Coral Reef Tells The History Of Soil ErosionCoral reefs, like tree rings, are natural archives of climate change. But oceanic corals also provide a faithful account of how people make use of land through history, says Robert B. Dunbar of Stanford University.
According to a research findings published in the Feb. 22 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, Dunbar and his colleagues used coral samples from the Indian Ocean to create a 300-year record of soil erosion in Kenya, the longest........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/10/2007 5:58:03 PM)
Analysis of Black Bloggers in the BlogosphereIn the first scholarly research examining the role of black bloggers in the blogosphere, Brown University researcher Antoinette Pole assessed how bloggers of color use their medium for purposes related to politics. She found that black bloggers are, in fact, mobilizing readers to engage in political participation. Additionally, Pole found that black bloggers do not feel discriminated against or excluded by other bloggers. These findings are........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 4/9/2007 11:14:28 PM)
How Lead Exposure Produces Learning DeficitsA study of young adult rats by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provides evidence that explains exactly how exposure to lead during brain development produces learning deficits. The study shows that exposure to levels of lead that are similar to those measured in lead-intoxicated children reduces the birth and survival of new neurons (neurogenesis) in the brain. Lead also alters the normal development of........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/3/2007 10:49:52 PM)
The global carbon budgetLife as we know it, from the most basic microbes to our human neighbors, is carbon based. By investigating how carbon cycles through ecosystems, scientists can learn valuable information about food chains, nutrient cycling, and productivity. Because carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, with the ability to influence temperature, an accurate global carbon budget is needed to address climate change.
On Earth, carbon is continually cycling........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 4/3/2007 10:13:35 PM)
Supreme Court case on carbon dioxide emissionsFour faculty members from The University of Arizona in Tucson were part of an amicus curiae brief supporting the plaintiff in today's historic U.S. Supreme Court decision on carbon dioxide emissions and climate change.
In the case, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, several states sued the EPA for failure to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles as required by the Clean Air Act.
........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 4/2/2007 10:06:09 PM)
Right angles are all wrong for tree frog adhesionTree frogs have the unique ability to stick to smooth surfaces even when they are tilted well beyond the vertical - some small tree frogs can even adhere when completely upside down. Conversely when walking or jumping they can detach their toe pads easily. Researchers from the University of Glasgow will present insights into how this fascinating ability is controlled at the Society for Experimental Biologys Annual Meeting in Glasgow, UK.
........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/1/2007 9:08:15 PM)
Getting dirty may lift your moodTreatment of mice with a friendly bacteria, normally found in the soil, altered their behavior in a way similar to that produced by antidepressant drugs, reports research published in the latest issue of Neuroscience.
These findings, identified by researchers at the University of Bristol and colleagues at University College London, aid the understanding of why an imbalance in the immune system leaves some individuals vulnerable to mood........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/1/2007 8:53:57 PM)
Tangle Under TurbulencePicture the flow of water over a rock. At very low speeds, the water looks like a smooth sheet skimming the rock's surface. As the water rushes faster, the flow turns into turbulent, roiling whitewater that can overturn your raft.
Turbulence is important in virtually all phenomena involving fluid flow, such as air and gas mixing in an engine, ocean waves breaking on a cliff and air whipping across the surface of a vehicle. However, a........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/28/2007 10:16:41 PM)
Thinning of West Antarctic IcePolar ice experts from Europe and the United States, meeting to pursue greater scientific consensus over the fate of the world's largest fresh water reservoir, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, conclude their three-day meeting at The University of Texas at Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences with the following statement:
Surprisingly rapid changes are occurring in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, a Texas-size region of the Antarctic Ice Sheet........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/28/2007 10:00:38 PM)
A Mathematical Solution for Another DimensionEver since 1887, when Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie discovered the mathematical group called E8, scientists have been trying to understand the extraordinarily complex object described by a numerical matrix of more than 400,000 rows and columns.
