Study: Your Laundry Detergent Could Be Killing You:
'via Blog this'
If you hate doing laundry, you may have a good reason. According to research published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, laundry vents can leak dangerous airborne pollutants when popular fragranced laundry detergents are used.
The research found that seven hazardous air pollutants came out of laundry vents when top-selling products were used for cleaning clothes. Two of the pollutants, acetaldehyde and benzene, are classified as ‘carcinogens’ by the Environmental Protection Agency
August 26, 2011
Young Billionaires: Does Being Weird Make You A Successful Entrepreneur?
Young Billionaires: Does Being Weird Make You A Successful Entrepreneur?:
'via Blog this'
There's a fine line, we know, between genius and insanity. The same might be said for entrepreneurial eccentricity. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg only eats the meat of goats, pigs and chickens that he kills himself. Flixster's Joe Greenstein, in his 30s, counts himself as a loyal Vanessa Hudgens fan. Mint.com's Aaron Patzer identifies with the fictional character Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. So when we hear little nuggets like this, we have to wonder, is America's startup boom producing a generation of weird entrepreneurs? Or is this current crop of whiz kids' willingness to let their geek flags fly, like all geniuses are prone to do, simply accentuated by the jaw-dropping, billion-dollar valuations that some of their companies command?
'via Blog this'
There's a fine line, we know, between genius and insanity. The same might be said for entrepreneurial eccentricity. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg only eats the meat of goats, pigs and chickens that he kills himself. Flixster's Joe Greenstein, in his 30s, counts himself as a loyal Vanessa Hudgens fan. Mint.com's Aaron Patzer identifies with the fictional character Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. So when we hear little nuggets like this, we have to wonder, is America's startup boom producing a generation of weird entrepreneurs? Or is this current crop of whiz kids' willingness to let their geek flags fly, like all geniuses are prone to do, simply accentuated by the jaw-dropping, billion-dollar valuations that some of their companies command?
Be Afraid of Facebook, Be Very Afraid
Stephen Balkam: Be Afraid of Facebook, Be Very Afraid:
'via Blog this'
What are we to make of the rather official sounding "National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI" from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA)? That Facebook causes kids to drink? That Twitter will drive your teens to smoke dope? That watching Jersey Shore will ensure Johnny illegally gets his hands on prescription drugs?
'via Blog this'
What are we to make of the rather official sounding "National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI" from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA)? That Facebook causes kids to drink? That Twitter will drive your teens to smoke dope? That watching Jersey Shore will ensure Johnny illegally gets his hands on prescription drugs?
Half Of U.S. Adults Will Be Obese By 2030, Study Says
Half Of U.S. Adults Will Be Obese By 2030, Study Says | FoxNews.com:
'via Blog this'
If the U.S. government doesn’t make a change in the food environment, then half of all American adults will be obese by 2030, The Washington Post reported.
A study, which appears in the Lancet, says the U.S. government needs to make healthy foods less expensive, as well as market them more – or else the global obesity crisis will continue to place burdens on the health care system.
'via Blog this'
If the U.S. government doesn’t make a change in the food environment, then half of all American adults will be obese by 2030, The Washington Post reported.
A study, which appears in the Lancet, says the U.S. government needs to make healthy foods less expensive, as well as market them more – or else the global obesity crisis will continue to place burdens on the health care system.
People who doodle learn faster
People who doodle learn faster:
'via Blog this'
New research published today shows that doodling helps you learn. In fact, say scientists, students should be encouraged to doodle while they take notes in class.
If you're anything like me, your notes from about the age of seven all the way through postgraduate research are filled with doodles and scribbles in the margin, usually of things that have absolutely nothing to do with whatever you're meant to be understanding. It turns out we may have been on to something.
'via Blog this'
New research published today shows that doodling helps you learn. In fact, say scientists, students should be encouraged to doodle while they take notes in class.
If you're anything like me, your notes from about the age of seven all the way through postgraduate research are filled with doodles and scribbles in the margin, usually of things that have absolutely nothing to do with whatever you're meant to be understanding. It turns out we may have been on to something.
August 24, 2011
World-record pulsed magnetic field achieved; Lab moves closer to 100-tesla mark
World-record pulsed magnetic field achieved; Lab moves closer to 100-tesla mark
Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory have set a new world record for the strongest magnetic field produced by a nondestructive magnet.
The scientists achieved a field of 92.5 tesla on Thursday, August 18, taking back a record that had been held by a team of German scientists and then, the following day, surpassed their achievement with a whopping 97.4-tesla field. For perspective, Earth's magnetic field is 0.0004 tesla, while a junk-yard magnet is 1 tesla and a medical MRI scan has a magnetic field of 3 tesla.
Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory have set a new world record for the strongest magnetic field produced by a nondestructive magnet.
The scientists achieved a field of 92.5 tesla on Thursday, August 18, taking back a record that had been held by a team of German scientists and then, the following day, surpassed their achievement with a whopping 97.4-tesla field. For perspective, Earth's magnetic field is 0.0004 tesla, while a junk-yard magnet is 1 tesla and a medical MRI scan has a magnetic field of 3 tesla.
Engineers discover nanoscale balancing act that mirrors forces at work in living systems
Engineers discover nanoscale balancing act that mirrors forces at work in living systems
A delicate balance of atomic forces can be exploited to make nanoparticle superclusters that are uniform in size -- an attribute that's important for many nanotech applications but hard to accomplish, University of Michigan researchers say.
A delicate balance of atomic forces can be exploited to make nanoparticle superclusters that are uniform in size -- an attribute that's important for many nanotech applications but hard to accomplish, University of Michigan researchers say.
Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents
Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents
The same University of Washington researcher who used chemical sleuthing to deduce what's in fragranced consumer products now has turned her attention to the scented air wafting from household laundry vents.
Findings, published online this week in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, show that air vented from machines using the top-selling scented liquid laundry detergent and scented dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens.
The same University of Washington researcher who used chemical sleuthing to deduce what's in fragranced consumer products now has turned her attention to the scented air wafting from household laundry vents.
Findings, published online this week in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, show that air vented from machines using the top-selling scented liquid laundry detergent and scented dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens.
How the brain stores information for short periods of time
How the brain stores information for short periods of time
Freiburg biologist Dr. Aristides Arrenberg and his American colleagues studied mechanisms used by the brain to store information for a short period of time. The cells of several neural circuits store information by maintaining a persistent level of activity: A short-lived stimulus triggers the activity of neurons, and this activity is then maintained for several seconds. The mechanisms of this information storage have not yet been sufficiently described, although this phenomenon occurs in very many areas of the brain.
Freiburg biologist Dr. Aristides Arrenberg and his American colleagues studied mechanisms used by the brain to store information for a short period of time. The cells of several neural circuits store information by maintaining a persistent level of activity: A short-lived stimulus triggers the activity of neurons, and this activity is then maintained for several seconds. The mechanisms of this information storage have not yet been sufficiently described, although this phenomenon occurs in very many areas of the brain.
