Big Asteroid's Approach in November Excites Astronomers - FoxNews.com
An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will come closer to Earth this autumn than our own moon does, causing scientists to hold their breath as it zooms by. But they'll be nervous with excitement, not with worry about a possible disaster.
There's no danger of an impact when the asteroid 2005 YU55 makes its close flyby Nov. 8, coming within 201,700 miles (325,000 kilometers) of Earth, scientists say.
May 10, 2011
Original versus copy: Researchers develop forgery-proof prototypes for product authentication
Original versus copy: Researchers develop forgery-proof prototypes for product authentication
Styrian pumpkin-seed oil or cheap copy? When you choose a product, you want the quality you've paid for. But how can you test that what's inside is what it says on the label? The future of quality protection belongs to electronic components and so-called RFID tags. In the future, consumers will be able to test the authenticity of a product using their mobile phones.
For this, all the data has to be electronically checked. In the framework of the "Crypta" project supported by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), scientists from Graz University of Technology have now developed a prototype which safeguards objects according to new standards.
Styrian pumpkin-seed oil or cheap copy? When you choose a product, you want the quality you've paid for. But how can you test that what's inside is what it says on the label? The future of quality protection belongs to electronic components and so-called RFID tags. In the future, consumers will be able to test the authenticity of a product using their mobile phones.
For this, all the data has to be electronically checked. In the framework of the "Crypta" project supported by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), scientists from Graz University of Technology have now developed a prototype which safeguards objects according to new standards.
Scientists achieve guiding of electrons by purely electric fields
Scientists achieve guiding of electrons by purely electric fields
The investigation of the properties of electrons plays a key role for the understanding of the fundamental laws of nature. However, being extremely small and quick, electrons are difficult to control. Physicists around Dr. Peter Hommelhoff, head of the Max Planck Research Group "Ultrafast Quantum Optics" at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (Garching near Munich), have now demonstrated efficient guiding of slow electrons by applying a microwave voltage to electrodes fabricated on a planar substrate.
The investigation of the properties of electrons plays a key role for the understanding of the fundamental laws of nature. However, being extremely small and quick, electrons are difficult to control. Physicists around Dr. Peter Hommelhoff, head of the Max Planck Research Group "Ultrafast Quantum Optics" at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (Garching near Munich), have now demonstrated efficient guiding of slow electrons by applying a microwave voltage to electrodes fabricated on a planar substrate.
May 9, 2011
5 Wacky Things That Are Good for Your Health | Fecal Transplants, Barefoot Running & Tongue Scraping | Bad Medicine | LiveScience
5 Wacky Things That Are Good for Your Health | Fecal Transplants, Barefoot Running & Tongue Scraping | Bad Medicine | LiveScience
You no doubt have heard of the resurgence of leeches, used in modern medicine to heal wounds. Other crazy ideas are gaining acceptance, too. We list them here, from the tamest to the hardest to stomach.
You no doubt have heard of the resurgence of leeches, used in modern medicine to heal wounds. Other crazy ideas are gaining acceptance, too. We list them here, from the tamest to the hardest to stomach.
Sexual orientation affects cancer survivorship, study finds
Sexual orientation affects cancer survivorship, study finds
Gay men have a higher prevalence of cancer compared with heterosexual men, and lesbian and bisexual female cancer survivors report lower levels of health than heterosexual female cancer survivors. Those are the conclusions of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Gay men have a higher prevalence of cancer compared with heterosexual men, and lesbian and bisexual female cancer survivors report lower levels of health than heterosexual female cancer survivors. Those are the conclusions of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
May 6, 2011
Prolonged Bottle Feeding Linked to Obesity
Prolonged Bottle Feeding Linked to Obesity - FoxNews.com
Babies who are still drinking from a bottle after the age of one are more likely to become obese, U.S. researchers said today.
A study of almost 7,000 children by scientists at Temple University in Philadelphia found that those who were still being put to bed with a bottle of milk at age two were 30 percent more likely to be obese at age five.
"A 24-month-old girl of average weight and height who is put to bed with an eight-ounce bottle of whole milk would receive approximately 12 per cent of her daily caloric needs from that bottle," said Rachel Gooze, from the university's Centre for Obesity Research and Education.
