quote: SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian scientists have discovered an "anti-freeze gene" that allows Antarctic grass to survive at minus 30 Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit), saying it could prevent multi-million-dollar crop losses from frost.
Just thinking outloud here... but if you could work this gene into a generation of humans, would there be a practical application for suspended animation for STL travel between stars?
Or would the same property that keeps the cell from freezing (and thus being damaged) also keep it from having the benefits of cold sleep?
Or, might it not work at all since it's a plant gene.
Pix
(edit: TinyURLed, by request. It's a yahoo news story.)
[ April 10, 2006, 01:18 PM: Message edited by: The Pixiest ]
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Or! We could live naked in Antartica!
Posted by Architraz Warden (Member # 4285) on :
Heh, I'm suddenly thinking of the Ousters in the Hyperion series...
Posted by Audeo (Member # 5130) on :
Just generally plant genes don't work well in animals, but there are certainly 'anti-freeze' genes in some animals that hibernate in cold temperatures. Certain kinds of frogs, for example, can withstand below freezing temps. In most hibernating mammals the peripheral system (limbs) can get very cold, while the body core, and head are kept a little warmer.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
Pix, fix your link. It's making the screen all wonky.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
There is not really an application in humans, but it does go far in our develpoment of a living natural car. Natural Antifreeze, next will be round roots.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
There was a company a while back that was selling plots of land on the moon. Has anyone done this with Antarctica? What with "global warming" (heh), that could be arable land soon.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
quote:selling plots of land on the moon. Has anyone done this with Antarctica? What with "global warming" (heh), that could be arable land soon.
I need to look, I may still have my deed to a square inch of genuine Yukon land. I got it several years ago from Sgt Preston and eather Oveltine or shreaded wheat. (I don't remember which.) I had several and the value just may have gone up
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
No, Anarctica will actually get colder with global warming. All cold places will get colder and hot places will get hotter and storms and floods and rain of fire and toads and pestilence and famine AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11one
Hmm. I thought there was a treaty that superseded all claims to Antarctica.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I think we should sell land in the Arctic.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
quote:I think we should sell land in the Arctic.
Like I said before, I think Sgt Preston of the Yukon already did that. Maybe it was "shot from guns" rice. But, I am sure that I already own several square inches of the Arctic. And, I had the gilt edged deeds to prove it.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
rivka: the treaty explicitly didn't say anything about existing claims, only saying no new claims would be recognized. As you might note, large swathes have multiple claimants, and there's even some unclaimed.
Since nobody does enough to interfere with anybody else, the issue of who claims what area is nearly moot.
Posted by Mr.Funny (Member # 4467) on :
But. But. What about the antarctic base where they found the stargate and the zpm?
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
It doesn't have applications in humans, but it sure does have em in terraforming. The same thing that would allow plants to grow in the artic and to survive frost would allow em to grow easier on Mars. In domes at first and after a little terraforming, outside. Long before they'd have been able to otherwise.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mr.Funny: But. But. What about the antarctic base where they found the stargate and the zpm?
Don't they have enough toys there that they can, quite effectively, protect that land from being overrun by anyone else?
I doubt anyone will try to take it from them. Other than the Gou'auld, that is, and they failed. What else can anyone else toss at 'em?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)