Coriander Can Kill Off Harmful Bacteria Including E. Coli, Scientists Claim
Coriander Can Kill Off Harmful Bacteria Including E. Coli, Scientists Claim | FoxNews.com
Coriander oil is a natural antibiotic that could be used to treat infections and prevent food poisoning, Portuguese scientists said Wednesday.
Researchers from the University of Beira Interior in Portugal tested coriander oil — produced from the seeds of the coriander plant — against 12 strains of bacteria and found that it killed most and reduced growth in them all.
Coriander oil is a natural antibiotic that could be used to treat infections and prevent food poisoning, Portuguese scientists said Wednesday.
Researchers from the University of Beira Interior in Portugal tested coriander oil — produced from the seeds of the coriander plant — against 12 strains of bacteria and found that it killed most and reduced growth in them all.
August 22, 2011
Species flee warming faster than previously thought
BBC News - Species flee warming faster than previously thought
Animals and plants are shifting their natural home ranges towards the cooler poles three times faster than scientists previously thought.
In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers looked at the effects of temperature on over 2,000 species.
Animals and plants are shifting their natural home ranges towards the cooler poles three times faster than scientists previously thought.
In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers looked at the effects of temperature on over 2,000 species.
At last, a reason why stress causes DNA damage
At last, a reason why stress causes DNA damage
For years, researchers have published papers that associate chronic stress with chromosomal damage. Now researchers at Duke University Medical Center have discovered a mechanism that helps to explain the stress response in terms of DNA damage.
For years, researchers have published papers that associate chronic stress with chromosomal damage. Now researchers at Duke University Medical Center have discovered a mechanism that helps to explain the stress response in terms of DNA damage.
Higgs boson range narrows at European collider
BBC News - Higgs boson range narrows at European collider
Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider say a signal that suggested they might have seen "hints" of the long-sought Higgs boson particle has weakened.
New results to be presented this week at a conference in India all but eliminate the mid-range where the Higgs - if it exists - might be found.
Physicists will now search for the boson at lower and higher energy ranges.
Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider say a signal that suggested they might have seen "hints" of the long-sought Higgs boson particle has weakened.
New results to be presented this week at a conference in India all but eliminate the mid-range where the Higgs - if it exists - might be found.
Physicists will now search for the boson at lower and higher energy ranges.
Sad People Have Surprising Memory Advantage
Sad People Have Surprising Memory Advantage - Yahoo! News
Sad people are apparently better than happy people at face recognition, an upside to being down in the dumps that is yielding insights into how mood can affect the brain.
The findings, based on experiments involving college students, could help lead to better treatments for depression, psychologists say.
Past studies have found that unhappiness is often detrimental to a wide range of mental tasks, such as abstract thinking and remembering lists of words. A number of researchers had attributed this to brooding deeply and elaborately about one's surroundings, while others thought it might be due to being distracted by one's own concerns.
Sad people are apparently better than happy people at face recognition, an upside to being down in the dumps that is yielding insights into how mood can affect the brain.
The findings, based on experiments involving college students, could help lead to better treatments for depression, psychologists say.
Past studies have found that unhappiness is often detrimental to a wide range of mental tasks, such as abstract thinking and remembering lists of words. A number of researchers had attributed this to brooding deeply and elaborately about one's surroundings, while others thought it might be due to being distracted by one's own concerns.
August 17, 2011
Maslow 2.0: A New and Improved Recipe for Happiness
Maslow 2.0: A New and Improved Recipe for Happiness - Hans Villarica - Life - The Atlantic
What are the ingredients for happiness? It's a question that has been addressed time and again, and now a study based on the first-ever globally representative poll on well-being has some answers about whether or not a pioneering theory is actually correct.
The theory in question is the psychologist Abraham Maslow's "hierarchy of needs," a staple of Psychology 101 courses that was famously articulated in 1954. It breaks down the path to happiness in an easy-to-digest list: Earthly needs, such as food and safety, are considered essential, since they act as the groundwork that makes it possible to pursue loftier desires, such as love, respect, and self-actualization (the realization of one's full potential).
What are the ingredients for happiness? It's a question that has been addressed time and again, and now a study based on the first-ever globally representative poll on well-being has some answers about whether or not a pioneering theory is actually correct.
The theory in question is the psychologist Abraham Maslow's "hierarchy of needs," a staple of Psychology 101 courses that was famously articulated in 1954. It breaks down the path to happiness in an easy-to-digest list: Earthly needs, such as food and safety, are considered essential, since they act as the groundwork that makes it possible to pursue loftier desires, such as love, respect, and self-actualization (the realization of one's full potential).
Men fall for Miss Right after a single date
Men fall for Miss Right after a single date - Telegraph
A study found most men reckon they know whether or not it's 'the real thing' after just one date.
By contrast, women are more indecisive on the issue, waiting until at least the sixth date before making their mind up.
Staggeringly, nearly one in four men said they believed in 'love at first sight' and knew whether a girl was 'the one' within seconds.
A study found most men reckon they know whether or not it's 'the real thing' after just one date.
By contrast, women are more indecisive on the issue, waiting until at least the sixth date before making their mind up.
Staggeringly, nearly one in four men said they believed in 'love at first sight' and knew whether a girl was 'the one' within seconds.
Potassium-rich diet tied to lower stroke risk
Potassium-rich diet tied to lower stroke risk | Reuters
People who eat plenty of high-potassium fruits, vegetables and dairy products may be less likely to suffer a stroke than those who get little of the mineral, a new study suggests.
The findings, reported in the journal Stroke, come from an analysis of 10 international studies involving more than 200,000 middle-aged and older adults.
Researchers found that across those studies, stroke risk dipped as people's reported potassium intake went up. For each 1,000-milligram (mg) increase in daily potassium, the odds of suffering a stroke in the next five to 14 years declined by 11 percent.
People who eat plenty of high-potassium fruits, vegetables and dairy products may be less likely to suffer a stroke than those who get little of the mineral, a new study suggests.
The findings, reported in the journal Stroke, come from an analysis of 10 international studies involving more than 200,000 middle-aged and older adults.
Researchers found that across those studies, stroke risk dipped as people's reported potassium intake went up. For each 1,000-milligram (mg) increase in daily potassium, the odds of suffering a stroke in the next five to 14 years declined by 11 percent.
More evidence links pesticides, diabetes
More evidence links pesticides, diabetes | Reuters
People with relatively high levels of certain pesticides in their blood may have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes -- particularly if they are overweight, a new study suggests.
The study, reported in the journal Diabetes Care, is not the first to link chemical pollutants to diabetes.
A number of studies have found a connection between diabetes risk and exposure to older pesticides known as organochlorines, PCBs and other chemicals that fall into the category of "persistent organic pollutants."
People with relatively high levels of certain pesticides in their blood may have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes -- particularly if they are overweight, a new study suggests.
The study, reported in the journal Diabetes Care, is not the first to link chemical pollutants to diabetes.
