Science

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  • False Positives: Genes Have No Meaningful Relationship To Economic Decisions And Political Attitudes

    Science 2.0
    News Account
    16 May 2012 | 9:32 am
    Around election season, in whatever country you are in (assuming you have elections) you can tell True Believers in their earnest politics truly wish the other side could be labeled as having defective brains and genetics and therefore be cured - or at least sterilized.  read more

  • The Cambridge Phenomenon

    Sciencebase Science Blog
    David Bradley
    14 May 2012 | 8:54 pm
    Just received a copy of The Cambridge Phenomenon by Kate Kirk and Charles Cotton with a foreword by Bill Gates that gives us a timeline of the evolution of Silicon Fen over the last half century. You can see a timeline on the associated website. From the first home computer to the ARM chip in almost every mobile phone, from the sequencing of the human genome to the development of ‘magic bullet’ drugs, ideas developed by the technology cluster in Cambridge have changed the world in which we live: Over 20 billion ARM based chips shipped, found in almost all the world’s mobile…

  • How Can Your Eye Color Determine Skin Diseases?

    DNAnews.org
    Asseth
    10 May 2012 | 1:02 am
    Several years ago, a branch of science, specifically in the medical science had found clues about pigmentation of the eyes being linked to certain illness and diseases. However, today’s discovery pointed out not the pigmentation alone but the color of the eyes itself. Medical DNA in its simplest essence is the applications of information about DNA towards [...]

  • Talking to Dolphins: New "Dolphin Speaker" Produces Full Range of Dolphinese Sounds

    Popular Science
    Rebecca Boyle
    16 May 2012 | 9:15 am
    So Long and Thanks For All the Fish U.S. Navy photo by Veronica Birmingham Communication with dolphins is getting better all the time - they've been using iPads, for one thing, and humans have been working on a type of Rosetta Stone-like two-way translation device. A new gadget could improve matters even further, by allowing humans to produce the full range of dolphin sounds. The acoustics researchers who developed it call it the Dolphin Speaker. Plenty of work is being done with dolphin sounds, but they have mostly focused on dolphin vocalizations and their hearing anatomy. Dolphins can not…

  • She’s lost control

    Mind Hacks
    vaughanbell
    15 May 2012 | 7:38 am
    An article in Slate claims to have detectected a ‘logic hole’ in how much sympathy we feel for people with mental illness as both psychopathy and autism are ‘biological disorders’ that people ‘can’t help’ but we feel quite differently about people affected by them. The ‘logic hole’, however, doesn’t exist because it is based on misunderstanding of the role of neuroscience in understanding behaviour and a caricature of what it means to have ‘no control’ over a condition. Here’s what the article claims: In the piece…
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    Scientific American

  • Track Record: Do Major Urban Subway Networks Evolve along Similar Patterns?

    15 May 2012 | 8:15 pm
    No two subway systems have the same design. New York City’s haphazard rail system differs markedly from the highly organized Moscow Metro (above), or the tangled spaghetti of Tokyo ’s subway network. Each system’s design is the result of many factors, including local geography, the city’s layout and traffic distribution, politics, culture and degree of urban planning. [More]

  • Not-So-Quick Fix: ADHD Behavioral Therapy May Be More Effective Than Drugs in Long Run

    15 May 2012 | 6:30 am
    Before stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall began their rise to popularity in the 1970s, treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focused on behavioral therapy. But as concerns build over the mounting dosages and extended treatment periods that come with stimulant drugs, clinical researchers are revisiting behavioral therapy techniques. Whereas stimulant medications may help young patients focus and behave in the classroom, research now suggests that behaviorally based changes make more of a difference in the long-term. [More]

  • In Search of the Best (Energy) Ideas: A Q&A with ARPA-E's Arun Majumdar

    10 May 2012 | 8:01 pm
    The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA–E) works on a three-year cycle: Funded projects have three years to prove worthy--or not. Program directors who help fund projects such as Plants Engineered to Replace Petroleum ( PETRO ) or Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation ( BEEST ) have three years to steer the research. And, after three years at the helm as the founding director of ARPA–E, mechanical engineer Arun Majumdar has announced that he will be stepping down in June. [More]

  • Ancient Time: Earliest Mayan Astronomical Calendar Unearthed in Guatemala Ruins

    10 May 2012 | 2:01 pm
    An excavation of an archaeological site in Guatemala has uncovered Mayan astronomical records dating to the ninth century A.D. The tabulated numbers, which predate existing Mayan astronomical documents by several hundred years, chart the motion of the moon and also seem to relate to the orbits of Mars and Venus. (And good news: they do not predict the world will end this year --in fact, some of the numbers appear to refer to dates far in the future.) [More]

  • Climate Forecasting: A Break in the Clouds

    10 May 2012 | 11:15 am
    By Jeff Tollefson of Nature magazine [More]
 
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    Popular Science

  • The Pentagon is Investing Millions to Advance the Future of 3-D Printing Tech

    Clay Dillow
    16 May 2012 | 1:24 pm
    President Obama's nationwide push for innovation in manufacturing reaches across agencies from the National Science Foundation to the Department of Energy, and now it's reaching all the way into the Pentagon where $60 million is being set aside for investment in 3-D printing technologies. The DoD will fund a network of agencies, academic institutions, and companies to build on 3-D printing tech with the overarching goal of building aerospace and weapons technology faster. Of that $60 million, half will be allotted to researchers between now and fiscal 2014, with more than half of that--some…

  • Video: In Breakthrough Study, Paralyzed Patients Move a Robotic Arm With Their Own Thoughts

    Rebecca Boyle
    16 May 2012 | 12:15 pm
    Moving the Arm With the BrainGate interface, patient S3, who is paralyzed from the neck down, moved a robotic arm toward a coffee cup, grasped it and was able to take a drink. It was the first time in 15 years that she was able to drink her coffee on her own. braingate2.orgThe most complex brain-computer interaction yet Concentrating deeply, Cathy Hutchinson stared at the tumbler of coffee on the table in front of her wheelchair. A cup-shaped dome on her head powered her small neural implant, capturing signals from her motor cortex as she thought about holding the mug. Slowly, the robot arm…

  • Gray Matter: In Which I Play With White Phosphorus

    Theodore Gray
    16 May 2012 | 11:15 am
    Unsavory Element White phosphorus creates an eerie flickering light on Theodore Gray's gloved hand. He will show this and other experiments on NOVA's Hunting the Elements , airing April 4 on PBS. Mike WalkerOne of the nastiest substances on Earth creates a beautiful glow Being a mad scientist can be a thankless job, but every once in a while you get a chance to shine-literally. I recently had that opportunity when working with a TV show to film one of the most beautiful of all chemical phenomena, the cold luminosity of white phosphorus. White phosphorus, an uncommon form of the element, is…

  • Virgin Atlantic Now Allows Cell Phone Calls on Transatlantic Flights

    Clay Dillow
    16 May 2012 | 10:20 am
    Virgin Atlantic's Airbus A330 Virgin's new Airbus A330-300 models flying between NYC and London will allow callers to make cell phone calls. Matthew McNulty via WikimediaConsider your serenity shattered It was bound to happen and we can't say we're surprised that the forward-leaning Virgin Atlantic is the one doing it. As of yesterday passengers aboard Virgin's new Airbus A330-300 aircraft flying London-NYC routes can use their cell phones to make calls from 35,000 feet. Customers will also be able to send text messages and access the Web via GPRS. The only restrictions on usage will be…

  • Talking to Dolphins: New "Dolphin Speaker" Produces Full Range of Dolphinese Sounds

    Rebecca Boyle
    16 May 2012 | 9:15 am
    So Long and Thanks For All the Fish U.S. Navy photo by Veronica Birmingham Communication with dolphins is getting better all the time - they've been using iPads, for one thing, and humans have been working on a type of Rosetta Stone-like two-way translation device. A new gadget could improve matters even further, by allowing humans to produce the full range of dolphin sounds. The acoustics researchers who developed it call it the Dolphin Speaker. Plenty of work is being done with dolphin sounds, but they have mostly focused on dolphin vocalizations and their hearing anatomy. Dolphins can not…
 
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    Futurity.org

  • Time of year matters for vitamin D risk

    Leila Gray-UW
    16 May 2012 | 1:32 pm
    U. WASHINGTON (US) — When considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. The threshold amount for older patients’ vitamin D levels has become controversial as several scientific societies set different targets. But a new study at the University of Washington supports recent recommendations for a lower threshold level, considerably lower than the recommendations of other expert panels.

  • Mammals may not get to cool climates in time

    Sandra Hines-UW
    16 May 2012 | 10:44 am
    U. WASHINGTON (US) — Nine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. A new study is the first to consider whether mammals will actually be able to move to those new areas suitable for mammals before they are overrun by climate change. Carrie Schloss, University of Washington research analyst in environmental and forest sciences, is lead author of the paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

  • Why parents can’t rely on video game ratings

    Mike Ferlazzo-Iowa State
    16 May 2012 | 10:25 am
    IOWA STATE (US) —Not all E-rated video games are created equal. New research indicates content matters more than ratings when it comes to effects on kids. The findings come from three studies, one of which is the first experimental study on children (ages 9-14) comparing the short-term behavioral effects of playing prosocial, neutral, and violent video games.

  • Top-educated women picking family track

    Bert Gambini-Buffalo
    16 May 2012 | 9:43 am
    U. BUFFALO (US) — More older, highly educated women are choosing to have a family, but it remains unclear whether they are having children in addition to—or instead of—careers. While it is still too early to be certain, research clearly shows fertility rising for older, highly educated women since the 1990s. (Fertility is defined as the number of children a woman has had.) Childlessness also declined by roughly 5 percentage points between 1998 and 2008.

  • Images show risk of sudden heart failure

    Ellen Goldbaum-Buffalo
    16 May 2012 | 9:32 am
    U. BUFFALO (US) — Doctors may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).ICDs are used to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in patients with advanced heart disease, but many patients’ devices are never triggered. New research suggests that imaging the loss of nerve function in the heart may identify those patients at greatest risk of developing a life-threatening arrhythmia.
 
 
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    Science 2.0

  • False Positives: Genes Have No Meaningful Relationship To Economic Decisions And Political Attitudes

    News Account
    16 May 2012 | 9:32 am
    Around election season, in whatever country you are in (assuming you have elections) you can tell True Believers in their earnest politics truly wish the other side could be labeled as having defective brains and genetics and therefore be cured - or at least sterilized.  read more

  • Be A Sexy Jerk: Nice Guys Finish Last In Reproduction Too

    Hank
    16 May 2012 | 4:30 am
    Females like the bad boys when they are young, we all know that colloquially - and even more so when they are ovulating, say a group of social and evolutionary psychologists. read more

  • Hatchery Salmon Versus Wild Salmon

    News Account
    16 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    A group of studies says that salmon raised in man-made hatcheries can harm wild salmon through competition for food and habitat. Salmon, which survived millions of years of evolution, are in danger from...salmon.The studies provide new evidence that fast-growing hatchery fish compete with wild fish for food and habitat in the ocean as well as in the rivers where they return to spawn and even raises questions about whether the ocean can supply enough food to support future increases in hatchery fish while still sustaining wild salmon.  read more

  • Eminent Squid Scientist Retires

    Danna Staaf
    15 May 2012 | 11:22 pm
    My very first mentor in cephalopod research was Eric Hochberg at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. I think I was seventeen when he welcomed me into the museum's secret catacombs (at least, that's how I thought of them) of preserved specimens. Awe washed over me as I stared at shelves upon shelves of jarred octopuses.Eric introduced me to the California pygmy octopus, Octopus micropyrsus, which would proceed to fascinate me for the rest of my undergraduate career. I saw more of them in jars than I ever did alive, though I kept doggedly digging through kelp holdfasts trying to…

  • Is The Government Putting Medical Ethics At Risk?

    Hank
    15 May 2012 | 1:47 pm
    A short while ago we carried a strange claim from a group of ethicists at Oxford.  Not only should abortion be okay, actual children should be aborted even after they are born.They're ethicists so they can be dismissed rather quickly. Tomorrow they are just as likely to be arguing there should be no abortion at all if you can't abort newborns.  Yet there is growing concern that the government doing more things for more people in the best interests of overall society is leading to a resurgence in the social authoritarian rationalizations that gripped the country (and really, the…
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    Sciencebase Science Blog

  • Some of our dark matter is missing

    David Bradley
    16 May 2012 | 10:40 am
    I wrote about the missing dark matter debacle back in April for my Pivot Points column in The Euroscientist. The post is now online. There has been much debate as to whether or not the evidence stacks up against this truly unknown quantity that we cannot touch, see, or measure. I talked to Christian Moni-Bidin of the University of the Conception, Chile, who has demonstrated that one of the predictions for dark matter simply fails in his team’s detailed observations. “There seems to be a rapidly increasing evidence that things could not be as we thought,” Moni-Bidin told me.

  • The Cambridge Phenomenon

    David Bradley
    14 May 2012 | 8:54 pm
    Just received a copy of The Cambridge Phenomenon by Kate Kirk and Charles Cotton with a foreword by Bill Gates that gives us a timeline of the evolution of Silicon Fen over the last half century. You can see a timeline on the associated website. From the first home computer to the ARM chip in almost every mobile phone, from the sequencing of the human genome to the development of ‘magic bullet’ drugs, ideas developed by the technology cluster in Cambridge have changed the world in which we live: Over 20 billion ARM based chips shipped, found in almost all the world’s mobile…

  • Can Rutaesomn decaf your body? #herbal

    David Bradley
    11 May 2012 | 8:22 am
    UPDATES: The makers of the product commented below and also emailed me some of their studies. They say: “Regarding the dose, our target was to be safe as well as effective. We did an internal review of all the available studies and combined them with our own studies on human liver cells in our lab. We chose a dose that was still effective for CYP1A2 induction (for caffeine metabolism) but under the effective doses for other physiological effects such as antiplatelet effects and vasorelaxant effects to avoid adverse reactions popping up. Rutaecarpine’s most potent effect (lucky for…

  • Wellcome to Brains

    David Bradley
    10 May 2012 | 3:26 pm
    As I was in London earlier this week for the Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist exhibition opening at The Queen’s Gallery it seemed churlish not to take in the Wellcome Collection’s fascinating Brains exhibition too, which dovetailed nicely with the bizarre view that Leonardo and his contemporaries had of brain structure. Anyway, here’s the exhibition’s video trailer, and yes they do have some samples of Einstein’s brains. Apparently, he wanted to be cremated but someone took his brain and donated it on his behalf to science. Brains is free entry and runs until 17th…

  • Buck House, Queeny, classically speaking brains and book publishers

    David Bradley
    10 May 2012 | 11:20 am
    So, as I was saying, I was at Buck House earlier this week. I know, you’re thinking the knighthood is well over due, but I’m afraid I was only there for breakfast, not with Liz and Phil, but with Rachel Woollen, Martin Clayton and others from the Royal Collection and fellow blogging types, including Tim Jones, Jo Geenan of Visit London, and iPad app creator Max Whitby of TouchPress. The “Bloggers’ Breakfast” was a nice excuse to see the new Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist collection and to try out the accompanying iPad app created by Whitby and colleagues. A…
 
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    Newswise: SciNews

  • Psychological Science Convention in Chicago: Music in the Mind, Mental Health, Learning and More

    Association for Psychological Science
    16 May 2012 | 1:00 pm
    More than 4,000 psychological scientists, academics, clinicians, researchers, teachers, and administrators from 85 countries will gather in Chicago for the Association for Psychological Science's 24th annual convention May 23-27, 2012 at the Sheraton Chicago. A concert with a former guitarist from the Black Eyed Peas and a five-time Grammy Award winning bassist will share the stage with musically talented scientists to discuss and explore music and the mind. Scientists will also present cutting-edge research on topics including: autism, ADHD, and the newest clinical treatments for mental…

  • Genome Research Reveals Key Behind One Butterfly's Ability to Mimic Another

    Boston University College of Arts & Sciences
    16 May 2012 | 1:00 pm
    An international consortium of researchers, including Boston University Assistant Professor of Biology Sean Mullen, has discovered promiscuous sharing of large regions of DNA code among species by sequencing the genome of a South American butterfly.

  • Researchers Make Promising Discovery in Pursuit of Effective Lymphoma Treatments

    NYU Langone Medical Center
    16 May 2012 | 12:15 pm
    Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have identified a target for slowing the progression of multiple myeloma by using currently available drugs.

  • UW Plant Breeders Develop an Even Heart-Healthier Oat

    University of Wisconsin-Madison
    16 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    University of Wisconsin-Madison plant breeders have developed a new oat variety that's significantly higher in the compound that makes this grain so cardio-friendly.

  • Does Time Exist? Perimeter's Public Lecture on June 6

    Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
    16 May 2012 | 9:30 am
    "Is it the weekend yet?"... "Time flies!" ... "There aren't enough hours in a day!" - these are all phrases we hear often, and sometimes say ourselves. But what if time didn't exist? What if we lived in a world free of alarm clocks, appointment times, and calendars?
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    Digg Science News

  • 6 Scientific Advances Courtesy of Reckless Self-Endangerment

    Digg
    16 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    It turns out that even science isn't always an exact science. There are plenty of white-coated professionals throughout history who spat in the face of empirical research and just injected themselves with shit to see what would happen.

  • 25 Photos of Astronauts Eating in Zero Gravity

    Digg
    16 May 2012 | 9:57 am
    Thanks to what we can only assume is a covert robot uprising, a manned space voyage is a rarity in modern times. Fortunately, the excitement of strapping scientists to rockets like Wile E. Coyote will never die, and a three-man Soyuz capsule departed from Kazakhstan, yesterday. It’s destination is the International Space Station. In honor of this brave and solemn explorers, we found silly pictures of astronauts (and cosmonauts) eating in zero gravity to commemorate this important, ultra-serious moment. We’ve come a long way since John Glenn was given a tube of applesauce in space just to…

  • Poll Shows 74% of Americans Support Medical Marijuana

    Digg
    16 May 2012 | 9:00 am
    National Poll Reveals Unpopularity of Obama Administration Interference In Medical Marijuana States. In a just-released poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, three quarters of American voters -- 74 percent -- want the Obama administration to respect individual state medical marijuana laws.....

  • Star Clusters & Dark Galaxies Orbiting the Milky Way

    Digg
    15 May 2012 | 12:49 pm
    The brilliant star cluster NGC 2100 lies in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. This image was taken with the EMMI instrument on the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. This star cluster lies close to the Tarantula Nebula and some of the colourful outer parts of the nebula appear in this image. The smaller cluster, close to the right-hand edge of the picture and just below centre, is NGC 2092.

  • NASA Continues J-2X Powerpack Testing (video)

    Digg
    15 May 2012 | 7:30 pm
    NASA conducted a long duration test of the J-2X powerpack, 340 seconds total, at the Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi on May 10, marking another step in SLS development, the next-generation rocket that will carry humans deeper into space than ever before.
 
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    Wired

  • Paralyzed Woman Controls Robotic Arm With Her Mind

    Sarah Jane Keller
    16 May 2012 | 12:15 pm
    Two stroke victims unable to move or speak can now control a robotic arm with their minds. By thinking about moving her own paralyzed arm, one woman in the experiment used an artificial limb to serve herself coffee for the first time in 15 years. It’s the most complex task yet achieved with a brain-computer interface. “When the woman with the brain stem stroke reached out for that thermos of coffee and put it to her mouth and then she put it back down, the smile on her face was remarkable,” said Brown University neurologist and engineer Leigh Hochberg, who led the study published…

  • Tracking Ocean Sulfur Could Help Test Gaia Hypothesis

    Wired UK
    16 May 2012 | 9:50 am
    By Duncan Geere, Wired UK Geologists at the University of Maryland have published research that could help prove or disprove Gaia theory — the notion that the Earth is one single self-regulating system. The concept dates from the 70s and was initially formulated by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis. It proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings comprise a single system that maintains the conditions for life on Earth. It was initially met with skepticism from the scientific community, and remains somewhat controversial, but is now an important area of research in Earth…

  • World’s Subways Converging on Ideal Form

    Brandon Keim
    15 May 2012 | 6:09 pm
    Sample of subway network structures from (clockwise, top left) Shanghai, Madrid, Moscow, Tokyo, Seoul and Barcelona. Image: Roth et al./JRSI After decades of urban evolution, the world’s major subway systems appear to be converging on an ideal form. On the surface, these core-and-branch systems — evident in New York City, Tokyo, London or most any large metropolitan subway — may seem intuitively optimal. But in the absence of top-down central planning, their movement over decades toward a common mathematical space may hint at universal principles of human self-organization.

  • Power Postures Can Make You Feel More Powerful

    Danielle Venton
    15 May 2012 | 12:30 pm
    Amy Cuddy (here in the Baker Library at Harvard) discovered that the way you sit can actually change your cortisol levels. Photo: Guido Vitti Also in this issue The Man Who Makes the Future How to Spot the Future The Rise of the Robot Reporter Sit up straight and listen: Amy Cuddy has a plan to help you change your life. And it’s easy. The Harvard psychologist recently completed a study demonstrating that positioning our bodies a certain way doesn’t just tell people we’re powerful, it actually makes us more powerful. And she has the data to prove it: Standing tall directly…

  • Startup Company Raffles a Ticket to Space

    Dave Mosher
    15 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    A new startup company’s $10 space posters come with a chance to win a ride on a suborbital space vehicle. Called ”I Dream of Space,” the company is selling 25,000 posters at $10 apiece, the proceeds of which should cover a $200,000 ride on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo or a $95,000 seat on XCOR Aerospace’s Lynx, plus some profit for the company’s founders. No spaceflight company has yet made a commercial flight, and it could be years before they do, but that day is approaching. “Given the kind of progress we’re seeing with these companies, and…
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    Neuromarketing

  • Finally: 2012 Super Bowl Ad Neuro-Rankings

    Roger Dooley
    15 May 2012 | 10:04 am
    Every year, we look forward to how the Super Bowl ads stacked up from a neuromarketing standpoint, courtesy of Sands Research. It’s taken a little longer this year, but the results are in! Pepsi Dominates One company, Pepsi, swept the top two spots this year. Their “Kings Court” and “Pepsi Max Checkout” ranked #1 and [...]   CommentsWhich one is the “Brotherhood of Man” ad? I thought that ... by RezwanThe precision of determining an actual emotion (vs. magnitude ... by Roger DooleyI wonder if they have the ability to differentiate between ... by A.

