Norovirus, the perfect pathogen

Submitted by erika on 1/03/13 2:30pm
Admirable, in its own way.

January is norovirus season, as Britain is currently well aware: The Guardian recently reported that over 1.1 million people had been stricken with the four-day vomiting and diarrhea festival that is an infection by the Norwalk virus.

This turns out to be no great surprise, however, because norovirus is one of nature's most perfectly tuned pathogens. It can lay in wait for days, it is incredibly contagious, it is remarkably tenacious, and it has evolved to turn the human body into a norovirus extruding machine, expelling trillions of copies of the virus with every virally controlled vomit or diarrhea attack.

Smithsonian blogger Carl Zimmer sings the praises of norovirus in this recent article, detailing all of the amazing ways in which this little microbe is one of the darlings of the epidemiology trade. 
 
Norovirus attacks cause a 24-48 hour period of memorable misery in most patients. It's one of those experiences where you're not sure which end to point towards the toilet. As a result of the way norovirus works (it causes you to expel food by sucking fluids out of your intestinal tract) it also causes severe dehydration and muscle cramps.
 
But despite its ubiquity, I'm often surprised by how many people are unaware of norovirus. Many times thing that get labeled as "stomach flu" or "food poisoning" turn out to be attacks of norovirus instead. Also known as "winter vomiting disease," norovirus is spread both airborne and by contact. (One of its common vectors of transmission is the handles of shopping carts.)
 
Norovirus can easily survive being frozen, heated, and bleached. It can survive in air conditioning systems and on plastic bags and swimming pools and cruise ships. Anywhere that people are gathered, norovirus can proliferate… and it takes less than 20 of the microscopic viruses in order to catch an infection.
 
One of the most diabolical aspects of the norovirus may be that it is constantly mutating, much like the cold virus. Unlike other diseases where your body's immune system protects you against future infections, if you come down with a bout of norovirus, within about three months you will be infectable again. 
 
Although researchers are working on a vaccine, the best defense against norovirus continues to be the old standard: wash your hands well, and frequently. If your grocery store offers antibacterial wipes for shopping carts, be sure to wipe down the handles before you start shopping. And always wash your hands before eating or preparing food. 

UFO explosion recorded over California?

Submitted by erika on 1/03/13 1:47pm
Well... probably not.

On December 20, a man named Elijah Prychodzko described as an "amateur astronomer" was looking into the late afternoon sky over Sacramento, CA when he recorded an unusual sight. According to his account, it was a bright light that was hovering, circled by a smaller white light, and then it exploded.

Prychodzko posted a message to his local news station's Facebook page, asking if they wanted to see the video. They did, and aired it later that night.
 
Let's start with some observations: first, this video would be trivial to fake. Literally child's play. The provenance (a poorly-worded Facebook post) certainly doesn't do the video a great service. I could think of three ways to fake this with practical effects off the top of my head. Or you could do it in about five minutes using CGI. 
 
Prychodzko claims he recorded the video by putting his smartphone camera against the viewfinder. This explains the atrocious quality of the video, but it is also a convenient way to hide any inconsistencies (like dangling wires or obvious CGI-itude) in the source video. It's basically the UFO equivalent of a Blobsquatch.
 
But let's indulge speculation as if that weren't the case. I would not describe this (as many news outlets have) as an explosion "in space." The sky is clearly blue in the video, and Prychodzko was observing in the late afternoon. Thus, this object was almost certainly inside Earth's atmosphere at the time.
 
The object is often described as "hovering," but it looks to me as though it is falling. Something bright falling from the sky in broad daylight which then seems to explode… that's not a mysterious object. It could be a chunk of space junk, a daylight (a.k.a. "fireball") meteor, or just a parachute flare. 
 
In fact, I suspect it's a flare. This would explain why it's so bright (by design) and the way it seems to descend slowly (the flare's parachute being either obscured by the bad video quality or edited out by a hoaxer). It would also explain the bright bits that seem to fly off it as it descends (something you frequently see with flares). And it would explain the explosion at the end.
 
For reference, here's some video I found of a parachute flare being set off during the daytime. As you can see, it looks almost identical to the object Prychodzko (knowingly or not) caught on his telescope.
 

Sriracha Mania comes to Subway

Submitted by erika on 1/03/13 1:03pm
Are you ready for something called "creamy sriracha?"

Could this be the last stop on the Sriracha Train? Surely a trend is dead when it finally arrives at Subway Sandwiches. Subway is now serving something called "creamy sriracha sauce," which takes the Internet's favorite condiment (well… maybe second favorite, behind Nutella) and Americanizes it by making it creamy - and presumably less spicy in the process.

