The hole in Spain's economy is getting deeper.
The government reported Friday that unemployment rose to 24.4 percent in the first quarter — compared with 22.9 percent in the fourth quarter — and that more than half of Spaniards under 25 are now without jobs. The bleak employment report came one day after ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the country's debt.
April 27, 2012
Genetic weapons could kill only the people you hate
Bacillus anthraces — more commonly known as anthrax — is not to be trifled with. Once the bacterium enters the blood stream, it releases a lethal cocktail of toxins that spreads rapidly throughout the body, leading to severe tissue damage, bleeding, and respiratory collapse. The fact that anthrax spores can infect a host via inhalation have made it a popular biological weapon in recent years.
Some people, however, demonstrate a natural resistance to anthrax, although the reasons for this have remained largely unknown. Now, researchers have discovered that how resistant you are to anthrax's effects likely depends on specific components of your genetic makeup. What implications do their results have for biodefense and biosecurity? Is our understanding of infectious agents advancing to a point that could soon make genetic-specific bioweapons a reality?
Some people, however, demonstrate a natural resistance to anthrax, although the reasons for this have remained largely unknown. Now, researchers have discovered that how resistant you are to anthrax's effects likely depends on specific components of your genetic makeup. What implications do their results have for biodefense and biosecurity? Is our understanding of infectious agents advancing to a point that could soon make genetic-specific bioweapons a reality?
Should Your Dog Be Watching TV?
Plenty of things will grab a dog’s attention: squirrels, tennis balls, funny smells, other dogs. But a TV channel?
Absolutely, say the makers of DogTV, the first cable network to deliver 24-hour programming for dogs. The idea, they say, is that flipping on the channel while you go out for the day will keep your pet stimulated, entertained and relaxed. Call it “Sesame Street” for those who will never learn their ABCs.
The shows on DogTV are actually three- to six-minute segments featuring grassy fields, bouncing balls and humans rubbing dog tummies. There are also segments featuring noiseless vacuum cleaners and muted doorbells to help make dogs more comfortable around such common household agitations.
Absolutely, say the makers of DogTV, the first cable network to deliver 24-hour programming for dogs. The idea, they say, is that flipping on the channel while you go out for the day will keep your pet stimulated, entertained and relaxed. Call it “Sesame Street” for those who will never learn their ABCs.
The shows on DogTV are actually three- to six-minute segments featuring grassy fields, bouncing balls and humans rubbing dog tummies. There are also segments featuring noiseless vacuum cleaners and muted doorbells to help make dogs more comfortable around such common household agitations.
What Sex Means for World Peace
In the academic field of security studies, realpolitik dominates. Those who adhere to this worldview are committed to accepting empirical evidence when it is placed before their eyes, to see the world as it "really" is and not as it ideally should be. As Walter Lippmann wrote, "We must not substitute for the world as it is an imaginary world."
Well, here is some robust empirical evidence that we cannot ignore: Using the largest extant database on the status of women in the world today, which I created with three colleagues, we found that there is a strong and highly significant link between state security and women's security. In fact, the very best predictor of a state's peacefulness is not its level of wealth, its level of democracy, or its ethno-religious identity; the best predictor of a state's peacefulness is how well its women are treated. What's more, democracies with higher levels of violence against women are as insecure and unstable as nondemocracies.
Well, here is some robust empirical evidence that we cannot ignore: Using the largest extant database on the status of women in the world today, which I created with three colleagues, we found that there is a strong and highly significant link between state security and women's security. In fact, the very best predictor of a state's peacefulness is not its level of wealth, its level of democracy, or its ethno-religious identity; the best predictor of a state's peacefulness is how well its women are treated. What's more, democracies with higher levels of violence against women are as insecure and unstable as nondemocracies.
How one mathematician’s angry blog post led to 9,000 scientists starting a revolution
Back in February, we told you a little about the scientific revolution that is being spurred by the rising cost of academic journals. At the time, there were questions over whether the movement could gain the momentum it would need to move forward — after all, people have been objecting about the paywalls of private publishing bodies for years, but little had actually been done to confront these fees head-on.
But according to an article published in yesterday's Guardian, the Open-Science Revolution — the inception of which many have traced to this post, published in January on the blog of Cambridge mathematician Tim Gowers — is in full swing:
But according to an article published in yesterday's Guardian, the Open-Science Revolution — the inception of which many have traced to this post, published in January on the blog of Cambridge mathematician Tim Gowers — is in full swing:
Thinking can undermine religious faith, study finds
Scientists have revealed one of the reasons why some folks are less religious than others: They think more analytically, rather than going with their gut. And thinking analytically can cause religious belief to wane — for skeptics and true believers alike.
The study, published in Friday's edition of the journal Science, indicates that belief may be a more malleable feature of the human psyche than those of strong faith may think.
The cognitive origins of belief — and disbelief — traditionally haven't been explored with academic rigor, said lead author Will Gervais, a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
The study, published in Friday's edition of the journal Science, indicates that belief may be a more malleable feature of the human psyche than those of strong faith may think.
The cognitive origins of belief — and disbelief — traditionally haven't been explored with academic rigor, said lead author Will Gervais, a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Plastic Trash in Oceans May Be 'Vastly' Underestimated
An oceanographer who noticed a disappearing act in which the surface of the ocean went from confetti-covered to clear now suggests wind may driving large amounts of trash deeper into the sea.
Oceanographer Giora Proskurowski was sailing in the Pacific Ocean when he saw the small bits of plastic debris disappear beneath the water as soon as the wind picked up.
His research on the theory, with Tobias Kukulka of the University of Delaware, suggests that on average, plastic debris in the ocean may be 2.5 times higher than estimates using surface-water sampling. In high winds, the volume of plastic trash could be underestimated by a factor of 27, the researchers report this month in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Oceanographer Giora Proskurowski was sailing in the Pacific Ocean when he saw the small bits of plastic debris disappear beneath the water as soon as the wind picked up.
His research on the theory, with Tobias Kukulka of the University of Delaware, suggests that on average, plastic debris in the ocean may be 2.5 times higher than estimates using surface-water sampling. In high winds, the volume of plastic trash could be underestimated by a factor of 27, the researchers report this month in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
April 26, 2012
Eating beetroot may improve running speed: research
Scientists have discovered athletes who eat baked beetroot before a race run put in a faster time.
The purple root vegetable contains high levels of chemicals called nitrates, which have been shown to boost exercise performance.
Researchers at St Louis University in America found athletes were able to run five kilometres faster after eating beetroot than after eating cranberries.
It follows other studies that have shown beetroot juice can increase stamina and make muscles more efficient.
The St Louis team recruited 11 fit and healthy men and women and asked them to run five kilometres on a treadmill, twice.
The purple root vegetable contains high levels of chemicals called nitrates, which have been shown to boost exercise performance.
Researchers at St Louis University in America found athletes were able to run five kilometres faster after eating beetroot than after eating cranberries.
It follows other studies that have shown beetroot juice can increase stamina and make muscles more efficient.
The St Louis team recruited 11 fit and healthy men and women and asked them to run five kilometres on a treadmill, twice.
Electron politics: Physicists probe organization at the quantum level
A new study finds that "quantum critical points" in exotic electronic materials can act much like polarizing "hot button issues" in an election. Reporting in Nature, researchers from Rice University, two Max Planck Institutes in Dresden, Germany, and UCLA find that on either side of a quantum critical point, electrons fall into line and behave as traditionally expected, but at the critical point itself, traditional physical laws break down.
"The beauty of the quantum critical point is that even though it's only one point along the zero temperature axis, what happens at that point dictates how electrons will interact in the material under a broad set of physical conditions," said study co-author Qimiao Si, a theoretical physicist at Rice University. The new study involved "heavy-fermion metals," magnetic materials with many similarities to high-temperature superconductors.
"The beauty of the quantum critical point is that even though it's only one point along the zero temperature axis, what happens at that point dictates how electrons will interact in the material under a broad set of physical conditions," said study co-author Qimiao Si, a theoretical physicist at Rice University. The new study involved "heavy-fermion metals," magnetic materials with many similarities to high-temperature superconductors.
Researchers find thinking in a foreign language causes people to make more rational decisions
While at first glance it might seem irrational, researchers from the University of Chicago have found that people who speak two languages tend to make more rational decisions when thinking in their non-native tongue. They came to this conclusion after conducting a series of experiments, the results of which they have published in a paper in the journal Psychological Science.
Intuitively, most people would assume that it shouldn’t matter which language a person is thinking in when making a decision, but the research team found just the opposite to be true, and they theorize that it’s because when people think in a language that takes more effort, they tend to be more analytical and less emotional when faced with making a choice.
Intuitively, most people would assume that it shouldn’t matter which language a person is thinking in when making a decision, but the research team found just the opposite to be true, and they theorize that it’s because when people think in a language that takes more effort, they tend to be more analytical and less emotional when faced with making a choice.
Mathematics of Eternity Prove The Universe Must Have Had A Beginning
The Big Bang has become part of popular culture since the phrase was coined by the maverick physicist Fred Hoyle in the 1940s. That's hardly surprising for an event that represents the ultimate birth of everything.
However, Hoyle much preferred a different model of the cosmos: a steady state universe with no beginning or end, that stretches infinitely into the past and the future. That idea never really took off.
In recent years, however, cosmologists have begun to study a number of new ideas that have similar properties. Curiously, these ideas are not necessarily at odds with the notion of a Big Bang.
However, Hoyle much preferred a different model of the cosmos: a steady state universe with no beginning or end, that stretches infinitely into the past and the future. That idea never really took off.
In recent years, however, cosmologists have begun to study a number of new ideas that have similar properties. Curiously, these ideas are not necessarily at odds with the notion of a Big Bang.
Scientists call for rethink on consumption, population
Scientists have called for a radical rethink of our relationship with the planet to head off what they warn could be economic and environmental catastrophe.
In a report published on Thursday by the London-based Royal Society, an international group of 23 scientists chaired by Nobel laureate Sir John Sulston called for a rebalancing of consumption in favour of poor countries coupled with increased efforts to control population growth to lift the estimated 1.3 billion people living on less than $1.25 a day out of poverty.
In a report published on Thursday by the London-based Royal Society, an international group of 23 scientists chaired by Nobel laureate Sir John Sulston called for a rebalancing of consumption in favour of poor countries coupled with increased efforts to control population growth to lift the estimated 1.3 billion people living on less than $1.25 a day out of poverty.
April 25, 2012
Freakonomics: Is Your Paycheck Killing You? (VIDEO)
Wish you could predict the exact moment when you're going to die? Well, you probably can't. But you might be able to get a hint thanks to the work of two economists. Timothy Moore and Williams Evans found that people are more likely to die in the first week of the month than during any other time. The reason: That’s when most people get paid. And unfortunately for many Americans, the paycheck that’s killing you isn't even that big. A poll released last year indicated that Americans are living with stagnant wages.
Does the G-Spot Exist? New Study Fuels Debate
The elusive G-spot has been found, a researcher claims in a new report.
The famed orgasmic spot was identified as a region of tissue, about a third of an inch long and one-tenth of an inch wide, located on the anterior (towards the front of the body) vaginal wall, said Dr. Adam Ostrzenski, of the Institute of Gynecology, Inc., in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"It's a grape-like structure," Ostrzenski said. "Nothing else looks similar."
For his research, Ostrzenski examined the cadaver of an 83-year-old woman who had died from head trauma.
The famed orgasmic spot was identified as a region of tissue, about a third of an inch long and one-tenth of an inch wide, located on the anterior (towards the front of the body) vaginal wall, said Dr. Adam Ostrzenski, of the Institute of Gynecology, Inc., in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"It's a grape-like structure," Ostrzenski said. "Nothing else looks similar."
For his research, Ostrzenski examined the cadaver of an 83-year-old woman who had died from head trauma.
GlaxoSmithKline says it is the only obvious owner for Human Genome
Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said on Wednesday its $2.6 billion (1.6 billion pounds) bid for long-time partner Human Genome Sciences was "full and fair" and it was the only obvious owner for the U.S. biotechnology firm.
After releasing disappointing first-quarter results, Britain's biggest drugmaker insisted its $13 a share offer was generous and Chief Executive Andrew Witty played down the possibility of increasing the price.
"We absolutely believe that we are the compelling owner for this business," he told reporters in a conference call.
After releasing disappointing first-quarter results, Britain's biggest drugmaker insisted its $13 a share offer was generous and Chief Executive Andrew Witty played down the possibility of increasing the price.
"We absolutely believe that we are the compelling owner for this business," he told reporters in a conference call.
Exposure to violence in children harms DNA, study says
Children who are exposed to violence experience wear and tear to their DNA that is similar to that seen in aging, according to a new study that may help explain why they face a heightened risk of mental and physical disorders as adults.
In a long-term study of 118 pairs of identical twins, researchers at Duke University found that boys and girls who had experienced violence had shorter genetic structures called telomeres than youngsters who had more peaceful upbringings.
In a long-term study of 118 pairs of identical twins, researchers at Duke University found that boys and girls who had experienced violence had shorter genetic structures called telomeres than youngsters who had more peaceful upbringings.
April 24, 2012
Ancient virus DNA thrives in us
Traces of ancient viruses which infected our ancestors millions of years ago are more widespread in us than previously thought.
A study shows how extensively viruses from as far back as the dinosaur era still thrive in our genetic material.
It sheds light on the origins of a big proportion of our genetic material, much of which is still not understood.
The scientists investigated the genomes of 38 mammals including humans, mice, rats, elephants and dolphins.
A study shows how extensively viruses from as far back as the dinosaur era still thrive in our genetic material.
It sheds light on the origins of a big proportion of our genetic material, much of which is still not understood.
The scientists investigated the genomes of 38 mammals including humans, mice, rats, elephants and dolphins.
Cocaine Eats Up Brain Twice as Fast as Normal Aging
Cocaine may speed up the aging of the brain, according to new research that finds that people who are addicted to the drug lose twice the brain volume each year as non-drug users.
As the brain ages, it inevitably loses gray matter, the part of brain tissue made up of neuron cell bodies. Loss of gray matter is linked with many of the signs of old age, including memory problems and other declining cognitive abilities, said study researcher Karen Ersche, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge.
Middle-age cocaine-dependent people show many of the signs of aging, including cognitive decline, Ersche told LiveScience. To look at the underlying cause, she and her colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure gray matter volume in 60 adults with cocaine dependence and 60 adults without substance-use troubles who were similar to the cocaine-abusing volunteers in age, gender and verbal IQ.
As the brain ages, it inevitably loses gray matter, the part of brain tissue made up of neuron cell bodies. Loss of gray matter is linked with many of the signs of old age, including memory problems and other declining cognitive abilities, said study researcher Karen Ersche, a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge.
Middle-age cocaine-dependent people show many of the signs of aging, including cognitive decline, Ersche told LiveScience. To look at the underlying cause, she and her colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure gray matter volume in 60 adults with cocaine dependence and 60 adults without substance-use troubles who were similar to the cocaine-abusing volunteers in age, gender and verbal IQ.
Mother takes on Monsanto, wins global prize
Hats off to this mother of three who got fed up and took charge. Thirteen years ago, SofÃa Gatica's newborn died of kidney failure after being exposed to pesticides in the womb. After the despair came anger, then a fierce determination to protect the children in her community and beyond.
Today, she's one of six grassroots leaders from around the world receiving the Goldman Environmental Prize, in recognition of her courageous — and successful — efforts.
