In the run up to the Copenhagen conference, a UK broadcaster has been soliciting opinions from scientists in response to the question “Which idea, policy or technology do you think holds the greatest promise or could deliver the greatest benefit for addressing climate change?”. Here’s the answer given by myself and my colleague Tony Ryan.” We think the single most important idea about climate change is the optimistic one, that, given global will and a lot of effort to develop the truly sustainable technologies we need, we could emerge from some difficult years to a much…
Selected by 2020science
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Soft Machines
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Easing the transition to a new solar economy
8 Nov 2009 | 2:39 am -
A crisis of trust?
30 Sep 2009 | 6:41 amOne sometimes hears it said that there’s a “crisis of trust in science” in the UK, though this seems to be based on impressions rather than evidence. So it’s interesting to see the latest in an annual series of opinion polls comparing the degree of public trust in various professional groups. The polls, carried out by Ipsos Mori, are commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians, who naturally welcome the news that, yet again, doctors are the most trusted profession, with 92% of those polled saying they would trust doctors to tell the truth. But, for all the talk of… -
Moral hazard and geo-engineering
6 Sep 2009 | 1:50 pmOver the last year of financial instability, we’ve heard a lot about moral hazard. This term originally arose in the insurance industry; there it refers to the suggestion that if people are insured against some negative outcome, they may be more liable to behave in ways that increase the risk of that negative outcome arising. So, if your car is insured for all kinds of accident damage, you might be tempted to drive that bit more recklessly, knowing that you won’t have to pay for all the consequences of an accident. In the last year, it’s been all too apparent that the… -
Mode 2 and its discontents
21 Aug 2009 | 9:06 amThis essay was first published in the August 2008 issue of Nature Nanotechnology – Nature Nanotechnology 3 448 (2008) (subscription required for full online text). A water-tight definition of nanotechnology still remains elusive, at least if we try and look at the problem from a scientific or technical basis. Perhaps this means we are looking in the wrong place, and we should instead seek a definition that’s essentially sociological. Here’s one candidate: “Nanotechnology is the application of mode 2 values to the physical sciences” . The jargon here is a reference to the… -
Five years on from the Royal Society report
31 Jul 2009 | 9:23 amFive years ago this summer, the UK’s Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering issued a report on Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties. The report had been commissioned by the Government, and has been widely praised and widely cited. Five years on, it’s worth asking the question what difference has it made, and what is left to be done. The Responsible Nanoforum has collected a fascinating collection of answers to these questions – A beacon or just a landmark?. Reactions come from scientists, people in industry, representatives of NGOs,…
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Wired Science
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Istanbul Opens World’s Largest Earthquake-Safe Building
20 Nov 2009 | 11:16 amThe world’s largest seismically isolated building, the new international terminal at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport, is now complete and open for business. Stretching across more than 2 million square feet, the terminal doesn’t sit directly on the soil, but rather on more than 300 isolators, bearings that can move side-to-side during an earthquake. The whole building moves as a single unit, which prevents damage from uneven forces acting on the structure. “What an isolation system does is that it enables the building to move through large displacements in unison,… -
Sushi DNA Tests Reveal Fraud
20 Nov 2009 | 11:14 amA biologist walks into a sushi bar and orders some tuna. What does he get? Escolar, a nasty fish with buttery flesh that can cause bizarre episodes of diarrhea, accompanied by a waxy intestinal discharge. It’s not a joke. It happened five times to the same scientists during a brief research project. The results of that study were published Wednesday in PLOS One. “A piece of tuna sushi has the potential to be an endangered species, a fraud or a health hazard,” wrote the authors. “All three of these cases were uncovered in this study.” The team of researchers from… -
Ghostly Bones of Galactic Feast Revealed
20 Nov 2009 | 10:08 amA new infrared image of the galaxy Centaurus A reveals the gassy, ghastly bones of a galaxy that it consumed several hundred million years ago. The parallelogram of stars leftover from the collision had been obscured by dust. But using new processing techniques in the near-infrared part of the spectrum, European Southern Observatory astronomers were able to glimpse the leftovers of the cosmic dinner. “There is a clear ring of stars and clusters hidden behind the dust lanes, and our images provide an unprecedentedly detailed view toward it,” said Jouni Kainulainen, in a paper on the… -
When Good Rockets Go Bad
19 Nov 2009 | 5:08 pm<< previous image | next image >> In the grand scheme of human space programs in Russia and the United States, catastrophic failures are relatively rare. But they are often quite spectacular and make a big impression on the public and on the funding for space exploration. The explosions in the videos we’ve assembled here were very costly, some in terms of life, some in terms of lost equipment and all in terms of progress of the space programs. Vanguard TV3 Fuel Tanks Explode Dec. 6, 1957: The United States’ first attempt to launch a satellite into orbit was also its first… -
Malaria Gaining Resistance to Best Available Treatment
19 Nov 2009 | 4:44 pmWASHINGTON — Malaria that is resistant to the best available drug is more widespread in Southeast Asia than previously reported, new research shows. The worrisome finding poses a risk that travelers could carry this strain of the malaria parasite to other parts of the globe and unwittingly spread it, scientists reported Nov. 19 at a meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The frontline drug in question is called artemisinin, the most potent medication currently in use against malaria. Signs of malarial resistance to artemisinin have surfaced over the past several…
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Scientific American
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Fight to protect California condors from lead ammunition moves to Arizona
20 Nov 2009 | 1:57 pmIt has been 22 years since the last 22 California condors ( Gymnogyps californianus ) were collected from the wild and placed in captive breeding programs. The species, which nearly went extinct due to habitat loss, poaching, DDT and lead poisoning, has since rebounded to 332 birds, according to counts maintained by the Zoological Society of San Diego . But despite that conservation success, condors still face a major threat from lead poisoning, which often occurs when the birds eat carcasses killed by hunters' lead ammunition. [More] -
Circulation of LHC Beams Could Resume in Earnest over the Weekend
20 Nov 2009 | 12:50 pmThe Large Hadron Collider , the world's most powerful particle accelerator, is drawing near to its long-awaited reboot. More than a year after the European collider's initial start-up was quashed by a helium leak caused by a faulty electrical connection , particle beams have been injected into the collider, known as the LHC, and may be guided fully through its rings in the coming hours. [More] -
Measuring Up: New NIST Director, Plus Big Budget Put Measurement Science in Public Eye
20 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmEarlier this month, the U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed Patrick Gallagher as the 14th director of its National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) . Although the title may be new to Gallagher, NIST's mission of developing measurement science, standards and technology isn't. The 46-year-old physicist began his career in the organization's NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) in 1993 to pursue studies in neutron and x-ray instrumentation; in 2004 he became NCNR's director. [More] -
How Long Can a Nuclear Reactor Last?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:27 pmCould nuclear power plants last as long as the Hoover Dam?Increasingly dependable and emitting few greenhouse gases, the U.S. fleet of nuclear power plants will likely run for another 50 or even 70 years before it is retired -- long past the 40-year life span planned decades ago -- according to industry executives, regulators and scientists. [More] -
