Growing Up Near Livestock Tied to Blood Cancers

Children raised on livestock farms are at significantly greater risk of developing blood cancers -- such as leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -- later in life, a new study contends.

The researchers pointed out that further studies will be needed before a definitive cause and effect can be established, but they suggested that exposure to particular viruses during childhood may modify the immune system response and result in a higher risk for blood cancer in adulthood.

Growing Up Near Livestock Tied to Blood Cancers - Yahoo! News

'Super antibody' fights off flu

The first antibody which can fight all types of the influenza A virus has been discovered, researchers claim.

Experiments on flu-infected mice, published in Science Express, showed the antibody could be used as an "emergency treatment".

It is hoped the development will lead to a "universal vaccine" - currently a new jab has to be made for each winter as viruses change.

BBC News - 'Super antibody' fights off flu

A talking plant? This one calls out to lure bats

Just as some flowers use bright colors to attract insect pollinators, other plants may use sound to lure in nectar-eating bats.

One rain forest vine has a dish-shaped leaf located above a cluster of flowers that appears to help bats find them (and the plant's tasty nectar) by reflecting back the calls the flying mammals send out, new research indicates.

A talking plant? This one calls out to lure bats - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com

Most accurate weight of antimatter taken yet

A new measurement provides the most accurate weight yet of antimatter, revealing the mass of the antiproton (the proton's antiparticle) down to one part in a billion, researchers announced Thursday.

To give a sense of just how accurate their measurement was, researcher Masaki Hori said: "Imagine measuring the weight of the Eiffel Tower. The accuracy we've achieved here is roughly equivalent to making that measurement to within less than the weight of a sparrow perched on top. Next time it will be a feather."

Most accurate weight of antimatter taken yet - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com

Giant solar tower could power the future

A new energy concept called a solar tower could generate enough electricity for 200,000 homes. Looking like a giant smokestack, it would release no noxious fumes — just sun-heated air.

Demonstrated more than 20 years ago, the basic design calls for solar collectors to warm the air near Earth's surface and then channel it up the tall central tower. Turbines placed at the bottom make electricity from the updraft.

Giant solar tower could power the future - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com

Melting Arctic ice releasing banned toxins, warn scientists

The warming of the Arctic is releasing a new wave of banned toxic chemicals that had been trapped in the ice and cold water, scientists have discovered.

The researchers warn that the amount of the poisons stockpiled in the polar region is unknown and their release could "undermine global efforts to reduce environmental and human exposure to them."

The chemicals seeping out as temperatures rise include the pesticides DDT, lindane and chlordane, made infamous in Rachel Carson's 1962 book Silent Spring, as well as the industrial chemicals PCBs and the fungicide hexachlorobenzine (HCB). All of these persistent organic pollutants (Pops) are banned under the 2004 Stockholm Convention.

Melting Arctic ice releasing banned toxins, warn scientists | Environment | The Guardian

Brain Waves Make A Fast Brake

In a fast-moving car, the brain can hit the brakes faster than the foot. By relying on brain waves that signal the intent to jam on the brakes, a new technology could shave critical milliseconds off the reaction time, researchers report online July 28 in the Journal of Neural Engineering.

The work adds to a growing trend in car technology that assists drivers. Though it may eventually lead to improvements in emergency braking, the new brain signal technology isn’t ready for the road.

Brain Waves Make A Fast Brake - Science News: "Drivers could sto"

‘Stoner Stupid’ Myth Goes Up In Smoke

The consumption of cannabis, even long-term, poses few adverse effects on cognitive performance, according to clinical trial data to be published in the scientific journal Addiction.

Investigators at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, Center for Mental Health Research assessed the impact of cannabis use on various measures of memory and intelligence in over 2,000 self-identified marijuana consumers and non-users over an eight-year period. Among cannabis consumers, subjects were grouped into the following categories: ‘heavy’ (once a week or more) users, ‘light’ users, ‘former heavy’ users, ‘former light’ users, and ‘always former’ — a category that consisted of respondents who had ceased using marijuana prior to their entry into the study.

‘Stoner Stupid’ Myth Goes Up In Smoke | NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

Existence: Why is there a universe?

AS DOUGLAS ADAMS once wrote: "The universe is big. Really big." And yet if our theory of the big bang is right, the universe was once a lot smaller. Indeed, at one point it was non-existent. Around 13.7 billion years ago time and space spontaneously sprang from the void. How did that happen?

Or to put it another way: why does anything exist at all? It's a big question, perhaps the biggest. The idea that the universe simply appeared out of nothing is difficult enough; trying to conceive of nothingness is perhaps even harder.

Existence: Why is there a universe? - space - 26 July 2011 - New Scientist

New NASA Data Blow Gaping Hold In Global Warming Alarmism

NASA satellite data from the years 2000 through 2011 show the Earth's atmosphere is allowing far more heat to be released into space than alarmist computer models have predicted, reports a new study in the peer-reviewed science journal Remote Sensing. The study indicates far less future global warming will occur than United Nations computer models have predicted, and supports prior studies indicating increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide trap far less heat than alarmists have claimed.

New NASA Data Blow Gaping Hold In Global Warming Alarmism - Yahoo! News

In Test Tube, Hint of Chemicals Coming Alive

Here in a laboratory perched on the edge of the continent, researchers are trying to construct Life As We Don’t Know It in a thimbleful of liquid.

Generations of scientists, children and science fiction fans have grown up presuming that humanity’s first encounter with alien life will happen in a red sand dune on Mars, or in an enigmatic radio signal from some obscure star.

In Test Tube, Hint of Chemicals Coming Alive - NYTimes.com

DNA test developed in Glasgow links ageing and poverty

Scientists in Glasgow have developed a new test of the ageing process based on DNA evidence.

