Science
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For disaster debris arriving from Japan, radiation least of the concerns22 February 2012, 12:37 pm
Later this year debris from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan should begin to wash up on US shores -- and one question many have asked is whether that will pose a radiation risk. The simple answer is, no....
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Low levels of fallout from Fukushima, U.S. study finds22 February 2012, 12:37 pm
Fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power facility in Japan was measured in minimal amounts in precipitation in the United States in about 20 percent of 167 sites sampled in a nationwide U.S. study....
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Is there a general motivation center in the depths of the brain?22 February 2012, 12:34 pm
Researchers have identified the part of the brain driving motivation during actions that combine physical and mental effort: the ventral striatum....
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Faster way to catch cells: New microfluidic device could be used to diagnose and monitor cancer and other diseases22 February 2012, 12:31 pm
Separating complex mixtures of cells, such as those found in a blood sample, can offer valuable information for diagnosing and treating disease. However, it may be necessary to search through billions of other cells to collect rare cells such as tumor cells, stem cells or fetal cells. Researchers have now demonstrated a new microfluidic device that can isolate target cells much faster than existing devices. Such technology could be used in applications such as point-of-care diagnostics and perso...
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'Miracle material' graphene is thinnest known anti-corrosion coating22 February 2012, 12:31 pm
New research has established the "miracle material" called graphene as the world's thinnest known coating for protecting metals against corrosion....
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New way to tap largest remaining treasure trove of potential new antibiotics22 February 2012, 12:29 pm
Scientists are reporting use of a new technology for sifting through the world's largest remaining pool of potential antibiotics to discover two new antibiotics that work against deadly resistant microbes, including the "superbugs" known as MRSA....
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Birds sing louder amidst the noise and structures of the urban jungle22 February 2012, 12:29 pm
Sparrows, blackbirds and the great tit are all birds known to sing at a higher pitch in urban environments. It was previously believed that these birds sang at higher frequencies in order to escape the lower frequencies noises of the urban environment. Now, researchers have discovered that besides noise, the physical structure of cities also plays a role in altering the birds' songs....
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Researchers take a step forward in transplanting pig cells to regenerate human cartilage22 February 2012, 12:27 pm
Researchers have recently studied the response of human NK cells against porcine chondrocytes. The results of the research indicate that these cells, characteristic of the innate immune system, play an important role in the rejection of xenotransplantation of porcine chondrocytes....
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Exposure to micronutrients pre-pregnancy associated with gene modifications in offspring22 February 2012, 12:27 pm
The offspring of women who were given micronutrient supplements (minerals needed in small quantities, such as iron, iodine and vitamin A) before they became pregnant had gene modifications at birth as well as when they were tested at nine months....
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New Family of Limbless Amphibians Discovered in India22 February 2012, 3:50 pm
From Nature magazine. [More]
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Dual Interpretations: Milky Way's Outer Fringe of Stars Sparks Disagreement22 February 2012, 6:00 am
It's well known that the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, a swirl of stars in an extended, many-armed disk . But the structure of the galaxy is far from two-dimensional. Above and below those familiar spiral arms is a lesser-known feature, a spherical swarm of stars that makes up a halo around the disk. [More]
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Fossilized, 'Pompeii' Forest Discovered Under Ash21 February 2012, 2:30 pm
About 300 million years ago, volcanic ash buried a tropical forest located in what is now Inner Mongolia, much like it did the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. [More]
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Alex the Parrot's Posthumous Paper Shows His Mathematical Genius21 February 2012, 1:30 pm
From Nature magazine [More]
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Co-opulation: Sometimes It Takes More Than 2 to Tango [Slide Show]21 February 2012, 1:00 pm
Dawn Higginson thought it was strange when she learned that some diving beetles produce sperm that fuse together at the head like Siamese twins. But when the postdoctoral researcher from the University of Arizona began asking why such conjugate gametes form, things only got even stranger. The sperm of the diving beetle, which gets its name from its ability to swim underwater, occur in many shapes and forms. Whereas a few species make standard tadpole-shaped swimmers, others generate sperm that s...