What to Do About Endocrine Disruptors? A Q&A with Linda Birnbaum
20 Nov 2009 | 11:37 amNearly a year ago, toxicologist Linda Birnbaum was named director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. She sat down with Environmental Health News journalist Jane Kay in San Francisco on Wednesday to answer questions about the environmental health risks we face today. [More]
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SEEDMAGAZINE.COM
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Seed's Daily Zeitgeist
20 Nov 2009 | 7:10 amSeed's Daily Zeitgeist The ultimate moral dilemma (source: NPR) Radiolab's hosts ask Harvard moral psychologist Joshua Greene to discuss moral puzzles—including the classic challenge of whether you would kill your child to save a village. As it turns out, about half of subjects say they would. Here, try the Relaxacisor (source: MuseumofQuackery.com) The physical headquarters of the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices may have closed down when its founder retired and donated the materials to the Science Museum of Minnesota, but the collection's site is alive and well—unlike many… -
Hair Raiser
20 Nov 2009 | 6:53 amMalcolm Gladwell and Steven Pinker duel over balancing scientific rigor with relatable narrative, while the future of personal genomics goes under the microscope. -
Seed's Daily Zeitgeist
19 Nov 2009 | 7:57 amSeed's Daily Zeitgeist Where did the science stimulus money go? (source: Scienceworksforus.org) More than $20 billion in stimulus money has poured into the nation’s universities, according to a trio of research consortia that recently gathered data from most of the major science institutions across the US. The information is posted to the new ScienceWorksforUs.org, where viewers can search data state by state, including number and size of grants. Though the site may not be visually stunning, what it represents—the largest cash influx into scientific R&D in half a century—is… -
Our Adapting Future
19 Nov 2009 | 5:20 amCurrent developments in autonomous, biological, and evolutionary robotics will have a profound impact on the future of interactive and dynamic architectural space. -
Seed's Daily Zeitgeist
18 Nov 2009 | 9:58 amSeed's Daily Zeitgeist Scientists examine the aching hearts of ancient Egypt (source: LiveScience) We often think of heart disease as a modern ailment, brought on by things like smoking, diets high in processed foods, or sedentary lifestyles. But researchers recently found evidence for the disease in 3,500-year-old mummies, suggesting it may have much more ancient origins. Watch 200 years of colonialism in less than 4 minutes (source: 3 Quarks Daily) A new visualization shows the expansion and decline of the French, British, Portuguese, and Spanish empires over the last 200 years. An artist…
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New Scientist
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'Frankenstein' fix lets asteroid mission cheat death
20 Nov 2009 | 10:37 amThe beleaguered Hayabusa asteroid probe is back on track to return to Earth after ground controllers cobbled together a working engine from two dead ones -
Today on New Scientist: 20 November 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amToday's stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: the rise of the tiny medibots, the colliders that will follow the LHC, and an interview with Belle de Jour -
Belle de Jour: On science and prostitution
20 Nov 2009 | 9:50 amThe professional scientist and former prostitute Brooke Magnanti told her agent, "If New Scientist asks for an interview, I'll do it." We did ask -
Pickled evidence for evolution
20 Nov 2009 | 9:09 amAnimal specimens preserved in jars look Victorian, but the images in Evidence of Evolution show there's still nothing better for studying new species -
Pickled evidence for evolution
20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amAnimal specimens preserved in jars look Victorian, but the images in Evidence of Evolution show there's still nothing better for studying new species
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Discovery News Top Stories
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NASA unleashes the Galactic Ghoul?
20 Nov 2009 | 2:36 pmAs I've mentioned before, I love a good outrageous space headline -- and the more they personify science or mold it to sound like a space opera, the better. But it's interesting to note that the "great galactic ghoul" traces ... -
Firing Up the Large Hadron Collider... Again
20 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pmIf all goes well, the Large Hadron Collider will soon be smashing subatomic particles together as they travel near the speed of light around the 16.8 mile circumference of the world's most complicated machine. Scientists hope the Large Hadron Collider ... -
Behind Oprah Winfrey's Power of Persuasion
20 Nov 2009 | 1:34 pmOprah Winfrey announced yesterday that after 25 years on the air, she would end her beloved talk show in September 2011. This announcement caused visceral reactions among my Facebook "friends." Several status updates read "Oprah, NOOOOOOOOOOOO," or "Why Oprah, Why?" ... -
One Tiny Step for Spirit
20 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pmNASA’s stuck Mars rover Spirit took the tiniest of steps to free itself from a sand trap that brought it to a standstill six months ago. After spinning its wheels for the equivalent of 8.2 feet, the rover moved about ... -
Large Hadron Collider Circulates Proton Beam
20 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pmFor the first time since September 2008, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has circulated a beam of protons fully around its 17 mile-long ring of supercooled electromagnets. The last time this happened was shortly before the LHC suffered a devastating ...
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SciGuy
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Don't panic when this blog goes dark for a few days
19 Nov 2009 | 4:33 amJust a heads up that I'll be taking a quick, late-season vacation from blogging for the next few days now that hurricane season has all but ended. And with the 2012 apocalypse looming, I figure there's no reason to save... -
Majority of TV meteorologists mistrust global climate models
18 Nov 2009 | 11:58 amTolka Rover: Flickr This iceberg was photographed near Juneau County, Alaska, in 2008. A new survey in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (see .pdf) confirms what many of us have suspected for some time: That there's a significant... -
U.S. Defense agency warms to cold fusion?
18 Nov 2009 | 5:08 amThe U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has released a report (see .pdf) that one might describe as a mild endorsement of cold fusion. The report notes that Japan and Italy have emerged as the leaders in low-energy nuclear research (LENR) and... -
Hey, let's all build us a hurricane fighting machine!
17 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pmAwesome. Just awesome. I was having a bad day and out of the blue one of the Chron's editors, Matt Schwartz, sends me a link to Hurricane Fighting Machines™. That's right, folks, it's trademarked so don't even think about stealing... -
If a butterfly flaps its wings in zero gravity ...
17 Nov 2009 | 6:32 amAmong the six crew members blasting into space aboard space shuttle Atlantis astronauts were some stowaways -- a handful of butterfly larvae. The larvae were launched as part of the Butterflies in Space experiment, and the butterfly habitat will be...
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NYT: Environment
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Hacked E-mails Fuel Climate Change Skeptics
20 Nov 2009 | 2:35 pmThe e-mails and documents hacked from a computer server at a British university will undoubtedly raise questions about the actions of some scientists. -
Industrialized Nations Unveil Plans to Rein in Emissions
19 Nov 2009 | 11:55 pmPrior to a climate change meeting scheduled for Copenhagen, industrialized countries, except the United States, are offering targets to curb greenhouse gases. -
Paying More for Flights Eases Guilt, Not Emissions
19 Nov 2009 | 7:37 pmThe sheer size of the airline industry’s emissions makes it hard to judge the effectiveness of carbon offset programs. -
Business of Green: Storm Over the Chamber
19 Nov 2009 | 12:43 amThomas Donohue, the United States Chamber of Commerce’s president, expressed hostility toward climate legislation, which led several businesses to resign in protest. -
Seas Grow Less Effective at Absorbing Emissions
18 Nov 2009 | 11:57 pmThe Earth’s oceans have recently grown less efficient at sopping up carbon dioxide from fuel emissions, new research suggests.