A number of studies have found a connection between diabetes risk and exposure to older pesticides known as organochlorines, PCBs and other chemicals that fall into the category of "persistent organic pollutants."
Consumers willing to pay more for sustainable apparel if business is transparent, study finds
Consumers willing to pay more for sustainable apparel if business is transparent, study finds
The public often views the apparel industry as lacking transparency, sustainability and ethical practices. Scandals like child labor, sweat shops, and environmentally damaging manufacturing methods have alienated many consumers from the industry. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that consumers are willing to support apparel companies that employ sustainable and ethical practices; but those businesses have to prove it.
The public often views the apparel industry as lacking transparency, sustainability and ethical practices. Scandals like child labor, sweat shops, and environmentally damaging manufacturing methods have alienated many consumers from the industry. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that consumers are willing to support apparel companies that employ sustainable and ethical practices; but those businesses have to prove it.
Can stock markets regulate themselves? History of markets offers insight into effects of regulation on success of initial public offerings
Can stock markets regulate themselves? History of markets offers insight into effects of regulation on success of initial public offerings
Whenever crisis threatens the financial markets, voices are loud in calling for greater control. It is dubious, however, whether tighter regulation would actually offer investors better protection against losing their capital. "Economic history shows us that strictly regulated stock markets do not necessarily function better than those that are given a free hand," says historian and economist Carsten Burhop of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn.
Whenever crisis threatens the financial markets, voices are loud in calling for greater control. It is dubious, however, whether tighter regulation would actually offer investors better protection against losing their capital. "Economic history shows us that strictly regulated stock markets do not necessarily function better than those that are given a free hand," says historian and economist Carsten Burhop of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn.
Milk better than water to rehydrate kids, study finds
Milk better than water to rehydrate kids, study finds
Active children need to be watered with milk. It's a more effective way of countering dehydration than a sports drink or water itself, say researchers at McMaster University.
Active children need to be watered with milk. It's a more effective way of countering dehydration than a sports drink or water itself, say researchers at McMaster University.
Your Most Awkward Friends May Save Your Life
Your Most Awkward Friends May Save Your Life - Yahoo! News
Keeping your insecure and anxious friends around may be a good strategy to protect yourself, according to a recent study.
The results show that people who are anxious about relationships or who tend to avoid them are better at detecting impending danger and acting quickly.
Researchers at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel worked with 138 college students and found that those who avoided close relationships or were more anxious had faster responses when placed in a potentially dangerous situation.
Keeping your insecure and anxious friends around may be a good strategy to protect yourself, according to a recent study.
The results show that people who are anxious about relationships or who tend to avoid them are better at detecting impending danger and acting quickly.
Researchers at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel worked with 138 college students and found that those who avoided close relationships or were more anxious had faster responses when placed in a potentially dangerous situation.
Antimatter spotted on the edge of the world
Antimatter spotted on the edge of the world - The Local
Earth is wearing a belt of antimatter – a twin of ordinary matter that could one day be used to create fuel for interstellar space travel – according to a breakthrough study by German and Italian scientists.
The scientists have for the first time spotted the band of antimatter particles in Earth’s magnetosphere. The particles are rare because they normally are annihilated when they come into contact with regular matter, producing a burst of energy.
In theory, they could one day be used as a fuel to accelerate spacecraft to great speeds for interstellar journeys.
Earth is wearing a belt of antimatter – a twin of ordinary matter that could one day be used to create fuel for interstellar space travel – according to a breakthrough study by German and Italian scientists.
The scientists have for the first time spotted the band of antimatter particles in Earth’s magnetosphere. The particles are rare because they normally are annihilated when they come into contact with regular matter, producing a burst of energy.
In theory, they could one day be used as a fuel to accelerate spacecraft to great speeds for interstellar journeys.
Quantum optical link sets new time records
Quantum optical link sets new time records
Quantum communication could be an option for the absolutely secure transfer of data. The key component in quantum communication over long distances is the special phenomenon called entanglement between two atomic systems. Entanglement between two atomic systems is very fragile and up until now researchers have only been able to maintain the entanglement for a fraction of a second. But in new experiments at the Niels Bohr Institute researchers have succeeded in setting new records and maintaining the entanglement for up to an hour.
Quantum communication could be an option for the absolutely secure transfer of data. The key component in quantum communication over long distances is the special phenomenon called entanglement between two atomic systems. Entanglement between two atomic systems is very fragile and up until now researchers have only been able to maintain the entanglement for a fraction of a second. But in new experiments at the Niels Bohr Institute researchers have succeeded in setting new records and maintaining the entanglement for up to an hour.
August 16, 2011
Superman's memory crystals may become reality in computers
Superman's memory crystals may become reality in computers - Telegraph
They claim the glass memory is far more stable and resilient than current types of hard-drive memory, which have a limited lifespan of a couple of decades and are vulnerable to damage from high temperatures and moisture.
The glass memory can withstand temperatures of up to 1,800 degrees F, is unaffected by water and can last for thousands of years without losing information.
Information can be written, wiped and rewritten into the molecular structure of the glass using a laser, the scientists claim.
The process changes the way light travels through the glass, creating whirlpools of polarised light that can then be read in much the same way as data in optical fibres.
They claim the glass memory is far more stable and resilient than current types of hard-drive memory, which have a limited lifespan of a couple of decades and are vulnerable to damage from high temperatures and moisture.
The glass memory can withstand temperatures of up to 1,800 degrees F, is unaffected by water and can last for thousands of years without losing information.
Information can be written, wiped and rewritten into the molecular structure of the glass using a laser, the scientists claim.
The process changes the way light travels through the glass, creating whirlpools of polarised light that can then be read in much the same way as data in optical fibres.
How Caffeine Fights Cancer
How Caffeine Fights Cancer | The Scientist
Epidemiological studies have shown that drinking caffeinated beverages reduces one’s chances of developing some types of cancer, including UV-associated skin cancer. Now, researchers propose a possible mechanism for this observation—the inhibition of a DNA repair pathway that sensitizes cells to death after sun exposure.
The results, published today (August 15) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lend support to the idea that caffeine could be added to sunblock to increase its protective effects.
Epidemiological studies have shown that drinking caffeinated beverages reduces one’s chances of developing some types of cancer, including UV-associated skin cancer. Now, researchers propose a possible mechanism for this observation—the inhibition of a DNA repair pathway that sensitizes cells to death after sun exposure.
The results, published today (August 15) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lend support to the idea that caffeine could be added to sunblock to increase its protective effects.
August 11, 2011
Era of the PC 'coming to a close'
BBC News - Era of the PC 'coming to a close'
PCs are going the way of typewriters, vinyl records and vacuum tubes, one of the engineers who worked on the original machine has said.
The claim was made in a blog post commemorating 30 years since the launch of the first IBM personal computer.
No longer, said Dr Mark Dean, are PCs the leading edge of computing.