They have said it could provide faster feedback on public health measures.

Until now, evidence of health improvement has involved waiting a generation or more to measure how many people become ill.

BBC News - DNA test developed in Glasgow links ageing and poverty

South Korean Scientists Create Glowing Dog: Report

South Korean scientists said on Wednesday they have created a glowing dog using a cloning technique that could help find cures for human diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, Yonhap news agency reported.

A research team from Seoul National University (SNU) said the genetically modified female beagle, named Tegon and born in 2009, has been found to glow fluorescent green under ultraviolet light if given a doxycycline antibiotic, the report said.

South Korean Scientists Create Glowing Dog: Report

Want a Big Brain? Head North

Brains are larger in those who live farther from the equator — in order to help them see better, researchers now suspect.

Scientists have long known that brain volume increases with latitude — that is, the closer one gets to the poles.

"That might be mistaken for implying that intelligence increases with latitude," said researcher Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Oxford. "Our data suggests that this isn't so."

Want a Big Brain? Head North - Yahoo! News

Nicotine May Be Used to Treat Obesity

A new study suggests Nicotine-based drugs may be useful in controlling obesity and other metabolic disorders in addition to helping people stop smoking, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Smokers often cite depressed appetite and weight control as reasons for not quitting, but the anorexic effects of nicotine have not traditionally been well understood, according to a study in Science.

Nicotine May Be Used to Treat Obesity, Study Says - FoxNews.com

Scheduling 'worry time' may help you fret less

For those concerned with shedding some of their anxieties, it seems planning a certain time every day to worry may help stop the stress-out cycle.

When people with adjustment disorders, burnout or severe work problems used techniques to confine their worrying a single, scheduled 30- minute period each day, they were better able to cope with their problems, a new study by researchers in the Netherlands finds.

Scheduling 'worry time' may help you fret less - Health - Behavior - msnbc.com

Third of world's people infected with hepatitis: WHO

Around one third of the global population, or 2 billion people, have been infected with the liver disease hepatitis which kills about a million victims annually, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

And although most of those carrying hepatitis do not know they have it, they can unknowingly transmit it to others and at any time in their lives it can develop to kill or disable them, the United Nations agency warned.

Third of world's people infected with hepatitis: WHO | Reuters

Psychologists Concerned About Smartphone 'Obsession'

You gave it a pet name. It knows more about you than your mother does. Sometimes you even sleep with it. In fact, you're so attached to it that being separated for only a few minutes could send you into a panic.

While smartphone users worry about mobile hacking and other security threats that are making news these days, psychologists and others are concerned about another equally troubling issue: the growing obsession among people who would much rather interact with their smartphones than with other human beings.

Psychologists Concerned About Smartphone 'Obsession'

Vitamin D deficiency linked to diabetes

VITAMIN D deficiency is putting Australians at risk of developing diabetes, a landmark study has shown.

The largest study of its kind found that people with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with lower levels. It could lead to at-risk patients using vitamin D supplements along with diet and exercise to stop the development of the potentially deadly condition.

Vitamin linked to diabetes

Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas

Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists, who are members of the Social Cognitive Networks Academic Research Center (SCNARC) at Rensselaer, used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. The finding has implications for the study and influence of societal interactions ranging from the spread of innovations to the movement of political ideals.

Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas

Are we alone in the universe? Well, maybe...

Scientists engaged in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) work under the assumption that there is, in fact, intelligent life out there to be found. A new analysis may crush their optimism.

To calculate the likelihood that they'll make radio contact with extraterrestrials, SETI scientists use what's known as the Drake Equation. Formulated in the 1960s by Frank Drake of the SETI Institute in California, it approximates the number of radio-transmitting civilizations in our galaxy at any one time by multiplying a string of factors: the number of stars, the fraction that have planets, the fraction of those that are habitable, the probability of life arising on such planets, its likelihood of becoming intelligent and so on.

Are we alone in the universe? Well, maybe - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com

Global depression statistics

Depression affects 121 million people worldwide. In can affect a person's ability to work, form relationships, and destroy their quality of life. At its most severe depression can lead to suicide and is responsible for 850,000 deaths every year. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine compares social conditions with depression in 18 countries across the world.

Global depression statistics

Age-related brain shrinking is unique to humans

The brains of our closest relatives, unlike our own, do not shrink with age.

The findings suggest that humans are more vulnerable than chimpanzees to age-related diseases because we live relatively longer.

Our longer lifespan is probably an adaptation to having bigger brains, the team suggests in their Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper.

BBC News - Age-related brain shrinking is unique to humans

Tax Soda, Subsidize Vegetables

WHAT will it take to get Americans to change our eating habits? The need is indisputable, since heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all in large part caused by the Standard American Diet. (Yes, it’s SAD.)

Though experts increasingly recommend a diet high in plants and low in animal products and processed foods, ours is quite the opposite, and there’s little disagreement that changing it could improve our health and save tens of millions of lives.

Tax Soda, Subsidize Vegetables - NYTimes.com

Antibiotics Beat Cranberries to Prevent UTIs

Antibiotics were better than cranberry capsules at preventing urinary tract infections in a new study of women in the Netherlands who suffered from recurring infections.

Women taking the drugs had fewer UTIs over the next year than those taking cranberry capsules, but they also built up resistance to the antibiotics, meaning that their bodies might not respond to the drugs if they needed them to treat another infection.

Antibiotics Beat Cranberries to Prevent UTIs - FoxNews.com

Boy Born With 34 Fingers and Toes Breaks World Record

A boy born with 34 fingers and toes has stunned medics. One-year-old Akshat Saxena had seven fingers on each hand and ten toes on each foot — but no thumbs.

