Shocking GamesThe English have an entire line of "Shocking" games (not even going to try and psychoanalyze that). First up, there's the popular "Shocking Liar" based on -- from what I can tell -- lie detector science. Warm up questions are used to regulate your readings. Ready? ZAP! It says you lied. The game measures the 'lie levels," using a sequence of five LEDs going from red to green. Seems you weren't close enough to the truth.
Then there's the........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/19/2006 9:18:04 PM)
Emperor Penguin PhysiologyLong before they lit up movie screens in animated feature films or enthralled documentary film audiences worldwide with the story of their endless struggle to survive and reproduce, Emperor penguins intrigued early Antarctic explorers.
As movie makers prepare this weekend to release "Happy Feet," about an animated Emperor who loves to dance, and the Hallmark Channel readies the cable-television premier of the documentary "March of the........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 9:55:26 PM)
Different Coat Color doesn't Mean Different SpeciesResearchers have found that lemurs suspected to belong to different species because of their strikingly different coat colors, are not only genetically alike, but belong to the same species.
Historically, species classification has been based on comparison of visible physical characteristics of plants or animals. Kellie Heckman, a post-doctoral fellow in ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, and her colleagues at other universities, used........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 9:48:43 PM)
Origin Of Appalachian MountainsGeologists have developed a new theory to explain how and when the Appalachian Mountain range was created. Their research redraws the map of the planet from 420 million years ago.
The scientists recently discovered a piece of the Appalachian Mountains in southern Mexico, a location geologists long had assumed was part of the North American Cordillera. The Cordillera is a continuous sequence of mountain ranges that includes the Rocky........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 8:45:07 PM)
Satellite phones get a makeoverWith Verizon Wireless and Sprint's release of the KRZR, life just gets sexier and sexier in the land of mobile phones, but what about the necessary-but-oh-so-utilitarian-looking land of satellite phones?
Effective immediately, satellite phones have joined the world of the beautiful. Globalstar, Inc., a leading provider of mobile satellite phones, has introduced the new GSP-1700 mobile satellite telephone.
The newly designed GSP-1700........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 6:59:45 PM)
Grid computing 'Mappa mundi'Visitors to Supercomputing '06 in Tampa, Florida this week will be the first to see a new interactive map that shows nine of the world's largest computing Grids. The map, developed by scientists from GridPP in the UK and the European particle physics laboratory, CERN, in Geneva, uses Google Earth to pinpoint Grid sites on six continents, showing more than 300 sites overall. Like the medieval 'mappa mundi', which showed what was known of the........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 4:54:43 AM)
No Link Found Between Viagra and HIV InfectionErectile dysfunction (ED) medications known as Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors have been used by millions of men as safe and effective management options linked to high rates of patient and partner satisfaction. Recent reports have appeared, however, that some individuals have misused this class of drug, combining them with narcotics such as methamphetamines. These reports further note that such individuals may be, in particular, at........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 5:12:34 AM)
New Angioplasty Procedure More EffectiveOver the last several years angioplasty has exceeded coronary bypass surgery as the preferred way to treat coronary artery disease. The stents (narrow tubes inserted into the artery to facilitate blood flow) commonly used in the procedure are less invasive than open-heart surgery and offer greater convenience to the patient and the ability to perform more complex procedures.
