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 ...
A’ight. It’s up.
The story is told.
At least for now.
True.
But since the odds of having the winning ticket for the Bazillion Dollar Lotto are a hair longer than the odds of being struck by lightning twice, once that event occurs it's time to buy the ticket. ;-)
(Yes, I know the logic is faulty. But it sounds good.)
I won $4 on a scratch-off once in Texas.
And now that the day(light) is ended and the snowstuff has been dealt with manually, we return to the continuing saga of the Olde Deere.
With 6” of snowstuff on the ground I tried to convince the Olde Deere to start. It refused. This seems to be its default condition of late. (For those who are going “Huh?” and have missed the previous story installments, the Olde Deere is a vintage 1980’s 26” John Deere snowblower that I picked up off of EBay for cheap ten or so years ago. I HAVE gotten my money’s worth of use out of it but lately it has been getting old and crotchety .)
It seems to be getting both fuel and spark. I haven’t changed the spark plug, I merely have pulled the plug out and visually inspected it. I have one of those spark tester things that you hook in series with the plug wire - a neon bulb device that indicates presence of firing voltage - and the device says firing voltage is present.
The assumption is that it is getting fuel because if I pull the starter rope enough times I can smell unburned gasoline from the muffler. One would think that should at least allow it to produce a pop or backfire if the plug was actually firing.
Next step - change the spark plug. Of course since I only think about it when there is an accumulation of snow on the ground, I probably won’t really get a spark plug between snows.
And so the saga will be continued. ;-)
LOL!
I WISH we had the luxury of washing just once a week, but there’s not room for a machine that size in our Laundry.
I’m thinking there’s more of you than Face has to deal with.. ;-)
Well, sir, I’m a low-maintenance kinda gal, and since I’ve lived alone for most of my adult life (military and aerospace will do that, y’know) my needs are simple. So I only have to wash 2-3 loads of clothes once a week. :o]
Even a commercial laundry probably doesn’t have a machine the size that will handle a large family’s needs for a week.
I remember when we got to one load a day. Tom was the baby, and he spewed a lot. I average about 3 loads a day now, and that’s with Tom and Sally washing separately.
That looks like a Maine Coon for today’s Morning Floof!
Good morning.
Yesterday, after I had gone to bed, I heard this commotion outside that sounded like a large truck. The noise just kept going. I got up and went to the front door just in time to see that big truck leaving out the back way and new fridge was standing on my front walk.
About 15 minutes later, I heard a commotion at my back door, got up to see what it was, and there was Chuck, with the fridge on a hand truck, and he was taking some of the packing off.
I had to hurry and empty out the old fridge, then sweep what was under it, and offer to help Chuck. About an hour later, the handles weren’t on the fridge and he got a phone call reminding him he needed to be somewhere right then.
So I began to put things back in the fridge and realized that the hinge cover on the bottom door had not been removed when he changed the doors from right-hand to left-hand, so when I open the fridge, the freezer door opens as well.
But it’s big, and it’s pretty and I can now make ice cubes! That is, once I get the hinge cap off and the handles on. :o]
I need to make the bed and have a steroid and get after the fridge.
A new fridge is a pretty good surprise. Enjoy your ice cubes!
It is a very pretty fridge!
I have to go to Walmart and get some Clean Shower. I thought I had bought some but when I sprayed it after my shower, all I could smell was chlorine. My lungs still hate me for that!
So I’ll take my pills and head out. It’s fairly mild outside, so I won’t need the defroster, which is good.
When I get home, I’ll finish the letters so I can get them up to the mailbox before the carrier comes.
Thank you for beautiful, pensive kitteh!
G’orning, y’all!
You’re welcome, and good morning.
Assuming you’ve already scrubbed the spark contacts with a wire brush to remove any carbon buildup.
And that’s about all I know about engine maintenance.
Tappy Whoseday, everyone.
Monday, Part II. ;o]
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