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ScienceNOW
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Early Volcanoes Minted Nickel
Wayward sulfur helped form much of the world's reserves [Read more] -
How Crystals Get Their Groove Back
Chemists reveal new details about why scratching a glass causes crystals to form [Read more] -
Slideshow: Ancient Crocs With a Dog-Like Walk
Scientists find strange collection of fossils in the African desert [Read more] -
Ants Eat Well, Thanks to Bacteria
Researchers uncover nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the ants' gardens [Read more] -
Want to Stop AIDS? Spend Big
New model argues that a massive cash infusion could halt spread of the disease [Read more]
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Reuters: Science News
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CERN restarts Big Bang collider for biggest test yet
20 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pmGENEVA (Reuters) - Scientists are restarting a giant sub-atomic particle collider built to reproduce "Big Bang" conditions, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) said on Friday. -
Art collector finds Galileo's lost tooth, fingers
20 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pmROME (Reuters) - An art collector has found a tooth, thumb and finger of the renowned Italian scientist Galileo Galilei who died in the 17th century, Florence's History of Science museum said on Friday. -
Italy collector finds Galileo's lost tooth, fingers
20 Nov 2009 | 9:17 amROME (Reuters) - An art collector has found a tooth, thumb and finger of the renowned Italian scientist Galileo Galilei who died in the 17th century, Florence's History of Science museum announced on Friday. -
Astronaut in space while wife giving birth
20 Nov 2009 | 7:17 amCAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Shuttle Atlantis astronaut Randy Bresnik can be forgiven if he's having a tough time focusing on work -- his wife is due to give birth on Friday to a baby girl. -
New fossils reveal a world full of crocodiles
19 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pmWASHINGTON (Reuters) - New fossils unearthed in what is now the Sahara desert reveal a once-swampy world
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NYT > Technology
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Hacked E-Mails Fuel Climate Change Skeptics
20 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pmThe e-mails and documents hacked from a computer server at a British university will undoubtedly raise questions about the actions of some scientists. -
A Look at California's New TV Energy Regs
20 Nov 2009 | 2:54 pmWhile it will be a challenge, TV manufacturers believe that they'll be able to meet new California standards for HDTV power consumption. -
Sony Ericsson's Infinite Hope for a Turnaround
20 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pmSony Ericsson hopes to differentiate its new smartphones with an "Infinite Button" that links entertainment and communications. But will it ever be sold in the United States? -
E.U. Takes More Time to Review Oracle-Sun Deal
20 Nov 2009 | 12:24 pmEuropean Union regulators said Friday that they have extended until Jan. 27 a deadline to wrap up their antitrust review of Oracle's planned $7.4 billion takeover of Sun Microsystems. -
Barnes & Noble's Nook Sold Out for the Holidays
20 Nov 2009 | 12:22 pmCustomers buying the company's electronic reading device now will receive them next year.
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Scientific American
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Circulation of LHC Beams Could Resume in Earnest over the Weekend
20 Nov 2009 | 12:50 pmThe Large Hadron Collider , the world's most powerful particle accelerator, is drawing near to its long-awaited reboot. More than a year after the European collider's initial start-up was quashed by a helium leak caused by a faulty electrical connection , particle beams have been injected into the collider, known as the LHC, and may be guided fully through its rings in the coming hours. [More] -
How Long Can a Nuclear Reactor Last?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:27 pmCould nuclear power plants last as long as the Hoover Dam?Increasingly dependable and emitting few greenhouse gases, the U.S. fleet of nuclear power plants will likely run for another 50 or even 70 years before it is retired -- long past the 40-year life span planned decades ago -- according to industry executives, regulators and scientists. [More] -
Novel Nova: Stellar Blast Powered by Helium May Leave a Tantalizing Remnant
20 Nov 2009 | 11:05 amA stellar explosion known as a nova that was detected in 2000 formed a two-lobed shell of material ejected from the star. Shaped like a bow tie, it continues to swell at great velocity. But, curiously, the coat of ejecta flowing outward from the star lacks hydrogen, the most common gas in the universe. [More] -
Cracked Corn: Scientists Solve Maize's Genetic Maze
19 Nov 2009 | 2:48 pmThe complex corn genome--coming in at a hearty two billion base pairs (compared with the human genome's 2.9 billion base pairs)--has been mapped by more than 150 researchers, who worked for years to decipher the grain's genetic code . It's the most complicated plant genome to be deciphered to date and promises to increase the efficiency of the crop itself. [More] -
Can Flywheels Help Balance Electricity Supply and Demand?
19 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pmBeacon Power Corp. broke ground today on a 20-megawatt, energy-storage facility in southeastern New York. [More]
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Eurekalert
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Chest ultrasound as useful as chest CT in the eval of pediatric patients with complicated pneumonia
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmChest ultrasound can serve as a viable alternative to chest CT in the evaluation of pediatric patients with complicated pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion (a build-up of fluid between the lung and chest wall), according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. -
Possible link studied between childhood abuse and early cellular aging
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmResearchers from Brown University and Butler Hospital have determined that children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults. The findings are published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry. A print version of the article is also expected. -
Effect of real-time CPR feedback reported at resuscitation science symposium
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThe Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium is the largest clinical research network to study prehospital treatments for cardiac arrest in the United States and Canada. ROC conducted the first randomized study to assess if real-time audio-feedback, during the EMS prehospital course of care, would improve clinical outcome. Results of the study were presented on November 15 during the Resuscitation Science Symposium 2009 program. -
Watching a cannibal galaxy dine
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmA new technique using near-infrared images, obtained with ESO's 3.58-meter New Technology Telescope, allows astronomers to see through the opaque dust lanes of the giant cannibal galaxy Centaurus A, unveiling its "last meal" in unprecedented detail -- a smaller spiral galaxy, currently twisted and warped. This amazing image also shows thousands of star clusters, strewn like glittering gems, churning inside Centaurus A. -
Saving the single cysteine: New antioxidant system found
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmWe've all read studies about the health benefits of having a life partner. The same thing is true at the molecular level, where amino acids known as cysteines are much more vulnerable to damage when single than when paired up with other cysteines.
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NYT: Personal Tech
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State of the Art: No ‘System,’ but Music Housewide
19 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pmSonos’s ZonePlayer S5 wireless speaker console plays music with an iPhone or iPod Touch as a touch-screen remote control. -
Q & A: Conserving Power On a Netbook
19 Nov 2009 | 12:17 amQuitting unused programs and doing one thing at a time are among steps that can help maximize battery life. -
Basics: Building an Online Bulwark to Fend Off Identity Fraud
19 Nov 2009 | 12:15 amA number of services go beyond reacting to identity thieves and instead aim to safeguard users’ personal information. -
Phone Smart: Adding a Fee to the Shazam App Invites a Look at Competing Tools
19 Nov 2009 | 12:14 amMany who paid for the once-free Shazam music search app may not have known about two competitors that are better in many ways. -
Dell Is Ready to Jump Into the Smartphone Market
18 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pmConfirming longstanding rumors, the PC maker Dell has officially announced its entry into the smartphone market.