The Internet freakin' loves sriracha, and I have never been entirely sure why. Sure, I love sriracha. I put it on all kinds of stuff. I, like a lot of people, learned about it in the early 2000s as "rooster sauce," a bright red bottle of pain placed on every table at a local teriyaki joint. 
 
But I don't love it enough to get a tattoo made, or sell thousands of posters and bumper stickers. I'm not sure I feel that passionate about any condiment, to tell you the truth, no matter how delicious it is. (And make no mistake, sriracha IS delicious. I'm not disparaging the sauce itself.)
 
Subway is currently testing creamy sriracha in their Santa Ana stores. Oh, how I dislike Subway. Not the sandwiches per se, which seem reasonably competent. Certainly better than the usual fast food fare, with actual vegetables and all. It's nice to be able to pick up a lunch for about five bucks that isn't completely battered and deep fried.
 
The smell of the stores is certainly objectionable, of course. I recently learned that the distinctive Subway smell is partly due to the smell of the proofing dough, apparently. This seems plausible enough, although it has a special chemical tang to the odor which makes me a little bit concerned about what exactly is going into their bread. 
 
No, what I really hate about Subway is that they quiz you on every single ingredient. Any sensible deli will hand you a slip of paper and have you tick the boxes for the things you want on your sandwich. Instead of that endless shuffle sideways down the line as a dissatisfied (and probably stoned) "sandwich artist" quizzes you in an incomprehensible mumble, the words in the specific question worn down to nubs by over-use, like stones worn smooth in a river bed. 
 
"Lettucetomatoespickle."
"Cucumberpeppersonions."
"Mustardmayosaltpepperoilvinegar."
 
It's a special sort of death for anyone with social anxiety. Nothing is worse than having to ask a complete stranger to repeat themselves, and then they just say the same thing exactly the way they just said it, and you still can't understand it. What a terrible experience. JUST GET ORDER PADS, SUBWAY!
 

2012's top three knitting patterns

Submitted by erika on 1/03/13 12:37pm
Knitting goes international!

I love to look back over a year and examine its stats, for better or worse. This morning as I was browsing Ravelry I wondered what was the most popular knitting pattern of the year. I started with Ravelry's Pattern Browser, sorted all of the patterns by "Most Popular," then went looking for projects that had been added sometime in or before 2012.

One problem with this highly unscientific method is that the older a pattern is, the more likely it is to be popular. It takes a while for a pattern to take off, as it gets passed around and shown off and talked about on the high-profile knitting blogs. This method only counts the newer patterns, whereas there were some patterns (like the Honey Cowl) that really took off in 2012 (thanks in large part to the adoration of Kay and Ann at Mason-Dixon Knitting) even though that particular pattern was added to Ravelry way back in 2009.
 
That being said, the top three patterns introduced in 2012 are:
 
1. Color Affection and Stripe Study Shawl, by Veera Valmaki. 
 
These two patterns were both added in 2011 (December and February, respectively) but it's close enough that I counted it. I was a little surprised by this result, because I personally had not heard of either of them. Talk about personal bias in statistics!
 
The attraction to these patterns is obvious. Out of simple garter stitch, they weave a fascinating collection of stripes, just a little bit off kilter. They can be knit with sock yarn, which many knitters have in stash. They look as though they hit that sweet spot between "undemanding pattern" and "maximum payoff in visual effect," with the added bonus of the fun of choosing which colors you will pair up. I can easily see making multiples of these shawls, which I'm sure many people did.
 
 
Oh hey, I made one of these! It too is a pattern based on garter stitch, and gives maximum payoff between ease of knitting and final visual effect. What I liked most about it was that it used short rows, but you didn't have to count. (Talk about a life-saver!)
 
These two most popular patterns of 2012 also emphasize the international nature of knitting. Wingspan's designer lives in France, and Veera Valmaki is Finnish. (Isn't it amazing the way that Ravelry's worldwide appeal has affected our lives?)

Five reasons to participate in a 5K

Submitted by Penny Lane on 1/03/13 12:06pm
In case you were on the fence about the Nucla Resolution 5K Run/Walk

 

Although it's cold out and spring is still months away, there are so many great reasons to get out and about this winter. Just by signing up for the Nucla Resolution 5K Run/Walk provides an incentive to train for your best 5K time. Whether you're walking, jogging or running, here are five reasons why participating in our 5K is a fantastic idea!

1) You're working out!

