Science Microthreads

[Catoptric]

Ego and it's tag team of confirmation bias, mixed with cognitive miser behavior (where failure to acknowledge the incongruence with wish-fulfillment, and so people would rather be too lazy to challenge their own thinking) convinces some people that they are still on the "winning team."

A Psychology book:
DENIAL - Self-Dec, False Bel, Origins Human Mind (2013) AJIT VARKI & DANNY BROWER

Though some might argue it postulates a sociological framework based on a faulty premise, of how society evolved from primordial ancestry. On the other hand, perhaps some people really do beat dead horses for pleasure; and they are just in denial about it?

[HighlyIrregular]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd725pj0g9ro

Unusual rocks discovered on Mars contain the most tantalising evidence yet of potential past life on the Red Planet.

The mudstones, found in a dusty riverbed by Nasa's Perseverance Rover, are dotted with intriguing markings nicknamed leopard spots and poppy seeds...

"We think what we've found is evidence for a set of chemical reactions that took place in the mud that was deposited at the bottom of a lake - and those chemical reactions seem to have taken place between the mud itself and organic matter - and those two ingredients reacted to form new minerals," explained Dr Hurowitz.

In similar conditions on Earth, chemical reactions creating minerals are typically driven by microbes..."We need to see these samples back on Earth," said Prof Gupta.

ChatGPT:

I can’t find any Earth-geology papers that use those exact nicknames (“poppy seeds,” “leopard spots”) for the vivianite/greigite, redox-front features now being discussed for Mars. Those two terms appear to be informal labels coined by the Perseverance team and reporters for the Jezero mudstones, not established terrestrial terminology. On Earth, the same process (early diagenetic iron- and sulfur-cycling producing vivianite and greigite) is well documented—but authors describe the textures as nodules, rims, reaction fronts, mottling, etc., not “poppy seeds” or “leopard spots.”

What Earth literature actually says (same process, different wording)

Vivianite nodules formed during early diagenesis via microbial Fe/S reduction in ferruginous sediments (freshwater & marine): large nodules and growth sequences documented; mechanism tied to microbial iron and sulfate reduction.

Greigite produced during diagenesis (often with mackinawite/pyrite, in rims or nodules; sometimes biogenic via magnetotactic bacteria): reviews and case studies describe rims, nodules, and localized fronts associated with redox changes.

Where “leopard-spot” does appear on Earth—but for a different process

Sedimentary “leopard-spot limestones” are a known term, but refer to dolomitization mottling (irregular/uneven dolomite replacing limestone), not vivianite/greigite redox fronts. Using this as an Earth analog for the Mars features would mix processes.

What the Mars sources call them (and why you’re seeing the terms)

The recent work explicitly introduces “poppy seeds” (Fe-phosphate, vivianite-like) and “leopard spots” (Fe-sulfide cores, greigite-like, with phosphate rims) as informal descriptors for Jezero mudstones; they’re not borrowed from Earth usage.

I haven't found any high-res pictures so I just enlarged the one I found, rotated it, made it a little clearer:

leopard-spots_poppy-seeds_Mars.png (952.03 KiB) Viewed 1348 times

[aether]

Comet or alien spaceship? An astrophysicist explains what we know about interstellar traveler 3I/Atlas

Confirmed as a comet, 3I/Atlas is one of only three interstellar objects we’ve detected entering our solar system. Northeastern’s Jacqueline McCleary breaks down what makes it special and what we can learn from it.

https://news.northeastern.edu/2025/09/0 ... -traveler/

[aether]

Reading about Phytomining: sustainable, plant-based method for extracting valuable metals, such as nickel, copper, and rare earth elements, from soils and contaminated sites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytomining

First saw it in this article: As demand for nickel grows, plants could help suck out vital raw materials from soil. Could this replace conventional mining that's harmful to the environment?

https://www.dw.com/en/phytomining-harve ... a-74095924

[Catoptric]

How the Brain Balances Excitation and Inhibition
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-the- ... vfQu631fMg

[aether]

https://www.chesapeakequarterly.net/V14N3/main1/

Just found out about the Baltimore Canyon. From Virginia to Newfoundland, the edge of the continental shelf is cut by more than 70 submarine canyons, including Hudson, Wilmington, and Baltimore Canyons. These are ancient river valleys (like the Hudson and Delaware) carved when sea levels were lower. They drop steeply, hundreds to thousands of meters, right off the shelf break.

