re: Shrimp on a treadmill--the facts

morons

LINK

The grant is for $559,681.00 , not 3 million. You fricks literally just make facts up because you're too stupid and lazy to find them out for yourself!

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Low oxygen (hypoxia) is a fact of life for organisms living in coastal waters. Human influences of coastal development and pollution can further exacerbate hypoxia. Preliminary evidence suggests that crustaceans, such as shrimp and crabs, may be at particular risk from the adverse effects of hypoxia. The crustacean gill plays a critical role in respiration and blood salt regulation. The gill also serves in immune defense, where cells of the crustacean immune system (hemocytes) aggregate with bacteria that penetrate the exoskeleton, forming hard nodules that impede blood flow and, thereby, interfere with respiration. Indeed, oxygen uptake and aerobic metabolism are impaired in blue crabs and shrimp that have been injected with a sublethal dose of bacteria. The current studies test the idea that, even in coastal waters where levels of dissolved oxygen are high, the act of launching an immune defense against bacteria interferes with the ability of shrimp and crabs to engage in normal activities of swimming or feeding and that this effect will be exacerbated by environmental stress, such as hypoxia. Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, and the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, will be injected with bacteria and monitored for changes in aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, and the expression of genes that regulate metabolism. Measurements will be made on animals that are resting, exercised or exposed to hypoxia. It is expected that these studies will show that, at least among crustaceans, the immune response itself may make it more difficult for an organism to respond to hypoxic environments or to engage in significant physical activity. While engaged in this research, which addresses questions related to the health of ecologically and economically important species, these investigators will continue to teach, train and publish with students from four primarily undergraduate institutions in the US.

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Start Date: August 15, 2007
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Expires: July 31, 2012 (Estimated)
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Awarded Amount to Date: $559,681.00

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560k over 5 years = 112k/year. Probably enough for two graduate students, one post-doc, page fees, summer salary, and overhead.

bullshite. I'm against all spending.

$18,000,000,000,000.

That's 12 zeros you fricking libtard! 18 trillion dollars in debt, but what's a couple hundred million more to study pig farts and fat lesbians gonna hurt?

I bet your personal finances are in great shape if you live what you preach you fricking communist.

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Cut it out completely and it won't make a bit of difference to the deficit.

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I like how Republicans are basically ignoring the deficit now that it's been largely fixed in spite of them.

All funding for scientific research is about 1% of the total budget and you think that cutting it will make any difference? It won't.

I told them not to mess with you as well when it came to the whole "angry gay thing".

But did they listen?

You nailed them but good.

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I like how Republicans are basically ignoring the deficit now that it's been largely fixed in spite of them.

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Do you ever post anything worthwhile? Please, for everyone's sake, just STFU.

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Let's see where that money went to.

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Seriously?

Over 5 years that's 112k / yr.

The University takes about 20% for overhead expenses. That leaves about 90k a year. That covers the graduate students' stipends (15-20k a year + tuition I'm guessing). I'm betting three graduate students, maybe four - or two graduate students and a post-doc. If you look at the grant you'll see they've published several times and presented at several conferences - page fees + travel expenses will eat up the rest of it easily.



EDIT - Its a RUI grant (Research in Undergraduate Institutions) - so it probably has a couple, three or four undergrads working under it, and one or two grad students.

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The University takes about 20% for overhead expenses. That leaves about 90k a year. That covers the graduate students' stipends (15-20k a year + tuition I'm guessing). I'm betting three graduate students, maybe four - or two graduate students and a post-doc. If you look at the grant you'll see they've published several times and presented at several conferences - page fees + travel expenses will eat up the rest of it easily. 

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Ok, you've successfully debunked the whole "$3 million shrimp on a treadmill" myth. But seriously, we're $18 trillion dollars in debt, every dollar counts now. It's death by a thousand cuts with our government. Was this study really necessary?

That's the biggest problem I have with people who say, "it's only a small fraction of the budget". Death by a thousand cuts. Thousands add up to millions, millions add up to billions, and billions add up to 18 trillion.

BTW, you've got about a thousand more bullshite research grants to debunk now. You can start with the pig flatulence one.

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Was this study really necessary?

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Do you not want to fund biological research at all? Because the folks at the NSF thought it was worthwhile. NSF and other federal science grants are not easy to come by, a majority are rejected (at least it seems that way in our group :) .

It looks like the study will ultimately help us to better understand effect the "human influences of coastal development and pollution" might have on shrimp. That's kinda important because we eat shrimp and a lot of folks rely on shrimp for their living. On the other hand - if we're overprotective of shrimp populations it could hinder development by private industry. To determine the proper balance between those two interests - we need the science.
And like I've pointed out - this really isn't that big of a grant - they've published several papers and made several presentations on it, they appear to be putting the money to full use.

EDIT - One thing I think maybe you're not considering is this money not only produces science - it produces scientists. It helps undergrads and graduates get through school. This is an RUI grant so it would be heavily focussed on involving undergraduates in research. Its not just science that is being invested in - but higher education.

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BTW, you've got about a thousand more bullshite research grants to debunk now. You can start with the pig flatulence one.

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If you have an issue with an NSF grant tell me the grant number. That's the bare minimum of research that should be done before you go off saying the money is wasted

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The University takes about 20% for overhead expenses.

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Know how I know you dont work at LSU, fake PhD?

you'd actually know the number isnt 20%. FAIL #1.

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That covers the graduate students' stipends (15-20k a year + tuition I'm guessing). I'm betting three graduate students, maybe four - or two graduate students and a post-doc. If you look at the grant you'll see they've published several times and presented at several conferences - page fees + travel expenses will eat up the rest of it easily.

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People dont understand who quickly research grants get eaten up.