His condition is a genetic disorder known as polydactyl.

Akshat, from Uttar Pradesh, northern India, has since had surgery to remove the excess digits. And doctors are trying to construct thumbs from the fingers they amputated.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/07/26/boy-born-with-34-fingers-and-toes-breaks-world-record/#ixzz1TDubrZws

Boy Born With 34 Fingers and Toes Breaks World Record - FoxNews.com

Daunting space task -- send astronauts to asteroid

With the space shuttle now history, NASA's next great mission is so audacious, the agency's best minds are wrestling with how to pull it off: Send astronauts to an asteroid in less than 15 years.

The challenges are innumerable. Some old-timers are grousing about it, saying going back to the moon makes more sense. But many NASA brains are thrilled to have such an improbable assignment.

And NASA leaders say civilization may depend on it.

Daunting space task -- send astronauts to asteroid

Computer program could 'revolutionise the world's healthcare'

A massive network of computer programs co-created by University of Manchester scientists could revolutionise healthcare around the world, saving countless lives and billions of pounds.

Computer program could 'revolutionise the world's healthcare'

Addictive Personality? You Might be a Leader

WHEN we think of the qualities we seek in visionary leaders, we think of intelligence, creativity, wisdom and charisma, but also the drive to succeed, a hunger for innovation, a willingness to challenge established ideas and practices.

But in fact, the psychological profile of a compelling leader — think of tech pioneers like Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison and Steven P. Jobs — is also that of the compulsive risk-taker, someone with a high degree of novelty-seeking behavior. In short, what we seek in leaders is often the same kind of personality type that is found in addicts, whether they are dependent on gambling, alcohol, sex or drugs.

Addictive Personality? You Might be a Leader - NYTimes.com

The New Space Biz: Companies Seek Cash In The Cosmos

Early Thursday morning, Naveen Jain switched on his iPad and watched the Atlantis space shuttle glide onto the runway of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

The landing elicited "mixed emotions" from him, he said. On the one hand, he was watching a thirty-year chapter in the history of space travel come to a close. Never again would a NASA space shuttle take flight.

On the other hand, the end of the NASA space shuttle program means the dawn of a new era of space travel -- one that may prove very lucrative to him.

The New Space Biz: Companies Seek Cash In The Cosmos

Cern scientists suspect glimpse of Higgs boson

Scientists may have caught their first glimpse of the elusive Higgs boson, which is thought to give mass to the basic building blocks of nature.

Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider at Cern, the European particle physics lab near Geneva, announced the findings at a conference on Friday.

The world's most powerful atom smasher hunts for signs of new physics by slamming subatomic particles together at nearly the speed of light in an 18-mile round tunnel beneath the French-Swiss border.

Cern scientists suspect glimpse of Higgs boson | Science | The Guardian

A novel and potent antioxidant found in tomato plants, initial results suggest

A team of researchers from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP) -a joint centre of the Universitat Politècnica de València and CSIC, the Spanish National Research Council- have identified a novel and potent natural antioxidant occurring in tomato plants. It is a phenolic substance that is synthesised by the tomato plant when it is subjected to biotic stress. Until now, it was completely unknown.

A novel and potent antioxidant found in tomato plants, initial results suggest

Time Travel Impossible, Say Scientists

Hong Kong physicists say they have proved that a single photon obeys Einstein's theory that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light -- demonstrating that outside science fiction, time travel is impossible.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology research team led by Du Shengwang said they had proved that a single photon, or unit of light, "obeys the traffic law of the universe."

Time Travel Impossible, Say Scientists : Discovery News

Psychedelics for Drug Addiction

Add to the long list of celebrities who have struggled with drug addictions, the recently deceased 27-year-old British soul diva Amy Winehouse. Every newspaper and magazine will play and replay her final days, and commentators will come out of the woodwork offering thoughtful opinions abut how to deal with talented and troubled individuals who fall into the deep end of the drug pool. However the story sorts out over time, one thing is certain—Winehouse had a drug problem, and couldn’t get out of it. And so, at a very early age, she is one more casualty in the drug-addled celebrity club.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/07/25/psychedelics-for-drug-addiction/#ixzz1T87CNGDn

Psychedelics for Drug Addiction - FoxNews.com

Are Taller People at Heightened Cancer Risk?

Tall folks may be more likely than shorter people to develop cancer, new British research says.

Among women, the risk of breast, ovarian, uterine and bowel cancer, leukemia or melanoma appears to go up about 16 percent for every 4-inch bump in stature, the researchers said.

"Taller women in our study had increased risk of a wide range of cancers," said study co-author Jane Green, from the cancer epidemiology unit at the University of Oxford in England. "And all the evidence from past studies is that this link is seen equally in men and women."

Are Taller People at Heightened Cancer Risk? - Yahoo! News

Observations: Nuclear Fission Confirmed as Source of More than Half of Earth's Heat

Nuclear fission powers the movement of Earth's continents and crust, a consortium of physicists and other scientists is now reporting, confirming long-standing thinking on this topic. Using neutrino detectors in Japan and Italy—the Kamioka Liquid-Scintillator Antineutrino Detector (KamLAND) and the Borexino Detector—the scientists arrived at their conclusion by measuring the flow of the antithesis of these neutral particles as they emanate from our planet. Their results are detailed July 17 in Nature Geoscience. (Scientific American is part of the Nature Publishing Group.)

Observations: Nuclear Fission Confirmed as Source of More than Half of Earth's Heat

Gradual bone reduction seen in some birth control pill users

Birth control pills may reduce a woman's bone density, according to a study published online July 13 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism by Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) scientists. Impacts on bone were small, depended on the woman's age and the pill's hormone dose, and did not appear until about two years of use. The study size and design allowed the researchers to focus on 14- to 18-year-old teenagers, and to look at how bone density might change when a woman stops using the pill.

