lest We Forget
The honoured graves beneath the crest
Of Gaba Tepe hill,
May hold our bravest and our best,
But we have brave men still.
With all our petty quarrels done,
Dissensions overthrown,
We have, through what you boys have done,
A history of our own.
Our old world diff'rences are dead,
Like weeds beneath the plough,
For English, Scotch, and Irish-bred,
They're all Australians now!
So now we'll toast the Third Brigade,
That led Australia's van,
For never shall their glory fade
In minds Australian.
-Banjo Patterson
Of Gaba Tepe hill,
May hold our bravest and our best,
But we have brave men still.
With all our petty quarrels done,
Dissensions overthrown,
We have, through what you boys have done,
A history of our own.
Our old world diff'rences are dead,
Like weeds beneath the plough,
For English, Scotch, and Irish-bred,
They're all Australians now!
So now we'll toast the Third Brigade,
That led Australia's van,
For never shall their glory fade
In minds Australian.
-Banjo Patterson
the return (-slash-Nickelback)
Ok, it has been a while since I blogged.
And its definately not for want of an occasion.
First & foremost its been the biggest event of the perth calender (ok, maybe not, but Kasra & Hodas was still pretty awesome) - it probably deserves a full post, but it would be worthless without Photos - and I dont have any digital ones right now.
Secondly - we were visited by two of my favourite people from accross the nullabour.
There was Bayan-slash-Edward who dropped by from Alice-slash-Hobart. Sweet boy - definately deserved a post of his own.
Oh, and we enjoyed the company of this one for a few days - complete with her new nose-ring.
But - being true to form, my post is about something completely trivial and unrelated to my life.
Now, when it comes to Music, I hope most people agree that Im pretty open. I enjoy listening to just about everything, whether its your REMs, Xavier Rudds, J5s or even the Sixpence None the Richers of the world - I enjoy it.
But theres been one band who I have never liked (well, not since there first hit) - and bayan-slash-edward would confirm my instant dismissal of any of their songs - I just cant stand Nickleback.
Now, I've always had an inkling that all their songs were exactly the same, but then some guy on the net went and did this: Nickleback songs - playing two of their songs simultaneously (Left & Right Speaker).
Have a listen - they are almost exactly the same.
Im sorry but music stops being ART once you are just playing to a formula - and even worse, a formula just based on your first big hit.
Seriously, it just really bugs me.
And its definately not for want of an occasion.
First & foremost its been the biggest event of the perth calender (ok, maybe not, but Kasra & Hodas was still pretty awesome) - it probably deserves a full post, but it would be worthless without Photos - and I dont have any digital ones right now.
Secondly - we were visited by two of my favourite people from accross the nullabour.
There was Bayan-slash-Edward who dropped by from Alice-slash-Hobart. Sweet boy - definately deserved a post of his own.
Oh, and we enjoyed the company of this one for a few days - complete with her new nose-ring.
But - being true to form, my post is about something completely trivial and unrelated to my life.
Now, when it comes to Music, I hope most people agree that Im pretty open. I enjoy listening to just about everything, whether its your REMs, Xavier Rudds, J5s or even the Sixpence None the Richers of the world - I enjoy it.
But theres been one band who I have never liked (well, not since there first hit) - and bayan-slash-edward would confirm my instant dismissal of any of their songs - I just cant stand Nickleback.
Now, I've always had an inkling that all their songs were exactly the same, but then some guy on the net went and did this: Nickleback songs - playing two of their songs simultaneously (Left & Right Speaker).
Have a listen - they are almost exactly the same.
Im sorry but music stops being ART once you are just playing to a formula - and even worse, a formula just based on your first big hit.
Seriously, it just really bugs me.
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