Happy Halloween!

Science Patrol is joined by radioactive space bug Megalon in wishing you the happiest of All Hallow's Eves.

Thought for the Day

Via Zom-Bot.com, a chilling reminder of the possibilities of science.

The New Sun

Carbon nanotubes are the building blocks of most potential eventualities on our radar screen. They have numerous applications in the medical and electronics fields, and Japanese scientists are currently at work adapting them into a cable for their space elevator. Despite advances in the past five years which have multiplied their strength 100 times, they will need to improve on their current strength another four times to realize this endeavor. We believe in you, Japan!

This photo by Paul Marshall was selected by National Geographic as one of the top microscopic photos of the year. We also recommend this image of the world inside mitomycin.

This image explains everything.

This should make understanding things a bit simpler. It, and many other images found here, are the work of fiction science illustrator Frank R. Paul.


A special Thank You to Frank Wu, for turning me on to the late Mr. Paul, and also for his own prolific body of work in the field of Fiction Science Imaging. (Yanos has pointed out to me that while my attention was elsewhang, he has previously blogged about Frank R. Paul and his voyages to other worlds.)

These Animals are Made Out of Meat

Wormocious has alerted us to an invasion of artistic intentions in the New York City area. A small pet shop in the West Village is selling some very strange animals in its window displays. The proprietor, known as "Banksy," could not be reached for comment.





This pet shop is especially interesting because Banksy has always done his work under the cover of anonymity. An exhibition of this size, however, would seem to require more covert planning and necessary arrangements that could possibly reveal his identity. Does he have a circle of conspirators surrounding him like a cordon of Secret Service agents, who carry out his orders to lease a space and arrange the necessary permits? Are they in fact giant rats?

Or maybe Banksy is a coalition of giant rat artists attempting to increase our awareness that we are not the only intelligent inhabitants of the cities of the world. The infection has spread across the ocean from London to America. It is said that anywhere in the world that humans have congregated, rats and crows can be found in great numbers, but they do not range more than 5 miles from these settlements without their numbers swiftly diminishing. Perhaps we should be expecting great works of art from the crow species as well.