60 Second Science

Congress on cell phones in planes: "We have the technology, but it'd be reaaaaal annoying."France offers "zen-zones" on its high-speed trains, Vienna just ordered public transit users to keep the phone on silent, and more and more U.S. states are banning cell phone use while driving. Emirates Airlines, though, is giving obsessive communicators another place to gab: coach. Beginning in March, the airline rolled out technology designed to let users operate cell phones at low enough levels to avoid completely futzing up the plane's navigation and ending the conference call with a bang. Now in the U.S., we look at the Arab world and say, "You can take your excessive freedoms and shove it. We're on a banning spree." It's not a part of the constant cancer/no-cancer debate over cell phones. (They cause tumors! No they d
» 17 Apr 2008, 2:24 pm

The Monitor #10: The All-Green, Eco-tastic EpisodeWe hit double digits. Champagne all around! In this episode: A timelapse video of the U.S.'s carbon footprint, a plan to turn pollution into DVDs (and fleece Al Gore?), a warning against nanotoxic socks, and a duel between two green-tech press releases. Created, written & designed by John Pavlus / Screencasts produced by Smashcut Media / Music by Jeff Alvarez Subscribe to our original video feed via iTunes or RSS.
» 16 Apr 2008, 10:28 am

In the future we'll all ride the Internet with our 3D camera SegwaysOkay, maybe not, but Mitch Kapor, designer of Lotus 1-2-3, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and generally near-prescient entrepreneur is sending the resources of Kapor Enterprises in that direction. Kapor currently serves as the Chairman of the Board for Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life. One of the biggest complaints about virtual worlds--and we'll skip the tired flying penis jokes--is that it's hard to navigate in a 3D environment using a mouse and keyboard. His solution is to use a 3D camera to register movement and let users ride their avatars as if they were riding Segways. Video of developer Phillipe Bossut flapping his hands to fly after the jump. It may look a little strange at first, but you h
» 11 Apr 2008, 1:54 pm

A few words from NexiFrom the people who brought us Kismet… Meet Nexi, an oddly expressive robot from MIT's Media Lab.
» 11 Apr 2008, 10:37 am

The music of disasterIn 1999, Hurricane Gert formed on the eastern side of the Atlantic and began the long trip to Bermuda. Along the way, it happened to pass over a hydrophone (an underwater microphone) planted half a mile deep in the mid-Atlantic. And made a little noise. A hurricane’s intense wind whips the waves into a churning frenzy, and deep below the surface of the ocean the turbulence creates a “rushing sound whose volume is a direct indicator of the storm's destructive power,” according to an MIT press release. MIT engineering professor Nicholas Makris, in a paper from a forthcoming Geophysical Research Letters, takes data from Gert's cacophonous performance and proposes a new way to gauge the destructive power of an oncoming cyclone.
» 11 Apr 2008, 10:25 am

Nature and cognitive enhancement: Beginning of end of drug war?Nature just revealed the results of an informal internet poll of its readers, finding that a full one-fifth have used or currently take drugs or supplements for "cognitive enhancement." 2/3 report taking Ritalin for this "non medical" purpose; 44% have taken the newer stimulant modafinil. But the most interesting finding is that 80% believe healthy adults should be permitted to take these drugs if they wish to do so. Now, this is just an internet poll and we all know the self-selection issues that mar these. However, if 80% of those who care enough to write into Nature on this issue believe that essentially recreational drug use should be legal, the war on drugs has lost a great deal of its legitimacy.
» 10 Apr 2008, 8:16 am

The Monitor #9: showcasing small, cute mammalsWe were down for a week there, but we're back, baby! In this episode: The cutest animal ever to be trained to use tools in a laboratory setting; rogue Olympians whose genes may let them pass doping tests; suspended animation via sewer gas; and a another reason feel superior for buying that overpriced laptop (besides the fact that it fits in an envelope). Created, written & designed by John Pavlus / Screencasts produced by Smashcut Media / Music by Jeff Alvarez Subscribe to our original video feed via iTunes or RSS.
» 8 Apr 2008, 4:45 pm

New blood test can predict futureWhen Charlton Heston passed away last weekend, somehow not from an accidental gunshot wound, he had been battling Alzheimer’s for six years. US-based biotech company Power3 Medical Products claims to have developed a test that can detect Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s six years before the diseases reveal themselves. Had Heston been offered the luxury of such far-sighted diagnosis between the time of his christiological walking tour and ascension to NRA straight-shooter, his most infamous utterance would possibly still be an eventuality. The NuroPro test, despite being in the early stages of development, will be marketed to physicians in the United States and Greece later this year. Its creators claim 90% accuracy, thoug
» 8 Apr 2008, 1:50 pm

This just in: cure for AIDS found in FloridaOf all the hair-brained policies we’ve had to endure as a nation over the past eight years, abstinence-only sex education has to be right near the top of the list. The idea that explaining the complexities of sexual reproduction and disease prevention will prove a greater aphrodisiac than exploding teenage hormones is logic at its most crocked. As a federally mandated ideological agenda item it’s shortsighted and asinine, and, as more than a few folks prognosticated, potentially harmful. But really, how harmful did even the most cynical of us think it could be? Worst case is some kid misses the memo on condoms, goes happily philandering about, ends up like poor Telly from Kids and spends the rest of his life pissed at the world becaus
» 3 Apr 2008, 12:17 pm

Hawaiians sue to stop Large Hadron Collider / save the worldSo I'm a technological optimist. By and large, I think that, ultimately, technology will solve all my problems. That is, of course, if it doesn't destroy the world first. Because, let's face it, science is kind of scary. At the top of my list of things that frighten me (followed shortly by a super-flu that turns people into zombies) is the sort-of-fact that the Large Hadron Collider could spew out strangelets and turn the Earth into a black hole, summon aggressive time travelers from the future, or plop us into a mediocre sci-fi movie. Thank the good lord Walter L. Wagner and Luis Sancho have their heads screwed on right. They've filed suit in a federal court in Honolulu to stop CERN from powering up the LHC until it's produced safety
» 31 Mar 2008, 2:42 pm

It's not you, it's physics: The Wallpaper ProblemThere you are again, at the 11th hour, wrapping that present. Off comes the price tag, ‘snip’ goes the scissors, and you peel off a piece of tape. Except that the tape, sensing your hurry, tapers down to a point and leaves with a useless, triangular piece. So you try again, once you find the point that was left on the tape roll. And once again, you find your piece of tape narrowing, narrowing, narrowing. The same *!@#$ phenomenon happens with wallpaper, too. You can’t just peel it off in a nice, even swath; no, it has to peel away from the wall in those deterministically infuriating triangles. Well, for what it's worth, it’s not you, it’s physics. Now, an MIT mathematician and his international team of colleagues off
» 31 Mar 2008, 12:55 pm

EurekAlert!

UCLA researchers clarify function of glucose transport moleculeUCLA scientists have solved the structure of a class of proteins known as sodium glucose co-transporters, which pump glucose into cells. The solution of the SGLT structure will accelerate development of new drugs designed to treat patients with diabetes and cancer. The journal Science publishes the findings.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

AGU Journal Highlights -- July 3, 2008In this issue: "Carbon enters deep Arctic Ocean mainly from continent edges"; "Magnetic patterns around Venus revealed"; "How porous, organism-rich layers form in Antarctic sea ice"; "Cold plasma plumes help generate aurora"; "Sea current near Norway gets cooled in Arctic"; "Rock type may influence hill steepness and landslide frequency"; and "Permafrost risk from rapid melt of Arctic sea ice."
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

New study points to agriculture in frog sexual abnormalitiesA farm irrigation canal would seem a healthier place for toads than a ditch by a supermarket parking lot.But University of Florida scientists have found the opposite is true. In a study with wide implications for a longstanding debate over whether agricultural chemicals pose a threat to amphibians, UF zoologists have found that toads in suburban areas are less likely to suffer from reproductive system abnormalities than toads near farms -- where some had both testes and ovaries
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Visualizing atomic-scale acoustic wavesin nanostructuresAcoustic waves play many everyday roles -- from communication between people to ultrasound imaging. Now the highest frequency acoustic waves in materials, with nearly atomic-scale wavelengths, promise to be useful probes of nanostructures such as LED lights.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Accord on core competency, standards and quality assurance in health promotion and educationIn response to the global health crisis, 26 leading authorities in competency-based and accreditation movements in global health promotion, health education, and public health reached an accord last week on what should comprise the domains of core competency in health promotion and health education.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

