HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.skeptic,soc.men,soc.women,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: Biological Sex Differences? ("Women only" excusable ?)
Date: 27 Sep 92 16:42:29 GMT
Reply-To: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol1.gps.caltech.edu

In article <1992Sep21.163339.6605@sun0.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>, gsmith@kalliope.uucp (Gene W. Smith) writes:
>She did get her name on Sophie Germain's theorem, though.  This was the
>first real breakthrough theorem in tackling Fermat's "last theorem".

Hmmm.  I didn't know that Fermat's last theorem had as yet been proved or
disproved.  Which was it?  Oh, it *HASN'T* been proved or disproved?  Then how
can Sophie Germain's theorem be a breakthrough theorem in tackling Fermat's
last theorem?  Perhaps it was merely another dead end.  We won't know until
we've finally dealt with Fermat's last theorem.

>A general point to consider for everyone speculating on the possible
>differences between men and women in mathematical ability is that
>mathematical ability at the highest level has occured in women.  If we
>imagine that mathematical ability is a quantifiable something and that
>women have this ability distributed in something like a normal curve
>with the same variance but a significantly lesser mean than men, we
>would not expect this to occur.

Uh, why not?  I thought the Gaussian distribution had non-zero probabilities
all the way out to infinity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL

Disclaimer:  Hey, I understand VAXen and VMS.  That's what I get paid for.  My
understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below).  So
unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my
organization responsible for it.  If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to
hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it.
Xref: sparky sci.bio:3453 alt.sci.physics.new-theories:2068
Newsgroups: sci.bio,alt.sci.physics.new-theories
Subject: take a look at these papers
From: mlevin@husc8.harvard.edu (Michael Levin)
Date: 2 Oct 92 17:43:55 EDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Harvard University Science Center


   Hi all -


I just read a couple of interesting (unusual) papers, and thought it
may be worth it to let some other people in on it. Here are the
references: 

Reid, B. L., (1989), On the nature of growth and new growth based on
experiments designed to reveal a structure and function for laboratory
space, Medical Hypotheses, 29: 105-144 (2 parts).

The papers present some experiments about unconventional long-range
influences between various systems. Their explanatory hypotheses
aside, the results themselves are amazing (if true). Anyone want to
comment on them (or repeat them, if you have the facilities? most are
pretty simple)?

Mike Levin
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: isaak@aurora.com (Mark Isaak)
Subject: Re: mosquitoes like goldenrods
Summary: The males do.
Reply-To: isaak@aurora.com (Mark Isaak)
Organization: The Aurora Group
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 17:44:35 GMT

In article <1992Oct6.032439.20883@vatmom.COM> frank@vatmom.COM (Frank M. Haynes) writes:
>Looking closer, I saw a mosquitoe apparently gorging itself
>on nectar.  I didn't think they were attracted to flowers.

The males are.  They eat pollen.  I think females can live off of
flowers, too, but they need a blood meal in order to lay eggs.
-- 
Mark Isaak           "Every generation thinks it has the answers, and every
isaak@aurora.com      generation is humbled by nature." - Philip Lubin
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: young@serum.kodak.com
Subject: Re: mosquitoes like goldenrods
Originator: young@sasquatch
Reply-To: young@serum.kodak.com
Organization: Clinical Diagnostics Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 15:46:15 GMT

In article <1992Oct6.032439.20883@vatmom.COM> frank@vatmom.COM (Frank M. Haynes) writes:
>
>I am not versed in biology at all.
>
>I was in my backyard today and saw a goldenrod in bloom.
>Looking closer, I saw a mosquitoe apparently gorging itself
>on nectar.  I didn't think they were attracted to flowers.
>
>Does anyone know if this is typical behavior?  I suppose I
>should be thankful it wasn't gorging itself on me.

	I don't know what the MALE mosquito eats, if anything, but I DO know
	that only the FEMALES eat blood.


-Rich Young (These are not Kodak's opinions.)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: rim@csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au (Bob McKay)
Subject: Re: Are There Any Venomous Mamals?
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 04:26:15 GMT

jackson@soldev.tti.com (Dick Jackson) writes:


>(I've not seen this discussed before, if there is a well known answer to
>this I apologize.) I was thinking about spiders and other animals who
>disable their prey with a sting or venomous bite.  Its easy to think of
>examples of insects and snakes which do this, but as far as I know there
>are no poisonous mammals, birds or even fish.  