However, they are also more likely to lead to restenosis, a........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 4:58:31 AM)
Nanoparticles To Target Brain CancerTiny particles one-billionth of a meter in size can be loaded with high concentrations of drugs designed to kill brain cancer. What's more, these nanoparticles can be used to image and track tumors as well as destroy them, as per scientists at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Scientists incorporated a drug called Photofrin along with iron oxide into nanoparticles that would target malignant brain tumors. Photofrin is a........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 4:44:22 AM)
SimCity for realSocial policy makers and town planners will soon be able to play 'SimCity' for real using grid computing and e-Science techniques to test the consequences of their policies on a real, but anonymous, model of the UK population. Dr Mark Birkin and his colleagues, who are in the process of developing the model at the University of Leeds, will be demonstrating its potential at the UK e-Science stand at SC06, the world's largest supercomputing........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/14/2006 5:07:46 AM)
Young Children Don't Believe Everything They HearChildhood is a time when young minds receive a vast amount of new information. Until now, it's been thought that children believe most of what they hear. New research sheds light on children's abilities to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Through conversation, books, and the media, young children are continually exposed to information that is new to them. Much of the information they receive is factual (e.g., the names of the planets........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/14/2006 4:32:20 AM)
Phosphorus Another CulpritNitrogen is flowing down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico faster than it can be consumed by floating microscopic plants called phytoplankton, increasing the size of the "dead zone" off the Louisiana coast. The findings, based on analysis of data gathered in 2001, are published online this week in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
Because of the increased nitrogen levels, phytoplankton blooms are growing, and........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 9:03:55 PM)
No kidding - it's the Kid TreadmillNow here is a treadmill designed just for kids, the Kid Treadmill. Well, I never imagined I would see a product like this! I mean, I wonder if you could even convince your child to get on an exercise machine like this, even if you think he/she needs it. Aren't there more fun ways your child can get some physical activity than being on a boring treadmill? And isn't it an alarming indicator that obesity is setting in so early?
Nevertheless, if........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 8:48:21 AM)
Detecting Heart Trouble EarlyWorking with dogs and using the latest in imaging software and machinery, also known as a 64-slice CT scanner, Johns Hopkins heart specialists have developed a fast and accurate means of tracking blood that has been slowed down by narrowing of the coronary arteries. Researchers say it took them less than half the time of exercise stress tests and echocardiograms currently used to find early warning of vessels more likely to become blocked and........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 8:06:29 AM)
Peer And Family Support For Cancer SurvivorsAdolescent and young adult cancer patients rank support from family, friends and other cancer survivors as high priority healthcare needs, as per a new University of Southern California study. Reported in the recent issue of CANCER, a peer-evaluated journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals this traditionally underserved population of 15-29 year-old cancer survivors feels that socially connecting with other cancer-afflicted........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 7:57:14 AM)
Eye Of A Monster Storm On SaturnNASA's Cassini spacecraft has seen something never before seen on another planet -- a hurricane-like storm at Saturn's south pole with a well-developed eye, ringed by towering clouds.
The "hurricane" spans a dark area inside a thick, brighter ring of clouds. It is approximately 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) across, or two thirds the diameter of Earth.
"It looks like a hurricane, but it doesn't behave like a hurricane," said Dr. Andrew........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/10/2006 4:55:20 AM)
Sea Urchin Genome And HumanThe Sea Urchin Genome Sequencing Project (SUGSP) Consortium, led by the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM-HGSC) in Houston, announced recently the decoding and analysis of the genome sequence of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.
The genome of a male California purple sea urchin was sequenced, and it contained over 814 million letters, spelling out 23,300 genes. Nearly 10,000 of the genes were........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/10/2006 4:09:48 AM)
Firefighters Face Increased Risk Of CancersUniversity of Cincinnati (UC) environmental health scientists have determined that firefighters are significantly more likely to develop four different types of cancer than workers in other fields.
Their findings suggest that the protective equipment firefighters have used in the past didn't do a good job in protecting them against cancer-causing agents they encounter in their profession, the scientists say.
The scientists found, for........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/10/2006 4:06:08 AM)
Traditional Books Provide Parent-child InteractionParents and pre-school children have a more positive interaction when sharing a reading experience with a traditional book as opposed to an electronic book or e-book, according researchers at Temple University's Infant Laboratory and Erikson Institute in Chicago. This shared positive experience from traditional books characteristically promotes early literacy skills.
The researchers presented the findings of their study, "Electronic books: ........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/8/2006 9:03:52 PM)
About Reading DifficultyAt least one in three children in this country has difficulty learning to read. Research shows that children's aggressive behavior and reading difficulties during early elementary school years are risk factors for adolescent problem behaviors such as delinquency, academic failure, and substance use. Oregon Research Institute (ORI) scientists recently received high marks for their work to reverse this trend.
