We always knew volcanoes were a major player in the rebuilding of the ocean floor but a new bit of research shows that distant undersea volcanoes are helping build the Great Barrier Reef one hitchhiker-filled rock at a time. It seems that corals and other organisms cling to volcanic rocks spit up into the ocean and then ride the water until they reach the GBR — adding to the diversity of the reef. This “rock regatta” is thought to bring in billions of plans and animals each year.
[via NBC News]
When the next Soyuz capsule launches to the International Space Station in October, it will deliver three new crewmembers to the orbiting outpost along with 32 small fish for a science experiment at the space lab. The medaka fish — a type of fish native to Southeast Asia — will become part of an experiment carried out on the station to investigate the effects of microgravity on fish. The astronauts aboard the outpost will monitor changes in the fish as they live in orbit.
[via Space.com]
Scientists from China have one-upped robots built to walk on water that mimic the water strider bug adding the ability to jump on water. The new robot, designed by engineer Jie Zhao and colleagues from China’s Harbin Institute of Technology, is described July 25 in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. It’s six inches long and weighs about as much as a wooden pencil, or 1,000 times the weight of a real water strider. Sure the real water strider will win in speed and agility but this is impressive nonetheless. Make sure you head over to catch the video of the robot in action.
[via WIRED Science]
The GoPro is pretty much the industry standard when it comes to rugged, outdoor cameras to film all your crazy adventures but it looks like the JVC Adixxion is trying to edge itself into that space. Announced last month, the Adixxion will give you on-board WiFi and a 1.5-inch LCD monitor, the ability to do HD video, shoot five megapixel stills and has 5x digital zoom. It’s waterproof up to five meters, dustproof, freezeproof and can stand up to a fall of two meters. We still give the GoPro style points though!
[via Engadget]
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