I'm unsure whether emphasis of the question is on the predation side or the 
lack of venom. Use of venom for predation doesn't seem particularly common in 
these groups. On the other hand, venom for other purposes is a little
more common, ranging from the poisonous spines of the stone fish (and the
rather more common fish ploy of harbouring putrefactive bacteria on their
spines) to the poison spines of male platypus. I'm not aware of any use of
venom by birds, though.
-- 
Bob McKay		   	Phone:	+61 6 268 8169	    fax: +61 6 268 8581
Dept. Computer Science		Internet:	rim@csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au
ADFA, Northcott Dve 		UUCP:...!uunet!munnari!csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au!rim
Campbell ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA	ARPA:	rim%csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au@uunet.uu.net
Xref: sparky sci.bio:3463 sci.engr.biomed:552 sci.engr.mech:385 sci.energy:4819
From: davidt@ecst.csuchico.edu (David Taylor)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.engr.biomed,sci.engr.mech,sci.energy
Subject: COOL HEADS...   HOT HEADS
Date: 6 Oct 92 03:36:40 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu


Hello,

I am a mechanical engineer who will be graduating in December.  I am in
the process of completing my senior project.  This project is to design
build and test a thermoelectrically cooled motorcycle helmet--a motor
cycle helmet with air conditioning.  (I am aware this has been done before.)

To build an accurate model of the system, I need to know the rate of heat
leaving a person's head.  My team has spoken to the nursing and physiology
teacher.  They were nice, but couldn't help us.  I woudl be greatful if
someone would beable to provide me with the amount of watts or joules 
leaving a head.  or suggestions on where to get this information.

Thank you!
David Taylor
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: bugman@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca (Steve Smith)
Subject: Re: mosquitoes like goldenrods
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 01:19:33 GMT

In article <1as8ptINN19k@armory.centerline.com> mrh@centerline.com (Mike Huben) writes:
>In article <1992Oct6.032439.20883@vatmom.COM> frank@vatmom.COM (Frank M. Haynes) writes:
>>
>>I was in my backyard today and saw a goldenrod in bloom.
>>Looking closer, I saw a mosquitoe apparently gorging itself
>>on nectar.  I didn't think they were attracted to flowers.
>>
>Nematocerous flies (the "primitive" flies with more than 3 antennal segments,
>and including horseflies, mosquitoes, and a variety of others) don't have
>biting males.  Males do frequently nectar in a number of species.
>
>A good book (that you can probably order) is "A Natural History of Flies"
>by Harold Oldroyd.
>
>Mike Huben
--
Inasmuch as Harold Oldroyd devoted a lifetime to the study of the horseflies
(Diptera: Tabanidae) I think he'd appreciate a very small correction here:
"Nematocera" is derived from the same root we use to form "nematode"; it
means "thread" and refers to the long, thread-like antennae on insects such
as mosquitoes and midges. The horseflies are not Nematocera; they are
Brachycera, a group somewhat more advanced but not so wonderfully advanced
as "modern" Diptera such as houseflies and tachinids.

-- 
Steve Smith, Dept of Biology (ext. 2665).
From: shauna@rothko.mmwb.ucsf.edu (Shauna Farr-Jones)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: cat behavior
Date: 28 Sep 92 21:33:05 GMT
Organization: UCSF Computer Graphics Lab

I have seen the same thing with the 2 cats that live with me.
They are brother and sister, both neutered. Most of the time
they are pretty cozy, sleeping together etc. But every now and again
they really fight. Once the male bith the female and broke his
tooth of inside one of her ribs!
Strange, kinda like people.....
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: rwallace@unix1.tcd.ie (russell wallace)
Subject: Re: Carcinogens
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 19:38:24 GMT

In <dl10697.717637409@ehsn3.cen.uiuc.edu> dl10697@ehsn3.cen.uiuc.edu (Duc Trieu Le) writes:


>hi Everyone,

>I have just read in a book that lists Progesterone, Testosterone,
>Estrogens, and Androgens as being carcinogenis substances. I was
>under the assumption that our bodies have certain amount of these
>sex hormones. I was wondering why these hormones are carcinogenic
>and what effects do they have on our bodies if excess amounts are
>detected. thanks in advance.