PCs are going the way of typewriters, vinyl records and vacuum tubes, one of the engineers who worked on the original machine has said.
The claim was made in a blog post commemorating 30 years since the launch of the first IBM personal computer.
No longer, said Dr Mark Dean, are PCs the leading edge of computing.
Animal's genetic code redesigned
BBC News - Animal's genetic code redesigned
Researchers say they have created the first ever animal with artificial information in its genetic code.
The technique, they say, could give biologists "atom-by-atom control" over the molecules in living organisms.
One expert the BBC spoke to agrees, saying the technique would be seized upon by "the entire biology community".
Researchers say they have created the first ever animal with artificial information in its genetic code.
The technique, they say, could give biologists "atom-by-atom control" over the molecules in living organisms.
One expert the BBC spoke to agrees, saying the technique would be seized upon by "the entire biology community".
Cocaine addicts prefer money in hand to snowy future
When a research team asked cocaine addicts to choose, hypothetically, between money now or cocaine of greater value later, "preference was almost exclusively for the money now," said Warren K., Bickel, professor in the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, director of the Advanced Recovery Research Center, and professor of psychology in the College of Science at Virginia Tech. This result is significantly different from previous studies where a subject chooses between some money now or more money later.
Cocaine addicts prefer money in hand to snowy future
Cocaine addicts prefer money in hand to snowy future
DARPA Launches Hypersonic Glider on Mach 20 Test Flight
An unmanned DARPA hypersonic glider — a prototype for a global strike weapons program — launched on its second test flight Thursday (Aug. 12) in a bid to fly at the mind-blowing speed of Mach 20.
The DARPA glider, called the Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2 (HTV-2), blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California atop a Minotaur 4 rocket at 7:45 a.m. PDT.
According to DARPA updates, the test flight appeared to go well until the glide phase, when monitoring stations lost contact with the HTV-2 vehicle. [Photos: DARPA Hypersonic Glider's Mach 20 Test]
DARPA Launches Hypersonic Glider on Mach 20 Test Flight - Yahoo! News
The DARPA glider, called the Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2 (HTV-2), blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California atop a Minotaur 4 rocket at 7:45 a.m. PDT.
According to DARPA updates, the test flight appeared to go well until the glide phase, when monitoring stations lost contact with the HTV-2 vehicle. [Photos: DARPA Hypersonic Glider's Mach 20 Test]
DARPA Launches Hypersonic Glider on Mach 20 Test Flight - Yahoo! News
Frequent tanning bed users exhibit brain changes and behavior similar to addicts, study finds
People who frequently use tanning beds may be spurred by an addictive neurological reward-and-reinforcement trigger, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a pilot study.
This could explain why some people continue to use tanning beds despite the increased risk of developing melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer. The brain activity and corresponding blood flow tracked by UT Southwestern scientists involved in the study is similar to that seen in people addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Frequent tanning bed users exhibit brain changes and behavior similar to addicts, study finds
This could explain why some people continue to use tanning beds despite the increased risk of developing melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer. The brain activity and corresponding blood flow tracked by UT Southwestern scientists involved in the study is similar to that seen in people addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Frequent tanning bed users exhibit brain changes and behavior similar to addicts, study finds
A microscope that can see atoms
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are peering into the atomic world with record clarity, developing an electron microscope image that can distinguish the individual, dumbbell-shaped atoms of silicon in a crystal.
"Every time you see something more clearly you learn some secrets," said Stephen Pennycook, who heads the lab's electron microscopy group.
Pennycook and colleagues write in a Sept. 17 article in the journal Science that they have achieved an image resolution at 0.6 angstrom, breaking the previous record of 0.7 angstrom that the lab set earlier this year.
An angstrom is the smallest wavelength of light. One angstrom is about 500,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. Most atoms are about 1 angstrom in diameter.
A microscope that can see atoms - Technology & science - Science - msnbc.com
"Every time you see something more clearly you learn some secrets," said Stephen Pennycook, who heads the lab's electron microscopy group.
Pennycook and colleagues write in a Sept. 17 article in the journal Science that they have achieved an image resolution at 0.6 angstrom, breaking the previous record of 0.7 angstrom that the lab set earlier this year.
An angstrom is the smallest wavelength of light. One angstrom is about 500,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. Most atoms are about 1 angstrom in diameter.
A microscope that can see atoms - Technology & science - Science - msnbc.com
Escaping gravity's clutches: Information could escape from black holes after all, study suggests
New research by scientists at the University of York gives a fresh perspective on the physics of black holes. Black holes are objects in space that are so massive and compact they were described by Einstein as "bending" space. Conventional thinking asserts that black holes swallow everything that gets too close and that nothing can escape, but the study by Prof. Samuel Braunstein and Dr. Manas Patra suggests that information could escape from black holes after all.
Escaping gravity's clutches: Information could escape from black holes after all, study suggests
Escaping gravity's clutches: Information could escape from black holes after all, study suggests
DNA building blocks can be made in space, NASA evidence suggests
NASA-funded researchers have evidence that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life.
DNA building blocks can be made in space, NASA evidence suggests
DNA building blocks can be made in space, NASA evidence suggests
The deeper your lip dip, the better your sex life, new research reveals
Do you have the flat-lipped smile of Julia Roberts or the curvy pout of Sophie Dahl?
A recent study by the University of the West of Scotland found that women with a prominent, sharply raised ‘tubercle’ on their top lip — commonly known as a Cupid’s bow — are 12 times more likely to reach orgasm through sex alone. Lucky Sophie.
For the study, 258 women aged between 18 and 35 were asked to describe their lip shape and sexual habits.
The deeper your lip dip, the better your sex life, new research reveals | Mail Online
A recent study by the University of the West of Scotland found that women with a prominent, sharply raised ‘tubercle’ on their top lip — commonly known as a Cupid’s bow — are 12 times more likely to reach orgasm through sex alone. Lucky Sophie.
For the study, 258 women aged between 18 and 35 were asked to describe their lip shape and sexual habits.
The deeper your lip dip, the better your sex life, new research reveals | Mail Online
August 10, 2011
The rich are different — and not in a good way, studies suggest
Psychologist and social scientist Dacher Keltner says the rich really are different, and not in a good way: Their life experience makes them less empathetic, less altruistic, and generally more selfish.
In fact, he says, the philosophical battle over economics, taxes, debt ceilings and defaults that are now roiling the stock market is partly rooted in an upper class "ideology of self-interest."
“We have now done 12 separate studies measuring empathy in every way imaginable, social behavior in every way, and some work on compassion and it’s the same story,” he said. “Lower class people just show more empathy, more prosocial behavior, more compassion, no matter how you look at it.”
The rich are different — and not in a good way, studies suggest - Health - Behavior - msnbc.com
In fact, he says, the philosophical battle over economics, taxes, debt ceilings and defaults that are now roiling the stock market is partly rooted in an upper class "ideology of self-interest."