An evaluation of a reading program........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/8/2006 8:51:37 PM)
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Confusion About Calories Is Nothing NewWhile enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family, most try to avoid thinking about the seemingly unending number of Calories they're consuming.
It probably never crosses their minds, however, to think about why food is measured in Calories.
James L. Hargrove, associate professor of foods and nutrition in the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences, said a number of nutritionists aren't even sure of the........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/20/2006 5:02:38 AM)
Fighting Like A Girl Or BoyFighting like a girl or fighting like a boy is hardwired into fruit fly neurons, according to a study in the Nov. 19 Nature Neuroscience advance online publication by a research team from Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna. The results confirm that a gene known as "fruitless" is a key factor underlying sexual differences in behavior. The findings mark a milestone in an unlikely new animal model for........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/19/2006 8:57:33 PM)
Edible Food Wrap Kills Deadly E. ColiScientists have improved upon an edible coating for fresh fruits and vegetables by enabling it to kill deadly E. coli bacteria while also providing a flavor-boost to food. Composed of apple puree and oregano oil, which acts as a natural antibacterial agent, the coating shows promise in laboratory studies of becoming a long-lasting, potent alternative to conventional produce washes, as per a team of researchers from the U.S. Department of........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 9:27:46 PM)
Money Causes Changes For Better And WorseMoney changes everything, and that includes changing people's motivations for the better and their behavior toward others for the worse, as per a new study reported in the international journal Science.
Florida State University psychology graduate student Nicole Mead in Tallahassee, Fla was among a group of scientists who observed that the concept of money brings about a state of self-sufficiency that allows people to work harder and more........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 7:51:00 PM)
Key To Controlling Gypsy Moth SpreadControlling population peaks on the edges of the gypsy moth range may help to slow their invasion into virgin territory, according to a team of researchers.
"Slowing the spread of the gypsy moth is a priority in forest management in the U.S.," says Ottar Bjornstad, associate professor of entomology and biology, Penn State. "Understanding the underlying patterns in the spread of invasive species is important for successful management".
........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 4:59:27 AM)
Relativistic Pinball MachineNew clues about the origins of cosmic rays, mysterious high-energy particles that bombard the Earth, have been revealed using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. An extraordinarily detailed image of the remains of an exploded star provides crucial insight into the generation of cosmic rays.
For the first time, astronomers have mapped the rate of acceleration of cosmic ray electrons in a supernova remnant. The new map shows that the electrons........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 4:36:01 AM)
New Way To Manipulate DNAPolymers, large molecules comprised of chains of repeating structures, are used in everything from the coatings on walls of ships and pipes to reduce flow drag to gene therapy.
But long polymer chains are subject to breakage, called scission, and a new study by the University of Michigan shows that as it turns out, much of what scientists previously thought about why polymers break when subjected to strong flows, such as waves crashing........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 9:33:18 PM)
Obesity An Advantage In Hemodialysis PatientsDespite significant improvements in dialysis treatments, currently over 20% of the 350,000 maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients in the United States die each year. A study published in Hemodialysis International finds that this high mortality rate may be attributed to malnutrition.
MHD patients experience what has been termed the "obesity paradox," wherein obesity is associated with increased chance of survival. "A larger body fat mass as........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 5:02:43 AM)
Holiday Season Could Ring In 'Heartburn Season'Making merry is often synonymous with overindulging whether from holiday feasts or rich desserts or alcoholic beverages ringing in the holiday season as "heartburn season".
Heartburn generally caused by naturally occurring acids splashing back up from the stomach is often marked by a characteristic burning sensation that sufferers describe as rolling up into their chest. Fatty foods play a starring role in this process.
"Most of the........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 4:40:30 AM)
Ice-breaker Polarstern to explore uncharted seafloorHuge areas of sea floor (around 3,250 km²) have been freed up by the collapse 4 years ago of the Larsen B platform along the Antarctic Peninsula - leaving a blank spot on Antarctic maps. Polarstern, the research flagship of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, will shortly conduct there the first major biological research, studying living communities, from microbes to whales, including bottom fish and squids.