  • Our Brains Make Facebook Worth $90 Billion

    Roger Dooley
    10 May 2012 | 1:03 pm
    Those of us involved in social media know that people love to talk about themselves. They seemingly enjoy sharing the trivial, the personal, and occasionally the weird, details of their lives. Sometimes they overshare – as a longtime online community builder, I’ve found that “poster’s remorse” is common – people post something too personal and [...]   CommentsThis reminds me of Dale Carnegie's principles, and the number ... by SamuelI've always been curious as to why people answer questions at ... by JamesNoting though that all individuals are a…

  • Does Your Domain Say “Trust Me?”

    Roger Dooley
    9 May 2012 | 6:38 am
    Do web searchers pay attention to the domain where the link in the search results leads them? A few years ago, I would have said “no.” For years, I’ve operated or advised websites that ranked at or near the top for various brand names, and found many users assumed the site WAS that brand. Even [...]   Comments[...] in No TimeBuild Trust With Your Domain NameThis week, one ... by Red Paper Clip » Build Trust With Your Domain Name » Red Paper Clip[...] on http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com Share ... by Does Your Domain Say “Trust Me?” « Things I grab,…

  • When Encouragement Can Hurt Your Child

    Roger Dooley
    2 May 2012 | 6:54 am
    Here’s another rare foray into neuro-parenting. In How to Praise Your Child, I described research that showed telling your child he/she is smart could actually backfire and have negative effects on performance. It turns out there’s another kind of encouragement that can hurt performance rather than improve it. Group vs. Individual New research published in [...]   CommentsI agree. I believe praising the effort is the better thing to ... by frivWhat's really going in a situation like this? Could telling a ... by SamuelI have found comparing a child's progress to other groups…

  • Neuromarketing Proof? UCLA Brain Scans Predict Ad Success

    Roger Dooley
    27 Apr 2012 | 6:55 am
    For years neuromarketing firms have been selling their services to help advertisers optimize TV commercials, product packaging, and other media. While these companies all claim success in helping their clients boost sales, there’s been little in the way of published academic research that demonstrates measuring consumer brain activity can reliably predict subsequent behavior. A new [...]   CommentsAmazing how little we really know about how our brains work. I ... by Samuel[...] [3] ... by Open science « Isabellemitchell's BlogRoger, exactly my point: It all depends on the…
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    Games with Words

  • Since one can't be snarky in a response to a review...

    GamesWithWords
    7 May 2012 | 10:47 am
    I'll do it here. I am currently revising a paper for resubmission. On the whole, the reviews are fairly reasonable, with the exception of one cranky comment from a reviewer who complains that our literature review is woefully incomplete. This incompleteness seems to be our failure to cite one particular study. The reviewer writes It is possible that this work is flawed, but it really should be discussed. It does seem to be a relevant study and we would have cited it, had we known about it. Why didn't we know about it? Because it has never been published. It hasn't even been presented at any…

  • The Psychologist on Replication

    GamesWithWords
    19 Apr 2012 | 10:47 am
    The Psychologist solicited opinions on the importance of replication from a number of researchers, including yours truly. See a preview here.

  • Eadweard J. Muybridge & Google Doodle

    GamesWithWords
    8 Apr 2012 | 11:57 pm
    Today's Google Doodle is a fantastic tribute to Muybridge. I haven't found a permalink, but people looking after today can find it archived in a fashion on youtube.

  • Point-light walkers

    GamesWithWords
    23 Mar 2012 | 11:37 am
    By far the best point-light walker demonstration I've seen is at biomotiolab.ca. I'm classifying this as an illusion (see post label) because, of course, point-light walkers aren't really walking people -- they are just a few white dots moving around the screen. Comparing the male and female versions is particularly fun if you've ever wondered what exactly it is that makes for a stereotypical male or female stride. It also appears that there is an experiment you can participate in if you want to help with this kind of research.

  • Fair Use & FedEx

    GamesWithWords
    21 Mar 2012 | 5:36 pm
    And now for something completely different:One private citizen's trials and travails trying to convince FedEx to print posters. I have wanted a map of Hong Kong on my wall for some time. The Survey & Mapping office of the Hong Kong government helpfully provides some free maps for public use on their website. You will notice how the website helpfully includes a "free maps"logo, along with a copyright notice forbidding only commercial use of the map. Presumably they thought this was a good way of providing some publicity for the Special Administrative District. They did not take into…
 
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    Mind Hacks

  • She’s lost control

    vaughanbell
    15 May 2012 | 7:38 am
    An article in Slate claims to have detectected a ‘logic hole’ in how much sympathy we feel for people with mental illness as both psychopathy and autism are ‘biological disorders’ that people ‘can’t help’ but we feel quite differently about people affected by them. The ‘logic hole’, however, doesn’t exist because it is based on misunderstanding of the role of neuroscience in understanding behaviour and a caricature of what it means to have ‘no control’ over a condition. Here’s what the article claims: In the piece…

  • A look inside digital humanity

    vaughanbell
    11 May 2012 | 7:25 am
    BBC Radio 4 has just started an excellent series called The Digital Human that looks at how we use technology and how it affects our relationship to the social world. It’s written and presented by psychologist Aleks Krotoski and the first two episodes are already online. The first discusses the tendency to capture and display personal media through sites like Flickr and YouTube but, so far, the stand-out episode has been the second which discusses the presentation of self online and how much control we have over it. I think it’s going to be a six-part series so there should be…

  • Sex survey a let down in bed

    vaughanbell
    9 May 2012 | 3:27 pm
    A ‘saucy sex survey’ has been doing the rounds in the media that claims to be one of the largest studies on the sex lives of UK citizens. Unfortunately, it seems to be a bit of a let down in bed. The study has been carried out by an unholy alliance between one of the country’s most respected relationship counselling charities, Relate, and the Ann Summers chain of sex shops but, sadly, it seems the commercial fluff has won out over the genuine insight. I’m a big fan of Relate. They provide sex and relationship counselling regardless of status, sexuality or income and do…

  • How the British missed a trip

    vaughanbell
    8 May 2012 | 8:18 am
    The first ever medical report on the effects of magic mushrooms is featured in an article in Current Biology. The excerpt is from a 1799 report entitled ‘On A Poisonous Species of Agaric’ from an issue of The London Medical and Physical Journal. The psychological effects of hallucinogenic, or ‘magic’ mushrooms were first documented in the medical literature in 1799: a forty year-old father of four, JS, collected wild mushrooms in London’s Green Park and cooked them as a stew for breakfast for himself and his four young children. The apothecary Everard Brande described…

  • As addictive as cupcakes

    vaughanbell
    7 May 2012 | 6:51 am
    If I read the phrase “as addictive as cocaine” one more time I’m going to hit the bottle. Anything that is either overused, pleasurable or has become vaguely associated with the dopamine system is compared to cocaine. In fact, here is a list of things claimed to be as addictive as the illegal nose powder in the popular press: World of Warcraft Power Nicotine Junk food High-Fructose Corn Syrup Ice cream Cannabis Love Gambling Fatty foods Porn Facebook Sugar Cupcakes Running Stories And here is a scientifically verified list of things genuinely addictive as cocaine: Cocaine In…
 
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    NPR

  • From Science Fiction To Fact, Robots Are Coming To A Farm Near You

    16 May 2012 | 9:47 am
    Farm robots are here, not just in Star Wars. Some dairies already use milking machines that clean udders and monitor cow health, plus do the milking, and a fully automated tractor is coming out this fall.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Medical Records Could Yield Answers On Fracking

    16 May 2012 | 2:04 am
    Is fracking making people sick? The question has ignited a national debate. A proposed study in northern Pennsylvania could help resolve the issue. By mining more than 10 years' worth of patient records, researchers hope to better understand the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing on health.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • 'Close Encounters' With Gas Well Pollution

    15 May 2012 | 2:31 pm
    Hundreds of thousands of natural gas wells have sprung up across the country. In Garfield County, Colo., the drilling rigs are so close to homes that some people call them "Close Encounters." When the gas boom began a decade ago, residents began asking: Is it safe to live this close? Their quest for answers became too polarizing to pursue.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Too Many Cooks, Not Enough Fish. What's The Solution?

    15 May 2012 | 12:05 pm
    If we don't notice that animals are in deep decline, do we keep eating and eating until what is disappearing is gone permanently? Or do we unconsciously adjust?» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

  • Jet-Lagged By Your Social Calendar? Better Check Your Waistline

    15 May 2012 | 2:06 am
    The disconnect between our social calendars and our biological clocks is creating "social jet lag," according to key researchers. And that's taking a toll on our weight because the body stores fat when it's not getting enough sleep.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us
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    EE Times

  • Former Apple, Google, Facebook engineers launch IoT startup

    16 May 2012 | 6:57 pm
    One-year old startup Electric Imp has developed a Wi-Fi node in a memory card physical format that it hopes will become a standard way for things to be given an IP address and linked to the Internet to form a Wi-Fi mediated Internet of Things.View the full article HERE.

  • Q&A: Nvidia’s Dally on 3-D ICs, China, cloud computing

    16 May 2012 | 4:55 pm
    Bill Dally (shown), Nvidia’s chief scientist calls for a 3-D memory champion, more U.S. spending on computer research and an Ethernet alternative for data centers.View the full article HERE.

  • GSA spies venture capital investment uptick in April

    16 May 2012 | 5:15 pm
    Investment in semiconductor industry startup and private companies jumped up in April to $194.2 million, according to the Global Semiconductor Alliance industry body.View the full article HERE.

  • OIF to define three 56 Gbits/s serial interfaces

    16 May 2012 | 4:24 pm
    The Optical Internetworking Forum launched projects to define 50-56 Gbits/s serial interfaces for future Fibre Channel, Ethernet and other links.View the full article HERE.

  • Cadence tips faster Spice coming soon

    16 May 2012 | 4:11 pm
    EDA software vendor Cadence is working "feverishly" on producing a faster version of the Spice analog electronics simulator, according to Tom Beckley, senior vice president of R&D for custom ICs and signoff in the silicon realization group there.View the full article HERE.
 
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    PLoS Biology: New Articles

  • Human Origins and the Search for “Missing Links”

    Johannes Krause
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Johannes Krause

  • Species Interactions Alter Evolutionary Responses to a Novel Environment

    Diane Lawrence et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Diane Lawrence, Francesca Fiegna, Volker Behrends, Jacob G. Bundy, Albert B. Phillimore, Thomas Bell, Timothy G. Barraclough Studies of evolutionary responses to novel environments typically consider single species or perhaps pairs of interacting species. However, all organisms co-occur with many other species, resulting in evolutionary dynamics that might not match those predicted using single species approaches. Recent theories predict that species interactions in diverse systems can influence how component species evolve in response to environmental change. In turn, evolution might have…

  • Adaptive Evolution in Ecological Communities

    Martin M. Turcotte et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Martin M. Turcotte, Michael S. C. Corrin, Marc T. J. Johnson Understanding how natural selection drives evolution is a key challenge in evolutionary biology. Most studies of adaptation focus on how a single environmental factor, such as increased temperature, affects evolution within a single species. The biological relevance of these experiments is limited because nature is infinitely more complex. Most species are embedded within communities containing many species that interact with one another and the physical environment. To understand the evolutionary significance of such ecological…

  • Mechanisms and Evolutionary Patterns of Mammalian and Avian Dosage Compensation

    Philippe Julien et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Philippe Julien, David Brawand, Magali Soumillon, Anamaria Necsulea, Angélica Liechti, Frédéric Schütz, Tasman Daish, Frank Grützner, Henrik Kaessmann As a result of sex chromosome differentiation from ancestral autosomes, male mammalian cells only contain one X chromosome. It has long been hypothesized that X-linked gene expression levels have become doubled in males to restore the original transcriptional output, and that the resulting X overexpression in females then drove the evolution of X inactivation (XCI). However, this model has never been directly tested and patterns and…

  • Bet Hedging in Yeast by Heterogeneous, Age-Correlated Expression of a Stress Protectant

    Sasha F. Levy et al.
    8 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Sasha F. Levy, Naomi Ziv, Mark L. Siegal Genetically identical cells grown in the same culture display striking cell-to-cell heterogeneity in gene expression and other traits. A crucial challenge is to understand how much of this heterogeneity reflects the noise tolerance of a robust system and how much serves a biological function. In bacteria, stochastic gene expression results in cell-to-cell heterogeneity that might serve as a bet-hedging mechanism, allowing a few cells to survive through an antimicrobial treatment while others perish. Despite its clinical importance, the molecular…
 
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    PLoS Computational Biology: New Articles

  • Dynamic Prestress in a Globular Protein

    Scott A. Edwards et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Scott A. Edwards, Johannes Wagner, Frauke Gräter A protein at equilibrium is commonly thought of as a fully relaxed structure, with the intra-molecular interactions showing fluctuations around their energy minimum. In contrast, here we find direct evidence for a protein as a molecular tensegrity structure, comprising a balance of tensed and compressed interactions, a concept that has been put forward for macroscopic structures. We quantified the distribution of inter-residue prestress in ubiquitin and immunoglobulin from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The network of highly…

  • Prediction of Drug-Target Interactions and Drug Repositioning via Network-Based Inference

    Feixiong Cheng et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Feixiong Cheng, Chuang Liu, Jing Jiang, Weiqiang Lu, Weihua Li, Guixia Liu, Weixing Zhou, Jin Huang, Yun Tang Drug-target interaction (DTI) is the basis of drug discovery and design. It is time consuming and costly to determine DTI experimentally. Hence, it is necessary to develop computational methods for the prediction of potential DTI. Based on complex network theory, three supervised inference methods were developed here to predict DTI and used for drug repositioning, namely drug-based similarity inference (DBSI), target-based similarity inference (TBSI) and network-based inference…

  • Filament Compliance Influences Cooperative Activation of Thin Filaments and the Dynamics of Force Production in Skeletal Muscle

    Bertrand C. W. Tanner et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Bertrand C. W. Tanner, Thomas L. Daniel, Michael Regnier Striated muscle contraction is a highly cooperative process initiated by Ca2+ binding to the troponin complex, which leads to tropomyosin movement and myosin cross-bridge (XB) formation along thin filaments. Experimental and computational studies suggest skeletal muscle fiber activation is greatly augmented by cooperative interactions between neighboring thin filament regulatory units (RU-RU cooperativity; 1 RU = 7 actin monomers+1 troponin complex+1 tropomyosin molecule). XB binding can also amplify thin filament activation…

  • Virus Capsid Dissolution Studied by Microsecond Molecular Dynamics Simulations

    Daniel S. D. Larsson et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Daniel S. D. Larsson, Lars Liljas, David van der Spoel Dissolution of many plant viruses is thought to start with swelling of the capsid caused by calcium removal following infection, but no high-resolution structures of swollen capsids exist. Here we have used microsecond all-atom molecular simulations to describe the dynamics of the capsid of satellite tobacco necrosis virus with and without the 92 structural calcium ions. The capsid expanded 2.5% upon removal of the calcium, in good agreement with experimental estimates. The water permeability of the native capsid was similar to that of…

  • Modeling HIV-1 Drug Resistance as Episodic Directional Selection

    Ben Murrell et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Ben Murrell, Tulio de Oliveira, Chris Seebregts, Sergei L. Kosakovsky Pond, Konrad Scheffler, on behalf of the Southern African Treatment and Resistance Network (SATuRN) Consortium The evolution of substitutions conferring drug resistance to HIV-1 is both episodic, occurring when patients are on antiretroviral therapy, and strongly directional, with site-specific resistant residues increasing in frequency over time. While methods exist to detect episodic diversifying selection and continuous directional selection, no evolutionary model combining these two properties has been proposed. We…
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    PLoS Genetics: New Articles

  • Hypersensitive to Red and Blue 1 and Its Modification by Protein Phosphatase 7 Are Implicated in the Control of Arabidopsis Stomatal Aperture

    Xiaodong Sun et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Xiaodong Sun, Xiaojun Kang, Min Ni The stomatal pores are located on the plant leaf epidermis and regulate CO2 uptake for photosynthesis and the loss of water by transpiration. Their stomatal aperture therefore affects photosynthesis, water use efficiency, and agricultural crop yields. Blue light, one of the environmental signals that regulates the plant stomatal aperture, is perceived by the blue/UV-A light-absorbing cryptochromes and phototropins. The signal transduction cascades that link the perception of light to the stomatal opening response are still largely unknown. Here, we report…

  • Genome-Wide Copy Number Analysis Uncovers a New HSCR Gene: NRG3

    Clara Sze-Man Tang et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Clara Sze-Man Tang, Guo Cheng, Man-Ting So, Benjamin Hon-Kei Yip, Xiao-Ping Miao, Emily Hoi-Man Wong, Elly Sau-Wai Ngan, Vincent Chi-Hang Lui, You-Qiang Song, Danny Chan, Kenneth Cheung, Zhen-Wei Yuan, Liu Lei, Patrick Ho-Yu Chung, Xue-Lai Liu, Kenneth Kak-Yuen Wong, Christian R. Marshall, Steve Scherer, Stacey S. Cherny, Pak-Chung Sham, Paul Kwong-Hang Tam, Maria-Mercè Garcia-Barceló Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a congenital disorder characterized by aganglionosis of the distal intestine. To assess the contribution of copy number variants (CNVs) to HSCR, we analysed the data generated…

  • Functional Centromeres Determine the Activation Time of Pericentric Origins of DNA Replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Thomas J. Pohl et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Thomas J. Pohl, Bonita J. Brewer, M. K. Raghuraman The centromeric regions of all Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes are found in early replicating domains, a property conserved among centromeres in fungi and some higher eukaryotes. Surprisingly, little is known about the biological significance or the mechanism of early centromere replication; however, the extensive conservation suggests that it is important for chromosome maintenance. Do centromeres ensure their early replication by promoting early activation of nearby origins, or have they migrated over evolutionary time to reside in…

  • Congenital Heart Disease–Causing Gata4 Mutation Displays Functional Deficits In Vivo

    Chaitali Misra et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Chaitali Misra, Nita Sachan, Caryn Rothrock McNally, Sara N. Koenig, Haley A. Nichols, Anuradha Guggilam, Pamela A. Lucchesi, William T. Pu, Deepak Srivastava, Vidu Garg Defects of atrial and ventricular septation are the most frequent form of congenital heart disease, accounting for almost 50% of all cases. We previously reported that a heterozygous G296S missense mutation of GATA4 caused atrial and ventricular septal defects and pulmonary valve stenosis in humans. GATA4 encodes a cardiac transcription factor, and when deleted in mice it results in cardiac bifida and lethality by…

  • Neurospora COP9 Signalosome Integrity Plays Major Roles for Hyphal Growth, Conidial Development, and Circadian Function

    Zhipeng Zhou et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Zhipeng Zhou, Ying Wang, Gaihong Cai, Qun He The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a highly conserved multifunctional complex that has two major biochemical roles: cleaving NEDD8 from cullin proteins and maintaining the stability of CRL components. We used mutation analysis to confirm that the JAMM domain of the CSN-5 subunit is responsible for NEDD8 cleavage from cullin proteins in Neurospora crassa. Point mutations of key residues in the metal-binding motif (EXnHXHX10D) of the CSN-5 JAMM domain disrupted CSN deneddylation activity without interfering with assembly of the CSN complex or…
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    PLoS Pathogens: New Articles

  • Vaccines against Tuberculosis: Where Are We and Where Do We Need to Go?

    Tom H. M. Ottenhoff et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Tom H. M. Ottenhoff, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann In this review we discuss recent progress in the development, testing, and clinical evaluation of new vaccines against tuberculosis (TB). Over the last 20 years, tremendous progress has been made in TB vaccine research and development: from a pipeline virtually empty of new TB candidate vaccines in the early 1990s, to an era in which a dozen novel TB vaccine candidates have been and are being evaluated in human clinical trials. In addition, innovative approaches are being pursued to further improve existing vaccines, as well as discover new ones.