“We have now done 12 separate studies measuring empathy in every way imaginable, social behavior in every way, and some work on compassion and it’s the same story,” he said. “Lower class people just show more empathy, more prosocial behavior, more compassion, no matter how you look at it.”
The rich are different — and not in a good way, studies suggest - Health - Behavior - msnbc.com
'Super' mouse evolves resistance to most poisons
German and Spanish mice have rapidly evolved the trait by breeding with an Algerian species from which they have been separate for over a million years.
The researchers say this type of gene transfer is highly unusual and normally found in plants and bacteria.
The Current Biology report says this process could yield mice resistant to almost any form of pest control.
BBC News - 'Super' mouse evolves resistance to most poisons
The researchers say this type of gene transfer is highly unusual and normally found in plants and bacteria.
The Current Biology report says this process could yield mice resistant to almost any form of pest control.
BBC News - 'Super' mouse evolves resistance to most poisons
Solar Storms Building Toward Peak in 2013, NASA Predicts
Solar flares like the huge one that erupted on the sun early today (Aug. 9) will only become more common as our sun nears its maximum level of activity in 2013, scientists say.
Tuesday's flare was the most powerful sun storm since 2006, and was rated an X6.9 on the three-class scale for solar storms (X-Class is strongest, with M-Class in the middle and C-Class being the weakest).
Flares such as this one could become the norm soon, though, as our sun's 11-year cycle of magnetic activity ramps up, scientists explained. The sun is just coming out of a lull, and scientists expect the next peak of activity in 2013. The current cycle, called Solar Cycle
Solar Storms Building Toward Peak in 2013, NASA Predicts - Yahoo! News
Tuesday's flare was the most powerful sun storm since 2006, and was rated an X6.9 on the three-class scale for solar storms (X-Class is strongest, with M-Class in the middle and C-Class being the weakest).
Flares such as this one could become the norm soon, though, as our sun's 11-year cycle of magnetic activity ramps up, scientists explained. The sun is just coming out of a lull, and scientists expect the next peak of activity in 2013. The current cycle, called Solar Cycle
Solar Storms Building Toward Peak in 2013, NASA Predicts - Yahoo! News
Diamond’s quantum memory
Two completely different quantum systems were successfully joined at Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna). This should pave the way to feasible quantum-computer microchips.
Diamond’s quantum memory
Diamond’s quantum memory
August 8, 2011
Morning smoking has cancer risk
People who smoke soon after getting up in the morning are more likely to develop cancer than those who light up later in the day, say US researchers.
A study of 7,610 smokers, published in the journal Cancer, said the effect was independent of other smoking habits.
Smoking in the first 30 minutes after waking nearly doubled the, already high, risk of lung cancer.
BBC News - Morning smoking has cancer risk
A study of 7,610 smokers, published in the journal Cancer, said the effect was independent of other smoking habits.
Smoking in the first 30 minutes after waking nearly doubled the, already high, risk of lung cancer.
BBC News - Morning smoking has cancer risk
Abused baby boobies grow up to abuse other chicks
Chicks abused by older birds are more likely to grow up to become abusers themselves, scientists have found.
Researchers studying a colony of Nazca boobies, a colonial seabird, found the birds perpetuate a "cycle of violence".
Juvenile birds that are maltreated by older, non-relatives grow up to become more violent towards other chicks.
It is the first evidence from a wild animal that, as in humans, "child abuse" can be socially transmitted down the generations.
BBC Nature - Abused baby boobies grow up to abuse other chicks
Researchers studying a colony of Nazca boobies, a colonial seabird, found the birds perpetuate a "cycle of violence".
Juvenile birds that are maltreated by older, non-relatives grow up to become more violent towards other chicks.
It is the first evidence from a wild animal that, as in humans, "child abuse" can be socially transmitted down the generations.
BBC Nature - Abused baby boobies grow up to abuse other chicks
August 5, 2011
Ponying Up for Food Safety
We’ve come to accept that 10 to 15 percent of ground turkey is contaminated with salmonella. You think that doesn’t have consequences?
Willie Neuman reminds us that they do, in today’s piece about the massive recall by Cargill. (37 million pounds. Are you kidding me? Two ounces for every American, man, woman and child.)
Ponying Up for Food Safety - NYTimes.com: "is is so fundamental it could get missed. But there are three possibilities:
Government gets involved in all areas of choice, legalizing some, outlawing some, and taxing some."
Willie Neuman reminds us that they do, in today’s piece about the massive recall by Cargill. (37 million pounds. Are you kidding me? Two ounces for every American, man, woman and child.)
Ponying Up for Food Safety - NYTimes.com: "is is so fundamental it could get missed. But there are three possibilities:
Government gets involved in all areas of choice, legalizing some, outlawing some, and taxing some."
To fall asleep faster, listen to monkeys
Forget counting sheep -- many people prefer listening to lions roaring and monkeys calling to help them nod off, according to a new survey.
The poll, which questioned 2,000 adults in the U.K. about falling asleep at night, found that birds twittering and rainforest noises are the most soothing sounds for one in five people at bedtime, with fewer than one in 10 relying on counting sheep to send them into slumber.
To fall asleep faster, listen to monkeys - Health - Behavior - msnbc.com: "blowing or waves crashing, which has an occasional rhythm change, works by distracting you. The sound can't be"
The poll, which questioned 2,000 adults in the U.K. about falling asleep at night, found that birds twittering and rainforest noises are the most soothing sounds for one in five people at bedtime, with fewer than one in 10 relying on counting sheep to send them into slumber.
To fall asleep faster, listen to monkeys - Health - Behavior - msnbc.com: "blowing or waves crashing, which has an occasional rhythm change, works by distracting you. The sound can't be"
Psychiatrists Concerned By Increased Use of Antidepressants
More people without any documented psychiatric condition are taking antidepressants, according to a new study, and some of them are likely receiving little benefit.
Nearly three-quarters of antidepressants in the U.S. were prescribed by non-psychiatrists in 2007, up from 60 percent a decade earlier, according to the analysis of a national sample of 233,144 doctor office visits, the latest data available.
Psychiatrists Concerned By Increased Use of Antidepressants - FoxNews.com
Nearly three-quarters of antidepressants in the U.S. were prescribed by non-psychiatrists in 2007, up from 60 percent a decade earlier, according to the analysis of a national sample of 233,144 doctor office visits, the latest data available.
Psychiatrists Concerned By Increased Use of Antidepressants - FoxNews.com
How Hot Is Your Partner? Not as Hot As You Think
Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, according to a new study finding people rate their significant others as more attractive than objective strangers do.
This "positive illusion" about a partner's hotness may help keep relationships stable, the study researchers reported in August in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Earlier research had turned up evidence that people rate their boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses as especially kind and intelligent compared with other people. No one had established whether this rosy outlook extends to physical looks, so researchers from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands tested the idea with 70 heterosexual couples.
