CHEF HERRERA

electricspacekoolaid: The Search for Alien Life in...

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:08:37 -0500

The Search for Alien Life in Infrared-Light Habitats

A new study explores the potential for photosynthetic life to persist in sun-starved, lower-energy (and invisible to our eyes) infrared light environments. And in the case of one kind of bacteria—discovered years ago, deep underwater near a hydrothermal vent—this light need not even come from the Sun.

The research aims to shed light, as it were, on how organisms could live off of the dim infrared emissions from hydrothermal vents on alien worlds. Tantalizingly, such vents are theorized to exist beneath the surface of Jupiter’s ice-covered, oceanic moon Europa.

“When we became aware of bacteria using infrared light to photosynthesize, we felt very curious about checking the photosynthetic potential with this light because this is one measure of whether life could thrive around hydrothermal vents,” said Rolando Cardenas, a physicist at Central University “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas in Santa Clara, Cuba and a coauthor of the paper published in the May issue of Astrophysics and Space Science.
The new findings suggest that photosynthetic life as we know it would struggle to flourish given the small amount of available light in hydrothermal vent environments. But organisms that could make use of lower-energy infrared light might find themselves with plenty to get by on in sunless circumstances.

In the oceans, hydrothermal vents form near underwater volcanoes where tectonic plates are moving apart at mid-ocean ridges. Hot magma that burbles up into the seabed superheats passing water that then spews out of the ocean floor, laden with minerals. The minerals precipitate out of the plume, building up chimney-like structures known as black smokers. Although these deep-sea hydrothermal vents do not sound like particularly hospitable places, the scalding billows are actually biological hot spots.

Various kinds of bacteria dine on the materials such as iron, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia belched out by the vents. These bacteria in turn support whole ecosystems around black smokers, most famously characterized by tube worms, but also home to strange snails, crabs and much more.

Eight years ago, researchers led by J. Thomas Beatty of the University of British Columbia discovered a hydrothermal vent bacterium whose livelihood requires more than just ensnaring vent-water chemicals. The bacterium, identified as belonging to the green sulfur family, needs light in order to obtain energy through a chemical reaction with sulfur. This green sulfur bacteria species, however, was found in waters some 2,400 meters (7,875 feet) deep in the Pacific Ocean, off of the coast of Mexico.

Photons of sunlight cannot beam down much past about 200 meters (660 feet) in the water column before being completely absorbed. Therefore, the bacterium must use the measly portion of geothermal light generated by hydrothermal vents to survive. This geothermal light is emitted when the erupting superheated waters rapidly cool in the surrounding, barely-above-freezing sea floor aquatic environment.

The bacterial species possesses an antenna-like structure that enables it to efficiently capture light. “It’s the only example of an organism found that is thought to live off geothermal light,” said Robert Blankenship, a professor of biology and chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis who was involved in the 2005 study. “The organism uses a giant antenna complex that allows it to live under extremely low-light conditions—it’s about the best candidate you could come up with for living off of a hydrothermal vent through the absorption of photons.”

Studying the hardy, sun-deprived life in remote areas such as hydrothermal vents is unfortunately a tricky and costly endeavor—the bacterium in question has not been re-isolated since. The new study by Cardenas and colleagues therefore turns to a mathematical model to assess the photosynthetic potential around the vents.

Read More

Hola Chef, con cuánto tiempo tengo q hacer una reservación?

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:51:41 -0500

un día antes! Marca o manda correo. 83366706, 83353680, chefherrera.reservaciones@gmail.com

Chef he estado marcando para hacer reservación en su restaurante, pero ninguno de los números que salen en internet, entra la llamada? Podría ayudarme.

Wed, 29 May 2013 16:02:37 -0500

marca despues de las 3 PM!

electricspacekoolaid: Dark Matter - “The Tip of an Iceberg of...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:24:38 -0500

electricspacekoolaid:

Dark Matter - “The Tip of an Iceberg of Another World Unrelated to Ours

Answering the observation that the dark matter particle might not be detectable at a colloquium organized by the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago, Michael Turner, a theoretical cosmologist trained in both particle physics and astrophysics who coined the term “dark energy,” said that for 20 to 30 years, this idea that dark matter is part of a unified theory has been our Holy Grail and has led to the WIMP hypothesis and the belief that the dark matter particle is detectable. “But there’s a new generation of physicists that is saying, ‘Well, there’s an alternative view. Dark matter is actually just the tip of an iceberg of another world that is unrelated to our world. And I cannot even tell you about that world. There are no rules for that other world, at least that we know of yet.

“Ten years ago,” Turner says, “I don’t think you would’ve found astronomers, cosmologists, and particle physicists all agreeing that dark matter was really important. And now, they do. And all of them believe we can solve the problem soon. It’s wonderful listening to particle physicists explain the evidence for dark matter, and vice versa –astronomers explaining WIMPs as dark matter. ”
“As cosmologists,” said Rocky Kolb, who studies the application of elementary-particle physics to the very early Universe, and is the co-author with Michael Turner of The Early Universe, the standard textbook on particle physics and cosmology, “one of our jobs is to understand what the universe is made of. To a good approximation, the galaxies and other structures we see in the universe are made predominantly of dark matter. We have concluded this from a tremendous body of evidence, and now we need to discover what exactly is dark matter. The excitement now is that we are closing in on an answer, and only once in the history of humans will someone discover it. “

“Nothing in cosmology makes sense without dark matter, says Turner. “We needed it to form galaxies, stars and other structures in the Universe. And so it’s absolutely central to cosmology. We also know that none of the particles known to exist can be the dark matter particle. So it has to be a new particle of nature. Remarkably, our most conservative hypothesis right now is that the dark matter is a new form of matter – out there to be discovered and to teach us about particle physics.”