In unique stellar laboratory, Einstein's theory passes strict, new testTaking advantage of a unique cosmic configuration, astronomers have measured an effect predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity in the extremely strong gravity of a pair of superdense neutron stars. Essentially, the famed physicist's 93-year-old theory passed yet another test.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Radicals shake up molecules in a tug o' warUntil now, it was commonly thought that colliding molecules get the shakes as the result of energy transfer solely from the smashing of the molecules, but some new research adds a second means by which colliding molecules become vibrationally excited -- it is being called the "Tug o' War Mechanism."
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

'Mind's eye' influences visual perceptionLetting your imagination run away with you may actually influence how you see the world. New research from Vanderbilt University has found that mental imagery -- what we see with the "mind's eye" -- directly impacts our visual perception.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Species have come and gone at different rates than previously believedDiversity among the ancestors of such marine creatures as clams, sand dollars and lobsters showed only a modest rise beginning 144 million years ago with no clear trend afterwards, according to an international team of researchers. This contradicts previous work showing dramatic increases beginning 248 million years ago and may shed light on future diversity.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Prevalence of religious congregations affects mortality ratesLSU associate professor of sociology Troy C. Blanchard recently found that a community's religious environment -- that is, the type of religious congregations within a locale -- affects mortality rates, often in a positive manner. These results were published in the June issue of Social Forces, a leading journal in the field of sociology.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Volcanic activity shaped Mercury after allA research team led by Brown University planetary geologist James Head has determined that volcanism played a central role in forming Mercury's surface. The evidence of volcanic activity lends important insights into Mercury's geologic history and appears in a special section describing the MESSENGER mission's recent flyby of Mercury in the July 4 issue of Science.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

IEEE Spectrum Online

Playing With CycOne of the world's oldest AI projects needs your help
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Nano-FlowersNews Brief
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Ocean Power Catches a WaveEurope and New Zealand to install commercial generators; U.S. lags
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Your Mentor and YouGetting the most from career counselors
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Machinimation NationDo-it-yourself machinima animators are using video-game technology to engineer low-cost, high-octane productions
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Iraq Electricity, By the NumbersThe data
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

10 Great Tech BooksHere are the favorites of veteran technology writer Steven Levy, who was too modest to include any of his own six books on the list
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Slideshow: Next Stop, The MoonAt a field test in Washington state, NASA's lunar robots go for a spin
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Machinima's Movie MogulsA new breed of filmmaker is bypassing the actors, elaborate sets, and even the cameras in favor of a couple of decent computers and a video game. Their movies may surprise you
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Mixing Memory To Speed Solid-State DrivesKorean researchers find that a little ferroelectric RAM goes a long way
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

An Exquisite EarThe memoir of BBN cofounder and acoustics pioneer Leo Beranek
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:00 pm

Live Science

Outdoor BBQ: A 700,000-year-old RitualHumans switched to cooked meats and they never looked back.
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:10 pm

VIDEO: Bacteria Make Fake Snow SaferSnow machines at ski resort use a questionable protein/bacteria slush to encourage water to freeze. Newfound microbes may be better.
» 3 Jul 2008, 1:05 pm

Barcode Technology Flaws Put Some Patients at RiskNurses forced to use 'workarounds' to ensure medication errors are kept to minimum, study says
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:27 am

Voyager Spacecraft Reveals Solar System EdgeVoyager examines energy and magnetic forces at the solar system's edge.
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:57 am

Stroke Victim Suddenly Speaks With Strange AccentAfter a stroke, a woman's accent changed.
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:10 am

Video: World's First Computer Is Finally BuiltCharles Babbage’s 1822 design for a mechanical "difference engine" was never actually constructed...until now.
» 3 Jul 2008, 8:46 am

What Are the Origins of Famous Patriotic Songs?You may know the lyrics to these popular patriotic tunes. But you may be surprised to learn about how they began.
» 3 Jul 2008, 6:59 am

Brain Food: It Works on GerbilsScientists have figured out how to make gerbils smarter and they hope the findings can be applied to you.
» 3 Jul 2008, 6:16 am

Strange Asteroid Shapes ExplainedA vast database that shows asteroids are shaped by small impacts over time.
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:47 am

Adopt a ScientistA new regular feature highlights research undertaken by SETI scientists.
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:46 am

National Geographic News

WEEK IN PHOTOS: Space "Ribbon," Calif. Wildfires, MoreA beach full of red balloons, a new Argo setting sail, and a U.S. flag lit up by lightning are among this week's most colorful events.
» 2 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

George Washington's Boyhood Home FoundWig curlers, a pipe with Masonic carvings, and a half million other artifacts were also part of the discovery, which will help scholars fill in large gaps in the story of the first U.S. president's early life.
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Everglades Rescue "Out on a Limb" Without Federal AidSome environmentalists fear that the historic land deal could be seriously hampered unless the U.S. Congress follows through on a funding commitment it made almost 20 years ago.
» 2 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Penguin Chicks Frozen by Global Warming?Young penguins are freezing to death as rainfall increases in Antarctica—one of many factors endangering two-thirds of penguin species, a new paper says. With video.
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

VIDEO: Puppies Trained for Land-Mine DutyA litter of puppies, bred from dogs in Bosnia, are undergoing training to help sniff out unexploded munitions that litter the Cambodian countryside.
» 2 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

PHOTOS: George Washington's Boyhood Home DiscoveredWig curlers and fragments of a tea service were among the half a million artifacts found at the childhood home of America's first president.
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Ancient Egypt Settlement Sheds Light on Everyday LifeA well-preserved town provides rare clues to the daily lives of ancient Egyptians, including the importance of local commerce and politics, archaeologists say.
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Migrating Birds Understand "Foreign Languages"Birds that travel widely can understand warning calls made by other bird species encountered during migrations, scientists say. Stay-at-home birds show no such ability.
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Stone Age Art Caves May Have Been Concert HallsIn at least ten locations, prehistoric cave sketches are found in spots that transform and amplify the sounds of human voices and musical instruments, according to a new study.
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

VIDEO: Vermont-to-Caribbean ConnectionEvery year a Vermont researcher follows another of the state's residents to the Caribbean: the Bicknell thrush, a small migratory bird.
» 2 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Even Modest Increases in MPG Can Equal Big Gas SavingsMost car buyers in the U.S. don't know that even small boosts to gas-guzzler efficiency can save more fuel than bigger mpg gains in already efficient vehicles, according to a new study.
» 1 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Nerdy Science Blog

Black Men Unconscious of High Blood PressureRegardless of race, women are more health conscious than men.  Men often believe they do not need to see a doctor.  A study involved 1,514 adults with high blood pressure showed that men, especially African-American men, less likely to know their condition than women. I found this image of Black Men cover.  This definitely will cause [...]
» 3 Jul 2008, 6:41 am

Kissing DNA Large MugIs there anyway nerdier than using DNA strands to confess your love? If you admire someone in the lab, or some other lab, perhaps you can consider buying this Kissing DNA Large Mug for him/her. In this way, you might not be rejected.  Love is really some kind of chemistry. addthis_url [...]
» 30 Jun 2008, 8:00 pm

Chocolate Genome ProjectThe chocolate company Mars will be in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture and IT firm IBM to decode the genetic structure of the cocoa tree.  The aim of this project is to improve cocoa production.  This can be done by understanding the tree’s DNA that could be manipulated to create pest- and disease [...]
» 25 Jun 2008, 9:14 pm

Stop Watching CSI to DietYou diet habit might reveal what you are thinking — Death! Researchers, who published their study in the August issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, wrote that people tend to consume more variety of foods when they think that they will die some day.  People with low self-esteem also eat more food after death-thoughts participants.  [...]
» 25 Jun 2008, 8:44 pm

Golden Strand DNA Large Coffee MugThis mug is too cool! Double stranded DNA with one of its strand is golden. It’s more like too much caffeine dyed your DNA strand into golden colour. I am tea lover. Get your Golden Strand Large Mug for only $16.99 USD. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fscience.kukuchew.com%2F2008%2F06%2F24%2Fgolden-strand-dna-large-coffee-mug%2F'; addthis_title = 'Golden+Strand+DNA+Large+Coffee+Mug'; [...]
» 23 Jun 2008, 9:53 pm

Nano Gold Found by ScientistsAustralian gold rush started in 1851 when Edward Hargraves and his colleagues found gold near Bathurst, New South Wales.  It had a big impact on Australian economy and development. Scientists had performed the dream which ancient Alchemists had dreamt — creating gold.  The gold was not visible to anyone as it was in nano size.  However [...]
» 23 Jun 2008, 4:47 am

Salary Report of Research Assistants.Just realize that Jobstreet has a feature call salary report, data are generated through their jobseekers’ database. Interestingly, the report also included Research Assistant (RA) position. I am personally do not consider RAs involve in institutional research centers a real job; in Malaysia, it’s rather a transitional positions for graduate students under a supervisor and funded [...]
» 23 Jun 2008, 12:32 am