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Popular Science - SciTech
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Yikes: Peruvian Jungle Gang Arrested for Selling Fat of Its Murder Victims
20 Nov 2009 | 1:50 pmIs there any medical use for black market human fat? Scientists are skeptical Plentiful fat seems more reviled than revered in today's society, even when it has uses for the medical and cosmetic industries. But today police announced the arrest of a Peruvian gang accused of murdering people and selling their fat to the cosmetics industry, according to The Associated Press. Three gang members have confessed to killing at least five people and draining their fat in a fairly grisly manner: by removing the head, arms, legs and organs, then suspending the bodies above candles to allow the fat to… -
This Week in the Future, November 16-20, 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 1:10 pmLeave a comment to win a TWITF T-shirt! UV phasers, battlefield-based cryogenic tech, computerized cat brains and space fish on Jupiter's moon? Believe it, baby. The future is yours, and we've rounded it up for you in high style once again with This Week in The Future This week brought some fascinating news of the future to PopSci.com. For starters, scientists stunned nematode worms with UV phasers straight out of Star Trek... and they're not ruling out future applications of the technology for super stun weapons. Not to be outdone, DARPA's working on bringingcryogenic technology to the… -
Decoded Corn Genome Promises Higher Yields, Better Biofuels, New Plastics
19 Nov 2009 | 2:16 pmCorn, Illinois: Randy Wick/FlickrWith its annual output of over 330 million tons a year feeding animals, running cars, and decorating South Dakota tourist attractions, maize is clearly Americas most important crop. That's why the newly published complete corn genome could drastically change the food, automotive and plastic industries. Already, scientists have identified genes that could boost yield, change the cell wall to make more biofuel, or raise the nutritional value of this vital cereal. The fully decoded corn genome culminates a four-year, $31 million collaboration between a… -
Thousands of Worms Headed to International Space Station For Muscle Tests
19 Nov 2009 | 10:46 amThe perils of space flight number in the hundreds, from radiation exposure to the impact of micro-asteroids. But for astronauts who spend an extended amount of time floating weightlessly in the near-endless void of space, muscle atrophy remains the most common health problem. Thankfully, a shipment of RNA-treated worms may help scientists on the International Space Station solve that issue. Without the force of Earth's gravity to work against, the muscles of both humans and worms deteriorate in space. By studying the worms, the scientists hope to identify the how and why behind this atrophy. -
New Website Tracks $21 Billion in Stimulus Dollars for Science
18 Nov 2009 | 11:29 amIn 2009, science got a hefty shot in the arm from the federal government's stimulus spending. Now U.S. citizens can see exactly how their taxpayer dollars go toward funding video games that test autism responses, or discovering lakes hidden beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) devoted $21 billion toward scientific research and development, as well as science-related construction and the purchase of scientific equipment. The new website provides a clickable map that breaks down that science funding by state: top recipients include…
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Wired Top Stories
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MPAA Says Copyright-Treaty Critics Hate Hollywood
20 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pmDan Glickman, the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, is complaining to Congress that those who don't support a proposed international intellectual-property treaty are "hostile toward efforts to improve copyright enforcement worldwide." -
World's Largest Earthquake-Safe Building
20 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pmA new 2-million-square-foot terminal at an Istanbul airport is the largest building in the world to sit on high-tech seismic isolators designed to help the building survive earthquakes intact. -
Make an Independent Movie on the Cheap
20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmAnyone with a camera phone and poor impulse control can be a YouTube star for 15 seconds. But what does it take to make a feature film that will get noticed by Hollywood? -
Why Google Should Cool It With Chrome OS
20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmGoogle has some ambitious goals with its open source PC operating system Chrome OS. But we're not convinced consumers will be thrilled with the way the browser-based OS is being presented, so we make a modest proposal. -
Listen to 'World's First Twitter Album'
20 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pmDigital music students create a crowdsourced album within the 140-character confines of Twitter by writing short strings of code that can be translated into songs.
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NYT: Front Page
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Hershey Considers a Counterbid for Cadbury
20 Nov 2009 | 3:28 pmHershey is considering bidding for Cadbury, a proposal that would top the $16.7 billion hostile bid from Kraft, people briefed on the matter told DealBook on Friday. -
Students Continue to Protest California Tuition Increases
20 Nov 2009 | 3:17 pmStudents occupied campus buildings at Berkeley and Santa Cruz on Friday, the day after a 32-percent increase in tuition was approved by the University of California Board of Regents. -
Hacked E-Mails Fuel Climate Change Skeptics
20 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pmThe e-mails and documents hacked from a computer server at a British university will undoubtedly raise questions about the actions of some scientists. -
Arrests in Europe Over Soccer Fixing Investigation
20 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pmGerman law enforcement officials arrested 17 on Friday in connection with what was described as the biggest match-fixing scandal yet uncovered in European soccer. -
Signs That Swine Flu Has Peaked in U.S.
20 Nov 2009 | 2:36 pmThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said flu activity was declining in all regions of the country.
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Mashable!
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HOW TO: Use Social Media to Find Black Friday Deals
20 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pmSusan Payton is the Managing Partner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an internet marketing firm. She blogs at The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and teaches marketing courses at Marketing EggSchool. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing. We’re a week away from Black Friday and just a few years ago, if you wanted to find the best deals, you had to wait for the sales flyers to hit your newspaper or mailbox. You’d make a list of what you wanted and get your game plan together. But that’s all changed because of social media. Tools like iPhone apps, blogs, Twitter, and Facebook… -
LUNCHTIME POLL: What’s Your Favorite Video Sharing Service?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pmIt’s Friday, people, which means that not only is it Follow Friday, it’s also time for the Lunchtime Poll! Last week we wanted to know about your favorite news reader (or whether you use RSS at all). We’ll have the results for you later today, but let’s get a head start on the new poll: what’s your favorite video sharing service? We’ll start off with some responses from the staff here at Mashable, and let you fine folks have at it in the comments. Be sure to let us know along with your vote why you chose it as your favorite. We’ll post the results… -
Thanks to Mashable’s Socially Savvy Supporters
20 Nov 2009 | 12:57 pmThanks to this week’s advertisers and partners for enabling us to bring you the latest social media news and resources. Mashable’s sponsors are as social media savvy as our readers! Advertise with us and get noticed. Help us to help you. Mashable is seeking out site sponsors for our large, diverse audience — social media users, venture capitalists, early adopters, developers, bloggers, and many more. You’ll receive hundreds of thousands of views a day in addition to weekly recognition to thank you as our premium sponsors. Are you interested? Contact us for more information… -
Seesmic Launches Mobile Apps for Android and BlackBerry
20 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pmHot on the heels of the launch of the Windows desktop app preview, Seesmic has brought its Twitter client to the mobile arena as well with the launch of clients for the Android and BlackBerry platforms. Both apps are available for free — get the Android version from the Android Market and the BlackBerry version by pointing your BlackBerry to Seesmic. We had a chance to test out the Android build on the Motorola Droid and came away impressed. The interface is well-designed and easy to use. Read on for our impressions and a demo video below. Four buttons at the top take you to timeline,… -
50 Cent Symbolizes the Impending Live Video Explosion
20 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pmSome of the recent numbers being put up by live video events on the Web are giving TV a run for its money. Take for example the New Moon Premiere, which attracted 3 million viewers in total, a U2 concert on YouTube that reached 10 million, and the red carpet event for This Is It, which saw 1.8 million tune in. Today, we have yet another big number to share, this time from last night’s Ustream premiere of 50 Cent’s movie “Before I Self Destruct.” In total, more than 255,000 users watched at least part of the 90 minute screening, which included the hip hop mogul answering questions live…
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Tech Policy
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Montgomery Crime Watch for Nov. 19, 2009
18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThese were among incidents reported by Montgomery County police. For information, call 240-773-5030. -
Fairfax County crime report
18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThese were among incidents reported by the Fairfax County Police Department. For information, call 703-246-2253. -
Featured Advertiser NEC
18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAds by Pheedo -
Google relents with revised digital books settlement
14 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmIn a move to allay its critics and the Justice Department, Google filed in federal court a revised legal settlement that would allow it to distribute millions of digital books online. -
Copyright overreach goes on world tour
14 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmSome of the better ideas in the computing industry never make it into stores, and not because of expensive hardware, complex code or inadequate bandwidth. You can blame laws that keep otherwise desirable products off of the market.