  • The Lipopolysaccharide Core of Brucella abortus Acts as a Shield Against Innate Immunity Recognition

    Raquel Conde-Álvarez et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Raquel Conde-Álvarez, Vilma Arce-Gorvel, Maite Iriarte, Mateja Manček-Keber, Elías Barquero-Calvo, Leyre Palacios-Chaves, Carlos Chacón-Díaz, Esteban Chaves-Olarte, Anna Martirosyan, Kristine von Bargen, María-Jesús Grilló, Roman Jerala, Klaus Brandenburg, Enrique Llobet, José A. Bengoechea, Edgardo Moreno, Ignacio Moriyón, Jean-Pierre Gorvel Innate immunity recognizes bacterial molecules bearing pathogen-associated molecular patterns to launch inflammatory responses leading to the activation of adaptive immunity. However, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the gram-negative…

  • Entry of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) into the Distal Axons of Trigeminal Neurons Favors the Onset of Nonproductive, Silent Infection

    Wali Hafezi et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Wali Hafezi, Eva U. Lorentzen, Bodo R. Eing, Marcus Müller, Nicholas J. C. King, Barbara Klupp, Thomas C. Mettenleiter, Joachim E. Kühn Following productive, lytic infection in epithelia, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) establishes a lifelong latent infection in sensory neurons that is interrupted by episodes of reactivation. In order to better understand what triggers this lytic/latent decision in neurons, we set up an organotypic model based on chicken embryonic trigeminal ganglia explants (TGEs) in a double chamber system. Adding HSV-1 to the ganglion compartment (GC) resulted in…

  • 2′-O Methylation of the Viral mRNA Cap by West Nile Virus Evades Ifit1-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms of Host Restriction In Vivo

    Kristy J. Szretter et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Kristy J. Szretter, Brian P. Daniels, Hyelim Cho, Maria D. Gainey, Wayne M. Yokoyama, Michael Gale, Herbert W. Virgin, Robyn S. Klein, Ganes C. Sen, Michael S. Diamond Prior studies have shown that 2′-O methyltransferase activity of flaviviruses, coronaviruses, and poxviruses promotes viral evasion of Ifit1, an interferon-stimulated innate immune effector protein. Viruses lacking 2′-O methyltransferase activity exhibited attenuation in primary macrophages that was rescued in cells lacking Ifit1 gene expression. Here, we examined the role of Ifit1 in restricting pathogenesis in vivo of…

  • The NDR/LATS Kinase Cbk1 Controls the Activity of the Transcriptional Regulator Bcr1 during Biofilm Formation in Candida albicans

    Pilar Gutiérrez-Escribano et al.
    10 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Pilar Gutiérrez-Escribano, Ute Zeidler, M. Belén Suárez, Sophie Bachellier-Bassi, Andrés Clemente-Blanco, Julie Bonhomme, Carlos R. Vázquez de Aldana, Christophe d'Enfert, Jaime Correa-Bordes In nature, many microorganisms form specialized complex, multicellular, surface-attached communities called biofilms. These communities play critical roles in microbial pathogenesis. The fungal pathogen Candida albicans is associated with catheter-based infections due to its ability to establish biofilms. The transcription factor Bcr1 is a master regulator of C. albicans biofilm development,…
 
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    PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles

  • The Roles of Featural and Configural Face Processing in Snap Judgments of Sexual Orientation

    Joshua A. Tabak et al.
    16 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Joshua A. Tabak, Vivian Zayas Research has shown that people are able to judge sexual orientation from faces with above-chance accuracy, but little is known about how these judgments are formed. Here, we investigated the importance of well-established face processing mechanisms in such judgments: featural processing (e.g., an eye) and configural processing (e.g., spatial distance between eyes). Participants judged sexual orientation from faces presented for 50 milliseconds either upright, which recruits both configural and featural processing, or upside-down, when configural processing is…

  • Characterization of Modular Bacteriophage Endolysins from Myoviridae Phages OBP, 201φ2-1 and PVP-SE1

    Maarten Walmagh et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Maarten Walmagh, Yves Briers, Silvio Branco dos Santos, Joana Azeredo, Rob Lavigne Peptidoglycan lytic enzymes (endolysins) induce bacterial host cell lysis in the late phase of the lytic bacteriophage replication cycle. Endolysins OBPgp279 (from Pseudomonas fluorescens phage OBP), PVP-SE1gp146 (Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis phage PVP-SE1) and 201φ2-1gp229 (Pseudomonas chlororaphis phage 201φ2-1) all possess a modular structure with an N-terminal cell wall binding domain and a C-terminal catalytic domain, a unique property for endolysins with a Gram-negative background. All…

  • Overexpression of CARMA3 in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Is Linked for Tumor Progression

    Zixuan Li et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Zixuan Li, Lianyue Qu, Qianze Dong, Bo Huang, Haiying Li, Zhongping Tang, Ying Xu, Wenting Luo, Lifeng Liu, Xueshan Qiu, Enhua Wang We aimed to investigate the clinical significance of the expression of novel scaffold protein CARMA3 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the biological function of CARMA3 in NSCLC cell lines. We observed moderate to high CARMA3 staining in 68.8% of 141 NSCLC specimens compared to corresponding normal tissues. The overexpression of CARMA3 was significantly correlated with TNM stage (P = 0.022) and tumor status (P = 0.013). CARMA3 upregulation also…

  • A Neuromorphic Architecture for Object Recognition and Motion Anticipation Using Burst-STDP

    Andrew Nere et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Andrew Nere, Umberto Olcese, David Balduzzi, Giulio Tononi In this work we investigate the possibilities offered by a minimal framework of artificial spiking neurons to be deployed in silico. Here we introduce a hierarchical network architecture of spiking neurons which learns to recognize moving objects in a visual environment and determine the correct motor output for each object. These tasks are learned through both supervised and unsupervised spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP). STDP is responsible for the strengthening (or weakening) of synapses in relation to pre- and…

  • Small-Molecule Synthetic Compound Norcantharidin Reverses Multi-Drug Resistance by Regulating Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Human Breast Cancer Cells

    Yu-Jen Chen et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Yu-Jen Chen, Cheng-Deng Kuo, Szu-Han Chen, Wei-Jen Chen, Wen-Chien Huang, K. S. Clifford Chao, Hui-Fen Liao Multi-drug resistance (MDR), an unfavorable factor compromising treatment efficacy of anticancer drugs, involves upregulated ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters and activated Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. By preparing human breast cancer MCF-7 cells resistant to doxorubicin (DOX), we examined the effect and mechanism of norcantharidin (NCTD), a small-molecule synthetic compound, on reversing multidrug resistance. The DOX-prepared MCF-7R cells also possessed resistance to…
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    PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases: New Articles

  • Dengue-1 Envelope Protein Domain III along with PELC and CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Synergistically Enhances Immune Responses

    Chen-Yi Chiang et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Chen-Yi Chiang, Ming-Hsi Huang, Chun-Hsiang Hsieh, Mei-Yu Chen, Hsueh-Hung Liu, Jy-Ping Tsai, Yi-Shiuan Li, Ching-Yun Chang, Shih-Jen Liu, Pele Chong, Chih-Hsiang Leng, Hsin-Wei Chen The major weaknesses of subunit vaccines are their low immunogenicity and poor efficacy. Adjuvants can help to overcome some of these inherent defects with subunit vaccines. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of the newly developed water-in-oil-in-water multiphase emulsion system, termed PELC, in potentiating the protective capacity of dengue-1 envelope protein domain III. Unlike aluminum phosphate, dengue-1…

  • In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of a Palladacycle Complex on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis

    Carolina de Siqueira Paladi et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Carolina de Siqueira Paladi, Isabella Aparecida Salerno Pimentel, Simone Katz, Rodrigo L. O. R. Cunha, Wagner Alves de Souza Judice, Antonio C. F. Caires, Clara Lúcia Barbiéri Background Antitumor cyclopalladated complexes with low toxicity to laboratory animals have shown leishmanicidal effect. These findings stimulated us to test the leishmanicidal property of one palladacycle compound called DPPE 1.2 on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, an agent of simple and diffuse forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region, Brazil. Methodology/Principal Findings Promastigotes of L.

  • Detection, Isolation and Confirmation of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Human, Ticks and Animals in Ahmadabad, India, 2010–2011

    Devendra T. Mourya et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Devendra T. Mourya, Pragya D. Yadav, Anita M. Shete, Yogesh K. Gurav, Chandrashekhar G. Raut, Ramesh S. Jadi, Shailesh D. Pawar, Stuart T. Nichol, Akhilesh C. Mishra Background In January 2011, human cases with hemorrhagic manifestations in the hospital staff were reported from a tertiary care hospital in Ahmadabad, India. This paper reports a detailed epidemiological investigation of nosocomial outbreak from the affected area of Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India. Principal Findings Samples from 3 suspected cases, 83 contacts, Hyalomma ticks and livestock were screened for Crimean-Congo…

  • Characterisation of the Native Lipid Moiety of Echinococcus granulosus Antigen B

    Gonzalo Obal et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Gonzalo Obal, Ana Lía Ramos, Valeria Silva, Analía Lima, Carlos Batthyany, María Inés Bessio, Fernando Ferreira, Gustavo Salinas, Ana María Ferreira Antigen B (EgAgB) is the most abundant and immunogenic antigen produced by the larval stage (metacestode) of Echinococcus granulosus. It is a lipoprotein, the structure and function of which have not been completely elucidated. EgAgB apolipoprotein components have been well characterised; they share homology with a group of hydrophobic ligand binding proteins (HLBPs) present exclusively in cestode organisms, and consist of different…

  • Modeling the Control of Trypanosomiasis Using Trypanocides or Insecticide-Treated Livestock

    John W. Hargrove et al.
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by John W. Hargrove, Rachid Ouifki, Damian Kajunguri, Glyn A. Vale, Stephen J. Torr Background In Uganda, Rhodesian sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, and animal trypanosomiasis caused by T. vivax and T. congolense, are being controlled by treating cattle with trypanocides and/or insecticides. We used a mathematical model to identify treatment coverages required to break transmission when host populations consisted of various proportions of wild and domestic mammals, and reptiles. Methodology/Principal Findings An Ro model for trypanosomiasis was generalized to allow…
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    PLoS Hubs for Clinical Trials: New Articles

  • Pregnancy Incidence and Correlates during the HVTN 503 Phambili HIV Vaccine Trial Conducted among South African Women

    Mary H. Latka et al.
    19 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Mary H. Latka, Katherine Fielding, Glenda E. Gray, Linda-Gail Bekker, Maphoshane Nchabeleng, Koleka Mlisana, Tanya Nielson, Surita Roux, Baningi Mkhize, Matsontso Mathebula, Nivashnee Naicker, Guy de Bruyn, James Kublin, Gavin J. Churchyard, on behalf of the HVTN 503 Phambili study team Background HIV prevention trials are increasingly being conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Women at risk for HIV are also at risk of pregnancy. To maximize safety, women agree to avoid pregnancy during trials, yet pregnancies occur. Using data from the HVTN 503/“Phambili” vaccine trial, we report…

  • Did Clinical Trials in Which Erythropoietin Failed to Reduce Acute Myocardial Infarct Size Miss a Narrow Therapeutic Window?

    Mark I. Talan et al.
    18 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Mark I. Talan, Ismayil Ahmet, Edward G. Lakatta Background To test a hypothesis that in negative clinical trials of erythropoietin in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) the erythropoietin (rhEPO) could be administered outside narrow therapeutic window. Despite overwhelming evidence of cardioprotective properties of rhEPO in animal studies, the outcomes of recently concluded phase II clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the efficacy of rhEPO in patients with acute MI. However, the time between symptoms onset and rhEPO administration in negative clinical trials was much…

  • Designing and Analyzing Clinical Trials with Composite Outcomes: Consideration of Possible Treatment Differences between the Individual Outcomes

    Janice Pogue et al.
    17 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Janice Pogue, P. J. Devereaux, Lehana Thabane, Salim Yusuf When the individual outcomes within a composite outcome appear to have different treatment effects, either in magnitude or direction, researchers may question the validity or appropriateness of using this composite outcome as a basis for measuring overall treatment effect in a randomized controlled trial. The question remains as to how to distinguish random variation in estimated treatment effects from important heterogeneity within a composite outcome. This paper suggests there may be some utility in directly testing the…

  • Caloric Restriction Alters the Metabolic Response to a Mixed-Meal: Results from a Randomized, Controlled Trial

    Kim M. Huffman et al.
    16 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Kim M. Huffman, Leanne M. Redman, Lawrence R. Landerman, Carl F. Pieper, Robert D. Stevens, Michael J. Muehlbauer, Brett R. Wenner, James R. Bain, Virginia B. Kraus, Christopher B. Newgard, Eric Ravussin, William E. Kraus Objectives To determine if caloric restriction (CR) would cause changes in plasma metabolic intermediates in response to a mixed meal, suggestive of changes in the capacity to adapt fuel oxidation to fuel availability or metabolic flexibility, and to determine how any such changes relate to insulin sensitivity (SI). Methods Forty-six volunteers were randomized to a weight…

  • The Imperative to Share Clinical Study Reports: Recommendations from the Tamiflu Experience

    Peter Doshi et al.
    10 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    by Peter Doshi, Tom Jefferson, Chris Del Mar
 
 
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    Reuters

  • UK climate experiment canceled on patent concerns

    16 May 2012 | 11:45 am
    LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have abandoned an experiment to test the possibility of spraying particles into the upper atmosphere to stem global warming, largely due to concerns over a patent for some of the technology, the project's leader said.

  • U.S., Russian crew blast off for space station

    14 May 2012 | 10:47 pm
    KOROLYOV, Russia (Reuters) - A Soyuz spaceship carrying two Russians and one American astronaut blasted off for the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday after more than a month's delay over a problem with the hull of the Russian-built capsule.

  • Children at risk as "button" battery use grows: study

    14 May 2012 | 10:24 pm
    (Reuters) - Children face a growing risk from "button" batteries, according to a U.S. study showing a near doubling of emergency room visits in the past two decades as the objects can cause electrical or chemical burns if swallowed.

  • Google-backed wind power line clears hurdle

    14 May 2012 | 1:47 pm
    (Reuters) - A planned $5 billion transmission line to send power from wind farms off the East Coast cleared a hurdle, allowing the Google Inc-backed project to move to the next step in the approval process, officials said.

  • Eastern rattlesnake slithers closer to U.S. endangered list

    11 May 2012 | 3:27 pm
    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - The eastern diamondback rattlesnake, North America's largest venomous snake, may need its own antidote.
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    Sciencetext Tips and Tricks

  • How to reset the Windows Firewall

    David Bradley
    16 May 2012 | 4:06 am
    I don’t know what I did, but DropBox stopped syncing, Sendto VirusTotal wouldn’t let me send any files for scanning and my wireless printer was reporting as unavailable. Yes, I know the obvious solution to this kind of problem: get a Mac. But, I’ve decided, after much dithering, that I don’t want to go that route. The less obvious, but far, far cheaper answer, was to fix the Windows Firewall. Disabled everything worked fine, but the computer is left vulnerable to script kiddies and scanners. I suspected there’d be a simple way to reset the Firewall and start from…

  • Free Kindle bestsellers

    David Bradley
    11 May 2012 | 3:05 am
    Meet Zero Dollar Books, a Pinterest-style page that offers a visual listing of best-sellers that you can download on your Kindle, Windows PC, Mac or any mobile phone for free. You can also download and read these Kindle books in your browser without requiring any software or mobile apps. All you need is a free Amazon.com account. via The Kindle Best Sellers that are currently Free. Related Posts:Kindle Content Outside the US Want to get hold of content for your Amazon Kindle Reader but not living in the US? You could make ...Publish Your Blog on Kindle Amit Agarwal revealed today that you can…

  • Leonard da Vinci on the iPad

    David Bradley
    11 May 2012 | 12:45 am
    I attended a wonderful private viewing of the Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist exhibition at Buck House earlier this week and was given the opportunity to try the Apple iPad version, which is simply stunning. It takes the whole Royal Collection of Leonardo’s anatomical sketches in all their incredible detail and gives zoom and pinchable access to the images, the text (reversible and translated), video commentaries and interactive anatomy displays for direct comparison of Leonardo’s details with modern 3D equivalents. Here’s a sixty-second Vimeo trailer of the best bits from the…

  • Neighbourhood Watch for cloud computing

    David Bradley
    10 May 2012 | 12:58 pm
    Hey, you! Get off of that cloud! Cloud computing is on the rise, as we have discussed her on many an occasion. It’s useful for fast and robust web hosting, it’s great for anywhere email access, for remote file storage and backup (DropBox Wuala GoogleDrive etc), for sharing large media files, whether movies, music files, photos or software, for portable password protection and much more. As the corporate world begins to adopt cloud computing technology, the scale of the data and user security needs grows. Sudhir Dhage of the Sardar Patel Institute of Technology in Mumbai, India,…

  • Saving time on your computer

    David Bradley
    8 May 2012 | 8:04 am
    Gizmodo points out that you, the user, are the the variable that often makes working with a computer less than efficient. Not a slow hard disk, not too little RAM, not even an out of date graphics driver. You! They offer a stack of tips for shaving seconds and even minutes from regular computer tasks including a refresher on the Windows keyboard shortcuts that side step the need to move the mouse back and forth quite so much: ALT + F4: Close the current window [save 1.3 seconds] Windows Key or CTRL + ESC: Open start menu [save 1 second] F5 or CTRL + R: Refresh web page [save 1 second] CTRL +…
 
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    Tech Productivity

  • Intel Powered Windows 8 Tablet to launch at year end

    admin
    14 May 2012 | 4:52 pm
    CNET has been informed by its sources that Intel chip based Windows 8 tablets will be hitting retail stores in US in November. The challenge here for windows is that in this tight schedule, they have to make sure that new OS can run on 5 architectures, i.e Intel, AMD and 3 of ARM. All tablets will power Intel’s new upcoming Atom chip “Clover Trail” which is first of kind dual core atom design based on 32 nm process technology. The specs are interesting for Intel based tablets, 9+ battery life, approx 30 days standby, 3G and 4G support.

  • Rumors – New Apple Macbook Pro, USB 3.0 and Probably with Intel’s latest Ivy-Bridge Processors

    admin
    14 May 2012 | 4:34 pm
    The latest inside rumors from Apple is the release of their new MacBook in succession to MacBook Pro (Even better than MacBook Air) with whole lot of developments. But first things first, its got all new 15-inch ‘Retina Display’, it is super-thin, one that you can truly say an ‘Ultrabook’ which has a sleek design. I still remember how i loved 13 inch Aluminum Macbook. People have been highly please and appreciated 3.5 inch Retina display currently available in iPhone 4, which will now be seen(if rumors are true) in 15 inch display. The optical drive is still removed as…

  • How Wi-Fi blocker works and its advantages

    admin
    14 May 2012 | 4:13 am
    Wireless connectivity works by sending signals, as well all know. But what differentiates different signals is the frequency at which they are transmitted. Frequency of any signal is its identification, it indicates what type of signal is it, how much power the signal carries and so on. There are several instances when we require to limit our area range of  signals so that people outside our zone do not have access to our signals. Like, you have your wi-fi and do not want entire building using it for free, or hack into your wi-fi secured network, etc. Wi-Fi signals can be simply blocked by…

  • Dell for Developers, launches Ubuntu based Linux laptops

    admin
    11 May 2012 | 3:47 pm
      Dell has always been a positive promoter of open source, be it it’s enterprise servers or consumer oriented laptops. The latest news is that Dell is rolling out Ubuntu Linux laptops, specially aimed for Developers. Dell person on this release, Barton George said that they will be selling 12.04 LTS release of Ubuntu Linux in mobile and stylish laptops. The thing to note will be, are they as sleek as Windows OS powered regular Ultrabooks or not. Dell is probably the only OEM to roll out such developer aimed laptops in recent time. Although Dell will not be stuffing apps in this…

  • HP rolls out new Sleekbooks (Just replace Intel with AMD Processors)

    admin
    11 May 2012 | 3:29 pm
    Recently, HP has been quite on roll with introducing new line of  ’Ultrabooks’ which contained latest ivy-bridge processors of Intel and better battery life and more robust performance guarantee. Now they have gone one lane across (not one step ahead) and launched a new terminology called ‘Sleekbook’. So what exactly is Sleekbook ? Just replace Intel Processors with AMD Processors, including all those features of Ultrabook staying constant, you get what is called by them as Sleekbook. What differs here is price tag attached to it.  The price will be down by…
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    FlowingData

  • The Descriptive Camera

    Kim Rees
    16 May 2012 | 11:42 am
    The unassuming little Descriptive Camera made me rethink data. This project by Matt Richardson was on display at the ITP Spring Show. The basic premise is that you take a photo and the camera spits out a textual description of what it sees. The results are remarkably accurate, detailed, and humorous. Here's what my photo said: A woman wearing a seriously awesome jacket that is printed with yellow, blue, and grey circles looks at her ipad rather than making eye contact with Matt Richardson. I mean, my jacket *IS* seriously awesome! So it not only described what it saw, but it also has great…

  • What is missing?

    Kim Rees
    16 May 2012 | 2:10 am
    What is Missing? by Maya Lin seeks to raise awareness about the mass extinction of species. It has a beautiful interface. The world map is black on a sea of black. Your mouse acts as a sort of flashlight layered between land and water, showing you glimpses of familiar coastlines and allowing you to select dots that tell the stories of extinction. We are experiencing the sixth mass extinction in the planet's history, and the only one to be caused not by a catastrophic event, but by the actions of a single species - mankind. On average, every 20 minutes a distinct living species of plant or…

  • How to Visualize and Compare Distributions

    Nathan Yau
    16 May 2012 | 12:47 am
    There are a lot of ways to show distributions, but for the purposes of this tutorial, I'm only going to cover the more traditional plot types like histograms and box plots. Otherwise, we could be here all night. Plus the basic distribution plots aren't exactly well-used as it is. Before you get into plotting in R though, you should know what I mean by distribution. It's basically the spread of a dataset. For example, the median of a dataset is the half-way point. Half of the values are less than the median, and the other half are greater than. That's only part of the picture. What happens in…

  • ITP Spring Show: Iraq war and diabetes visualizations

    Kim Rees
    15 May 2012 | 5:15 am
    Yesterday I visited the ever popular NYU ITP bi-annual show which is a showcase of the students' experimental and ingenious interactive work. I stopped to talk to data visualization student and self-tracker, Doug Kanter, about his work. His first and smaller piece was about the war in Iraq. The image above depicts the number of wounded US soldiers by state (and territory) using the red stripes. The stars show the number of soldiers killed. I'm sure we could quibble about labels and where the bar chart starts, but to me, the tattered appearance of the flag created by data about war is very…

  • Welcome Kim Rees

    Nathan Yau
    15 May 2012 | 4:16 am
    I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks, with little to no Internet access most of the time, so I've asked Kim Rees to step in while I'm gone. She's the co-founder of Periscopic, one of my favorite information visualization firms, and she was the technical editor for Visualize This. You're in good hands. You can follow her at @krees. Be good, and see you all when I get back. She's all yours, Kim.
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    Science Daily

  • Ancient tree-ring records from southwest U.S. suggest today's megafires are truly unusual

    16 May 2012 | 11:03 am
    Today's mega forest fires of the southwestern U.S. are truly unusual and exceptional in the long-term record, suggests an unprecedented study that examined 1,500 years of ancient tree ring and fire data from two distinct climate periods. Researchers constructed and analyzed a statistical model and found that today's dry, hot climate combined with the past century of human fire suppression is causing megafires.

  • Baby galaxies grew up quickly

    16 May 2012 | 11:02 am
    Baby galaxies from the young universe more than 12 billion years ago evolved faster than previously thought, shows new research. This means that already in the early history of the universe, there was potential for planet formation and life.

  • Common fungicide wreaks havoc on freshwater ecosystems

    16 May 2012 | 11:01 am
    A new study on chlorothalonil, one of the world's most common fungicides, shows it was lethal to a wide variety of freshwater organisms.

  • Let's get moving: Unraveling how locomotion starts

    16 May 2012 | 10:59 am
    Scientists have shed new light on one of the great unanswered questions of neuroscience: How the brain initiates rhythmic movements like walking, running and swimming.

  • Microscope looks into cells of living fish

    16 May 2012 | 10:59 am
    Microscopes provide valuable insights in the structure and dynamics of cells, in particular when the latter remain in their natural environment. However, this is very difficult especially for higher organisms. Researchers have now developed a new method to visualize cell structures of an eighth of a micrometer in size in living fish larvae.
 