Now, an international team of experts using powerful computers and programming techniques has mapped E8--a feat numerically akin to the mapping of the human genome--allowing for breakthroughs in........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/27/2007 8:17:15 PM)
Makeovers Mask Ugly TruthsFrom drooping eyelids and sagging breasts to cleft palates and stained teeth, the makeover experts on the ABC reality show Extreme Makeover have never met a physical imperfection they couldnt correct. But philosophy professor Cressida Heyes argues that, for all the beautification that takes place on the show, there are some ugly truths at its core.
The cosmetic surgery makeover show is relatively new to the TV landscape. Heyes, a University........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/25/2007 9:26:17 PM)
Not All Nanomaterials Are Created EqualTroy, N.Y. The size, type, and dispersion of nanomaterials could all play a role in how these materials impact human health and the environment, according to two groups of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In new studies, the teams found that while carbon nanotubes inhibited growth in mammalian cells, they sustained the growth of commonly occurring bacteria.
The seemingly contradictory findings highlight the need for society........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/25/2007 8:14:07 PM)
Recycling in New YorkAt a Super Bowl party yesterday, a highly unscientific poll of attendants revealed that the vast majority of these New Yorkers worked in offices or lived in apartment buildings where recycling was essentially a ruse. That is, offices would have clearly marked bins for paper, plastic, metal, and trash, but at the end of the day the cleaning staff would come and mix everything together. A similar thing was recorded in large apartment buildings.........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/22/2007 7:21:29 PM)
Should Facebook Sell?CollegiateTimes.com -- Feb 26 -- "Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the highly popular Facebook.com social networking site, is receiving pressure to cash in on his website before it decreases in popularity. According to the Associated Press, Facebook is expected to bring in revenue totaling more than $100 million this year. The website shows the site moving from 7.5 million users last July, to almost 18 million users FULL ARTICL
I think........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/20/2007 9:06:43 PM)
Biosand filter reduces diarrheal diseaseA simple, affordable household filtration device can reduce the incidence of diarrhea, one of the leading causes of disease and death in developing countries, by up to 40 percent, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown.
"This technology has the potential to bring safe drinking water to many people in developing countries around the world who don't have access to it now," said Mark Sobsey, Ph.D., professor........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/19/2007 9:36:47 PM)
Does God answer prayer? Does God or some other type of transcendent entity answer prayer?
The answer, according to a new Arizona State University study published in the March journal Research on Social Work Practice, is yes.
David R. Hodge, an assistant professor of social work in the College of Human Services at Arizona State University, conducted a comprehensive analysis of 17 major studies on the effects of intercessory prayer or prayer that is offered for........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/14/2007 10:24:59 PM)
What causes attractiveness?Perceived attractiveness is the result of compatibility of biological sex and gendered cues--masculinity and femininity as specified within the societyaccording to a study by researchers at New York University and Texas A & M University. The findings are published in the most recent issue of the journal, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study, conducted by Kerri Johnson at NYUs Department of Psychology and Louis........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/12/2007 9:56:09 PM)
Developing Countries' Water And Sanitation NeedsWorldwide, more than one billion people lack access to an improved water source, such as a rainwater collection or dug well, and two billion still need access to basic sanitation facilities, such as a latrine.
By 2015, the international community hopes to reduce by half the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
This target for sustainable water and sanitation is just one of the United........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/12/2007 9:21:26 PM)
Lifting the Chinese tiger trade banWASHINGTONAny easing of the current Chinese ban on trading products made from tigers is likely a death sentence for the endangered cats, according to a new TRAFFIC report released recently by World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFICthe wildlife trade monitoring program of WWF and IUCN.
The report warns that Chinese business owners who would profit from the tiger trade are putting increasing pressure on the Chinese government to overturn its........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/12/2007 8:58:55 PM)
Exploring Earth's Deepest SinkholeScientists return this week to the world's deepest known sinkhole, Cenote Zacaton in Mexico, to resume tests of a NASA-funded robot called DEPTHX, designed to survey and explore for life in one of Earth's most extreme regions and potentially in outer space.
If all goes well with this second round of testing and exploration, the team will return in May for a full-scale exploration of the Zacaton system.
Sinking more than 1,000 feet,........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/8/2007 7:59:27 AM)
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Protein Required For Two Neighboring Cells To FuseWorking with fruit flies, scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered a protein required for two neighboring cells to fuse and become one "super cell".