How Hot Is Your Partner? Not as Hot As You Think - Yahoo! News
This "positive illusion" about a partner's hotness may help keep relationships stable, the study researchers reported in August in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Earlier research had turned up evidence that people rate their boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses as especially kind and intelligent compared with other people. No one had established whether this rosy outlook extends to physical looks, so researchers from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands tested the idea with 70 heterosexual couples.
How Hot Is Your Partner? Not as Hot As You Think - Yahoo! News
Want a Tall Kid? Try a Long-Distance Relationship
Check your atlas: The height of your child may be determined, in part, by how far apart mom and dad were born.
If mom and dad were born in the same town, their children are slightly shorter on average than the kids of parents with far-flung origins, a new study finds.
The researchers think the reason boils down to genetics: Parents originating in very different regions likely have very different genes relative to a mother and father who both grew up in the same hometown, where their own parents grew up. That greater genetic diversity may lead to children with bodies that operate more efficiently than others. Energy "saved" by this efficiency could then go to growth, said study author Dariusz Danel, of the Institute of Anthropology at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Want a Tall Kid? Try a Long-Distance Relationship - Yahoo! News
If mom and dad were born in the same town, their children are slightly shorter on average than the kids of parents with far-flung origins, a new study finds.
The researchers think the reason boils down to genetics: Parents originating in very different regions likely have very different genes relative to a mother and father who both grew up in the same hometown, where their own parents grew up. That greater genetic diversity may lead to children with bodies that operate more efficiently than others. Energy "saved" by this efficiency could then go to growth, said study author Dariusz Danel, of the Institute of Anthropology at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Want a Tall Kid? Try a Long-Distance Relationship - Yahoo! News
Taller women are at increased risk of a wide range of cancers, research suggests
Taller people are at increased risk of a wide range of cancers, according to new research led by Oxford University.
The study found that in women the risk of cancer rises by about 16% for every 10cm (4 inches) increase in height. Previous studies have shown a link between height and cancer risk, but this research extends the findings to more cancers and for women with differing lifestyles and economic backgrounds.
Taller women are at increased risk of a wide range of cancers, research suggests
The study found that in women the risk of cancer rises by about 16% for every 10cm (4 inches) increase in height. Previous studies have shown a link between height and cancer risk, but this research extends the findings to more cancers and for women with differing lifestyles and economic backgrounds.
Taller women are at increased risk of a wide range of cancers, research suggests
Religious beliefs impact levels of worry
Researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital have found that those who believe in a benevolent God tend to worry less and be more tolerant of life's uncertainties than those who believe in an indifferent or punishing God.
Religious beliefs impact levels of worry
Religious beliefs impact levels of worry
August 3, 2011
10 foods that promote brain health
1. Apples: Eating an apple a day protects the brain from oxidative damage that causes neurodegenerative diseases such Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This magical nutrient that acts as protection is quercetin, which is a phytonutrient.
2. Asparagus: Asparagus is rich in folic acid, which is essential for the metabolism of the long chain fatty acids in your brain.
3. Lean Beef: Lean beef is rich in vitamin B12, iron and zinc. These vitamins and minerals have been shown to maintain a healthy neural tissue.
4. Blueberries and strawberries: Studies show that people who eat berries improve their memory and their motor skills. In addition, their antioxidant properties can protect your brain from the oxidative process.
5. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate offers incredible concentration powers. It is a very powerful antioxidant containing natural stimulants that increase the production of feel-good endorphins. Trick: You need to find dark chocolate with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving for optimal benefits.
6. Salmon: Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown to be essential for brain function.
7. Dried oregano: Certain spices have powerful antioxidant properties. In several studies, oregano was shown to have 40 times more antioxidant properties than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges, and 4 times more than that of blueberries or strawberries.
8. Walnuts: Walnuts are rich in protein and contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins E and B6, which all promote healthy neural tissue.
9. Whole grains: Whole grains deliver fiber and vitamin E that help promote cardiovascular health, which helps improve the circulation to the brain.
10. Yogurt: Yogurt and other dairy foods are filled with protein and vitamin B that are essential to improve the communication between nerve cells.
10 foods that promote brain health | Yahoo! Green
2. Asparagus: Asparagus is rich in folic acid, which is essential for the metabolism of the long chain fatty acids in your brain.
3. Lean Beef: Lean beef is rich in vitamin B12, iron and zinc. These vitamins and minerals have been shown to maintain a healthy neural tissue.
4. Blueberries and strawberries: Studies show that people who eat berries improve their memory and their motor skills. In addition, their antioxidant properties can protect your brain from the oxidative process.
5. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate offers incredible concentration powers. It is a very powerful antioxidant containing natural stimulants that increase the production of feel-good endorphins. Trick: You need to find dark chocolate with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving for optimal benefits.
6. Salmon: Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown to be essential for brain function.
7. Dried oregano: Certain spices have powerful antioxidant properties. In several studies, oregano was shown to have 40 times more antioxidant properties than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges, and 4 times more than that of blueberries or strawberries.
8. Walnuts: Walnuts are rich in protein and contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins E and B6, which all promote healthy neural tissue.
9. Whole grains: Whole grains deliver fiber and vitamin E that help promote cardiovascular health, which helps improve the circulation to the brain.
10. Yogurt: Yogurt and other dairy foods are filled with protein and vitamin B that are essential to improve the communication between nerve cells.
10 foods that promote brain health | Yahoo! Green
Should You Be Exercising Barefoot?
A recommended 5,000 to 8,000 steps a day can seem like a daunting quota to fulfill, especially if these steps are painful ones. But saying good-bye to foot pain might be easier than you think.
Contrary to popular belief, the answer doesn’t lie in expensive shoes or insoles. By exercising barefoot, you can actually promote your sense of balance, improve muscle alignment, reduce orthopedic pains, and lessen the chance of injury. Dr. Emily Splichal, podiatrist and national fitness expert gives us a few things to keep in mind when it comes to exercising shoeless.
Should You Be Exercising Barefoot? - FoxNews.com
Contrary to popular belief, the answer doesn’t lie in expensive shoes or insoles. By exercising barefoot, you can actually promote your sense of balance, improve muscle alignment, reduce orthopedic pains, and lessen the chance of injury. Dr. Emily Splichal, podiatrist and national fitness expert gives us a few things to keep in mind when it comes to exercising shoeless.
Should You Be Exercising Barefoot? - FoxNews.com
Man arrested for building nuclear reactor in his kitchen
Ängelholm, a small town along the coast of Sweden, isn't the first place you'd think to look in the search for a nuclear reactor. But that's just what police in the seaside city were tasked with hunting down when one of its citizens took it upon himself to construct his own radioactive power plant right in his own kitchen.
The man, whose name has not been released, was reportedly very open about his fascination with nuclear power and with his plans to attempt the dangerous project at home, though it appears nobody took him seriously. After spending $1,000 on supplies shipped from unspecified foreign countries, the amateur reactor builder set to work, monitoring the radiation levels in his home with a Geiger counter.