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    The Why Files

  • Dunewatching, Martian style

    svmedaristwf
    10 May 2012 | 8:49 am
    This just in! Sand dunes are cruising on Mars! Fact: The surface of Mars shows massive erosion and huge fields of sand dunes. Problem: Mars hasn’t had liquid water for more than a billion years. High winds are rare and its atmosphere is thin. Is the erosion due to ancient water or modern wind? Solution: The sand dunes are blowing in the wind, moving much like dunes on Earth. The Nili Patera dune field on Mars, where the wind blows from the right. Red box at upper right locates this area; lower inset shows a close-up of a dune’s rippled surface. NASA/Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter/Nathan…

  • Moonbow

    admin
    3 May 2012 | 9:57 pm
    Starry sky with green haze above a moss covered cliff, with waterfall on bottom right and chromatic bow along bottom The Skogafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, and is especially beautiful in this stunning image under the aurora borealis. The Northern Lights are shining against a great sea of stars, including the constellation Ursa major, or Great Bear, home to the asterism — a recognizable cluster of stars — the Big Dipper. And then there’s the rainbow that’s not really a rainbow. This colorful arch is actually a moonbow, created by the light of the full moon…

  • Denial of science, science of denial

    svmedaristwf
    3 May 2012 | 10:30 am
    Roots of (scientific) denial Science is the best way to dig out the truth of the natural world, but that doesn’t prevent many people from denying truths that are inconvenient or contrary to their preconceptions or faith. ENLARGE U.S. 30, east of Blair, Neb. June, 2011, Iowa DOT The stunning floods, tornadoes, droughts and heat waves in 2011 caused more Americans to accept global warming — even if climate whizzes are chary of attributing individual weather events to the warming trend. In the last month, denial of global warming has subsided in the wake of a string of floods, droughts…

  • Patent wars!

    svmedaristwf
    19 Apr 2012 | 3:06 pm
    Parrying patents! Microsoft’s April 9 deal to spend $1.3 million apiece on 800 patents from AOL was another skirmish in the patent wars that have engaged the technosphere. Just last summer, we watched a blizzard of headlines, lawsuits, and billion-dollar bills: ENLARGE NPS Photo The Edison kinetoscope, ca. 1912, was one in a line of Edison’s motion-picture inventions. Apple, Microsoft and others spent $4.5 billion to buy Nortel, mainly for its patent holdings. Tim Cook, who is now Apple’s CEO, acknowledged that the tech titan views patents as weapons. “We want people to…

  • The power of Habit

    svmedaristwf
    13 Apr 2012 | 8:11 am
    The power of Habit Charles Duhigg • Random House, 2012, 371 pp. Duhigg’s new look at human behavior analyzes some fascinating issues: the birth of the modern Civil Rights movement, the use of data-mining to suck another buck from the customer, the techniques for building a mega-church, and even the methods a corporate titan who started his highly successful tenure by distributing his home phone number to the entire work force. The guiding princilpe here is habits — defined as “behavioral patterns” containing a cue, a routine and a reward. Habits are things we do…
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    PhysOrg

  • How do consumers achieve self-affirmation when purchasing products?

    16 May 2012 | 2:53 pm
    People who feel good about themselves are less likely to choose an attractive product than a functional one, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. But choosing highly aesthetic products may make people more open-minded.

  • "Social Network" writer to pen Steve Jobs film script

    16 May 2012 | 2:52 pm
    Sony Pictures Entertainment on Wednesday said that the Academy Award winning screenwriter behind "The Social Network" will write the script for a film about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

  • Muslim consumers: How do global brands become 'infidels'?

    16 May 2012 | 2:10 pm
    Among Islamists, certain global brands can be considered threats to Muslim identity, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

  • Potential new drugs for fox tapeworm infection in humans

    16 May 2012 | 2:00 pm
    Scientists are reporting development and testing of a new series of drugs that could finally stop the fox tapeworm — which causes a rare but life-threatening disease in humans — dead in its tracks. The report, which appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, shows that specific organometallic substances that help combat cancer are also the surprising best new hope for a treatment against tapeworm infection.

  • Can consumers 'fit in' yet remain unique?

    16 May 2012 | 1:54 pm
    Most consumers want to fit in while still asserting their individuality—and they balance these conflicting desires when choosing products, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
 
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    Nerdy Science Blog

  • Understanding Multiple Myeloma

    WTJ
    14 May 2012 | 8:34 am
    Multiple myeloma is an as-of-yet incurable cancer of the blood.  Although scientists don’t know what causes multiple myeloma, they have noted that certain people are more at risk of developing this cancer.  Multiple myeloma usually affects people between 50 and 70 years of age.  The disease affects more individuals of African decent than of European descent, and more men than women.  Other risk factors include genetics and exposure to certain chemicals. Signs and Symptoms The symptoms of multiple myeloma depend the stage the disease is in.  A person in the early stages of multiple…

  • Bedbugs Host “Superbugs”

    WTJ
    7 May 2012 | 6:01 am
    No, they aren’t tiny, tentacled creatures wearing microscopic capes. No, they can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound. But they can stand up to even the strongest antibiotics that modern medicine can throw at them. They are superbugs. Or, more accurately, they are drug-resistant strains of the bacteria known as MRSA. They don’t live in a fortress of solitude. Often, they can be found in hospitals and other closed settings. But they may be looking for new digs: Scientists last year found that the superbugs have taken up residence in bedbugs. Bed Bugs and MRSA Bedbugs come…

  • Magic of Salt: Clear Muddy Water

    WTJ
    2 May 2012 | 12:42 am
    Solar water disinfection method (SODIS) kills most pathogens that cause diarrhea by leaving the water in transparent plastic bottle in the sun for six hours.  However, such method does not work on those microorganisms hiding under the clay and avoid the UV.  This makes murky water more dangerous to drink, especially in developing countries where people fetch water from rivers, streams and boreholes. Joshua Pearce and Britney Dawney of Queen’s University in Ontario discovered using simple table salt (sodium chloride) can carry out flocculation process that settle out clay and make muddy…

  • Are Pets Good for Kids? Science Answers

    WTJ
    24 Apr 2012 | 10:29 am
    If you (or, more than likely, your child) have always wanted a pet, you probably desire an animal for companionship. Most of us haven’t considered the possibility that pets are good for our emotional and physical health. Now, researchers are delving more deeply into the specific health benefits of owning pets. According to a recent New York Times article, a slew of studies have demonstrated that children specifically can reap health rewards from hanging out with Fido. Here are some of the findings: 1.      Children exposed perinatally to dogs may have a decreased chance of…

  • Common Dental Issues Explained

    WTJ
    9 Apr 2012 | 6:26 pm
    One of the reasons that a number of people are uncomfortable with the dentist is that they feel anxious about the concept of some stranger with a medical license fumbling around in their mouths with metal tools.  Indeed, it’s actually shocking how few people, out of all of the anxious dental patients in the world, actually ask questions about what’s specifically wrong with their teeth, and what specifically the dentist is doing to help.  Instead, most of us merely lay back and accept that there are problems, and that they are being fixed.  When put this way, it actually seems a bit…
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    ScienceBlogs : Combined Feed

  • La Sierra University: We want our scientists to make us look good, not teach our students science [erv]

    16 May 2012 | 12:00 pm
    La Sierra University April 2011-- L. Lee Grismer, a field biologist at La Sierra University in Riverside, is gaga over a new species of forest gecko from Southeast Asia that he will present in the scientific journal Zootaxa in three months. ... Grismer will test his hypothesis that the forest lizard is closely related to another new species he discovered last June. He will isolate the forest gecko's DNA and compare it to that of a similar reptile he tracked down in a cave at the Malaysia-Thailand border. "We're still in the age of discovery," said Grismer, who is credited with detecting more…

  • Teaching After The Test: An argument for a national school schedule [Greg Laden's Blog]

    16 May 2012 | 9:56 am
    First, a word about Nazis and Free Speech, and other matters: Catch up on the latest news about Repression of Nazis, and join the conversation about Free Speech and how sometimes it is better to shut up, over at the X Blog. Today I am preparing a presentation and discussion for a course in AP Biology. Amanda and her colleague have been teaching AP Bio all year, and the test was just given, so there is nothing to live for any more as it were. I asked Amanda yesterday why the students even show up now that the test is over, and she looked at me funny and said "well, they're required to." ... Oh…

  • Live Drummer Plays Impossible Machine Beats [Aardvarchaeology]

    16 May 2012 | 8:20 am
    Bizarre musical development. The drum and base genre of music was created when people turned up the tempo on drum machines to insane speeds. But this guy plays drum and base beats live! Ree-spect! Read the comments on this post... Also check out the featured ScienceBlog of the week: Inside the Outbreaks on the ScienceBlogs Book Club

  • Links for 2012-05-16 [Uncertain Principles]

    16 May 2012 | 8:17 am
    n+1: Lions in Winter, Part One A very long and thorough history of the New York Public Library, how its current plans to gut the main research library came about, and what they mean for the idea of a public research library. Correcting the Record on College Graduates and Job Prospects by Joshua Tucker | Washington Monthly Using the same American Community Survey for 2009 and 2010 as Fogg and Harrington, but focussing on actual unemployment by major, Carnevale, Cheat and Strohl (Hard Times, Georgetown University, Center for Education and the Workforce, 2011) have similar findings (p. 7).

  • Now there's some "anti-science"... [Respectful Insolence]

    16 May 2012 | 6:30 am
    I'm sometimes criticized for referring to various people who are "anti-science" as, well, "anti-science." People, for whatever reason, have a hard time believing that anyone is anti-science; so when I point out how much, for example, antivaccinationists, alternative medicine believers, or creationists are anti-science, they have a had time believing it. This is particularly true because, just as antivaccinationists loudly protest that they are not "antivaccine," those who are anti-science equally loudly protest that they are not "anti-science." Such protestations are almost inevitably…
 
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    Bad Astronomy

  • Prairie Light: Alberta Aurora

    Phil Plait
    16 May 2012 | 11:57 am
    Every now and again my work piles up and I can feel that edge of panic start to set in. Then I saw a video and my brain let out a nice long sigh (brains are remarkable that way): Alberta Aurora – Prairie Light, a lovely time lapse that has better-than-usual resolution and color, taken as the April 23/24 solar storm swept over the Earth. What you see in an aurora depends in part on the angle of the Earth’s magnetic field relative to the air; the geomagnetic field guides particles from the Sun’s outbursts into our atmosphere. If you are seeing this from far enough away, you…

  • The long reach of the Centaur’s dark heart

    Phil Plait
    16 May 2012 | 8:21 am
    Every now again I get surprised by a photo, showing me something I didn’t know about. And I love it even more when that surprise is from an object I thought I knew! So check out this incredible image of the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, a nearby galaxy harboring a whole slew of surprises: [Click to galactinate, or get the 4000 x 4000 pixel version, or, if you're feeling frisky, cram this onto your hard drive: an image that's 8500 x 8400 pixels and 29 Mb in size! And trust me: you want to.] Isn’t that stunning? This picture was taken by the MPG/ESO 2.2 meter telescope in Chile, and…

  • Big Picture Science: Antivaxxers (and updates)

    Phil Plait
    15 May 2012 | 12:15 pm
    I do a roughly monthly segment with astronomer Seth Shostak on Big Picture Science, a radio show/podcast done by The SETI Institute. This month, Seth and I talked about the American Airlines dustup when they were planning to run an interview with reality-impaired antivaxxer Meryl Dorey. This story is a great victory for reality, and I’ve already written about the back story. Never forget: this antivax issue is more than important: it is literally life and death. Because of lowering vaccine rates, pertussis outbreaks are so prevalent health officials in the state of Washington have…

  • Help find Hubble’s Hidden Treasures

    Phil Plait
    15 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    I worked with Hubble Space Telescope data for about ten years, and one of the most amazing things about that was seeing the images fresh off the mirror. Knowing that no human on Earth had ever seen that particular object that sharply was a thrill. Not every Hubble observation gets turned into a gorgeous image, though. A lot of them don’t need to be for scientific publications, for one thing, and for another not every observation is of a targeted object for a specific purpose. Because of that, there are probably hundreds and hundreds of amazing objects — galaxies, nebulae, star…

  • If the Mayans were right, it was probably about Internet comments

    Phil Plait
    15 May 2012 | 7:55 am
    A little while back, I was at Utah State University to give a public talk about the threat from asteroid impacts and what we can do to stop them (PLUG ALERT: if you want me to come talk at your venue, my agent would love to hear from you). While I was there I was interviewed by Utah Public Radio, and that interview is online. I was also chatted up by the local TV station, KSL. I think it went OK, and they put it online as well: [You may have to refresh this page to get the video to load.] While I rather wish I had stated succinctly that even the basis of the "Mayan 2012 doomsday"…
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    Bitesize Bio

  • Top Tips For Peaceful Lab Communities

    Graham Buttrick
    16 May 2012 | 1:00 am
    Picture the scene: standing at your bench, you look up at the shelf of neatly-labelled bottles of fresh buffers, you see your pipettes arrayed in size order by your right hand, the gleaming expanse of your bench is in front of you, ready for you to perform wonders of science on its routinely-cleansed surface. In [...]

  • How to Keep Track of Lab Orders

    Megan Cartwright
    14 May 2012 | 1:00 am
    How often have you torn apart the lab looking for the reagent you need right now for some thawing samples?  That reagent which you (possibly) ordered a week ago and which (maybe) came in yesterday?  If your answer isn’t “just once in my entire career,” please read on!  I will outline four steps to setup [...]

  • How to to Speed up Commercial Midi and Maxi Plasmid Preps

    Rebecca Tirabassi
    11 May 2012 | 1:00 am
    Commercial kits for isolation of large quantities of plasmid DNA generally rely on standard alkaline lysis followed by an affinity chromatography column-based method to purify DNA. Compared to traditional cesium chloride banding or PEG precipitation of plasmid DNA they are a breeze, and have the added benefit of avoiding use of toxic or hazardous chemicals [...]

  • Wasting Antibodies Doesn’t Float Your Boat? Try Floating Your Blot Instead!

    Rebecca Tirabassi
    9 May 2012 | 1:00 am
    Western blots may be great for visualizing protein expression, but they can be a perfect way to waste your precious antibody stocks if you follow the normal protocol. Thankfully, you don’t have to follow the normal protocol any more; here’s how to get great blots with a fraction of the antibody usage. I have tried [...]

  • Is Your Science Making an Impact?

    Graham Buttrick
    7 May 2012 | 1:00 am
    It’s pretty likely you’ll have heard of impact factors, either through colleagues talking about them in the lab, or from a journal homepage advertising its latest score. Whilst impact factor is a relatively artificial value, it is something that journal editors, scientists and some funding agencies take seriously. It’s therefore important to understand what it [...]
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    Nature Network Blog Posts

  • Don't tell me not to learn! (from Eva Amsen's blog)

    Eva Amsen
    16 May 2012 | 5:51 am
    I mentioned at the start of the year that I was doing CodeYear. You may be wondering how that is going. Still going strong! After about 5 weeks I cobbled together a little DNA-translator; a few weeks later I finished the entire JavaScript section. We’re now in html/css lessons, but I already know most of that, so I’m not learning much right now. (I did learn one important new thing, though. I found out why so many websites look the same these days. Twitter Bootstrap! Aha! Oh Twitter, how far your influence stretches…) So, it’s still fun, and I’m still learning…

  • Behind the scenes at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology hawk cam | video | (from Grrl Scientist's blog)

    Grrl Scientist
    16 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    SUMMARY: This video captures the time and effort it took to mount a birdcam on a light tower overlooking Cornell University’s athletic fieldScreengrab: Adult female red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, “Big Red” puts the finishes touches on her nest.One of the many things that I love about all this newly affordable miniaturised technology is the astonishing number of birdcams that are sprouting up all around the world. These birdcams are providing the general public with an unprecedented “bird’s eye view” of a growing number of animal species for the first…

  • A Planet Under Pressure, and Why Gender Matters (from Paige Brown's blog)

    Paige Brown
    15 May 2012 | 10:33 pm
    “I believe we want a world that is pro-poor, pro-development, and pro-environment.”So said Bina Agarwal, Director and Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic Growth at Delhi University, India, at the Planet Under Pressure 2012 conference in London – an international conference focusing on solutions to the global sustainability challenge. At the conference, Bina expressed her concern for food security and forest protection in light of global climatic changes, calling for “participation at all levels, at both the global and the local, between countries and…

  • SciCom12 - Impact to Heart Attack (from Suzi Gage's blog)

    Suzi Gage
    15 May 2012 | 7:34 pm
    I’ve just returned from the British Science Association‘s Science Communication Conference, a 2 day event in London for everyone from researchers like me who communicate alongside their ’day job’ to press officers to funding bodies. It was my first time attending, and it really was an excellent event.I went up to London on Sunday evening for Science Showoff, the recommended pre conference entertainment. It didn’t disappoint, and has me excited for Science Showoff Bristol (featuring a set by me) in July!On to the conference proper. The plenary session was an…

  • Get Ur Geek On (from Peter Etchells' blog)

    Peter Etchells
    15 May 2012 | 4:04 pm
    There was a time, in the (embarrassingly) not-too-distant past, when being called a geek was a slur. If you were a geek, you were socially inept. You spent all your time doing technology-, science-, or maths-based hobbies. You might have been shy and retiring. You were not cool.Not any more. No longer is it synonymous with a drive to do science and science alone. It’s a way of thinking objectively about things, about taking a step back, assessing the evidence, and coming to informed conclusions about things. Now, ‘geek’ is increasingly becoming a badge of honour.Why am I…
 
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    ScienceAlert - Latest Stories

  • Parks key to physical activity

    16 May 2012 | 10:42 am
    The research found that more people exercised at parks after they'd been upgraded. Image: oversnap/iStockphoto Improving community health could lie in the quality of neighbourhood parks, a Deakin University study has found.Health researchers with Deakin’s Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research examined whether improvements to parks increased usage and park-based physical activity of users. They found significant increases in the number of visitors and levels of exercise undertaken at one park after the facilities had been upgraded.“Parks are important places for people to…

  • Sea lions fuel ocean life

    16 May 2012 | 10:37 am
    The bacteria in the faeces of sea lion are capable of making iron and phosphorous available to phytoplankton, the research found. Image: zimdingo1/iStockphoto Like whales, sea lions are contributing to marine ecosystems in the most fundamental way possible, research by a Flinders graduate has found.Dr Trish Lavery, who established that Southern Ocean sperm whales offset their carbon emissions by defecating iron on phytoplankton, has found that the digestive mechanisms of Australian sea lions mean that they too are making vital nutrients available to the first tier of the marine food chain.Her…

  • Fastest growing volcano found

    16 May 2012 | 10:32 am
    The Monowai Cone grew around 8.5 million cubic metres in three weeks, the fastest volcanic growth ever recorded. Image: GNS Science Scientists have found a submarine volcano in New Zealand waters that has undergone the fastest episode of collapse and growth ever recorded at a volcano.The Monowai Cone, part of the Monowai Volcanic Centre, is a giant submarine volcano about 1,000km northeast of the North Island that underwent a mighty geological upheaval during five days in mid-2011, and provided scientists with new insights into the behaviour of submarine volcanoes.The volcano added about 8.5…

  • 'Spell check' for DNA developed

    16 May 2012 | 10:24 am
    Machine errors in gene sequencing can cause biologists to misinterpret which genes or microbial species are in their samples. The new software will help to pick up these errors. Image: dra_schwartz/iStockphoto A PhD student from CSIRO and The University of Queensland has found a better way to 'spell check' gene sequences and help biologists better understand the natural world.The student, Lauren Bragg, is a member of the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, which sits within UQ's School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences.Along with her co-authors, Lauren has contributed to the May issue…

  • Coral model predicts bleaching

    16 May 2012 | 10:09 am
    Coral bleaching can devastate reefs and the animals that rely on them. The new model takes into account coral porosity, shape, size, water flow and heat transfer to predict where bleaching will occur.  Image: RainervonBrandis/iStockphoto Curtin University researchers have used computational fluid dynamics and powerful supercomputers to create new models for understanding and predicting coral bleaching.A phenomenon that has increased in magnitude over the past two decades, coral bleaching is attributed to an elevation of sea surface temperatures combined with the sun’s irradiation.While…
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    PHD Comics

  • 05/14/12 PHD comic: 'The Avoidance Cycle'

    15 May 2012 | 1:49 pm
    Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "The Avoidance Cycle" - originally published 5/14/2012 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

  • 05/09/12 PHD comic: 'Grad Stereogram'

    10 May 2012 | 6:13 pm
    Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Grad Stereogram" - originally published 5/9/2012 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

  • 05/07/12 PHD comic: 'Where are you from?'

    8 May 2012 | 4:37 am
    Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Where are you from?" - originally published 5/7/2012 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

  • 05/04/12 PHD comic: 'Don't worry'

    4 May 2012 | 3:46 am
    Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Don't worry" - originally published 5/4/2012 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

  • 04/30/12 PHD comic: 'Existential Deconstruction'

    1 May 2012 | 3:48 pm
    Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Existential Deconstruction" - originally published 4/30/2012 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
 
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    Physics Today News Picks

  • Manhattan Project revisited

    Physics Today
    16 May 2012 | 10:37 am
    Nuclear Diner: The Santa Fe Institute recently brought together physicists, historians, and social scientists to discuss the long-term legacies of the Manhattan Project. Among the participants at the 12–13 May conference were Harold Agnew, former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and scientific observer on a plane that escorted the Enola Gay; Murray Gell-Mann, recipient of the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics; Stan Norris, a historian and author of Racing for the Bomb; Gregg Herken, author of Brotherhood of the Bomb; and Gino Segrè, a nuclear physicist and author of several books on…

  • Iranian physics grad student sentenced in Tehran

    Physics Today
    16 May 2012 | 9:39 am
    Nature: Omid Kokabee, who has been imprisoned in Tehran since February 2011, was sentenced on Sunday to 10 years for alleged conspiracy. A graduate student in the physics department at the University of Texas at Austin, Kokabee was reported missing last year when he failed to return to Texas from a trip home to Iran over winter break. Although his friends maintain that no proof was presented at the trial, he was found guilty of “communicating with a hostile government” and “illegal earnings,” writes Michele Catanzaro for Nature. He plans to appeal the sentence.