Most cells enjoy their singular existence, but the strength and flexibility of muscles relies on hundreds or even thousands of super cells that make large-scale motion smooth and coordinated, such as flexion of a bicep.
The newly discovered protein, dubbed Solitary, coordinates the........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/10/2007 6:06:57 PM)
Blending in, Not Fighting BackBiomedical engineers are constantly coming up with ways to repair the human body, replacing defective and worn out parts with plastic, titanium, and ceramic substitutes - but the body does not always accept such substitutes seamlessly. Engineers from Brown and Purdue universities have observed that simply changing the surface texture of implants can dramatically change the way cells colonize a wide variety of materials.
Two recent........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/9/2007 11:06:06 PM)
Financial Risks Of Nuclear Power PlantsBerkeley -- Enticed by the gleam of government subsidies, many companies are rushing to invest in nuclear power, expecting that new technology and safer reactors will make them as good an investment as other types of power plants.
A new study appearing in the April 1 issue of the journal Environmental Science and Technology notes, however, that the country's history of unexpected cost overruns when building nuclear plants should sound a........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/3/2007 10:39:14 PM)
Breakthrough Points To Hydrogen-powered VehiclesResearchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have developed an advanced concept in nanoscale catalyst engineering - a combination of experiments and simulations that will bring polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells for hydrogen-powered vehicles closer to massive commercialization.
The results of their findings identify a clear trend in the behavior of extended and nanoscale surfaces of platinum-bimetallic........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/2/2007 10:21:55 PM)
Sleep quantity affects morning testosterone levelsThe testosterone levels of healthy men decline as they get older. As sleep quality and quantity typically decrease with age, objectively measured differences in the amount of sleep a healthy older man gets can affect his level of testosterone in the morning, as per a research studyreported in the April 1st issue of the journal SLEEP.
The study, conducted by Plamen Penev, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago, focused on 12 healthy men........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 4/1/2007 9:28:29 PM)
Effective Responses After Terrorism IncidentsA multi-disciplinary panel of blast-related injury experts from eight countries that have recently experienced terrorist attacks examined and discussed their emergency medical response to blast events and identified common issues that could be used by others to enhance preparedness. The represented countries included: Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, United Kingdom, United States, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The study was funded by the........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 4/1/2007 9:17:46 PM)
Nanotubes Could Improve Thermal ManagementAs the electronics industry continues to churn out smaller and slimmer portable devices, manufacturers have been challenged to find new ways to combat the persistent problem of thermal management. New research published in the March 19 issue of Applied Physics Letters suggests that carbon nanotubes may soon be integrated into ever-shrinking cell phones, digital audio players, and personal digital assistants to help ensure the equipment does not........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/29/2007 10:33:36 PM)
Improvements in population data neededEvery year, millions of people worldwide are displaced because of natural or industrial disasters or social upheaval. Reliable data on the numbers, characteristics, and locations of these displaced populations can bolster humanitarian relief efforts and subsequent recovery programs. Conversely, the absence of such information can hinder the prompt delivery of aid and impact the survival and recovery of affected groups. Using sound methods........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/29/2007 10:19:42 PM)
Does BlackBerry equal 'CrackBerry'One might expect a doctoral student conducting research on BlackBerry usage to own one or more of the handheld devices. But Melissa Mazmanian, a fourth-year MIT Sloan doctoral student, doesn't own one, and she prefers it this way.
Mazmanian's study of how people use the BlackBerry in their everyday lives has already drawn attention in the Wall Street Journal and The Independent and on National Public Radio. Her research won an Academy of........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/27/2007 8:44:01 PM)
Family Ties and Traditional Activities Of Arctic CommunitiesA newly released survey of indigenous Arctic people indicates that an overwhelming majority of the region's native people think traditional pursuits such as hunting, boat-building and manufacturing crafts are important to their identity. Unique because it measured quality of life and involved them in data gathering, the survey also says a substantial portion engages in traditional activities in addition to working in the cash economy.
