Each of us have more microbes on and in our bodies than we have cells of our own. Some are beneficial; others we'd like to do without. Then there are millions that are neither, but may be profitable someday. Sound ridiculous? Consider this scenario:
IMAGINE a scientist gently swabs your left nostril with a Q-tip and finds that your nose contains hundreds of species of bacteria. That in itself is no surprise; each of us is home to some 100 trillion microbes. But then she makes an interesting discovery: in your nose is a previously unknown species that produces a powerful new antibiotic. Her university licenses it to a pharmaceutical company; it hits the market and earns hundreds of millions of dollars. Do you deserve a cut of the profits?
It is a tricky question, because it defies our traditional notions of property and justice. You were not born with the germ in your nose; at some point in your life, it infected you. On the other hand, that microbe may be able to grow and reproduce only in a human nose. You provided it with an essential shelter. And its antibiotics may help keep you healthy, by killing disease-causing germs that attempt to invade your nose.
Bioethicists are wrangling with the notion of microbe ownership. Carl Zimmer, whose navel microbes have already been posted at Neatorama, writes about the issues involved at the New York Times. Link -via The Loom
Just a concept now (although one that can be demonstrated), buildings of the future might be put together by flying robots. Which sounds like a great idea, but I'd still want a real human building inspector! -via Geeks Are Sexy
This Star Wars-themed Christmas tree has gone to the Dark Side. I believe the only light is the light saber! This picture is just begging for puns, which you can find in the reddit thread. Link -via @johncfarrier
Clifton Vial of Nome, Alaska, set out in his Toyota Tacoma to see where a road went, but ended up stuck in a snowdrift on a deserted road that doubles as a snowmobile track. He was 40 miles from town, out of cell phone range, without provisions or much in the way of emergency equipment. Vial wrapped himself in a sleeping bag liner and waited, turning on the car occasionally for warmth. After three days, he was almost out of gasoline. On the second day he didn't show up for work, his boss called emergency services.
The Nome Volunteer Fire Department was alerted and Vial's co-workers and volunteer rescuers drove surrounding roads in search of the Toyota.
One searcher drove 41 miles along Kougarok Road -- just a few miles from where Vial sat shivering and stranded in his pickup -- but saw no tracks. The searcher turned back as daylight disappeared and the road conditions worsened, Handeland said.
Troopers joined the search. Rescuers looked for Vial on the ground and from the air, in planes and from a helicopter.
"When we get called on situations like this, it's a needle in a haystack," said Jim West Jr., a Nome fire department captain and search and rescue coordinator.
For Vial, the cold was worse than the hunger, he said. Still he scoured the pickup in vain for food.
His only provisions: Snow, and a few cans of Coors Light that had frozen solid in the cab.
Vial ate the beers like cans of beans. "I cut the lids off and dug it out with a knife," he said.
Vial lost 16 pounds, but showed no signs of frostbite. Link -via Breakfast Links
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra asked its fans to Tweet their tips for keeping warm in the winter. Then the chorus sang those Tweets to the tune of O Fortuna! -via the Presurfer
These adorable brownie bites wear little Santa hats made of strawberries! You'll find instructions for making your own at daisy's world. Link -via Buzzfeed
Misery Bear buys a "happiness machine" in hopes of relieving his misery. But you know that's not going to happen. He gets a new friend, whose true nature you will recognize before Misery Bear does. A BBC Comedy production. -via The Daily What
Words: Marc Abrahams Music: Jacques Offenbach, Giuseppe Verdi, and Arthur Sullivan (And thanks to Mary Ellen Davey, Harriet Provine, Dany Adams, and Carl Zimmer for bacteriological insights, and Robert Csillag, DDS, and his staff for inspiration on microbial matters.)
The Bacterial Opera premiered as part of the 20th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, at Sanders Theater, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, on September 30, 2010. Video of the performance can be seen at www.improbable.com.
Original Cast Stage manager and conductor: David Stockton Kirkospocokococcus: Maria Ferrante Gallileococcus: Ben Sears Sidekickococcus: Roberta Gilbert Accordionococcus: Thomas Michel Bacillusnameless: Marc Andelman The woman: Jenny Gutbezahl Supporting bacilli: Sheldon Glashow, Roy Glauber, William Lipscomb, James Muller, Frank Wilczek, Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley, Mary Ellen Davey, Rich Losick, and a multitude of bacteria. Pianist: Branden Grimmett Costume designer: Jenn Martinez.
The characters are a WOMAN, who spends the entire time—except at the very end—sitting on a chair napping with her mouth open so we can see her teeth, and the BACTERIA who live on one of her front teeth. Those bacteria, KIRKOSPOCKOCOCCUS, SIDEKICKOCOCCUS, and GALLILEOCOCCUS, do all the singing. Most of the characters on stage are non-singing bacteria. In the premiere one bacterium played the accordion.