  • How to handle an ever-warming Earth

    Physics Today
    15 May 2012 | 6:15 pm
    New Yorker: In an extensive article for the New Yorker, Michael Specter ponders the question of geoengineering the planet to mitigate the effects of global warming. Two distinct schemes exist: reducing the impact of the Sun, or removing carbon from the atmosphere. The former is riskier, whether it involves such proposals as “seeding clouds, spreading giant mirrors in the desert, or injecting sulfates into the stratosphere.” The latter method is safer, but it is also more expensive and would require significant technological advances. And because the warming is a global problem, a number…

  • Virus used to power tiny generator

    Physics Today
    15 May 2012 | 11:04 am
    BBC: Seung-Wuk Lee at the University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues have built a small generator that consists of a postage stamp–sized electrode coated with specially engineered viruses. When the electrode is tapped by a finger, the viruses convert the mechanical energy of the tap into an electric charge. Unlike the materials used in most piezoelectric devices, the viruses are natural materials that are nontoxic and benign to humans. Also, they self-assemble into sheets, a desirable quality in the field of nanotechnology. Although the power generated by the device amounted to…

  • Making the “real” kilogram obsolete

    Paul Guinnessy
    14 May 2012 | 3:38 pm
    IEE Spectrum: Last October delegates from the 55 member countries that define our basic measurement standards agreed unanimously on a tentative plan to base the kilogram on a fundamental constant of quantum mechanics instead of a lump of metal held in Paris. The move, which will also change the basis of three other core units—the ampere, the mole, and the kelvin—is the result of decades of work in trying to measure mass. One approach attempts to pin down the exact electromagnetic force needed to balance the gravitational tug on an object. The other counts the number of atoms in…
 
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    Scienceray

  • Cycle Your Way to Free Energy Bills!

    15 May 2012 | 4:17 am
    There are two major problems about the country that I live in at the moment. The first problem is that nobody has any money because of the way that the economy is heading. The second problem is that a lot of people are overweight due to the fact that they feel as though they can’t get healthy food without spending more money than they have available to them. Luckily, thanks to a fantastic new invention, there is something available to you which will solve both of these problems at the same time. One of the things that people say to me all of the time is that they don’t have the…

  • EEG Scans: Pros and Cons

    14 May 2012 | 4:38 am
    There are two types of EEG; EEG (electroencephlogram) and iEEG (intracranial). The iEEG involves opening the skull in order to be able to place electrodes on the surface of the cortex which would then be able to measure electrical current in the brain. This method is used in patients with drug resistant intractable epilepsy, and is often successful in identifying which part of the brain is posing a problem. For the majority of patients, the suitable option is the EEG, which is non invasive. This has a lot of advantages, because it doesn’t cost too much money, it doesn’t cause the…

  • Evolution of The Social Brain

    14 May 2012 | 3:48 am
    The social brain centres around something called Theory of Mind. This is the ability to automatically tune into other people’s emotions and intentions, and this has evolved over many thousands of years. Over the course of human evolution, the human brain has almost trebled in size, and there are chimpanzees today which have the same brain size as the earliest form of human being. However, there are some costs of humans having a large brain. Because our brain uses 20% of the calories that we consume in an average day, this means that we have to have a highly nutritious diet which can…

  • Beginnings in Quotes

    5 May 2012 | 11:15 am
    Every exit is a beginning somewhere else was what Tom Stoppard, the playwright wrote. One can think of the end of a type of work practice or company structure and the start up of the next because of hard economic times. If we are going through a transition period where the Canadian economy is going to come out from then it is hoped that the following periods will be full of promise and growth. That would be the exit beginning somewhere else. Yours truly would live to see Canada be more independent economically speaking and not perennially stuck to the failing American economy. Beginning are…

  • Fermentation of Food: How They Work, and Their Benefits

    1 May 2012 | 6:43 pm
    What is Fermentation? Fermentation is the process by which bacteria, yeasts and moulds convert sugars and carbohydrates into less complex products such as carbon dioxide and alcohol. Bacteria send enzymes out through their cell walls into the food and these break them down into particles that can be absorbed by the body’s cells through osmosis. Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. For example, making cheese is a good way of preserving milk. Wine is an excellent means for preserving grapes. Kim chi is a perfect vehicle for preserving and enhancing the flavour of…
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    Brain And Consciousness Research

  • Waking embryos before they are born

    16 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Under some conditions, the brains of embryonic chicks appear to be awake well before those chicks are ready to hatch out of their eggs. That's according to an imaging study published online on May 3 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, in which researchers woke chick embryos inside their eggs by playing loud, meaningful sounds to them. Playing meaningless sounds to the embryos wasn't enough to rouse their brains.

  • Multiple thought channels may help brain avoid traffic jams

    16 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Brain networks may avoid traffic jams at their busiest intersections by communicating on different frequencies, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University Medical Center at Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University of T�bingen have learned.

  • Can new diagnostic approaches help assess brain function in unconscious, brain-injured patients?

    16 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    New functional and imaging-based diagnostic tests that measure communication and signaling between different brain regions may provide valuable information about the potential for consciousness in patients unable to communicate.

  • Customer satisfaction lies somewhere between pleasure and pain

    16 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    A new paper by Kyle Murray, a marketing researcher with the Alberta School of Business, puts a spin on the expression "you can't please everyone."

  • Awake mental replay of past experiences critical for learning

    15 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Awake mental replay of past experiences is essential for making informed choices, suggests a study in rats. Without it, the animals' memory-based decision-making faltered. Scientists blocked learning from, and acting on, past experience by selectively suppressing replay -- encoded as split-second bursts of neuronal activity in the memory hubs of rats performing a maze task. Similar patterns of brain activity have been detected in humans during similar situations.
 
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    ZME Science

  • Earliest evidence of pollination is 100 million years-old, found in perfectly preserved insects

    Tibi Puiu
    15 May 2012 | 2:24 pm
    aSynchrotron X-ray tomography allows the virtual extraction of the thrips from the amber. (c) ESRF Scientists have uncovered pieces of fossilized amber containing tiny female insects called thrips, which upon closer inspections were found to have particles of pollen dusted over them.  The insects found are around 100 million years old, officially making them the oldest pollination record ever found. During the  lower Cretaceous Period, which corresponds to the recently discovered fossilized thrips, the world’s flowering plants had just started to diversify, eventually coming to…

  • Humans need an extra planet at current rate of resource depletion, study finds

    Tibi Puiu
    15 May 2012 | 11:26 am
    According to the World Wildlife Fund‘s annual Living Planet report, humans are using Earth’s resources at a rate 1.5 times  greater than the rate of replenishment.  ”During the 1970s, humanity as a whole passed the point at which the annual Ecological Footprint matched the Earth’s annual biocapacity. This situation is called “ecological overshoot”, and has continued since then. An overshoot of 50 percent means it would take 1.5 years for the Earth to regenerate the renewable resources that people used in 2007 and absorb CO2 waste,” reads the report published…

  • Researchers shed new light on mysterious Cambodian burial rituals

    Mihai Andrei
    10 May 2012 | 10:09 am
    Researchers from New Zealand working in remote Cambodian mountains are shedding new light on the lost history of an enigmatic unidentified tribe by studying their eerie burial rituals. The University of Otago scientists have been working since 2003 to geo-locate and survey 10 interment sites and to used radiocarbon dating on samples of coffin wood, tooth enamel and bone. With colleagues from Cambodia, Australia, USA and Scotland, Drs Nancy Beavan and Sian Halcrow of the Department of Anatomy have just published the dating of four sites in the journal Radiocarbon. The dating revealed that the…

  • NASA spacecraft detects change in Martian sand dunes

    Mihai Andrei
    10 May 2012 | 9:50 am
    NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed yet another surprising fact about our red neighbor: movement in sand dunes occurs on a large scale, about the same as in dune fields here on Earth. This is totally unexpected because Mars has a much thinner atmosphere than our planet, and high speed winds are much less common than here as well; researchers have debated for years if the sand dunes we see on Mars today are a remnant of past times or rather an evidence of active phenomena, and this observation seems to finish this debate once and for all. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s…

  • Most endangered gorilla species caught for the first time on film

    Tibi Puiu
    10 May 2012 | 9:21 am
    The Cross River gorilla is a critically endangered gorilla species, native to the border region of Nigeria-Cameroon. Today, only about 250 to 300 individuals are alive, due to habitat loss and poaching, making it the rarest of all four gorilla species. It’s so rare and elusive, that no one has ever been able to record a Cross River gorilla, and were it not for a few photos, the outside world would’ve had no idea of their existence. Camera traps displaces around Cameroon’s Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, however, have offered us a true gem – live footage of not one, but eight…
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    BEYONDbones

  • It’s Family Space Day at the George on Saturday: Take your family to the Moon!

    Peggy
    16 May 2012 | 10:59 am
    Want to go to space? We can take you. Say hello to the Challenger Learning Center and Family Space Day. The Challenger Learning Center opened at HMNS in 1988 after the tragic last flight of the space shuttle Challenger. A living, teaching memorial to the crew, the Challenger Center continues to teach children about space and space flight and perpetuate all the things the crew loved. Originally designed for schools and groups, the Challenger takes up to 40 participants to “space” as they experience real astronaut training during their missions to the Moon or Mars. Groups perform…

  • Introducing Lane, a mummified Triceratops with a new address at 5555 Hermann Park Dr.

    Caroline
    14 May 2012 | 4:17 pm
    As the final countdown to the June 2 opening of our new Hall of Paleontology continues, we’ve introduced you to a few of our new roommates here at HMNS. We’ve shown you Wyrex, a T. rex with some seriously spirited fingers; and Priscilla, a mastodon with a gender identity crisis. Now it’s time to introduce you to the head honcho, the most impressive specimen we’ve got. Meet Lane, the mummified Triceratops. That’s right, mummified. As in this guy was preserved with large swatches of his skin intact. That’s dinosaur skin, y’all. Not only is Lane a rare,…

  • What’s in a name? Prizes, for one thing! VOTE for your favorite moniker and grant the submittor a guided tour of the new paleo hall

    Caroline
    14 May 2012 | 12:38 pm
    You’ve made your nominations, and the academy has deliberated. We even put the top five names you guys submitted for our new T-Rex Trying mascot in crisp ecru envelopes and everything. We hired a calligrapher and borrowed ball gowns! I’ve gotten carried away, haven’t I? Well this much is true: We’ve selected our favorite five name suggestions, and now it’s up to you to pick the winner. Our favorite picks were *drumroll please*: Tex  Huey  Tiny Amigo Sam Whether the names were inspired by our city, our state or our sense of irony, we loved the outpouring of…

  • Dinosaur dialogue: Watch our own David Temple talk paleo on Great Day San Antonio

    Caroline
    12 May 2012 | 7:15 am
    We don’t know if you’d heard, but our new Hall of Paleontology is kind of a big deal. It has many leather-bound books, and smells of rich mahogany contains more than 60 brand new mounts, including a few that are ground-breaking in the field of paleontology. One of those, Wyrex, we’ve already told you about. The other … well, the other you’ll have to wait until Monday to see. In the meantime, though, to whet your whistle, here’s a segment from Great Day San Antonio featuring our very own Associate Curator of Paleontology, David Temple. Check him out as he…
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    Harvard Gazette

  • Hoffman named Trudeau Scholar

    16 May 2012 | 9:28 am
    Steven Hoffman, a doctoral candidate in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ (GSAS) Health Policy program, has been awarded the prestigious 2012 Trudeau Scholarship. The scholarships are awarded annually by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation of Canada to support up to 15 doctoral candidates pursuing research of compelling present-day concerns that address one or more of the foundation’s themes: human rights and dignity, responsible citizenship, Canada in the world, and people and their natural environment. Trudeau Scholars are highly gifted individuals who are actively engaged in…

  • Biostatistics honors Begg

    16 May 2012 | 9:24 am
    The Harvard School of Public Health’s (HSPH) Department of Biostatistics announced that Melissa D. Begg will be the first recipient of the newly established Lagakos Distinguished Alumni Award. Begg will deliver a lecture and be presented with the inaugural award on Sept. 28, preceding the kickoff of the 2012 HSPH Alumni Weekend. The Lagakos award honors the career of Professor Stephen Lagakos by recognizing department alumni whose research in statistical theory and application, leadership in biomedical research, and commitment to teaching have had a major impact on the theory and practice…

  • Chef to receive Healthy Cup Award

    15 May 2012 | 9:08 am
    Jamie Oliver, the internationally acclaimed chef of “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” will be honored by the Harvard School of Public Health for his substantial achievements in working to end the childhood obesity epidemic. Oliver has campaigned to provide schoolchildren in the U.S. and U.K. with whole, freshly cooked food and has inspired millions of people around the world to become passionate about preparing delicious meals from scratch. Oliver will receive the School’s prestigious Healthy Cup Award at a sold-out May 22 lecture and reception at the Joseph P. Martin Conference…

  • Counter knighted by King of Sweden

    15 May 2012 | 9:06 am
    Noted neuroscience professor S. Allen Counter was appointed Knight of the Order of the Polar Star First Class by Carl XVI Gustaf, king of Sweden. The appointment is made only by the king in recognition of personal services to Sweden. It is a Swedish order of chivalry that was created by King Frederick I of Sweden on Feb. 23, 1748. Counter has served as consul general of Sweden in Boston and New England since 2004.

  • Scholar publishes book on Civil War

    15 May 2012 | 9:04 am
    “Ruin Nation: Destruction and the American Civil War,” a book by Megan Kate Nelson, has recently been published by the University of Georgia Press. Nelson is a lecturer on history and literature at Harvard. Her book is being lauded as the first to bring together environmental and cultural histories to consider the evocative power of ruination as an imagined state, an act of destruction, and a process of change.
 
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    Periodic Tabloid

  • First Person: Vladimir Prelog

    Hilary Domush
    15 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Sometimes important discoveries happen in the lab; sometimes they happen in unexpected spaces. In 1954 Vladimir Prelog learned that a formal ball was just the place to work out an important scientific issue.

  • Genes and Identity

    Tom Tritton
    10 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    When the human genome was sequenced a decade ago it stirred hope that knowing the chemical identity of our own personal DNA would yield precise clues about what to expect in our lives. Alas, DNA predictions are not that easy, at least according to a recent scrutiny from Johns Hopkins and Harvard researchers.

  • Collective Voice: Museum Staff Takes Minneapolis

    Rosie Cook
    8 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Last week some fellow staff members and I boarded a plane headed to Minneapolis for the American Association of Museums conference. I came back with snapshots to share.

  • Dead Bacteria

    Tom Tritton
    3 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    There are a goodly number of medicinal agents that remain useful for treating bacterial infections, even despite the specter of antibiotic resistance. But a recent study reveals that the mechanism by which they kill bad bacteria is more complicated than we ever expected.

  • How to Make History of Science Interesting: Part II

    Michal Meyer
    1 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    It’s an old case, but not a cold case. Isaac Newton left clues in his own hand . “Two women clothed riding on two lyons each with a heart in her hand....The right hand lyon farts on a company of young lions behind it….” Rather than an example of bad taste, Newton’s farting lion is part of a sophisticated chemical process. Unfortunately, no one has yet unlocked its meaning.
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    NOVA | PBS

  • Gamers and Genomics

    26 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    An online game called Phylo taps the brainpower of thousands of players to solve complex problems in genetics.

  • The Sun Lab

    26 Apr 2012 | 4:00 pm
    Research solar storms using images from NASA telescopes; share your work; and find out about careers in science.

  • NOVA Elements iPad App

    12 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm
    Explore an interactive periodic table, combine elements to make real stuff, and watch the two-hour NOVA program.

  • Making Chemicals Naturally

    12 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm
    A pioneer in the field of green chemistry explains how copying Nature's methods to make chemicals is safer and cheaper.

  • Magnetic Fish Hooks Save Sharks

    5 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm
    A chance discovery that sharks avoid rare earth magnets may help protect them from over-fishing.
 
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    The Sara Bellum Blog

  • SADD Florida Teens “Share a Dose of Reality” at the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit

    admin
    15 May 2012 | 1:20 pm
    By Julissa Pardomo, Destiny Ramos, and Naya Zapata, SADD Florida SADD Florida advisor Sherry Viersen (far left) and teen ambassadors Naya Zapata, Destiny Ramos, and Julissa Pardomo are joined by U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A. (center). Did you know that of the top 22 substances teens abused across the country in 2011, 8 were prescription drugs often found in the family medicine cabinet? “Abuse” of prescription drugs includes taking them without a prescription, even if you’re taking them for medical reasons. It can also mean sharing your prescription drugs with…

  • Today Is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

    admin
    9 May 2012 | 10:58 am
    Today, communities and organizations across the country will help people understand how important it is to take care of children’s mental health. This year’s focus is on helping children recover from traumatic experiences. Learn more about the observance and the effects of trauma on the brain by reading our previous post, Mental Health and Young People. Attend an Awareness Day Event More than 1,000 communities in the United States are celebrating National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day by hosting interactive events for children and adults. Here is just a sampling of the…

  • Why Does Peer Pressure Influence Teens To Try Drugs?

    admin
    8 May 2012 | 2:09 pm
    During NIDA’s most recent Drug Facts Chat Day,“Kid” from Totino-Grace High School in Minnesota, asked: “Why is peer pressure such a huge factor in teens’ temptations [to experiment with] drugs and alcohol?” Risk Versus Reward New research shows that, when making a decision, teens think about both the risks and rewards of their actions and behaviors—but, unlike adults, teens are more likely to ignore the risk in favor of the reward. In a NIDA-funded study, teens driving with their friends in the car were more likely to take risks—like speeding through yellow lights—if they…

  • Prescription Opioid Abuse Can Lead to Heroin Abuse

    admin
    3 May 2012 | 1:36 pm
    You may have heard marijuana referred to as a “gateway drug,” meaning that it can open doors to other kinds of drug abuse. But did you know that prescription painkillers can be gateway drugs to heroin? Some studies show that people who are addicted to heroin often started out abusing prescription painkillers (opioids), like OxyContin or Vicodin. Not everyone who abuses a prescription opioid will move on to heroin—but why take the risk? It might begin innocently enough—you think that taking a family member’s prescription painkiller is safer than abusing an illicit drug like Ecstasy,…

  • Meet Molly: The Truth About Ecstasy

    admin
    1 May 2012 | 1:54 pm
    Recently, Madonna created some buzz when she mentioned “Molly” at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. Madonna shouted to the audience, “How many people in the crowd have seen Molly?” Madonna was talking about the song “Have You Seen Molly?” by Cedric Gervais. However, “Molly” is also a nickname for MDMA, or Ecstasy. Many news outlets reported that the legendary pop singer was talking about drugs, not the song. Madonna responded by saying, “I don’t support drug use and I never have.” All About Molly We were happy to hear that Madonna doesn’t encourage her fans to use…
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    Mr Science Show

  • Travelling Salesman - the Movie

    6 May 2012 | 2:38 am
    Science in the movies is a topic we've looked at a few times here on the blog. But this one is for the pure mathematicians. Check out this preview to the upcoming flick "Travelling Salesman". I love these kinds of films - overly melodramatic acting, a slight misrepresentation of the science behind the plot (which is OK by me as this is a movie), government conspiracies, and mysterious music. The name "Travelling Salesman" comes from the famous mathematical Travelling Salesman Problem in which a salesman needs to visit a numerous destinations and wishes to do it in the shortest time. Whilst…

  • Ep 145: Teleportation

    4 May 2012 | 10:47 pm
    Is teleportation possible in the real world, or only in the world of science fiction? In this very special episode, Dr Boob takes the reigns and leads us on a journey through teleportation, whether or not physics allows it and even if it does, can we technologically achieve it? What are the implications if we recreate someone in another spot - what about their soul? Does such a thing exist? And even if you can technologically achieve this, is it possible to reanimate a copy of someone? What do you do with their original version, if you have simply copied them? This could be considered…

  • Ep 144: Two-up - an ANZAC Tradition

    26 Apr 2012 | 1:20 am
    2012 update: I had a chat to Chris Coleman of ABC Riverina about the maths behind two-up. Check it out here and read on for the 2009 article on the maths. It's an Australian tradition on ANZAC Day to take yourself down to your local pub and play Two-up - an Aussie gambling game in which you toss two coins in the air and bet on the outcome. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that even though I am only a month away from turning 30, this year was the first time I've ever actually gambled on two-up. It's not a game that is played very often, despite being iconically Australian -…

  • The Big Swim

    11 Feb 2012 | 7:03 pm
    Recently I competed in one of Australia's biggest ocean swims, The Big Swim. Now I'm not particularly good, just stupid and competitive, and the results provide a nice sporting dataset with which to play. I've wanted to teach myself some mapping / visualisation techniques for a while, so I took the opportunity to investigate this data in order to find out from where competitors for the event came, and from where they are the quickest. I have created the following interactive chart using Google Fusion Tables. From the swim results, I extracted the competitors' times and the suburbs they came…

  • Correlation of the year: Drinking encourages unsafe sex

    22 Dec 2011 | 5:08 am
    If you thought the biggest science stories of 2011 concerned faster-than-light neutrinos, the Higgs Boson or the discovery of ever more exoplanets, you would be wrong. Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada have performed a meta-analysis of 12 previously conducted experiments and found that drinking alcohol makes people want to have unsafe sex. Their paper, Alcohol consumption and the intention to engage in unprotected sex: systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies, published in the journal Addiction, showed that alcohol consumption…
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    EurekAlert! - Breaking News

  • Separate species, shared genomes

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 pm
    A landmark effort to sequence the genome of the butterfly Heliconius melpomene has revealed that it shares genes that control color patterns with two other species that closely mimic its appearance -- Heliconius timareta and Heliconius elevatus -- suggesting that all three exchange genes as a result of occasional hybridization.

  • Make or break for cellular tissues

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 pm
    In a study about to be published in EPJ E, French physicists from the Curie Institute in Paris have demonstrated that the behavior of a thin layer of cells in contact with an unfavorable substrate is akin to that of thin fluid or elastic films.

  • How do consumers achieve self-affirmation when purchasing products?

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 pm
    People who feel good about themselves are less likely to choose an attractive product than a functional one, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. But choosing highly aesthetic products may make people more open-minded.

  • Chocolate and diamonds: Why volcanoes could be a girl's best friend

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered a previously unrecognized volcanic process, similar to one that is used in chocolate manufacturing, which gives important new insights into the dynamics of volcanic eruptions.

  • Trusting Tiger Woods: How do facial cues affect preference and trust?