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Washington Post: Front Page
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U.S. resetting its relationship with Karzai
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmWhen a team of senior U.S. officials led by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton entered the presidential palace in Kabul on Wednesday for a dinner meeting, they had little indication of what Afghan President Hamid Karzai planned to discuss, or whether questions about corruption and governance... -
Obama faces congressional anger about economy
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmGrowing discontent over the economy and frustration with efforts to speed its recovery boiled over Thursday on Capitol Hill in a wave of criticism and outright anger directed at the Obama administration. -
Women can wait until age 21 for cervical cancer test, group says
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmWomen can delay having their first Pap test for cervical cancer until they turn 21 and many can wait longer to go back for follow-up screenings, according to new guidelines released Friday by a major medical group. -
Featured Advertiser
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm -
A black teen longs for the wild blue yonder
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmColin Banks can talk to you about World War I and World War II planes until you're not interested anymore. He likes to TiVo aerial dogfights on the History Channel. The 17-year-old can't drive the distance from Maryland to Richmond by himself, but he's flown it.
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Metamodern
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Most popular posts, continued…
18 Nov 2009 | 9:21 pmVideo: A digitally controlled molecular machine (>3 billion years of patchwork) A few weeks ago, I highlighted some of the most popular posts in Metamodern’s first year (see “Knowledge about Knowledge…”). Posts that offer videos, documents, or talk slides also ranked high: With downloadable documents and talk slides: Molecular Nanomachines: Physical Principles and Implementation Strategies My MIT dissertation — a draft of Nanosystems — is now online Slides for Talk on Nanotechnology and Computational Challenges Slides for Berkeley Talk on Molecular Nanosystems The… -
Followup discussion of quantum information and science hype
17 Nov 2009 | 2:41 pmQuantum Bayesian Networks My recent post on quantum computation drew comments from quantum information scientist Robert Tucci, which led us into a discussion of hype in science, the pervasive mistake of equating quantum parallelism with parallel computing, and then to Bayesian quantum networks (see Robert’s wide-ranging blog on developments in quantum information science and technology). You can read the discussion here. Updated with… Another sample from the informative, entertaining, and sometimes-turbulent quantum information science blogosphere: Scott Aaronson’s blog,… -
How to make carbon nanotubes at room temperature
15 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pmMade at 180°C (a record low, not long ago) As I noted in a recent post on self-assembled nanoelectronics (“Carbon Nanotube Transistors through DNA Origami”), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) hold promise for self-assembled nanomechanical systems, too: They are orders of magnitude stiffer than biomolecules, and can serve not only as rigid components, but also as low-friction linear and rotary bearings to support moving parts. Recent research has shown that self-assembled, biopolymer-based structures can incorporate CNTs as components, but could they also be used to help make them — for example… -
A Unique Health Care System
15 Nov 2009 | 2:28 pmInternational comparison of health care costs and performance metrics Life expectancy and infant mortality vs. total health spending as a percentage of GDP. Data plots are from here and here. Circle areas are proportional to population. I found this surprising. See also: TED-talk video: Let my dataset change your mindset (Gapminder) -
Carbon Nanotube Transistors through DNA Origami
12 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pmSelf-assembly of crossed carbon nanotubes Caltech researchers have applied DNA-based self-assembly to bind pairs of carbon nanotubes into structures that can act as field-effect transistors. Nature Nanotechnology has a prepublication release of their paper, “Self-assembly of carbon nanotubes into two-dimensional geometries using DNA origami templates”; the work emerged from a collaboration centered on the Winfree lab. Physorg.com reports the story behind the work — and on the prospects ahead, quoting William Goddard: “This is a scalable technology. That is, one can design the…
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TreeHugger
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The Week in Pictures: Rot-Proof Apple, Surprises at GreenBuild, Bacteria Lights Up Landmines, and More
22 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pmFrom the news that scientists have created a bacteria that lights up around landmines to the development of a rot-proof apple--that stays fresh for 4 months--a lot happened this week in green. A new study called The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) shows that putting money into protecting wetlands, coral reefs, and forests is a better investment than gold, Lloyd visited GreenBuild 2009 in Arizona, and readers sent in photos of the one green object they just can't live without for our weekly slideshow. Find out what else happened in the world of green this week in our photo… -
How to Make Nano Solar Cells from Powdered Donuts (Video)
20 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pmIt's friday and we know you need something to keep you busy for the weekend, so here's the perfect thing. As the efficiency (and business case) for nano-based solar technology continues to ascend, isn't time you got in the game? Don't worry, it's not as easy as it sounds; in addition to powdered donuts, you'll need some Passion tea from Starbucks and a bottle of Everclear. Even if the cells don't work you've got some good provisions to keep you busy till Monday. Enjoy....Read the full story on TreeHugger -
Split Carbon Costs of Deforestation Between Producers & Consumers to Slow Felling Forests
20 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pmIt's probably no great secret to TreeHugger readers at this point that part of the reason carbon emissions in developing nations are rapidly rising is partially because manufacturing of goods for export to the developed world. In fact in China at least one-third of total emissions and about 50% of emissions growth in recent years is directly tied to goods consumer in Europe and the Uni...Read the full story on TreeHugger -
Rolls Royce Could Launch an Electric Phantom In a Year
20 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pmPhoto: Rolls Royce Does It Matter? Depends How You Look at It... Autocar reports that a source inside the company told them that Rolls Royce could have an electric version of its Phantom super-luxury car on the road by the end of 2010: "Internally it's thought that the near-silence of electric propulsion, and the fact that full torque is available from a standstill, would align perfectly with Rolls-Royce's core values. Engineers are currently hard at work making this a reality, although a running prototype has yet t...Read the full story on TreeHugger -
U.S. Military Wary About Offshore Wind Power Off Coast of Maryland
20 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pmPhoto: Wikipedia, CC Maryland Offshore Wind Development Martin O'Malley, the governor of Maryland, would like to see offshore wind power developed off the cost of his state, but the U.S. military has expressed fears that the turbines could "disrupt flight and weapon test ranges, as well as erroneously appear on radar as unidentifiable aircraft." Three military bases in the region are using that area in the Atlantic for training missions and flight tests....Read the full story on TreeHugger
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New Scientist - The Human Brain
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Better-looking sportsmen more likely to win
19 Nov 2009 | 10:07 amNew research, along with a Twitter-facilitated study conducted by New Scientist, reveals an important trait of the best jocks: a handsome face -
Gene change in cannibals reveals evolution in action
19 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amDevastating brain disease caused by human cannibalism promoted protective gene mutation to emerge just 200 years ago -
Toddlers insensitive to fear go on to commit crimes
17 Nov 2009 | 3:20 amAdult criminals tend to be fearless, but whether this quality emerges before or after their crimes wasn't clear until now -
NASA to restart primate irradiation testing
16 Nov 2009 | 3:07 amThe effect of space radiation on astronauts is still a big question mark for deep space exploration – primate research is meant to cut it down to size -
Signature of consciousness captured in brain scans
12 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amConsistent patterns linked to awareness of particular images could be used to detect consciousness in brain-damaged people
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Scientific Blogging
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Networking For Freelancers
20 Nov 2009 | 9:34 amWhat do rock climbing, book clubs, and sci fi have in common? The answer is they all help an astrophysicist with job hunting. Read on for why and how! Back on May 1st, 6 months ago, I decided to transition to a pure freelancer lifestyle. At the time, Stephanie P. asked "How do you transition from research to writing within NASA?" My answer was "I think I need to see what luck I get hunting, before I can speak with any credence on 'how to transition'!?!". And indeed, freelancing @NASA is still a nut to crack. Their culture doesn't encourage outside contribution as much as I think it needs to. -
Origin Of Life? Long Chains Of RNA Generated Using Just Warm Water
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmA key riddle surrounding the origin of biological molecules like RNA and DNA is how they first came together billions of years ago from simple precursors but a study appearing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry says researchers in Italy have reconstructed one of the earliest evolutionary steps yet; generating long chains of RNA from individual subunits using nothing but warm water. Many researchers believe that RNA was one of the first biological molecules present, before DNA and proteins, but there has been little success in recreating the formation on RNA from simple "prebiotic"… -
New Tevatron Higgs Limits Got Worse, But The 115 GeV Excess Is Growing!