We at Pesticide Action Network are deeply honored to host SofÃa as she travels to San Francisco for tonight's ceremony and celebration. And personally, I look forward to meeting a mom with the chutzpa to take on Monsanto to protect her children.
Today, she's one of six grassroots leaders from around the world receiving the Goldman Environmental Prize, in recognition of her courageous — and successful — efforts.
We at Pesticide Action Network are deeply honored to host SofÃa as she travels to San Francisco for tonight's ceremony and celebration. And personally, I look forward to meeting a mom with the chutzpa to take on Monsanto to protect her children.
Swiss scientists demonstrate mind controlled robot
Swiss scientists have demonstrated how a partially paralyzed person can control a robot using brain signals alone.
The team at Switzerland's Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne says the experiment takes them a step closer to enabling immobile patients to easily interact with their surroundings through a robot 'avatar.'
Tuesday's demonstration involved a partially tetraplegic patient at a hospital in the southern Swiss town of Sion who imagined lifting his fingers to direct a robot at the university 100 kilometers (62 miles) away.
Similar experiments have taken place in the United States and Germany but they either involved able-bodied patients or invasive brain implants, while the Swiss team used only a simple head cap to record the brain signals.
The team at Switzerland's Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne says the experiment takes them a step closer to enabling immobile patients to easily interact with their surroundings through a robot 'avatar.'
Tuesday's demonstration involved a partially tetraplegic patient at a hospital in the southern Swiss town of Sion who imagined lifting his fingers to direct a robot at the university 100 kilometers (62 miles) away.
Similar experiments have taken place in the United States and Germany but they either involved able-bodied patients or invasive brain implants, while the Swiss team used only a simple head cap to record the brain signals.
April 23, 2012
$100 for a pack of cigarettes?
In an attempt to discourage smokers from lighting up, New Zealand is considering raising the price of a pack of cigarettes to as much as $100 by 2020, Sky News reported.
The suggested measure is one of many ideas from New Zealand’s Ministry of Health to make the country smoke-free by 2025, according to a document released to 3 News in New Zealand.
Another option being considered would be to increase the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes 10 percent each year from 2013 to 2025 – eventually costing $40 a pack. The more extreme $100 a pack version would be achieved by an immediate price increase of 30 to 60 percent, with an annual increase of 30 percent.
The suggested measure is one of many ideas from New Zealand’s Ministry of Health to make the country smoke-free by 2025, according to a document released to 3 News in New Zealand.
Another option being considered would be to increase the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes 10 percent each year from 2013 to 2025 – eventually costing $40 a pack. The more extreme $100 a pack version would be achieved by an immediate price increase of 30 to 60 percent, with an annual increase of 30 percent.
'Ice Cream Headaches' Might Offer Clues to Migraines
That "brain freeze" headache you experience when eating ice cream or other cold foods may be caused by a sudden change in brain blood flow, researchers report.
What's more, the new research might point to targets to treat other, more troubling forms of headache such as migraine, the U.S. team said.
In the study, the scientists monitored brain blood flow in 13 healthy adults as they sipped ice water through a straw pressed against the upper palate so as to trigger "brain freeze."
The results suggest that these transient headaches are triggered by a sudden increase in blood flow in the brain's anterior cerebral artery. Brain freeze disappears again when this artery constricts, the study found.
What's more, the new research might point to targets to treat other, more troubling forms of headache such as migraine, the U.S. team said.
In the study, the scientists monitored brain blood flow in 13 healthy adults as they sipped ice water through a straw pressed against the upper palate so as to trigger "brain freeze."
The results suggest that these transient headaches are triggered by a sudden increase in blood flow in the brain's anterior cerebral artery. Brain freeze disappears again when this artery constricts, the study found.
Can Heavy Metal in Foods, Cosmetics Spur Breast Cancer Spread?
Prolonged exposure to low levels of the heavy metal cadmium may fuel the growth of some breast cancer cells and encourage them to spread, preliminary research indicates.
Found in many farm fertilizers, cadmium can make its way into soil and water. Some other main sources of cadmium include cigarette smoke, rechargeable batteries, certain cosmetics, bread and other cereals, potatoes, root crops and vegetables. Once it enters the body, cadmium may mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen.
Unlike previous research, this new analysis looks at lifetime exposure to cadmium, not acute bursts of high levels of the heavy metal.
Found in many farm fertilizers, cadmium can make its way into soil and water. Some other main sources of cadmium include cigarette smoke, rechargeable batteries, certain cosmetics, bread and other cereals, potatoes, root crops and vegetables. Once it enters the body, cadmium may mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen.
Unlike previous research, this new analysis looks at lifetime exposure to cadmium, not acute bursts of high levels of the heavy metal.
Evidence behind autism drugs may be biased: study
Doctors' belief that certain antidepressants can help to treat repetitive behaviors in kids with autism may be based on incomplete information, according to a new review of published and unpublished research.
The drugs, which include popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are sometimes used to treat repetitive behaviors in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
"The main issue to emphasize is that SSRIs are perhaps not as effective at treating repetitive behaviors as previously thought. Further research will help confirm these findings in the long run," said Melisa Carrasco, the study's lead author, in an email.
The drugs, which include popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are sometimes used to treat repetitive behaviors in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
"The main issue to emphasize is that SSRIs are perhaps not as effective at treating repetitive behaviors as previously thought. Further research will help confirm these findings in the long run," said Melisa Carrasco, the study's lead author, in an email.
Mutant space microbes attack ISS: 'Munch' metal, may crack glass
Seventy-six types of unregulated micro-organisms have been detected on the International Space Station (ISS). Though many are harmless, some are already capable of causing severe damage. And no one knows how they will mutate in space.
“We had these problems on the old MIR space station, now we have them on the ISS. The microflora is attacking the station. These organisms corrode metals and polymers and can cause equipment to fail,” Anatoly Grigoryev, the vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Interfax news agency.
Despite extensive precautions, most of the microbes are accidentally brought to the space station with various cargoes.
One of the early Russian crews also carelessly released a fungus that was later allowed to spread.
Of particular concern is the Zarya – the first ISS module launched into space in 1998.
But the crew is also in potential peril.
“Uncontrolled multiplication of bacteria can cause infectious diseases among the crew,” said Grigoryev.
“We had these problems on the old MIR space station, now we have them on the ISS. The microflora is attacking the station. These organisms corrode metals and polymers and can cause equipment to fail,” Anatoly Grigoryev, the vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Interfax news agency.
Despite extensive precautions, most of the microbes are accidentally brought to the space station with various cargoes.
One of the early Russian crews also carelessly released a fungus that was later allowed to spread.
Of particular concern is the Zarya – the first ISS module launched into space in 1998.
But the crew is also in potential peril.
“Uncontrolled multiplication of bacteria can cause infectious diseases among the crew,” said Grigoryev.
Entrepreneurs Find Cash In Trash
Some entrepreneurs across the country are building businesses based on the belief that garbage -- once destined to rot in a landfill -- can be repurposed into profitable products.
Americans produced about 250 million tons of trash in 2010, recycling and composting about 34 percent of that total, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Now, thanks in part to a sour economy and growing environmental awareness, a few businesses are looking for ways to turn more of the trash destined for landfills into viable products.
Americans produced about 250 million tons of trash in 2010, recycling and composting about 34 percent of that total, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Now, thanks in part to a sour economy and growing environmental awareness, a few businesses are looking for ways to turn more of the trash destined for landfills into viable products.
Diet of buckyballs nearly doubles rat lifespan
Sometimes I (almost) envy mice, rats, and yeast - it seems that almost any aging research we carry out on them doubles their lifespan and returns semi-senescent (say, a human equivalent of about 60 years of age - not thinking of anyone in particular, of course) to youthful vigor. It now appears that dramatic anti-aging results are associated with dietary ingestion of buckyballs, more properly known as C-60 fullerene.
A recent French study looking for chronic toxicity resulting from ingesting buckyballs dissolved in olive oil found that 10 month old rats who ingested the human equivalent of a tenth of a gram of C-60 buckyballs (which in technical grades cost less than US$10/gram) several times a week showed extended lifespans instead of toxic effects.
A recent French study looking for chronic toxicity resulting from ingesting buckyballs dissolved in olive oil found that 10 month old rats who ingested the human equivalent of a tenth of a gram of C-60 buckyballs (which in technical grades cost less than US$10/gram) several times a week showed extended lifespans instead of toxic effects.
Crime is one of the world's top economies: UN official
"Today, most criminal organizations bear no resemblance to the hierarchical organized crime family groups of the past," he told the meeting.
"Instead, they consist of loose and informal networks that often converge when it is convenient and engage in a diverse array of criminal activities, including the smuggling of counterfeit goods, firearms, drugs, humans, and even wildlife to amass their illicit profits."
Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120423/organized-crime-global-economy-120423/#ixzz1sskYVC00
"Instead, they consist of loose and informal networks that often converge when it is convenient and engage in a diverse array of criminal activities, including the smuggling of counterfeit goods, firearms, drugs, humans, and even wildlife to amass their illicit profits."
Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120423/organized-crime-global-economy-120423/#ixzz1sskYVC00
Men set to live as long as women, figures show
The gap between male and female life expectancy is closing and men could catch up by 2030, according to an adviser for the Office for National Statistics.
Prof Les Mayhew said the difference between the sexes peaked at nearly six years in the 1970s.
Life expectancy is going up all round, but the rates for men are increasing faster.
Prof Les Mayhew said the difference between the sexes peaked at nearly six years in the 1970s.
Life expectancy is going up all round, but the rates for men are increasing faster.
Billionaires race on to mine passing asteroids
A GROUP of billionaires and adventurers will this week announce plans to mine asteroids as they pass by Earth.
The group, which includes key figures from Google and Microsoft as well as James Cameron, the director of the films Avatar and Titanic, is funding a new company, Planetary Resources, which plans to research the use of robot space mining ships.
It follows a recent study that identified 7500 suitable rocks potentially packed with valuable minerals with an estimated value of up to about pound stg. 12.4 trillion ($19.2 trillion) each.
The details have remained secret until the founders unveil their plans in Seattle today, but the consortium is understood to be seeking a "test rock" to prove extraterrestrial mining is practical and economic.
The group, which includes key figures from Google and Microsoft as well as James Cameron, the director of the films Avatar and Titanic, is funding a new company, Planetary Resources, which plans to research the use of robot space mining ships.
It follows a recent study that identified 7500 suitable rocks potentially packed with valuable minerals with an estimated value of up to about pound stg. 12.4 trillion ($19.2 trillion) each.
The details have remained secret until the founders unveil their plans in Seattle today, but the consortium is understood to be seeking a "test rock" to prove extraterrestrial mining is practical and economic.
Mice That Eat Yogurt Have Larger Testicles: Scientific American
More important, that masculinity pays off. In mating experiments, yogurt-eating males inseminated their partners faster and produced more offspring than control mice. Conversely, females that ate the yogurt diets gave birth to larger litters and weaned those pups with greater success. Reflecting on their unpublished results, Erdman and Alm think that the probiotic microbes in the yogurt help to make the animals leaner and healthier, which indirectly improves sexual machismo.
Self-assembling highly conductive plastic nanofibers
Researchers from CNRS and the Université de Strasbourg, headed by Nicolas Giuseppone (1) and Bernard Doudin (2), have succeeded in making highly conductive plastic fibers that are only several nanometers thick. These nanowires, for which CNRS has filed a patent, "self-assemble" when triggered by a flash of light. Inexpensive and easy to handle, unlike carbon nanotubes (3), they combine the advantages of the two materials currently used to conduct electric current: metals and plastic organic polymers (4). In fact, their remarkable electrical properties are similar to those of metals.
Can A Satellite Read Your Thoughts?
If the experiments were to succeed, we would enter an era where it was possible to complete remote control a human from thousands of kilometers away. This presents only what can be described as a 'clear and present danger' to any nation on Earth.
Not only could an entire government be compromised, but its media institutions and key enterprises. Imagine a scenario where the media is compromised, along with its government, key military personnel and the only people left are in shielded command center. It would be easy to exploit both the government and media to convince the population that the personnel in the shielded rooms had tried to instigate a coup.
I'm sure you can see how such a situation could degrade, even to the point of compromising a nuclear deterrent.
Now picture yourself as a leader of a nuclear armed nation. You receive information that a foreign nation has develop this technology and is at the point of a breakthrough.
What do you do?
Not only could an entire government be compromised, but its media institutions and key enterprises. Imagine a scenario where the media is compromised, along with its government, key military personnel and the only people left are in shielded command center. It would be easy to exploit both the government and media to convince the population that the personnel in the shielded rooms had tried to instigate a coup.
I'm sure you can see how such a situation could degrade, even to the point of compromising a nuclear deterrent.
Now picture yourself as a leader of a nuclear armed nation. You receive information that a foreign nation has develop this technology and is at the point of a breakthrough.
What do you do?
Get Physical Gold & Silver!
The real suppression of the metals started in 1988. That’s when the leasing game started and was invented by J.P. Morgan.
These guys would go around to the mining companies and say, “Listen, I’m going to pay you for your gold in the ground and I will sell it. You just pay me as you bring it out.” So that was cheap financing to the miners. Barrick, the biggest mining company of them all, went in on this and it financed a lot of Nevada projects.
Once the leasing game came, the actual selling, the extra selling, suppressed the price. In the first five years, it started at maybe three hundred to four hundred tons. It didn’t start to get really bad until probably ’97-’98 with the Long Term Capital affair. And that’s when the leasing started to become around maybe 1,000 tons of gold. And it hasn’t stopped.
These guys would go around to the mining companies and say, “Listen, I’m going to pay you for your gold in the ground and I will sell it. You just pay me as you bring it out.” So that was cheap financing to the miners. Barrick, the biggest mining company of them all, went in on this and it financed a lot of Nevada projects.
Once the leasing game came, the actual selling, the extra selling, suppressed the price. In the first five years, it started at maybe three hundred to four hundred tons. It didn’t start to get really bad until probably ’97-’98 with the Long Term Capital affair. And that’s when the leasing started to become around maybe 1,000 tons of gold. And it hasn’t stopped.
April 21, 2012
Unplugging Americans From The Matrix
China is often a country about which Washington’s moralists get on their high horse. However, China’s “authoritarian” government is actually more responsive to its people than America’s “elected democratic” government. Moreover, however incomplete on paper the civil liberties of China’s people, the Chinese government has not declared that it can violate with impunity whatever rights Chinese citizens have. And it is not China that is running torture prisons all over the globe.
Healthcare system holding back US socio-economically
A US policy analyst from Canada says Washington’s reluctance to have a publicly funded healthcare system is holding back the country socio-economically, Press TV reports.
“The US is considered worldwide to be a leader in the Western world. Why is it the only industrialized Western nation that hasn’t been able to implement a single pair universal healthcare system?” Roman Suver from Council on Hemispheric Affairs told Press TV.
The US Supreme Court is still months away from deciding if President Barack Obama’s reform law is unconstitutional after legal challenges that have left the country divided.
“The US is considered worldwide to be a leader in the Western world. Why is it the only industrialized Western nation that hasn’t been able to implement a single pair universal healthcare system?” Roman Suver from Council on Hemispheric Affairs told Press TV.
The US Supreme Court is still months away from deciding if President Barack Obama’s reform law is unconstitutional after legal challenges that have left the country divided.