    15 May 2012 | 11:00 pm
    People respond to facial cues and this affects their level of trust, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research that looks at the way consumers react to morphed photo images.
 
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    sciencestage.com

  • The ancient American bones at centre of two lawsuits

    16 May 2012 | 7:09 am
    The future remains uncertain for the 9000-year-old remains of two Americans found beneath the University of California in San Diego in 2006 read more

  • ASNS3980A: Postdoctoral Scholar

    14 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Unit: School of Natural SciencesCategory: Postdoctoral ScholarSeries: Postdoctoral ScholarArea: Biology (Immunology, Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology)Opening Date: 05/14/2012Closing Date: 06/14/2012Description:A postdoctoral scholar position is available in the new laboratory of Dr. read more

  • SSUC3978A: Senior Writer

    10 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Unit: University Communications Category: Managerial/ProfessionalOpening Date: 05/10/2012Closing Date: 05/24/2012Description:Under general direction of the News Director, the Senior Public Information Representative (AKA Senior Writer) provides both broad and specific communication support for the entire campus, namely in the areas of sci read more

  • AHSRI3979A: Visiting Assistant Professor

    10 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Unit: Health Sciences Research InsituteCategory: Visiting ProfessorSeries: Temporary TeachingArea: Public Health/Health Services ResearchOpening Date: 05/10/2012Closing Date: 06/30/2012Description:The Health Sciences Research Institute at the University of California, Merced invites applications from exceptional sc read more

  • SCR3977A: Assistant Coach, Women's Basketball

    9 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Unit: Campus Recreation and AthleticsCategory: Student AffairsOpening Date: 05/09/2012Description:UC Merced is a member of the NAIA and the California Pacific Athletic Conference. read more
 
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    Science Knowledge

  • Microwaves and the Speed of Light

    14 May 2012 | 10:01 pm
    New physics tricks for the most underestimated of kitchen appliances You can find a microwave oven in nearly any American kitchen— indeed, it is the one truly modern cooking tool that is commonly at hand—yet these versatile gadgets are woefully underestimated. Few see any culinary action more sophisticated than reheating leftovers or popping popcorn. That is a shame because a microwave oven, when used properly, can cook certain kinds of food perfectly, every time. You can even use it to calculate a fundamental physical constant of the universe. Try that with a gas burner. To get the most…

  • Can’t Touch This Feeling

    10 May 2012 | 9:57 pm
    Primates can now move and sense the textures of objects using only their thoughts When real brains operate in the real world, it’s a two-way street. Electrical activity in the brain’s motor cortex speeds down the spinal cord to the part of the body to be moved; tactile sensations from the skin simultaneously zip through the spinal cord and into the brain’s somatosensory cortex. The two actions are virtually inseparable: absent the feel of a floor under your feet, it’s awfully difficult to walk properly, and lacking the tactile sensation of a coffee mug, your brain cannot sense how…

  • Stop the Killer Rocks

    7 May 2012 | 12:53 pm
    The job of saving humanity from extinction currently falls to no one. NASA and other organizations should take it on Over the past couple of years the U.S. space program has gone through a huge shake-up, leaving the nation’s goals in space unclear. I have a suggestion. NASA, working with other national space agencies and private organizations, should take on the job of ensuring that no destructive asteroid ever hits Earth on our watch. What project is more worthwhile in the long term or aweinspiring in the short term than protecting humanity from ruin? At first glance, asteroids may seem…

  • Watersheds and Ecology

    5 May 2012 | 9:57 am
    A watershed is an area of land surrounding a riparian habitat that supplies all of the habitat’s water. Environmental damage to a watershed in the form of pollution or erosion directly affects its riparian waters. Conversely, a healthy environment and watershed give rise to healthy riparian habitat. For instance, undisturbed watersheds containing trees and plant life have riparian areas with clean, clear water. Vegetation, ground cover, and extensive root systems in these places prevent sediments and runoff. In heavy rainstorms, water rushes into streams and dirties the water with soil. A…

  • Desalination of Water

    1 May 2012 | 5:06 pm
    Desalination (also desalinization) converts salt-containing waters such as seawater into freshwater. Desalination has the potential to be particularly valuable in places suffering drought, countries in severe water stress, or in areas of expanding desertification. Two common methods for removing salts from water are distillation and reverse osmosis. Distillation is an inexpensive process in which freshwater evaporates out of heated salt water. Reverse osmosis (RO) requires more expensive filtration equipment than distillation. In RO pressure forces seawater through a filter, called a…
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    BenchFly Blog

  • This is Not an Article About Running Viruses…

    Katie Pratt
    16 May 2012 | 1:00 pm
    …but when I saw the headline “scientists generate electricity from viruses” this is where my mind went: Just hook that little guy up to a generator, and boom! Electricity! Sadly that’s not really how these scientists are making electricity from viruses. I mean, if I really think about it, there are several flaws to my idea: 1. How do you build a teeny tiny wheel? 2. How many teeny tiny wheels would you have to build to generate a sizeable amount of electricity? 3. How do you train the viruses to run on said teeny tiny wheels? The way the authors of this Nature Nanotechnology paper did…

  • Who’s Really Pursuing the Alternative Career in Science?

    Alan Marnett
    15 May 2012 | 2:04 pm
    These days it’s hard to escape the “alternative” label – alternative energy, alternative lifestyles, alternative medicine, alternative music, and of course, alternative careers. Prefacing a term with “alternative” implies those who find themselves in the “alternative” category have somehow strayed from the “normal” or “accepted” track. Nowhere is this stigma felt more than in science, where for decades researchers have been trained to pursue the “traditional” career path (aka, academics) or else risk finding…

  • Cell Culture Derailing Your Vacation Plans?

    Dora Farkas
    9 May 2012 | 10:03 am
    Dear Dora, I maintain a line of particularly finicky cells as an integral part of my project. They need some kind of maintenance every 2-3 days, which isn’t a big deal other than the fact that finding vacation time is nearly impossible. I’m not sure I trust them to a lab mate and if I were to bleach them and go back to a frozen stock after the vacation, it would be about three weeks before I could start doing experiments again, which my boss makes me feel guilty about every time I bring it up. Any thoughts on how to get away? Erin, graduate student Dear Erin, Welcome to the club…

  • How is a Dormouse Like a Career Scientist?

    Katie Pratt
    3 May 2012 | 1:00 pm
    No it’s not predation by large owls, it’s strategic reproduction. As anyone in academia knows, when to start a family is a really tricky decision. If you follow the traditional career path from college (4 years), to grad school (5-7 years), through a postdoc (3-6 years), perhaps another postdoc (3-6 years), into a tenure track position (5 years) which finally leads to a tenured faculty job (eternal) there really is no “good time” to pop out a baby or two. After all, us mammals tend to reproduce at a time when we can ensure the survival of our offspring and ourselves, so we like to do…

  • PhD Tales from the Couch: The Age of Anxiety

    Yevgeniy Grigoryev
    1 May 2012 | 4:13 am
    “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us …” This quote from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens can perhaps sum up the feeling of anxiety we all experience at certain times, when our life flip flops between complete despair and a promise of success. This may be especially true if you are…
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    Resilience Science

  • A history of bicycle transformation in the Netherlands

    Garry Peterson
    26 Apr 2012 | 4:17 am
    Cool video about how a movement for social-ecological transformation took advantage of a window of opportunity. Dutch cyclist organizations pushing for new cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands. Read more on the Bicycling Dutch website in this post.  An interesting post compares public space in locations in Netherlands in 2012 and 1957. Related posts:Stabilizing Collectives in the Study of Transformation: Instead of “key-individuals” You say “transitions”, I say “transformation”… Vulnerability Modelling Post-docs in Netherlands

  • Political Ecology and Resilience

    Garry Peterson
    22 Apr 2012 | 12:01 am
    I will be participating in a public discussion Resilience and Political Ecology at Upssala University April 27th in a moderated discussion with Prof. Alf Hornborg a professor of Human Ecology at Lund University, which will be moderated by Eva Friman from the Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development, Uppsala University The discussion will be Friday 27 April 2012, 14.15-17.00,  Hambergssalen, Geocentrum, Villavägen 16, Uppsala University. More information is on the DevNet website here and here. Alf Hornburg and I previously had an online discussion on this blog where I tried to…

  • Robert Harrison on Joesph Conrad

    Garry Peterson
    21 Apr 2012 | 7:22 am
    Stanford humanities professor Robert Harrison has a great online podcast, Entitled Opinons, that discusses various aspects of the Humanities. Robert Harrison is a Dante specialist, but he is also very interested in people’s relationships with the Earth.  His enthralling books Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition, and Forests: The Shadow of Civilization provide much food for thought. His shows cover diverse topics and thinkers such as Michel Foucault, eco-critic Ursula Heise on Extinction, and A Monologue on Machiavelli. In his show on Joesph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness…

  • Impacts of Geoengineering on Biodiversity

    Victor Galaz
    10 Apr 2012 | 6:58 am
    The Convention on Biological Diversity just released a report [PDF] put together by their Liaison Expert group on geo-engineering and biodiversity. The report – to which I have contributed as one of several lead authors – brings together peer-reviewed literature on expected impacts of a suite of geoengineering technologies, on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The last chapter also elaborates social, economical and ethical dimensions as they relate to the technologies’ impacts on biodiversity. Key messages include: 10. There is no single geoengineering approach that…

  • Sustainability in the Anthropocene: A Techno-Political Project (not a Scientific one)

    Victor Galaz
    5 Apr 2012 | 2:53 am
    This is a guest post by Thad Miller, Assistant Professor in Urban Civic Ecology and Sustainable Communities at Portland State University’s Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning. You can visit his website here and follow him on Twitter at @Thad_Miller. This is the second post in a series on technology-Anthropocene-resilience. The first post about geoengineering and planetary stewardship, can be found here. Scientists have declared that the Earth has entered a new epoch—one that is characterized by human impact on the planet’s biophysical processes. So, too, has the notion of the…
 
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    SciencePunk

  • Why I think Google's Project Glass lacks vision

    2 May 2012 | 5:38 pm
    (A rant hammered out in bed. Not spellchecked, fact checked, or cross checked.) So a few weeks ago the world swooned over the latest exciting tech announcement from Google, Project Glass. But I have mixed feelings, which in my time-honored style I am only just now getting down on paper. I watched the video, and I sat there and thought: really? Is that it? It's perplexing to me that a technology that holds as much potential as Project Glass does should be introduced as nothing more than a glorified smartphone interface welded in front of your face, as if there was some pressing need to furnish…

  • Ideas for development: Playlists on LoveFilm / Netflix

    16 Apr 2012 | 2:59 pm
    So here's a modest proposal for film rental / streaming companies like LoveFilm and Netflix: why don't you have shareable playlists like Spotify? You see, I was reading Time Out's 100 Best Horror Films and I thought, there must be loads of these lists out there, on all kinds of criteria, for all kinds of audiences. Why isn't there a button at the end labelled "ADD THESE TO MY LOVEFILM"? There are buttons to tweet it, Like it, add it to Reddit, Dig, and a dozen other aggregation sites, but none that actually serves the purpose of the list: getting these films in front of my eyes! I don't think…

  • Gorgeous neon glass skeleton by Eric Franklin

    4 Apr 2012 | 9:54 am
    Portland artist Eric Franklin spent over 1,000 hours sweating over hot glass and noble gasses to produce Embodiment, a glass skeleton filled with glowing krypton. Speaking about the process, Eric says: Every glass seal has to be perfect, and this piece contains hundreds. Everywhere one tube joins another, or a tube terminates, glass tubes were sealed together. They have to be perfect in order to preserve the luminosity of the krypton. If one rogue molecule gets inside the void of the glass tubing it can eventually contaminate the gas and it will no longer glow. There are times when the holes…

  • Five abandoned Olympic sports

    20 Mar 2012 | 3:31 pm
    There is only one truly kosher sport when it comes to the Olympics: athletics. All those ancient Greeks did was run around in the dirt butt naked. It took over fifty years for them to add a second sport: more running, but in a wild twist, a race over twice the distance as before. Over the years more sports were added, including one involving running in full armour, which much have provided much-needed advertising canvas for Classical games sponsors. After the revival of the games in 1894, various sports have been added, some successfully, whilst others fell by the wayside. Take a tour with me…

  • Lab grown meat - what's the worst that could happen?

    26 Feb 2012 | 9:42 am
    A cross posting from my Posterous space - a short imagining some implications of lab-grown meat. He was a huge man, thick forearms dotted with burns and pale scars. He spoke in a dull monotone about the unique difficulties in preparing synthetic meat. Roscoe wondered how much he weighed, and tried to calculate how much that would be worth when sold in Longpig wrappers. As he spoke, Roscoe noticed the chef was absent-mindedly palpating his own arm, as if feeling for the texture of the meat under his skin. Read Transubstantiation Read the comments on this post...
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    News

  • Video: "Touch Photography: Capturing The Feel Of Surfaces" on Science 360

    charity
    24 Apr 2012 | 1:14 pm
    Is this an award?:  No Is this from an external media source?:  Yes Article Date:  04/24/2012 Video: "Touch Photography: Capturing The Feel Of Surfaces" If you can see something on your computer, why shouldn't you be able to feel it? "Touch is an important part of the sensory experience of being a human,” says Katherine J. Kuchenbecker, Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. With support from the NSF, Kuchenbecker is working on capturing how an object feels and recreating those sensations so that you can feel a virtual…

  • "GRASP: The Startup Incubator For Soccer-Playing, Synchronized Flying Robot" on FastCompany

    charity
    18 Apr 2012 | 3:56 pm
    Is this an award?:  No Is this from an external media source?:  Yes Article Date:  04/17/2012 View FastCompany article and video... "Philly's GRASP Laboratory creates robots that can play sports, perform surgery, and fly in insect-like swarms.

  • Penn Joins MIT-led Project on ‘Printable Robots’

    charity
    16 Apr 2012 | 3:07 pm
    Is this an award?:  No Is this from an external media source?:  Yes Article Date:  04/03/2012 PHILADELPHIA — The University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University are taking part in an ambitious new project, led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to reinvent how robots are designed and produced. Funded by a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the project will aim to develop a desktop technology that would make it possible for the average person to design, customize and print a specialized robot in a matter of hours.

  • Dr. Ani Hsieh, GRASP alumna and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Drexel University receivies a 2012 ONR Young Investigator Award

    charity
    30 Mar 2012 | 8:54 am
    Is this an award?:  Yes Is this from an external media source?:  Yes Article Date:  03/27/2012 Congratulations to Dr. Mong-Ying (Ani) Hsieh, GRASP alumna and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Drexel University for receiving a 2012 ONR Young Investigator Award. Proposal Title: Collaborative Robots in Geophysical Flows: Understanding How Local Measurements Imply Global Structures. Read More...

  • "Replicating the Sense of Touch" in Penn News

    charity
    30 Mar 2012 | 8:48 am
    Is this an award?:  No Is this from an external media source?:  Yes Article Date:  03/30/2012 Katherine Kuchenbecker of Engineering studies the replication of the sense of touch. "Haptography" captures the way something feels. (Video)     Read more
 
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    Science Business

  • Technique Devised to Measure Pipeline Gas Bubbles

    Alan
    16 May 2012 | 11:35 am
    (Alaska.gov) Researchers at University of Southampton in the U.K. have discovered a method to more accurately measure gas bubbles that develop in pipelines. The team led by Tim Leighton of Southampton’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research describe their findings online in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A (paid subscription required). Pipelines are used to deliver liquid or gas raw materials in many industries, but when bubbles appear in the pipeline they need to be spotted and understood quickly. Bubbles are a particular issue in extracting oil with off-shore oil…

  • U.S. Patent Awarded for Synthetic Hepatitis C Biocatalysts

    Alan
    16 May 2012 | 10:02 am
    (USPTO.gov) The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded yesterday a patent covering biocatalysts and biocatalytic processes used to make intermediate products in the synthesis of hepatitis C drugs. Patent number 8,178,333 was awarded to 13 inventors and assigned to Codexis Inc. in Redwood City, California. Codexis is a biotechnology company that develops and markets engineered enzymes and intermediate products for the pharmaceutical industry. These tailored enzymes, says Codexis, enable pharma companies to streamline their manufacturing processes, saving them money, and improving…

  • Engineering Students Build Inexpensive IV Drip Controller

    Alan
    15 May 2012 | 4:18 pm
    IV DRIP team, L-R: Thor Walker, Kamal Shah, Paige Horton, and Melissa Yuan (Jeff Fitlow, Rice University) A group of engineering undergraduate students at Rice University in Houston have built a simple device to control the flow of intravenous (IV) feeding tubes, like those used with children to treat dehydration. The students, who started the project earlier this year as freshmen, designed the IV device as part of the university’s Beyond Traditional Borders program that develops appropriate technology solutions in biotechnology meeting global health needs. The device aims to meet a…

  • U.K. Universities, Companies Developing Fishmeal Substitute

    Alan
    15 May 2012 | 1:57 pm
    Atlantic salmon drawing (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) A consortium of universities and companies in the U.K., led by University of Liverpool, is developing a plant-based substitute for fishmeal as feed for farm-raised fish. Fishmeal is made from fishery by-products or various species caught for fishmeal processing, which is then fed to farm-raised fish as a protein source. In addition to Liverpool, the collaboration includes University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland, and University of Nottingham’s commercialization subsidiary known as Eminate, as well as fish feed…

  • Microbe Found to Survive Ionic Liquid for Biofuel Processing

    Alan
    15 May 2012 | 11:54 am
    Vegetation in the El Yunque rain forest in Puerto Rico (A. Kotok) Researchers from the U.S. Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) of the Department of Energy have isolated a tropical microbe that can endure high concentrations of ionic liquids, the solvents used to process cellulosic biomass into economical commercial biofuels. The team led by the institute’s Michael Thelen reported its findings this week online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Cellulosic biomass — feedstocks for biofuels from non-food sources, such as prairie grasses and agricultural…
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    DNAnews.org

  • DNA News: In Search for the Missing Girl

    Asseth
    14 May 2012 | 1:08 pm
    A certain branch of Forensic science that makes use of genetic samples to identify people is known as forensic DNA. Nowadays, this is considered as the basic way in pointing out some criminals that consequently puts them in prison and also to find clues in of missing bodies.  In these days, the basic and the most [...]

  • We Invite Your Guest Post News Stories About DNA

    admin
    11 May 2012 | 5:43 am
    This site, DNANews.org is designed to be the go to place for whatever is happening in the world of DNA news, DNA science, DNA testing, medical DNA and everything in this fascinating field of genetics.  If you would like to be a guest post author and have an acceptable news story about DNA we would [...]

  • Gathering 2013 – Irish Ancestry Celebration

    Asseth
    10 May 2012 | 5:41 pm
    While you may wonder why it is so important to have ancestry be track; It is very much fascinating to know of what heritage and ethnic group you belong. Numerous numbers of people have some identifying features helping them identify their line of ancestry. The misfortune is that many people have parents having different ancestry [...]

  • How Can Your Eye Color Determine Skin Diseases?

    Asseth
    10 May 2012 | 1:02 am
    Several years ago, a branch of science, specifically in the medical science had found clues about pigmentation of the eyes being linked to certain illness and diseases. However, today’s discovery pointed out not the pigmentation alone but the color of the eyes itself. Medical DNA in its simplest essence is the applications of information about DNA towards [...]

