Mariana Trench
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James Cameron found himself at the bottom of the ocean
There came a moment halfway through Deepsea Challenge 3D when I realized James Cameron's new film isn't really about exploring the depths of the ocean in the name of science. It's about James Cameron visiting the bottom of the ocean because James Cameron felt like it.
James Cameron journeys to the Challenger Deep, lives to tell the tale in 3D (video)
It's easy for life to imitate art when you're armed with near billion dollar coffers. Taking a cue from his 1989 hit, The Abyss, James Cameron made a solo plunge down to the deepest part of the Earth -- a spot seven miles below sea level known as the Challenger Deep -- and recorded his journey in 3D for our slack-jawed, couchbound amusement. The terrain, described by Cameron as both "desolate" and "lunar," is part of the Mariana Trench and had remained unexplored by humanity since the Trieste first touched down in 1960. That two man crew, hampered by the technological advancements of the time, didn't have the luxury of capturing the undersea trek, so when Cameron's footage finally hits screens, it'll be the planet's first peek at a truly alien world. Conspiracy theorists and New Age-y types will be disheartened by the lack of any reported close encounters of the aquatic or Steve Zissou kind, as the blockbuster filmmaker only spied a variety of small, whitish and, predominantly, eyeless creatures. The trip was seven years in the making, and involved the construction of the Deepsea Challenger -- the high-tech mini-sub which carted Cameron safely to the Pacific Ocean's depths and back. Curious to see what only the world's richest can experience first-hand? Then click on past the break for a brief docu-tease.
IBM scientists study deep-sea mud juice with atomic force microscope, find orchid juice (video)
The discovery of novel chemical compounds is a huge part of modern pharmaceutical research. The problem is, there aren't too many novel places left on the globe left to look. One of the least studied is at the deepest place on Earth, the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and that's just where researchers at the University of Aberdeen found some mud to play with. However, they weren't able to accurately identify the compounds found in the pile of trench goop they were analyzing. A call to scientists at IBM Zurich resulted in an opportunity to play with their atomic force microscope, a device that uses a tiny probe with a tip that actually "feels" the surface of whatever you're looking at. With this the team was able to determine the nature of the compounds being generated by bacteria in the mud: cephalandole A, also generated by the Taiwanese orchid Cephalanceropsis gracilis. Now, instead of getting your significant other a beautiful orchid for some special occasion you can fill a vase with mud and romantically explain how they both generate the same basic compounds. [Thanks, Chris]
