Science Saturday 3/3/12 -- Latest Science Updates

Ever notice how when you look back at earth from way out in space, everyone back home look tinier than ants?

It's been a while since we came up with a "Science Saturday Special," so we'll unleash a few news items this morning which accumulated on our Science Saturday back burner this week:

1) "MOSCOW (AP) – It was an Ice Age squirrel's treasure chamber, a burrow containing fruit and seeds that had been stuck in the Siberian permafrost for over 30,000 years. From the fruit tissues, a team of Russian scientists managed to resurrect an entire plant in a pioneering experiment that paves the way for the revival of other species":

• Russians revive Ice Age flower from frozen burrow

Good news, all-in-all; but looking at the big picture its still clear that these clever Russian scientists still have their work cut out for them.

2) "New archaeological evidence suggests that America was first discovered by Stone Age people from Europe – 10,000 years before the Siberian-originating ancestors of the American Indians set foot in the New World":

• New evidence suggests Stone Age hunters from Europe discovered America

Hopefully we won't be hearing American political wackos interpreting this as "New evidence of white supremacy," although we'll concede we can't rule out that possibility.

3) "Hide your dogs, hide your cats, the discovery of monstrous “Jurassic fleas” in Northern China is enough to make even Twilight’s vampires quiver.

A team of researchers has unearthed the fossilized remains of blood-sucking mini-beasts dating back at least 65 million years. They found them to be especially suited for sinking their teeth into dinosaurs. Nearly an inch long, the pesky, prehistoric critters were more than ten times the size of today’s average household flea":

• Jurassic Blood-Sucking Fleas Discovered in China

We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that those danged clever Russian scientists aren't planning to bring this species back.

4) One of our gentle readers submitted this very cool video, which shows "some of the billions of amazing objects of the universe, zooming from night sky view to the eyes of the powerful Hubble Space Telescope":


Ever notice how when you look back at earth from way out in space, everyone back home looks tinier than ants? Armchair WCF philosophers are cordially invited to chime in concerning this "mind-expanding"and yet completely obvious philosophical teaser."

That's it for now O Gentle Ones.

Don't let the cat get yer tongues, WCF Science Wonks.