Gradual bone reduction seen in some birth control pill users

Personality Plays Role In Body Weight

People with personality traits of high neuroticism and low conscientiousness are likely to go through cycles of gaining and losing weight throughout their lives, according to an examination of 50 years of data in a study published by the American Psychological Association.

Impulsivity was the strongest predictor of who would be overweight, the researchers found. Study participants who scored in the top 10 percent on impulsivity weighed an average of 22 lbs. more than those in the bottom 10 percent, according to the study.

Study Finds Personality Plays Role In Body Weight

Can a Playground Be Too Safe?

His philosophy seemed reactionary at the time, but today it’s shared by some researchers who question the value of safety-first playgrounds. Even if children do suffer fewer physical injuries — and the evidence for that is debatable — the critics say that these playgrounds may stunt emotional development, leaving children with anxieties and fears that are ultimately worse than a broken bone.

Can a Playground Be Too Safe? - NYTimes.com

Scientists grow brain cells from skin: Cancer cells and stem cells share same origin

Oncogenes are generally thought to be genes that, when mutated, change healthy cells into cancerous tumor cells. Scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) have proven that those genes also can change normal cells into stem-like cells, paving the way to a safer and more practical approach to treating diseases like multiple sclerosis and cancer with stem cell therapy.

Scientists grow brain cells from skin: Cancer cells and stem cells share same origin, research shows

Drinking too much water 'can be bad for your health': Benefits are a myth

It is said to help us prevent kidney damage, lose weight and increase concentration levels.
But experts now warn that drinking eight glasses of water a day is not good for you after all – and could be harmful.

They say that scientific claims behind long-standing government guidelines are worse than ‘nonsense’.
The NHS – along with leading doctors and nutritionists – advises the public to drink about 1.2 litres (or two-and-a-half pints) of water per day.

Drinking too much water 'can be bad for your health': Benefits are a myth | Mail Online

Depression in Pregnancy Linked to Childhood Asthma

High levels of anxiety, stress or depression during pregnancy may be associated with a greater risk of asthma for the baby, suggests a new study that focused on inner-city minority women.

Somewhat similar findings regarding an association between stress and asthma have been reported in previous studies, but this new study focused only on minority populations.

Depression in Pregnancy Linked to Childhood Asthma - FoxNews.com

Do tea, coffee drinkers have lower superbug risk?

People who regularly drink tea or coffee may be less likely to carry the antibiotic-resistant "superbug" MRSA in their nostrils, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that of more than 5,500 Americans in a government study, those who drank hot tea or coffee were about half as likely as non-drinkers to harbor MRSA bacteria in their nostrils.

Do tea, coffee drinkers have lower superbug risk? | Reuters

Is meditation the push-up for the brain? Study shows practice may have potential to change brain's physical structure

Two years ago, researchers at UCLA found that specific regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger and had more gray matter than the brains of individuals in a control group. This suggested that meditation may indeed be good for all of us since, alas, our brains shrink naturally with age.

Is meditation the push-up for the brain? Study shows practice may have potential to change brain's physical structure

Soft memory device opens door to new biocompatible electronics

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a memory device that is soft and functions well in wet environments -- opening the door to a new generation of biocompatible electronic devices.

Soft memory device opens door to new biocompatible electronics

Humans 'predisposed' to believe in gods and the afterlife

A three-year international research project, directed by two academics at the University of Oxford, finds that humans have natural tendencies to believe in gods and an afterlife.

Humans 'predisposed' to believe in gods and the afterlife

Harvard Medical School Professor Among Five Accused of Ghostwriting

A complaint filed with the federal Office of Research Integrity alleged that a group of psychiatrists, including an associate professor at the Harvard Medical School, signed their names to an academic paper written by a communications firm hired by a major pharmaceutical company.


Gary S. Sachs, a researcher affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital, is one of five doctors identified in the formal accusation filed July 8 by University of Pennsylvania professor Jay D. Amsterdam.


The psychiatrists allowed the medical communications company Scientific Therapeutics Information, hired by SmithKline Beecham, to draft a paper using their names, according to the complaint. The paper, according to Amsterdam, suggested that the antidepressant Paxil can help treat some cases of bipolar disorder.

Harvard Medical School Professor Among Five Accused of Ghostwriting | News | The Harvard Crimson

Science Fiction, Science Fact: Ion Propulsion Systems

If you were a fan of science fiction, like me, you may remember one original Star Trek episode in which the crew of the Enterprise tracked another space craft by following the ion trail left by the ship's ion propulsion system. In fact, a real ion propulsion system is now one ready for prime time, and is currently in use by NASA.

The ion propulsion system is well suited to long voyages, but also requires sunlight to provide electricity so it is, at present, largely limited to use within the solar system. It is also limited in the amount of acceleration that it can provide. As a result, it is not capable of overcoming the gravity of any sizable planetary body.

Science Fiction, Science Fact: Ion Propulsion Systems - Yahoo! News

Near-Perfect Particle Measurement Achieved

The mind-bending laws of quantum mechanics say we can't observe the smallest particles without affecting them. Physicists have now caused the smallest-ever disturbance while making a quantum measurement — in fact, almost the minimum thought to be possible.

This disturbance is called back-action, and it is one of the hallmarks of quantum mechanics, which governs the actions of the very small. It arises from the supposition that before a measurement is made, particles exist in a sort of limbo state, being neither here nor there while retaining the possibility of either.

Once an observer intervenes, the particle is forced to "choose" a state ? to settle on one possibility, eliminating the other options. Thus, the state of the particle is altered by the act of measuring it.