How Does A Bacteriologist Propose?If you’re microbiologist or bacteriologist, the following comic strips is a must-read. (link) addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fscience.kukuchew.com%2F2008%2F06%2F22%2Fhow-does-a-bacteriologist-propose%2F'; addthis_title = 'How+Does+A+Bacteriologist+Propose%3F'; addthis_pub = '';
» 21 Jun 2008, 9:10 pm

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Anatomical DrawingsThe anatomical drawings above were from Leonardo’s anatomical notebooks. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fscience.kukuchew.com%2F2008%2F06%2F22%2Fleonardo-da-vincis-anatomical-drawings%2F'; addthis_title = 'Leonardo+Da+Vinci%26%238217%3Bs+Anatomical+Drawings'; addthis_pub = '';
» 21 Jun 2008, 9:02 pm

Sarcasm, Social EvolutionMeredith F. Small wrote that sarcasm is skill for social survival.  Dr. Katherine Rankin, neurophysiologist at the University of California discovered that sarcasm is important (both positive and negative) in human social interaction.  If  you don’t get sarcastic jokes, it is probably your part of your right brain (parahippocampal gyrus) is damaged.  It is said [...]
» 20 Jun 2008, 7:44 pm

New Scientist

Solar sail gets another chance for launchAs early as the end of July 2008, NASA plans to test solar sail technology in orbit with a tiny spacecraft called NanoSail-D
» 4 Jul 2008, 4:53 am

Do we have the technology to build a bionic human?Electronic eyes give sight to the blind, while functioning penises are grown in the lab. investigates the body shop of the near future
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:59 am

3D modelling gets the measure of stone axesArchaeology is set to become more precise by using imaging software to get objective measurements of artefacts like stone axes (full text available to subscribers)
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:10 am

Mercury: The incredible shrinking planetData from the Messenger probe suggests Mercury has a molten core that is cooling and causing the whole planet to contract
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:44 pm

Pulsar's wobble provides new Einstein testAn extremely rare alignment between Earth and a pair of dense stars called pulsars reveals how bodies wobble in the presence of gravity
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

Brain chemical may have role in cot deathInfant mice that produce less serotonin are more likely to die soon after birth – the finding may lead to ways to predict the deadly condition
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

Greenland ice sheet slams the brakes onFears that meltwater could increase the speed at which glaciers flow into the sea, rapidly destroying the ice sheet, may be unfounded
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

Wine chemical improves health but not longevityTwo studies find ways to improve the health of mice, but fail to find any life-extending effect with either the chemical or a key ageing protein
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:44 am

Microwave ray gun controls crowds with noiseA weapon that can project sounds directly into people's heads causes pain and incapacitation, and could be built inside a year
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:06 am

Lack of cracks may explain Peru meteorite mysteryA meteorite that hit the town of Carancas last year may not have fragmented in the atmosphere because it was unusually tough
» 3 Jul 2008, 7:25 am

Interview: It's a dog's life... againWill you miss your dog when it's gone? Willing to fork out on a clone? Then biotech entrepreneur knows just the man
» 3 Jul 2008, 5:38 am

New York Times - Science News

Japan Sees a Chance to Promote Its Energy-Frugal WaysJapan’s single-minded dedication to reducing energy use, which dates to the 1970s, has given it the potential to play a rare leadership role on a pressing global issue.
» 4 Jul 2008, 1:57 am

Seasonal Factor Seen in Melting and Ice Shifts in GreenlandA study using 17 years of satellite measurements suggests that the movement of glacial ice is not as rapid as had been feared.
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:18 pm

Washington’s Boyhood Home Is FoundResearchers say the remains of the farm in Virginia may yield insights into George Washington’s formative years.
» 2 Jul 2008, 10:24 pm

U.S. Lifts Moratorium on New Solar ProjectsUnder increasing public pressure, the federal government lifted a freeze on new solar projects, barely a month after it was put into effect.
» 2 Jul 2008, 8:52 pm

New Money Prevents Layoffs at FermilabThe particle research laboratory at the center of a budget showdown in Congress will resume work, allaying some fears of long-term damage to basic research in the United States.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:25 pm

R. C. Seamans Jr., NASA Figure, Dies at 89Dr. Seamans was NASA’s nuts-and-bolts manager of the Apollo moon-landing program, later serving as the first administrator of the federal energy research agency.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:48 pm

Space Probes Show Solar System Dented, Not RoundWhen viewed from the rest of the galaxy, the edge of our solar system appears as if a giant hand is pushing one edge of it inward, far-traveling NASA probes reveal.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:51 pm

Findings: Deep Down, We Can’t Fool Even OurselvesA moral hypocrite convinces himself that he is acting virtuously even when he does something he would condemn in others.
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:12 pm

Uncovering Evidence of a Workaday World Along the NileA new excavation sheds light on the living and working spaces of ordinary Egyptians.
» 30 Jun 2008, 7:24 pm

A Conversation With James P. Evans: Biologist Teaches the Nation’s Judges About GeneticsJames P. Evans hopes to demystify all of science and, specifically, genetics.
» 2 Jul 2008, 8:39 am

A New Twist in Penguins’ Already Uncertain FutureP. Dee Boersma has been watching the penguins of Punta Tombo for almost 30 years and now sees a new threat to their survival: a changing climate.
» 30 Jun 2008, 9:03 pm

Newswise Science News

Gophers Beware: Biology Team Builds a Better TrapBetter gopher trap helps University of Arkansas at Little Rock scientists study gopher behavior.
» 3 Jul 2008, 5:30 pm

Researchers Clarify Function of Glucose Transport Molecule; Findings May Lead to Improved Treatments for DiabeUCLA scientists have solved the structure of a class of proteins known as sodium glucose co-transporters (SGLTs), which pump glucose into cells. The solution of the SGLT structure will accelerate development of new drugs designed to treat patients with diabetes and cancer. The journal Science publishes the findings.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:00 pm

'Mind's Eye' Influences Visual PerceptionLetting your imagination run away with you may actually influence how you see the world. New research from Vanderbilt University has found that mental imagery--what we see with the "mind's eye"--directly impacts our visual perception.
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:40 pm

Instrument Shows What Planet Mercury Is Made OfBy measuring the charged particles in the planet Mercury's magnetic field, a University of Michigan sensor enabled the first observations about the surface and atmospheric composition of the closest world to the sun.
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

"Immune Buildings" Designed to Combat Chemical Warfare and DiseasesResearchers at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) have opened a new engineering lab to design a ventilation system that could protect schools, hospitals, and other public buildings from chemical warfare and bioterrorist attacks.
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:00 am

Ice Creamier: 'Edible Antifreeze' Puts the Smooth in SmoothieIt's Friday night, and the movie's already spinning in the DVD player. You run to the kitchen to grab a gallon of ice cream and a spoon, but you find the tub nearly empty. What's left is an icy mess that crunches unappetizingly when you poke your spoon into it. Time to make popcorn.
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:55 am

What Gets People Hooked on Healthy Food Messages?Scientists, educators and marketing experts gathered to discuss how consumers influence and receive food-health and food-safety messages at Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans. "Taste is what it's all about," said Nancy Childs, PhD, professor of marketing at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. "The more health-related information and claims that manufacturers present, the more taste assurance the consumer needs."
» 3 Jul 2008, 6:30 am

"Will Everyone Who Had a Good Time Please Raise Your Hands?" Materials Make STEM Fun for High SchoolFor five days at Case Western Reserve University, local high school and middle school teachers learned a new way to teach science and mathematics to their students...using ingenuity, creativity and a "lot of GAK," the super-slimy polymer.
» 3 Jul 2008, 6:00 am

New Antibiotic Beats Superbugs at Their Own GameBy targeting the gene that confers resistance to antibiotics, a new drug may be able to finally outwit drug-resistant staph bacteria.
» 2 Jul 2008, 7:30 pm

Novel Sources of Dietary FiberEveryone knows that oat bran is a source of dietary fiber. Now dates, fenugreek, purslane and sweet potato greens are emerging to add their beneficial properties to the worldwide array. In the United Arab Emirates, where dates are a major component of individual diets, the fruit's fiber is having a favorable role in baked goods, so date cultivation is encouraged. By reducing flour and replacing it with date fiber by 10 to 30 percent, breads, cookies and muffins have become as tasty as their flour counterparts but healthier.
» 2 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

Worms Do Calculus to Find Meals Or Avoid UnpleasantnessThanks to salt and hot chili peppers, researchers have found a calculus-computing center that tells a roundworm to go forward toward dinner or turn to broaden the search. It's a computational mechanism, they say, that is similar to what drives hungry college students to a pizza.
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

