cal-idad

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Tibetans live in a region that averages more than 4,000 meters above sea level. (Not for nothing is it called the roof of the world.) How did they come to be able to cope with their extreme environs? Some researchers in China and the United States think they might know, and their findings were published Wednesday in Nature. By sequencing DNA from a group of Tibetans and comparing the code to other gene databases, the researchers have discovered that Tibetans are inheritors of an ancient trait that helps regulate the oxygenation in their blood. But surprisingly, this trait did not arise in Homo sapiens. Rather, it came from another group of humans, the Denisovans—mysterious, little-known hominid cousins that died out some 40,000 years ago. The new study on Tibetans demonstrates for the first time an evolutionary advantage conferred directly by Denisovans, an adaptation that seems to be singular to the Tibetan people. For people whose ancestors lived in milder altitudes, experiencing a dearth of oxygen at great heights causes the level of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in blood, to increase in attempt to compensate. But this raises the likelihood of cardiac events in the short term, and it is unhelpful for reproduction, as it increases the risk of preeclampsia (hypertension during pregnancy). Tibetans don’t have the same reaction to elevation: They have greater fitness and higher fertility even when there is little to breathe. This, along with other respiratory adaptations, allows them to thrive where others cannot. Denisovans and Neanderthals are called extinct human “species”—a term that used to demark a clear line between two organisms incapable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring. But the definition is no longer so clear. We know that these hominin cousins did couple with our Homo sapien ancestors—and some of us have inherited from them valuable modern traits. How we define “humans” past and present is a subject to contemplate—as fitting for scientists as for pilgrims to think about on their journeys across Tibetan plains.

Tibetans inherited Denisovan genetic adaptation for elevation: DNA for living at high altitude. (via m1k3y)

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Arkansas is well known for it's deposits of Clear Quartz, found throughout the Ouachitas, but particularly in areas near Mt Ida and Jessieville (vicinity Hot Springs).  These are a few of my recent finds.

There are multiple fee pay mines where they will let you dig through tailings. Each site has a slightly different geology but primarily you are looking at formations in either sandstone or shale as a host material. 

Most initial specimens tend to be covered in a rust (iron oxide), which can lead you to believe you have citrine (see top right picture), but after a good cleaning with oxalic acid they come out colorless.  Seems to me that that the Shale host material is often the hardest to clean

Depending on the mine, you may also find specimens in the center of gobs of clay which you "feel" through to find the quartz.  When first found in the clay specimens will look like black glass, until all the clay is washed off.  

Best experiences so far have been the Jim Coleman mine in Jessieville and the Sweet Surrender in Mt Ida.  Remember, for the most part you are sorting through tailings, so you should confirm if/when new material gets brought up to the public mine area for your searching. 

The links have some additional detail.

http://www.rockhoundingar.com/quartz.php

http://www.jimcolemancrystals.com/

http://www.sweetsurrendercrystals.com/

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The 50 Greatest Sci-Fi TV Shows Ever http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/digital/home-entertainment/the-50-greatest-sci-fi-tv-shows … 

#Lexx", #Farscape, #Babylon5, and #SG1 should have been higher ranked

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Why do projects fail, or why do organizations feel they don't get yield from their projects?

Item 2.  Projects were not data-driven, but "my boss thinks this is a good idea", or we need a "showcase"

Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, thelonger it dwells upon, and the deeper in sinks into the mind. Samuel Coleridge Taylor

While there is likely a wealth of experience to pull from, one person may have a particular view of the world (and how success occurs) versus another.  Any idea , whether it comes from team brainstorming, or individually from your boss, has merit and should be considered.  However, these ideas  /theories have to stand up to what the data tell you.

Multifunctional teams , analyzing data, take the individual "personality" out of this.  Showcase lines are wonderful in that they are advertisements to the employees and managers in your divisions (and others), that change can be a good thing (and this is how you do it!).  However, a showcase, just for the sake of having it (or your next eval), does more harm then good.  It gives a negative experience to the employees or leaders that have to live with it everyday....ie they lose faith, and won't be contributors in the next go around of project work

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If you really want an insight into 21st century warfare, skip Sun Tzu and read Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Here's why.

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Why do projects fail, or why do organizations feel they don't get yield from their projects?

Apparently I'm getting bored or pissed again....so it's time for me to vent.  In looking back at a few successes (and more than a fewfailures), and more than a few BS sessions with peers past and present, I'vecollected a few observations, as well reviewed similar thoughts from people like Pyzdek. Irregardless of whatever secret society you tend to hang out with (aka LEAN, Six Sigma, LSS, TOC, CPI, etc).  I share a few thoughts and may be some realted quotes

Item1.  Your  project scope may be too big...ie "World Hunger"

All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much. George Harrison

Let the gentle bush dig its root deep and spread upward to split the boulder.

