Life Science and Physical Science Weekly Channel Highlights

In this post: the large versions of the Life Science and Physical Science channel photos, comments from readers, and the best posts of the week.

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Physical Science. Sparks jump from a flickering campfire. From Flickr, by Kirrus

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Life Science. From Flickr, by Snap®

Reader comments of the week:

In Giant Antarctic Marine Worm - Parbolasia Corrugatus, Andrew Bleiman of Zoillogix introduces the cuddly creature below:

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This Nemertean, or proboscis worm (proper name Parborlasia corrugatus) is a resident of Antarctic waters, and according to Andrew,

eats almost anything, including sponges, jellyfish, diatoms, seastars, anemones, polychaete worms, mollusks, crustaceans, fish and divers.

Reader Michael thinks the nomenclature could be more descriptive:

"Giant Death Worm" is a much better popular name than the boring "Giant Antarctic Marine Worm". How do we go about getting that changed?

In Charging the Earth, Matt Springer of Built on Facts calculates the number of electrons that would need to be ionized on Earth so that the electromagnetic forces at work between it and the moon would cancel out their gravitational attraction. The number is surprisingly low—only sixty million electrons per kilogram out of the trillions and trillions each kilogram contains.

Reader The Chemist isn't trying to hide his loyalties at all:

I (Heart) Electromagnetism.

Gravity- meh! Whatever.

Clearly, The Chemist knows what's up.

Some other Life Science posts we thought were cool this week were:

Vaccination doesn't cause autism volume what-are-we-up-to-now?

Did a gene enhancer humanise our thumbs?

Recent human evolution in the New World

Flying Fox Bat fights a Python

Tardigrades become first animals to survive vacuum of space

And from the Physical Science channel:

Two Happenings in Physics

Velocity dispersions in a cluster of stars

Wisely Using Your Advantage

http://scienceblogs.com/sunclipse/2008/09/curently_reading_just_add_expl.php

Data paparazzi.

Look for highlights from other channels coming up!

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