my animal empire

Do we need to discover life out there ?

Do we really need to discover life in space ? What will happen when we do ? I mean , they`re not going to speak any of our languages. What happens if they are so tiny we can`t even see them or maybe they could even survive without water or oxygen .!!! What will we do if they are carnivore and could start eating us or hunting us down!
'Is science the last hope for humanity?' - continue your Science Bar debates

'Is science the last hope for humanity?' is one of the big questions in tonight's Science Bar menu. What do you think?
Life out side earth

Science has gone far beyond imaginable. There is hopes that there could be life outside earth. We can even see the past when we look into the solar system. LIght has a finite speed before people thought it was immediate.
What do you think of Science Uncovered?

Really great to see all those scientists out of the lab!
Vote for your favourite debate for Science Fight Club
Our first highlighted event for the upcoming Science Uncovered 2011 is Science Fight Club
, where pairs of scientists will duke it out for your votes. Erica McAlister, Curator of Diptera at the Museum, and Richie Abel, Imperial College London, will be facing off against each other in the first round and you can read about the topic of that bout in Erica's blog post
.

However, we want your help in deciding what else could be debated on the night. We have a few suggestions below, but let us know your favourite or suggest your own topic to help provoke intense debate on the night:
1. Should specimens be permanently locked up or available for display?
2. Should we still be collecting specimens?
3. Is it ever justifiable for us to wipe out a species?
4. Is it right to breed endangered animals in captivity?
5. Should people keep pets?
6. Which is more important to conserve: mammals or insects?
7. Should we be trying to live longer?
Once you've posted your topic or placed your vote, visit this thread
to let us know your own views.

P.S. If you want to get involved but haven't yet registered to use NaturePlus, you can get started here
.
-------------
Jonathan
Natural History Museum
All the Science Uncovered blog posts...
With one week left to go until Science Uncovered 2011, our Museum blog posts for the event are there to give you a taste of what to expect. Use the links below to read them all (and there are more to come before the event...):
- Get ready for our Science Uncovered extravaganza coming soon
  - an introduction to the event itself by Rose in our What's new at the Museum blog
  .
- There's going to be a fight tonight...
  - about the first round of Science Fight Club
  by Erica McAlister, Curator of Diptera.
- Earth 2.0
  - a provocatively SMART posting from our guest blogger David de Rothschild for the 'Losing our Principles?'
  special debate.
- Meet the beetles
  - high fashion, Science Stations
  and lots of big and beautiful beetles by Beulah Garner, Curator of Coleoptera.
- The Indonesian Coral Reef Science Station
  - find out about the giant clams and more that the Throughflow project will be exhibiting, by Lyndsey Douglas, Indian and Indo-Pacific Corals Project Officer.
Re: Science Uncovered Fight Club debates - evolution thread
Humble Bumble in the original thread
:

Looks cool! Not sure I can be in London for it but would love to be there if I am...

One thing I'd love to know is whether or not researchers ever worry if they are collecting (and, therefore, possibly killing) one of the last ever representatives of a species and thus potentially wiping it out? Particularly when they are in e.g. the Amazon rainforest and it is a bug or animal that was previously unknown to us.

From the seven you've suggested, numbers 3 and 6 would get my vote, but a few other suggestions for debate:

(As Dawkins is in the news again...) Does the strident atheism he represents do more harm than good for people's understanding of evolution?

Is it better for scientists to confront or ignore the 'anti-science' minority (e.g. Tea Party in America, anti-evolutionists, climate change deniers)? Does it damage their science if they do ignore them?

Given the economic hardships faced by many people in the world, is it right for humanity to undertake the expense of space exploration?
Hi Bumble

Just a comment on one of the suggestions for now (have to go to work). My comments in red.

You said:

“…a few other suggestions for debate:
* “Is it better for scientists to confront or ignore the 'anti-science' minority (e.g. Tea Party in America, anti-evolutionists, climate change deniers)? Does it damage their science if they do ignore them?...”

I know nothing about the ideas of the American “Tea Party”, but to equate “anti-evolution” and “climate change denying” with “anti-science” is illogical and unscientific - even somewhat insulting to reputable scientists who hold those views.