19 Nov 2009 | 12:44 pmIt happens in the best families, so they say. Two experiments work 24/7 to produce an improved result on the Higgs search, and the result is disappointing, to say the least. I am talking about the Tevatron, of course. For a little while longer, CDF and D0 will have the exclusive on Higgs boson searches. Last March, we all rejoyced when we saw that the Tevatron was starting to become sensitive to a high-mass Higgs, and indeed it excluded its existence in a range of masses between 160 and 170 GeV. We were waiting for more exclusions for the winter conferences of 2010, when more data would be… -
The Incoherence Of Free Will
19 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pmI recently re-read a classic piece by J.L. Mackie (April 1955), entitled “Evil and Omnipotence,” a stupendous philosophical essay about why theologians like Richard Swinburne are forced by their belief in an omnipotent, omnibenevelont and omnipowerful god into incredible and rather painful feats of mental gymnastics. One of Mackie’s minor points in the essay is that the so-called “free will defense” for the existence of evil in the world is problematic because the concept of free will itself is incoherent. Although, sometimes accusations of incoherence are thrown around a bit too… -
Reporting As Science
19 Nov 2009 | 10:44 amCall it contrarian stubborness, but I believe there remains that print journalism a critical aspect of American society. That said, what's journalism? Matt Bowden, in the October issue of The Atlantic, proposes that we are in a "post-journalistic age," created by the broadcast drive for ratings and the corporate drive for a bat bottom line, both of which are, of course, money. "In this post-journalistic world, the model for all national debate becomes the trial, where adversaries face off, representing opposing points of view," Bowden said. One of the basic lessons rookie reporters are taught…
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Wash Post Technology
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Fast Forward: 'Augmented reality' fuses your world and the Web
21 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThe cameras on some new phones don't show the world as you've known it. -
Security Fix Live
20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amSecurity Fix blogger Brian Krebs answers your technology questions and offers ways to protect yourself from online security threats. -
Business Digest: Judge backs revised Google Books deal
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmA federal judge granted preliminary approval Thursday to a revised settlement between Google and authors and publishers over the Internet giant's effort to create a vast digital library. Featured Advertiser NEC Ads by Pheedo -
AOL plans to cut a third of workforce
19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAOL said Thursday that it plans to reduce its workforce by a third over the next several months. -
American Express to enter market for online payments
18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAmerican Express on Wednesday said it had agreed to buy the online person-to-person payment provider Revolution Money for $300 million, the latest move by one of the credit card giants to add a service that has been increasingly in demand by consumers, especially younger ones.
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Huffington Post: The Green Blog
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Andrew Winston: Why Going Green -- And The Climate Negotiations In Copenhagen -- Matter Now More Than Ever
20 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pmFor the past few years, the business world has been swept up in a green wave -- a rising tide of interest and concern about environmental issues. The Great Recession has not stopped the pressure pushing this wave. Environmental crises such as climate change and water shortages continue to evolve. Mega-forces such as technology-driven transparency and the rise of the consumer in India and China -- which will force the price of oil and other resources up over time -- continue to advance. Closer to home, key stakeholders are demanding more of companies than ever, especially corporate customers… -
Kevin Grandia: Stolen climate science emails just ain't the conspiracy some want it to be
20 Nov 2009 | 1:33 pmI'll admit, as someone who spends most days looking for leaked documents, the package of stolen emails and documents from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University is pretty juicy. Anything provides insight into the inner-workings of your opponents is pretty much manna from heaven in this line of work. I have been going through all the files today and I hate to disappoint but it just ain't the scandal climate conspiracy theorists want it to be. These emails are blissfully being spun by the climate contrarians as proof of some type of worldwide conspiracy by scientists to fake the… -
Jessy Tolkan: Time Out: Youth Climate Leaders Must Change the Game
20 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pmAfter an emotional week for the members of the youth climate movement, who have staked so much hope on the promise of passing legislation in congress this year and sealing a binding agreement in Copenhagen, we've had to deal with managing our expectations and reframing how we approach the opportunities that are still ahead of us. I wrote on Monday that we would adamantly continue to play our unique role as the generation who will bear the brunt of the negative impact every time our leaders choose to delay decisive action on climate and energy. I still believe this is true, but I also believe… -
Trudie Styler: Do We Want To Be The Generation That Destroyed Ourselves?