Babies who are still drinking from a bottle after the age of one are more likely to become obese, U.S. researchers said today.
A study of almost 7,000 children by scientists at Temple University in Philadelphia found that those who were still being put to bed with a bottle of milk at age two were 30 percent more likely to be obese at age five.
"A 24-month-old girl of average weight and height who is put to bed with an eight-ounce bottle of whole milk would receive approximately 12 per cent of her daily caloric needs from that bottle," said Rachel Gooze, from the university's Centre for Obesity Research and Education.
Obese Teens Lack Vitamin D, Study Finds
Obese Teens Lack Vitamin D, Study Finds - Yahoo! News
Low levels of vitamin D are common in obese adolescents, a new study finds.
Researchers screened 68 obese adolescents and found low vitamin D levels in all of the girls (72 percent were deemed deficient and 28 percent insufficient) and in 91 percent of the boys (69 percent deficient and 22 percent insufficient).
After treatment, 43 of the youths had their vitamin D levels measured again and, although levels generally increased, normal levels were achieved in just 28 percent of the participants. In the others, repeated bouts of vitamin D treatment did not bring the teens' vitamin D levels to normal, which the researchers described as "concerning."
Low levels of vitamin D are common in obese adolescents, a new study finds.
Researchers screened 68 obese adolescents and found low vitamin D levels in all of the girls (72 percent were deemed deficient and 28 percent insufficient) and in 91 percent of the boys (69 percent deficient and 22 percent insufficient).
After treatment, 43 of the youths had their vitamin D levels measured again and, although levels generally increased, normal levels were achieved in just 28 percent of the participants. In the others, repeated bouts of vitamin D treatment did not bring the teens' vitamin D levels to normal, which the researchers described as "concerning."
Depressed People Make Better Decisions
Depressed People Make Better Decisions - FoxNews.com
Depression might not be all bad, new research finds. People with major depressive disorder do better on a decision-making task than people without the disease.
Depression is a psychiatric condition defined by consistently low mood, low self-esteem and loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities. About 20 percent of people worldwide suffer from major depressive disorder, the clinical name, at some point during their lifetime.
This is the first time a positive cognitive effect has been seen in people with major depressive disorder. The researchers suggest that these patients process information more systematically and analytically than their chipper counterparts. They might unconsciously put more effort into their decisions because they desire control of their environment.
Depression might not be all bad, new research finds. People with major depressive disorder do better on a decision-making task than people without the disease.
Depression is a psychiatric condition defined by consistently low mood, low self-esteem and loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities. About 20 percent of people worldwide suffer from major depressive disorder, the clinical name, at some point during their lifetime.
This is the first time a positive cognitive effect has been seen in people with major depressive disorder. The researchers suggest that these patients process information more systematically and analytically than their chipper counterparts. They might unconsciously put more effort into their decisions because they desire control of their environment.
Special report: Big Pharma's global guinea pigs
Special report: Big Pharma's global guinea pigs | Reuters
The Polish port city of Gdansk is famous for its shipyards. Hungary's fifth largest city, Pecs, is known for its ancient architecture and brewery. Neither is particularly renowned for medicine. Yet when AstraZeneca Plc tested its big new drug hope Brilinta on heart attack patients in a major clinical study, it was hospitals in these places that enrolled some of the highest number of patients anywhere in the world.
In fact, Poland and Hungary together accounted for 21 percent of all subjects studied in the pivotal 18,000-patient trial -- more than double the United States and Canada combined.
A few years ago that would have been unthinkable. Major drug companies, with an eye on the commercial promise of the world's largest and most profitable market, would have run half their tests on a major cardiovascular medicine like this in U.S. hospitals under the supervision of U.S. doctors.
Today, the clinical trials business has gone global as drugmakers seek cheaper venues for studies and cast their net further afield for big pools of "treatment-naive" patients who are not already taking other drugs that could make them unsuitable subjects for testing new ones. And it is not only the practicalities of running big clinical trials as efficiently and cheaply as possible that is driving the change. The drug industry is also paying a lot more attention these days to the promise of emerging markets, whose healthcare authorities, just like those in the United States and Western Europe, are keen to see cutting-edge science conducted in their backyards.