Carl Sandburg

Narrowly focused projects will be the most frequently successful (as well as be the most manageable).  They set the stage for Continuous Improvement,  They are also a good springboard to start a process, providing a better understanding of what works (or not), which can lead to something bigger yields later.  They are a training ground for your teams, and can show the "immediate impact" which helps further buy-in from critical persons like your employees (or leadership)..

This is where Pareto analysis does it's magic. Put your money, time, and effort into the "vital few" first,  then understand what can be done next, or if further work is worth the cost in this area versus other opportunities.  Not only is this important for giving your team achievable goals and success, but also lets them prove out what works (and how well ) before you start follow-on projects with the initial prework they successfully built.  Very important when you are talking about limited resources to attack problems

Time is a major part of scoping and planning your goals, and related projects.  Project work often times have short-term "steps" to reach along a long term "path" towards your ultimate "destination".  Your business /operation should map out the points and the path (short term/long term goals) before they plan any projects.....AND they should revisit these goals periodically. ��

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Pivotal events in Earth History

Great article on Earth history...from the #BBC 

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150123-earths-25-biggest-turning-points

This is more Cosmological and Geophysical in nature, with just a bit of Evolution thrown in

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Petrified Wood of Arkansas

Attached are examples of petrified wood commonly found in the Central, South, and Eastern parts of the state.  

These samples were collected near Fordyce, firmly in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain region of the state.  Other localities with similar material include Crowley's Ridge, Pine Bluff, and areas along the Mississipi.

Most of the wood collected here represented species of Palm, which were deposited across more recent ages (I see the Pleistocene quoted most often).  Other parts of Arkansas have older fossilized wood from the Carboniferous (Scale tree)

Examples from Fordyce are what many refer to as "chalky", and typically are tan to white colored, and not nearly as silicified as what one might see in the Petrified Forest in Arizona.  More solid examples will often include some opalized "veins" or sections.

Another trait I've seen in the samples I've collected is veins of darker smaller dark crystals (Quartz) running through the pieces, or cavities that are lined with same.  

Collecting can range from easy (ie walking along dirt roads or creekbeds ) to hard (backhoe).  The area is littered with material, and much of the gravels actually are cobbles from broken pieces of this wood.  

A friendly reminder.  Get permission if you are on someone's land, and always avoid collecting in this part of country during deer season

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You forgot the ...."Do not try this at home!"

In this high-speed video, the Slow Mo Guys demonstrate fire-breathing. Rather than using a liquid fuel like kerosene, they utilize cornstarch, which is both easily flammable and non-volatile thanks to its powdered form. Blowing out the cornstarch creates a turbulent jet of cornstarch and air. Combine that with a combustion source, and the cornstarch quickly deflagrates, meaning that the flame propagates via heat transfer. When neighboring regions of cornstarch become hot enough, they ignite and the flame front expands. You can observe this in the flame growth shown in the video; just after ignition the cornstarch jet is much wider than the fire and it takes some time for the flames to catch up with the jet. Although a liquid-fueled fireball operates by the same principles, it can look rather different. For comparison, check out this high-speed video of a WD-40 fireball. And, hopefully it goes without saying, but don’t try this stuff at home. (Video credit: The Slow Mo Guys) 

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Would love to see Early confront terrorists...

https://twitter.com/hashtag/JeSuisCharlie?src=tren

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Hopefully the Queen won't snicker when she says "Arise Sir Knight!"

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SPRINGDALE (KFSM) - A man was attacked by his uncle wielding a knife on Dec. 29, and he defended himself with a television remote, police say. Daniel Cruse, 58, of Springdale was booked into the Wa...

Doing the state proud!

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Turns out running long distance ain't so good for you. You know what is good for you? BEER. Anthony Carboni explains why you should pour a nice cold one next time you want to get healthy.

I knew this all along.......

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Ah yes....It's time for the holidays!

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Didn't I just see something like this on Squidbillies?

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People need to work, and we need a manufacturing economy. The Green and High tech world

The end is nigh!  See attached link from the NYT.

We as Americans suffer from many things,... the addiction to entitlement, the lack of self responsibility (ie what did I study in school, what grades did I make, what have I done to update my job skills, why do I live in an area with no jobs?, Will I obey or break the law, Who do I vote for, and why?....ad infinitum).  

The most dire thing I see is this foolish belief we can get rid of those "nasty" manufacturing operations (and their high paying jobs), and live blissfully in a world of Walmart-stocking and burger-flipping.  Those Green/High Tech jobs aren't benefiting many

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/upshot/unemployment-the-vanishing-male-worker-how-america-fell-behind.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-middle-span-region&region=c-column-middle-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-middle-span-region&_r=0&abt=0002&abg=1

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Humans' relationship with alcohol could go back some 10 million years —long before humans even evolved. Video provided by Newsy