Marijuana vending machine tested in Santa Ana
It's a vending machine, but instead of dispensing soda or snacks, it dispenses marijuana. It's right here in Southern California and police have taken notice.
It's called the Autospense and it resembles a vending machine, a system that dispenses medical marijuana.
The Dispense Labs company does not supply the pot for the machine, but the founder says his system makes it safer to dispense marijuana.
Security measures include fingerprint recognition. Patients must also swipe a registration card, then enter a personal-identification number before being able to buy marijuana.
It's called the Autospense and it resembles a vending machine, a system that dispenses medical marijuana.
The Dispense Labs company does not supply the pot for the machine, but the founder says his system makes it safer to dispense marijuana.
Security measures include fingerprint recognition. Patients must also swipe a registration card, then enter a personal-identification number before being able to buy marijuana.
Could Your Personality Be Reflected in Your Pooch?
The breed of dog a person chooses may mirror his or her own personality and outlook, a new study suggests.
The online survey of 1,000 dog owners by researchers at Bath Spa University in Bath, England, found certain personality traits, such as extroversion, agreeableness and emotional stability, are linked to specific breeds.
The research is to be presented Friday at the British Psychological Society annual meeting in London.
"This study indicates that we might be able to make predictions about someone's personality based on the breed of dog that they choose to own," study author Lance Workman said in a society news release. "It seems likely that personality types are subconsciously drawn to certain breeds."
The online survey of 1,000 dog owners by researchers at Bath Spa University in Bath, England, found certain personality traits, such as extroversion, agreeableness and emotional stability, are linked to specific breeds.
The research is to be presented Friday at the British Psychological Society annual meeting in London.
"This study indicates that we might be able to make predictions about someone's personality based on the breed of dog that they choose to own," study author Lance Workman said in a society news release. "It seems likely that personality types are subconsciously drawn to certain breeds."
Rape victims say military labels them 'crazy'
From 2001 to 2010, the military discharged more than 31,000 service members because of personality disorder, according to documents obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request by the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Asked by CNN how many of these cases involved sexual assault cases, the Defense Department says it does not keep such figures, nor would the Pentagon comment on individual cases.
Asked by CNN how many of these cases involved sexual assault cases, the Defense Department says it does not keep such figures, nor would the Pentagon comment on individual cases.
Two Heads Sometimes Better Than One
Wise groups follow the advice of confident decision makers. So do foolish groups. But a group’s success or failure depends on whether what’s commonly known corresponds to the truth in a given situation, a new study finds.
Heeding recommendations of the most confident member of a two- or three-person group often works well, says psychologist Asher Koriat of the University of Haifa in Israel. That’s because in many settings, high confidence is associated with majority opinions, which are frequently correct about general types of knowledge, Koriat reports in the April 20 Science.
Confidence-based group decisions go awry when majority opinions don’t jibe with reality. Most people assume, for example, that the larger of two countries in area also has a larger population, but there are exceptions to this rule. In these instances, the opinion of the least confident group member is most accurate, Koriat observes.
Heeding recommendations of the most confident member of a two- or three-person group often works well, says psychologist Asher Koriat of the University of Haifa in Israel. That’s because in many settings, high confidence is associated with majority opinions, which are frequently correct about general types of knowledge, Koriat reports in the April 20 Science.
Confidence-based group decisions go awry when majority opinions don’t jibe with reality. Most people assume, for example, that the larger of two countries in area also has a larger population, but there are exceptions to this rule. In these instances, the opinion of the least confident group member is most accurate, Koriat observes.
Fracking: Pennsylvania Gags Physicians
A new Pennsylvania law endangers public health by forbidding health care professionals from sharing information they learn about certain chemicals and procedures used in high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing. The procedure is commonly known as fracking.
Fracking is the controversial method of forcing water, gases, and chemicals at tremendous pressure of up to 15,000 pounds per square inch into a rock formation as much as 10,000 feet below the earth’s surface to open channels and force out natural gas and fossil fuels.
Fracking is the controversial method of forcing water, gases, and chemicals at tremendous pressure of up to 15,000 pounds per square inch into a rock formation as much as 10,000 feet below the earth’s surface to open channels and force out natural gas and fossil fuels.
Inside the Racist Mind
After a recent event where I spoke about racial identity, a white woman sidled up to me, leaned in close so no one near us could hear, and said, “I’m racist.” Many people would be repelled. I was entranced. Here was someone who could tell me first hand how the racist mind worked. Social scientists have done studies on Klansmen and Neo-Nazis but those sorts of people are outliers, socially and mentally, while this woman was the sort of person you might encounter on a normal day. She seemed indicative of the sort of racist mind we’d be mostly likely to meet. She seemed normal. So I decided to talk to her and find out how her mind worked.
Studies show most people have some sort of prejudice or bias. “Decades of cognitive bias research demonstrates that both unconscious and conscious biases lead to discriminatory actions even when an individual does not want to discriminate,” write Michelle Alexander in her book The New Jim Crow. “The fact that you may honestly believe that you are not biased against African Americans, and that you may have black friends and relatives, does not mean that you are free from unconscious bias. Implicit bias tests may still show that you hold negative attitudes and stereotypes about blacks even though you do not believe you do and do not want to.” Part of the problem is the monsoon of negative messages about blacks coming at Americans which makes being non-racist almost like mentally swimming upstream.
Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2012/04/19/inside-the-racist-mind/#ixzz1sgoMZdE8
Studies show most people have some sort of prejudice or bias. “Decades of cognitive bias research demonstrates that both unconscious and conscious biases lead to discriminatory actions even when an individual does not want to discriminate,” write Michelle Alexander in her book The New Jim Crow. “The fact that you may honestly believe that you are not biased against African Americans, and that you may have black friends and relatives, does not mean that you are free from unconscious bias. Implicit bias tests may still show that you hold negative attitudes and stereotypes about blacks even though you do not believe you do and do not want to.” Part of the problem is the monsoon of negative messages about blacks coming at Americans which makes being non-racist almost like mentally swimming upstream.
Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2012/04/19/inside-the-racist-mind/#ixzz1sgoMZdE8
Florence Colgate: Girl who has 'Britain's most beautiful face'
Leonardo Da Vinci spent a lifetime trying to paint one. Scientists and mathematicians have puzzled for centuries over what makes one, while cosmetic surgeons have amassed fortunes striving to create one.
And Florence Colgate? Well, she simply has one.
The 18-year-old student is blessed with what is described as the perfect face. It matches an international blueprint for the optimum ratio between eyes, mouth, forehead and chin, endowing her with flawless proportions.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2132896/Florence-Colgate-Girl-Britains-beautiful-face.html#ixzz1sgo3LfmJ
And Florence Colgate? Well, she simply has one.
The 18-year-old student is blessed with what is described as the perfect face. It matches an international blueprint for the optimum ratio between eyes, mouth, forehead and chin, endowing her with flawless proportions.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2132896/Florence-Colgate-Girl-Britains-beautiful-face.html#ixzz1sgo3LfmJ
Germany's nuclear power phaseout turns off environmentalists
When the German government shut down half the country's nuclear reactors after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, followed two months later by a pledge to abandon nuclear power within a decade, environmentalists cheered.
A year later, however, criticism of the nuclear shutdown is emerging from a surprising source: some of the very activists who pushed for the phaseout.
They say poor planning of the shutdown and political opportunism by the government have actually worsened the toll on the environment in Germany, and Europe, at least in the short term.
To make up for the lost nuclear power, which supplied 22% of Germany's electricity before the phaseout began, the country has increased its reliance on brown coal, a particularly high emitter of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and a major contributor to global warming. Brown coal now supplies 25% of Germany's electricity, up from 23% a year ago.
A year later, however, criticism of the nuclear shutdown is emerging from a surprising source: some of the very activists who pushed for the phaseout.
They say poor planning of the shutdown and political opportunism by the government have actually worsened the toll on the environment in Germany, and Europe, at least in the short term.
To make up for the lost nuclear power, which supplied 22% of Germany's electricity before the phaseout began, the country has increased its reliance on brown coal, a particularly high emitter of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and a major contributor to global warming. Brown coal now supplies 25% of Germany's electricity, up from 23% a year ago.
Scientists make alternatives to DNA and RNA
DNA and RNA molecules are the basis for all life on Earth, but they don't necessarily have to be the basis for all life everywhere, scientists have shown.
Researchers at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, England, demonstrated that six synthetic molecules that are similar to — but not exactly like — DNA and RNA have the potential to exhibit "hallmarks of life" such as storing genetic information, passing it along and undergoing evolution. The man-made molecules are called "XNAs."
"DNA and RNA aren't the only answers," said Vitor Pinheiro, the postdoctoral researcher who led the study, which was published this week in the journal Science.
Researchers at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, England, demonstrated that six synthetic molecules that are similar to — but not exactly like — DNA and RNA have the potential to exhibit "hallmarks of life" such as storing genetic information, passing it along and undergoing evolution. The man-made molecules are called "XNAs."
"DNA and RNA aren't the only answers," said Vitor Pinheiro, the postdoctoral researcher who led the study, which was published this week in the journal Science.
Women with Heart Disease More Likely to Have Baby Girls, Study Finds
Pregnant women with heart disease are more likely to give birth to girls than boys, according to a new study from Iran.
The study involved 200 pregnant women diagnosed with heart disease who were referred to a heart center for delivery. Of the 216 children born to these women, 75 percent were girls.
The number of boys born in any human population should be similar to the number of girls born, but the boy-to-girl ratio in any given country can vary depending on practices of sex selection. In Iran, about 105 boys are born for every 100 girls, according to the Central Intelligence Agency. In the heart disease study, 32 boys were born for every 100 girls.
The study involved 200 pregnant women diagnosed with heart disease who were referred to a heart center for delivery. Of the 216 children born to these women, 75 percent were girls.
The number of boys born in any human population should be similar to the number of girls born, but the boy-to-girl ratio in any given country can vary depending on practices of sex selection. In Iran, about 105 boys are born for every 100 girls, according to the Central Intelligence Agency. In the heart disease study, 32 boys were born for every 100 girls.
April 20, 2012
Greenwashed Car Ads Make People Feel Good About Polluting
Despite all the hype about fuel efficient cars and the future of alternative fuels, there are few things more harmful to the environment than cars.
But the automakers know if they have any chance of selling cars to consumers, they need to wrap themselves up in a mantle of green. Environmentalists call this marketing "greenwashing" -- trying to make your product look more earth-friendly than it actually is.
Sure, cars are better today than they were back in 1970, when Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson decided we should start celebrating Earth Day every year on April 22. We stopped using leaded gas in cars. Automakers invented and started using catalytic converters -- which use platinum-plated ceramic balls to chemically clean exhaust before it spews out into the air. And states got tougher on smog emissions testing, keeping the worst polluting-cars off the road.
But the automakers know if they have any chance of selling cars to consumers, they need to wrap themselves up in a mantle of green. Environmentalists call this marketing "greenwashing" -- trying to make your product look more earth-friendly than it actually is.
Sure, cars are better today than they were back in 1970, when Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson decided we should start celebrating Earth Day every year on April 22. We stopped using leaded gas in cars. Automakers invented and started using catalytic converters -- which use platinum-plated ceramic balls to chemically clean exhaust before it spews out into the air. And states got tougher on smog emissions testing, keeping the worst polluting-cars off the road.
Did Cold Weather Cause the Salem Witch Trials?
Historical records indicate that, worldwide, witch hunts occur more often during cold periods, possibly because people look for scapegoats to blame for crop failures and general economic hardship. Fitting the pattern, scholars argue that cold weather may have spurred the infamous Salem witch trials in 1692.
The theory, first laid out by the economist Emily Oster in her senior thesis at Harvard University eight years ago, holds that the most active era of witchcraft trials in Europe coincided with a 400- year period of lower-than-average temperature known to climatologists as the "little ice age."Oster, now an associate professor of economics at the University of Chicago, showed that as the climate varied from year to year during this cold period, lower temperatures correlated with higher numbers of witchcraft accusations.
The theory, first laid out by the economist Emily Oster in her senior thesis at Harvard University eight years ago, holds that the most active era of witchcraft trials in Europe coincided with a 400- year period of lower-than-average temperature known to climatologists as the "little ice age."Oster, now an associate professor of economics at the University of Chicago, showed that as the climate varied from year to year during this cold period, lower temperatures correlated with higher numbers of witchcraft accusations.
FDA says nanotech may need extra safety tests
U.S. health regulators said consumer products that use nanotechnology may have unknown effects on the human body, and advised food and cosmetic companies on Friday to further study the safety of these tiny particles.
Nanotechnology involves designing and manufacturing materials on the scale of one-billionth of a meter - so small it cannot be seen with a regular light microscope.
It is used in hundreds of products in areas ranging from stain-resistant clothing and cosmetics to food additives, but the health effects of nanoparticles are still poorly understood.
Nanoparticles may be able to penetrate the skin, or move between organs, and scientists do not always understand what effect this will have.
Nanotechnology involves designing and manufacturing materials on the scale of one-billionth of a meter - so small it cannot be seen with a regular light microscope.
It is used in hundreds of products in areas ranging from stain-resistant clothing and cosmetics to food additives, but the health effects of nanoparticles are still poorly understood.
Nanoparticles may be able to penetrate the skin, or move between organs, and scientists do not always understand what effect this will have.
Two heads not better than one, research suggests
A study by scientists found that individuals could be better at problem solving on their own, as long as they were confident in their own answers.
When they attempted to answer in groups, those who offered the right answer tended to be drowned out by more confident members who confused them or led them astray, the research found.
The findings suggest the old adage “too many cooks spoil the broth” could indeed be more accurate than “two heads are better than one”, as people are better off thinking for themselves.
When they attempted to answer in groups, those who offered the right answer tended to be drowned out by more confident members who confused them or led them astray, the research found.
The findings suggest the old adage “too many cooks spoil the broth” could indeed be more accurate than “two heads are better than one”, as people are better off thinking for themselves.
Photoreceptor transplant restores vision in mice
Scientists from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology have shown for the first time that transplanting light-sensitive photoreceptors into the eyes of visually impaired mice can restore their vision.
The research, published in Nature, suggests that transplanting photoreceptors -- light-sensitive nerve cells that line the back of the eye -- could form the basis of a new treatment to restore sight in people with degenerative eye diseases.
Scientists injected cells from young healthy mice directly into the retinas of adult mice that lacked functional rod-photoreceptors. Loss of photoreceptors is the cause of blindness in many human eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and diabetes-related blindness.
The research, published in Nature, suggests that transplanting photoreceptors -- light-sensitive nerve cells that line the back of the eye -- could form the basis of a new treatment to restore sight in people with degenerative eye diseases.
Scientists injected cells from young healthy mice directly into the retinas of adult mice that lacked functional rod-photoreceptors. Loss of photoreceptors is the cause of blindness in many human eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and diabetes-related blindness.
10 Pieces of Evidence That Plants Are Smarter Than You Think
Though plants possess nothing even remotely like brains, they can nevertheless communicate, measure time, and even use camouflage. They may not be thinking in a way that we'd recognize, but our chlorophyll-saturated pals are certainly doing a lot more than sitting around splitting water molecules. Here are ten things plants do that look pretty damn smart — even to those of us over here in the Kingdom Animalia.
Solar cell that also shines: Luminescent 'LED-type' design breaks efficiency record
To produce the maximum amount of energy, solar cells are designed to absorb as much light from the Sun as possible. Now researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have suggested -- and demonstrated -- a counterintuitive concept: solar cells should be designed to be more like LEDs, able to emit light as well as absorb it.