NPR - Health and Science

Predicting In Vitro Success Made EasierA Stanford University researcher has found a way to predict with 70 percent accuracy whether a particular in vitro fertilization cycle will be successful. The breakthrough should make it easier to treat those who try to become pregnant with IVF.
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:29 pm

Lucknow Is For LoversYoung Indians have their own reasons to celebrate a 19th century shrine to national independence.
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:33 pm

What's So Special About Menthol?Smokers in Detroit talk about why menthol cigarettes are so popular in the black community. Then, Donna Christensen, head of the Congressional Black Caucus's Health Task Force, discusses why she is pushing to get stronger language into pending tobacco legislation.
» 3 Jul 2008, 10:00 am

Female Athletes Suffer Pain For GloryFemale athletes suffer a higher rate of injuries than males, particularly to their knees. But some people are reluctant to talk about this "injury epidemic" out of fear of jeopardizing Title IX. Warrior Girls author Michael Sokolove discusses injury risk and prevention.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:00 pm

Childhood Home Of George Washington ExcavatedGeorge Washington slept there for years — it's the Virginia house he grew up in. Archaeologists have excavated the house, or what's left of it, and they say they've found artifacts that suggest that the Washingtons started out genteel but fell on hard times.
» 3 Jul 2008, 6:26 am

Most Patients Happy With German Health CareGerman health benefits are very generous, and there's usually little or no wait to get elective surgery or diagnostic tests, such as MRIs. It's one of the best health care systems in the world. It's visible in little ways that most Germans take for granted.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:54 pm

Glacier Bay Park's Gravity Shifts As Ice MeltsThe ice sheet in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska has receded so much that the Earth's crust is rebounding. Alaskans who live in the area have grown used to expanding properties, brown bears — even a slight drop in gravity.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:01 pm

Scientists Make Herpes BreakthroughThose infected with a herpes virus are infected for life. That's because the virus goes "latent." Sometimes, it awakes from its slumber, producing painful illnesses. Now, scientists say they know how the virus becomes latent and why it wakes up.
» 2 Jul 2008, 2:46 pm

Keeping German Doctors On A Budget Lowers CostsNearly every German has ready access to doctors, cheap drugs, high-tech medicine, dental care, nursing homes and home care. All this — and Germany spends half what the United States does per person. One way the country accomplishes this is by putting doctors on a budget.
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:05 am

Fighting Cancer With An Inflatable ColonColon cancer kills more Americans every year than AIDS or breast cancer, even though it's one of the most preventable forms of cancer. Part of the problem has been that many people are squeamish about getting a colonoscopy. An exhibit of a massive inflatable colon attempts to combat people's fears.
» 2 Jul 2008, 10:00 am

Physics Today

US slipping in scitech sector says reportNew York Times: The United States may be synonymous with the high-tech revolution, but it is in danger of losing its high-tech edge, according to Cybercities 2008, a report released Tuesday by AeA, a technology industry trade association....
» 3 Jul 2008, 4:15 pm

Solar system a bit squashed, not nicely roundReuters: The solar system may not be a nice round shape, but rather a bit squashed and oblong, according to data from the Voyager 2 spacecraft exploring the solar system's outer limits, scientists said on Wednesday....
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:25 am

ITER Costs Give Partners PauseScience: Last week, ITER scientists revealed a new cost estimate for the multibillion-dollar fusion reactor that was 30% higher than earlier calculations. Now the project's seven international partners must decide whether they can afford it....
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:21 am

New DoE money prevents more Fermilab layoffsThe New York Times: With an infusion of money, the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory will avoid layoffs of 80 employees and resume work on a project to investigate ephemeral particles known as neutrinos....
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:18 am

New UK physics budget has winners and losersBBC: UK scientists studying high-energy light from space and the connection between the Sun and Earth are to lose funding on a number of projects....
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:12 am

Scientists eager to see Hubble’s faceliftMSNBC: Scientists are eagerly awaiting a much-needed facelift planned for the world's favorite space telescope....
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:59 am

Will the QC kill the PC?The Telegraph: It might be the science of the very small, but quantum computing is on the verge of solving some giant problems. For more than 30 years, physicists have dreamed of harnessing the power of atoms to produce computers...
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:57 am

Asteroid anniversary recalls Earth's rocky historyABC News: The centennial anniversary of the 1908 Tunguska blast that rocked Siberia, falls Monday, June 30, bringing with it a reminder of the very slight chance that a huge hunk of space rock out there might have Earth's number....
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:52 am

Physics expert: European collider is safeUnited Press International: A U.S. physics professor is scoffing at claims the Large Hadron Collider being built in Europe might create a black hole, producing a planetary catastrophe....
» 2 Jul 2008, 9:45 am

UK Physics teacher shortage warningBBC: Almost one in four secondary schools in England no longer has any specialist physics teachers, a survey suggests....
» 1 Jul 2008, 8:49 am

Plutonium pit plan for LANL faces oppositionAssociated Press: The market at the heart of this little village is stuffed with locally grown produce. Fat, red radishes practically fly out of the display basket next to the cash register hours after leaving the field....
» 1 Jul 2008, 8:45 am

PhysOrg

Biofuels behind food price hikes: leaked World Bank reportBiofuels have caused world food prices to increase by 75 percent, according to the findings of an unpublished World Bank report published in The Guardian newspaper on Friday.
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:16 am

July 4th boaters: Steer clear of NJ dolphin family(AP) -- Authorities protecting a dolphin family in a New Jersey river are stepping up enforcement over the July Fourth holiday.
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:16 am

Syria returns stolen marble artifact to Iraq(AP) -- Syria has returned a marble artifact to Iraq that was stolen from one of the country's archaeological sites.
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:15 am

Mimic molecules to protect against plagueBacteria that cause pneumonic plague can evade our first-line defences, making it difficult for the body to fight infection. In fact, a signature of the plague is the lack of an inflammatory response. Now, scientists have discovered a way to protect against death following infection with plague bacteria, by using molecules that can mimic the pathogens. According to research published in the July issue of Microbiology, these molecules make antibiotics more effective and can even be used to protect against other diseases.
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:14 am

Malaria on the increase in the UKA huge rise in the numbers of UK residents travelling to malaria endemic areas, combined with a failure to use prevention measures, has significantly increased cases of imported falciparum malaria in the UK over the past 20 years, according to a study published on BMJ.com.
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:12 am

Screening for heart disorders in competitive athletes would save livesAthletes who take part in competitive sport should be screened for potentially fatal heart problems before they compete, according to a study published on BMJ.com today.
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:55 am

Potential treatment for TB solves puzzleScientists have uncovered a new target for the potential treatment of TB, finally resolving a long-running debate about how the bacterial cell wall is built. The research, published in the July issue of Microbiology reveals several molecules that could be developed into drugs to treat tuberculosis.
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:53 am

Simian foamy virus found to be widespread among chimpanzeesResearchers in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Gabon, Germany, Japan, Rwanda, the United Kingdom, and the United States have found that simian foamy virus (SFV) is widespread among wild chimpanzees throughout equatorial Africa. Details are published July 4th in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens.
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:52 am

Brain noise is a good thingCanadian scientists have shown that a noisy brain is a healthy brain.
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:48 am

Workers scramble to clear embarrassing algae sludgeChina scrambled Thursday to clear tonnes of algae that is covering a third of the Olympic sailing course and causing huge embarrassment for authorities trying to promote a "Green Games."
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:10 pm

Some psych patients wait days in hospital ERs(AP) -- When staffers at a Brooklyn hospital spotted a middle-aged woman lying face-down on a waiting room floor last month, it hardly seemed like cause for alarm.
» 3 Jul 2008, 3:09 pm

Public Library of Science

Why accurate reporting is an ethical dutyLast week saw the EQUATOR network launch meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine and its first inaugural lecture, given by Iain Chalmers. EQUATOR is the first systematic attempt to bring together all the myriad guidelines that are available for reporting studies. If you’ve been puzzled by CONSORT, STARD, MOOSE, etc then this is the place for you. And if you think that reporting guidelines are only of relevance to a small number of academics and editors, the meeting would have disabused you of that. The day’s speakers eloquently made the case for accurate and complete reporting as being not just a scientific duty, but also a moral one that everyone involved in research - funders, researchers, ethics committees, editors and, most impor
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:04 am

Going to San Francisco? Finding Flowers for Your Hair May Get TougherThose who follow the advice of Scott McKenzie by wearing flowers in their hair when visiting the Bay Area may find it increasingly difficult to find native Californian flora over the coming years. Scott Loarie and colleagues discovered that two-thirds of the state's endemic plants could suffer more than an 80 percent reduction in geographic range by the end of the century, thanks to the effects of global climate change. In their study, Climate Change and the Future of California's Endemic Flora, published in PLoS ONE on June 25th, the researchers warn that because native species not found outside the state make up nearly half of all California's native plants, a changing climate will have a major impact on the state's unparalleled plant di
» 27 Jun 2008, 8:42 am