The Polish port city of Gdansk is famous for its shipyards. Hungary's fifth largest city, Pecs, is known for its ancient architecture and brewery. Neither is particularly renowned for medicine. Yet when AstraZeneca Plc tested its big new drug hope Brilinta on heart attack patients in a major clinical study, it was hospitals in these places that enrolled some of the highest number of patients anywhere in the world.
In fact, Poland and Hungary together accounted for 21 percent of all subjects studied in the pivotal 18,000-patient trial -- more than double the United States and Canada combined.
A few years ago that would have been unthinkable. Major drug companies, with an eye on the commercial promise of the world's largest and most profitable market, would have run half their tests on a major cardiovascular medicine like this in U.S. hospitals under the supervision of U.S. doctors.
Today, the clinical trials business has gone global as drugmakers seek cheaper venues for studies and cast their net further afield for big pools of "treatment-naive" patients who are not already taking other drugs that could make them unsuitable subjects for testing new ones. And it is not only the practicalities of running big clinical trials as efficiently and cheaply as possible that is driving the change. The drug industry is also paying a lot more attention these days to the promise of emerging markets, whose healthcare authorities, just like those in the United States and Western Europe, are keen to see cutting-edge science conducted in their backyards.
Florida elders are smoking more Weed
Need for weed | need, weed - WPEC 12 West Palm Beach
There is a growing trend of seniors lighting up and smoking marijuana because they believe it is better than their prescription drugs, with less dangerous side effects.
"I call it the new don't ask, don't tell," said Amy Cavinaugh.
Cavinaugh started using marijuana five years ago after having a double mastectomy from breast cancer. She used the illegal drug to fight off nausea from chemotherapy.
"I did find it to be very effective," said Cavinaugh.
There is a growing trend of seniors lighting up and smoking marijuana because they believe it is better than their prescription drugs, with less dangerous side effects.
"I call it the new don't ask, don't tell," said Amy Cavinaugh.
Cavinaugh started using marijuana five years ago after having a double mastectomy from breast cancer. She used the illegal drug to fight off nausea from chemotherapy.
"I did find it to be very effective," said Cavinaugh.
Some black holes may be older than time
Some black holes may be older than time - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
An intriguing new hypothesis suggests some black holes could have formed before the formation of our universe.
The work by Professor Bernard Carr from Queen Mary University in London and Professor Alan Coley from Canada's Dalhousie University, examines a cosmology in which the universe goes through cycles of birth and death.
According to their work published on the pre-press website arXiv.org, some black holes could be remnants of a previous universe that collapsed in a big crunch and was then reborn in the big bang - 13.7 billion years ago.
An intriguing new hypothesis suggests some black holes could have formed before the formation of our universe.
The work by Professor Bernard Carr from Queen Mary University in London and Professor Alan Coley from Canada's Dalhousie University, examines a cosmology in which the universe goes through cycles of birth and death.
According to their work published on the pre-press website arXiv.org, some black holes could be remnants of a previous universe that collapsed in a big crunch and was then reborn in the big bang - 13.7 billion years ago.
Meteor Shower Tonight to Rain Bits of Halley's Comet on Earth
Meteor Shower Tonight to Rain Bits of Halley's Comet on Earth - Yahoo! News
Bits and pieces of the famous Halley's Comet will light up the overnight sky in a promising meteor shower, weather permitting, skywatching experts say.
The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower will peak early tomorrow morning (May 6) and is expected to put on a dazzling display of "shooting stars" for skywatchers graced with good weather and clear skies. That's because the moon, which is currently in its unlit new phase, won't interfere with the meteor light show as it did with last month's Lyrid shower.
Bits and pieces of the famous Halley's Comet will light up the overnight sky in a promising meteor shower, weather permitting, skywatching experts say.
The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower will peak early tomorrow morning (May 6) and is expected to put on a dazzling display of "shooting stars" for skywatchers graced with good weather and clear skies. That's because the moon, which is currently in its unlit new phase, won't interfere with the meteor light show as it did with last month's Lyrid shower.
A soundproof room, but you can hear outside - Technology & science
A soundproof room, but you can hear outside - Technology & science - Science - DiscoveryNews.com - msnbc.com
Imagine a room where a band is playing. Neighbors can't hear the music, but if someone outside the room is talking, the musicians can hear it.