The U.S. Atlantic shelf is narrower and steeper than many tropical shelves, meaning deep water lies relatively close to shore.

Ships can approach ports like New York, Norfolk, Baltimore, Charleston, and Boston without needing extensive dredging.
Those canyons also create predictable current systems that aid navigation and water exchange in harbors.

[aether]

Saturn's moon Titan just broke one of chemistry’s oldest rules

"...incompatible substances can mix on Titan’s icy surface, breaking the “like dissolves like” rule of chemistry. Under ultra-cold conditions, hydrogen cyanide can form stable crystals with methane and ethane. This surprising reaction could help explain Titan’s mysterious landscapes and offer clues to how life’s building blocks formed." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 223031.htm

Einstein’s overlooked idea could explain how the Universe really began

"Researchers have unveiled a new model for the universe’s birth that replaces cosmic inflation with gravitational waves as the driving force behind creation. Their simulations show that gravity and quantum mechanics may alone explain the structure of the cosmos. This elegant approach challenges traditional Big Bang interpretations and revives a century-old idea rooted in Einstein’s work." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 102132.htm

Even “diet” soda may be quietly damaging your liver, scientists warn

"Both regular and “diet” soft drinks may be far worse for liver health than believed. A massive study of over 120,000 participants found that consuming more than one can a day of either sugar-sweetened or low/no-sugar beverages sharply increased the risk of metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and even liver-related deaths. Surprisingly, “diet” drinks carried similar or higher risks, potentially through changes in gut bacteria and appetite regulation." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 102119.htm

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Commentary:

My reactions to Titan’s prospects for life are always as fascinating as my thoughts on Europa’s. Both worlds just keep me intrigued.

There’s always scrutiny around Einstein’s theories, constant cycles of debunking and reaffirmation. I’ve lost track of where we stand, but this latest article is pretty interesting.

I always had a feeling there was something off about all those ‘diet’ labeled products. Turns out, there usually is.

[Senseye]

Even “diet” soda may be quietly damaging your liver, scientists warn

"Both regular and “diet” soft drinks may be far worse for liver health than believed. A massive study of over 120,000 participants found that consuming more than one can a day of either sugar-sweetened or low/no-sugar beverages sharply increased the risk of metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and even liver-related deaths. Surprisingly, “diet” drinks carried similar or higher risks, potentially through changes in gut bacteria and appetite regulation." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 102119.htm

Oh dear. Imagine what happens when you mix your diet soda with booze. Like I do (and have been doing for many years). I better stop procrastinating on making a will and arranging a "pre needs" funeral.

I tend to be a bit skeptical of these studies because there are so many other lifestyle variables to consider (diet, exercise, drinking, smoking, etc.) I'm not dismissive though, I understand being a tee-totaling, vegan, exercise junkie is my best bet for a long life. Yet that lifestyle does not appeal. I try to do some good along with the bad is all.

[aether]

Oh dear. Imagine what happens when you mix your diet soda with booze. Like I do (and have been doing for many years). I better stop procrastinating on making a will and arranging a "pre needs" funeral.

Oh, I thought about trying wine with soda once but never had the nerve to. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that I quit drinking altogether, with my recently discovered deep Celtic and German ancestry, it’s no wonder I had such a fondness for booze.

Also, I guess this is what happens when you start diving back into science, you end up down the rabbit hole of cheap nutrition articles and strange ideas.

[Catoptric]

The usual MRI


fMRI is different (and I might be part of a study.)


I might also be trying out an experimental nasal spray that seems to be a modified psilocybin extract that doesn't have hallucinogenic traits and believe a lot of studies are targeting neuro-plasticity. It's intended to target social anxiety, and the fMRI study I might do is also supposed to research that (but it would probably be against the perameters of research to be taking any anti-anxiety proscription.)

Still it get's into the topic of things like Zoloft (which has a high deathrate when people pair it with opioids, since it's a benzo,) though it does seem they are still concerned if people might possibly have a genetic predisposition to mental illness in their families.

An example of some of the academic papers.

Network-pluralistic psychiatry: linking genetics, brain connectivity, and psychosocial context
https://www.academia.edu/2997-9196/2/3/ ... hWellB7805