Avian Journal Club in PLoS ONE!As part of the monthly focus on birds, there is a new Journal Club in PLoS ONE this week. Dr.Elizabeth Adkins Regan from Cornell and her postdoc Dr Joanna Rutkowska from Jagiellonian University have already posted their first comments on the paper by Keith Sockman (here at UNC): Ovulation Order Mediates a Trade-Off between Pre-Hatching and Post-Hatching Viability in an Altricial Bird. Please join in the discussion! Trackback URL for this post: http://www.plos.org/cms/trackback/369
» 25 Jun 2008, 8:36 am

The Muted Mating of Female ChimpsAs Niyaz Ahmed, PLoS ONE Section Editor for Microbiology and Genomics, observed on his blog, there were two articles on the behaviour of chimpanzees published in PLoS ONE last week, one of which, Female Chimpanzees Use Copulation Calls Flexibly to Prevent Social Competition, really swept the board of the UK press: there were stories in the Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, which focused on the chimps’ “subtle mating game”, and The Independent, which was intrigued by "the mystery of female sex cries". Simon Townsend and colleagues at the University of St Andrews studied the calls made by female chimpanzees during mating and found that the females produced louder calls in the presence of high-ranking males but were much quieter when
» 24 Jun 2008, 9:22 am

A new face for PLoS.org on FacebookPLoS grew too big for its Facebook group (we have over 1500 members) so we've opened up a PLoS.org page instead. If you follow the link, you can get a flavor of the site without needing to join but to participate, you will need to sign up. Becoming a fan of the page is one good way to remain up-to-date with the latest developments at PLoS. The PLoS.org page keeps the wider community and public informed of global progress in the OA movement, new journal launches, site enhancements, new PLoS blog posts, relevant insider jobs, discussions and is updated on a nearly daily basis. There are also opportunities for fans to add content such as photos and videos. If you are new to Facebook and possibly a little wary of joining, let me reassure
» 19 Jun 2008, 12:00 pm

2007 Impact factors for PLoS JournalsThe latest impact factors (for 2007) have just been released from Thomson Reuters. They are as follows: PLoS Biology - 13.5 PLoS Medicine - 12.6 PLoS Computational Biology - 6.2 PLoS Genetics - 8.7 PLoS Pathogens - 9.3 As we and others have frequently pointed out, impact factors should be interpreted with caution and only as one of a number of measures which provide insight into a journal’s, or rather its articles’, impact. Nevertheless, the 2007 figures for PLoS Biology and PLoS Medicine are consistent with the many other indicators (e.g. submission volume, web statistics, reader and community feedback) that these journals are firmly established as top-flight open-access general interest journals in the life and health sciences resp
» 18 Jun 2008, 5:57 am

Your input on how clinical trials should be reported - public consultations at WHO and ClinicalTrials.gov soonIn the US, a new law will very soon require sponsors of clinical trials to start submitting data on the results of completed trials into an expanded version of the registry website clinicaltrials.gov. Interested parties only have two days left to submit comments on a draft version of the results database - go to the website at http://prsinfo.clinicaltrials.gov/rrs-mockup-intro.html to see the current draft and give your feedback. The World Health Organization also wants to hear public feedback on their proposal that “the findings of all clinical trials must be made publicly available”. The survey is only open until June 27th. The PLoS Medicine editors have commented on both consultations - don't let policies develop on important quest
» 16 Jun 2008, 8:09 am

MSF's Scientific DayLast week I went to the Médecins Sans Frontières Scientific Day in London. Though MSF is of course primarily a humanitarian organisation, it conducts a large amount of research, with the ultimate aim of improving the services they offer to the populations they work with. PLoS Medicine recently published a paper looking back at 20 years of research from MSF and Epicentre. The scientific day featured research from across the organisation and some from outside. Specific things I’d highlight were the first talk of the day from Samuel Hauenstein Swan from Action Against Hunger UK who spoke on cycles of starvation among the world’s rural poor and who emphasized the need to work for systematic solutions integrated with whole programmes of
» 13 Jun 2008, 4:39 am

Historical Open AccessMore and more societies are compiling their 'classical' papers. Here is another one. And here I wrote, among else: "In discussions of Open Access, we always focus on brand new papers and how to make them freely available for readers around the world as well as for people who want to mine and reanalyse the data using robots. But we almost never discuss the need to make the old stuff available. Yet we often lament that nobody reads or cites anything older than five years. Spending several years reading everything published in the field in the 20th century up until about 1995 (as well as some 19th century stuff) helped me greatly in my own research. It would help others, I'm sure, especially those who are now revisiting old questions with new
» 11 Jun 2008, 1:07 pm

To our readers, wherever you are: results from our readership survey.At PLoS we have a number of ways of finding out about our readership but none are perfect: the fact that we are open access and so place no barriers on access to the content sadly, but necessarily, limits how much we can easily find out about our readers. One way is via Google Analytics which only gives numbers without any comment. Reader surveys are another tack and earlier this year we did our first reader survey. We’d like to thank everyone who took part and let you know the results, which were also presented at the 2008 meeting of the Council of Science Editors by Jocalyn Clark and Gavin Yamey. An email invitation to complete the survey was sent to 18 937 table of content subscribers (2421 completed the survey) and 25 000 researcher
» 11 Jun 2008, 4:03 am

Science Alert

Mountaineering not just for high risksMountaineers enjoy the effect of their sport on their identities and notions of what their lives are about, not just for the thrills of risk taking, according to research.
» 3 Jul 2008, 5:43 pm

New role for antibodies discoveredAntibodies are recycled for a second important role, amplifying immune responses so they can react to threats in tiny quantities, researchers have found.
» 3 Jul 2008, 5:01 pm

Feature: Sweetness and lightNeuroscience is illuminating new ways of tackling the obesity epidemic.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:46 am

Opinion: Innovation post budget - a script unchangedThe Rudd Government's first budget should have set Australia up to meet future challenges with innovative solutions. Instead it sent out a confused message, believes Democrat Senator Natasha Stott Despoja.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:38 am

Test to verify organic foodResearchers have found a way to check that food has been organically grown, by chemically testing the food to see what type of fertiliser was used.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:00 am

Crash test dummies don't represent kidsYoung passengers are not being protected as well as they could be, as child crash test dummies are merely smaller versions of adult models, research has found.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:00 am

Site helps sustainable eatingA new site will help people maintain sustainable diets, by encouraging them to eat native meats, such as kangaroo and emu, and only in season fruits.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:00 am

Diamonds suggest life began earlierResearchers examining very old diamonds have found a type of carbon associated with life, suggesting that life on Earth may have begun earlier than expected.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:00 am

Online learning boosts literacyJust ten weeks of using an online learning tool can increase concentration and literacy skills of kids struggling to read and write, a preliminary study has found.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:00 am

Birds identify eggs by colourBirds can use colour to identify the eggs of 'parasite' birds, such as cuckoos, from their own and eject them from their nests, new research has discovered.
» 3 Jul 2008, 2:00 am

Opinion: Nurses willing and ableThe Government should recognise primary healthcare extends beyond the services of a general practitioner, believes Ged Kearney.
» 2 Jul 2008, 3:23 am

Science Base

Taste SensationI wrote about the effect of salt on the boiling point of water recently and Sciencebase reader Derek Burney asked why cooks use salt when boiling vegetables, for instance, if the effect on boiling point and so cooking times is so minimal, as I explained. Well, the small amount of salt (sodium chloride) added to food [...]
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:25 pm

Leveraged Knowledge ManagementSeveral years ago, I was called on by a multinational producer of hygiene, food, and cleaning products to pay a visit to their research and information centre. My role was to play editorial consultant for content for their new Intranet. You see, the company had lots of researchers in one building who were working hard on [...]
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

Health Benefits of IndiumYet another health supplement hits the streets, this time in the form of indium sulfate. Never heard of it? Apparently, it “is a rare trace mineral that supports several hormonal systems in the body. Indium may strongly elevate immune activity and reduce the severity and duration of a myriad of human conditions.” That’s according to [...]
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:10 am

Carbon Tet and Paradigm ShiftsSince tetrachloromethane is banned as an industrial solvent avoiding its formation as a byproduct of other chlorocarbons is important, this week, The Alchemist learns that a lanthanum chloride catalyst could help with the cleanup. A paradigm shift in drug discovery could be approaching as researchers working with proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease have discovered an [...]
» 30 Jun 2008, 5:00 am