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Squid Can Fly to Save Energy21 February 2012, 6:00 am
Squid can save energy by flying rather than swimming, according to calculations based on high-speed photography. [More]
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Autism Signs Appear in Brains of 6-Month-Old Infants18 February 2012, 7:00 am
The early signs of autism are visible in the brains of 6-month-old infants, a new study finds, suggesting that future treatments could be given at this time, to lessen the impact of the disorder on children. [More]
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California Seismologist Testifies against Scientists in Italy Quake Manslaughter Trial16 February 2012, 4:30 pm
The courthouse in L’Aquila, Italy, on February 15 hosted a highly anticipated hearing in the trial of six seismologists and one government official indicted for manslaughter over their reassurances to the public ahead of a deadly earthquake in 2009 (see "Scientists face trial over earthquake deaths " and "Scientists on trial: At fault? "). During the hearing, the former head of the Italian Department of Civil Protection turned from key witness into defendant, and...
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Microchip Implant Gives Medication On Command16 February 2012, 1:10 pm
For people who face frequent needle jabs to treat chronic conditions, a new technology is on the horizon that might make treatment a lot less painful. [More]
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Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos Caused by Loose Cable?22 February 2012, 5:01 pm
A dodgy connection between a GPS unit and atomic clock may be the real reason neutrinos appeared to travel at superluminal speeds....
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It's National Margarita Day and Then Some! : DNews Nuggets22 February 2012, 4:12 pm
When work ends, the celebration begins with pancakes, margaritas and other nationally recognized frivolities....
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Pre-Columbian Star War Stories Emerge From Stones22 February 2012, 3:33 pm
The carvings show symbols of death and crude representations in line with the Aztecs' bloody rituals....
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New Bat Has Odd-Shaped Nose22 February 2012, 3:28 pm
Is that the head of an owl you see on the nose of this new bat species or an elaborate shield?...
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Should We Keep Punishing Chris Brown?22 February 2012, 3:09 pm
Or is the criticism doing more harm than good?...
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Camp Stove Charges Your Phone, Cooks Your Goose22 February 2012, 12:42 pm
BioLite stoves make cooking on wood clean and safe, while generating electricity....
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Fossilized, 'Pompeii' Forest Discovered Under Ash22 February 2012, 12:11 pm
About 300 million years ago, volcanic ash buried a tropical forest located in what is now Inner Mongolia, much like Vesuvius did to the ancient Roman city of Pompeii....
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Solar Panels Float, Rotate22 February 2012, 11:40 am
The system is designed to exploit unused areas of artificial reservoirs or disused quarries....
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Zombie App Goes Viral with Runners and Gamers22 February 2012, 10:57 am
The game promises to step up more traditional running apps with layers of story and puzzles....
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![red pencil carnage [014/366]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6921679957_c6dd95b61c_s.jpg)
22 February 2012, 4:40 pm
::matthias has added a photo to the pool:
.. at least there have been 13 shots with non-chemistry related topics, but I'll bet you there will be many many more! This one was shot with my mobile.. I'm sorry.
Today we had exams at university and since our group was in charge of it, I had to have some red pencil carnage going on.. ;)
Frank Sinatra - Something Stupid
just kidding ;D...
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22 February 2012, 5:29 am
someHerrings has added a photo to the pool:
Beaker of spinach leaf alcohol under LW lamp in front of student spectroscope....
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22 February 2012, 2:26 am
t.tiebout has added a photo to the pool:
10x objective (top) and 40x (bottom) on a Zeiss Imager.Z1. Stained with GFP, DsRed, and DAPI. Total magnifications for objectives are: 10x = 100x and 40x = 400x...
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21 February 2012, 9:53 pm
Cash Valley Photography & Imaging has added a photo to the pool:
Chemiluminescence...
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21 February 2012, 7:15 pm
gwhiteway has added a photo to the pool:
A few endospores that show as dark areas in the red rods. Info on endospores:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endospore...