The Berkeley team will present its findings at the Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO: 2012), to be held May 6-11 in San Jose, Calif.
"What we demonstrated is that the better a solar cell is at emitting photons, the higher its voltage and the greater the efficiency it can produce," says Eli Yablonovitch, principal researcher and UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering.
Since 1961, scientists have known that, under ideal conditions, there is a limit to the amount of electrical energy that can be harvested from sunlight hitting a typical solar cell. This absolute limit is, theoretically, about 33.5 percent. That means that at most 33.5 percent of the energy from incoming photons will be absorbed and converted into useful electrical energy.
The Berkeley team will present its findings at the Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO: 2012), to be held May 6-11 in San Jose, Calif.
"What we demonstrated is that the better a solar cell is at emitting photons, the higher its voltage and the greater the efficiency it can produce," says Eli Yablonovitch, principal researcher and UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering.
Since 1961, scientists have known that, under ideal conditions, there is a limit to the amount of electrical energy that can be harvested from sunlight hitting a typical solar cell. This absolute limit is, theoretically, about 33.5 percent. That means that at most 33.5 percent of the energy from incoming photons will be absorbed and converted into useful electrical energy.
Mini-sensor measures magnetic activity in human brain
A miniature atom-based magnetic sensor developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has passed an important research milestone by successfully measuring human brain activity. Experiments reported this week verify the sensor's potential for biomedical applications such as studying mental processes and advancing the understanding of neurological diseases.
NIST and German scientists used the NIST sensor to measure alpha waves in the brain associated with a person opening and closing their eyes as well as signals resulting from stimulation of the hand. The measurements were verified by comparing them with signals recorded by a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device). SQUIDs are the world's most sensitive commercially available magnetometers and are considered the "gold standard" for such experiments. The NIST mini-sensor is slightly less sensitive now but has the potential for comparable performance while offering potential advantages in size, portability and cost.
NIST and German scientists used the NIST sensor to measure alpha waves in the brain associated with a person opening and closing their eyes as well as signals resulting from stimulation of the hand. The measurements were verified by comparing them with signals recorded by a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device). SQUIDs are the world's most sensitive commercially available magnetometers and are considered the "gold standard" for such experiments. The NIST mini-sensor is slightly less sensitive now but has the potential for comparable performance while offering potential advantages in size, portability and cost.
Atomic blockade: Technique efficiently creates single photons for quantum information processing
Using lasers to excite just one atom from a cloud of ultra-cold rubidium gas, physicists have developed a new way to rapidly and efficiently create single photons for potential use in optical quantum information processing -- and in the study of dynamics and disorder in certain physical systems.
The technique takes advantage of the unique properties of atoms that have one or more electrons excited to a condition of near-ionization known as the Rydberg state. Atoms in this highly excited state -- with a principal quantum number greater than 70 -- have exaggerated electromagnetic properties and interact strongly with one another. That allows one Rydberg atom to block the formation of additional excited atoms within an area of 10 to 20 microns.
That single Rydberg atom can then be converted to a photon, ensuring that -- on average -- only one photon is produced from a rubidium cloud containing hundreds of densely-packed atoms. Reliably producing a single photon with well known properties is important to a several research areas, including quantum information systems.
The technique takes advantage of the unique properties of atoms that have one or more electrons excited to a condition of near-ionization known as the Rydberg state. Atoms in this highly excited state -- with a principal quantum number greater than 70 -- have exaggerated electromagnetic properties and interact strongly with one another. That allows one Rydberg atom to block the formation of additional excited atoms within an area of 10 to 20 microns.
That single Rydberg atom can then be converted to a photon, ensuring that -- on average -- only one photon is produced from a rubidium cloud containing hundreds of densely-packed atoms. Reliably producing a single photon with well known properties is important to a several research areas, including quantum information systems.
April 19, 2012
Starbucks to phase out use of bug extract as food coloring
Want some crushed bugs with your Starbucks frappuccino?
Well, you'd better get on it, because soon it will be too late. The coffee franchise announced that it's phasing out the use of insects as food coloring in its drinks and food products.
Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) President Cliff Burrows wrote, in a Thursday blog, that Starbucks is "transitioning" away from the use of an insect called the cochineal.
Burrows blogged that Starbucks "fell short of your expectations by using natural cochineal extract as a colorant in four food and two beverage offerings in the United States."
Well, you'd better get on it, because soon it will be too late. The coffee franchise announced that it's phasing out the use of insects as food coloring in its drinks and food products.
Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) President Cliff Burrows wrote, in a Thursday blog, that Starbucks is "transitioning" away from the use of an insect called the cochineal.
Burrows blogged that Starbucks "fell short of your expectations by using natural cochineal extract as a colorant in four food and two beverage offerings in the United States."
“In 14 and a half seconds, the sun provides as much energy to Earth as humanity uses in a day.”
Our quick post the other day on a fun image noting that deserts receive more energy from the sun in 6 hours than humankind consumes within a year was quite popular, as was Vote Solar’s witty solar energy spill billboard, so I figure you might also like the image above that the Australian Youth Climate Coalition dropped on the CleanTechnica ‘timeline’ on Facebook. As it notes, in 14 and a half seconds, the sun provides as much energy to Earth as humanity uses in a day.
Quake Expert: Earth Cracking Up
A leading earthquake scientist has warned that the planet could be cracking up after a series of massive quakes in just 48 hours.
Expert Gheorghe Marmureanu - from Romania's National Institute of Earth Physics - says 39 quakes had hit the globe within two days.
The series started with two massive quakes in Indonesia measuring 8.6 and 8.2 on the Richter scale rapidly followed by three more only slightly smaller in Mexico within hours.
"There is no doubt that something is seriously wrong. There have been too many strong earthquakes," said Marmureanu.
Expert Gheorghe Marmureanu - from Romania's National Institute of Earth Physics - says 39 quakes had hit the globe within two days.
The series started with two massive quakes in Indonesia measuring 8.6 and 8.2 on the Richter scale rapidly followed by three more only slightly smaller in Mexico within hours.
"There is no doubt that something is seriously wrong. There have been too many strong earthquakes," said Marmureanu.
Boundary between electronics and biology is blurring: First proof of ferroelectricity in simplest amino acid
The boundary between electronics and biology is blurring with the first detection by researchers at Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory of ferroelectric properties in an amino acid called glycine.
A multi-institutional research team led by Andrei Kholkin of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, used a combination of experiments and modeling to identify and explain the presence of ferroelectricity, a property where materials switch their polarization when an electric field is applied, in the simplest known amino acid -- glycine.
"The discovery of ferroelectricity opens new pathways to novel classes of bioelectronic logic and memory devices, where polarization switching is used to record and retrieve information in the form of ferroelectric domains," said coauthor and senior scientist at ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) Sergei Kalinin.
A multi-institutional research team led by Andrei Kholkin of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, used a combination of experiments and modeling to identify and explain the presence of ferroelectricity, a property where materials switch their polarization when an electric field is applied, in the simplest known amino acid -- glycine.
"The discovery of ferroelectricity opens new pathways to novel classes of bioelectronic logic and memory devices, where polarization switching is used to record and retrieve information in the form of ferroelectric domains," said coauthor and senior scientist at ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) Sergei Kalinin.
How social interaction and teamwork led to human intelligence
Scientists have discovered proof that the evolution of intelligence and larger brain sizes can be driven by cooperation and teamwork, shedding new light on the origins of what it means to be human. The study appears online in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B and was led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin: PhD student, Luke McNally and Assistant Professor Dr Andrew Jackson at the School of Natural Sciences in collaboration with Dr Sam Brown of the University of Edinburgh.
Electrons Can Split Into Two
Until now, electrons have been regarded as elementary particles—which means that scientists thought they had no component parts or substructure. But now, electrons have been observed decaying into two separate parts—causing physicists to rethink what they know about the particles.
The electrons split into two separate parts, each carrying a particular property of the electron. In layman's terms? The first, called a "spinon" carries its spin—which causes electrons to behave a bit like compass point. The second, called an "orbiton" carries its orbital moment—that's what keeps electrons moving around the nucleus of atoms. The result is reported in this week's issue of Nature. Jeroen van den Brink, one of the researchers, explains:
The electrons split into two separate parts, each carrying a particular property of the electron. In layman's terms? The first, called a "spinon" carries its spin—which causes electrons to behave a bit like compass point. The second, called an "orbiton" carries its orbital moment—that's what keeps electrons moving around the nucleus of atoms. The result is reported in this week's issue of Nature. Jeroen van den Brink, one of the researchers, explains:
'Extreme Universe' puzzle deepens
The mystery surrounding the source of the highest-energy particles known in the Universe has grown deeper.
The particles, known as cosmic rays, can show up with energies a million times higher than the biggest particle accelerators on Earth can produce.
Astrophysicists believed that only two sources could make them: supermassive black holes in active galaxies, or so-called gamma ray bursts.
A study in Nature has now all but ruled out gamma ray bursts as the cause.
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are the brightest events we know of, though their sources remain a matter of some debate. They can release in hours more energy than our Sun will ever produce.
The particles, known as cosmic rays, can show up with energies a million times higher than the biggest particle accelerators on Earth can produce.
Astrophysicists believed that only two sources could make them: supermassive black holes in active galaxies, or so-called gamma ray bursts.
A study in Nature has now all but ruled out gamma ray bursts as the cause.
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are the brightest events we know of, though their sources remain a matter of some debate. They can release in hours more energy than our Sun will ever produce.
'Eggless' chick laid by hen in Sri Lanka
A Sri Lanka hen has given birth to a chick without an egg, in a new twist on the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first.
Instead of passing out of the hen's body and being incubated outside, the egg was incubated in the hen for 21 days and then hatched inside the hen.
The chick is fully formed and healthy, although the mother has died.
The government veterinary officer in the area said he had never seen anything like it before.
Instead of passing out of the hen's body and being incubated outside, the egg was incubated in the hen for 21 days and then hatched inside the hen.
The chick is fully formed and healthy, although the mother has died.
The government veterinary officer in the area said he had never seen anything like it before.
Silicon Solar Cells Ditch the Wafers
Startup Crystal Solar hopes to take some of the cost out of high-performance single-crystalline solar cells by eliminating conventional silicon wafers. The company says it has developed a wafer-free process for making 50-micrometer-thick solar cells with over 15 percent efficiency, with the possibility of higher efficiencies. Because the process doesn't waste much silicon, Crystal Solar expects to produce cells for half or even a third of the cost of conventional cells.
Phone data shows romance 'driven by women'
A study of mobile phone calls suggests that women call their spouse more than any other person.
That changes as their daughters become old enough to have children, after which they become the most important person in their lives.
The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
It also shows that men call their spouse most often for the first seven years of their relationship. They then shift their focus to other friends.
That changes as their daughters become old enough to have children, after which they become the most important person in their lives.
The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
It also shows that men call their spouse most often for the first seven years of their relationship. They then shift their focus to other friends.
Nearby Dark Matter Mysteriously Missing
A new study has found no trace of the mysterious substance known as dark matter around the sun, adding a twist to current theories, researchers say.
Dark matter is one of the greatest cosmic mysteries of our time — an invisible, intangible material thought to make up five-sixths of all matter in the universe. Scientists currently think it is composed of a new type of particle, one that interacts normally with gravity but only very weakly with all the other known forces of the universe. As such, dark matter is detectable only via the gravitational pull it generates.
Astronomers first proposed the existence of dark matter to explain why stars moved the way they did in the Milky Way. It was as if extra matter was present, exerting a gravitational pull that influenced the motions of the stars.
Dark matter is one of the greatest cosmic mysteries of our time — an invisible, intangible material thought to make up five-sixths of all matter in the universe. Scientists currently think it is composed of a new type of particle, one that interacts normally with gravity but only very weakly with all the other known forces of the universe. As such, dark matter is detectable only via the gravitational pull it generates.
Astronomers first proposed the existence of dark matter to explain why stars moved the way they did in the Milky Way. It was as if extra matter was present, exerting a gravitational pull that influenced the motions of the stars.
April 18, 2012
'OFF LABEL': a Journey Through Drugged America
In the film "OFF LABEL," directors Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher investigate the epidemic of skyrocketing use of medication, following such disparate characters as human guinea pigs in drug testing, a former pharmaceutical rep and a mother who blames a drug study for her son's suicide.
Kenichi Ito, 'Monkey Man,' Holds World Record In Four-Legged Running
Some might say Kenichi Ito has gone bananas.
The 29-year-old Tokyo man has spent the past eight and a half years developing a four-legged running style modeled after the African Patas monkey, according to Reuters. The process has involved Ito walking around his suburban neighborhood and performing household chores on all fours, and even squatting like a simian while talking to others.
This lifestyle is no monkey business, though.
In November 2008, Ito set the world record for running 100 meters on all fours. His time was 18.58 seconds, according to Guinness World Records.
The 29-year-old Tokyo man has spent the past eight and a half years developing a four-legged running style modeled after the African Patas monkey, according to Reuters. The process has involved Ito walking around his suburban neighborhood and performing household chores on all fours, and even squatting like a simian while talking to others.
This lifestyle is no monkey business, though.
In November 2008, Ito set the world record for running 100 meters on all fours. His time was 18.58 seconds, according to Guinness World Records.
Why the Occupy Movement Matters; Looking into the Crystal Ball - Occupy is More than a Movement, It's an Idea
Ever since the winter hit the US the Occupy Movement that many have now claimed dead has been very much alive. Many main stream media outlets refute this claim with questions such as why have their numbers dwindled in the streets, and where is the change that was their clarion call? These questions have some legitimacy, however the main stream media once again has got it wrong. Fox News and other right wing media networks compare the movement to hippies looking for hand outs or spoiled entitled ignorant kids who don't understand how the world works. They have done this to discredit the movement and to detract from people hearing the actual message of Occupy. These same media outlets also have a habit of comparing the Occupy Movement to the Tea Party movement of 2009-2010.
Farm group seeks U.S. halt on 'dangerous' crop chemicals
A coalition of more than 2,000 U.S. farmers and food companies said Wednesday it is taking legal action to force government regulators to analyze potential problems with proposed biotech crops and the weed-killing chemicals to be sprayed over them.
Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical, and Monsanto Co. are among several global chemical and seed companies racing to roll out combinations of genetically altered crops and new herbicides designed to work with the crops as a way to counter rapidly spreading herbicide-resistant weeds that are choking millions of acres of U.S. farmland.
Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical, and Monsanto Co. are among several global chemical and seed companies racing to roll out combinations of genetically altered crops and new herbicides designed to work with the crops as a way to counter rapidly spreading herbicide-resistant weeds that are choking millions of acres of U.S. farmland.
Using science to bring together enemies
While tensions remain high between the United States and North Korea, the relationship is more cordial between their scientists.
Scientists from both nations are collaborating via nongovernmental organizations and universities on projects ranging from tuberculosis research and deforestation issues to digital information technology.
The idea behind science diplomacy is to build bridges and relationships through research and academics despite political tensions. This month, a delegation of North Korean economic experts visited Silicon Valley to see various American businesses and academic institutions such as Stanford University. It may seem like a bizarre concept that two countries, at odds with each other, would share scientific knowledge.
Scientists from both nations are collaborating via nongovernmental organizations and universities on projects ranging from tuberculosis research and deforestation issues to digital information technology.
