Immortal Jellyfish Can Live Forever?

There is a small, unique type of jellyfish. These jellyfish can theoretically live forever! These jellyfish are called the immortal jellyfish for their characteristics. Immortal jellyfish use transdifferentiation to live forever. This process is where the old cells just form new ones at an earlier age. This jellyfish could turn back into a polyp, or its earliest stage of age. Then the jellyfish just ages naturally again until the time comes to make new ones. Not all Turritopsis nutricula, the species of jellyfish, can do this. Only a small type within its species can perform transdifferentiation. But even with this incredible tool, these jellyfish still face dangers. They are susceptible to predators that eat jellyfish, and they could also get diseases. If none of those unfortunate things happen, then this jellyfish could live forever!

I found this article really mind blowing about how a organism can never die. Maybe scientists are trying to find out more in depth how they do this, so they could implement it with other things. Imagine if they find out how to get it into humans! I wouldn't want to live forever, but that would be a huge breakthrough in science! I thought this whole topic was cool, and I recommend it to all you bloggers out there!

Citation:
Murai, Takashi. "6 Animals Older Than The World's Oldest Woman." Popular Science. Bonnier, n.d. Web. 01 May 2013.

A New Chemical Way to Bond?

It is scientifically proven that there are two types of ways chemical bonding can occur. Elements can bond ionically or covalently. However, a new type of bond has been discovered. This bond is different from the others, because the electrons move a different way around magnetic field lines. The bond occurs in supercharged magnetic fields, as it only exists in dwarf stars.

Even though we cannot recreate this type of bond, there are many uses for this discovery. We could use this knowledge to help us use quantum science and quantum computing. Quantum computers could be made, which harnesses the power from the atoms in order to perform memory and processing tasks. These computers would be able to do things significantly faster than regular, silicon computers.

This discovery is a really interesting thing, which could advance technology even further! We could get work done faster. I just thought this subject was cool and definitely recommend it to any of you!

Article and Picture Citation:
Boyle, Rebecca. "Unique Chemical Bond Only Seen In Dwarf Stars Could Make Better Computers." Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation, 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.

Isotopes

Why are isotopes useful? What is so cool about isotopes? Well, if you think tracking down someone scientifically with what beverage they drank is cool, then you're going to find this interesting! Beverages have their own chemical "signature" which is unique to a certain area. These isotopes turn into proteins which go to your hair, when studied, can show you a certain tea where you have been. If you were in the north, or in the south, the mountains, or the plains, these isotopes show it!

How can you actually tell where someone has been? Isotopes have hydrogen and oxygen molecules, which vary in quantity in different places. For example, if you are going to be in Denver, there are less oxygen molecules there then Dallas. Different geographical areas contain different amounts of the elements. These isotopes are then turned into proteins which are found in your hair. If you study the hair, you could tell where they probably have been.

To me, this article was more cool than helpful. There would not be that much use for this sort of technology anywhere. This could prove to be an effective way of following someone's tracks. I just thought of it as an interesting article that I would share with all of you!

Article Citation:

"Chemical Beverage Signatures Allow Geographical Tracking of People By What They've Been Drinking." Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation, 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. 

Dark Matter

Dark matter was first adopted as a theory in the 1930s. Studies of dark matter have progressed so much from the start of the belief. Even today, some people are still skeptic about dark matter and don't think it exists. A few years ago, dark matter was supposedly "felt" in a deep mine in Minnesota, but most people believe that is was just different particles and neutrons in the air. There are believed to be multiple different species of dark matter.

So what is so important about dark matter? Actually, Dark matter is believed to make up a quarter of all mass in the universe. It is invisible, and contains many answers to questions scientists have been trying to answer for years. Dark matter can explain how galaxies form. The Milky Way is believed to be surrounded with a cloud of dark matter. Also, just outside our galaxy is Galaxy X, which is believed to be made up mainly of dark matter, making it invisible.

I found this article to be very interesting, and you probably will too. Dark matter is something that can unlock many secrets to science. I'm not sure that they will be able to unveil those secrets in the next five years or so, because dark matter seems to be a difficult thing to study if you are a scientist, but I'm sure it is worth while. Go and check out the articles below. I was very intrigued when reading this and you will too!

"Dark Matter Proof Found, Scientists Say." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.