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21 February 2012, 3:39 pm
someHerrings has added a photo to the pool:
Zinc Chloride and manganese sulfate were combined in an aqueous solution of sodium silicate. The water was removed by heating resulting in hard porcelin-like chunks.
Shown phosphorescing after exposure to UV light. Phosphorescence remains fairly bright after 60s....
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20 February 2012, 11:03 pm
GungaDan1 has added a photo to the pool:
This giant General Electric jet engine provides about half of the electricity for Vancouver, Washington. This is a panorama shot I made of it, from several shots of parts of it....
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19 February 2012, 11:44 pm
NatureFreak07 has added a photo to the pool:
Took the opportunity to take a few shots of the full moon a few weeks ago and then used photoshop to do a stack of a few images then used linear burn to bring out the craters and other details!
Please visit my website, Hnain Photography
© 2012 Antoine Hnain...
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19 February 2012, 4:46 pm
KateJones2011 has added a photo to the pool:
He’s about to do SCIENCE!
katejones.me/stand-back/...
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The Best Science Podcasts for the Enjoyment of Your Ears and Brain22 February 2012, 4:30 pm
PopSci Loves Science Podcasts Dan NosowitzScience, technology, comedy, and the confluence of all three, in downloadable audio form
Podcasts are undergoing a minor renaissance lately--every comedian has one, and every news publication has at least one--and, luckily for us, the explosion in quantity has also meant a ton of really amazing, high-quality stuff. In the last few years, writers, scientists, journalists, and all kinds of other interesting folks have taken to the microphone in new record...
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Bummer: Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos Weren't, and It Was the Cable Guy's Fault22 February 2012, 3:28 pm
Apparently neutrinos are not moving faster than light after all - some of the brightest minds in modern physics were bamboozled by a loose wire.
If you care about physics, Einstein or controversies, you'll recall the excitement last fall about neutrinos that were supposedly moving faster than light. The ghostly particles, which can move through the Earth and through you without slowing down, were leaving a particle beam in Geneva and traveling under the Alps to Gran Sasso, Italy, in less time th...
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How Pigs on Antibiotics Are Making Superbugs Stronger22 February 2012, 2:29 pm
Howdy, Pig Lord Rex via FlickrMeanwhile, genome detective work could uncover new weapons in the war on bugs
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (MRSA) a nasty strain of bacteria that resists most antibiotics, probably developed its defenses while spending time down on the farm, a new study says. It has been thought that humans' antibiotic abuse is the catalyst in superbug genesis, but this new research suggests it's the animals, and the drugs we feed them, that we should worry about.
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DNA Sequencer Plugs Right Into Your USB Port, Analyzes Your Genome22 February 2012, 1:21 pm
MinION Sequencer MinION is a disposable device that contains a sensor chip, ASIC and the fluidics system needed to perform a complete single-molecule sensing experiment. Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd.
In the nine years since the Humane Genome Project wrapped up, gene sequencing has gotten faster and cheaper at a pace rivaling the computer industry. Now a technology company in the UK has another breakthrough, taking a cue from the computer industry itself: A cluster of fast individual compute...
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The World Through Google's Smartglasses22 February 2012, 12:14 pm
Terminator Vision Orion PicturesAugmented-reality eyewear is the next step toward a future in which we never again have an unmediated view of the world
Google announced yesterday that before the end of 2012, you will be able to buy augmented-reality smart eyeglasses from the search giant. The Android-powered glasses will have an onboard camera that monitors in real time what you see as you walk (or, heavens preserve us, drive) down the street. The lenses will then overlay information about peo...
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Thermoelectric "Power Felt" Fabric Lets You Sit on Your Phone to Power It22 February 2012, 11:22 am
Power Felt Wake Forest University
A team from Wake Forest University's Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials has created a new thermoelectric fabric they call Power Felt. It's constructed of "tiny carbon nanotubes locked up in flexible plastic fibers," though the final product looks and feels like fabric, and creates and electrical charge from changes in temperature--like, say, touching it with your hot finger, or sitting on it with your hot butt (hot in this case referring to tempe...