20 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pmThe following post was originally delivered at the UN General Assembly's meeting on climate change on Thursday, November 19th. It has been 20 years since Sting and I first visited Brazil, and met some of the people for whom the Amazon rainforest is home. On that trip we saw for ourselves the sickening destruction that was taking place. One of the world's most precious resources simply being cleared out of the way, used up, wasted. We met people who lived in the forest, who'd lost their land, their way of life, their families. We met a Kayapo tribesman called Raoni, who asked us to help him… -
Jason Wojciechowski: (WATCH) Heather Graham matches wits with Mackenzie Crook (Office, UK; Pirates) in Climate Challenge for Oxfam
20 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pmHeather Graham follows on her hilarious advocacy spot for health care reform with a new climate change ad. Graham squares off with Mackenzie Crook (The Office, UK; Pirates of the Caribbean) in this spoof. Graham details the world we are creating through inaction on climate change, while Crook counters with with standard climate change denier wisdom like, "Oh, 2 degrees temperature rise, just unbutton your sweater." When Graham explains the coming resource wars if we don't tackle climate change, Crook shoots back, "Wars are fought over oil, not water!" Heather vs Mackenzie launched this…
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Sciencebase Science Blog
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Homeopathy really doesn’t work
19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amA couple of years ago, I re-posted an old article of mine about homeopathy discussing its ludicrous claims, its feeble attempts to provide a scientific explanation for those claims, and basically pointing out that no solid evidence has ever been found that infinitely diluted solutions of spurious ingredients have any more beneficial effect on a patient than a glass of fresh water. The post got a very late critique from someone in the homeopathy “industry”, so I took each of their points and updated my original post, making it even more robust than it had originally been. -
Latest science headlines
17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amTime to bring you up to date on the latest science headlines I’ve put together for other sites this last couple of weeks, so here’s a quick round-up: On the SpectroscopyNOW site, this issue, I covered natural chemicals that can help sunflowers soak up toxic cadmium from the soil (another example of the phytoremediation process I discussed in more detail on Sciencebase.com recently). I also describe a new approach to spectroscopy that could help chemists work out the absolute structure of natural products with medicinal potential. In the same issue, under the X-ray banner, I… -
Genetically engineered heavy metal fans
13 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amThe wastewater released from industry often contains high levels of toxic heavy metals, which can kill organisms, damage ecosystems, and accumulate in the foodchain. Electroplating, lead smelting, mining, and countless other processes produce enormous volumes of such wastewater. In a perfect world, remediation would be powered by a renewable energy supply, there would be no solid waste to dispose of, and the heavy metal contaminants could be recycled back into the industrial process with minimal losses. That would be industrial Utopia, of course, but something close might exist if scientists… -
Juggling cancer nano news
12 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amLatest news reports from yours truly on Spectroscopynow.com Juggling matters on the brain – UK scientists have used magnetic resonance imaging to reveal that learning a complex task like juggling can causes changes in the white matter in the brain. The findings could have implications for developing new approaches to neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Cancer transition – Anticancer drugs for treating ovarian and colon cancer could use rare metals as weapons in the battle against these diseases. The presence of unusual metal centres in organometallic compounds… -
Berlin Wall falls in Australia
9 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amTwenty years ago today, my girlfriend (now my wife) and I lay on a bed in a cramped backpackers’ hostel in the Katherine Gorge National Park (now Nitmiluk), in Australia’s Northern Territory, watching news of the fall of the Berlin Wall (now rubble). Outside insects were buzzing ferociously, the temperature was in the high 30s, and the hostel owner told us that he wouldn’t bother going in the (tiny, dirty) pool unless the temperature in the shade was at least 45 Celsius. On a circuitous road trip (goin’ Greyhound) we’d set off from Melbourne, where an ex-pat…
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Wired Science
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Istanbul Opens World’s Largest Earthquake-Safe Building
20 Nov 2009 | 11:16 amThe world’s largest seismically isolated building, the new international terminal at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport, is now complete and open for business. Stretching across more than 2 million square feet, the terminal doesn’t sit directly on the soil, but rather on more than 300 isolators, bearings that can move side-to-side during an earthquake. The whole building moves as a single unit, which prevents damage from uneven forces acting on the structure. “What an isolation system does is that it enables the building to move through large displacements in unison,… -
Sushi DNA Tests Reveal Fraud
20 Nov 2009 | 11:14 amA biologist walks into a sushi bar and orders some tuna. What does he get? Escolar, a nasty fish with buttery flesh that can cause bizarre episodes of diarrhea, accompanied by a waxy intestinal discharge. It’s not a joke. It happened five times to the same scientists during a brief research project. The results of that study were published Wednesday in PLOS One. “A piece of tuna sushi has the potential to be an endangered species, a fraud or a health hazard,” wrote the authors. “All three of these cases were uncovered in this study.” The team of researchers from… -
Ghostly Bones of Galactic Feast Revealed
20 Nov 2009 | 10:08 amA new infrared image of the galaxy Centaurus A reveals the gassy, ghastly bones of a galaxy that it consumed several hundred million years ago. The parallelogram of stars leftover from the collision had been obscured by dust. But using new processing techniques in the near-infrared part of the spectrum, European Southern Observatory astronomers were able to glimpse the leftovers of the cosmic dinner. “There is a clear ring of stars and clusters hidden behind the dust lanes, and our images provide an unprecedentedly detailed view toward it,” said Jouni Kainulainen, in a paper on the… -
When Good Rockets Go Bad
19 Nov 2009 | 5:08 pm<< previous image | next image >> In the grand scheme of human space programs in Russia and the United States, catastrophic failures are relatively rare. But they are often quite spectacular and make a big impression on the public and on the funding for space exploration. The explosions in the videos we’ve assembled here were very costly, some in terms of life, some in terms of lost equipment and all in terms of progress of the space programs. Vanguard TV3 Fuel Tanks Explode Dec. 6, 1957: The United States’ first attempt to launch a satellite into orbit was also its first… -
Malaria Gaining Resistance to Best Available Treatment
19 Nov 2009 | 4:44 pmWASHINGTON — Malaria that is resistant to the best available drug is more widespread in Southeast Asia than previously reported, new research shows. The worrisome finding poses a risk that travelers could carry this strain of the malaria parasite to other parts of the globe and unwittingly spread it, scientists reported Nov. 19 at a meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The frontline drug in question is called artemisinin, the most potent medication currently in use against malaria. Signs of malarial resistance to artemisinin have surfaced over the past several…
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NYT > Science
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Hacked E-Mails Fuel Climate Change Skeptics
20 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pmThe e-mails and documents hacked from a computer server at a British university will undoubtedly raise questions about the actions of some scientists. -
Signs That Swine Flu Has Peaked in U.S.
20 Nov 2009 | 2:36 pmThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said flu activity was declining in all regions of the country. -
Panel Sees No Need for A-Bomb Upgrade
20 Nov 2009 | 1:34 pmAmid concerns over an aging stockpile, federal advisers have concluded that programs to extend the life of the nation’s nuclear arms ensure their destructiveness for decades to come. -
Vital Signs: Childhood: U.S. Draws Low Marks on Premature Births
20 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmThe nation, where one out of eight babies are born prematurely each year, earned a D from the March of Dimes. -
Vital Signs: Smoking in U.S. Declines but Not by Much
20 Nov 2009 | 11:52 amSome 20.6 percent of Americans were current smokers in 2008, a drop from 20.9 percent in 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
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BBC News Player | Sci-Tech
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'Big Bang' experiment to re-start
20 Nov 2009 | 1:22 amThe Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment could be re-started on Saturday morning at the earliest, officials have said. -
Astronauts hook up antenna on ISS
19 Nov 2009 | 9:52 amAstronauts from the space shuttle Atlantis have been taking the first spacewalk of their shuttle mission. -
Meteor illuminates the Utah sky
19 Nov 2009 | 1:30 amA meteor briefly illuminated parts of the sky in Utah to daylight-level on Wednesday. -
Japan's hi-tech bid to boost food
17 Nov 2009 | 10:44 pmA company in Japan is experimenting with a "hi-tech" approach to farming in an effort to boost food supplies. -
Network sites 'need help buttons'
17 Nov 2009 | 10:38 pmSocial networking site, Bebo, has introduced a child safety link that gives users access to police officers trained to deal with online grooming.
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Science Magazine
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[News of the Week] Planetary Science: Yes, There's Ice on the Moon—But How Much, and What Use Is It?