Re “climate change deniers”: I don’t think any earth scientist or meteorologist denies that the climate is changing. The question is whether human activity plays any significant part. I recently read an article about sunspots, suggesting that there is likely to be global cooling, (such as happened in the “Little Ice Age” in the 16^th-19^th centuries), because of an extreme sunspot low.

Re “anti-evolutionists”: There are many PhD scientists, (some are leaders in their field), who don’t believe in Evolution, for purely scientific reasons. It has done no harm whatsoever to their science. Many inventions and discoveries (for example, pasteurisation, and in modern times the MRI scanner) that have greatly benefited various branches of science, have been made by “anti-evolutionists”.

Cheers

D

-------- Message was edited by: Jonathan - Natureplus host Hi, I have branched your discussion from the original thread so that your debate doesn't overwhelm it. Feel free to carry on here but, as these topics can cause things to get (over-)heated, please remember to keep it civil. :)
The Science Fight Club debates - post your views here

On 23 September 2011, the Science Fight Club
debates will pit scientist against scientist and we're asking you for potential topics of debate in our other thread
... But what do you think are the answers to the questions we and others have posed already?

Should we ever wipe out a particular species? If we had to make the choice, should we conserve mammals over insects or vice versa?

Take a look at the other thread
, place your vote, and then let us know your thoughts below.

-------------
Jonathan
Natural History Museum
Coming soon, it's 'Jars, bars and life on Mars' at Science Uncovered 2011

The time is here to find out more about the upcoming Science Uncovered 2011
. We have great things planned for our free event on Friday 23 September, with more of the Museum open, more tours, more bars and more events for you to enjoy.

Over the course of the next few weeks we'll be featuring discussions and blog posts to highlight some of the night's events.

We kick off by asking for your help with our Science Fight Club
where two of the competitors, Drs Erica McAllister (our own Curator of Diptera
) and Richie Abel
(Imperial College London) are shaping up to discuss whether or not museums should still keep their collections available to the public.

You can join in now at this thread
.

In the meantime, if you have any memories, videos or photos of last year's Science Uncovered event, or burning questions about what's due to happen this year, post them below.

P.S. If this is your first time on NaturePlus, you can register here
to join in.