Basically the causes of cancer are complex and as yet not fully
understood; however, usually there is more than one factor in operation.
Practically every chemical compound in existence has been suggested to
be carcinogenic by someone at some stage, and a lot of other things
including the VDU you're reading this message on. I wouldn't take it too
seriously. Excessive amounts of the hormones you listed are probably
going to have readily noticeable deleterious effects, however (growth
abnormalities, psychological problems, or whatever).

--
"To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem"
Russell Wallace, Trinity College, Dublin
rwallace@unix1.tcd.ie
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: toby@carson.u.washington.edu (Toby Bradshaw)
Subject: Re: Are There Any Venomous Mamals?
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 21:33:58 GMT

In article <753@capmkt.COM> charles@capmkt.COM (Charles Neveu) writes:
>Are there any mammals which are poisonous to eat? That is, whose
>protection,  like the dart frogs and the puffer fish, consists at
>least partly of being poisonous to injest.

I believe the liver of polar bears has toxic levels of some lipid-
soluble vitamin, either A or D.  No doubt this is their primary
defense against predators :)

Toby Bradshaw
Department of Biochemistry and College of Forest Resources
University of Washington, Seattle
toby@u.washington.edu
From: charles@capmkt.COM (Charles Neveu)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Are There Any Venomous Mamals?
Date: 2 Oct 92 19:55:41 GMT
Organization: Capital Market Technology

Are there any mammals which are poisonous to eat? That is, whose
protection,  like the dart frogs and the puffer fish, consists at
least partly of being poisonous to injest.

Charles Neveu
Neurology Unit
UCBerkeley
From: ara@zurich.ai.mit.edu (Allan Adler)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: questions about spiders
Date: 28 Sep 92 04:24:31 GMT
Distribution: sci
Organization: M.I.T. Artificial Intelligence Lab.


A garden spider has built her web outside my window. She is about an inch
long, not counting her legs and everything she does is fairly easy to
observe. It has been pretty educational to watch her.

Yesterday, I watched her rebuilding her nest and drew the conclusion that
every spider has her own way of making a web. I can only speak of this
particular spider.

After stringing the web from the outside in, using the old foundations and
building on them, she stopped at one point and gathered up the center of
the web and ate it. As soon as she had done this, about half a dozen strands
came out of her abdomen at once, instead of just one. These she spread
thickly all over the center and finished by spreading it thickly in one
narrow direction downward from the center. She just sits on the center
and waits. 

Anyway, I have a lot of questions about this. First, is the old center that
she ate immediately recycled as the new stuff that came out of her abdomen?
Why did she eat it instead of just spinning more. Is the web in the center of
different composition than the rest of the web? Is it sticky or soft
and comfortable (if you are a spider). Whereas tiny insects that alight
on the rest of the web get stuck, I saw a tiny fly walking on the center
pad without getting caught, which suggests that the center part is not
sticky. What purpose does the center part serve? There were some fairly
strong winds and it doesn't seem like there is much holding the spider to
the web. So how does the spider manage to have such a good grip on the
web? Is there some reason why she likes my window as opposed to some other
place? For example, at night the light in my apartment attracts bugs to the
window and I am sure that is good for business. Is the pattern in the
center supposed to look like a leaf or is the downward direction of
the thickly layered strands supposed to be the entrance to her boudoir?
Also, which parts of the web are sticky and how can one tell by looking
at them? It did seem like some of the strands were like strings of tiny
pearls, but that might have been moisture.

Pointers to any good books or papers where I could get answers to all the above
would also be welcome.

Allan Adler
ara@altdorf.ai.mit.edu
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: r-boehmer@uiuc.edu
Subject: cat behavior
Summary: strange cat behavior
Reply-To: r-boehmer@uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 17:59:31 GMT
Keywords: feline

I'm looking for some information from people who KNOW cats.  We have had 2
male, neutered cats for approximately 8 years.  One is 8 and the other is 9. 
They have slept, eaten, eliminated wastes, and pleased us together for eight
years.  All of a sudden 2 weeks ago they got into a fight that you swore was
only possible between two alley cats that had never seen each other before.  We
had to separate them and two days later they were OK with each other.  Then
again this past week end, they got into it again, knocking over many house
plants in the process.  My wife says that they need to establish their
relationship with each other all over again (she admits this is mostly wishful
thinking).  Does anyone have any experience with this type of cat behavior? 
Please post or respond by e-mail to r-boehmer@uiuc.edu.
Thanks, Ray 
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.engr.biomed,sci.engr.mech,sci.energy
From: acampane@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Angelo Campanella)
Subject: Re: COOL HEADS...   HOT HEADS
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 01:24:29 GMT

Think of it this way:

We burn about 2,000 calories per day if we only exist.
My recollection is that these are really kilocalories, kc, (heats one liter of
water one degree centigrade).