Lighting Up Genetic DiseaseGenetic disease is a complicated affair. Scientists have spent years trying to find genetic markers for diseases as diverse as asthma, arthritis and cardiovascular disease. The trouble with such complex diseases is that they are none of them simply a manifestation of a genetic issue. They involve multiple genes, various other factors within the body [...]
» 27 Jun 2008, 5:00 am

Bird Flu FlapI’m not entirely convinced that bird flu (avian influenza) is going to be the next big emergent disease that will wipe out thousands, if not millions, of people across the globe. SARS, after all, had nothing to do with avians, nor does HIV, and certainly not malaria, tuberculosis, MRSA, Escherichia coli O157, or any of [...]
» 25 Jun 2008, 5:00 am

Giving Obesity the CHOPI am once again drawn to research from a team at the University of Westminster, a renowned institution that doles out so-called science degrees in homeopathy. This time the paper in question, published in the inaugural issue of the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health (2008, vol 1, issue 1, pp 16-32) [...]
» 23 Jun 2008, 5:00 am

Evolution 2.0Evolutionary science needs debugging. Apparently, there are a few issues that cannot be resolved with any precision when one asks questions like: What makes a human different from a chimp? Apparently, at the level of genetic sequences, systematic errors creep into any analysis, distorting our ancestry. Now, researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics [...]
» 19 Jun 2008, 11:00 am

Alcohol Causes CancerIt’s quite illuminating that the following study has not yet reached the wider media. Without wishing to be too cynical, I do wonder whether that’s because the journal in which the work is published does not use a highly aggressive press office and marketing machine like so many other medical journals, which never seem to [...]
» 18 Jun 2008, 5:00 am

Vital SignsrVita emailed me today to enthuse about a purportedly “wonderful resource”, which is apparently the web’s first integrative medicine community (funny they should claim that as I had someone else emailing to tell me yesterday about their first such site too). Anyway, I checked out the site, and am very, very disappointed, the first article I [...]
» 16 Jun 2008, 5:00 am

Science Blogs

Biological Ironies [The Scientific Indian]I was watching David Byrne + Daniel Levitin at The Seed Salon yesterday evening and heard Daniel Levitin (the professor dude) talk about how ironic that the brain, which receives sensory inputs from all over the body, does not itself have sensory nerves. He further added helpfully that you would not know if your brain is poked. It's a nice bit of detail to draw a non-biologist into conversations about biology and brain. I suppose evolution did not have a good case for the brain to have sensory nerves. It had, after all, already floated the brain in a fluid and surrounded it with a thick skull. There is no value in wiring it with sensory nerves to detect physical harm. I mean, if your brain has been physically poked, you are goner, you are
» 4 Jul 2008, 4:34 am

Earth gets very far from sun, slows down [Greg Laden's Blog]The Earth Today The Earth has moved as far from the sun as it typically gets, and like a ball that has been thrown into the air, stopping at its maximum height before plummeting back to earth, The Earth has slowed down to as slow as it typically gets. Starting some time today, The Earth will begin to fall back towards the sun. Hang on, its going to be a wild ride! Astronomers call this moment in time Aphelion Read the comments on this post...
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:50 am

links for 2008-07-04 [Uncertain Principles]294 - Err Lingus « Strange Maps Aer Lingus demonstrates the fine grasp of Northeast US geography that we usually associate with Manhattanites. (tags: silly US travel) The Notes of Japanese soldier in USSR Fascinating cartoons drawn by a Japanese POW in the Soviet Union. (tags: art comics history Japan pictures war stories) Off the Kuff: It's not a dead heat if someone is leading Innumeracy leads to bad journalism. (tags: math statistics politics US news stupid journalism) A General Test of the Copernican Principle "To date, there has been no general way of determining if the Copernican principle--that we live at a typical position in the Universe--is in fact a valid assumption, significantly weakening the fo
» 4 Jul 2008, 3:31 am

Marsupial 'bears' and marsupial sabre-tooths [Tetrapod Zoology]Time for more borhyaenoids. Finally, we get round to the taxa that you might have seen or read about in prehistoric animal books: the sabre-toothed thylacosmilids, the supposedly bear-like borhyaenids, and the gigantic and even more bear-like proborhyaenids. We previously looked at basal forms here, and at the mostly scansorial, mustelid-like hathlyacinids and prothylacinids here. Here we go... Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:57 am

PETA offers to scan Sharon Stone for brain damage [Neurophilosophy]Hollywood actress Sharon Stone hit the headlines recently, following her remarks that the massive earthquake which struck south-west China on May 12th could have occurred as a result of "bad karma" produced by Beijing's policy towards Tibet.Now, according to LA Times celebrity gossip blog The Dish Rag, animal rights group PETA has offered Stone a free brain scan to determine whether her apparent lack of empathy can be attributed to frontal lobe damage. In a letter addressed to the actress, dated July 1st, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk writes:Scientific studies suggest that the prefrontal regions of the brains of people who lack empathy might be underdeveloped. Here's our offer: Would you allow PETA to pay for a scan of the prefrontal region
» 4 Jul 2008, 2:18 am

A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind [Gene Expression]They say that to understand the present you need to understand the past. This seems likely to be true, but when it comes to understanding human affairs in their historical and sociological detail I have to admit that I'm skeptical of much genuine positive insight. That being said, I do believe that one can constrain the blind choices and flights of intuition one has through an exploration of the sample space of data which might allow for falsification of a subset of the myriad models. In short, to call bullshit you have to know shit. A concrete example of this are the events leading up to, and the scenarios projected for the aftermath of, the invasion of Iraq in 2003. To know that the analogy between the emergence of the Federal Republ
» 4 Jul 2008, 12:08 am

Coloradans are wimps! [Pharyngula]We had a great time at Wynkoop's tonight, although I noticed that the other attendees at our Pharyngufest were fading out at 10:00 — I had to mention to quite a few people that they had no stamina at all. Although the fact that they started drinking at 5pm and Wynkoop's has a marvelous assortment of microbrews might have had something to do with it. Truth be told, I was starting to feel a little woozy myself. Anyway, if you weren't there, too bad. Here's a little panarama of the crowd. It turned out that Wynkoop's was an excellent venue for another reason: check out this amazing mural that was hanging there. I think it's something from Ray Troll. As long as we're showing off great artwork…nice tattoos! Darn. It came out too da
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:35 pm

Blog Roll [Greg Laden's Blog]Everyday Scientist evolgen Evolutionary Times Evolution Blog EvolutionBlog Evolved and Rational Evolving in Kansas Evolving Thoughts Fairer Science Fish Feet fool for the process Four Stone Hearth Fragments From Floyd Framing Science Free Flow Friday Ark Fumbling towards geekdom Further Thoughts Geekologie Gene Expression Genetics and Health GeoArchSci Blog Good Math, Bad Math Green Gabbro Read the comments on this post...
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:32 pm

My Picks From ScienceDaily [A Blog Around The Clock]Secret Of The Sweet-Sounding Stradivarius: Wood Density Explains Sound Quality Of Great Master Violins: The advantage of using medical equipment to study classical musical instruments has been proven by a Dutch researcher from the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). In collaboration with a renowned luthier, Dr. Berend Stoel put classical violins, including several made by Stradivarius, in a CT scanner. The homogeneity in the densities of the wood from which the classical violins are made, in marked contrast to the modern violins studied, may very well explain their superior sound production. Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Wards Off Effects Of Age On Heart, Bones, Eyes And Muscle: Scientists have found that the compound resveratrol
» 3 Jul 2008, 9:42 pm

An update on my mental state [See Jane Compute]Rather than responding to all of the comments on my last post (and thanks once again---really, you all have done so much to help put me in a better mental state than I've been in in a while!), I thought I would do a brief update in a post. First and most importantly, I'm doing better. Not great, but better---and that's huge, for me, right now. A few things happened in the past week to help put me in a better place: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...
» 3 Jul 2008, 8:15 pm

Secret Report Reveals Biofuels Causing Worldwide Food Crisis [Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupttags: politics, pollution, hunger, global warming, environmental destruction, biofuels, overpopulation, birth control, soylent green Image: Matt Groening (The Simpson's). A friend sent a link to an interesting article that was published today in the Guardian. This article reveals that the increased reliance on biofuels by the US and the EU is driving a worldwide food crisis. The confidential World Bank report, researched and written by an unnamed but "internationally-respected economist," has not been published but was instead leaked to the Guardian. Among other things, this report claims that the large-scale diversion of corn into biofuels has driven global food prices up by an astonishing 75 percent. (Interestingly, the Internati
» 3 Jul 2008, 7:43 pm