The idea behind science diplomacy is to build bridges and relationships through research and academics despite political tensions. This month, a delegation of North Korean economic experts visited Silicon Valley to see various American businesses and academic institutions such as Stanford University. It may seem like a bizarre concept that two countries, at odds with each other, would share scientific knowledge.
Lead dust is linked to violence, study suggests
Childhood exposure to lead dust has been linked to lasting physical and behavioral effects, and now lead dust from vehicles using leaded gasoline has been linked to instances of aggravated assault two decades after exposure, says Tulane toxicologist Howard W. Mielke.
Vehicles using leaded gasoline that contaminated cities' air decades ago have increased aggravated assault in urban areas, researchers say.
The new findings are published in the journal Environment International by Mielke, a research professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, and demographer Sammy Zahran at the Center for Disaster and Risk Analysis at Colorado State University.
Vehicles using leaded gasoline that contaminated cities' air decades ago have increased aggravated assault in urban areas, researchers say.
The new findings are published in the journal Environment International by Mielke, a research professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, and demographer Sammy Zahran at the Center for Disaster and Risk Analysis at Colorado State University.
Violence in men caused by unequal wealth and competition, study suggests
Violence in men can be explained by traditional theories of sexual selection. In a review of the literature, Professor John Archer from the University of Central Lancashire, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, points to a range of evidence that suggests that high rates of physical aggression and assaults in men are rooted in inter-male competition.
These findings are presented April 18 at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London (18-20 April).
Professor Archer describes evidence showing that differences between men and women in the use of physical aggression peak when men and women are in their twenties. In their twenties, men are more likely to report themselves as high in physical aggression, and to be arrested for engaging in assaults and the use of weapons, than at any other age. They also engage in these activities at a phenomenally higher rate than women.
These findings are presented April 18 at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London (18-20 April).
Professor Archer describes evidence showing that differences between men and women in the use of physical aggression peak when men and women are in their twenties. In their twenties, men are more likely to report themselves as high in physical aggression, and to be arrested for engaging in assaults and the use of weapons, than at any other age. They also engage in these activities at a phenomenally higher rate than women.
It doesn’t mean you’re crazy –- talking to yourself has cognitive benefits, study finds
Most people talk to themselves at least every few days, and many report talking to themselves on an hourly basis. What purpose is served by this seemingly irrational behavior? Previous research has suggested that such self-directed speech in children can help guide their behavior. For example, children often talk themselves step-by-step through tying their shoelaces, as if reminding themselves to focus on the job in hand.
"One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least somebody's listening." Franklin P. Jones once said.
Can talking to oneself also help adults?
"One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least somebody's listening." Franklin P. Jones once said.
Can talking to oneself also help adults?
Brain scans can predict weight gain and sexual activity, research shows
At a time when obesity has become epidemic in American society, Dartmouth scientists have found that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans may be able to predict weight gain. In a study published April 18, 2012, in The Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers demonstrated a connection between fMRI brain responses to appetite-driven cues and future behavior.
"This is one of the first studies in brain imaging that uses the responses observed in the scanner to predict important, real-world outcomes over a long period of time," says Todd Heatherton, the Lincoln Filene Professor in Human Relations in the department of psychological and brain sciences and a coauthor on the study. "Using brain activity to predict a consequential behavior outside the scanner is pretty novel."
"This is one of the first studies in brain imaging that uses the responses observed in the scanner to predict important, real-world outcomes over a long period of time," says Todd Heatherton, the Lincoln Filene Professor in Human Relations in the department of psychological and brain sciences and a coauthor on the study. "Using brain activity to predict a consequential behavior outside the scanner is pretty novel."
Shock Vid: Mother Wants the Right to Euthanize ‘Severely Disabled’ Children — And ‘90%’ of Dr. Phil’s Audience Agrees
Would you euthanize your disabled children, especially your adult children? One Canadian woman is fighting to do just that.
Dr. Phil recently featured Annette Corriveau, on his show. She is the mother of Janet and Jeffery, two severely disabled adults who she says if they had the ability to chose for themselves, they would “opt for suicide.” Since they can’t communicate though, she wants the right to end their lives herself.
Dr. Phil recently featured Annette Corriveau, on his show. She is the mother of Janet and Jeffery, two severely disabled adults who she says if they had the ability to chose for themselves, they would “opt for suicide.” Since they can’t communicate though, she wants the right to end their lives herself.
Gravity disturbs bees' dancing
Honey bees that dance to give directions to flowers make more errors when performing horizontally due to gravity, say researchers.
Female foragers perform "waggle runs" on the hive's honeycomb for other bees.
The intricate movements display the direction and distance of the flowers from the hive.
Researchers from the University of Sussex are "eavesdropping" on bees to find out more about where they feed in Britain.
Female foragers perform "waggle runs" on the hive's honeycomb for other bees.
The intricate movements display the direction and distance of the flowers from the hive.
Researchers from the University of Sussex are "eavesdropping" on bees to find out more about where they feed in Britain.
First description of a triple DNA helix in vacuum
A team of researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) have managed for the first time to extract trustworthy structural information from a triple helix DNA in gas phase, that is to say in conditions in which DNA is practically in a vacuum. This research could bring the development of antigen therapy based on these DNA structures closer.
People with tattoos drink more alcohol than their friends, say researchers
Although tattoos and body piercings have gone mainstream, they still carry a connotation of risky behavior. And a new study suggests this stereotype is borne out in the drinking habits of those who modify their bodies: they drink more alcohol than their friends with undecorated skins.
For four Saturday nights, ninety-nine undergraduate business students in the west of France became temporary researchers. In four separate cities, they waited outside bars that catered primarily to college students, and surveyed youths as they left the drinking establishments. Almost 2000 subjects, 20 years old on average, told the interviewers how many tattoos and piercings they had, and underwent breathalyzer tests to determine how much alcohol they had consumed that night.
For four Saturday nights, ninety-nine undergraduate business students in the west of France became temporary researchers. In four separate cities, they waited outside bars that catered primarily to college students, and surveyed youths as they left the drinking establishments. Almost 2000 subjects, 20 years old on average, told the interviewers how many tattoos and piercings they had, and underwent breathalyzer tests to determine how much alcohol they had consumed that night.
April 17, 2012
Who Owns The Media? The 6 Monolithic Corporations That Control Almost Everything We Watch, Hear And Read
The six corporations that collectively control U.S. media today are Time Warner, Walt Disney, Viacom, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., CBS Corporation and NBC Universal. Together, the "big six" absolutely dominate news and entertainment in the United States. But even those areas of the media that the "big six" do not completely control are becoming increasingly concentrated. For example, Clear Channel now owns over 1000 radio stations across the United States. Companies like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are increasingly dominating the Internet.
Girls as Young as Six Are Hitting Puberty
I was in Eighth Grade when my period finally started and my self-perceived late development was an endless source of angst. The other girls in my class had breasts and bras -- why didn't I? Girls today have a different problem -- they're starting to develop in elementary school, according to a recent article in The New York Times, and that's causing a whole different kind of angst.
Girls as young as 6 and 7 are showing signs of puberty. A large 2010 study, cited in the article, found that 10 percent of white girls, 23 percent of black girls, 15 percent of Hispanic girls and 2 percent of Asian girls start developing breasts by age 7. The result? Children who look like teens, and parents who worry about that their daughters will a hard time negotiating childhood in womanly bodies.
Girls as young as 6 and 7 are showing signs of puberty. A large 2010 study, cited in the article, found that 10 percent of white girls, 23 percent of black girls, 15 percent of Hispanic girls and 2 percent of Asian girls start developing breasts by age 7. The result? Children who look like teens, and parents who worry about that their daughters will a hard time negotiating childhood in womanly bodies.
Majorana particle glimpsed in lab
Scientists think they may finally have seen evidence for a famously elusive quarry in particle physics.
The Majorana fermion was first predicted 75 years ago - a particle that could be its own anti-particle.
Now Dutch researchers, who have devised some exotic and minute circuitry to test for the Majorana's existence, believe their results show the fermion to be real.
The Majorana fermion was first predicted 75 years ago - a particle that could be its own anti-particle.
Now Dutch researchers, who have devised some exotic and minute circuitry to test for the Majorana's existence, believe their results show the fermion to be real.
... And Love Handles for All
What if we have it backward? What if the 310-pound man trying to jam into the middle seat and the 225-pound woman breaking into a sweat only halfway up the stairs aren’t the undisciplined miscreants of modern American life but the very emblems of it?
What if fatness, even obesity, is less a lurking danger than a likely destiny, and the surprise isn’t how many seriously overweight people are out there but how few?
Those are among the unsettling questions raised, at least implicitly, by “The Weight of the Nation,” an ambitious multiplatform project that takes the full measure of our girth, its genesis and its toll.
What if fatness, even obesity, is less a lurking danger than a likely destiny, and the surprise isn’t how many seriously overweight people are out there but how few?
Those are among the unsettling questions raised, at least implicitly, by “The Weight of the Nation,” an ambitious multiplatform project that takes the full measure of our girth, its genesis and its toll.
Stop being a wimp! Pain IS good for you
The well-known phrase, ‘no pain, no gain’ is more true than we ever thought.
Every year we spend millions of pounds trying to save ourselves from feeling pain, be it a throbbing headache or the excruciating agony of acute illnesses such as heart attacks and angina.
But scientists are realising how the dreaded sensation actually plays a crucial role in keeping us alive, by setting off hidden healing processes when we suffer heart attacks, and preventing chronic diseases such as arthritis breaking out.
Every year we spend millions of pounds trying to save ourselves from feeling pain, be it a throbbing headache or the excruciating agony of acute illnesses such as heart attacks and angina.
But scientists are realising how the dreaded sensation actually plays a crucial role in keeping us alive, by setting off hidden healing processes when we suffer heart attacks, and preventing chronic diseases such as arthritis breaking out.
World economy fragile, faces "uneasy calm:" IMF
Global growth is slowly improving as the U.S. recovery gains traction and dangers from Europe recede, but risks remain elevated and the situation is very fragile, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.
Another flare-up of the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis or sharp escalation in oil prices on geopolitical uncertainty could disrupt the world economy finding its feet now tensions in the euro zone have subsided, the IMF said.
"An uneasy calm remains. One has the feeling that at any moment things could well get very bad again," IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard told reporters as he detailed the Fund's World Economic Outlook.
Another flare-up of the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis or sharp escalation in oil prices on geopolitical uncertainty could disrupt the world economy finding its feet now tensions in the euro zone have subsided, the IMF said.
"An uneasy calm remains. One has the feeling that at any moment things could well get very bad again," IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard told reporters as he detailed the Fund's World Economic Outlook.
Baby with 6 legs struggling to survive
A six-legged baby boy is struggling to survive at the National Institute of Child Health in Karachi, Pakistan, the New York Daily News reported.
The boy had a premature conjoined twin, which resulted in the extra limbs, according to the Institute’s director, Jamal Raza.
“One of the babies is not fully developed, giving the present physical structure to the baby,” Raza told The News Tribe, a U.K.-based website.
The child was born last week in Sukkur, a city in southeastern Pakistan. His father is currently seeking help from charities and the Pakistani government, because he said he can’t afford to travel to Karachi to see his son, and he cannot afford the baby’s surgery.
The boy had a premature conjoined twin, which resulted in the extra limbs, according to the Institute’s director, Jamal Raza.
“One of the babies is not fully developed, giving the present physical structure to the baby,” Raza told The News Tribe, a U.K.-based website.
The child was born last week in Sukkur, a city in southeastern Pakistan. His father is currently seeking help from charities and the Pakistani government, because he said he can’t afford to travel to Karachi to see his son, and he cannot afford the baby’s surgery.
Quakes Caused By Waste From Gas Wells, Study Finds
The U.S. Geological Survey will soon confirm that the oil and gas industry is creating earthquakes, and new data from the Midwest finds that these man-made quakes are happening more often than originally thought.
Earthquakes happen when faults in the Earth slip and slide against each other. There's continuous stress on innumerable faults on our continent, but seismologists like Bill Ellsworth, from the U.S. Geological Survey, started seeing something odd about 12 years ago.
"One thing we had begun to notice was that there were an unusual number of earthquakes in the middle of the country," he says, an area not known for quakes. They were small, though — usually just over magnitude 3. Then, in 2009, the shaking got much more frequent.
Earthquakes happen when faults in the Earth slip and slide against each other. There's continuous stress on innumerable faults on our continent, but seismologists like Bill Ellsworth, from the U.S. Geological Survey, started seeing something odd about 12 years ago.
"One thing we had begun to notice was that there were an unusual number of earthquakes in the middle of the country," he says, an area not known for quakes. They were small, though — usually just over magnitude 3. Then, in 2009, the shaking got much more frequent.
Magnetic fields can send particles to infinity
Researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, Spain) have mathematically shown that particles charged in a magnetic field can escape into infinity without ever stopping. One of the conditions is that the field is generated by current loops situated on the same plane.
At the moment this is a theoretical mathematical study, but two researchers from UCM have recently proved that, in certain conditions, magnetic fields can send particles to infinity, according to the study published in the journal Quarterly of Applied Mathematics.
At the moment this is a theoretical mathematical study, but two researchers from UCM have recently proved that, in certain conditions, magnetic fields can send particles to infinity, according to the study published in the journal Quarterly of Applied Mathematics.
3D printer developed for drugs
Researchers at Glasgow University have developed a revolutionary new process to print drugs using 3D printing technology.
The development could lead to people having a "personal pharmacy" dispensing medicines at home.
The team say their work, which has been published in the journal Nature Chemistry, may one day be able to diagnose illnesses before they happen.
The development could lead to people having a "personal pharmacy" dispensing medicines at home.
The team say their work, which has been published in the journal Nature Chemistry, may one day be able to diagnose illnesses before they happen.
Traffic pollution kills 5,000 a year in UK, says study
Road pollution is more than twice as deadly as traffic accidents, according to a study of UK air quality.
The analysis appears in Environmental Science and Technology, carried out by Steve Yim and Steven Barrett, pollution experts from MIT in Massachusetts.
They estimate that combustion exhausts across the UK cause nearly 5,000 premature deaths each year.
The pair also estimate that exhaust gases from aeroplanes cause a further 2,000 deaths annually.
The analysis appears in Environmental Science and Technology, carried out by Steve Yim and Steven Barrett, pollution experts from MIT in Massachusetts.
They estimate that combustion exhausts across the UK cause nearly 5,000 premature deaths each year.
The pair also estimate that exhaust gases from aeroplanes cause a further 2,000 deaths annually.
April 16, 2012
On the border between matter and anti-matter: Nanoscientists find long-sought Majorana particle
Scientists at TU Delft's Kavli Institute and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM Foundation) have succeeded for the first time in detecting a Majorana particle. In the 1930s, the brilliant Italian physicist Ettore Majorana deduced from quantum theory the possibility of the existence of a very special particle, a particle that is its own anti-particle: the Majorana fermion. That 'Majorana' would be right on the border between matter and anti-matter.
Nanoscientist Leo Kouwenhoven already caused great excitement among scientists in February by presenting the preliminary results at a scientific congress. Today, the scientists have published their research in Science. The research was financed by the FOM Foundation and Microsoft.
Nanoscientist Leo Kouwenhoven already caused great excitement among scientists in February by presenting the preliminary results at a scientific congress. Today, the scientists have published their research in Science. The research was financed by the FOM Foundation and Microsoft.
Science Fiction or Fact: Is Time Travel Possible?
In the first "Back to the Future" movie, all it took to travel through time was 1.21 gigawatts and a flux capacitor (packed into a DeLorean sports car for style points). Despite centuries of dreams and decades of bona fide research, flux capacitors remain beyond our grasp, as do any other time travel-enabling devices.
From a pure physics point of view, travel into the future is not at all impossible and in fact happens all the . . . time. With all due respect to Doc Brown, however, backward time travel stacks up as a much tougher proposition.
"We can travel at different rates to the future," said Seth Lloyd, a professor of quantum mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "To go into the past and mess around with it, that's more controversial."
From a pure physics point of view, travel into the future is not at all impossible and in fact happens all the . . . time. With all due respect to Doc Brown, however, backward time travel stacks up as a much tougher proposition.
"We can travel at different rates to the future," said Seth Lloyd, a professor of quantum mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "To go into the past and mess around with it, that's more controversial."
U.S. economy in better shape to handle high gas prices: Geithner
The U.S. economy is in a better position to deal with high gasoline prices, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Sunday, adding that unseasonably warm winter had lowered overall energy costs for consumers.
"The economy is in a much better position to deal with those pressures ... because natural gas prices are down, the overall cost of energy for consumers is down," Geithner said on ABC's "This Week" program.
A spike in gasoline prices caused economic growth to brake sharply in the first half of last year. Gasoline prices have risen 64 cents since the start of this year, leaving many Americans with a sense of deja vu, which was further reinforced by a slowdown in the pace of job creation last month.
"The economy is in a much better position to deal with those pressures ... because natural gas prices are down, the overall cost of energy for consumers is down," Geithner said on ABC's "This Week" program.
A spike in gasoline prices caused economic growth to brake sharply in the first half of last year. Gasoline prices have risen 64 cents since the start of this year, leaving many Americans with a sense of deja vu, which was further reinforced by a slowdown in the pace of job creation last month.
Why one in five U.S. adults doesn't use the Internet
Even though the Internet has become a key tool for accessing services, getting an education, finding jobs, getting the news, keeping up with people you know and much more, one in five U.S. adults still does not use the Internet at all, according to a new Pew report.
Why? Mostly they're just not interested -- not in the Web, e-mail, YouTube, Facebook or anything else that happens online.
"Among current non-internet users, almost half (48%) say the main reason they don't go online now is because they don't think the internet is relevant to them -- often saying they don't want to use the internet and don't need to use it to get the information they want or conduct the communication they want," said the report.
Why? Mostly they're just not interested -- not in the Web, e-mail, YouTube, Facebook or anything else that happens online.
"Among current non-internet users, almost half (48%) say the main reason they don't go online now is because they don't think the internet is relevant to them -- often saying they don't want to use the internet and don't need to use it to get the information they want or conduct the communication they want," said the report.
Does Your Name Determine Your Destiny?
The idea that our names are intertwined with our destinies goes at least as far back as the book of Genesis in the Bible, when Abram saw his name changed to Abraham, which means "father of multitudes" in Hebrew.
In more recent years, social psychology research has connected people's names to decisions they make in whom to marry, what street to live on and what they do for a living — all based on how similar the names were to a person’s own name.
But University of Pennsylvania researcher Uri Simonsohn is stirring controversy by questioning how much our names really matter in making life's more important decisions. Simonsohn examined whether people are likely to choose their workplaces based on how similar the company names are to their own.
More Than Mere Magic Mushrooms | This Could Be Big
One of the fungi we're looking at is called pestalotiopsis microspora. It was discovered by a group of Yale researchers on an expedition in Ecuador and can subsist on polyurethane alone in airless environments, like the bottom of a landfill.
The other comes from a couple of college friends who discovered that the sticky substance on the bottom of mushrooms called mycelium could be turned into a glue and when that glue is combined with corn husks and other food byproducts it takes on a form similar to Styrofoam. Their company, Ecovative wants used Styrofoam to become mulch, not waste.
A future with less plastic and more mulch, all thanks to fungus.
The other comes from a couple of college friends who discovered that the sticky substance on the bottom of mushrooms called mycelium could be turned into a glue and when that glue is combined with corn husks and other food byproducts it takes on a form similar to Styrofoam. Their company, Ecovative wants used Styrofoam to become mulch, not waste.
A future with less plastic and more mulch, all thanks to fungus.
Space is 4D: Theory Claims that Time is Not the 4th Dimension
Einstein never interpreted time "t" as a fourth dimension of space. Space is not 3D + T, space is 4D. With clocks we measure numerical order of material change. This numerical order is the only time that exists in a physical world. With this approach all immediate information transfers of quantum physics are explained in a more appropriate way. 4D space is a medium of quantum information transfers.
Scientists at the Scientific Research Centre Bistra in Ptuj, Slovenia, theorize that this Newtonian idea of time as an absolute quantity that flows on its own, along with the idea that time is the fourth dimension of spacetime, are incorrect. They propose to replace these concepts of time with a view that corresponds more accurately to the physical world: time as a measure of the numerical order of change.
In April of 2011, in two papers in Physics Essays, Amrit Sorli, Davide Fiscaletti, and Dusan Klinar, begin by explaining how we usually assume that time is an absolute physical quantity that plays the role of the independent variable (time, t, is often the x-axis on graphs that show the evolution of a physical system). But, as they note, we never really measure t. What we do measure is an object’s frequency and speed. But, by itself, t has only a mathematical value, and no primary physical existence.
Scientists at the Scientific Research Centre Bistra in Ptuj, Slovenia, theorize that this Newtonian idea of time as an absolute quantity that flows on its own, along with the idea that time is the fourth dimension of spacetime, are incorrect. They propose to replace these concepts of time with a view that corresponds more accurately to the physical world: time as a measure of the numerical order of change.
In April of 2011, in two papers in Physics Essays, Amrit Sorli, Davide Fiscaletti, and Dusan Klinar, begin by explaining how we usually assume that time is an absolute physical quantity that plays the role of the independent variable (time, t, is often the x-axis on graphs that show the evolution of a physical system). But, as they note, we never really measure t. What we do measure is an object’s frequency and speed. But, by itself, t has only a mathematical value, and no primary physical existence.
April 14, 2012
Rape victims say military labels them 'crazy'
Stephanie Schroeder joined the U.S. Marine Corps not long after 9/11. She was a 21-year-old with an associate's degree when she reported for boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina.
"I felt like it was the right thing to do," Schroeder recalls.
A year and a half later, the Marines diagnosed her with a personality disorder and deemed her psychologically unfit for the Corps.
Anna Moore enlisted in the Army after 9/11 and planned to make a career of it. Moore was a Patriot missile battery operator in Germany when she was diagnosed with a personality disorder and dismissed from the Army.
"I felt like it was the right thing to do," Schroeder recalls.
A year and a half later, the Marines diagnosed her with a personality disorder and deemed her psychologically unfit for the Corps.
Anna Moore enlisted in the Army after 9/11 and planned to make a career of it. Moore was a Patriot missile battery operator in Germany when she was diagnosed with a personality disorder and dismissed from the Army.
April 13, 2012
Obese Workers' Health Care Costs Top Those of Smokers
Obese workers have even higher health costs than smokers, a new study finds.
Researchers examined data from more than 30,000 Mayo Clinic employees and retirees who had continuous health insurance from 2001 to 2007.
The analysis revealed that both obesity and smoking were associated with higher health care costs. Average yearly health costs were $1,275 more for smokers than nonsmokers and $1,850 more for obese people than those with normal weight.
Health care costs for morbidly obese people were up to $5,500 more a year than for normal weight people.
Researchers examined data from more than 30,000 Mayo Clinic employees and retirees who had continuous health insurance from 2001 to 2007.
The analysis revealed that both obesity and smoking were associated with higher health care costs. Average yearly health costs were $1,275 more for smokers than nonsmokers and $1,850 more for obese people than those with normal weight.
Health care costs for morbidly obese people were up to $5,500 more a year than for normal weight people.
Common Plastics Chemical Might Boost Diabetes Risk
High blood levels of chemicals called phthalates, which are found in soaps, lotions, plastics and toys, may double the risk for type 2 diabetes among older adults, Swedish researchers say.
"Our study supports the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes," said lead researcher Monica Lind, an associate professor of environmental medicine in the section for occupational and environmental medicine at Uppsala University.
"Most people come into daily contact with phthalates as they are used as softening agents in everyday plastics and as carriers of perfumes in cosmetics and self-care products," she added.
The study's implications "must be to cut down on plastics and choose self-care products without perfumes," Lind said.
"Our study supports the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes," said lead researcher Monica Lind, an associate professor of environmental medicine in the section for occupational and environmental medicine at Uppsala University.
"Most people come into daily contact with phthalates as they are used as softening agents in everyday plastics and as carriers of perfumes in cosmetics and self-care products," she added.
The study's implications "must be to cut down on plastics and choose self-care products without perfumes," Lind said.
Opinion: An optimist's journey toward dropping the 'D-bomb'
These patronizing ("The Secret"? Are you serious?) prescriptions infuriated me, as if the reason I wasn't happy is because I hadn't tried hard enough.
A lot of the people reacted to the D-bomb the same way I did -- "You're depressed?! You? Stephanie Gallman? But you're one of the happiest people that I know! You Hula-Hoop in Walmart!" (I really do Hula-Hoop in Walmart -- every time I go.)
These are the people I wanted to reach out and hug; they made me feel like I hadn't turned into Debbie Downer.
It's true, to the outside world, I do appear happy. And I realize this is hard to grasp, even for me, but I am happy most of the time. I am fully aware of how blessed my life is and express gratitude for it daily. I have worked hard not to let what's going on with me on the inside affect the way I present myself on the outside.
A lot of the people reacted to the D-bomb the same way I did -- "You're depressed?! You? Stephanie Gallman? But you're one of the happiest people that I know! You Hula-Hoop in Walmart!" (I really do Hula-Hoop in Walmart -- every time I go.)
These are the people I wanted to reach out and hug; they made me feel like I hadn't turned into Debbie Downer.
It's true, to the outside world, I do appear happy. And I realize this is hard to grasp, even for me, but I am happy most of the time. I am fully aware of how blessed my life is and express gratitude for it daily. I have worked hard not to let what's going on with me on the inside affect the way I present myself on the outside.
The Problems Alcohol Can Help You Solve
For wine and beer lovers, the headlines might be a bit intoxicating.
A paper titled “Uncorking the muse: Alcohol intoxication facilitates creative problem solving” was the focus of a flurry of coverage on Thursday. In short, the study lends long-awaited credence to the idea that, when faced with certain creative tasks, a bit of alcohol might not be a bad idea.
Specifically, the study, published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition earlier this year, suggests that a certain amount of alcohol — enough to make you blow a 0.075 on a breathalyzer, to be exact — could nudge your mind just enough out of focus to be able to explore unorthodox solutions to a problem. Whether this nudge is helpful or detrimental depends on the problem at hand.
A paper titled “Uncorking the muse: Alcohol intoxication facilitates creative problem solving” was the focus of a flurry of coverage on Thursday. In short, the study lends long-awaited credence to the idea that, when faced with certain creative tasks, a bit of alcohol might not be a bad idea.
Specifically, the study, published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition earlier this year, suggests that a certain amount of alcohol — enough to make you blow a 0.075 on a breathalyzer, to be exact — could nudge your mind just enough out of focus to be able to explore unorthodox solutions to a problem. Whether this nudge is helpful or detrimental depends on the problem at hand.
Being in power does not always magnify personality
"If you want to test a man's character, give him power," said Abraham Lincoln. It's a truism that power magnifies personality -- but is it true? A new study says no. "Before, people thought that disposition is linked to will; it's mainly internally driven," says University College London psychologist Ana Guinote, who conducted the study with Mario Weick of the University of Kent and London doctoral student Alice Cai. "Our findings show that the environment crucially triggers dispositional or counter-dispositional behavior in powerful people."
Mars Viking Robots 'Found Life'
New analysis of 36-year-old data, resuscitated from printouts, shows NASA found life on Mars, an international team of mathematicians and scientists conclude in a paper published this week.
Further, NASA doesn't need a human expedition to Mars to nail down the claim, neuropharmacologist and biologist Joseph Miller, with the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, told Discovery News.
"The ultimate proof is to take a video of a Martian bacteria. They should send a microscope -- watch the bacteria move," Miller said.
"On the basis of what we've done so far, I'd say I'm 99 percent sure there's life there," he added.
Solar thermal process produces cement with no carbon dioxide emissions
In the conventional production of lime from limestone, fossil fuels are burned during the decarbonation process, resulting in a carbon dioxide byproduct. In the STEP process, solar thermal energy is used to heat the limestone as well as assist in electrolysis, producing a different chemical reaction with no carbon dioxide byproduct. Image credit: Licht, et al. ©2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry
While the largest contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is the power industry, the second largest is the more often overlooked cement industry, which accounts for 5-6% of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions. For every 10 kg of cement produced, the cement industry releases a full 9 kg of CO2. Since the world consumes about 3 trillion kg of cement annually, this sector has one of the highest potentials for CO2 emission reductions. But while processes are being explored to sequester the CO2 from cement production, so far no process can completely eliminate it.
While the largest contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is the power industry, the second largest is the more often overlooked cement industry, which accounts for 5-6% of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions. For every 10 kg of cement produced, the cement industry releases a full 9 kg of CO2. Since the world consumes about 3 trillion kg of cement annually, this sector has one of the highest potentials for CO2 emission reductions. But while processes are being explored to sequester the CO2 from cement production, so far no process can completely eliminate it.
Quantum computing: Is it possible, and should you care?
What is a quantum computer and when can I have one? It makes use of all that "spooky" quantum stuff and vastly increases computing power, right? And they'll be under every desk when scientists finally tame the spooky stuff, right? And computing will undergo a revolution no less profound than the one that brought us the microchip, right?
Well, sort of.
That is broadly what has been said about quantum computers up to now, but it's probably best to pause here and be clear about what is, at this stage, most likely to come.
Well, sort of.
That is broadly what has been said about quantum computers up to now, but it's probably best to pause here and be clear about what is, at this stage, most likely to come.
Sicilian volcano Mount Etna erupts again
Mount Etna, Europe's highest active volcano, has begun erupting again.
It is the third time the Sicilian volcano has erupted in the past month.
Despite the scale of the event, the authorites in Italy have said it does not currently pose any threat to local towns, and the nearby airport of Catania remains open.
BBC World's David Eades describes the volcano's latest eruption.
It is the third time the Sicilian volcano has erupted in the past month.
Despite the scale of the event, the authorites in Italy have said it does not currently pose any threat to local towns, and the nearby airport of Catania remains open.
BBC World's David Eades describes the volcano's latest eruption.
April 12, 2012
Even Toddlers Succumb to Peer Pressure, Study Says
Toddlers are more likely to pick up a behavior if they see most other toddlers doing it, a new study shows.
Researchers found that 2-year-olds were more likely to copy an action when they saw it repeated by three other toddlers than if they saw an action repeated by just one other toddler.
The findings appear online April 12 in the journal Current Biology.
"I think few people would have expected to find that 2-year-olds are already influenced by the majority," study author Daniel Haun, of the Max Planck Institutes for Evolutionary Anthropology and Psycholinguistics in Germany and the Netherlands. "Parents and teachers should be aware of these dynamics in children's peer interactions," Haun said in a journal news release.
Researchers found that 2-year-olds were more likely to copy an action when they saw it repeated by three other toddlers than if they saw an action repeated by just one other toddler.
The findings appear online April 12 in the journal Current Biology.
"I think few people would have expected to find that 2-year-olds are already influenced by the majority," study author Daniel Haun, of the Max Planck Institutes for Evolutionary Anthropology and Psycholinguistics in Germany and the Netherlands. "Parents and teachers should be aware of these dynamics in children's peer interactions," Haun said in a journal news release.
High levels of phthalates can lead to greater risk for type-2 diabetes
There is a connection between phthalates found in cosmetics and plastics and the risk of developing diabetes among seniors. Even at a modest increase in circulating phthalate levels, the risk of diabetes is doubled. This conclusion is drawn by researchers at Uppsala University in a study published in the journal Diabetes Care.
"Although our results need to be confirmed in more studies, they do support the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes," says Monica Lind, associate professor of environmental medicine at the Section for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University.
Together with Lars Lind, professor of medicine at Uppsala University, she has analysed new information from the so-called PIVUS study, which covers more than 1,000 70-year-old women and men in Uppsala.
"Although our results need to be confirmed in more studies, they do support the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes," says Monica Lind, associate professor of environmental medicine at the Section for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University.
Together with Lars Lind, professor of medicine at Uppsala University, she has analysed new information from the so-called PIVUS study, which covers more than 1,000 70-year-old women and men in Uppsala.
Monsanto Poisoned Workers Causing Devastating Birth Defects
In a developing news piece just unleashed by a courthouse news wire, Monsanto is being brought to court by dozens of Argentinean tobacco farmers who say that the biotech giant knowingly poisoned them with herbicides and pesticides and subsequently caused ”devastating birth defects” in their children. The farmers are now suing not only Monsanto on behalf of their children, but many big tobacco giants as well. The birth defects that the farmers say occurred as a result are many, and include cerebral palsy, down syndrome, psychomotor retardation, missing fingers, and blindness.
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-knowingly-poisoned-workers-devastating-birth-defects/#ixzz1rqLpOjZ4
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-knowingly-poisoned-workers-devastating-birth-defects/#ixzz1rqLpOjZ4
Breakthrough in quantum communication
Scientists have created the first elementary quantum network based on interfaces between single atoms and photons.A team of scientists at the MPQ realizes a first elementary quantum network based on interfaces between single atoms and photons.
Whether it comes to phoning a friend or to using the internet -- our daily communication is based on sophisticated networks, with data being transferred at the speed of light between different nodes. It is a tremendous challenge to build corresponding networks for the exchange of quantum information. These quantum networks would differ profoundly from their classical counterparts: Besides giving insights into fundamental questions in physics, they could also have applications in secure communication and the simulation of complex many-body systems, or they could be used for distributed quantum computing. One prerequisite for functional quantum networks are stationary nodes that allow for the reversible exchange of quantum information.
Whether it comes to phoning a friend or to using the internet -- our daily communication is based on sophisticated networks, with data being transferred at the speed of light between different nodes. It is a tremendous challenge to build corresponding networks for the exchange of quantum information. These quantum networks would differ profoundly from their classical counterparts: Besides giving insights into fundamental questions in physics, they could also have applications in secure communication and the simulation of complex many-body systems, or they could be used for distributed quantum computing. One prerequisite for functional quantum networks are stationary nodes that allow for the reversible exchange of quantum information.
'Time machine' will study the early universe
A new scientific instrument, a "time machine" of sorts, built by UCLA astronomers and colleagues, will allow scientists to study the earliest galaxies in the universe, which could never be studied before.
The five-ton instrument, the most advanced and sophisticated of its kind in the world, goes by the name MOSFIRE (Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infra-Red Exploration) and has been installed in the Keck I Telescope at the W.M. Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
The five-ton instrument, the most advanced and sophisticated of its kind in the world, goes by the name MOSFIRE (Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infra-Red Exploration) and has been installed in the Keck I Telescope at the W.M. Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
A gun in hand makes a man look taller, study says
The weapon may not make the man, but it certainly makes him loom larger, according to a new study by a team of UCLA researchers.
Their study, released Wednesday in the journal PLoS ONE, shows that a person holding a gun seems taller and more muscular in the viewer's mind than a person holding a tool or other object.
Their study, released Wednesday in the journal PLoS ONE, shows that a person holding a gun seems taller and more muscular in the viewer's mind than a person holding a tool or other object.
April 11, 2012
Could 'advanced' dinosaurs rule other planets?
New scientific research raises the possibility that advanced versions of T. rex and other dinosaurs -- monstrous creatures with the intelligence and cunning of humans -- may be the life forms that evolved on other planets in the universe. "We would be better off not meeting them," concludes the study, which appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
In the report, noted scientist Ronald Breslow, Ph.D., discusses the century-old mystery of why the building blocks of terrestrial amino acids (which make up proteins), sugars, and the genetic materials DNA and RNA exist mainly in one orientation or shape. There are two possible orientations, left and right, which mirror each other in the same way as hands. This is known as "chirality." In order for life to arise, proteins, for instance, must contain only one chiral form of amino acids, left or right. With the exception of a few bacteria, amino acids in all life on Earth have the left-handed orientation. Most sugars have a right-handed orientation. How did that so-called homochirality, the predominance of one chiral form, happen?
In the report, noted scientist Ronald Breslow, Ph.D., discusses the century-old mystery of why the building blocks of terrestrial amino acids (which make up proteins), sugars, and the genetic materials DNA and RNA exist mainly in one orientation or shape. There are two possible orientations, left and right, which mirror each other in the same way as hands. This is known as "chirality." In order for life to arise, proteins, for instance, must contain only one chiral form of amino acids, left or right. With the exception of a few bacteria, amino acids in all life on Earth have the left-handed orientation. Most sugars have a right-handed orientation. How did that so-called homochirality, the predominance of one chiral form, happen?
Hybrid copper-gold nanoparticles convert CO2
Copper -- the stuff of pennies and tea kettles -- is also one of the few metals that can turn carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels with relatively little energy. When fashioned into an electrode and stimulated with voltage, copper acts as a strong catalyst, setting off an electrochemical reaction with carbon dioxide that reduces the greenhouse gas to methane or methanol.
Various researchers around the world have studied copper's potential as an energy-efficient means of recycling carbon dioxide emissions in powerplants: Instead of being released into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide would be circulated through a copper catalyst and turned into methane -- which could then power the rest of the plant. Such a self-energizing system could vastly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired and natural-gas-powered plants.
Various researchers around the world have studied copper's potential as an energy-efficient means of recycling carbon dioxide emissions in powerplants: Instead of being released into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide would be circulated through a copper catalyst and turned into methane -- which could then power the rest of the plant. Such a self-energizing system could vastly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired and natural-gas-powered plants.
Trouble coping with the unfamiliar as you age? Blame your white matter
If you are an aging baby boomer and you've noticed it's a bit harder to drive to unfamiliar locations or to pick a new brand of olive oil at the supermarket, you can blame it on the white matter in your brain.
A brain-mapping study, published in the Apr. 11 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, has found that people's ability to make decisions in novel situations decreases with age and is associated with a reduction in the integrity of two specific white-matter pathways that connect an area in the cerebral cortex called the medial prefrontal cortex with two other areas deeper in the brain.
A brain-mapping study, published in the Apr. 11 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, has found that people's ability to make decisions in novel situations decreases with age and is associated with a reduction in the integrity of two specific white-matter pathways that connect an area in the cerebral cortex called the medial prefrontal cortex with two other areas deeper in the brain.
How Today's Teens Are Like Teens in 'Hunger Games'
"The Hunger Games" shows a grim futuristic world where teens are forced by a totalitarian government to fight to the death on national TV. The movie has now been the top-grossing film in the U.S. for three weeks.
The story's heroine is Katniss Everdeen, a tough-as-nails 16-year-old girl who provides for and protects her family after her father's death, and fights in the survival contest. While the setting of the Hunger Games is certainly extreme, experts say that some of Katniss’ behaviors and reactions to the events of her life, along with those of her fellow fighting "tributes," are big-screen versions of the behaviors and reactions of real teens.
Here are six reasons why experts say teens' actions in the movie the movie aren't too far off from reality.
The story's heroine is Katniss Everdeen, a tough-as-nails 16-year-old girl who provides for and protects her family after her father's death, and fights in the survival contest. While the setting of the Hunger Games is certainly extreme, experts say that some of Katniss’ behaviors and reactions to the events of her life, along with those of her fellow fighting "tributes," are big-screen versions of the behaviors and reactions of real teens.
Here are six reasons why experts say teens' actions in the movie the movie aren't too far off from reality.
AlterNet: The Making of a Rampage Murderer: What the Brutal Life of Oakland Shooter One L. Goh Says About America
And for a brief while last year, Goh’s mood was transformed, he really did think he had a great future ahead of him. One of Goh’s former employers at a food warehouse described Goh as “upbeat” when he ran into him last year in Oakland — a change from the usually quiet, sullen Goh he’d known.
This new “upbeat” One L. Goh boasted to his former employer “about how he had returned to school to become a nurse and help elderly people.”
The idea that you can reinvent yourself, that your fate is in your own hands, that you have the power inside of you to make yourself a winner (and if you fail, it’s all your own fault) — this may be America’s most toxic cultural snake-oil. And yet it never fails to find takers.
Of course, nothing changed — except that Goh had been conned out of his dad’s money. As his former employer put it:
“Not many people go back to school at that age. He was trying something new and it wasn’t working.”
This new “upbeat” One L. Goh boasted to his former employer “about how he had returned to school to become a nurse and help elderly people.”
The idea that you can reinvent yourself, that your fate is in your own hands, that you have the power inside of you to make yourself a winner (and if you fail, it’s all your own fault) — this may be America’s most toxic cultural snake-oil. And yet it never fails to find takers.
Of course, nothing changed — except that Goh had been conned out of his dad’s money. As his former employer put it:
“Not many people go back to school at that age. He was trying something new and it wasn’t working.”
Nation of couch potatoes
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that the U.S. is turning into a “paternalistic entitlement society” that will bankrupt the country financially and morally because “we’ll have a bunch of people sittin’ on a couch waiting for their next government check.”
“I’ve never seen a less optimistic time in my lifetime in this country and people wonder why,” the first-term Republican governor said at the Bush Institute Conference on Taxes and Economic Growth in New York City.
“I’ve never seen a less optimistic time in my lifetime in this country and people wonder why,” the first-term Republican governor said at the Bush Institute Conference on Taxes and Economic Growth in New York City.
The power of perceptions: Imagining the reality you want
Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who spent three years during World War II living under unspeakable circumstances in several of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps.
While imprisoned, Frankl realized he had one single freedom left: He had the power to determine his response to the horror unfolding around him.
And so he chose to imagine.
He imagined his wife and the prospect of seeing her again. He imagined himself teaching students after the war about the lessons he had learned.
Frankl survived and went on to chronicle his experiences and the wisdom he had drawn from them.e had drawn from them.
While imprisoned, Frankl realized he had one single freedom left: He had the power to determine his response to the horror unfolding around him.
And so he chose to imagine.
He imagined his wife and the prospect of seeing her again. He imagined himself teaching students after the war about the lessons he had learned.
Frankl survived and went on to chronicle his experiences and the wisdom he had drawn from them.e had drawn from them.
April 10, 2012
iBrain can ‘read your mind’; enlists Stephen Hawking
A team of California scientists have developed the world's first portable brain scanner, and it may soon be able to "read a person's mind," playing a major role in facilitating medical breakthroughs.
"This is very exciting for us because it allows us to have a window into the brain. We're building technology that will allow humanity to have access to the human brain for the first time," said the project's leader, Phillip Low.
KGTV reports that the device, created by San Diego-based NeuroVigil, and dubbed the iBrain, fits over a person's head and measures unique neurological patterns connected to specific thought processes.
"This is very exciting for us because it allows us to have a window into the brain. We're building technology that will allow humanity to have access to the human brain for the first time," said the project's leader, Phillip Low.
KGTV reports that the device, created by San Diego-based NeuroVigil, and dubbed the iBrain, fits over a person's head and measures unique neurological patterns connected to specific thought processes.
Consumerism and its antisocial effects can be turned on -- or off
Money doesn't buy happiness. Neither does materialism: Research shows that people who place a high value on wealth, status, and stuff are more depressed and anxious and less sociable than those who do not. Now new research shows that materialism is not just a personal problem. It's also environmental. "We found that irrespective of personality, in situations that activate a consumer mindset, people show the same sorts of problematic patterns in wellbeing, including negative affect and social disengagement," says Northwestern University psychologist Galen V. Bodenhausen.
Fish thriving around wind farms
The first Danish study into how one of the worlds largest wind farms affects marine life is now completed. It shows that the wind turbines and the fish live quite happily together. Indeed some species of fish have actually increased in number.
As work is just beginning on Denmark's newest and so far largest offshore wind farm off the island of Anholt, comes some hopefully good news for all fish in the area. A new report from the Danish wind-park Horns Rev 1, one of the world's largest offshore wind farms, shows that offshore wind farms and fish can live together in harmony.
The 80 huge turbines at Horns Rev 1 are located just off Denmark's westernmost point and will be celebrating their tenth birthday in just over a year's time. Like other offshore wind farms, it is located in relatively shallow water, no more than 20 meters deep, and thus in an area which is typically teeming with fish.
As work is just beginning on Denmark's newest and so far largest offshore wind farm off the island of Anholt, comes some hopefully good news for all fish in the area. A new report from the Danish wind-park Horns Rev 1, one of the world's largest offshore wind farms, shows that offshore wind farms and fish can live together in harmony.
The 80 huge turbines at Horns Rev 1 are located just off Denmark's westernmost point and will be celebrating their tenth birthday in just over a year's time. Like other offshore wind farms, it is located in relatively shallow water, no more than 20 meters deep, and thus in an area which is typically teeming with fish.
Mass participation dream experiment launches
Is it possible to influence people as they sleep and give them their perfect dream? April 10 sees the launch of a new study that uses a specially designed iPhone app in an attempt to improve the dreams of millions of people around the world. If successful, the study will allow people to create their perfect dream and so wake up feeling especially happy and refreshed.
This study was launched at the Edinburgh International Science Festival by psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire.
Wiseman has teamed-up with app developers YUZA to create 'Dream:ON' -- an app that monitors a person as they sleep and plays a carefully crafted 'soundscape' when they dream. Each soundscape has been carefully designed to evoke a pleasant scenario, such a walk in the woods, or lying on a beach, and Wiseman hopes that these sounds will influence people's dreams. At the end of the dream the app sounds a gentle alarm and prompts the person to submit a description of their dream into a database known as 'The Dream Catcher'. Users of Dream:ON are also encouraged to share their dreams via Facebook and Twitter.
This study was launched at the Edinburgh International Science Festival by psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire.
Wiseman has teamed-up with app developers YUZA to create 'Dream:ON' -- an app that monitors a person as they sleep and plays a carefully crafted 'soundscape' when they dream. Each soundscape has been carefully designed to evoke a pleasant scenario, such a walk in the woods, or lying on a beach, and Wiseman hopes that these sounds will influence people's dreams. At the end of the dream the app sounds a gentle alarm and prompts the person to submit a description of their dream into a database known as 'The Dream Catcher'. Users of Dream:ON are also encouraged to share their dreams via Facebook and Twitter.
Dental X-Rays Linked to Increased Brain Tumor Risk
People who've had frequent dental X-rays may have an increased risk of developing meningioma, a type of brain tumor, new research suggests.
People in the study with meningioma were twice as likely as tumor-free individuals to report ever having a "bitewing" exam, which requires a patient to bite down to hold an X-ray film in place while a device photographs a portion of the mouth.
While the study suggests an association between dental X-rays and risk of meningioma, it doesn't show the radiation actually causes brain tumors, researchers said. Moreover, the cancer remains rare — about 6,500 people are diagnosed with meningioma yearly in the U.S., according to the University of California, Los Angeles.
The researchers also pointed out that the study looked at X-rays performed in the past, when dental radiation exposure was greater than it is now, because of new guidelines and technology.
People in the study with meningioma were twice as likely as tumor-free individuals to report ever having a "bitewing" exam, which requires a patient to bite down to hold an X-ray film in place while a device photographs a portion of the mouth.
While the study suggests an association between dental X-rays and risk of meningioma, it doesn't show the radiation actually causes brain tumors, researchers said. Moreover, the cancer remains rare — about 6,500 people are diagnosed with meningioma yearly in the U.S., according to the University of California, Los Angeles.
The researchers also pointed out that the study looked at X-rays performed in the past, when dental radiation exposure was greater than it is now, because of new guidelines and technology.
Peak Civilization: MIT Research Team Predicts Global Economic Collapse and Precipitous Population Decline
Researchers at one of the world’s leading think tanks have developed a computing model that predicts serious implications for our way of life as a result of our incessant need to consume resources like oil, food, and fresh water. According to a team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the breaking point will come no later than 2030, and when it does, we can expect a paradigm shift unlike any we have seen before in human history – one that will not only collapse the economies of the world, but will cause food and energy production to decrease so significantly that it will lead to the deaths of hundreds of millions of people in the process.
April 9, 2012
Being Bullied Impacts Monkey Immune System
The stress of being the new kid on the block may cause changes to the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to getting sick, finds a new study on monkeys.
Researchers knew that social stress of being the low female on the dominance totem pole induces social stress in monkeys, but Jenny Tung, an associate professor at Duke University, wanted to see how this stress impacted them physically.
"It's possible to actually change an individual's social status and in that way induce social stress in some individuals and not others," Tung told LiveScience. "We extended prior work in rhesus macaques to the modern genomic era."
Researchers knew that social stress of being the low female on the dominance totem pole induces social stress in monkeys, but Jenny Tung, an associate professor at Duke University, wanted to see how this stress impacted them physically.
"It's possible to actually change an individual's social status and in that way induce social stress in some individuals and not others," Tung told LiveScience. "We extended prior work in rhesus macaques to the modern genomic era."
Being Ignored Feels Just as Bad Online
Being ignored feels just as bad when it happens online as when it happens in person.
That's the conclusion of a new study that looked at the emotional impact of feeling excluded using social media, such as Facebook, compared to face to face.
"If you've ever felt bad about being ignored on Facebook, you're not alone," study author Joshua Smyth, a professor of biobehavioral health and medicine at Penn State University, said in a university news release. "Facebook -- with its approximately 800 million users -- serves as a place to forge social connections; however, it is often a way to exclude others without the awkwardness of a face-to-face interaction."
That's the conclusion of a new study that looked at the emotional impact of feeling excluded using social media, such as Facebook, compared to face to face.
"If you've ever felt bad about being ignored on Facebook, you're not alone," study author Joshua Smyth, a professor of biobehavioral health and medicine at Penn State University, said in a university news release. "Facebook -- with its approximately 800 million users -- serves as a place to forge social connections; however, it is often a way to exclude others without the awkwardness of a face-to-face interaction."
Opening the gate to robust quantum computing: New technique for solid-state quantum info processing
Scientists have overcome a major hurdle facing quantum computing: how to protect quantum information from degradation by the environment while simultaneously performing computation in a solid-state quantum system. The research was reported in the April 5 issue of Nature.
A group led by U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory physicist Viatsheslav Dobrovitski and including scientists at Delft University of Technology; the University of California, Santa Barbara; and University of Southern California, made this big step forward on the path to using the motions of single electrons and nuclei for quantum information processing. The discovery opens the door to robust quantum computation with solid-state devices and using quantum technologies for magnetic measurements with single-atom precision at nanoscale.
A group led by U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory physicist Viatsheslav Dobrovitski and including scientists at Delft University of Technology; the University of California, Santa Barbara; and University of Southern California, made this big step forward on the path to using the motions of single electrons and nuclei for quantum information processing. The discovery opens the door to robust quantum computation with solid-state devices and using quantum technologies for magnetic measurements with single-atom precision at nanoscale.
Life expectancy may affect when you get married, divorced, have kids
Major life decisions such as marriage, divorce, abortion, having a child and attending university may be subconsciously influenced by how long people believe they will live, according to a Queen's University study.
"Life expectancy might be driving all of these major decisions," says Daniel Krupp, a post doctoral fellow in the Queen's math department who has a background in psychology and biology.
The longer someone expects to live, the more time they will invest in education. If life expectancy is short, someone may decide to get married and have children sooner, or stick with the partner they are currently with rather than seek a divorce.
"Life expectancy might be driving all of these major decisions," says Daniel Krupp, a post doctoral fellow in the Queen's math department who has a background in psychology and biology.
The longer someone expects to live, the more time they will invest in education. If life expectancy is short, someone may decide to get married and have children sooner, or stick with the partner they are currently with rather than seek a divorce.
Occupy Denver Writes Open Letter To Denver Mayor Hancock Over Urban Camping Ban (VIDEO)
Denver's City Council is considering an ordinance to "ban unauthorized camping" throughout the city, The Denver Post recently reported, and critics of the controversial bill say it is criminalizing homelessness.
If passed, it would be illegal for anyone to sleep in sleeping bags, tents, or other constructed outdoor shelters anywhere where camping is unauthorized, like: alleys, sidewalks, public city parks or outdoor malls. Namely, where some of the city's homeless bed down for the night.
If passed, it would be illegal for anyone to sleep in sleeping bags, tents, or other constructed outdoor shelters anywhere where camping is unauthorized, like: alleys, sidewalks, public city parks or outdoor malls. Namely, where some of the city's homeless bed down for the night.
Analysis: Asia gauges inflation through rear-view mirror
Depending on where you look, Asia's inflation is either benign or stubbornly hot.
China's March inflation rate stayed below Beijing's 4 percent target and appeared to be on a softening trajectory, and South Korea's dropped to a 20-month low. But other figures show price pressures actually picked up last month, and factories paid more for raw materials.
The disconnect stems from the way inflation is measured. The primary indicator in many Asian economies compares prices against a year earlier, not the prior month as is common in the United States and Europe.
That can be misleading.
China's March inflation rate stayed below Beijing's 4 percent target and appeared to be on a softening trajectory, and South Korea's dropped to a 20-month low. But other figures show price pressures actually picked up last month, and factories paid more for raw materials.
The disconnect stems from the way inflation is measured. The primary indicator in many Asian economies compares prices against a year earlier, not the prior month as is common in the United States and Europe.
That can be misleading.
Occupy's Plans to Take Down Bank of America
As part of a "Spring Preview" back in late February, about fifty protesters stood in the rain during a teach-in at Bryant Park to hear Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi explain that if enough people pulled their money from Bank of America and stock prices dipped for more than a month, the bank would be "kaput." (In classic Taibbi fashion, he also compared BoA selling bad mortgages to a dealer selling oregano as weed).
Taibbi's lesson and companion Rolling Stone features about how Bank of America is only able to currently exist because of taxpayer bailout money ($45 billion in the initial bailout, plus trillions in emergency loans from the Federal Reserve), despite BoA being an admitted felon, resonated strongly with Occupy Wall Street activists.
Taibbi's lesson and companion Rolling Stone features about how Bank of America is only able to currently exist because of taxpayer bailout money ($45 billion in the initial bailout, plus trillions in emergency loans from the Federal Reserve), despite BoA being an admitted felon, resonated strongly with Occupy Wall Street activists.
99 Percent Spring: Occupy-Style Tactics Adopted By MoveOn, Labor Unions For Teaching
On Monday and extending throughout this week, a coalition of progressive organizations from across the country will be hosting more than 900 training sessions with the goal of educating 100,000 participants in old-fashioned, in-your-face, direct-action protest techniques. The week of teach-ins are part of what the coalition is calling the 99 Percent Spring. Roughly 50,000 people will be taught in person, and plans call for another 50,000 to be trained online.
If that sounds like a familiar meme, it's not an accident. Pressured by Occupy Wall Street, the coalition's members -- including MoveOn, the United Auto Workers, Greenpeace and Rebuild the Dream -- are looking to move from more passive actions like online petitions, calls to Congress and town-square rallies to more aggressive Occupy-style targets and tactics.
If that sounds like a familiar meme, it's not an accident. Pressured by Occupy Wall Street, the coalition's members -- including MoveOn, the United Auto Workers, Greenpeace and Rebuild the Dream -- are looking to move from more passive actions like online petitions, calls to Congress and town-square rallies to more aggressive Occupy-style targets and tactics.
Good Science Always Has Political Ramifications: Scientific American
When speaking about science to scientists, there is one thing that can be said that will almost always raise their indignation, and that is that science is inherently political and that the practice of science is a political act. Science, they will respond, has nothing to do with politics. But is that true?
Let's consider the relationship between knowledge and power. "Knowledge and power go hand in hand," said Francis Bacon, "so that the way to increase in power is to increase in knowledge."
At its core, science is a reliable method for creating knowledge, and thus power. Because science pushes the boundaries of knowledge, it pushes us to constantly refine our ethics and morality, and that is always political. But beyond that, science constantly disrupts hierarchical power structures and vested interests in a long drive to give knowledge, and thus power, to the individual, and that process is also political.
Let's consider the relationship between knowledge and power. "Knowledge and power go hand in hand," said Francis Bacon, "so that the way to increase in power is to increase in knowledge."
At its core, science is a reliable method for creating knowledge, and thus power. Because science pushes the boundaries of knowledge, it pushes us to constantly refine our ethics and morality, and that is always political. But beyond that, science constantly disrupts hierarchical power structures and vested interests in a long drive to give knowledge, and thus power, to the individual, and that process is also political.
Is CERN Closer to Finding the "Higgs"? This Week's 8 TeV Collision Most Powerful in Human History
Just days after restarting from a winter shutdown, researchers at European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), report that stable beams of protons were smashed at four observation positions, with a combined energy of 8 trillion electron volts (TeV), earning a new world record, blowing away the previous record of 7 TeV -- a record set by the LHC in 2010.
"The experience of two good years of running at 3.5 TeV per beam gave us the confidence to increase the energy for this year without any significant risk to the machine" according to Steve Myers, CERN's particle accelerator director. "Now it's over to the experiments to make the best of the increased discovery potential we're delivering them!"
Aside from setting a record for the highest energy collisions ever made by man, the LHC had some impressive early accomplishments, discovering a new kind of subatomic particle and detecting evidence of dark matter (image above is the most remote, known "dark matter" galaxy).
The accelerator's successes come thanks to its extraordinary design, with a track 17 miles long cooled to temperatures colder than outer space, and is capable of sending protons hurling at speeds in excess of 99.999999 percent the speed of light.
"The experience of two good years of running at 3.5 TeV per beam gave us the confidence to increase the energy for this year without any significant risk to the machine" according to Steve Myers, CERN's particle accelerator director. "Now it's over to the experiments to make the best of the increased discovery potential we're delivering them!"
Aside from setting a record for the highest energy collisions ever made by man, the LHC had some impressive early accomplishments, discovering a new kind of subatomic particle and detecting evidence of dark matter (image above is the most remote, known "dark matter" galaxy).
The accelerator's successes come thanks to its extraordinary design, with a track 17 miles long cooled to temperatures colder than outer space, and is capable of sending protons hurling at speeds in excess of 99.999999 percent the speed of light.
Canadian scientists discover alternative to whale vomit for perfumers
A product from fir trees and yeast may soon replace ambergris, a kind of whale barf, to make expensive perfume, scientists said Thursday.
For centuries, perfume makers have prized ambergris for its ability to prevent scent from dissipating.
The wax-like substance is secreted by sperm whales to protect their digestive systems from sharp objects. When the animals vomit, the ambergis reacts with salty ocean water and eventually washes ashore in chunks that can look like rocks.
For centuries, perfume makers have prized ambergris for its ability to prevent scent from dissipating.
The wax-like substance is secreted by sperm whales to protect their digestive systems from sharp objects. When the animals vomit, the ambergis reacts with salty ocean water and eventually washes ashore in chunks that can look like rocks.
Light brings back bad memories: study
Memory is one of the enduring mysteries of neuroscience. How does the brain form a memory, store it, and then retrieve it later on? After a century of research, some answers began to emerge. It is now widely believed that memory formation involves the strengthening of connections between a network of nerve cells, and that memory recall occurs when that network is reactivated. There was, however, no direct evidence for this
Memory is one of the enduring mysteries of neuroscience. How does the brain form a memory, store it, and then retrieve it later on? After a century of research, some answers began to emerge. It is now widely believed that memory formation involves the strengthening of connections between a network of nerve cells, and that memory recall occurs when that network is reactivated. There was, however, no direct evidence for this.
Now, researchers at MIT show that the cellular networks that encode memories can not only be identified, but also manipulated. In a spectacular study published online last week in the journal Nature, they report that they have labelled the network of neurons encoding a specific memory, and then reactivated the same network by artificial means to induce memory recall.
Memory is one of the enduring mysteries of neuroscience. How does the brain form a memory, store it, and then retrieve it later on? After a century of research, some answers began to emerge. It is now widely believed that memory formation involves the strengthening of connections between a network of nerve cells, and that memory recall occurs when that network is reactivated. There was, however, no direct evidence for this.
Now, researchers at MIT show that the cellular networks that encode memories can not only be identified, but also manipulated. In a spectacular study published online last week in the journal Nature, they report that they have labelled the network of neurons encoding a specific memory, and then reactivated the same network by artificial means to induce memory recall.
'Universal' cancer vaccine developed
The therapy, which targets a molecule found in 90 per cent of all cancers, could provide a universal injection that allows patients' immune systems to fight off common cancers including breast and prostate cancer.
Preliminary results from early clinical trials have shown the vaccine can trigger an immune response in patients and reduce levels of disease.
The scientists behind the vaccine now hope to conduct larger trials in patients to prove it can be effective against a range of different cancers.
They believe it could be used to combat small tumours if they are detected early enough or to help prevent the return and spread of disease in patients who have undergone other forms of treatment such as surgery.
Cancer cells usually evade patient's immune systems because they are not recognised as being a threat. While the immune system usually attacks foreign cells such as bacteria, tumours are formed of the patient's own cells that have malfunctioned.
Preliminary results from early clinical trials have shown the vaccine can trigger an immune response in patients and reduce levels of disease.
The scientists behind the vaccine now hope to conduct larger trials in patients to prove it can be effective against a range of different cancers.
They believe it could be used to combat small tumours if they are detected early enough or to help prevent the return and spread of disease in patients who have undergone other forms of treatment such as surgery.
Cancer cells usually evade patient's immune systems because they are not recognised as being a threat. While the immune system usually attacks foreign cells such as bacteria, tumours are formed of the patient's own cells that have malfunctioned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)