Near-Perfect Particle Measurement Achieved - Yahoo! News

Expert: Parents should lose custody of obese kids

Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Harvard-affiliated Children’s Hospital Boston, is arguing that parents should lose custody of obese children.

State intervention “ideally will support not just the child but the whole family, with the goal of reuniting child and family as soon as possible,” Ludwig told The Associated Press. “That may require instruction on parenting.”

Expert: Parents should lose custody of obese kids | Raw Replay

Teflon component linked to arthritis

High blood levels of a man-made chemical used in non-stick coatings were associated with a raised risk of arthritis in a large new study of adults exposed to tainted drinking water.

Researchers found that people with the highest levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in their blood were up to 40 percent more likely to develop arthritis than people with lower blood levels more typical of the general U.S. population.

Dr. Kim Innes of the School of Medicine at West Virginia University and colleagues used data on nearly 50,000 adults living in areas of Ohio and West Virginia where a chemical plant had contaminated water supplies with PFOA and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), both chemicals widely used in non-stick and stain-resistant coatings.

Teflon component linked to arthritis | Reuters

When the home help is a robot

In the future, we will have robots in our homes. They will do all the dirty and boring jobs that we don't want to do because we've got better things to do such as sip cocktails or play with our children.

Or at least that's what many films, novels and media articles have promised. Reality is taking some time to catch up. So far, the only domestic robots enjoying significant success are toys or, in a distant second place, those that vacuum the floor.

Intelligent machines that can greet our guests, serve drinks and do the laundry are still the stuff of science fiction.

BBC News - When the home help is a robot

Your mother was right: Good posture makes you tougher

Mothers have been telling their children to stop slouching for ages. It turns out that mom was onto something and that poor posture not only makes a bad impression, but can actually make you physically weaker. According to a study by Scott Wiltermuth, assistant professor of management organization at the USC Marshall School of Business, and Vanessa K. Bohns, postdoctoral fellow at the J.L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, adopting dominant versus submissive postures actually decreases your sensitivity to pain.

Your mother was right: Good posture makes you tougher

Puppy Love: Pet Owners Are Happier, Healthier

Pets are good sources of social and emotional support for everyone, not just people facing health challenges, new research suggests.

"We observed evidence that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well-being outcomes and individual differences, than nonowners on several dimensions,” study researcher Allen McConnell, of Miami University in Ohio, said in a statement. “Specifically, pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extroverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied than nonowners.” [America's Favorite Pets]

Puppy Love: Pet Owners Are Happier, Healthier - FoxNews.com

Obesity: Access to grocers doesn't improve diets, study finds

Better access to supermarkets — long touted as a way to curb obesity in low-income neighborhoods — doesn't improve people's diets, according to new research. The study, which tracked thousands of people in several large cities for 15 years, found that people didn't eat more fruits and vegetables when they had supermarkets available in their neighborhoods.

Instead, income — and proximity to fast food restaurants — were the strongest factors in food choice.

Obesity: Access to grocers doesn't improve diets, study finds - latimes.com

Physicists discover new way to produce antimatter-containing atom

Physicists at the University of California, Riverside report that they have discovered a new way to create positronium, an exotic and short-lived atom that could help answer what happened to antimatter in the universe, why nature favored matter over antimatter at the universe's creation.

Physicists discover new way to produce antimatter-containing atom

Mice with human livers deal with drugs the human way

'Humanized' mice could provide better assessment of drugs' toxicity for humans.

The unique physiology of the human liver means that the toxicity of some candidate drugs is not picked up during preclinical tests in animals. But mice implanted with miniature human livers can mimic the ways in which the human body breaks down chemical compounds, to help spot potential problems before drugs are tested in humans.

Mice with human livers deal with drugs the human way : Nature News

Contact allergies may trigger immune system defences to ward off cancer

Contact allergies (reactions caused by direct contact with substances like common metals and chemicals) may help prime the immune system to ward off certain types of cancer, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

Previous research has indicated that people with type 1 allergies, which include pollen and house dust mites, may be more or less likely to develop cancer. But it is not known if those with contact allergies to common metals such as nickel, and chemicals, might also be afforded protection against the disease.

Contact allergies may trigger immune system defences to ward off cancer

A Lost World? Atlantis-Like Landscape Discovered

Buried deep beneath the sediment of the North Atlantic Ocean lies an ancient, lost landscape with furrows cut by rivers and peaks that once belonged to mountains. Geologists recently discovered this roughly 56-million-year-old landscape using data gathered for oil companies.

"It looks for all the world like a map of a bit of a country onshore," said Nicky White, the senior researcher. "It is like an ancient fossil landscape preserved 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) beneath the seabed."

So far, the data have revealed a landscape about 3,861 square miles (10,000 square km) west of the Orkney-Shetland Islands that stretched above sea level by almost as much as 0.6 miles (1 km). White and colleagues suspect it is part of a larger region that merged with what is now Scotland and may have extended toward Norway in a hot, prehuman world.

A Lost World? Atlantis-Like Landscape Discovered - Yahoo! News

'Healthy' habits linked to childhood obesity in China

Teenaged boys from well-off Chinese families who say they are physically active and eat plenty of vegetables but few sweets are more likely to be overweight, according to a study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).

'Healthy' habits linked to childhood obesity in China

Natural pain relief from poisonous shrub?

An extract of the poisonous shrub Jatropha curcas acts as a strong painkiller and may have a mode of action different from conventional analgesics, such as morphine and other pharmaceuticals. Details of tests are reported in the current issue of the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.

Natural pain relief from poisonous shrub?

Is a little negativity the best marketing policy?

Most marketing departments work hard to establish a flawless reputation for their product or service. But new research from Tel Aviv University is showing that perfection is not all it's cracked up to be

Is a little negativity the best marketing policy?