The concept — a kind of one-way mirror for sound — seems imaginary, but two Italian scientists recently pushed this kind of sound manipulating technology closer to reality.
"Nonlinearity makes our world much richer than a linear world," said Giulio Casati, a physics professor and director of the Center for Nonlinear and Complex Systems at the University of Insubria. "It allows us much more possibility."
Imagine a room where a band is playing. Neighbors can't hear the music, but if someone outside the room is talking, the musicians can hear it.
The concept — a kind of one-way mirror for sound — seems imaginary, but two Italian scientists recently pushed this kind of sound manipulating technology closer to reality.
"Nonlinearity makes our world much richer than a linear world," said Giulio Casati, a physics professor and director of the Center for Nonlinear and Complex Systems at the University of Insubria. "It allows us much more possibility."
Critics: New Gun Law Will Kill Kids
Critics: New Gun Law Will Kill Kids - Yahoo! News
Florida is set to become the first state to pass a law that would limit doctors' ability to council parents about gun safety in the home. Pediatricians decry the law as wrongheaded, and they're backed by statistics that suggest the law will kill kids.
Last week, the state legislature approved a bill that would make it legal to impose punishment on doctors who ask about guns kept in the home. The bill awaits approval from Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is known to support gun rights and will likely sign the bill, said Dr. Louis St. Petery, a pediatrician in Tallahassee, Fla., and executive vice president of the Florida Pediatric Society.
Florida is set to become the first state to pass a law that would limit doctors' ability to council parents about gun safety in the home. Pediatricians decry the law as wrongheaded, and they're backed by statistics that suggest the law will kill kids.
Last week, the state legislature approved a bill that would make it legal to impose punishment on doctors who ask about guns kept in the home. The bill awaits approval from Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is known to support gun rights and will likely sign the bill, said Dr. Louis St. Petery, a pediatrician in Tallahassee, Fla., and executive vice president of the Florida Pediatric Society.
May 4, 2011
Revolutionary new paper computer shows flexible future for smartphones and tablets
Revolutionary new paper computer shows flexible future for smartphones and tablets
The world's first interactive paper computer is set to revolutionize the world of interactive computing.
"This is the future. Everything is going to look and feel like this within five years," says creator Roel Vertegaal, the director of Queen's University Human Media Lab. "This computer looks, feels and operates like a small sheet of interactive paper. You interact with it by bending it into a cell phone, flipping the corner to turn pages, or writing on it with a pen."
The world's first interactive paper computer is set to revolutionize the world of interactive computing.
"This is the future. Everything is going to look and feel like this within five years," says creator Roel Vertegaal, the director of Queen's University Human Media Lab. "This computer looks, feels and operates like a small sheet of interactive paper. You interact with it by bending it into a cell phone, flipping the corner to turn pages, or writing on it with a pen."
What baby eats in first days may impact health later
What baby eats in first days may impact health later - Health - Kids and parenting - msnbc.com
The food babies eat during their first days of life may have a long-term impact on their health, a new study suggests.
The results of the research show babies who are breast-fed have lower blood pressure when they are three years old compared with babies who are given formula with high amounts of protein. In addition, breast-fed babies also had slightly bigger heads than those who were fed a low-protein formula.
However, the blood pressure and head circumference of the children in the study were within normal range, regardless of the food they ate, said the researchers, from the Claude Bernard University in France.
The food babies eat during their first days of life may have a long-term impact on their health, a new study suggests.
The results of the research show babies who are breast-fed have lower blood pressure when they are three years old compared with babies who are given formula with high amounts of protein. In addition, breast-fed babies also had slightly bigger heads than those who were fed a low-protein formula.
However, the blood pressure and head circumference of the children in the study were within normal range, regardless of the food they ate, said the researchers, from the Claude Bernard University in France.
Boy with brain cancer 'cured' after secretly fed medical marijuana by father
Boy with brain cancer 'cured' after secretly fed medical marijuana by father | Mail Online
A desperate father whose son was suffering from a life-threatening brain tumour has revealed he gave him cannabis oil to ease his pain. And he has now apparently made a full recovery.