  • Researchers Discover a Cell that Plays a Vital Role in Treating Asthma

    Asseth
    8 May 2012 | 10:07 pm
    Scientists who are in the search for medicines that could treat asthma had finally discover  a cell in mice that is similar to human with asthma. This cell is now the target of study by several experts in University of Michigan. DNA testing is also called as DNA typing, or DNA profiling. This refers to [...]
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    Science Debate - Where We Discuss Science

  • India the Queen of Internet Spam? Most junk emails originate in India

    Admin
    23 Apr 2012 | 8:41 pm
    According to a news report from BBC, India has become the top spam-spewing nation on the planet. This was measured by determining the amount of emails routed through computers in different countries. ScienceDebate Paid Ad Links:  We accept fixed-term short text link ads to be displayed here.To place a paid ad here contact us by email to: contact@sciencedebate.com read more

  • SpaceX Dragon capsule, the private spaceship, launch delayed

    Admin
    23 Apr 2012 | 8:08 pm
    Dragon capsule the spaceship of SpaceX will not be launched as scheduled on April 30, 2012.  Dragon capsule was expected to be the first private spaceship to be launched to the International Space Station. ScienceDebate Paid Ad Links:  We accept fixed-term short text link ads to be displayed here.To place a paid ad here contact us by email to: contact@sciencedebate.com read more

  • DriveLAB - An intelligent car to keep old people driving

    Admin
    23 Apr 2012 | 6:28 pm
    Imagine driving a car with eye trackers and biomonitors!   'DriveLAB' is an electric car converted to a mobile laboratory by the scientists at Newcastle University, UK. They believe that including bespoke navigation tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations older drivers can continue driving. read more

  • Proton movement in phosphoric acid gives clue to better fuel cell electrolyte

    Admin
    22 Apr 2012 | 8:32 pm
    A new study results on the movement of protons in phosphoric acid may improve the design of fuel cells.  The study showed that proton motion in phosphoric acid is a highly cooperative process that can involve as many as five phosphoric acid molecules at a time serving as a kind of temporary "proton wire" or chain. ScienceDebate Paid Ad Links:  We accept fixed-term short text link ads to be displayed here.To place a paid ad here contact us by email to: contact@sciencedebate.com read more

  • What is Trisomy 18

    Admin
    10 Apr 2012 | 11:12 pm
    Trisomy 18 is a genetic disorder caused by a chromosomel defect. This is not due to inherent defect in any chromosome, rather the affected individuals have an additional copy of chromosome 18. Trisomy 18 is also called Edwards syndrome, named after John H. Edwards, who first described the syndrome in 1960. ScienceDebate Paid Ad Links:  We accept fixed-term short text link ads to be displayed here.To place a paid ad here contact us by email to: contact@sciencedebate.com read more
 
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    MaterialsViews

  • Is It Ripe? Carbon Nanotubes Can Sense Fruit

    MaterialsViews staff
    16 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    The term ethylene (ethene) generally brings to mind polyethylene plastics, not fruit. However, ethylene is more than just a feedstock for chemical industry, it is also the smallest plant hormone, and it controls physiological processes, such as the ripening of fruit, seed germination, and the blooming and wilting of blossoms. Now, in new work, American researchers have introduced a highly sensitive ethylene sensor that could be used to determine the ripeness of fruit. The ripening process of many fruits is triggered when ethylene binds to a specific receptor. Bananas, for example, are usually…

  • Advanced Materials Top 40 for May 16, 2012

    MaterialsViews staff
    16 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Lots of new entries in the Top 40 this week, but “Novel Highly Conductive and Transparent Graphene-Based Conductors” from the Craciun lab tops the chart for the second week in a row. In addition to papers on graphene, recent articles on organic and oxide semiconductors, plasmonics, and nano structures round out the top ten. Two articles from the Whitesides lab feature in the Top 40: “Paper-Based, Capacitive Touch Pads” moves up 12 spots from last week, while the evergreen guide to ”Writing a Paper” is number 24 again this week. Rank Article Position last…

  • Tuning Heteroatoms: Making Efficient Photocatalysts

    MaterialsViews staff
    15 May 2012 | 8:00 pm
    Understanding, and subsequently manipulating, key parameters to control the two half-reactions of photoinduced electron-reduction and hole-oxidation play a pivotal role in designing and constructing efficient photocatalysts. Although introduction of heteroatoms has been widely used to modify the electronic structure of photocatalysts with the dominant purpose of increasing visible light absorption, the underlying role of heteroatoms in tuning the photocatalytic reaction preferences has, unfortunately, been overlooked and is little understood. A SEM image of one of the titanium dioxide…

  • Environmentally Friendly Corrosion Protection for Marine Applications

    Martin Grolms
    15 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Seawater in the world’s oceans has a salinity of between 3.1% and 3.8% containing sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) ions. It is an electrolyte with strong corrosiveness and with a large amount of dissolved oxygen and marine organisms which decompose marine vehicles, equipments, and oil exploration platforms to different degrees. Because of this, much work has been done over the past few years to combat the decomposition of materials used on the sea. One important breakthrough came from the Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbruecken/Germany, who developed a new composite material…

  • Mato Knez receives Gaede Prize 2012

    Bente Flier
    15 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Dr. Mato Knez, winner of the 2012 Gaede prize. The German Vacuum Society and the German Physical Society have honored Dr. Mato Knez for his exceptional achievements in the development of new concepts for materials synthesis on the nano and microscale via atomic layer deposition. The Gaede Prize is awarded to young researchers working on the fields of vacuum physics and technology, thin films, surface science, solid state electronics and nanostructures. Mato Knez is leader of the nanomaterials group at the nanoGUNE research center in San Sebastian, a position he has held since January 2012.
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    Lake Scientist

  • USDA initiative to reduce agricultural runoff

    Kevin Rose
    16 May 2012 | 7:50 am
    The USDA has developed a new program to improve water quality across the U.S. The initiative will assist farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in implementing conservation practices to control and trap agricultural runoff before it enters nearby watersheds. Nutrient and manure runoff are common causes of eutrophication, harmful algal blooms and high bacteria counts. Excess nutrients are blamed for poor water quality in over 50 percent of impaired lakes. Funding from the USDA is available for priority watersheds throughout the U.S. Read more at Water World and NRCS. Image credit: NOAA Ocean…

  • Western water use far above what is sustainable

    Kevin Rose
    15 May 2012 | 7:29 am
    New research shows that human consumption in southwestern states accounts for 76 percent of all water usage in the Colorado River Basin. Reservoirs such as Lakes Mead and Powell provide some buffer against dry years, but due to high draws and low rainfall, those lakes now sit half empty. That’s bad news for an area that is expected to grow in population and water demand by nearly 50 percent over the next 20 years. Where does the water go? Agriculture uses most of the water. For example, farming uses 77 percent of total water allocations in Arizona. The key to sustainable water use,…

  • Maryland humans’ appetite bigger than invasive fish’s

    Audrey Rabalais
    10 May 2012 | 3:32 pm
    While some states are scrambling for solutions to invasive aquatic species, Maryland is serving them for dinner. The snakehead fish entered the state’s water nearly 10 years ago and is now in high demand for its tender meat. The fish, nicknamed “Frankenfish” will eat nearly anything. Though they are not as detrimental to aquatic ecosystems at the infamous Asian carp, they are considered a threat to the ecosystem. Read more at NPR. Image credit: USGS.

  • Army Corps moves up deadline for Asian Carp plans

    Audrey Rabalais
    9 May 2012 | 9:39 am
    The Obama administration has shortened the timeline for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a plan preventing Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The Army Corps will now have a list of prevention options by the end of 2013 instead of 2015 with support from Congress. The Asian carp is one of the most threatening invasive species in the Great Lakes. Read more at the Post Crescent.

  • Alaska lake monster may have identity

    Audrey Rabalais
    8 May 2012 | 11:41 am
    An Alaskan biologist may have identified the “lake monster” in the state’s Lake Iliamna that has had reported sightings since the 1940s. “Illie” could be a sleeper shark, said Bruce Wright, a biologist at the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association in Anchorage. However, he said, sleeper sharks do not break the surface of the water during the day, leaving some doubt to the identity of the lake monster. This summer, Wright will explore the lake to determine if sleeper sharks do live there. Read more at The Huffington Post. Image credit: NOAA.
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    Frontier Scientists

  • Recovery after world’s largest tundra fire raises questions

    Laura
    15 May 2012 | 1:28 pm
    by Ned Rozell Four summers ago, Syndonia Bret-Harte stood outside at Toolik Lake, watching a wall of smoke creep toward the research station on Alaska’s North Slope. Soon after, smoke oozed over the cluster of buildings. “It was a dense, choking fog,” Bret-Harte said. The smoke looked, smelled and tasted like what Bret-Harte has experienced [...]

  • Dig Afognak: Revealing the Past, Strengthening the Future

    Laura
    8 May 2012 | 7:32 pm
    Play in the dirt with Dig Afognak Laura Nielsen for FrontierScientists If uncovering archaeological treasures and exploring local culture appeal to you more than simple sightseeing, you’ll want to check out the Kodiak Archipelago the next time you can make it to Alaska. The Afognak Native Corporation’s program Dig Afognak has visitors, archaeologists, and Native [...]

  • Tools of ancient Alaskans emerge from ice

    Laura
    1 May 2012 | 4:05 pm
    by Ned Rozell On a late summer evening a few years ago, a scrap of birch bark caught William Manley’s eye as he walked along the edge of an ice field in the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains. The geologist yelled to nearby archaeologist Jim Dixon and Ruth Ann Warden of the Ahtna Heritage Foundation. “When I [...]

  • Alutiiq Basket Weavers Share Insight with Russian Curators. Plus, a Frontier Scientists App!

    liz
    24 Apr 2012 | 12:09 pm
    Fairbanks, Alaska, April 24, 2012—“The Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (MAE) and the Russian Ethnographic Museum in St. Petersburg Russia have the earliest collections of Kodiak baskets, grass and spruce root, in the world,” said Sven Haakanson, executive director of the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository. In 2010, Haakanson traveled with six Native weavers to [...]

  • Memories from Lost Villages

    Laura
    17 Apr 2012 | 1:16 pm
    Laura Nielsen for FrontierScientists World War II brought conflict and trial to Alaska. Unalaska, located in the Aleutian Islands, had served as a trading hub for local villages. Native people from Biorka, Kashega, and Makushin would bring goods like fox pelts and baskets via boat and hiking trail to Unalaska to trade. In June 4, [...]
 
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    entirely subjective

  • My Manifesto – How to become a better Person

    Jonas
    7 May 2012 | 10:04 am
    Recently I came across Gretchen Rubin’s Manifesto on her blog The Happiness Project and it struck a chord with me. Wouldn’t it be great if people had constitutions like states or manifestos like movements? A list of short guidelines that neatly encapsulate who you want to be as a person, how you want to act and what values you want to uphold. CC0, WikiMedia Commons So here’s my first draft, and I’m sure I will revisit this topic many times. A manifesto such as this will always be colored heavily by the current Status Quo and that is just fine. It encapsulates what is…

  • Challenge 02 – Lose 16kg in 16 weeks (with a Twist)

    Jonas
    3 May 2012 | 3:14 pm
    I am setting myself another tough challenge: By September 8th 2012 I will weigh less than 90kg and feel slim and well. I have achieved this before, but unfortunately am back where I had started after 3 years. Last time I had much more leisure time to organize my food and not be stressed. On the other hand I did it entirely through nutrition and might take up just a tiny bit of sport to get there in time. So, here is the plan. I am going to follow the same rules as previously, but this time I’ll try them with a twist. The Gamification of Health Following the concept of Gamification, I…

  • The Nature of Evil, and how it comes about

    Jonas
    1 May 2012 | 6:06 pm
    “Evil – Inside Human Violence and Cruelty” by Roy Baumeister tells a great story of what Evil is, what causes it and how it comes to be. With plenty of anecdotal stories, historical examples and based on psychological research he presents a tour de force of one of the most fascinating human traits. A fantastic insight into the darker corners of the human psyche. What is Evil, Anyway When something bad happens to you, you are primed to look for a causal chain of events. Because we have a hard time accepting random events, we tend to search for meaning in our lives. There are…

  • What are Trees made of?

    Jonas
    29 Apr 2012 | 11:56 am
    I came across this fantastic video that asks the questions where tree get their mass from. It is fantastically made and really shows how much we think we know and yet have never questioned. Spoiler – Please watch the video first before reading on, it’s really worth it. An Unintuitive Answer The answer to the question “Where do trees get their mass?” was really unexpected for me. As was said in the video, I had never given this much thought, and since trees have a texture a little bit like earth, I assumed that by association earth had to have something to do with it.

  • An Overview of Logical Fallacies & Biases

    Jonas
    24 Apr 2012 | 7:52 am
    Check out this cool poster of logical fallacies from yourlogicalfallacyis.com: Logical Fallacies Poster CC-BY-ND by Jesse Richardson. PDF A3 version Other sources of examples of logical fallacies and biases are: youarenotsosmart.com criticalthinkeracademy.com You may also like: Stumbling on Happiness Sway – The Irresistable Pull of Irrational Behavior
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    Midwest Labs Blog

  • The Greens and Browns of Composting

    Brent Pohlman
    16 May 2012 | 7:05 am
    Check out this video, “Tips for  Composting” from About.com What caught my attention were the two groups of items for composting: The Greens and The  Browns. THE GREENS – This group is made up of the following items: Manure Grass Cuttings Vegetable and Fruit Scraps, Old Flowers Coffee Grounds, Filter Paper and Tea Bags Egg...

  • Plant Tissue Testing on Golf Courses

    Brent Pohlman
    15 May 2012 | 6:34 am
    Plant Tissue Testing is here!!! At Midwest Laboratories we are starting to see plant tissue samples for analysis. I believe 2012 will be a big year for plant tissue testing as this spring’s warmer than normal temperatures may cause issues with plants being able to hold enough nitrogen and acquire proper nutrients from the soil....

  • How to get a Green Lawn

    Brent Pohlman
    14 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Let the competition begin. Everyone has started mowing and fertilizing their lawns, but how will your lawn look going into summer and the fall. For me, it is all about having a dark, rich, green lawn. Check out this video. Lots of tips here. I actually perform a number of the tasks listed here. Some...

  • Testing the 3-second rule

    Brent Pohlman
    11 May 2012 | 6:04 am
    Have you ever dropped something on the floor and thought about the (3-second rule). Do you believe this is ok? When studies like this are released, I always think it is a good idea to see what type of results were found from the study and to take that information and keep it in the...

  • Phosphorus Free Fertilizer in Michigan

    Brent Pohlman
    10 May 2012 | 7:01 am
    Starting the beginning of 2012,  the Michigan Fertilizer Law restricts the use of  phosphorus fertilizer on residence and commercial lawns including baseball fields and golf courses. Protecting Water Quality – Phosphorus is a naturally occurring essential nutrient for plant and animal growth. It is also a primary water quality concern in Michigan. When excess phosphorus...
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    A Place For Science

  • LOL: HOPE, PEACE, LOVE, we need toilet paper.

    Alan Cedeno
    6 May 2012 | 5:33 pm
                                                                             Ohh... Ogden, UT "Jesus Saves" "We need toilet paper".  LOL:HOPE, PISS, LOVE, we need toilet paper. 

  • Body Image: The Horrible Psychological and Physical Drawbacks

    Alan Cedeno
    27 Feb 2012 | 7:11 pm
    Enlarged breasts, nose surgery, liposuctions, make ups, diets, exercise; are all part of what we know as “Body Image”, the image that gives people acceptance amongst other people within the society we live in.  Many would want to know why body image is super important to people and why amongst these people, many do whatever it takes to improve their image no matter the consequences. Here are basically the reasons pointed out by Rottenberg and Winchell:  "We live in a society where appearances matters. How much it matters is clear from magazines, television shows, movies,…

  • Error in FTL neutrino.

    Alan Cedeno
    22 Feb 2012 | 1:27 pm
    Oh crap cycles.... (click link below). BREAKING NEWS: Error Undoes Faster-Than-Light Neutrino Results

  • OPERA Trying to send a "bit" of information faster-than-light.

    Alan Cedeno
    21 Oct 2011 | 6:42 pm
    About 3 weeks ago the OPERA neutrino experiment at Gran Sasso laboratory  reported FTL neutrinos. Since than, many explanations came about to explain how this surprising measurement was probably an error, discussions like (the inconsistencies) of tachyons, the problematic relation on astrophysical data, environmental explanation on experimental details, and general relativity effects. But farther on this note, OPERA scientist thought that maybe they could send a "bit" of information to travel FTL. However, even thought FTL is still in debate…

  • FTL neutrinos might have an explanation?? (Maybe, Maybe not) + Interesting take on this by Phil Plait aka Bad Astronomer

    Alan Cedeno
    15 Oct 2011 | 5:37 pm
    Recently a team of scientist from the OPERA experiment measured a cloud of neutrinos going faster than the speed of light. Their measurement was very sound saying that the neutrinos were traveling about 64 nanoseconds faster than the usual speed limit (Which is not very much). However, A recent study may suggest that this whole thing might be explained with relativity. Ronald A.J van Elburg has a different note on this (see paper). He says that just like when you have a one meter long of straw hold by your hand, an observer away from you will see this meter straw…
 
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    EcoTone

  • Animal Jurisprudence

    katie@esa.org (Katie Kline)
    15 May 2012 | 4:23 pm
    by Liza Lester, ESA communications officer. Face of a grizzly bear (North American brown bear, Ursus arctos horribilis); M Stouffer, 1974 courtesy of the National Park Service. AFTER co-authoring a 2005 paper imagining “Re-wilding  North America” with giant Bolson tortoises, camels, horses, cheetahs, elephants and lions, Harry Greene received a lot of hate mail. Corresponding [...]

  • Renewal after catastrophe

    katie@esa.org (Katie Kline)
    10 May 2012 | 3:28 pm
    By Nadine Lymn, ESA Director of Public Affairs Extreme events such as the eruption of Mount St. Helens and the severe fires in Yellowstone National Park initially seemed to have left behind wastelands.  Yet ecologists and other researchers discovered that in both cases, plants and other life rebounded much more quickly than anticipated.  Now a [...]

  • Science Democracy

    katie@esa.org (Katie Kline)
    8 May 2012 | 9:27 pm
    Is science the foundation of democracy? DICK Taverne is a career politician, currently a member of the British House of Lords, and champion of science in public life (married, perhaps not incidentally, to a microbiologist for over fifty years).  In a lecture at the Royal Society of Medicine in London last week, he explained why [...]

  • ESA Policy News: May 4

    katie@esa.org (Katie Kline)
    4 May 2012 | 1:54 pm
    Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston.  Read the full Policy News here. SENATE: APPROPRIATORS APPROVE ENERGY AND WATER, AGRICULTURE SPENDING BILLS The week of April 26, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up its Energy and Water Development and Agriculture Appropriations bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. [...]

  • Managing non-native invasive plants

    katie@esa.org (Katie Kline)
    2 May 2012 | 8:24 am
     This post contributed by Terence Houston, ESA Science Policy Analyst Many invasive species can have a domino effect of throwing an entire ecosystem off balance by diminishing native plant or animal species that function as an important resource for both natural ecosystems and human communities. According to the Nature Conservancy, the estimated damage from invasive [...]
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    weird things

  • why we’d want to make some more antimatter

    Greg Fish
    16 May 2012 | 9:22 am
    Maybe the investors behind Planetary Resources should consider creating antimatter instead of building fuel depots on asteroids they want to mine since all they’d need to do to guarantee unimaginable profits is just a single gram of the stuff. Granted, the collider they’d have to build to smash ions until they decay into positrons and anti-hydrogen would cost tens of billions to build and hundreds of millions per year to maintain, but with a current retail price of $62 trillion per gram, they’ll make they money back handsomely, even if their economies of scale drive the…

  • how we shouldn’t fix research grant problems

    Greg Fish
    15 May 2012 | 6:23 am
    Apparently, the real problem with why research and technology grants and investments don’t always work out as planned and generate cures for diseases and revolutionary new tools, isn’t because science is hard and a lot of barriers between idea and finished product have to be negotiated by experts, it’s because the scientists and engineers aren’t being vetted by the public and wasting taxpayer money, according to an article which laments both Obama’s and Romney’s lackluster approach to tackling science and tech funding. Really, much of the piece is riddled…

  • why college is not a quick fix for poverty

    Greg Fish
    14 May 2012 | 9:04 am
    If you’re gainfully employed for all intents and purposes, and one day find yourself off work sick because while your boss wants you at work he or she isn’t interested in your germs also being in the office, you might give in and turn on some of that horrifying daytime TV. And between all the shoestring budget game and talk shows, the latter of which tend to exploit human misery and ignorance for ratings, you’ll be bombarded with countless ads for colleges. Hey you there on the couch, these ads say, fed up not having work or only working part time, always struggling to make…

  • and now, here’s electrogonorrhea, the noisy killer

    Greg Fish
    12 May 2012 | 6:53 am
    As odd as it may have sounded, I’ve said multiple times that the web did not change human sexuality nearly as much as we’re often told and much of the novelty is really just well forgotten antiquity ranging from Roman orgies to the personal and highly publicized perversions of Marquis de Sade. And aside from making it easier to find and talk to our fellow perverts, not a whole lot has changed about our sexual appetites, despite threats of runaway pornography addicts from angry conservatives and alarms about men quickly becoming more sexually deviant from borderline misandrists. In…

  • why there are phds in the unemployment line…

    Greg Fish
    11 May 2012 | 8:36 am
    According to what we’re often told, if we work hard, study, get good grades, and go to college, we’ll have good jobs that let us make a steady living and the typically poor college student days will be long behind us as the president of a university hands you your graduate degree. Sure, you may not have the life of plenty but you are definitely clearly of having to go on welfare to feed yourself, right? Actually, maybe not. As it turns out, there’s a disturbing number of PhDs on food stamps working odd jobs after all the schooling and hard work that would make them immune to…
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    bioBlogia

  • Resuelven el misterio del origen de los caballos domesticados

    Francisco P. Chávez
    14 May 2012 | 3:58 pm
      Una nueva investigación publicada en la revista PNAS científicos indicaron que los caballos domésticos se originaron en las estepas del sudoeste de las actuales Ucrania, Rusia y Kazajstán, en una mezcla con las poblaciones silvestres locales, y que luego se extendieron por Europa y Asia. Durante varias décadas los científicos no se han puesto de acuerdo sobre el origen de los caballos domésticos. Sobre la base de la evidencia arqueológica, se ha pensado durante mucho tiempo que la domesticación de los caballos se originó en la parte occidental de la estepa eurasiática…

  • Exposición prenatal al insecticida clorpirifos produce alteraciones cerebrales y cognitivas

    Francisco P. Chávez
    12 May 2012 | 3:24 pm
    Aunque el insecticida clorpirifos ya no está registrado para uso doméstico en los EE.UU., igual se sigue utilizando ampliamente en todo el mundo, así como en muchos alimentos y productos agrícolas en todo los EE.UU.. Según el estudio de imágenes cerebrales realizado por investigadores estadounidenses, incluso niveles bajos o moderados de la exposición al insecticida clorpirifos durante el embarazo puede provocar a largo plazo, cambios potencialmente irreversibles en la estructura del cerebro del niño. Los cambios en la estructura cerebral son consistentes con los déficits…

  • Estudio revela sorprendentes efectos ecológicos del terremoto y tsunami de Chile del año 2010

    Francisco P. Chávez
    6 May 2012 | 3:11 pm
      La reaparición hábitats olvidados y el resurgimiento de especies no vistas desde hace años, son algunos de los sorprendentes efectos de este desastre natural observados por los investigadores de la Universidad Austral.  Estos efectos fueron encontrados en las playas arenosas del sur de la zona central de Chile después del terremoto de magnitud 8.8 y del devastador tsunami que afectó esa zona en el 2010. El estudio también reveló una vista preliminar de los problemas producidos en estos lugares por la elevación del nivel del mar producto del cambio climático. En el artículo…

  • Después de un acalorado debate publican una de las polémicas investigaciones sobre la influenza aviar

    Francisco P. Chávez
    5 May 2012 | 9:08 pm
      ¿Debe ser de conocimiento público un artículo científico que revela un importante descubrimiento que podría tener consecuencias para la salud humana? Esta simple pregunta generó un debate bien acalorado en la comunidad científica mundial. Esto a raiz de un par de estudios que mostraban cómo el virus de la influenza aviar H5N1 podría llegar a ser transmisible de las aves a los mamíferos. Un panel de revisión del gobierno de los EE.UU. aconsejó la no publicación de los resultados alegando que era información que podría ser utilizado con fines bioterroristas. La comunidad…

  • Revelan los cambios del catálogo microbiano vaginal

    Francisco P. Chávez
    3 May 2012 | 11:22 am
      Cuando el microbioma de la vagina se sale de control puede causar una condición incómoda y a menudo crónica conocida como la vaginosis bacteriana. Esta  y otras enfermedades se asocian con complicaciones en el embarazo como el parto prematuro, así como un mayor riesgo de contraer enfermedades de transmisión sexual. En un artículo publicado en la revista Science Translational Medicine los científicos han revelado completamente el catálogo del microbioma vaginal tanto es sus estados alterado como normal. El equipo de científicos de la Escuela de Medicina de Baltimore de…
 
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    The Conversation - Science + Technology