Athletes may have different reasons for marijuana use

College athletes tend to be less likely than their non-athlete peers to smoke marijuana. But when they do, they may have some different reasons for it, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Past studies have shown that athletes generally smoke marijuana less often than other college students do.

"But there is still a pretty large number who choose to use it," said Jennifer F. Buckman, Ph.D., of the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Because marijuana could have ill health effects -- and possibly hurt athletic performance -- that begs the question of why college athletes would use it, according to Buckman.

Athletes may have different reasons for marijuana use

China's space program shoots for moon, Mars, Venus

This year, a rocket will carry a boxcar-sized module into orbit, the first building block for a Chinese space station. Around 2013, China plans to launch a lunar probe that will set a rover loose on the moon. It wants to put a man on the moon, sometime after 2020.

While the United States is still working out its next move after the space shuttle program, China is forging ahead. Some experts worry the U.S. could slip behind China in human spaceflight — the realm of space science with the most prestige.

China's space program shoots for moon, Mars, Venus - Yahoo! News

Scientists discover first gonorrhea strain resistant to all available antibiotics

An international research team has discovered a strain of gonorrhea resistant to all currently available antibiotics. This new strain is likely to transform a common and once easily treatable infection into a global threat to public health.

Scientists discover first gonorrhea strain resistant to all available antibiotics

Tiny snails survive digestion by birds

Snails are able to survive intact after being eaten by birds, according to scientists.

Japanese white-eyes on the island of Hahajima, Japan feast on tiny land snails.

Researchers found that 15% of the snails eaten survived digestion and were found alive in the birds' droppings.

This evidence suggests that bird predation could be a key factor in how snail populations spread.

BBC Nature - Tiny snails survive digestion by birds

'Humanized' Mice to Aid Drug Testing

You've heard of scientists testing drugs on mice — but what if those mice were part human? MIT researchers have developed an artificial liver that can be transplanted into mice, allowing them to metabolize drugs as if they were human beings. This could foster more accurate and efficient drug testing.

In order to create this liver, researchers cultured hepatocytes — human liver cells — in a controlled environment with other factors, such as mouse skin cells. The team then implanted the artificial liver under the skin or inside the body cavity of mice, successfully recreating many of the functions of a human liver.

'Humanized' Mice to Aid Drug Testing - Yahoo! News

Pushing Western medicine with fear in India

If you sleep less than six hours a night, you're increasing your risk of developing or dying from heart disease by 48 percent. At least, that's what U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant Abbott would have 1.2 billion people in India believe.

But doctors say the grim message, which appeared in a newspaper ad in India earlier this year, is baseless.

In fact, they worry Abbott's marketing campaign may be the bigger threat, scaring healthy people into buying potentially harmful sleeping pills they don't need -- such as the company's own drug Zolfresh.

Pushing Western medicine with fear in India | Reuters

Are the Best Hospitals Run by M.D.'s or M.B.A.'s?

Are the best hospitals run by medical doctors or business managers?

The conventional wisdom is that doctors should focus on patient care, and managers with a business or administrative background are better suited to running the day-to-day operations of a hospital. Among the nearly 6,500 hospitals in the United States, only 235 are run by physician administrators, according to a 2009 study in the journal Academic Medicine.

But now new research suggests that having a doctor in charge at the top is connected to overall better patient care and a better hospital.

Are the Best Hospitals Run by M.D.'s or M.B.A.'s? - NYTimes.com

Surgeons carry out first synthetic windpipe transplant

Surgeons in Sweden have carried out the world's first synthetic organ transplant.

Scientists in London created an artificial windpipe which was then coated in stem cells from the patient.

Crucially, the technique does not need a donor, and there is no risk of the organ being rejected. The surgeons stress a windpipe can also be made within days.

BBC News - Surgeons carry out first synthetic windpipe transplant

Jellyfish Invasions Force Shutdowns at 3 Separate Nuclear Plants

A nuclear power plant on the coast of Israel was forced to shut down this week when its seawater cooling system became clogged with jellyfish. A similar incident temporarily disabled two nuclear reactors at the Torness power station on the Scottish coast last week. A week before, a reactor in Shimane, Japan was crippled by yet another jellyfish infiltration.

Amid speculation that warm waters and ocean acidification — both driven by climate change — are boosting jellyfish populations, are these three incidents signs of a growing trend?

Jellyfish Invasions Force Shutdowns at 3 Separate Nuclear Plants - Yahoo! News

New strategy to prevent infertility, birth defects

A strategy that has been shown to reduce age-related health problems in several animal studies may also combat a major cause of age-associated infertility and birth defects. Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have shown that restricting the caloric intake of adult female mice prevents a spectrum of abnormalities, such as extra or missing copies of chromosomes, that arise more frequently in egg cells of aging female mammals.

Many studies have found that animals whose food intake is restricted but still sufficient to avoid malnutrition live longer and show fewer signs of aging than do animals given access to as much food as they want. The long-term effects of a caloric restriction (CR) diet in humans are being investigated in ongoing studies, but some health improvements, including reductions in cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors, have already been reported. An earlier study by Tilly's group found that female mice maintained on a CR diet during most of their adulthood maintained their fertility into very advanced ages, even after being allowed to resume free feeding.

New strategy to prevent infertility, birth defects

Kids Likely to Predict Future of Technology

Kids may have a knack for predicting the future technology, according to a new study.

A report from international research consultancy firm Latitude found that kids are predicting that the future of media and technology lies in better integrating digital experiences with real-world places and activities, citing some initiatives that are already on the horizon.