Science Friday

SciFri Radio:Science and Technology Tourism DestinationsMade your summer vacation plans yet? We'll help pick out science, technology, and environment related destinations that you might want to add to your list.
» 4 Jul 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Radio:BottlemaniaIt's hard to go anywhere these days without seeing someone with a bottle of drinking water. But when did that start -- and how has the water bottle become such a part of current US culture?
» 4 Jul 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Radio:Batter Up!Ira and guests talk about the physics and materials science that go into one of the symbols of summer -- the baseball bat.
» 4 Jul 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Radio:Nuclear Family VacationWe'll take a tour of atomic history and visit some of the key locations involved with the development of nuclear weapons.
» 4 Jul 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Blog:Happy 100th, Tunguska!Today is the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska explosion, an event so unusual and unprecedented that even today, a century later,
» 30 Jun 2008, 11:52 am

SciFri Video:Building an e-NoseJoel White and John Kauer, neuroscientists from Tufts University Medical School in Boston, MA have developed an electronic nose. The secret to their sniffer? DNA. Kauer and White say the device could have medical applications or be used for industrial clean-up. The Department of Defense and other government agencies are interested in the electronic nose for security applications--mine detection, for example. Watch the video to find out how the e-nose works.
» 27 Jun 2008, 9:01 am

SciFri Radio:New Research into Stroke and the BrainWe'll hear about two new medical studies dealing with strokes, losses of brain function due to problems in the brain's blood supply.
» 27 Jun 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Radio:The Sweet Smell of ScienceJust what does your nose know? Join guest host Joe Palca in this segment for a conversation about making sense of the sense of smell.
» 27 Jun 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Radio:A Census of the OceansA worldwide effort is underway to perform a census of the world's oceans, pulling into one location information about species from around the world. We'll check in on the progress of the project.
» 27 Jun 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Radio:Stroke of InsightIn this segment, guest host Joe Palca talks with Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain scientist who suffered a stroke in 1996 at the age of 37.
» 27 Jun 2008, 12:00 am

SciFri Newsbriefs:Color from NatureClothing could get their color—and germ-fighting properties—from a strain of marine bacteria
» 27 Jun 2008, 12:00 am

ScienceDaily

'Mind's Eye' Influences Visual PerceptionLetting your imagination run away with you may actually influence how you see the world. New research has found that mental imagery -- what we see with the "mind's eye" -- directly impacts our visual perception.
» 4 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Circulating Tumor Cells Can Reveal Genetic Signature Of Dangerous Lung CancersA microchip-based device that detects and analyzes tumor cells in the bloodstream can be used to determine the genetic signature of lung tumors, allowing identification of those appropriate for targeted treatment and monitoring genetic changes that occur during therapy.
» 4 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Bee Disease Still A Mystery, Despite New Advances In Undersanding Common VirusScientists are one step closer to understanding the recent demise of billions of honey bees after making an important discovery about the transmission of a common bee virus. Deformed wing virus is passed between adult bees and to their developing brood by a parasitic mite called Varroa destructor when it feeds. However, new research suggests that the virus does not replicate in Varroa, highlighting the need for further investigation.
» 4 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Balanced Nutrition Saves LivesClinician-scientists are suggesting an immediate and important change to guidelines used in the care of patients with traumatic brain injury. The researchers say that following traumatic brain injury, patients should be given nutritional supplementation through a gastric feeding tube as soon as possible, which they say can improve their chances of survival by as much as four-fold.
» 4 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Some Fundamental Interactions Of Matter Found To Be Fundamentally Different Than ThoughtWhen an atom collides with a molecule, traditional wisdom said the atom had to strike one end of the molecule hard to deliver energy to it. People thought a glancing blow from an atom would be useless in terms of energy transfer, but that turns out not to be the case. "We have a new understanding of how energy can be transferred in collisions at the molecular scale," said Richard Zare, of Stanford University.
» 4 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Experimental Philosophy Movement Explores Real-life DilemmasImagine a business executive who thinks: "I know that this new policy will harm the environment, but I don't care at all about that -- I just want to increase profits." Is the business executive harming the environment intentionally? Faced with this question, 82 percent of people polled said yes.
» 4 Jul 2008, 5:00 pm

Einstein Was Right, Astrophysicists SayResearchers have confirmed a long-held prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, via observations of a binary-pulsar star system. Eclipses in a unique system of two dead stars, called pulsars, has shown that one of the pair is 'wobbling' in space - just like a spinning top. The effect, called precession, is precisely as predicted by Albert Einstein and is thus a new and exciting confirmation of his theory.
» 4 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

Synthetic Molecules Emulate Enzyme Behavior For The First TimeWhen chemists want to produce a lot of a substance -- such as a newly designed drug -- they often turn to catalysts, molecules that speed chemical reactions. Many jobs require highly specialized catalysts, and finding one in just the right shape to connect with certain molecules can be difficult. Natural catalysts, such as enzymes in the human body that help us digest food, get around this problem by shape-shifting to suit the task at hand.
» 4 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

China Earthquake Rare And Unexpected, Says New StudyA new analysis of the setting for last month's devastating earthquake in China by a team of geoscientists shows that the quake resulted from faults with little seismic activity, and that similar events in that area occur only once in every 2,000 to 10,000 years, on average.
» 4 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

Invasive Treatment Appears Beneficial For Men And High-risk Women With Certain Coronary SyndromesAn analysis of previous studies indicates that among men and high-risk women with a certain type of heart attack or angina an invasive treatment strategy (such as cardiac catheterization) is associated with reduced risk of rehospitalization, heart attack or death, whereas low-risk women may have an increased risk of heart attack or death with this treatment.
» 4 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

New Pathway For Methane Production In The Oceans DiscoveredA new pathway for methane production has been uncovered in the oceans, and this has a significant potential impact for the study of greenhouse gas production on our planet. The article reveals that aerobic decomposition of an organic, phosphorus-containing compound, methylphosphonate, may be responsible for the supersaturation of methane in ocean surface waters.
» 4 Jul 2008, 11:00 am

ScienceNOW

Nature Parks: Loved to Death?Protected areas in Africa and Latin America attract the poor, threatening biodiversity
»

Right Again, EinsteinA providential pair of pulsars shows once again that relativity passes muster
»

Scientific Blogging

Creation Of India Basins Gets Pushed Back 500 Years - And Maybe Origin Of Life TooThe world of geology changes rapidly - sometimes the Grand Canyon is one age and then it is found to be much older. But even in geology it's not often a date gets revised by 500 million years. University of Florida geologists say they have evidence that a half-dozen major basins in India were formed a billion or more years ago, making them at least 500 million years older than commonly thought. If so, it might remove one of the major obstacles to the 'Snowball Earth' theory that says a frozen Earth was once entirely covered in snow and ice. It might even lend some weight to a controversial claim that complex life originated hundreds of million years earlier than most scientists currently believe. The Purana basins – which include the s
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:56 pm

Ocean Chemistry: The Lost Issue Of Greenhouse Gas ConcernsHuman emissions of carbon dioxide are loading the atmosphere with heat-trapping greenhouse gases and have also begun to alter the chemistry of the ocean, according to a team of chemical researchers. The ecological and economic consequences are difficult to predict but possibly calamitous, they say in the July 4 issue of Science, and halting the changes already underway will likely require even steeper cuts in carbon emissions than those currently proposed to curb climate change. Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, writing with lead author Richard Zeebe of the University of Hawaii and two co-authors*, note that the oceans have absorbed about 40% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by humans over the past
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:42 pm

The Volcanoes That Shaped MercuryScientists have long anguished over how little is known about Mercury, the innermost of the four terrestrial planetary bodies in our solar system. The gaps in knowledge covered such basic information as the planet's geology, how it was formed and evolved and whether its interior was still active. In 1975, the Mariner 10 spacecraft returned intriguing images that showed smooth plains covering large swaths of Mercury's surface. But scientists could not determine whether the plains had been created by volcanic activity or by material ejected from below the surface when objects had collided into it. Thus, they could not reach a consensus over Mercury's geologic past. Read More...
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:04 pm

Distillers Grains Goes From Livestock Feeds To Green Killer Of WeedsCommercial flower and plant growers know all too well that invasive, ubiquitous weeds cause trouble by lowering the value and deterring healthy growth of potted ornamental plants. To control weeds, many commercial nursery owners resort to the expensive practice of paying workers to hand-weed containers. Some growers use herbicides, but efficacy of herbicides is questionable on the wide range of plant species produced in nurseries, and many herbicides are not registered for use in greenhouses. Enter "dried distillers grains with solubles", or DDGS. DDGS, a byproduct of converting corn to fuel ethanol, is typically used as livestock feed. Rick A. Boydston, Harold P. Collins, and Steve Vaughn, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, undertook a
» 3 Jul 2008, 11:01 pm

