Posted on 10/06/2018 2:02:35 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Pentagon research project called "Insect Allies." Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project involves using gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to infect insects with modified viruses that could help make America's crops more resilient. If a cornfield were hit by an unexpected drought or suddenly exposed to a pathogen, for example, Insect Allies might deploy an army of aphids carrying a genetically modified virus to slow the corn plant's growth rate.
According to the DARPA website, these "targeted therapies" could take effect in a single growing season, potentially protecting the American crop system from food security threats like disease, flooding, frost and even "threats introduced by state or non-state actors.
… Insect Allies, is less concerned. "Anytime you're developing a new and revolutionary technology, there is that potential for [both offensive and defensive] capability," Bextine told The Washington Post. "But that is not what we are doing. We are delivering positive traits to plants… We want to make sure we ensure food security, because food security is national security in our eyes."
Insect Allies is still in the early stages of development, and at least four U.S. colleges (Boyce Thompson Institute, Penn State University, The Ohio State University and the University of Texas at Austin)have received funding to carry out research. Bextine told The Washington Post that the project recently achieved its first milestone — testing whether an aphid could infect a stalk of corn with a designer virus that caused fluorescence. According to the Washington Post, "the corn glowed."
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Shamelessly borrowed from the inter webs:
Shortly after a British Airways flight had reached its cruising altitude, the captain announced:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain. Welcome to Flight 293, non-stop from London Heathrow to New York. The weather ahead is good, so we should have an uneventful flight. So, sit back, relax, and... OH...MY GO#!!!”
Silence followed..................
Complete silence...........
Some moments later, the captain came back on the intercom.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m sorry if I scared you. While I was talking to you, a flight attendant spilled coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!”
From the back of the plane, an Irish passenger yelled.
“For the luvva Jaysus, you should see the BACK of mine!!!”
That’s a lively anecdote, moose07.
Bears are surprisingly common in eastern NC. Like coyotes and raccoons, they’ve adapted to life with the people.
WD-40 ~ Who knew!
I had a neighbor who bought a new pickup.
I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason).
I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news.
He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do....
probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open.
Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off.
It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I was impressed!
WD-40 who knew?
“Water Displacement #40”.
The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953, by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a ‘Water Displacement’ Compound.
They were finally successful for a formulation, with their fortieth attempt, thus WD-40.
The ‘Convair Company’ bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.
When you read the ‘shower door’ part, try it.
It’s the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door.
If yours is plastic, it works just as well as on glass.
It’s a miracle!
Then try it on your stovetop.
It’s now shinier than it’s ever been.
You’ll be amazed.
WD-40 Uses:
1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floor that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps the flies off of Cows, Horses, and other Farm Critters, as well. (Ya gotta love this one!!!)
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic / terracotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on both home and vehicles doors.
18. It removes that nasty tar and scuff marks from the kitchen flooring.
It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.
Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Remove those nasty Bug guts that will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!
20. Gives a children’s playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gearshift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22. Rids kids rocking chair and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes grease splatters from stovetops.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida’s favorite use is: ‘cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.’
38. The favorite use in the state of New York, it protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it’s a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.
Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. It is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray it on the marks and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you’ve discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you spray it inside a wet distributor cap, it will displace the moisture, allowing the engine to start.
P.S.
As for that Basic, Main Ingredient.......
Well.... it’s FISH OIL....
Who would have guessed ? ? ?
The story is told of Admiral Lord Nelson, upon hearing a cry from the crow’s nest that an enemy flag had been spotted on the horizon, turning to his cabin boy and saying, “Son, fetch me my crimson shirt.”
The ship’s captain heard the request and asked, “Admiral, why did you request your crimson shirt?”
Admiral Lord Nelson replied, “That’s in case I get hit during the battle, my shirt won’t show the blood and demoralize the men.”
The cabin boy returned with the crimson shirt. As Admiral Lord Nelson was changing he again heard a cry from the crow’s nest. “Three enemy flags on the horizon.”
Without missing a beat Admiral Lord Nelson turned to his cabin boy and said, “Son, fetch my brown trousers.”
Hippy Freeday, all!
WE MADE IT!!!!!
Is kitteh a celeb?
Lol! I can hear it!
My job is just as busy on the weekends.
I think she’s looking at her own picture on “Good Morning Kitten.”
What a great list! Just the other day, I removed some USS (unidentified sticky stuff) from stainless steel table. Does #20 give the lie to #4? Doesn’t matter. Gonna copy & save—thanks!
G’orning and *snicker*.
To clean fiberglass shower and glass doors, I use a 1:1 mix of Dawn blue dd mixed with boiled white vinegar. You’re supposed to be able to spray it on, but I use a wide paintbrush to apply it. The directions said to leave it on for an hour. I leave it on for 8 hours. All you have to do is rinse it off or wipe it down and your shower enclosure becomes immaculate!
Why do you boil the vinegar? Isn’t white vinegar already distilled?
I think that the heat allows the solution to work more quickly to reduce Ca++ deposits and soap residue. After boiling the vinegar in the ‘wave, I put the entire large Pyrex measuring cup back in and run it on high until the solution starts to foam. This is an incredible worksaver!
So you boil the vinegar, then add the soap, then heat the whole thing?
Yup. As it dries, the consistency on the treated surfaces becomes gel-like, but it’s very easy to wipe off or rinse and squeegee.
Sounds like a plan that could be executed by one or more young persons!
Oh, one other thing: you can recycle the vinegar you use to descale your coffeemaker for this after it runs through and becomes heated. Dual use of the vinegar and it doesn’t stain. (Can you tell that I’ve been dirt-poor lol?!) That why you need a large microwave-proof measure. Heat the vinegar to boiling and then mix in the DBDD and heat again on high, watching constantly because it foams like crazy. That’s all I got.
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