Man arrested for building nuclear reactor in his kitchen | Technology News Blog - Yahoo! News
The man, whose name has not been released, was reportedly very open about his fascination with nuclear power and with his plans to attempt the dangerous project at home, though it appears nobody took him seriously. After spending $1,000 on supplies shipped from unspecified foreign countries, the amateur reactor builder set to work, monitoring the radiation levels in his home with a Geiger counter.
Man arrested for building nuclear reactor in his kitchen | Technology News Blog - Yahoo! News
Genes, Not Healthy Living, Get Most to Age 100
New research suggests that your life choices might not be the crucial factor in determining whether you make it to 95 or beyond; it finds that many extremely old people appear to have been as bad as everyone else at indulging in poor health habits during their younger years.
Of course, don't take this as an excuse to blow off the gym and enjoy a steak dinner with fries and a cigarette. Your lifestyle matters. But genes seem to provide an extra boost to those who end up living the longest, said Dr. Jill P. Crandall, a professor of clinical medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and co-author of a new study on longevity.
"The genetic component that allows people to survive into extreme old age is probably a very powerful one," she said, even counteracting the effects of unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Genes, Not Healthy Living, Get Most to Age 100 - Yahoo! News
Of course, don't take this as an excuse to blow off the gym and enjoy a steak dinner with fries and a cigarette. Your lifestyle matters. But genes seem to provide an extra boost to those who end up living the longest, said Dr. Jill P. Crandall, a professor of clinical medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and co-author of a new study on longevity.
"The genetic component that allows people to survive into extreme old age is probably a very powerful one," she said, even counteracting the effects of unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Genes, Not Healthy Living, Get Most to Age 100 - Yahoo! News
First observational test of the 'multiverse'
The theory that our universe is contained inside a bubble, and that multiple alternative universes exist inside their own bubbles – making up the 'multiverse' – is, for the first time, being tested by physicists.
Two research papers published in Physical Review Letters and Physical Review D are the first to detail how to search for signatures of other universes. Physicists are now searching for disk-like patterns in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation - relic heat radiation left over from the Big Bang – which could provide tell-tale evidence of collisions between other universes and our own.
Many modern theories of fundamental physics predict that our universe is contained inside a bubble. In addition to our bubble, this `multiverse' will contain others, each of which can be thought of as containing a universe. In the other 'pocket universes' the fundamental constants, and even the basic laws of nature, might be different.
First observational test of the 'multiverse'
Two research papers published in Physical Review Letters and Physical Review D are the first to detail how to search for signatures of other universes. Physicists are now searching for disk-like patterns in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation - relic heat radiation left over from the Big Bang – which could provide tell-tale evidence of collisions between other universes and our own.
Many modern theories of fundamental physics predict that our universe is contained inside a bubble. In addition to our bubble, this `multiverse' will contain others, each of which can be thought of as containing a universe. In the other 'pocket universes' the fundamental constants, and even the basic laws of nature, might be different.
First observational test of the 'multiverse'
August 2, 2011
Data are traveling by light
Regular LEDs can be turned into optical WLAN with only a few additional components thanks to visible light communication (in short, VLC). The lights are then not just lighting up, they also transfer data. They send films in HD quality to your iPhone or laptop, with no loss in quality, quickly and safely.
Just imagine the following scenario: four people are comfortably ensconced in a room. Each one of them can watch a film from the Internet on his or her laptop, in HD quality. This is made possible thanks to optical WLAN. Light from the LEDs in the overhead lights serves as the transfer medium. For a long time, this was just a vision for the future. However, since scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI in Berlin, Germany, have developed a new transfer technology for video data within the scope of the OMEGA project of the EU, its implementation in real life is getting markedly closer.
Data are traveling by light
Just imagine the following scenario: four people are comfortably ensconced in a room. Each one of them can watch a film from the Internet on his or her laptop, in HD quality. This is made possible thanks to optical WLAN. Light from the LEDs in the overhead lights serves as the transfer medium. For a long time, this was just a vision for the future. However, since scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI in Berlin, Germany, have developed a new transfer technology for video data within the scope of the OMEGA project of the EU, its implementation in real life is getting markedly closer.
Data are traveling by light
Tokyo Institute Of Technology's SOINN Robot Learns Using Breakthrough Artificial Intelligence
Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology's Hasegawa Lab have developed a robot that is capable of thinking on its own and can learn how to solve problems it has never encountered before.
The Hasegawa group explains its SOINN (Self-Organizing Incremental Neural Network) artificial intelligence thus:
Tokyo Institute Of Technology's SOINN Robot Learns Using Breakthrough Artificial Intelligence
The Hasegawa group explains its SOINN (Self-Organizing Incremental Neural Network) artificial intelligence thus:
Tokyo Institute Of Technology's SOINN Robot Learns Using Breakthrough Artificial Intelligence
Smoking, Diabetes, Obesity May Shrink Your Brain
As if there weren't already enough good reasons to avoid smoking and keep your weight, blood sugar levels and blood pressure all under control, a new study suggests these risk factors in middle age may cause your brain to shrink, leading to mental declines up to a decade later.
Evaluating data from 1,352 participants whose average age was 54 in the Framingham Offspring Study -- which began in 1971 -- researchers from the University of California, Davis found that smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight were each linked to potentially dangerous vascular changes in the brain.
Smoking, Diabetes, Obesity May Shrink Your Brain - Yahoo! News
Evaluating data from 1,352 participants whose average age was 54 in the Framingham Offspring Study -- which began in 1971 -- researchers from the University of California, Davis found that smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight were each linked to potentially dangerous vascular changes in the brain.
Smoking, Diabetes, Obesity May Shrink Your Brain - Yahoo! News
Withdrawal from heavy cigarette smoking associated with brain imaging changes in regions related to mood regulation
Findings from a brain imaging study may provide clues for why some individuals with heavy cigarette-smoking habits experience depressed mood upon withdrawal from smoking, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Withdrawal from heavy cigarette smoking associated with brain imaging changes in regions related to mood regulation
Withdrawal from heavy cigarette smoking associated with brain imaging changes in regions related to mood regulation
Possible association between maternal exposure to magnetic fields and development of asthma in children
Children whose mothers had high exposure to magnetic fields (MF) during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of developing asthma, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Possible association between maternal exposure to magnetic fields and development of asthma in children
Possible association between maternal exposure to magnetic fields and development of asthma in children
Quasiparticle discovery could pave the way for better digital storage
German scientists from Jülich, Kiel and Hamburg have found a new magnetic order that could potentially lead to a new generation of smaller data storage units in the future.
Physicists from the Jülich research center and the universities of Kiel and Hamburg have found a regular lattice of stable magnetic skyrmions – radial spiral structures, which are made up of atomic-scale spins.
These magnetic patterns have been found in large bulk materials before, but never on a nano-sized surface. The team of scientists, which published their findings Sunday in the journal Nature Physics, have theorized that these magnetic structures could lead to smaller and more efficient data storage units.