When a spent rocket booster slammed into the frigid, inky shadow of a lunar crater last month, it sent up a slightly damp plume of dust, scientists with NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission reported last week.<br><br>Author: Richard A. Kerr -
[News of the Week] Japan: Belt-Tightening Could Claim Some Scientific Scalps
Attempting to rein in Japan's yawning budget deficit, a government task force last week recommended tens of millions of dollars in cuts in science spending in the fiscal year beginning next April that would hit everything from research grants to big-ticket items such as a next-generation supercomputer.<br><br>Author: Dennis Normile -
[News of the Week] Astrophysics: Galactic Glare Reveals Birthplace of Cosmic Rays
Two new astronomical results—one in this week's issue of Science and the other published online this month in Nature—suggest that cosmic rays acquire their tremendous velocities from exploding stars.Author: Yudhijit Bhattacharjee -
[News of the Week] Oil Resources: Splitting the Difference Between Oil Pessimists and Optimists
World production of conventional oil is likely to peak before 2030 and could reach its limits before 2020, a major report from a new voice in the debate over oil depletion warns. In view of the daunting task of weaning the world's transportation off oil, the risk of a peak before 2030 "needs to be given serious consideration," the report says.<br><br>Author: Richard A. Kerr -
[News of the Week] Cell Therapies: Clean Pigs Offer Alternative to Stem Cell Transplants
Within a couple of years, a scientific team hopes to start clinical trials using cells from the first swine herd in the country specially bred to supply insulin-secreting pancreatic islets for people with diabetes. But they face immunological and regulatory challenges, as well as the challenge of overcoming public aversion to the idea.<br><br>Author: Constance Holden
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ScienceBlogs : Combined Feed
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Top Ten Internet Videos Countdown: #10 [Greg Laden's Blog]
20 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pmRead the comments on this post... -
Casual Fridays: What makes a good writer, and what motivates them? [Cognitive Daily]
20 Nov 2009 | 2:38 pmWe received an astonishing number of responses to last week's Casual Fridays study, which claimed to be able to identify what makes a good writer in just a few minutes. Of course, I wasn't actually very confident that a brief survey could actually identify the factors that make a good writer. But I did have a hunch that there were certain traits that were more likely to be associated with good writing. Was there a trick to the study? Some respondents had a hunch that writing wasn't the only thing we were interested in. You were right -- we were also studying a completely unrelated phenomenon… -
Death of a Bridge [Thus Spake Zuska]
20 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pmWhen my mother was a little girl, my grandfather would drive her - almost all the way - to the dentist in Point Marion, PA. They would stop and park on the Greene County side of this bridge, and walk across to save the ten-cent toll on cars. Money was that tight. Mom always said it was bad enough to have to go to the dentist without having to walk across that bridge in the bargain. The bridge is just a few years younger than my mother, and you can see in the photo, which I took last week, that it is not in very good shape. It was already not in very good shape when I was a young girl. I was… -
Tidbits, 20 November 2009 [The Book of Trogool]
20 Nov 2009 | 2:18 pmHave some Friday tidbits! An important biology dataset is losing NSF funding and may fold. Nor (as the article explains) is it the only one. It is impossible to overstate the desperate gravity of the data-sustainability question. Academic libraries, if we are not the white knights here—and we certainly have been in the past; witness arXiv—who is? On a similar theme, Yahoo pulls the plug on GeoCities. O ye researchers relying on consumer-grade web services, or new startups, have an exit strategy! Consumer-grade services die when they lose money. Jason Scott may not come charging to… -
Falling into a Black Hole sucks! [Starts With A Bang]
20 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pmWhy it is that of all the billions and billions of strange objects in the Cosmos -- novas, quasars, pulsars, black holes -- you are beyond doubt the strangest? -Walker Percy When you watch someone fall into a black hole, what you actually see is pretty surprising. You see, a black hole's gravity distorts the space around it, and it does so without providing any light of its own, giving you a unique perspective on the Universe. Well, if you watch someone else fall in, you'd see them approach the black hole normally, and then the bizarreness starts. As they go deeper and deeper into the…
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PHD Comics
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11/18/09 PHD comic: 'Flush'
20 Nov 2009 | 12:37 amPiled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Flush" - originally published 11/18/2009 -
11/16/09 PHD comic: 'Buzzwords'
17 Nov 2009 | 5:03 pmPiled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Buzzwords" - originally published 11/16/2009 -
11/13/09 PHD comic: 'I am going home'
15 Nov 2009 | 1:29 amPiled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "I am going home" - originally published 11/13/2009 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE! -
11/11/09 PHD comic: 'Experience'
12 Nov 2009 | 9:41 pmPiled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Experience" - originally published 11/11/2009 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE! -
11/09/09 PHD comic: 'Brain saver'
10 Nov 2009 | 3:19 pmPiled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com title: "Brain saver" - originally published 11/9/2009 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!
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BBC NEWS | dot.life blog
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The Digital Economy Bill - does it add up?
20 Nov 2009 | 1:26 amThis morning I joined a clutch of damp, sleepy and dishevelled hacks - sorry, bright-eyed and enthusiastic fellow journalists - at a briefing at the Department of Business in Whitehall about the Digital Economy Bill. In brief, this sets out to take Lord Carter's Digital Britain report and turn some of it into law. Amongst the main measures: • Action against illegal file-sharing forcing ISPs to take action against infringers. This includes the controversial measure which could see repeat offenders cut off • Allows the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act to be amended if in future new… -
Facebook v Ceop
18 Nov 2009 | 3:25 amFacebook is under fire this morning, accused of neglecting its responsibility to help to keep young internet users safe. The charge comes from Jim Gamble of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, who wants Facebook (and MySpace) to follow the lead of Bebo in including Ceop's "Report button" in its social network. Mr Gamble says he doesn't understand why Facebook won't take a fairly simple step which would give young users instant access to advice on issues from bullying to viruses and hacking, and would put them in touch with the police if they so wished. In order to see this… -
The iAwards - not quite the BAFTAs
17 Nov 2009 | 3:10 amA grand dinner in a glamorous location, a ceremony presided over by a former star of Strictly Come Dancing and a clutch of winners who are stars in their field. No, it wasn't the BAFTAs but the inaugural iAwards event held last night at the Science Museum, with John Sergeant as master of ceremonies. These awards, which aim to celebrate British companies at the leading edge of science, technology and innovation, were the brainchild of the science minister Lord Drayson and the entrepreneur and "Dragon's Den" dragon James Caan. The aim does indeed appear to be to scatter the same kind of… -
Google Books: The latest chapter
16 Nov 2009 | 9:49 amReading the coverage over the last couple of days, you might think that the row over Google's plans to digitise the world's books was fading away. The search company has responded to the anger of many in the publishing world by making concessions late last week which mean that most non-American titles will not be included. "Google backtracks on putting world's books online," read one headline today. But actually it's a lot more complicated than that, as I discovered in the genteel surroundings of the Society of Authors in Kensington this lunchtime. Representatives of publishers and authors in… -
The anonymous bullies
16 Nov 2009 | 12:34 amShocking figures today on the extent of cyberbullying in our schools. Research for the charity Beatbullying showed that over 60% of 11-18-year-olds said they'd witnessed some form of online bullying. It ranges from unkind words on an instant messaging service to full-blown hate campaigns which in extreme cases have driven some children to suicide. But, as we shake our heads and ask ourselves how it came to this, shouldn't we also be asking another question: are adults any better? You don't have to roam far online to find examples of rudeness, aggression and downright bullying. I had a quick…