Any workout is better than no workout. By registering for a 5K, you'll theoretically get out at least a few times prior to the race to train. Even if it's 20-30 minutes a day, consistency is key. Fit in a workout whenever you have a few free moments. You'll feel better and look better. Remember, effort equals results!

2) You get a cool T-shirt!

By registering for the Nucla Resolution 5K Run/Walk, you'll receive a commemorative T-shirt in the size of your choice to wear whenever you want! It's the perfect souvenir to remind you what a great event you participated in and to wear to the gym, work, school or otherwise.

3) You're helping pets in need!

Your $20 registration fee is a direct contribution to Hoof & Paw, the West End's local animal shelter. The total of everybody's registration fee will amount to a sizeable difference for the shelter and their pets, who are in need of homes and medical attention!

4) Productive date with friends and family!

What better way to bond with your family and friends than at a fun event like the Nucla Resolution 5K Run/Walk? Run or walk 5K with loved ones and/or music and enjoy homemade refreshments in the warmth of the Nucla Fire Hall afterward. 

5) Your pets are welcome, too!

Appropriately, your pets can participate in the Nucla Resolution 5K Run/Walk with you! Please remember to use a leash. We will provide water and treats for furry friends at the Nucla Fire Hall.

Things You Should Probably Know: This Is Only Red

Submitted by brodiemanthe1st on 1/03/13 10:00am

Vsauce leaps into 2013 with 13 different things to teach you, starting with the land effect, a rather interesting optical illusion. Get your thinking caps on, because it's knowledge o'clock. 

Sketchy Sketches: Post-Interaction Smile Reduction

Submitted by brodiemanthe1st on 1/03/13 9:00am

5 Second Films. Need I say more?

Pulling At My Heartstrings: Daisy Hates The Vacuum

Submitted by brodiemanthe1st on 1/03/13 7:44am

This is basically me, if the vacuum was symbolically representative of the Monday through Friday grind, and Daisy was metaphorically representative of one's progress through the week. In other words, I am growling and chewing my way into 2013.

Reading Pile: 1/3/12

Submitted by wrathamon on 1/03/13 12:17am
Orbital, New Avengers & Happy

Orbital Vol 1: Scars GN- First of all, don’t let the thin package deceive you; this is a fairly dense piece of storytelling considering it’s only $11.95. I imagine part of saving is that this is not on fancy glossy paper, but I actually prefer it this way and I think it benefits the texture of the artwork. It’s also nice and oversized which really compliments Serge Pelle’s style and allows you to appreciate the finer details of his alien landscapes and designs. The story concept draws you in pretty quick, focusing on intergalactic politics as humanity is finally included in a larger consortium of alien races despite the attempts of isolationist extremists. The main plot follows the acceptance of a human into an organization of peacekeepers and his alien partner who harkens from a race that humanity almost destroyed. There are a lot of fine little details worked into these politics and this universe, and Sylvain Runberg does a great job of slowly exploring everything yet also offering a decent amount of action. I’m really looking forward to checking out the next volume, which actually also shipped this week meaning you don’t have to worry about a horrible wait time. Well worth the price the jump on and try something new. A

New Avengers #1- I’ll be interested to see how readers react to this title over the other Hickman Avengers book. I’m a bit more curious in the potential for this one because it seems to be more Black Panther centric, which is a great way to go and also expands on material from Hickman’s Fantastic Four run. I’m also happy to see Steve Epting on art as he’s just a solid storyteller. The only thing I’m not happy about is the $3.99 price tag for only nineteen pages of actual story, twenty-one pages if you’re generous and count the cinematic double page credits near the end of the book. Still, as far as story content there’s a lot of sub-plotting slowly at work here and I’m interested to see how Hickman can improve on the Illuminati concept. A-

Happy #3- I’m a little sad knowing there’s only one issue left to go, and yet I also don’t really think this is the kind of concept that should drag on for much longer either. The most interesting thing for me is to see how differently Robertson works with Morrison, because if I was not told this was scripted by Grant Morrison I might not have necessarily been able to guess it was by him. Looking forward to seeing how they tie this up in the next issue. A-

Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on January2, 2012

Submitted by phoenix on 1/02/13 8:31pm
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745

Geiger Counter Readings in Seattle, WA on January2, 2012

Ambient office = .096 microsieverts per hour

Ambient outside = .090 microsieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain = .099 microsieverts per hour

Romaine lettuce from grocery store  = .095 microsieverts per hour

Tap water = .104 microsieverts per hour

Filtered water = .088 microsieverts per hour

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