Quasiparticle discovery could pave the way for better digital storage | Science & Technology | Deutsche Welle | 01.08.2011
Physicists from the Jülich research center and the universities of Kiel and Hamburg have found a regular lattice of stable magnetic skyrmions – radial spiral structures, which are made up of atomic-scale spins.
These magnetic patterns have been found in large bulk materials before, but never on a nano-sized surface. The team of scientists, which published their findings Sunday in the journal Nature Physics, have theorized that these magnetic structures could lead to smaller and more efficient data storage units.
Quasiparticle discovery could pave the way for better digital storage | Science & Technology | Deutsche Welle | 01.08.2011
August 1, 2011
Internet Explorer Users Have Lower IQs Than Users Of Other Browsers, Survey Finds
Are users of Internet Explorer the dumbest on the Internet?
Findings from a survey conducted by Vancouver consulting firm AptiQuant suggest just that. The company gave IQ tests to over 100,000 people, found randomly through user searches and targeted advertising; the test-takers did not know they were being judged based on what browser they were using.
Though no significant differences were found across the IQs of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari users, the study did find that “subjects using any version of Internet Explorer ranked significantly lower on average than others.” Ouch.
Internet Explorer Users Have Lower IQs Than Users Of Other Browsers, Survey Finds
Findings from a survey conducted by Vancouver consulting firm AptiQuant suggest just that. The company gave IQ tests to over 100,000 people, found randomly through user searches and targeted advertising; the test-takers did not know they were being judged based on what browser they were using.
Though no significant differences were found across the IQs of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari users, the study did find that “subjects using any version of Internet Explorer ranked significantly lower on average than others.” Ouch.
Internet Explorer Users Have Lower IQs Than Users Of Other Browsers, Survey Finds
Foxconn to replace workers with 1 million robots in 3 years
Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn will replace some of its workers with 1 million robots in three years to cut rising labor expenses and improve efficiency, said Terry Gou, founder and chairman of the company, late Friday.
The robots will be used to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers, said Gou at a workers' dance party Friday night.
The company currently has 10,000 robots and the number will be increased to 300,000 next year and 1 million in three years, according to Gou.
Foxconn to replace workers with 1 million robots in 3 years
The robots will be used to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers, said Gou at a workers' dance party Friday night.
The company currently has 10,000 robots and the number will be increased to 300,000 next year and 1 million in three years, according to Gou.
Foxconn to replace workers with 1 million robots in 3 years
Oxygen Molecules Discovered in Deep Space for First Time
Astronomers can finally breathe a sigh of relief: A team of scientists has discovered the first oxygen molecules in deep space, capping a nearly 230-year search for the elusive cosmic molecule.
The oxygen molecules were detected in a star-forming region of the Orion nebula, roughly 1,500 light-years from Earth, by the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory. The observatory used its large telescope and infrared detectors to hone in on the species, which is thought to be common in the cosmos, but has so far been hard to find.
Oxygen Molecules Discovered in Deep Space for First Time | Herschel Space Observatory & Infrared Astronomy | Orion Nebula & Space Images | Space.com
The oxygen molecules were detected in a star-forming region of the Orion nebula, roughly 1,500 light-years from Earth, by the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory. The observatory used its large telescope and infrared detectors to hone in on the species, which is thought to be common in the cosmos, but has so far been hard to find.
Oxygen Molecules Discovered in Deep Space for First Time | Herschel Space Observatory & Infrared Astronomy | Orion Nebula & Space Images | Space.com
Manipulating light at will: Research could help replace electronic components with optical technology
Electrical engineers at Duke University have developed a material that allows them to manipulate light in much the same way that electronics manipulate flowing electrons.
Manipulating light at will: Research could help replace electronic components with optical technology
Manipulating light at will: Research could help replace electronic components with optical technology
Nicotine can protect the brain from Parkinson's disease, research suggests
If you've ever wondered if nicotine offered society any benefit, a new study published in The FASEB Journal offers a surprising answer. Nicotine can protect the brain against Parkinson's disease, the research suggests, and the discovery of how nicotine does this may lead to entirely new types of treatments for the disease.
Nicotine can protect the brain from Parkinson's disease, research suggests
Nicotine can protect the brain from Parkinson's disease, research suggests
BYOB at Austin’s Pending No Packaging Grocery Store
If you’re reading this you probably bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Maybe you even wash out your plastic produce bags until they’re in tatters. But how far are you willing to go down the no-packaging road?
If the Brothers Lane in Austin, TX have their way, you’ll eschew packaging all together and buy everything in bulk. You’ll bring cloth bags or pre-weighed plastic or glass containers to In.gredients, the store they plan to open this fall in East Austin. You’ll refill wine bottles and lotion containers. You’ll not purchase anything that comes in a box or package.
BYOB at Austin’s Pending No Packaging Grocery Store | EcoSalon | Conscious Culture and Fashion
If the Brothers Lane in Austin, TX have their way, you’ll eschew packaging all together and buy everything in bulk. You’ll bring cloth bags or pre-weighed plastic or glass containers to In.gredients, the store they plan to open this fall in East Austin. You’ll refill wine bottles and lotion containers. You’ll not purchase anything that comes in a box or package.
BYOB at Austin’s Pending No Packaging Grocery Store | EcoSalon | Conscious Culture and Fashion
Seeking Arrangement: College Students Using 'Sugar Daddies' To Pay Off Loan Debt
On a Sunday morning in late May, Taylor left her Harlem apartment and boarded a train for Greenwich, Conn. She planned on spending the day with a man she had met online, but not in person.
Taylor, a 22-year-old student at Hunter College, had confided in her roommate about the trip and they agreed to swap text messages during the day to make sure she was safe.
Seeking Arrangement: College Students Using 'Sugar Daddies' To Pay Off Loan Debt
Taylor, a 22-year-old student at Hunter College, had confided in her roommate about the trip and they agreed to swap text messages during the day to make sure she was safe.
Seeking Arrangement: College Students Using 'Sugar Daddies' To Pay Off Loan Debt
Physicists show that quantum ignorance is hard to expose
No one likes a know-it-all but we expect to be able to catch them out: someone who acts like they know everything but doesn't can always be tripped up with a well-chosen question. Can't they? Not so. New research in quantum physics has shown that a quantum know-it-all could lack information about a subject as a whole, yet answer almost perfectly any question about the subject's parts.
Physicists show that quantum ignorance is hard to expose
Physicists show that quantum ignorance is hard to expose
New invisibility cloak conceals objects from human view
For the first time, scientists have devised an invisibility cloak material that hides objects from detection using light that is visible to humans; the new "carpet cloak" works by concealing an object under layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride etched in a special pattern, and bending light waves away from the bump that the object makes, so that the cloak appears flat and smooth like a normal mirror
New invisibility cloak conceals objects from human view | Homeland Security News Wire
New invisibility cloak conceals objects from human view | Homeland Security News Wire
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