Maybe 4,000 kc if we do extraordinary physical work.

That works out to about 150 kc per hour; three per minute or 1/20th per second. 

.05 kc per second or 50 normal calories per second.

There are 4.185 joules in a calorie.

A joule is one watt-second.

Hence about 200 watts constitutes our whole body heat output at worst.

Figure 25% out of the uncovered head.

Looks like you need upwards of 50 watts of cooling power.

I rather think that even only 10 watts of cooling power would be appreciated
by any hot-headed motorcyclist....

   Ciao,
              Ang.
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Date: Tuesday, 29 Sep 1992 10:33:01 PST
From: Jon J Thaler <DOCTORJ@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Request for information

My daughter is a senior in college.  For her independent study project,
she is studying the effect of temperature on the feeding habits of insects.
She would appreciate receiving from readers of this newsgroup references
to research on this subject.

Please Email your responses to me, since I do not subscribe to this group.

Thanks in advance,
Jon J. Thaler
From: acc4636@tamsun.tamu.edu (Anthony C.)
Newsgroups: sci.bio.technology
Subject: Cetus questions.
Date: 27 Sep 92 00:12:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: tamsun.1992Sep27.001232.8290
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station

I was talking to a tech in a molecular biology lab next door the other 
day about pcr cloning.  He related a story to me that I thought was
very interesting.  He was trying to clone a fragment using PCR to
amplify it then ligate it.  The trouble was that he wasnt getting any
ligation for some wierd reason.  He called Cetus and got the runaround
from a few people who wouldnt tell him anything about the taq polymerase.
They seened very reluctant to give out anyinformation related to taq.
After he hung up he got a call from someone from Cetus who was not
one of the people he talked to.  The caller told him to look up an
article in a certain journal because it might be of use, then hung up.
When the tech looked up the article it turned out to be about how taq
sometimes gets stuck on the DNA after the PCR cycles are stopped. The
taq stays bound to the DNA with an extremely high affinity.  All
that is necessary is treatment with a proteolytic enzyme.  He did
this and immediately his ligations started working.  I was wondering
if anyone had comments about this.  Especially the reluctance of
Cetus to give him information.  I was wondering if anyone has had
similar or contradictory experiences with cetus or any other company.
From: bspahh@gdr.bath.ac.uk (Andrew Henry)
Newsgroups: sci.bio.technology
Subject: Re: Cetus questions.
Date: 2 Oct 92 13:20:12 GMT
Followup-To: bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts
Organization: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bath, UK

In the referenced article, pw@cubmol.bio.columbia.edu (Paul Wakenight) writes:
>In article <1992Sep27.001232.8290@tamsun.tamu.edu> acc4636@tamsun.tamu.edu (Anthony C.) writes:

>>He was trying to clone a fragment using PCR to amplify it then ligate it.  
>>The trouble was that he wasnt getting any ligation for some wierd reason.
...
>>The caller told him to look up an article in a certain journal because
>>it might be of use, then hung up.  When the tech looked up the article
>>it turned out to be about how taq sometimes gets stuck on the DNA after
>>the PCR cycles are stopped. The taq stays bound to the DNA with an extremely 
>>high affinity.  All that is necessary is treatment with a proteolytic enzyme.
>>He did this and immediately his ligations started working.

>Where is the journal reference?  I am interested in taq, not conspiracies.

I don't know which paper was quoted by Cetus, but one of my 
supervisors has published something which sounds similar.

TI- IMPROVED CLONING EFFICIENCY OF POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION (PCR) PRODUCTS
    AFTER PROTEINASE-K DIGESTION
AU- CROWE, JS;COOPER, HJ;SMITH, MA;SIMS, MJ;PARKER, D;GEWERT, D
JN- NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
NO- 1
PG- 184
PY- 1991
VO- 19

I'm directing followups to bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts

Andrew  Henry
bspahh@gdr.bath.ac.uk
From: pw@cubmol.bio.columbia.edu (Paul Wakenight)
Newsgroups: sci.bio.technology
Subject: Re: Cetus questions.
Date: 1 Oct 92 21:44:47 GMT
Organization: Columbia University, Biological Sciences Dept.