ACT 1—Stuck on This Tooth
NARRATOR: Tonight’s opera stars several trillion bacteria—would you all please take a bow?—several trillion bacteria… and one human being—a woman, who as you can see, is asleep on a chair, with her mouth hanging open. The action takes place on one tooth inside that woman’s mouth. The main characters are called KIRKOSPOCKOCOCCUS, SIDEKICKOCOCCUS and GALLILEOCOCCUS. We have arranged a sort of microscope so you can see them. Let’s take a look. Will one of the technicians please turn on the microscope?
[KIRKOSPOCKOCOCCUS AND SIDEKICK-OCOCCUS AND GALLILEOCOCCUS COME ON STAGE AND TAKE A BOW.]
Ah. Here they are, magnified so very much that—believe it or not—these teeny-tiny, liddle-widdle bacteria appear to be the SAME SIZE AS THE HUMAN BEING. Isn’t that a hoot? Here in Act 1, KIRKOSPOCKOCOCCUS and SIDEKICKOCOCCUS will explain why they hate being stuck, their whole lives, on this tooth. But you know, and I know, that what they REALLY hate are all the many, many other bacteria species in their crowded neighborhood. Let’s listen to them gripe…
[TUNE: “Barcarolle” by Offenbach, from “Tales of Hoffman”]
[HERE IS WHERE WORDS BEGIN IN ORIGINAL OFFENBACH VERSION]
Streptococcus! Stuck on this tooth, With neighbors who hurt and mock us. Let’s name names. Let’s tell the whole truth. Let’s name the scum on this tooth! TrepoNEEma dentiCOla! What a loathsome neighbor! Squirts and leaks and drips and drools Such stinky molecules. Such stinky molecules! Prob’ly some kind of peptide… Those stinky molecules—They eat holes in my hide. Stinky molecules. Stinky molecules. Pee yooo! Porph’ro-MO-nas gingi-VA-lis! What a loathsome neighbor! Night and day, they spew and they spray / Bacteriocin spray. Bacteriocin spray / Makes our guts leak away. Our guts leak away. They leak away. Oooh! Oooh!
Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, The Piano Guys brought us Cello Wars. Steven Sharp Nelson plays several of the various themes from the Star Wars films on two cellos with light sabers. Then Darth Vader and Chewbacca dance. I think you'll enjoy it. -Thanks, Will Findlay!
This is the real reason people sleep with teddy bears. They don't let you down, no matter what. This great image titled Sweet Halloween Dreams is by DeviantART member begemott. Link -via Buzzfeed
Stuffed and mounted animals sing "Back in the Day" by The Erratic Man. Besides the video, there's a choir of singing animals that you can add your pet to! http://petchoir.com/ -Thanks, James!
Buzzfeed compiled a collection of images from the year's news stories that will remind you how many really big events happened in 2011, from natural disasters to citizen protests to legislation to war. Pictured is a girl in isolation in order to assess her exposure to radiation after Japan's nuclear facilities were compromised by the March earthquake. Link
Thirty-five years after Saigon changed it name, Ho Chi Minh City is a busy, modern metropolis. Rob Whitworth produced this time-lapse video.
Everyone who has visited Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam knows part of the magic (love it or hate it) is in the traffic. Ever since I first set foot in HCMC I have been captivated by the cities energy. Saigon is a city on the move unlike anything I have experienced before which I wanted to capture and share.
The Nintendo Company has been in business since 1889, but it took almost 100 years for Nintendo to become a global household name for its video games. Along the way, Nintendo branched out into all kinds of ventures, some of which will surprise you (like the love tester and the love hotels). One of their earlier toys is the plastic grabbing tool shown. See the rest at Ranker. Link-Thanks, Brian!
Oh look! We've made it to December 2011 already! Doesn't it seem like just yesterday that we were looking forward to the new millennium? You're probably busy this weekend, getting holiday preparations going in one way or another, but sit down and take some time to catch up on the great features this week at Neatorama. You'll be glad you did!
And the world of modern art gives us Modern Problems, an article from mental_floss magazine.
If you haven't been to NeatoBambino lately, there are new videos, Christmas projects, stories, and as always, cute kids for your enjoyment!
In this week's What Is It? game, the object in question is indeed a set of manual hedge trimmers. Berhard was the first of many with the correct answer. The funniest answer cam from SisterMerryHellish, who declared this is a wookiee toenail clipper! Congratulations to both for winning t-shirts from the NeatoShop!
The post that got the most comments so far this week (besides the contest) is Denied a Job Because of Criminal Record: Is It Discrimination? However, the Manifesto for Life post is catching up quickly!
When you're caught up on everything from this week, you can access past feature articles at The Best of Neatorama. And have a great weekend!