Cash Hyde, known as Cashy, was a perfectly healthy baby when he was born in June 2008 but became sick shortly before his second birthday.
At first he was misdiagnosed with glandular fever before his parents Mike and Kalli, from Missoula in Montana, were given the devastating news he had a serious brain tumour.
The little boy had to have arduous chemotherapy treatment to reduce the growth, which had drastic side effects including seizures and a blood infection.
A desperate father whose son was suffering from a life-threatening brain tumour has revealed he gave him cannabis oil to ease his pain. And he has now apparently made a full recovery.
Cash Hyde, known as Cashy, was a perfectly healthy baby when he was born in June 2008 but became sick shortly before his second birthday.
At first he was misdiagnosed with glandular fever before his parents Mike and Kalli, from Missoula in Montana, were given the devastating news he had a serious brain tumour.
The little boy had to have arduous chemotherapy treatment to reduce the growth, which had drastic side effects including seizures and a blood infection.
For the First Time, Humans See Quantum Entanglement With the Naked Eye
For the First Time, Humans See Quantum Entanglement With the Naked Eye | Popular Science
Physicists at the University of Geneva in Switzerland have devised a new kind of quantum experiment using humans as photon detectors, and in doing so have made the quantum phenomenon of entanglement visible to the naked eye for the first time.
For those that need a primer, entanglement is that strange quantum phenomenon that links two particles across distances such that any any measurements carried out on one particle immediately changes the properties of the other--even if they are separated by the entire universe. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance.” And indeed it is weird.
Physicists at the University of Geneva in Switzerland have devised a new kind of quantum experiment using humans as photon detectors, and in doing so have made the quantum phenomenon of entanglement visible to the naked eye for the first time.
For those that need a primer, entanglement is that strange quantum phenomenon that links two particles across distances such that any any measurements carried out on one particle immediately changes the properties of the other--even if they are separated by the entire universe. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance.” And indeed it is weird.
New evidence that caffeine is a healthful antioxidant in coffee
New evidence that caffeine is a healthful antioxidant in coffee
Scientists are reporting an in-depth analysis of how the caffeine in coffee, tea, and other foods seems to protect against conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and heart disease on the most fundamental levels.
Annia Galano and Jorge Rafael León-Carmona describe evidence suggesting that coffee is one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants in the average person's diet. Some of the newest research points to caffeine (also present in tea, cocoa, and other foods) as the source of powerful antioxidant effects that may help protect people from Alzheimer's and other diseases. However, scientists know little about exactly how caffeine works in scavenging the so-called free radicals that have damaging effects in the body. And those few studies sometimes have reached contradictory conclusions.
Scientists are reporting an in-depth analysis of how the caffeine in coffee, tea, and other foods seems to protect against conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and heart disease on the most fundamental levels.
Annia Galano and Jorge Rafael León-Carmona describe evidence suggesting that coffee is one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants in the average person's diet. Some of the newest research points to caffeine (also present in tea, cocoa, and other foods) as the source of powerful antioxidant effects that may help protect people from Alzheimer's and other diseases. However, scientists know little about exactly how caffeine works in scavenging the so-called free radicals that have damaging effects in the body. And those few studies sometimes have reached contradictory conclusions.
Natural protection against radiation
Natural protection against radiation
In the midst of ongoing concerns about radiation exposure from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are reporting that a substance similar to resveratrol -- an antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and nuts -- could protect against radiation sickness.
They found that resveratrol protected cells in flasks but did not protect mice (stand-ins for humans in the laboratory) from radiation damage. However, the similar natural product called acetyl resveratrol did protect the irradiated mice. It also can be produced easily in large quantities and given orally. The authors caution that it has not yet been determined whether acetyl resveratrol is effective when orally administered.
In the midst of ongoing concerns about radiation exposure from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are reporting that a substance similar to resveratrol -- an antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and nuts -- could protect against radiation sickness.
They found that resveratrol protected cells in flasks but did not protect mice (stand-ins for humans in the laboratory) from radiation damage. However, the similar natural product called acetyl resveratrol did protect the irradiated mice. It also can be produced easily in large quantities and given orally. The authors caution that it has not yet been determined whether acetyl resveratrol is effective when orally administered.
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