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Japanese Construction Company Plans Space Elevator By 205022 February 2012, 10:29 am
Tokyo Sky Tree Obayashi Corp. plans to build a space elevator by 2050. The company is days away from completing this structure, the Tokyo Sky Tree, which will be Japan's tallest building at 2,080 feet high. tsushima2011 via Flickr
Space elevators have been our shared dream for years, but like other promising technologies of the future, they're just concepts on a distant horizon. Now a Japanese construction firm that specializes in the very tall could make them a reality. By 2050, so still pretty...
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The Race For The Next Big Thing In Green Illumination22 February 2012, 9:13 am
Vu1 R30 ESL Claire Benoist
In October, manufacturing 100-watt incandescent lightbulbs will become illegal under the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act. As part of the same legislation, 60- and 40-watt ones will be banned by 2014. Compact fluorescents (CFLs) are the simplest-to-make replacement but contain the neurotoxin mercury, have a bluish hue, and don't illuminate instantly. The regulations are prompting lighting companies to develop new, environmentally friendly ways to produce ligh...
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The Yamaha Moegi Demonstrates The Future of Fuel Efficiency21 February 2012, 4:36 pm
Yamaha Y125 Moegi Concept Courtesy Yamaha
Since the days of $4 gas began, the single-cylinder motorcycles and scooters that dominate international megacities have become increasingly common on American streets. Engineers at Yamaha created the Y125 Moegi concept to capitalize on that trend. They based it on the company's first motorcycle, the 1955 125-cc YA-1, but they also included some modern touches, in particular an ultralight frame and a new cylinder design that could help make the Moegi on...
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Biologists Debunk the "Rotting Y Chromosome" Theory22 February 2012, 7:25 pm
An anonymous reader writes "Biologists have previously predicted that that the male sex-determining Y chromosome, which once carried around 800 genes, like the X, has lost hundreds of them over the past 300 million years, will mutate itself out of existence, leading to the eventual extinction of men. However, researchers of a study published in the latest issue of Nature found evidence to suggest that the Y chromosome will not shed anymore of the 19 ancestral genes that it is left with."
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Faulty Cable To Blame For Superluminal Neutrino Results22 February 2012, 4:18 pm
smolloy writes "It would appear that the hotly debated faster-than-light neutrino observation at CERN is the result of a fault in the connection between a GPS unit and a computer. This connection was used to correct for time delays in the neutrino flight, and after fixing the correction the researchers have found that the time discrepancy appears to have vanished."
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FDA To Review Inhalable Caffeine22 February 2012, 1:25 pm
First time accepted submitter RenderSeven writes "Manufacturing .NET reports that U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials plan to investigate whether inhalable caffeine sold in lipstick-sized canisters is safe for consumers and if its manufacturer was right to brand it as a dietary supplement. AeroShot went on the market late last month in Massachusetts and New York, and it's also available in France. Consumers put one end of the canister in their mouths and breathe in, releasing a fine powd...
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Solid Buckeyballs Detected In Space22 February 2012, 11:31 am
astroengine writes with an excerpt from an article at Discovery: "For the first time, 'buckyballs' have been discovered in the cosmos in a solid form. Until now, the only evidence in space for the bizarre little hollow balls of carbon atoms have been in interstellar gases, but with the help of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered buckyballs accumulating and stacking atop one another to form solid particles. 'These buckyballs are stacked together to form a solid, like orang...
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The Recycling of the Tevatron22 February 2012, 10:34 am
ananyo writes with an excerpt from an article in Nature about the decomissioning of the Tevatron: "It is a 4,000-tonne edifice that stands three stories high, chock full of particle detectors, power supplies, electronics and photomultiplier tubes, all layered like a giant onion around a cylindrical magnet. During 26 years of operation at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, this behemoth, the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF), helped to find the top quark and chased ...
