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.
Physical Science. Droplets falling into water. From Flickr, by Marcus Vegas
Life Science. From Flickr, by shioshvili
Reader comments of the week:
In More thoughts on animal research: Pets and wild animals benefit, too, Sandra of Discovering Biology in a Digital World offers a new take on the animal research controversy. Vaccines tested on lab animals protect not just humans, but animals themselves—pets, agricultural livestock, and even wild gorillas, foxes, and raccoons.
Reader yogi-one supports Sandra's defense of animal testing:
Good on Ya!
The debate needs reframing. It's not about whether animal research is "right" or "wrong" but rather that there are right ways to do it and wrong ways to do it.
There are also right and wrong ways to deal with unethical researchers. Law enforcement and the revocation of licenses is the right way.
Terrorism aimed at researchers is the wrong way.
In I've heard a rumour from ground control, Steinn Sigurðsson of Dynamics of Cats reports on the photographing—by NASA's Phoenix Mars lander—of a single particle of dust from the Red Planet. The particle, captured with the highest resolution microscope ever used in space, is the same characteristic red color that gives Mars its famous hue.
Reader Kea is curious about the dusts' implications:
But household dust is mainly human skin. So what kind of dust are we talking here? The remains of a cataclysmic end to Martian civilisation due to overpopulation?
Getting a bit ahead of ourselves?
Some other Life Science posts we thought were cool this week were:
Vitamin D deficiency → reduced fitness?
Nessie could not be reached for comment
Homotherium from South America?
And from the Physical Science channel:
Only government approved labs can do experiments, see?
Volcanoes triggering volcanoes?
Look for highlights from other channels coming up!
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