[NakedScientist (OP)]

New article posted on the site :

Dalya Rosner's latest offering, "Microchimera mixtures" discusses the theory that cells from developing babies cross into their mothers and take root in various maternal tissues where they might cause autoimmune diseases...

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/dalyacolumn7.htm

TNS

[Exodus]

What is a Chimera? One of my favourite TVRs is called a chimera and i was just wondering what it actually is?

Resident Tour Operator - The Naked Scientists

[chris]

Read the article and you'll find out !! The definition is in the first paragraph.

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[Ians Daddy]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a TVR? I read the article and couldn't piece it together.

[Donnah]

Hey, that article is really interesting!  I used to have fibromyalgia, and it exploded in my body after giving birth.

[Exodus]

quote:Originally posted by Ians Daddy

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a TVR? I read the article and couldn't piece it together.

A TVR is a british sports car, in fact its the last surviving car manufacturer that is totally british (i.e. not owned by Ford). The car below is a TVR Cerbera, (not a Chimera) but i should own one at some point in the distant future.




Resident Tour Operator - The Naked Scientists

[chris]

They also go very fast - 200 mph

A friend (who is a surgeon) owns one. Last Christmas at 3am he went for a test drive on the M5 from Exeter at 150 mph. He was too nervous to go any faster !

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[Exodus]

Cerbera 4.5 #150; Engine 4.5
4475cc alloy V8 engine

Capacity:   
4475 cc

Max Power:   
420 bhp @ 6750 rpm

Max torque:   
380 ft.lbs @ 5500 rpm

0 to 60 mph:   
3.9 secs

0 to 100 mph:   
8.3 secs

0 to 150 mph:   
17.9 secs

Maximum:   
195 mph

The Cerbera brings the type of performance to everyone that has previously only been experienced by racing drivers. In all its variants, the Cerbera is one of the fastest cars on the market, thanks to its remarkably light honeycomb composite bodywork and race derived range of TVR engines. Available with the same Speed Six that is be found in the Tuscan and Tamora or the Speed Eight that propels the world's fastest one-make race series cars of the TVR Tuscan Challenge. Massive AP racing brakes all round haul the Cerbera down from speed rapidly, smoothly and repeatedly without fade and a new for 2002 suspension set up has been tuned to give improved traction and ride at the same time as high-speed body control. Also new is the Red Rose conversion for the 4.5, which develops a colossal 440 bhp in order to propel the Cerbera beyond 200 mph.

NICE!

Resident Tour Operator - The Naked Scientists

[Ians Daddy]

Damn, I've got a new dream car! Thanks for the info and the picture. That is a remarkable car. I love British cars. I've always wanted a Jaguar and in high school, I drove an older (1968) Triumph TR6. It leaked like a sieve. Is the TVR associated with Triumph? Are thay available in the states? What kind of price tag do they have? I'm on a mission now.
 
To quote, "in fact its the last surviving car manufacturer that is totally british (i.e. not owned by Ford)." Does this mean Ford owns Jaguar?

[Exodus]

Ford owns Jaguar and Aston Martin, they also own land rover too, there are others i think. The TVR is an awesome car, you should know the Dodge Viper? well the TVR was 2 seconds quicker over a standing mile, it did it in 29 seconds. That was only the 4.2 litre model too.


For one of these babies with a few of the mod cons... that'll be £50,000 please.

Resident Tour Operator - The Naked Scientists

[Ians Daddy]

I drive a Ford now and if the Jaguar's are made anything like 'em, I'll pass on that. It's a true shame to see good companies bought out by "mass producers". That's what's happened to the Harley Davidson....Mass production. Ownership of certain things used to be something you strived for and put you in an exclusive club. Now, any fat executive can hop on a Harley and any spoiled kid can ride around in a Jag. Almost like birth rights. Not that status makes the person, I just like a challenge and a goal....something to achieve as opposed to simply aquire.
Now, TVR is something I can work towards. I'm not sure what the exchange rate would be for 50,000lbs, but I get the feeling that I'll have to work awhile for that one.
Thanks.

[Donnah]

Ronnie, better make that £100,000 to cover the price of parts, if you can even find a mechanic that can work on it (although I agree it's a sweet looking car).  Aren't U.S. mechanics still using Imperial measure for their tools?  British are metric, I think, and Canadian mechanics have both.

I generally buy Chevrolets since parts are readily accessible (and relatively cheap), but I do love Ford's Mustang, which is what I drive now.  Can anyone guess what my car's name is?  What does everyone else drive?

[Ians Daddy]

Yup, U.S. mechanics are still using standard, or Imperial. I belive most have metric knowledge with all the foriegn cars around.
Right now I drive a Ford Truck. Being a contractor, I have to haul some heavy loads to job sites. However, I'm setting my sites on an older Jeep so my boys and I can be boys.
I drove 2 mustangs...one's name was freckles due to all the rust spots. I didn't name the other. I'll bet yours is "Sally".

[Donnah]

You must listen to the same music that I do.

[Ians Daddy]

I love music. I like all kinds. I love everything from Tool to Tchaikovski, Abba to Zebra, Prince to Pavoratti(sp), Obscure to mainstream...you name it. I especially love the older soul ie Mustang Sally, etc.

[Donnah]

Then try listening to www.ckua.org for variety.  They have everything - Wide Cut Country - Friday Night Blues Party - Voices in Jazz - Tin Roof Radio.

[Ians Daddy]

Cool, thanks...I love college radio and NON-clear-channel stations.

[dalya]

Hey I am so glad someone asked what a chimera is because I cut it out of the article because it really didn't fit and it really killed me to do that.  This is the uncool version of what it is:

A chimera was this hideous monster from Greek mythology.  It had the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a serpent, breathed fire and snacked on humans -basicly a dragon. Bellerophon finally killed it while riding his winged horse Pegasus.  A somewhat minor incident that Homer reported, but it's had great etymological significance -the word chimera has been adopted into english to describe many sorts of hybrids -and incidentally, by that measure, it is ironic that Bellepheron killed the Chimera while riding a chimera.  In general, 'chimera' stills retains some sense that the hybrid is monstrous, though this is lessening since scientists have incorporated the word as standard in their jargon.  Does that mean that microchimeric individuals are monstrous or have a monster in side of them?  Or is that taking vocabulary just a bit too far?

Why was the car named Chimera -did they paste bits of different designs together or did they just think it was a cool name?