Alcohol Powder Starts FlowingSince 1969 a U.S. patent has been registered on the process of turning alcohol into powder. This year, products, such as gelatin shots and margaritas, based from alcohol powder are set to be released by Pulver Spirits and BPNC Distillery, wrote sources on Wikipedia. Though alcohol powder is regulated the same as other alcoholic beverages in the U.S., it is only sold as a food flavoring. However, in other countries such as the Netherlands, lack of regulations make obtaining powdered alcohol within reach to minors. Read More...
» 3 Jul 2008, 4:33 pm

Do We Need A New Government Agency That Focuses On Global Warming?'Hello, climate? We're from the government and we're here to help you.' A group of former senior federal officials have called for the establishment of an independent Earth Systems Science Agency (ESSA) that would be created by merging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) into something even larger. Charles Kennel, former Associate Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Director of Mission to Planet Earth, says, "Earth system science focuses on understanding current processes and predicting changes that will take place over the next hundred years. It merges earth, atmospheric, and ocean science into a panorama of the earth system as it is today and
» 3 Jul 2008, 4:00 pm

The “U” in ComputerA normal-sized, black coffee cup with a handle, of course, sitting in the middle of a wooden picnic table, is filled with hazelnut coffee.Read More...
» 3 Jul 2008, 1:10 pm

Catholic? Mainline Protestant? You'll Probably Live LongerLSU associate professor of sociology Troy C. Blanchard recently found that a community's religious environment – the type of religious congregations within a locale – affects mortality rates, often in a positive manner. These results were published in the June issue of Social Forces. This result, he says, is particularly timely in the context of presidential candidate Barack Obama's recent call for expanding the roles of such religious groups. Along with co-author John Bartkowski from the University of Texas at San Antonio and other researchers from the University of West Georgia and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Blanchard found that people live longer in areas with a large number of Catholic and Mainline Protestant churches
» 3 Jul 2008, 1:00 pm

Current Mindset Impacts Future Perception AlsoIt is well known that a powerful perceptual experience can change the way a person sees things later. If you are startled to discover a mouse in your kitchen, you may suddenly you see mice in every dark corner - or at least think you do. Is it possible that imagining something, just once, might also change how you perceive things? To test how imagery affects perception, the researchers had subjects imagine simple patterns of vertical or horizontal stripes, which are strongly represented in the primary visual areas of the brain. They then presented a green horizontal grated pattern to one eye and a red vertical grated pattern to the other to induce what is called binocular rivalry. During binocular rivalry, an individual will often alternat
» 3 Jul 2008, 12:00 pm

The Color of the Sun, Part IIWe learned from the prior blog that the Sun is much too bright for normal viewing with our sensitive eyes. A white “color” is the result whenever we observe objects that are both extremely bright and bright at all, or most, visible wavelengths. Please allow me to elaborate a little more on this issue. [Hang in there.] This white result can be quite deceptive since an object's true color could be any color once the blazing light is attenuated to a light flux conducive to our normal eyesight. The reason for this blinding effect is due to the behavior of our color receptors (color cones) when they are subjected to excessive light. We have about 6 or 7 million of these cones in each retina. Our cones come in three types – surprisingly,
» 3 Jul 2008, 6:09 am

The Medicinal Benefits of ArtichokesThe French like their artichokes fried, the Italians like them on pizza, in Spain they are used in frittata and the best artichokes are supposedly found in Greece. Meanwhile, at the University of Reading, a research University in Great Britain, the flower is being used for medicinal purposes connected to reducing cholesterol. High cholesterol levels related to cardiovascular disease have been shown to improve with the help of Artichoke Leaf Extract, or ALE, therefore minimizing the need for prescription drugs. By stabilizing cholesterol before it becomes a problem, researchers at University of Reading found yet another dietary supplement beneficial to healthy cholesterol levels. Read More...
» 3 Jul 2008, 5:59 am

SciGuy

A storm deep in the tropics: What does it portend?As I suggested a couple of days ago, a tropical storm has developed in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean. T.S. Bertha, with 40 mph winds, is the season's second named storm. The hurricane center says Bertha has about a one-in-three...
» 3 Jul 2008, 8:56 am

What do congressional candidates think about science?It's a good and timely question. And the Scientists and Engineers for America are seeking an answer. The organization, along with other science groups, is trying to put the same seven questions about science policy to every 2008 congressional candidate....
» 2 Jul 2008, 11:04 pm

The results are in: God and science blog readersThe response to the Religious beliefs of science blog readers survey has blown me away -- when I closed the survey today to analyze the results there were 537 participants. Thanks to everyone. The results follow, and where possible I've...
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:59 pm

Some activity in the deep tropicsThere's a strong tropical wave in the deep tropics that, while unlikely to affect Texas or probably even the United States, is worth watching for a couple of reasons. 1. The system is a classic tropical-wave-off-Africa type storm, which don't...
» 1 Jul 2008, 6:19 am

What you can do while I step away for a moment...Hey folks, I'm going to largely unplug for the next few days to spend some time with the family and recharge the batteries. I'll return next Wednesday with full results from the science and religion survey. (If you're not one...
» 27 Jun 2008, 11:43 pm

$7 gas: good or bad for the environment?The latest oil forecast from CIBC offers little hope for those awaiting a fall in the price of oil. The Canadian brokerage firm CIBC World Markets foresees $150 oil next year, and $200 oil in 2010. That comes to about...
» 27 Jun 2008, 5:06 am

Should apes have basic human rights?Spain may soon say yes, making it the first country to extend rights to life and freedom to our closest genetic relatives. I can has rightz? Wow. It was only about two decades ago that Spain, a country deeply influenced...
» 26 Jun 2008, 12:05 am

Bilinguals: a different language, a different personality?I can't speak to the reliability of this research article published in the Journal of Consumer Research, but the conclusions are, shall we say, intriguing. The study, of U.S. Hispanic women who spoke both Spanish and English, and participated in...
» 25 Jun 2008, 9:34 am

On God, religion and ... science. Your input wanted.The front page of today's Chronicle contains a large graphic depicting the religious beliefs of Americans. The information was collected from a recently released survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Texans, according to the survey,...
» 24 Jun 2008, 9:58 am

Dr. Black strikes back: Now creating self-assembling goldA few months ago Rice University's Pulickel M. Ajayan gained some notoriety for creating the darkest material known to man, a substance that reflects only 0.045 percent of all light shined upon it. That's darker even than the sentiment many...
» 23 Jun 2008, 4:57 pm

James Hansen wants to send energy CEO deniers to jail?According to the UK's Guardian newspaper, James Hansen has had enough with energy company CEOs: James Hansen, one of the world's leading climate scientists, will today call for the chief executives of large fossil fuel companies to be put on...
» 23 Jun 2008, 5:58 am

The New England Journal of Medicine

EARLY RELEASE: Breast-Feeding, Antiretroviral Prophylaxis, and HIV(No abstract is available for this citation)
» 4 Jun 2008, 1:55 pm

EARLY RELEASE: Effects of Early, Abrupt Weaning for HIV-free Survival of Children in Zambia<p>Background In low-resource settings, many programs recommend that women who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stop breast-feeding early. We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate whether abrupt ...
» 4 Jun 2008, 1:56 pm

EARLY RELEASE: Extended Antiretroviral Prophylaxis to Reduce Breast-Milk HIV-1 Transmission<p>Background Effective strategies are urgently needed to reduce mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) through breast-feeding in resource-limited settings. <p>Methods Women with HIV-1 infection who were breast-feeding ...
» 4 Jun 2008, 1:56 pm

EARLY RELEASE: Noninvasive Monitoring of Tumors(No abstract is available for this citation)
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:55 pm

EARLY RELEASE: Detection of Mutations in EGFR in Circulating Lung-Cancer Cells<p>Background The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors to target the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer is effective but limited by the emergence of ...
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:55 pm

PERSPECTIVE: Why Doctors Should Worry about Preemption<p>A leading drug company may be poised to win a landmark legal victory next fall. If the drug manufacturer, Wyeth, prevails in a case soon to be argued before the ...
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:55 pm

PERSPECTIVE: Collective Accountability for Medical Care -- Toward Bundled Medicare Payments<p>Medicare's projected spending growth is unsustainable. The program already strains the resources of beneficiaries and taxpayers alike and will someday crowd out other public- and private-sector priorities, given that Medicare ...
» 2 Jul 2008, 1:55 pm

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Intensity of Renal Support in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney InjuryThis randomized, controlled trial compared standard renal-replacement therapy with more intensive therapy in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury and failure of at least one nonrenal organ or sepsis. Intensive renal support