"Four........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/27/2007 8:32:01 PM)
Black Carbon Transported from AsiaMore than three-quarters of the particulate pollution known as black carbon and transported at high altitudes over the West Coast during spring comes from Asia, according to a research team led by scientist V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) in La Jolla, Calif. The material not only affects climate in Asia, it also carries consequences for the Pacific Ocean region that drives much of the climate around the world.
........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/27/2007 7:10:31 PM)
Excess nutrients or water limit biodiversityToo much of a good thing (nutrients or water) actually decreases the diversity of species in an ecosystem while it increases the productivity of a few species, according to a grassland experiment conducted by University of Minnesota researchers.
The reduction in species diversity occurs because increasing the amounts of limiting resources, such as nitrogen and water, makes an ecosystem more homogeneous and consequently reduces the number of........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/25/2007 6:59:08 PM)
Coming soon to the iDumpAll hail the arrival of the iPhone! Finally, the convergence of the most popular throwaway mp3 player with the most throwaway portable electronic! This iPhone round up doesn't answer the most important question: does it come prebroken?
That would be a timesaver for the go-getters who want the cachet of the iPhone but don't want to have it break down at a critical moment: with 11 months left on your commitment to Cingular.........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/22/2007 7:23:42 PM)
Rare Butterflies Spotted Once Again After 30 Years in the Top EndAfter 30 years of disappearance, the rare butterflies of Australiaspotted once again in the Northern Territory. It is at the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park on the Cobourg Peninsula, lying on the north-east of Darwin, the northern Argus butterflies are found by the CSIRO.
This discovery proves outright the poor survey of many areas of the region. To add to, a very little is known of these rare butterflies here! The CSIRO also spotted white........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/20/2007 9:03:29 PM)
How Computers and Electronics WorkResearchers have made an important advance in the emerging field of 'spintronics' that may one day usher in a new generation of smaller, smarter, faster computers, sensors and other devices, according to findings reported in today's issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
The research field of 'spintronics' is concerned with using the 'spin' of an electron for storing, processing and communicating information.
The research team of........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/19/2007 9:46:05 PM)
Videotaped confessions can create biasPolice often videotape interrogations of suspects for use in criminal trials. Video confessions that focus exclusively on the suspect, however, can bias judges and law enforcement officers to consider the suspect's statements as voluntary, according to a new Ohio University study.
In more than 25 percent of wrongful convictions exonerated by DNA testing, innocent defendants made incriminating statements, delivered outright confessions or........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/13/2007 9:34:22 PM)
Vanishing Neurons Of AdolescenceResearchers at the University of Illinois have found that adolescence is a time of remodeling in the prefrontal cortex, a brain structure dedicated to higher functions such as planning and social behaviors.
The study of rats found that both males and females lose neurons in the ventral prefrontal cortex between adolescence and adulthood, with females losing about 13 percent more neurons in this brain region than males.
This is the first........Go to the Science-blog (Added on 3/13/2007 9:23:42 PM)
Can Luxury Homes Be Eco-friendly?Luxury homes can be eco-friendly too. Scottish construction Stewart Milne Group plans to build UK’s first five-star near-zerocarbon neutral) house state-of-the-art environmental house
The house being built by Stewart Milne is aiming to achieve a five star rating, but within a commercially viable design for volume produced housing, developed with PRP architects, which responds to the issues facing house builders and their customers
........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/11/2007 1:11:44 PM)
Retirement of BoomersAmericans in their early to mid-50s today report poorer health, more pain and more trouble doing everyday physical tasks than their older peers reported at the same age in years past, a recent analysis has shown. The research, published in print and online this week by the nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health.
The study........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/8/2007 8:09:32 AM)
When God sanctions violenceReading violent scriptures increases aggressive behavior, especially among believers, a new study finds. The study by University of Michigan social psychologist Brad Bushman and colleagues helps to illuminate one of the ways that violence and behavior are linked.
"To justify their actions, violent people often claim that God has sanctioned their behavior," said Bushman, faculty associate at the U-M Institute for Social Research and lead........Go to the My-media-blog (Added on 3/5/2007 10:02:45 PM)
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