Pericles

Oh ok. And how would the varied mutation rates in each loci help explain the reduced genetic variation or any variation among fin whale populations for that matter? Thanks for you help and patience. EDIT: If it would help and if you want me to, I can put up more of the paper if you'd like.

Thanks for your reply. One more thing if it isn't too much trouble. There's a sentence - here - which I'm having trouble understanding How can mitochondrial loci diverge more so than nuclear loci if the samples are from the same whale?

Hey there I'm currently studying biology at university (1st year) and we have been given a scientific paper to summarise. What I need help with is finding out what 'mitochondrial and nuclear loci' are. Here's the abstract - If you could explain to me what they mean by these two terms and how they are being used in finding the genetic variation of fin whales that would be much appreciated. Thanks again.

Thanks Mokele. I was looking to either study primatology or entomology. Do you know of any good books or links on these? And I guess anything on evolution for the layman.

I need links to help me understand evolutionary biology and zoology. I'm going to start a university course in biology (I'm yet to decide what I wan't to specialise in) and I have no prior knowledge on these topics, apart from the fact that I am deeply interested in them. I took high school biology for granted and now 4 years after graduating I'm starting back at square one. All I need is basic info for an idiot: links, books, academic papers etc. Nothing too complicated just info to get me started then I will branch out into the difficult stuff. Any help, comments or support will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Have you seen his other stand-up acts as well? Both on youtube. One is called "Politics" and the other is called "Animals". Both hilarious. Haven't seen any charity gigs... I'm sort of glad after reading that. As for politically incorrect, I'd say about 80% of his show is. My kind of humour.

Prestigious? I think that is short for best dressed and well paid... BIG DEAL!

Fair call. He is quite up himself but that's what makes it funny... for me at least. Glad I could provide a laugh

hahaha some fav. quotes from IMBD: [Andy has come to see Patrick Stewart in his trailer] Patrick Stewart: I'm writing a screenplay and I find the whole process absolutely exhilarating. Andy Millman: What's yours about, if you don't mind my asking? Patrick Stewart: Well, uh - how best to explain it; you've seen me in "X-Men" ... Andy Millman: Yeah. Patrick Stewart: The character I am, Professor Charles Xavier, if you remember, he can control things with the power of his mind - can make people do things and see things, so I thought, what if you could do that for real? I mean, not in a comic book world, but in the real world. Andy Millman: Oh, all right. Patrick Stewart: So in my film, I play a man who controls the world with his mind. Andy Millman: Right. Oh, that's interesting. Patrick Stewart: Yeah. For instance, I'm walking along, and I see this beautiful girl, and I think I'd like to see her naked, and so all her clothes fall off. Andy Millman: All her - clothes fall off? Patrick Stewart: Yes, and she's scrabbling around to get them back on again, but even before she can get her knickers on, I've seen everything. Yeah. I've seen it all. Andy Millman: [pause] Okay. It's a comedy, is it? Patrick Stewart: No. It's about what would happen, you know, if these things were possible. Andy Millman: What's the story, though, what's the ... Patrick Stewart: Well, I do other stuff; like I'm riding my bike in the park, and this policewoman says "Oi! You can't ride your bike on the grass!" and I go "Oh no?" And her uniform falls off, and she goes "Ahh!" and she's trying to cover up, but I've seen everything anyway. And I get on my bike and I ride off. On the grass. Andy Millman: [increasingly uncomfortable] So it's mainly you sort of go around seeing ladies' tits? Patrick Stewart: Mainly. -------------------------------------------------- Patrick Stewart: And I do other stuff, like I go to the World Cup final, and it's Germany versus England, and I wish that I were playing, and suddenly I am, and I score the winning goal, and they carry me into the dressing room and there's Roony and Beckham and then Posh Spice walks in and ... Andy Millman: Her clothes fall off? Patrick Stewart: Instantly. Andy Millman: Sure. Patrick Stewart: And she doesn't know what's happening, but I've ... Patrick Stewart, Andy Millman: [in unison] seen everything. Andy Millman: [pause] Good. Is there a narrative at all, is there like a story in the film, or is it just ... Patrick Stewart: Well, I'm a sort of a James Bond figure ... Andy Millman: Right. Patrick Stewart: And I have to go to Iraq, to rescue these hostages. And I get there and I rescue them, but they're all women and they're naked because their clothes have rotted off. But I get them into the helicopter, and I'm flying the helicopter, but I can still sneak a look in the mirror and I can see everything, you know. One of them's bending over, two of them are kissing ... Andy Millman: They've turned lesbian. Patrick Stewart: Yeah, because they've been in the camp for so long. Andy Millman: Can happen. Well, look, good luck with that. I've just written a sitcom, but I wonder if you could give it to anyone you know, you know, in film or TV ... Patrick Stewart: Is there any nudity in it? -------------------------------------------------------------- Also if anyone is interested he makes fun of creationists / christianity. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaEj3g5GOYA

I wasn't really talking scientifically. But I guess when the bullet enters the body it liquidizes then travels to the stomach to be digested. We're talking about werewolves and vampires here... anything goes.

My only problem at the moment is that the majority of articles I've read say that the benefits of GM foods are vast and that they have the potential to solve hunger problems and create disease and pesticide resistant crops, then they turn around and say that we need to tread lightly as there are potential harms but they stop short of explaining these harms. I understand that people want to preserve natural food sources but at what cost? I know it's not as easy as that. That statement is just a convenient excuse for people who know little about GM foods. Perhaps Greenpeace instead of fighting against GM foods they could petition to bring prices down. Having small GM crops in africa that are drought resistant could help feed many villages. Is preserving a plant more important than saving a life?

Wouldn't interbreeding with natural plants change that? Also once they interbreed are those immunities that were engineered into the plants passed on? I was aware that disease protection wasn't the only instance. I was just talking specifically. Modifying vegetables to taste like chocolate is a waste of time and money.

Little JOHNNY was sitting on a park bench munching on one candy bar after another. After the 6th one, a man on the bench across from him said, "Son, you know eating all that candy isn't good for you. It will give you acne, rot your teeth, and make you fat." Little JOHNNY replied, "My grandfather lived to be 107 years old." The man asked, "Did your grandfather eat 6 candy bars at a time?" Little JOHNNY answered, "No, he minded his own f*****g business.

I was under the imperssion that crops are genetically engineered to withstand diseases that are proving troublesome. Are there any examples of GE'ed crops turning bad? I'd like to read about it.

I found an article by greenpeace that condemns the production of genetically engineered rice crops. Their main argument is that not enough is known about the effects of genetically engineered crops and the affects they may have on the environment and human health. I'm no expert but this sounds like propaganda to me. Genetically engineered crops are produced to withstand chemicals sprayed by farmers and harmful pathogens, isn't this proof enough to keep on going with it? Alot of the article goes on about how they're worried about the "GE'ed" plants interbreeding with natural ones, are there any problems with that? Here's the article: