April 4, 2012
China's rapid economic growth means population is 'wealthier but unhappier’
The average personal income in China has risen by five per cent a year since the mid 1990s. Yet according to Professor John Knight and Dr Sai Ding in their new book, this recent wealth does not equate with personal happiness. In China's Remarkable Economic Growth, they find that the happiness of the Chinese people has not risen as expected. When people were asked to rate their happiness or satisfaction with life, the average happiness score was found to have fallen over time.
Link between estrogen and tobacco smoke: Estrogen may help promote lung cancer
The hormone estrogen may help promote lung cancer -- including compounding the effects of tobacco smoke on the disease -- pointing towards potential new therapies that target the hormone metabolism, according to new research presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on April 3 by scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Milky Way's Rotation --It's Effect on Our Local Space Time
"The spin of our galaxy has a twisting effect on our local space that is a million times stronger than that caused by the spin of the Earth." --Dr Mark Hadley, of the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick
In 2011, A University of Warwick physicist produced a galaxy sized solution which explains one of the outstanding puzzles of particle physics, while leaving the door open to the related conundrum of why different amounts of matter and antimatter seem to have survived the birth of our Universe.
Physicists would like a neat universe where the laws of physics are so universal that every particle and its antiparticle behave in the same way. However in recent years experimental observations of particles known as Kaons and B Mesons have revealed significant differences in how their matter and anti matter versions decay.
In 2011, A University of Warwick physicist produced a galaxy sized solution which explains one of the outstanding puzzles of particle physics, while leaving the door open to the related conundrum of why different amounts of matter and antimatter seem to have survived the birth of our Universe.
Physicists would like a neat universe where the laws of physics are so universal that every particle and its antiparticle behave in the same way. However in recent years experimental observations of particles known as Kaons and B Mesons have revealed significant differences in how their matter and anti matter versions decay.
The world's quietest place is a chamber at Orfield Laboratories
They say silence is golden – but there’s a room in the U.S that’s so quiet it becomes unbearable after a short time.
The longest that anyone has survived in the ‘anechoic chamber’ at Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis is just 45 minutes.
It’s 99.99 per cent sound absorbent and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s quietest place, but stay there too long and you may start hallucinating.
The longest that anyone has survived in the ‘anechoic chamber’ at Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis is just 45 minutes.
It’s 99.99 per cent sound absorbent and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s quietest place, but stay there too long and you may start hallucinating.
Early-life exposure to BPA affects adult learning, animal study suggests
In testing the effects of the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on zebrafish, UW-Milwaukee scientist Daniel Weber found himself in familiar territory.
The results he observed were similar to those he'd seen when exposing the fish to mercury during their early development -- profound behavioral changes occurred not only immediately after hatching, but also in adulthood.
Like developmental exposure to mercury, adult fish that had been exposed to tiny amounts of BPA as embryos had learning and memory problems, compared to fish that had not been exposed.
The results he observed were similar to those he'd seen when exposing the fish to mercury during their early development -- profound behavioral changes occurred not only immediately after hatching, but also in adulthood.
Like developmental exposure to mercury, adult fish that had been exposed to tiny amounts of BPA as embryos had learning and memory problems, compared to fish that had not been exposed.
Self-sculpting sand robots are under development at MIT
Tiny robots that can join together to form functional tools and then split apart again after use might be ready for market in little more than a decade, according to researchers.
A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it has developed about 30 prototype "smart pebbles" and the software to run them.
The sides of each cube are 1cm (0.4 inches) in length.
A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it has developed about 30 prototype "smart pebbles" and the software to run them.
The sides of each cube are 1cm (0.4 inches) in length.
April 3, 2012
US Now Has Developed World's Highest Corporate Tax Rate
The United States, with the world's-largest economy, now has claimed the dubious distinction of having the industrialized world's highest corporate tax rate.
Japan dropped its corporate tax rate slightly on Sunday, to just more than 38 percent. That moved the United States to the top spot, with a 39.2 percent rate.
The U.S. has maintained that rate for two decades and it is unlikely to be changed in the coming months.
Japan dropped its corporate tax rate slightly on Sunday, to just more than 38 percent. That moved the United States to the top spot, with a 39.2 percent rate.
The U.S. has maintained that rate for two decades and it is unlikely to be changed in the coming months.
Fukushima radiation headed across Pacific
Radioactive material from the Fukushima nuclear disaster has been found in tiny sea creatures and ocean water some 186 miles (300 kilometers) off the coast of Japan, revealing the extent of the release and the direction pollutants might take in a future environmental disaster.
In some places, the researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) discovered cesium radiation hundreds to thousands of times higher than would be expected naturally, with ocean eddies and larger currents both guiding the " radioactive debris " and concentrating it.
In some places, the researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) discovered cesium radiation hundreds to thousands of times higher than would be expected naturally, with ocean eddies and larger currents both guiding the " radioactive debris " and concentrating it.
Coffee Drinking in Pregnancy Won't Lead to Sleepless Baby: Study
Caffeine consumption among expectant or new mothers does not appear to affect the nighttime sleeping habits of their newborns, new Brazilian research indicates.
The conclusion is based on an analysis of sleeping patterns among more than 4,200 infants until the age of 3 months, in light of the caffeine-consumption habits of their mothers both before and after delivery.
Researchers looked at two beverages: coffee and mate, a hot tea-like beverage popular in their area.
The team, led by study author Dr. Ina Santos of the postgraduate program in epidemiology at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, reports its observations online and in the May print issue of Pediatrics.
The conclusion is based on an analysis of sleeping patterns among more than 4,200 infants until the age of 3 months, in light of the caffeine-consumption habits of their mothers both before and after delivery.
Researchers looked at two beverages: coffee and mate, a hot tea-like beverage popular in their area.
The team, led by study author Dr. Ina Santos of the postgraduate program in epidemiology at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, reports its observations online and in the May print issue of Pediatrics.
Women who get pregnant while dieting increase babies' obesity risk
Women who conceive while dieting put their child at risk of obesity or diabetes in later life, UK scientists suggested.
Researchers from the University of Manchester in northern England came to the conclusion after studying sheep -- and said the results could also apply to humans.
Ewes that received less food around the time they became pregnant produced lambs with an altered DNA structure in the region of the brain related to food intake and glucose levels, the researchers found.
Researchers from the University of Manchester in northern England came to the conclusion after studying sheep -- and said the results could also apply to humans.
Ewes that received less food around the time they became pregnant produced lambs with an altered DNA structure in the region of the brain related to food intake and glucose levels, the researchers found.
Ginger Destroys Cancer More Effectively than Cancer Drugs
Ginger, a cousin spice of super anti-cancer substance turmeric, is known for its ability to shrink tumors. Astoundingly, it is even more effective than many cancer drugs, which have been shown to be completely ineffective and actually accelerate the death of cancer patients. Commonly consumed across the world in small doses among food and beverage products, the medicinal properties of ginger far surpass even advanced pharmaceutical inventions.
The subject of one study based out of Georgia State University, whole ginger extract was revealed to shrink prostate tumor size by a whopping 56% in mice. The anticancer properties were observed in addition to ginger’s role in reducing inflammation as well as being a rich source of life-enhancing antioxidants. But what about cancer drugs? Could this simple spice really topple the advanced pharmaceuticals that are often touted as the ‘only option’ for cancer patients by medical doctors?
The subject of one study based out of Georgia State University, whole ginger extract was revealed to shrink prostate tumor size by a whopping 56% in mice. The anticancer properties were observed in addition to ginger’s role in reducing inflammation as well as being a rich source of life-enhancing antioxidants. But what about cancer drugs? Could this simple spice really topple the advanced pharmaceuticals that are often touted as the ‘only option’ for cancer patients by medical doctors?
We're Underestimating the Risk of Human Extinction
Unthinkable as it may be, humanity, every last person, could someday be wiped from the face of the Earth. We have learned to worry about asteroids and supervolcanoes, but the more-likely scenario, according to Nick Bostrom, a professor of philosophy at Oxford, is that we humans will destroy ourselves.
Bostrom, who directs Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, has argued over the course of several papers that human extinction risks are poorly understood and, worse still, severely underestimated by society. Some of these existential risks are fairly well known, especially the natural ones. But others are obscure or even exotic. Most worrying to Bostrom is the subset of existential risks that arise from human technology, a subset that he expects to grow in number and potency over the next century.
Bostrom, who directs Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, has argued over the course of several papers that human extinction risks are poorly understood and, worse still, severely underestimated by society. Some of these existential risks are fairly well known, especially the natural ones. But others are obscure or even exotic. Most worrying to Bostrom is the subset of existential risks that arise from human technology, a subset that he expects to grow in number and potency over the next century.
April 2, 2012
New Data Support Einstein On Accelerating Universe
Einstein is still the boss, say researchers with the BOSS project for measuring key properties of the universe.
BOSS, for Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, has measured the distance to faraway galaxies more precisely than ever before, mapping the universe as it existed roughly 6 billion years ago, when it was only 63 percent of its current size. The findings suggest that the mysterious “dark energy” causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate was foreseen by Einstein, the researchers reported April 1 at the American Physical Society meeting.
To keep the universe in a static state, Einstein added a term called the “cosmological constant” to the equations for his theory of general relativity; when the universe was later found to be expanding, he called the constant his “biggest blunder.” But in recent years, the cosmological constant, which describes a repulsive force occupying all of space, has been invoked to explain the discovery, first reported in 1998, that the universe is expanding faster and faster.
BOSS, for Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, has measured the distance to faraway galaxies more precisely than ever before, mapping the universe as it existed roughly 6 billion years ago, when it was only 63 percent of its current size. The findings suggest that the mysterious “dark energy” causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate was foreseen by Einstein, the researchers reported April 1 at the American Physical Society meeting.
To keep the universe in a static state, Einstein added a term called the “cosmological constant” to the equations for his theory of general relativity; when the universe was later found to be expanding, he called the constant his “biggest blunder.” But in recent years, the cosmological constant, which describes a repulsive force occupying all of space, has been invoked to explain the discovery, first reported in 1998, that the universe is expanding faster and faster.
The War Against Youth
The recession didn't gut the prospects of American young people. The Baby Boomers took care of that.
Twenty-five years ago young Americans had a chance.
In 1984, American breadwinners who were sixty-five and over made ten times as much as those under thirty-five. The year Obama took office, older Americans made almost forty-seven times as much as the younger generation.
This bleeding up of the national wealth is no accounting glitch, no anomalous negative bounce from the recent unemployment and mortgage crises, but rather the predictable outcome of thirty years of economic and social policy that has been rigged to serve the comfort and largesse of the old at the expense of the young.
Twenty-five years ago young Americans had a chance.
In 1984, American breadwinners who were sixty-five and over made ten times as much as those under thirty-five. The year Obama took office, older Americans made almost forty-seven times as much as the younger generation.
This bleeding up of the national wealth is no accounting glitch, no anomalous negative bounce from the recent unemployment and mortgage crises, but rather the predictable outcome of thirty years of economic and social policy that has been rigged to serve the comfort and largesse of the old at the expense of the young.
Chinese Insider Offers Rare Glimpse of U.S.-China Frictions
The senior leadership of the Chinese government increasingly views the competition between the United States and China as a zero-sum game, with China the likely long-range winner if the American economy and domestic political system continue to stumble, according to an influential Chinese policy analyst.
China views the United States as a declining power, but at the same time believes that Washington is trying to fight back to undermine, and even disrupt, the economic and military growth that point to China’s becoming the world’s most powerful country, according to the analyst, Wang Jisi, the co-author of “Addressing U.S.-China Strategic Distrust,” a monograph published this week by the Brookings Institution in Washington and the Center for International and Strategic Studies at Peking University.
China views the United States as a declining power, but at the same time believes that Washington is trying to fight back to undermine, and even disrupt, the economic and military growth that point to China’s becoming the world’s most powerful country, according to the analyst, Wang Jisi, the co-author of “Addressing U.S.-China Strategic Distrust,” a monograph published this week by the Brookings Institution in Washington and the Center for International and Strategic Studies at Peking University.
Urine-soaked eggs a tasty, healthy treat?
Basins and buckets of boys' urine are collected from primary school toilets. It is the key ingredient in "virgin boy eggs", a local tradition of soaking and cooking eggs in the urine of young boys, preferably below the age of 10.
There is no good explanation for why it has to be boys' urine, just that it has been so for centuries.
The scent of these eggs being cooked in pots of urine is unmistakable as people pass the many street vendors in Dongyang who sell it, claiming it has remarkable health properties.
"If you eat this, you will not get heat stroke. These eggs cooked in urine are fragrant," said Ge Yaohua, 51, who owns one of the more popular "virgin boy eggs" stalls.
There is no good explanation for why it has to be boys' urine, just that it has been so for centuries.
The scent of these eggs being cooked in pots of urine is unmistakable as people pass the many street vendors in Dongyang who sell it, claiming it has remarkable health properties.
"If you eat this, you will not get heat stroke. These eggs cooked in urine are fragrant," said Ge Yaohua, 51, who owns one of the more popular "virgin boy eggs" stalls.
Link between violent computer games and aggressiveness questioned
There is a long-lasting and at times intense debate about the possible link between violent computer games and aggressiveness. A group of researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, are now questioning the entire basis of the discussion. In a recently published article, they present a new study showing that, more than anything, a good ability to cooperate is a prerequisite for success in the violent gaming environment.
Researchers argue that gamers not only learn to cooperate but also to understand complex contexts, understand how skills can be improved, and think through cause and effect relationships.The opposing camp, on the other hand, is convinced that the games may foster violent and aggressive behaviour outside the gaming environment.
Researchers argue that gamers not only learn to cooperate but also to understand complex contexts, understand how skills can be improved, and think through cause and effect relationships.The opposing camp, on the other hand, is convinced that the games may foster violent and aggressive behaviour outside the gaming environment.
Brain Scan Foretells Who Will Fold Under Pressure
As any high school senior staring down the SAT knows, when the stakes are high, some test-takers choke. A new study finds that activity in distinct parts of the brain can predict whether a person will remain cool or crumble under pressure.
The results, presented April 1 at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, offer some great new clues that may help scientists understand how the brain copes with stressful situations, says psychologist Thomas Carr of Michigan State University in East Lansing. “Sometimes you come across a study you wish you'd done yourself,” he says “This is such a study.”
In the study, Andrew Mattarella-Micke and Sian Beilock, both of the University of Chicago, had volunteers perform math problems, some easy, some hard, while undergoing a functional MRI scan. These two-step calculations were designed to tap into a person’s working memory: Participants had to hold an intermediate number in mind to correctly calculate the final answer.
The results, presented April 1 at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, offer some great new clues that may help scientists understand how the brain copes with stressful situations, says psychologist Thomas Carr of Michigan State University in East Lansing. “Sometimes you come across a study you wish you'd done yourself,” he says “This is such a study.”
In the study, Andrew Mattarella-Micke and Sian Beilock, both of the University of Chicago, had volunteers perform math problems, some easy, some hard, while undergoing a functional MRI scan. These two-step calculations were designed to tap into a person’s working memory: Participants had to hold an intermediate number in mind to correctly calculate the final answer.
Pondering a universe without purpose
The illusion of purpose and design is perhaps the most pervasive illusion about nature that science has to confront on a daily basis. Everywhere we look, it appears that the world was designed so that we could flourish.
The position of the Earth around the sun, the presence of organic materials and water and a warm climate — all make life on our planet possible. Yet, with perhaps 100 billion solar systems in our galaxy alone, with ubiquitous water, carbon and hydrogen, it isn't surprising that these conditions would arise somewhere. And as to the diversity of life on Earth — as Darwin described more than 150 years ago and experiments ever since have validated — natural selection in evolving life forms can establish both diversity and order without any governing plan.
The position of the Earth around the sun, the presence of organic materials and water and a warm climate — all make life on our planet possible. Yet, with perhaps 100 billion solar systems in our galaxy alone, with ubiquitous water, carbon and hydrogen, it isn't surprising that these conditions would arise somewhere. And as to the diversity of life on Earth — as Darwin described more than 150 years ago and experiments ever since have validated — natural selection in evolving life forms can establish both diversity and order without any governing plan.
IBM takes on a gigantic computing task to find the universe’s origins
Some of the biggest friggin’ computers you’ll ever see are going to help decipher data from the world’s largest telescope as it explores the origins of the universe.
IBM announced today it has won a $42 million contract to work with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) to research the “exascale” computer systems that are needed for the radio telescope, which is known as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). The project, to be completed in 2024, is perhaps one of the biggest scientific and computing efforts of all time.
IBM announced today it has won a $42 million contract to work with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) to research the “exascale” computer systems that are needed for the radio telescope, which is known as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). The project, to be completed in 2024, is perhaps one of the biggest scientific and computing efforts of all time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)