In article <1992Sep27.001232.8290@tamsun.tamu.edu> acc4636@tamsun.tamu.edu (Anthony C.) writes:
>I was talking to a tech in a molecular biology lab next door the other 
>day about pcr cloning.  He related a story to me that I thought was
>very interesting.  He was trying to clone a fragment using PCR to
>amplify it then ligate it.  The trouble was that he wasnt getting any
>ligation for some wierd reason.  He called Cetus and got the runaround
>from a few people who wouldnt tell him anything about the taq polymerase.
>They seened very reluctant to give out anyinformation related to taq.
>After he hung up he got a call from someone from Cetus who was not
>one of the people he talked to.  The caller told him to look up an
>article in a certain journal because it might be of use, then hung up.
>When the tech looked up the article it turned out to be about how taq
>sometimes gets stuck on the DNA after the PCR cycles are stopped. The
>taq stays bound to the DNA with an extremely high affinity.  All
>that is necessary is treatment with a proteolytic enzyme.  He did
>this and immediately his ligations started working.  I was wondering
>if anyone had comments about this.  Especially the reluctance of
>Cetus to give him information.  I was wondering if anyone has had
>similar or contradictory experiences with cetus or any other company.

Where is the journal reference?  I am interested in taq, not conspiracies.
pw
From: weed@venus.ycc.yale.edu
Subject: looking for Job: Post to "bionet" groups too
Organization: Yale Computer Center (YCC)
Date: 4 Oct 92 19:34:35 EDT

To all of the Russians/former Soviets posting here about job opprtunities:
You might also try to get these messages to the "bionet" groups, as these have
many readers who are doing research in various facets of biology and
biochemistry.  If you can't get access, I can try to dig up the E-mail address
of the person who seems to be the main administrator.
However, please don't flood me with requests, should this become necessary, as
I am an undergraduate here at Yale, and have lots of work to do.
Thanks, and good luck.
Matthew Weed
Yale/Silliman 93
From: James_S._Bright.wbst129@XEROX.COM
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: genes mapped
Date: 6 Oct 92 13:03:20 GMT
Reply-To: JBright.Wbst129@xerox.com


A Co-worker mentioned something yesterday about hearing a news report over the
weekend about a gene being mapped out. Anybody have any information they'd like
to share on this? I'd love to hear about it.

jbright.wbst129@xerox.com

disclaimer: These views are strictly my own, are not meant to represent
Xerox, its associates, my parents, my school, nor my dog's.
Newsgroups: sci.bio
From: toby@carson.u.washington.edu (Toby Bradshaw)
Subject: Re: Starfish Behavior Research
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:37:35 GMT

In article <1abgruINNemh@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> jdale@cats.ucsc.edu (Jonathan Dale) writes:
>
>I'm about to embark on an undergraduate thesis focusing on arm preference and
>decision making in starfish.  This area is interesting because starfish are
>hampered in decision making by the absence of a brain.

I would think this research area would receive high priority for funding
from the U.S. Congress, since they have the same problem as starfish.

Toby Bradshaw
Department of Biochemistry and College of Forest Resources
University of Washington, Seattle
toby@u.washington.edu



Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.skeptic,soc.men,soc.women,alt.discrimination
From: hes@unity.ncsu.edu (Henry E. Schaffer)
Subject: Re: Biological Sex Differences? ("Women only" excusable ?)
Organization: North Carolina State University
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 20:32:36 GMT

In article <1a4o9lINNf10@gap.caltech.edu> carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU writes:
>In article <1992Sep21.163339.6605@sun0.urz.uni-heidelberg.de>, gsmith@kalliope.uucp (Gene W. Smith) writes:
> ...
>> ...this ability distributed in something like a normal curve ...
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>Uh, why not?  I thought the Gaussian distribution had non-zero probabilities
>all the way out to infinity.

   I use examples like this to teach that the Gaussian/Normal
distribution can only be an approximation to the distribution of
any characteristic of biological interest.  Note that the Normal
also has non-zero probabilities way out to negative infinity, and
that I.Q. (also height, weight, ...) can't be negative.   I suspect
that gsmith used the hedging words "something like" because of this.

--henry schaffer  n c state univ