Weak force is the subatomic interaction responsible for radioactive decay, and in particle physics, the electroweak interaction or electroweak force is the unified description of electromagnetism (electromagnetic interaction) and the weak interaction. Electromagnetism and weak interaction, along with gravity and strong interaction (the binding force of nuclei) are the four fundamental interactions in nature. Born July 5, 1946, Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard 't Hooft won a shared Nobel Prize in 1999 "for elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions". A long introduction to the birthday, I guess, but it was fun for me to learn.
Born July 5, 1867, A. E. (Andrew Ellicott) Douglass was an astronomer who discovered a correlation between tree rings and the sunspot cycle. He founded dendrochronology, the method of dating wood by analyzing the growth ring pattern. He made his first discoveries while working at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, then he moved to the University of Arizona in Tucson. There, Douglass led the effort that eventually led to a research-class telescope in Tucson and the founding of the Steward Observatory.
In the cloning process called somatic cell nuclear transfer, the nucleus (and thus the DNA) of an unfertilized egg cell is removed and is replaced with the nucleus of a donor cell. As the cell is stimulated to divide, it is implanted into a surrogate. According to what I read, the success rate of SCNT resulting in an offspring is comparatively low. But on July 5, 1996, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell was born: Dolly the sheep! Two mammals had been cloned before, but from embryonic rather than adult cells. The former have more potential for growth into other cell types (totipotency), and so the successful cloning of adult cells was a breakthrough. Dolly’s birth led to advancements in stem cell research. Dolly lived until 2003, when she developed a lung issue unrelated to her cloning.
Born July 5, 1805, English naval officer and scientist Robert FitzRoy gained a favorable reputation as a surveyor and ship commander during a hydrographic survey of Tierra del Fuego on the HMS Beagle in 1828-1830. He led a round-the-world surveying voyage of the Beagle in 1831-1836, publishing an account of the trip in 1839.
On board with FitzRoy was the 22-year-old Charles Darwin, tasked to study geology and natural history. Darwin wanted to get his father off his back about medical studies, which he did not like. Darwin, too, published a well-received account of his travels. Of course, one important stop that the Beagle made was the remote Galapagos Islands, 600 miles off the Ecuadoran coast. There, Darwin noticed interesting and unexpected variations in the characteristics of certain birds and of tortoises--observations upon which he eventually built his theory of natural selection.
FitzRoy served as governor of New Zealand in 1842-1848. During the 1850s, Fitzroy became an important innovator in meteorology. He founded the first meteorological office to provide sailors with weather information. He coined the term "weather forecast", developed and distributed a barometer for sea ports, and introduced other means of anticipating storms.
By 1859, his old friend Charles Darwin had published his epochal book, "On the Origin of Species." FitzRoy expressed regret for his contribution to Darwin's theories.
Pictures used under fair use principles.
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