THE........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/14/2006 5:03:49 AM)
Sibling relationships reflect family dynamicsMost children in the United States grow up with sisters and brothers. Connections that commonly last a lifetime, these relationships can be strained at times, particularly during childhood. New research concludes that sibling ties are best understood in the context of their families, and that efforts to improve relationships should take into account not just the siblings, but the family as a whole.
This research also observed that, overall,........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/14/2006 4:55:11 AM)
Where Chimp And Human Brains DivergeSix million years ago, chimpanzees and humans diverged from a common ancestor and evolved into unique species. Now UCLA researchers have identified a new way to pinpoint the genes that separate us from our closest living relative and make us uniquely human. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports the study in its Nov. 13 online edition.
"We share more than 95 percent of our genetic blueprint with chimps," explained Dr.........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 9:08:53 PM)
Diskette Handbag from FractalspinThis whimsical little handbag, made by Zelle and available at Fractalspin, is a bit of a surprise. From a distance, what you see is a black bag with interesting metallic shapes forming an eye-catching pattern. Up close, you notice that it's made of recycled computer diskettes (12 genuine 1.44 MB diskettes, to be exact). A magnetic latch holds the two sides together at top (though it doesn't close the opening all the way). For a different look,........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 8:45:00 AM)
Sports cheats bewareInjecting performance enhancing corticosteroid hormones for other than medical treatment is banned, and tests exist that can detect injected hormones. Injecting synacthen, which stimulates the body to produce extra amounts of its own corticosteroid hormones is also banned. But until now there has been no test that could detect it in a blood sample.
That has just changed. Research published this week in Rapid Communications in Mass........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 8:35:30 AM)
Bariatric Surgery Complications In Some HospitalsIn-hospital bariatric surgery complication rates vary dramatically among the nation's hospitals, as per a research studyreleased recently by HealthGrades, the leading healthcare ratings company. The study of 86,520 bariatric-surgery procedures performed over the years 2002 through 2004 finds that a typical patient receiving the procedure in a five-star rated hospital would have, on average, a 66 percent lower chance of developing one or more........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 7:41:46 AM)
Shopping With Your HeartGoing with your "gut feeling" when making a major purchase isn't a bad thing after all, says Queen's University School of Business researcher Laurence Ashworth. In fact - contrary to popular belief - listening to your heart when shopping can make you happier in the long run.
And emotion can play just as big a part when purchasing a house or a car as when buying a bottle of shampoo.
The results of a series of studies, published in the........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/10/2006 5:00:33 AM)
From Light To Sodium AtomsFor the first time, tornado-like rotational motions have been transferred from light to atoms in a controlled way at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The new quantum physics technique can be used to manipulate Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), a state of matter of worldwide research interest, and possibly used in quantum information systems, an emerging computing and communications technology of potentially great........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/10/2006 4:31:44 AM)
Good Fences Do Make Good NeighborsA new study led by a UC Irvine economist debunks a popular argument against urban sprawl - that living farther from neighbors decreases social interaction. In fact, the data shows that suburban living is better for one's social life.
Using data from 15,000 Americans living in various places across the country, scientists observed that residents of sprawling suburban spaces actually have more friends, more contact with neighbors and greater........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 11/8/2006 9:48:37 PM)
Blocking Gene Improves Radiation EffectivenessInhibiting a particular cancer-causing gene can enhance the cell-killing effects of radiation, a team of radiation oncologists and cancer biologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have found.
Adam Dicker, M.D., Ph.D., professor of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College and his co-workers used an increasingly common animal model, the zebrafish, and antisense technology to show that the drug........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/8/2006 9:30:36 PM)
Gene Shapes Brain RegionA gene variant associated with mental illness goes hand-in-hand with enlargement of a brain region that handles negative emotions, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System have found.
The region of the brain called the pulvinar is larger and contains more nerve cells in humans who carry the gene.
"This might indicate that the brain regions that receive input from the pulvinar are more........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 11/7/2006 11:16:22 PM)
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