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Astronomers Confirm a Hot and Steamy Exoplanet22 February 2012, 5:33 am
The Bad Astronomer writes "The extrasolar planet GJ 1214b was discovered in 2009 orbiting a nearby (40 light year distant) red dwarf star. The planet was quickly found to have a thick atmosphere, but it wasn't known at the time if the composition was water vapor or a hazy shroud of particulates. New Hubble observations confirm the atmosphere of the exoplanet is rich in water, comprising up to 50% of the atmosphere's mass (PDF). At 230 degrees Celsius, this means the planet is shrouded in steam."...
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Obayashi To Build Space Elevator By 205022 February 2012, 1:11 am
mattr writes "Japan's Obayashi Corp. has announced plans to build a space elevator by 2050. They are famous for wrecking skylines with the over-sized bullet train station in Kyoto, the world's tallest self-supporting tower Tokyo Sky Tree and just recently, the beginnings of the Taipei Dome. It will take a week at 200 kph for your party of 30 to reach the 36,000-km-high terminal station, while the counterweight along 96 km high, a quarter of the way to the Moon."
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Europe Plans Exascale Funding Above U.S. Levels22 February 2012, 12:16 am
dcblogs writes "The European Commission last week said it is doubling its multi-year investment in the push for exascale computing from €630 million to €1.2 billion (or the equivalent of $1.58 billion). They are making this a priority even as austerity measures are imposed to prevent defaults. China, meanwhile, has a five-year plan to deliver exascale computing between 2016-20 (PDF). The Europeans announced the plan the same week the White House released its fiscal year 2013 budget, wh...
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Santorum Calls Democrats 'Anti-Science'21 February 2012, 5:36 pm
ndogg writes with news that Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has counterattacked those critical of conservative views on science, saying that they're 'anti-science' themselves. From a CBS report:
"In his remarks Monday, Santorum went beyond his usual discussion of the importance of increasing domestic energy production to deliver a blistering attack on environmental activists. He said global warming claims are based on 'phony studies,' and that climate change science is little mor...
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Flu papers warrant full publication21 February 2012, 6:00 pm
Although more debate is needed, the benefits of publishing sensitive data outweigh the risks that have so far been made public....
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Turing at 10021 February 2012, 6:00 pm
This year marks the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing. He deserves your attention....
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Over the line21 February 2012, 6:00 pm
Dishonesty, however tempting, is the wrong way to tackle climate sceptics....
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The man behind the machine
Alan Turing is famous for many reasons. Andrew Hodges delves into why Turing's achievements took so long to be recognized....
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Evolution: Lilliputian lizards come to light21 February 2012, 6:00 pm
The forests of northern Madagascar harbour a dwarf chameleon that is the smallest lizard in the world in terms of total length. Adult males of the diminutive Brookesia micra reach a length of less than 24 millimetres.B. micra and three other tiny...
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Biophysics: Claustrophobic DNA in tug of war21 February 2012, 6:00 pm
When a long thin polymer such as DNA is forced into a confined space — say a small membrane channel — it loses some of its freedom, and hence its entropy. Regaining that entropy is a powerful driving force for escape.Chia-Fu Chou at the...
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Cell signalling: Sideways activation21 February 2012, 6:00 pm
Elucidation of a cell receptor's crystal structure has revealed a unique lateral docking mechanism, report Hugh Rosen of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, and his colleagues.G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are signalling molecules that span the plasma membranes of cells and are generally...
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Biology: Immunity's circadian link21 February 2012, 6:00 pm
Daily patterns in the body's biochemical and physiological processes called circadian rhythms may influence immune-system function. Erol Fikrig and his colleagues at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, have found that the expression of an immune protein called TLR9 rises and falls with the circadian...
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Stem-cell biology: Restore my beating heart21 February 2012, 6:00 pm
Infusions of a patient's own cardiac stem cells may reduce scar tissue and promote heart-muscle growth after a heart attack, according to a small safety study. Eduardo Marbán of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, California, and his colleagues harvested heart cells from 17...
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