“Dark matter is absolutely central to cosmology, said Turner, “and the evidence for it comes from many different measurements: the amount of deuterium produced in the big bang, the cosmic microwave background, the formation of structure in the Universe, galaxy rotation curves, gravitational lensing, and on and on.”

Read More

leeoonnn: Chemistry demos are the best.

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:23:17 -0500

leeoonnn:

Chemistry demos are the best.

Creo que me patearás pero quiero hacerte enojar! ¿existe la cocina de autor, o son puras mamadas??

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:14:51 -0500

Si existe; es una manera de definir aquellos restaurantes que ofrecen un menú creado por un cocinero y que expresa sus puntos de vista y estilos peculiares y que les son únicos, en contraste con un restaurante que puede ofrecer cocina netamente “italiana”, “francesa”, “hamburguesas” o “tacos”. A mí no me gusta el término y me suena bien mamón pero acepto que tiene su lógica y hay que respetar eso. “Cocina de autor” también puede traducirse como “la cocina que YO hago y que me identifica o caracteriza y que no puede definirse en otros estilos conocidos”. ¡El problema está en llegar a ese punto!

pleatedjeans: Video: How to Get Rid of Ants I had ants. So, I...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:16:50 -0600

pleatedjeans:

Video: How to Get Rid of Ants

I had ants. So, I made a video about how to get rid of ants.

No, el infierno no es tan malo como dicen.

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:24:21 -0600

No, el infierno no es tan malo como dicen.

Hola Adrian, te deseo un feliz Año 2013 cuidate un Abrazo mickael

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:41:21 -0600

igualmente Miguelito! un abrazo, los mejores deseos

Hola Chef, tienes algún menú de degustación que no lleve a la quiebra a una recién graduada?

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:25:03 -0600

300?

Hola, quiero celebrar el cumpleaños 30 de mi esposa en tu restaurante, a ella le dan sinestesias con la comida y he oído que mezclas muy bien los sabores, así que queremos ver que tal. Seríamos sólo ella y yo para este viernes en la noche, ¿hay espacio?

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:37:50 -0600

claro! a que nombre hago la reserva?

Que tal, mi novia y yo queremos ir a tu Restaurante, somos vegetarianos... tienes platillos vegetarianos? Gracias y suerte!

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:48:35 -0600

pues hay un plato con queso pero lleva chorizo. También tengo unas enchiladas de pipián pero la tortilla va pasada por fantástica manteca de puerco. Si comes mariscos, hay dos platos con camarones muy buenos. Tengo unas bolitas de queso con cuitlacoche que no llevan carne y un canelón de calabacita, jocoque y anguila que vale la pena. En última instancia, te puedo servir una cazuela de mole con tortillas.

Soy de Saltillo Coahuila ,no tuve la oportunidad de ir a verlo al congreso Guerreros del Maíz, por...

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:07:17 -0600

Soy de Saltillo Coahuila ,no tuve la oportunidad de ir a verlo al congreso Guerreros del Maíz, por que estaba trabajando , mi punto a todo esto , es que opina sobre los pseudo-criticos gastronómicos ? le hago esta pregunta por que por estos rumbos se están haciendo muy buenas propuestas en cuanto lugares para ir a comer desde pequeños establecimientos hasta grandes restaurantes, y este tipo de personas se encargan de alagar lugares al punto de ”lambiscones” o hacer comentarios que ni al caso.

Chef soy de Guanatos tengo 6 meses viviendo en Mty, y he empezado a sentir frustración total por no encontrar mas que pan con lo mismo, he ido a todooos los lugares que me han recomendado y so far nada me ha quitado el aliento...., pretendo que eso pase pronto este sábado es mi aniversario y quiero llevar a mi viejo y que nos hechize con su comida! Dicho sea de paso somos unos tragones irremediables ex-chilangos sufrimos por no encontrar la variedad de la ciudad chilangotica help! Recomendación?

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 01:03:24 -0600

yo me encargo. Reserva al 8335 36 80 o al 8336 67 06. Te voy a servir la degustación con su maridaje correspondiente. Llega con hambre. Mucha hambre.

Buena conferencia, compa

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 22:17:12 -0500

gracias!

Que bien! nos vemos por aca entonces, que divertido haha me gusta mucho su blog

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:56:07 -0500

gracias!

Vendra a ensenada a dar una conferencia, el dia 20 de septiembre?

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:15:17 -0500

todavía no se qué voy a hacer pero sí voy a andar por allá!

De parte del Sr. Ramiro Garza, ofrecerá una cena al Exmo. Sr. Shuichiro Megata, Embajador de Japón en México; y qusiéramos preguntar si podría elaborar un menú de degustación para 25 personas, para el día 28 de Agosto en la ciudad de Monterrey. En el menú debe de haber opción de cocina vegana para 3 personas. ¿Es Posible? Gracias, Jaime Quiroz, info @ operadoradebolsa com

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:18:36 -0500

oiga: cuando deje un correo y le respondan, por lo menos tenga la decencia de contestar, porque le mandé uno reportándome y nadie se molestó en regresarme el mensaje. ¿Qué se cree, que todo esto es broma?

angieiver: 2nd version

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 22:25:13 -0500

angieiver:

2nd version

algun mail de contacto personal para hacerle llegar una invitacion? o por aqui mero?

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:25:41 -0500

va: chefherrera@gmail.com