Children across the world anticipate recent updates to Google image search, new applications for robots, real-world gaming and other cutting-edge possibilities for tech. They're also suggesting that more intuitive, human-like interactions with devices, such as those provided by fluid interfaces or robots, are a key area for development.

Kids Likely to Predict Future of Technology - Yahoo! News

Antimicrobial Copper Could Save Thousands Of Lives And Billions Of Dollars

In less than two hours this material can kill 99.9% of most of the bacteria on its surface, including E.coli, influenza, staphylococcus and H1N1.

A recent four-year trial has shown that using it on such frequently touched hospital items as bed rails, IV poles, tray tables and nurse call buttons reduces infection rates by more than 40%.

With hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, such a wonder material could have a profound impact on the health care industry.

Antimicrobial Copper Could Save Thousands Of Lives And Billions Of Dollars

The Holographic Universe: Is Our 3D World Just an Illusion?

Drawing upon the Holographic Principle, the premise behind the Fermilab project is that space is two dimensional, and that the third dimension is inextricably linked with time. If that's the case, our 3D world is merely an approximate illusion. Assuming that's true, the illusion is likely imperfect and blurry, just as photographs and videos are, especially when viewed on a granular level.

It's difficult enough for most humans to grasp the idea that our planet is just one of countless others in our galaxy -- and a pretty small one, at that.

Then, of course, there's the concept that our galaxy is just one of billions of others in the universe -- sure to compound any confusion considerably.

It seems safe to say, however, that neither of those notions can compete on the mind-bending scale, so to speak, with an idea that's currently being investigated at the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermilab.

Ready for a hurting brain? Here goes: Fermilab is working on a device to test the theory that our whole universe is simply a hologram.

Technology News: Science: The Holographic Universe: Is Our 3D World Just an Illusion?

You are what you tweet: Tracking public health trends with Twitter

Twitter allows millions of social media fans to comment in 140 characters or less on just about anything: an actor's outlandish behavior, an earthquake's tragic toll or the great taste of a grilled cheese sandwich.

But by sifting through this busy flood of banter, is it possible to also track important public health trends? Two Johns Hopkins University computer scientists would respond with a one-word tweet: "Yes!"

Mark Dredze and Michael J. Paul fed 2 billion public tweets posted between May 2009 and October 2010 into computers, then used software to filter out the 1.5 million messages that referred to health matters. Identities of the tweeters were not collected by Dredze, a researcher at the university's Human Language Technology Center of Excellence and an assistant research professor of computer science, and Paul, a doctoral student.

You are what you tweet: Tracking public health trends with Twitter

The bare-faced truth about big fat liars

Men with wide faces are more likely to lie and cheat than narrow-faced men but they seem to make better businessmen, according to a study that links facial features with a tendency to engage in unethical behaviour.

Scientists believe they have evidence to show that the width of a man's face relative to his facial height is an indicator of how powerful he feels and of his willingness to surreptitiously break social rules to achieve his goals.

The findings suggest that the width-to-height ratio of the face could be an ancient evolutionary signal of a man's aggressiveness when dealing with competitors, said Professor Michael Haselhuhn of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who led the study.

The bare-faced truth about big fat liars - Science, News - The Independent

Lifeforms Can Clean Up Radiation ... Naturally

When BP spilled huge quantities of oil into the Gulf, the company and the government ignored natural ways to help clean up the mess, and instead dumped toxic dispersants into the Gulf which actually made things worse.

Likewise - believe it or not - there may be natural ways to help clean up radiation from Fukushima and elsewhere, and to reduce human and animal exposure to radioactive elements.

Washington's Blog

Tree frogs' self-cleaning feet could solve a sticky problem

Tree frogs have specially adapted self-cleaning feet which could have practical applications for the medical industry.

"Tree frog feet may provide a design for self-cleaning sticky surfaces, which could be useful for a wide range of products especially in contaminating environments -- medical bandages, tyre performance, and even long lasting adhesives," says researcher, Niall Crawford at the University of Glasgow who will be presenting this work at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Glasgow on 3rd of July, 2011.

Tree frogs' self-cleaning feet could solve a sticky problem

Why Our Monkey Brains Are Prone to Procrastination (No, It's Not Just Laziness or Lack Of Willpower)

The Misconception: You procrastinate because you are lazy and can’t manage your time well.


The Truth: Procrastination is fueled by weakness in the face of impulse and a failure to think about thinking.

Why Our Monkey Brains Are Prone to Procrastination (No, It's Not Just Laziness or Lack Of Willpower) | Personal Health | AlterNet

Is there a link between obesity, chronic illness and bullying?

Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to be victimised by bullying when compared to children who are not overweight.

The findings, to be presented July 6 at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Academic Primary Care held at the University of Bristol, explore the prevalence of overweight and obesity in nine-year-olds and its associations with chronic illness and bullying.

Is there a link between obesity, chronic illness and bullying?

Functioning small intestine created in laboratory experiments

Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have successfully created a tissue-engineered small intestine in mice that replicates the intestinal structures of natural intestine -- a necessary first step toward someday applying this regenerative medicine technique to humans.

The study led by Tracy C. Grikscheit, MD -- "A Multicellular Approach Forms a Significant Amount of Tissue-Engineered Small Intestine in the Mouse" -- has been published in the July issue of Tissue Engineering Part A, a biomedical journal.

Functioning small intestine created in laboratory experiments

Surprising culprits behind cell death from fat and sugar overload

Excess nutrients, such as fat and sugar, don't just pack on the pounds but can push some cells in the body over the brink. Unable to tolerate this "toxic" environment, these cells commit suicide.

Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered three unexpected players that help a cell overloaded with fat initiate its own demise. They have shown that these molecules leading a cell to self-destruct are not proteins as might be expected, but small strands of RNA, a close chemical cousin to DNA. Since these small nucleolar RNAs play well-known roles in building proteins, the researchers were surprised to implicate them in killing cells.