  • Learning experience: let's take consciousness in from the cold

    Colin Hales, Researcher in brain electrodynamics at the Centre for Neural Engineering at University of Melbourne
    15 May 2012 | 10:27 pm
    Until 20 years ago, scientists interested in empirical work on consciousness – our private subjective experiences – hid it by minimising or eliminating the “c-word”, the use of which was a career-limiting (or at least fund-limiting) move. Consciousness defied scientific characterisation until, at the very beginning of the decade of the brain (1990-2000), the late Nobel Laureate Francis Crick and others began a dialogue that made an empirical science of consciousness viable. For 20 years, the mainstream science of consciousness could be generically called the ABC-correlates of…

  • Crowdsourced crisis mapping: how it works and why it matters

    Marta Poblet, Visiting Researcher, School of Management and Information Systems at Victoria University
    15 May 2012 | 3:04 pm
    Web 2.0 tools and mobile technologies have lowered the barriers not just for people to access the internet but to create and share content. Through open-source, collaborative programs such as wikis, the creation and distribution of information has effectively been crowdsourced. But can this democratisation of the production of information and the expansion of networked global communities lead to action in solving real-world problems? As inventor Vinay Gupta of Hexayurt sharply puts it: “Ten years from now there will be 2 billion people with broadband internet access, but no toilet.”…

  • Scientific research spending lags behind smaller countries

    Justin Norrie, Editor
    15 May 2012 | 10:20 am
    Nations half the size of Australia spend more on scientific research, have higher employment levels for scientists, and greater appeal to foreign investors, according to a report on Australia’s global standing in science. Although Australia’s rate of spending on research and development is greater than in France, Canada and Britain, it remains well below the rate in smaller Scandinavian nations, according to the report, commissioned by Australia’s chief scientist, Ian Chubb, and released today. The author, Alan Pettigrew, an Adjunct Professor at the College of Medicine, Biology and…

  • Lunar boom: we'll soon be mining the moon

    Leonhard Bernold, Associate Professor of Engineering at University of New South Wales
    14 May 2012 | 11:57 pm
    As history has repeatedly shown, where there are valuable minerals to be unearthed, adventurous humans will arrive in droves – even if it means battling extreme conditions and risking life and limb. So what will happen when the next great “gold rush” in our history is quite literally out of this world? And what kind of technology would be needed for the mining? After many years of trying, I believe a have a workable answer to the second of these questions – but what about the first? Business analysts may poke fun at the “impossibly” expensive cost of mining nearby celestial bodies…

  • Sticky and picky: why male orb-web spiders like heavy virgins

    Anne Wignall, Research Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University
    14 May 2012 | 3:42 pm
    When it comes to selecting a mate, females are traditionally thought of as the choosy sex; males, meanwhile, aren’t thought to be particularly picky. This makes sense for many species – the sex that invests the most in offspring is expected to take the most care in selecting their mate. A sweeping look at the animal kingdom shows that females generally produce few, large and expensive gametes (eggs) and often engage in extended parental care that can be expensive, both in time and energy. On the other hand, males tend to produce many, cheap gametes (sperm) and have minimal contribution to…
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    Sciencebase Science Blog

  • Some of our dark matter is missing

    David Bradley
    16 May 2012 | 10:40 am
    I wrote about the missing dark matter debacle back in April for my Pivot Points column in The Euroscientist. The post is now online. There has been much debate as to whether or not the evidence stacks up against this truly unknown quantity that we cannot touch, see, or measure. I talked to Christian Moni-Bidin of the University of the Conception, Chile, who has demonstrated that one of the predictions for dark matter simply fails in his team’s detailed observations. “There seems to be a rapidly increasing evidence that things could not be as we thought,” Moni-Bidin told me.

  • The Cambridge Phenomenon

    David Bradley
    14 May 2012 | 8:54 pm
    Just received a copy of The Cambridge Phenomenon by Kate Kirk and Charles Cotton with a foreword by Bill Gates that gives us a timeline of the evolution of Silicon Fen over the last half century. You can see a timeline on the associated website. From the first home computer to the ARM chip in almost every mobile phone, from the sequencing of the human genome to the development of ‘magic bullet’ drugs, ideas developed by the technology cluster in Cambridge have changed the world in which we live: Over 20 billion ARM based chips shipped, found in almost all the world’s mobile…

  • Can Rutaesomn decaf your body? #herbal

    David Bradley
    11 May 2012 | 8:22 am
    UPDATES: The makers of the product commented below and also emailed me some of their studies. They say: “Regarding the dose, our target was to be safe as well as effective. We did an internal review of all the available studies and combined them with our own studies on human liver cells in our lab. We chose a dose that was still effective for CYP1A2 induction (for caffeine metabolism) but under the effective doses for other physiological effects such as antiplatelet effects and vasorelaxant effects to avoid adverse reactions popping up. Rutaecarpine’s most potent effect (lucky for…

  • Wellcome to Brains

    David Bradley
    10 May 2012 | 3:26 pm
    As I was in London earlier this week for the Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist exhibition opening at The Queen’s Gallery it seemed churlish not to take in the Wellcome Collection’s fascinating Brains exhibition too, which dovetailed nicely with the bizarre view that Leonardo and his contemporaries had of brain structure. Anyway, here’s the exhibition’s video trailer, and yes they do have some samples of Einstein’s brains. Apparently, he wanted to be cremated but someone took his brain and donated it on his behalf to science. Brains is free entry and runs until 17th…

  • Buck House, Queeny, classically speaking brains and book publishers

    David Bradley
    10 May 2012 | 11:20 am
    So, as I was saying, I was at Buck House earlier this week. I know, you’re thinking the knighthood is well over due, but I’m afraid I was only there for breakfast, not with Liz and Phil, but with Rachel Woollen, Martin Clayton and others from the Royal Collection and fellow blogging types, including Tim Jones, Jo Geenan of Visit London, and iPad app creator Max Whitby of TouchPress. The “Bloggers’ Breakfast” was a nice excuse to see the new Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomist collection and to try out the accompanying iPad app created by Whitby and colleagues. A…
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    KQED QUEST

  • Making Women Partners in Breast Cancer Research

    Liza Gross
    16 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Cancer cells under a microscope. Colored stains mark different compartments in the cell. The nucleus is red and lysosomes (which break down waste) are purple. (Image: Carolin Zehetmeier, Morphosys AG, Germany) Dr. Susan Love thinks breast cancer researchers need to get over their addiction to rodents. America’s most famous breast cancer surgeon started treating women some 30 years ago. “And we’re still doing the same thing we did when I started,” she told a crowd in San Francisco last month at the Sage Bionetworks conference, aimed at transforming biomedical research. “Surgery…

  • Try This at Home: The Chemistry of Fresh Cheese

    Melissae Fellet
    16 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Credit: jypsygen/Flickr Opening the refrigerator to find a gallon of spoiled milk is a rotten way to start the day. But for fresh cheese makers, every day begins with sour milk. Here’s why: 80% of the proteins in milk belong to a family called caseins. Adding acid to milk, like lemon juice or vinegar, makes these invisible proteins visible as a white, chunky solid we call the curds. In a glass of milk, caseins aggregate into small spheres called micelles. The outside of each protein cluster is negatively charged, causing neighboring spheres to repel each other. Thus, these micelles remain…

  • Tomorrow’s Science Illustrators Step Up To the Plate

    Danna Staaf
    15 May 2012 | 2:26 pm
    Red-eyed Tree Frogs by Laurel Mundy. Mating events are not always easy to observe in the wild, but a good illustration can capture the moment. Leafy Sea Dragon by Natalia Wilkins. Life cycles are a common theme for science illustration. Science illustration began in a time when drawing was the only way to record the anatomy of a bird or the life stages of a flower. While it's charming to envision Darwin sketching in a field notebook, is illustration still useful today, when it seems every cell phone has an 8 MB camera with zoom, auto-focus, and image stabilization? Marimo by Justine Shih.

  • Your Videos on QUEST: Kip Evans

    Amy Miller
    15 May 2012 | 1:30 pm
    I’d like to switch places with Kip Evans for a few months. He’s a professional photographer, underwater explorer, and award-winning cinematographer from Pacific Grove, California and we are delighted to be featuring on QUEST an excerpt of his short film, “Isla Holbox: Whale Shark Island.” Click here to watch Kip Evans' film, "Isla Holbox: Whale Shark Island" in its entirety. The film is about an unusually large population of whale sharks that gathers off the coast of Mexico’s Holbox Island during the summer months to feed and mate. Narrated by marine biologist, Sylvia Earle, the…

  • The Science of Riding a Bicycle

    Gabriela Quirós
    15 May 2012 | 1:00 pm
    We don’t often think of it this way, but the everyday work of scientists frequently comes down to sewing, welding or hammering together simple materials like elastic, metal tubes and plastic to create the devices that will allow them to conduct their experiments. Mechanical engineer Jason Moore knows this all too well. To conduct an experiment on the mechanics of bicycle-riding, he even used a sewing machine. Moore’s doctoral dissertation on the complex mechanisms by which a rider balances atop a bike required him to build a research bicycle at the University of California, Davis. We…
 
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    As Many Exceptions As Rules

  • It’s A Plant World, We’re Just Living In It

    16 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    Biology concepts – cell walls, chloroplasts, myco-heterotrophs, holoparasites, Life on Earth is easy. It can be boiled down to one sentence. “The mitochondria and the chloroplasts are, in a fundamental sense, the most important things on Earth. Between them, they produce oxygen and arrange for its use. In effect, they run the place.” Lewis Thomas wrote this in his award winning book, The Lives Of The Cell: Notes Of A Biology Watcher, in 1975. Nature’s carbon recycling center. The sun’s energy is used to polymerize carbon (CO2) into carbohydrates (CHO) and releases oxygen…

  • Many Paths To The Top Of The Mountain

    9 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    Biology concepts – hydrogenosome, FeS cluster protein, loricifera, erythrocyte More than one way to skin a cat seems to be a newer version of the old British saying, “there are more ways to kill a cat than by choking it with cream.” Mark Twain was one of the first to use the cat skinning version, in his classic A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s CourtThe oldChinese proverb says, “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.” Put somewhat less delicately, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Who wants to skin a cat? I think there…

  • A Biological Energy Crisis

    2 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    Biology concepts –  mitochondria, aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration, glycolysis, fermentation, mitosome The bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world. Living on the 2 largest islands of Cuba, this little guy is only 5 cm (1.9 in) long and weighs just a bit more than a paperclip. The males and females live in separate nests and never see each other again after mating.Birds in flight use an astounding amount of energy, and the smallest birds use the most energy. Hovering hummingbirds must flap their wings 50-80 times a second, which requires a lot of…

  • Life Outside The Chromosome

    25 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    Biology concepts – plasmid, linear organelle genomes, extrachromosomal circular DNAs, conjugation, Planet of the Apes (1968) – a good movie, but not a great movie.Every ape was a ventriloquist; you never saw their lips move. But it did have the first reciprocal interspecies kiss. The pan andscan version loses the, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil joke; you only see what is in the red box.I love older movies, but only if shown in full aspect (wide screen or letterbox format). So much of old cinema had interesting things going on outside the field of focus.  Take Charlton…

  • On Geometry And Genomes

    18 Apr 2012 | 7:00 am
    Biology concepts – linear chromosomes, circular chromosomes, taxonomy, replication, telomere Organization is helpful in learning and work, and apparently in crafts. But there is a fine line between organization and obsessive compulsive disorder. Everyone (teenagers excepted) knows that getting organized helps you to learn and work. When you group tasks, items, or facts, it helps in remembering or working with them. In biology, grouping organisms has a history as old as language. In the older grouping systems, the name of an organism was a phrase that described some characteristic of the…
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    Laboratory News » News

  • Secrets of rare stamps revealed

    admin
    16 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Philatelists have turned to science after the authenticity of three rare Penny Red stamps was called into question. Expert opinion suggests these stamps – which are held in a private collection – are fakes. The stamps appear to be printed on the so-called 77-plate, which was never used to mass-produce stamps. There are only a handful of authentic copies in existence – including one owned by the Queen – and any new stamp finds are automatically regarded with suspicion. However, new evidence from scientists at the Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) challenges expert opinion. Using…

  • Boost for high performance computing

    admin
    14 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    High performance computing has received a £3.7m boost from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The award represents the first significant activity for the e-Infrastructure South Consortium – formed by the Universities of Oxford, Bristol and Southampton and University College London (UCL) – and will be used to found and run a Centre of Innovation. The Consortium aims to explore and exploit opportunities for the sharing of research e-infrastructure – hardware platforms, applications software user support services and skills – across the institutions. It will…

  • High heels and ostrich legs

    admin
    11 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Women walking in extremely high heels exert the same force on the ground as a strutting ostrich and researchers believe this finding could help improve prosthetic lower limbs and robots’ legs. Walking involves the repeated process scientists refer to as ‘crash, vault, push’ – the most economical way of walking. Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College believe that making limbs less human-like, and more like the leg of an ostrich could make prosthetics and robot limbs more efficient. “Despite vastly differing arrangements of joints and hip wiggles, humans walking normally, women…

  • Ancient viruses hide in genetic ‘dark matter’

    admin
    11 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Scientists have uncovered important information about the ‘dark matter’ of our genomes, revealing clues as to how they became riddled with viruses. More than 90% of every mammal’s genome has no known function, and much of this ‘dark matter’ is known to harbour bits of DNA from ancient viruses which infected our ancestors as far back as the age of the dinosaurs. Researchers wanted to know why, and searched the genomes of 38 mammals covering a large range of genetic species – including rat, mouse, bat, human, elephant and dolphin – using in silico screening. The team – which…

  • Willingness to work down to dopamine

    admin
    11 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    Slacker or go-getter – how hard you’re willing to work is strongly influenced by the chemistry in three specific areas of the brain say researchers in America. A new brain imaging study using the mapping technique positron emission tomography has found that go-getters who are willing to work hard for rewards had higher levels of dopamine in the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex – areas important in reward and motivation. Conversely, slackers who are less willing to work hard had high dopamine levels in another area of the brain that plays a role in emotion and risk perception…
 
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    BioEdge

  • The all-too-human failings of scientists

    12 May 2012 | 7:50 am
    Read more...

  • Shock therapy under fire in Massachusetts

    12 May 2012 | 6:56 am
    A controversy has erupted in Massachusetts over the use of skin shock therapy for troubled teenagers. The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in the suburb of Canton is a facility for people with severe emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems, including autism. It is the only institution in the US which uses shock therapy ... Read more...

  • “Alarming cracks” in the edifice of science

    12 May 2012 | 5:27 am
    Many of the most heated policy debates in bioethics hinge on the accuracy of the research -- in biology, medicine and social science. So anything which affects the reliability of scientific knowledge also has a bearing on bioethics. Read more...

  • Germany uneasy about teen cosmetic surgery

    12 May 2012 | 12:57 am
    The German government is drafting legislation to ban cosmetic surgery for teenagers except for medical reasons. At the moment, there is no minimum age. As a result, patients under 20 account for about 10% of all cosmetic procedures, according to the Association of German Plastic Surgeons. Read more...

  • Should Big Pharma fund bioethics?

    11 May 2012 | 11:49 pm
    Gadfly: a person who annoys or criticizes others in order to provoke them into action. There is no better word to describe Carl Elliott, a University of Minnesota bioethicist who is the profession’s most savage critic. In his column in the Chronicle of Higher Education this week, he took up a favourite theme: cosying up to the pharmaceutical industry. He complains that too many bioethicists are being funded by Big Pharma, which Dr Elliott tends to describe as a Mafia network. Read more...
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    Science forums - All Forums

  • Revolting, what?

    15 May 2012 | 8:00 pm
    The mind at home in slavery, becomes no less the slave to revolutions.

  • You feel "between a rock and a hard place"?

    15 May 2012 | 11:39 am
    I'll take it for granted we all know about conditioning. Pavlov conditioned dogs to involuntarily react to the sound of a bell by salivating. The sound of the bell was the "cue". We call some of our 'conditioning' "habits". All creatures (with eyes) are responsive/reactive to perceptions. "Cues/stimulus" come from the environment. But we are conditioned TO and BY our thought-images. So how can they be "cues"? What happens when you believe a thought-image is real? It no longer recognized as your thought but as a 'perception'. What I have not articulated before, but implied, our "cues"…

  • gravity and more gravity?

    11 May 2012 | 4:27 pm
    Maybe worth debunking, if nothing else: does mass increase with velocity because it increases presence? If a mass has an intense relationship with another, can it, by going very fast, keep some of that relationship while it collects the next one, and so on? Basically, faster is stickier, in this conceptualization. And just as amusing, perhaps: could Big Bang be centrifugal rather than explosive? Inventing something to debunk can produce new math and models. A think-tank trick. Some things are too stupid, but not all stupid things are too stupid.

  • Solving the Riemann Hypothesis

    9 May 2012 | 10:41 pm
    Mathematics is truly an interesting topic with its share of long standing puzzles. In fact, Clay Mathematics Institute has launched a program aimed at coming up with resolutions for seven of these mathematical conundrums. The Institute has allocated $7 million for this program, $1 million for each problem. One of these problems is the Riemann Hypothesis. We recently interviewed an undaunted, independent mathematician who has embarked on solving the Reimann Hypothesis with a fresh, ambitious approach. Fadereu Le Fou launched the ZetaTrek project in 2011 as a way of tackling the problem…

  • Is " Believing " Hallucinogenic ?

    9 May 2012 | 11:30 am
    Is 'believing" a utilitarian skill? Does 'believing' make a thought-image into a artifact;- in effect.? Do we choose to believe once 'believing' is made into a habit? We may not realize/recognize 'believing' occurring but we ALWAYS experience the effects of believing. Do you 'use' mental-images as representations or 'react' to images per se? "Believing' some images are real is not punishable by law, but we do suffer nonetheless. We suffer for/by 'believing' mistakenly that some images are real. That "mistake" is correctable. First you have to recognize and acknowledge you make such 'mistake'.
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    Science News from SciGuru.com

  • Internet usage patterns may signify depression

    Editor-S
    16 May 2012 | 1:02 pm
    In a new study analyzing Internet usage among college students, researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have found that students who show signs of depression tend to use the Internet differently than those who show no symptoms of depression.read more

  • OMG! Texting ups truthfulness, new iPhone study suggests

    Editor-S
    16 May 2012 | 10:52 am
    Text messaging is a surprisingly good way to get candid responses to sensitive questions, according to a new study to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research. "The preliminary results of our study suggest that people are more likely to disclose sensitive information via text messages than in voice interviews," said Fred Conrad, a cognitive psychologist and director of the Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.read more

  • Baby galaxies grew up quickly

    Editor-S
    16 May 2012 | 10:41 am
    Baby galaxies from the young Universe more than 12 billion years ago evolved faster than previously thought, shows new research from the Niels Bohr Institute. This means that already in the early history of the Universe, there was potential for planet formation and life.  The research results have been published in the scientific journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters.read more

  • How the worm knows where its nose is

    Editor-S
    16 May 2012 | 10:23 am
    For decades, scientists have studied Caenorhabditis elegans – tiny, transparent worms – to glean clues about how neurons develop and function. A new Harvard study suggests that the worms' nervous system is much more capable and complex than previously thought, and has a way to monitor its own motion, a model one day could serve to develop treatments for disorders like schizophrenia.read more

  • Chocolate and diamonds: Why volcanoes could be a girl’s best friend

    Editor-S
    16 May 2012 | 9:51 am
    Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered a previously unrecognised volcanic process, similar to one that is used in chocolate manufacturing, which gives important new insights into the dynamics of volcanic eruptions.read more
 
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    Citizen Science Center

  • You otter participate

    Chandra Clarke
    8 May 2012 | 9:38 am
    River otters in San Francisco Bay (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Otters depend on healthy waterways to survive, so otter population numbers are a key indicator of how a particular water system is doing. A project in the San Francisco Bay Area Bay Area aims to keep a careful eye on river otter ecology. The otter spotter project encourages citizens to take pictures of otters in their habitats and take down information about how many otters were seen, and what they were doing. The observations are mapped and numbers recorded to give researchers a better idea of the total otter population and health.

  • Forget sheep, how about counting snakes?

    Chandra Clarke
    3 May 2012 | 9:59 am
    A Queen snake. Slightly harder to love than your average polar bear cub. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The snake really needs a better publicist. It’s easy to get a person worked up about saving cute panda bears, cheeky dolphins, or tough little butterflies, but mention snakes, and you’re more likely to see that same person reach for a heavy shovel. Yet snakes are vital predators in many ecosystems around the world, and are just as much in need of conservation as the cuddly critters. That’s why the Center for Snake Conservation (CSC) is holding a snake count from May 12-20 this…

  • Let’s talk about the weather

    Chandra Clarke
    1 May 2012 | 9:56 am
    Logbooks like these contain valuable data. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) It must be tough being a meteorologist right now. Previously, if you had predicted rain on someone’s wedding day and you were right, your name was cursed. If you we’re wrong, you were laughed at. These days, however, meteorologists face more than just the wrath of a dampened public. With the debate over climate change still raging, researchers face pressure and intense scrutiny from special interest groups, politicians, and the media. What’s the best way to deal with all of this interest? Get more data and…

  • Map a Canadian lake to help understand Mars

    Chandra Clarke
    20 Apr 2012 | 9:44 am
    A "chimney" structure (Credit: Pavilion Lake Research Project/Donnie Reed) British Columbia, Canada is famous for its freshwater lakes, and two in particular are proving to be of particular interest to scientists interested in learning about life on other planets. Pavilion Lake and Kelly Lake, located about 250 kilometers from Vancouver, are full of microbialites: carbonate structures that form in water with the help of microorganisms. Most current examples of microbialites are found in harsh environments that don’t support other life forms; all other microbialites studied so…

  • Join the fight against malaria

    Chandra Clarke
    18 Apr 2012 | 9:16 pm
    Some diseases get more headlines than others, for reasons having to do with news cycles, politics, and interest groups. One disease that ought to be getting much more press is malaria. Malaria is typically spread by mosquitos, and is common in tropical and subtropical climates. Estimates on spread and mortality vary greatly, in part because poorer (and harder to track) populations tend to suffer disproportionately from the affliction. However, the World Health Organization’s 2011 World Malaria Report suggests that at least 655,000 people died from malaria in 2010, while a 2012 study in…
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