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 ...
Oh, dear. Please don’t get stuck behind the fridge!
I didn’t get stuck behind the fridge! It came out much easier than I expected, but still — no hole in the wall. But that explains a lot about the sounds I had been hearing.
These are my conclusions:
S/he evidently came in under the security door (a 1” gap) and made a home under the fridge, close to the motor. I don’t know how long ago but I’d say less than a week from the amount of droppings.
The louder noises I heard were the mouse navigating whatever it had to in order to get to and from its nest. I have no idea what the nest was made of, but it could very well be just plain ol’ lint. (There’s enough of it around, for sure!)
Placing the first trap under the microwave cart was a good idea, because when I found the mouse, it and the trap were over a foot from where I had placed the trap. If I had just used the one under the sink, it would have made a very loud noise and scared me awake! I didn’t hear this one trip because when it landed, it landed mouse-first. A “soft landing” if you will!
So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I’m relieved that you have safely negotiated the fridge.
Another day of trying to thread the needle between between abuse (making the Offspring do something useful) and neglect (letting them do nothing). Sigh. When doesn’t the bus to the Crazy Ladies’ Home leave? I can be packed in ten minutes.
I'll set the kettle on and have some TLC tea ready for you the minute you cross the threshold of my abode! Yes, I DO in fact, run the Crazy Ladies' Home! ;o])
Yes, I’ve walked that thin line, though I think not as often as you. Still, it seems never-ending with one Offspring.
The Other Offspring and his wife are leaving for Minnesota today (if they haven’t already) to visit one of my son’s long-time friends. He said it was just chance that their trip would coincide with an NHL game between his LA Kings and whatever the Minnesota team is. So he and his buddy are going, while the wives go do Girly Things.
All I want is a plane ticket to Little Rock for Christmas. I stated my desire to him the other day when he called, but I don’t know if it will happen. It probably wouldn’t be important except for the fact that James and Abbie will be there.
I got music pages ready for the next two weeks.
I hope you get your trip to Arkansas.
I personally don’t like hurting things for the sake of it, but my favorite mouse trap is the spring loaded trap that just kills them immediately.
My family tried using the sticky stuff and it wasn’t pretty. I would never use that again. Snap-dead-gone. That’s the solution for me.
Exactly what I used. I looked at a lot of traps and decided that this is what I wanted. No sticky stuff to panic the critter and take days to die, and no nebulous electronic zapping with results that were iffy. The wooden spring traps are cheap enough and work well enough that they are disposable, just like the mouse is.
The spring bar caught him at the neck and it was fast and silent. I suspect I won’t ever buy any other kind of trap and that I’ll keep some on hand, along with a jar of peanut butter!
The trip to Little Rock will happen if they pay for it.
Otherwise, I’ll have to stay here and pretend I’m having a good time. I probably would, if I were in a new place...
Good morning. Sorry I was AWOL yesterday. It wasn’t because I won $1.6B. I don’t live in South Carolina.
I also don’t play the lottery.
I spent a few pennies last weekend to watch “Skyscraper”. Johnson’s character said, at one point, “If you can’t fix it with Duct Tape you aren’t using enough Duct Tape.”
DP bought a ticket in a pool with some of his coworkers, but he didn’t win, either.
I picked Pat up at school and then went to the Post Office to buy more stamps to mail letters to Elen every day.
:o])
Since there was no hole behind the fridge, I had to think the little wuzzer came in under the security door. But yes. Duct Tape.
It’s a good thing I don’t have any interest in gambling or I’d be in rougher shape than I am. I not only don’t have an interest in it, but I see no point in it.
It seems I send out almost as many letters in a week as you do T-c,but they’re all going to different people. It seems to be an expensive hobby!
Mice can chew right through duct tape——get copper mesh.
.
Or the actual metal foil tape they use on, um, sheet metal ductwork.
I send out a few to people other than Elen.
Thanks! But he evidently came in under the security door, and I have nothing to stop it happening in nice weather when the interior door is open a little at night. However, with winter coming on (yes, even in Vegas Valley!) the door will be closed during the day as well as the night.
However, I’ll keep your suggestion in mind for possible future use. One can’t be too careful!
‘Face
Golly, Bob, I haven’t seen any of that stuff for a long time! But that information, too, will be saved for future reference.
My family takes up most of the letter-writing and my almost-family takes up the rest of it, so seven or eight letters a week is not unusual. Writing is an expensive hobby, these days. ;o]
Ink, stamps, return address labels, envelopes, thank-you cods...yah. Like that. ;o]
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