Surprising culprits behind cell death from fat and sugar overload

New technology makes textiles permanently germ-free

A University of Georgia researcher has invented a new technology that can inexpensively render medical linens and clothing, face masks, paper towels -- and yes, even diapers, intimate apparel and athletic wear, including smelly socks -- permanently germ-free.

The simple and inexpensive anti-microbial technology works on natural and synthetic materials. The technology can be applied during the manufacturing process or at home, and it doesn't come out in the wash. Unlike other anti-microbial technologies, repeated applications are unnecessary to maintain effectiveness.

New technology makes textiles permanently germ-free

In Eyes, a Clock Calibrated by Wavelengths of Light

Just as the ear has two purposes — hearing and telling you which way is up — so does the eye. It receives the input necessary for vision, but the retina also houses a network of sensors that detect the rise and fall of daylight. With light, the body sets its internal clock to a 24-hour cycle regulating an estimated 10 percent of our genes.

In Eyes, a Clock Calibrated by Wavelengths of Light - NYTimes.com

Air pollution linked to learning and memory problems, depression

Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to physical changes in the brain, as well as learning and memory problems and even depression, new research in mice suggests.

While other studies have shown the damaging effects of polluted air on the heart and lungs, this is one of the first long-term studies to show the negative impact on the brain, said Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University.

"The results suggest prolonged exposure to polluted air can have visible, negative effects on the brain, which can lead to a variety of health problems," Fonken said.

Air pollution linked to learning and memory problems, depression

Rose-colored beer goggles: Some drinkers believe social benefits of heavy drinking outweigh harms

A study by University of Washington psychologists shows some people continue to drink heavily because of perceived positive effects, despite experiencing negative effects such as hangovers, fights and regrettable sexual situations.

According to participants in the study, boosts of courage, chattiness and other social benefits of drinking outweigh its harms, which they generally did not consider as strong deterrents.

The findings offer a new direction for programs targeting binge drinking, which tend to limit their focus to avoiding alcohol's ill effects rather than considering its rewards.

Rose-colored beer goggles: Some drinkers believe social benefits of heavy drinking outweigh harms

The first person to reach 150 is already alive... and soon we'll live to be a THOUSAND, claims scientist

It's a milestone that few, if any, of us expect to reach.

But the first person who will live to see their 150th birthday has already been born, according to a leading scientist.

Even more incredibly, Aubrey De Grey believes that the first person to live for 1,000 years will be born in the next two decades.

The first person to reach 150 is already alive... and soon we'll live to be a THOUSAND, claims scientist | Mail Online

AFP: Portugal drug law show results ten years on, experts say

Health experts in Portugal said Friday that Portugal's decision 10 years ago to decriminalise drug use and treat addicts rather than punishing them is an experiment that has worked.

"There is no doubt that the phenomenon of addiction is in decline in Portugal," said Joao Goulao, President of the Institute of Drugs and Drugs Addiction, a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the law.

The number of addicts considered "problematic" -- those who repeatedly use "hard" drugs and intravenous users -- had fallen by half since the early 1990s, when the figure was estimated at around 100,000 people, Goulao said.

AFP: Portugal drug law show results ten years on, experts say

Why you should love germs

It's understandable that parents want to keep their children's environments clean, especially when kids are young. Moms wash bottles in hot water, clean pacifiers that fall on the ground and take dirty things out of their kids' mouths.

But overall, when it comes to germs, most people have it backward: With relatively few exceptions, they are good for our kids.

Keeping things clean is smart, but going crazy using antibacterial hand soaps, buying antibacterial kids' toys and other products and overusing antibiotic medications is actually killing off the microbes that can help strengthen the immune system.

Why you should love germs - CNN.com

Mathematicians Want to Say Goodbye to Pi

"I know it will be called blasphemy by some, but I believe that pi is wrong."

That's the opening line of a watershed essay written in 2001 by mathematician Bob Palais of the University of Utah. In "Pi is Wrong!" Palais argued that, for thousands of years, humans have been focusing their attention and adulation on the wrong mathematical constant.

Two times pi, not pi itself, is the truly sacred number of the circle, Palais contended. We should be celebrating and symbolizing the value that is equal to approximately 6.28 — the ratio of a circle's circumference to its radius — and not to the 3.14'ish ratio of its circumference to its diameter (a largely irrelevant property in geometry).

Mathematicians Want to Say Goodbye to Pi - Yahoo! News

Important step in next generation of computing: Vital insight into spintronics

Scientists have taken one step closer to the next generation of computers. Research from the Cavendish Laboratory, the University of Cambridge's Department of Physics, provides new insight into spintronics, which has been hailed as the successor to the transistor.

Spintronics, which exploits the electron's tiny magnetic moment, or 'spin', could radically change computing due to its potential of high-speed, high-density and low-power consumption. The new research sheds light on how to make 'spin' more efficient.

Important step in next generation of computing: Vital insight into spintronics

Who wants to live forever? Scientist sees aging cured

If Aubrey de Grey's predictions are right, the first person who will live to see their 150th birthday has already been born. And the first person to live for 1,000 years could be less than 20 years younger.

A biomedical gerontologist and chief scientist of a foundation dedicated to longevity research, de Grey reckons that within his own lifetime doctors could have all the tools they need to "cure" aging -- banishing diseases that come with it and extending life indefinitely.

"I'd say we have a 50/50 chance of bringing aging under what I'd call a decisive level of medical control within the next 25 years or so," de Grey said in an interview before delivering a lecture at Britain's Royal Institution academy of science.

Who wants to live forever? Scientist sees aging cured | Reuters