Mostly just putting this here for my own reference, but holy shit is this cool.
He means bugs. To be more precise: the genetic alteration of bugs – very, very small ones – so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
Unbelievably, this is not science fiction. Mr Pal holds up a small beaker of bug excretion that could, theoretically, be poured into the tank of the giant Lexus SUV next to us. Not that Mr Pal is willing to risk it just yet. He gives it a month before the first vehicle is filled up on what he calls “renewable petroleum”. After that, he grins, “it’s a brave new world”. [Full Article]
I actually have nothing to say about this. Other than something along the lines of "holy fuck wow, that's amazing". Well, and I should probably note that the use of the word 'bugs' when talking about microbes annoys me to no end -- since they are in fact not at all like bugs. But even that doesn't diminish the sheer awesome of this.
Also, I had to email my microbiology prof about it (who also happens to be only my favorite professor ever). She's the kind that wouldn't mind getting an incredibly dorky email from one of her students, which is the kind of professor I like to think I'd be. You know, if I was going to be a professor.
ETA: no, apparently my geekgasm doesn't end there. There is even more gayness in the news today, and I'm adding it to this post in the interest of saving your f-lists.
Why Gays Don't Go Extinct - a new theory of antagonistic sexual selection which proposes that the 'homosexuality gene' in men might also cause above-average fertility in women.
Which is a theory I actually... like, I'll admit. The weirdness of sexual selection has always interested me. What I want to know, though, is what this means for lesbians. Does that gene make for more viable sperm in men?
The world just keeps insisting on engaging my interest in this sort of thing, apparently.
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hecticity's journal