NaturePlus : All Content - Science Uncovered

Pet Supplies - Pet Supplies
... The Nook. Cats will be curious and budgies will be tweeting in harmony when they see just how many great products there are available. As a devoted pet owner you`ll only want the best for your pets and you like to pamper them in style. When choosing your pet supplies the products have to be of the finest quality or they simply aren`t worth considering. Therefore it must be refreshing to find a supplier of pet accessories who keeps a host of products in their store. These products come from the leading manufacturers from all around the world. You can pick up a treat bag or pick a selection of toys that will keep your furry little friend extremely happy. Maybe you are on the lookout for a new collar for your favourite feline and want her to have the best that is available. A host of pet supplies await loving pet...
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Pet Cremation - Pet Cremation
...s on into heaven. You try to cling on to the happy memories that you have of your pet and relive them time and time again in your mind. Their departure will leave a large void in your life and this immense gap will be hard to fill. To help with the grieving process it`ll be nice to give your pet a proper cremation and their ashes can be kept by you or scattered in a very special place. Dignified animal funeral services can carry out the Pet Cremation and you can rest assured that your beloved animal will be given the respect that they deserve. The funeral services can collect your precious friend from the vets or from your home if you prefer and transport them inside an animal hearse. When you feel ready a Pet Cremation can take place and you`ll get the ashes back on the same day. If you like a tribute can be...
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Horse Fencing - Horse Fencing
...ull of horses that need to be contained and are you looking for cost-effective solutions to your problems? Would you like to keep an open aspect to your fields but need to ensure the horses don`t come to any harm? If you think that traditional types of fencing are much too fixed and want to adopt a more flexible approach, Electric Horse Fencing can keep your fillies safe from harm and it won`t cause them any damage either. When you have traditional types of fencing, mares can brush-up against it and cause themselves all sorts of injuries. By installing Horse Fencing they`ll receive the slightest of shocks every time they touch the wires. This shock won`t cause them any harm, it`ll just be a reminder for them to stay within their enclosure. Many paddocks use Horse Fencing to keep there stallions inside and it proves to be a very popular product. Suppliers can...
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Pvc Granules - Pvc Granules
... industry has always been a big money spinner ? a lot of time and money is invested in to the care and training of the horses to ensure the very maximum return for the owners. More and more areas of the sport are looking to modernise where they can to help their horses stay in the peak of physical condition for their racing or equestrian events days. To aid this exercise a lot of trainers are starting to have all weather stables ? made form recycled pvc granules ? installed at their training grounds. It is not only the trainers who are looking at these all year round arenas ? many race course and events arenas are using the pvc granules too. Why even royalty have invested in an all weather pitch ? with the Princess Royal having one installed at Gatcombe Park and another has been installed at Hampton Court Palace. Their flexible pvc granules based pitches are engineered t...
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Pet Fence - Pet Fence
...lan. Pet Fences are very easy and cheap to install. This makes them an ideal and affordable method for limiting your pets to the boundaries of your home. Old traditional fences can be easily replaced to give your home a better and brighter look. Our Pet Fences will provide your pets more freedom to move around....
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Electric Dog Training Collar - Electric Dog Training Collar
...l finally have arrived. To teach your Jack Russell not to jump up every time you have visitors in your home, or to provide your Lurcher with pointers of how not to lurch, you can fit them with an electric dog training collar that can really help improve their behaviour. If you take a peek on the web at companies like Britishdog.net you`ll find people who know how to bring bad dogs back in line by providing a collection of training aids that will teach your Terrier how to behave properly. They can supply you with an electric dog training collar...
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Electric Fence - Electric Fence
...nk that an Electric Fence would seem to be a fairly harsh way to keep cattle from straying into other fields but it is actually a fairly painless way of telling livestock to stay put. An Electric Fence has been used to control animals for numerous years ever since the first examples were used way back in the 1930s. Installing an Electric Fence can save money for farmers compared to more rigid types of fencing that can prove to be rather expensive in larger fields. By installing an Electric Fence farmers can have effective means of controlling their livestock without having to upkeep and repair damaged fence panels. One of the problems with an Electric Fence is that the power might sometimes be interrupted causing the fence to fail but in general they tend to work very effectively. After an animal has touched the Electric Fence they will receive a shock and they tend to ...
Visit Electric Fence...

Dog Collar - Dog Collar
...can display a dog`s name on a tag plus an address or a contact number that can be used just in case the dog is found wandering on their own. Owners can clip a lead to the Dog Collar when they are taking their pets for a daily walk and the animal will be under their control. Yet there`s so much more to a pet accessory of this nature than meets the eye and they can be viewed as fashion accessories rather than formal items. Sure, some dog owners will buy boring old plain products but others let their imagination run wild. They can buy a funky collar that compliments their dog`s outgoing personality and a number of products can be bought that can be swapped at various times of the year. In the summer a bright and cheery collar can be worn and at Christmas a festive item can be bought. Come Halloween a spooky themed accessory can be worn around the...
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Kennel Disinfectant - Kennel Disinfectant
...ennel disinfectant is just as essential as worming tablets and flea treatments when it comes to animal welfare. If you want to keep all your kennel animals safe and well, without infection, it means using a decent kennel disinfectant that has proven to be the best, that way all your animals will be happy and content while in your care. There is one name that comes up time and time again when it comes to animal disinfectant-virkon has been proven highly effective against many, many different strains of viruses, bacteria and various fungi infections. That is why when it comes to providing hygiene for animals there is nothing else that comes close to this particular brand of kennel disinfectant. Virkon is also recognised by animal welfare groups worldwide. It is the top choice when it comes to disease prevention, its versatility provides the flexible solution for; surface, water and aerial...
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Pet Memorial - Pet Memorial
... its owner can become deeply entrenched over a set period of time. Sadly pets will only live for a certain amount of years and the sad day will come when they pass on into another life. This often leaves a distraught owner behind who can find little in the way of comfort. Their life will become an empty void and they`ll cling onto precious memories of their prized pets. Plenty of owners like to buy a Pet Memorial to help them with the grieving process. If they have buried their pet at home in the garden a Pet Memorial can be erected on the site of the grave. Other owners have their pets buried or cremated at special animal funeral services and their bodies can be buried in woodland areas on the site, or their ashes can be scattered in the grounds. A Pet Memorial can be erected within the grounds of the funeral services and the owners can visi...
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