Nuggets of Nugacity

Obama's Hypocrisy

2009-05-23T15:39:00.003-04:00

Obama attacks Bush administration policy, describing it as ad hoc, then describes how he will create a system that allows for the "prolonged detention" of terrorists without trial. I have to say I'm a little surprised.

2009-05-22T17:49:00.003-04:00

Thomas Friedman on how to sell a carbon tax (from his NYT Op-Ed column, "Moore's Law and the Law of More"):

Have no doubt: From right-wing tea parties to coal states to manufacturers, there is going to be a no-holds-barred campaign to kill any carbon price signal, including cap and trade. A vast army of lobbyists is already working against it. Only President Obama can blunt this. Only he has the platform for framing and elevating the issue properly and taking it to the American people with the passion and clarity needed to move the country. It will take more than one speech.
Here’s one way to start: “My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you about a new economic law. You’ve heard of Moore’s Law in information technology. I’d like to speak to you about the ‘Law of More’ in energy technology. Americans, Indians, Chinese, Africans, we all want more — more comfort in our homes, more mobility in our lives, more technologies with which to innovate. But there is only one way all 6.3 billion of us can have more and not make this an unlivable planet, and that is by living our lives and running our businesses in more sustainable ways and properly accounting for it.
“Right now we’re paying a huge price — a tax — for everyone trying to achieve more in an unsustainable way. But the ‘More Tax’ is not imposed by the U.S. government. It is a tax imposed by the market and will continue rising indefinitely as more and more people want more and more stuff. It will steadily drive up gasoline prices, home heating prices and factory electricity prices. But because this ‘More Tax’ is set by the market and not the government, many opponents contend that there’s nothing to be done: ‘Oh, $4.50 a gallon gasoline — that’s just the market at work. We can’t do anything about that.’ And then all that tax money out of your pocket goes to enrich oil companies and petro-dictators.
“My proposal is that today we fix a durable price on carbon-based fossil fuels, but set it to begin only in 2011, after we’re out of this recession. Every home builder, air-conditioning manufacturer, gasoline refiner, carmaker will know that it’s coming and will, I believe, immediately look for ways to profit from and invest in more energy efficient systems. Yes, the cost of gasoline or kilowatt hours will rise in the short term. But in the long term, your actual bills and expenses will go down because your car, appliances and factory will become steadily more productive and give you more power for less energy.
“I call it the ‘Carbon Tax Cut.’ You won’t receive the dividend in the first week or month, but you will get it soon, and it will be a permanent tax cut, a gift that will keep on giving.
“So those are our choices, folks — an escalating ‘More Tax’ forever, premised on immediate gratification and short-term thinking, or a ‘Carbon Tax Cut’ forever, which is exactly what you’ll get from establishing a carbon price signal that shapes the market in favor of American interests and not those of our adversaries and competitors. If you’re with me, write your member of Congress and senator today.”

Focus

2009-05-22T17:25:00.005-04:00

Here's a tidbit from John Tierney's NYT Findings column, "Ear Plugs to Lasers - The Science of Concentration":

...
When something bright or novel flashes, it tends to automatically win the competition for the brain’s attention, but that involuntary bottom-up impulse can be voluntarily overridden through a top-down process that Dr. Desimone calls “biased competition.” He and colleagues have found that neurons in the prefrontal cortex — the brain’s planning center — start oscillating in unison and send signals directing the visual cortex to heed something else.
...
“It takes a lot of your prefrontal brain power to force yourself not to process a strong input like a television commercial,” said Dr. Desimone, the director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at M.I.T. “If you’re trying to read a book at the same time, you may not have the resources left to focus on the words.”
...

Here are some tips from the author of "Rapt,” a guide to the science of paying attention, Winifred Gallagher.

Ms. Gallagher advocates meditation to increase your focus, but she says there are also simpler ways to put the lessons of attention researchers to use. Once she learned how hard it was for the brain to avoid paying attention to sounds, particularly other people’s voices, she began carrying ear plugs with her. When you’re trapped in a noisy subway car or a taxi with a TV that won’t turn off, she says you have to build your own “stimulus shelter.”
She recommends starting your work day concentrating on your most important task for 90 minutes. At that point your prefrontal cortex probably needs a rest, and you can answer e-mail, return phone calls and sip caffeine (which does help attention) before focusing again. But until that first break, don’t get distracted by anything else, because it can take the brain 20 minutes to do the equivalent of rebooting after an interruption. (For more advice, go to nytimes.com/tierneylab.)

Why is the FBI So Stubborn???

2009-05-22T16:43:00.003-04:00

Happyhour Gene Determines Sensitivity to Alcohol

2009-05-21T17:09:00.004-04:00

From NewScientist:

A newly identified gene called happyhour makes fruit flies sensitive to booze. Drugs that mimic the effects of the gene may offer a new treatment against alcohol abuse, researchers say. Read more...

Goals Are More Important Than Help

2009-05-21T16:53:00.004-04:00

From ScienceDaily:

Helping middle school students with their homework may not be the best way to get them on the honor roll. But telling them how important academic performance is to their future job prospects and providing specific strategies to study and learn might clinch the grades, according to a research review. Read more...

This was certainly true for me, and I think it applies for all ages.

Mockingbirds Can Remember Threatening People

2009-05-21T16:26:00.002-04:00

From NewScientist:

Terreform: Growing Houses

2009-05-08T21:54:00.005-04:00

The solution to our environmental problems is going to require some out of the box thinking. This is one of the most interesting ideas I have seen in quite a while (check out the website at terreform.org):

Unedited Torture and Ethics Interview

2009-04-29T15:37:00.003-04:00

Take 20 minutes out of your day to watch as John Stewart ever so eloquently explains why torture is wrong and why America should be/is better than defending the use of it.

It is a series of three clips, after one you should be directed to the next.

Earth Day Photos

2009-04-23T21:31:00.006-04:00

I know it was yesterday, but here are some of my favorites from 40 photos posted by the Boston Globe in honor of 40 years of Earth Day.

Could We Have Prevented HIV/AIDS

2009-04-23T13:48:00.005-04:00

And can we prevent the next epidemic?

Rich = Green (not just money)

2009-04-23T13:08:00.003-04:00

Here are two bold predictions made yesterday by John Tierney of the NYT:

1. There will be no green revolution in energy or anything else. No leader or law or treaty will radically change the energy sources for people and industries in the United States or other countries. No recession or depression will make a lasting change in consumers’ passions to use energy, make money and buy new technology — and that, believe it or not, is good news, because...
2. The richer everyone gets, the greener the planet will be in the long run.

I strongly encourage you to read the article to find out more...

Swallowing the iPod Shuffle

2009-04-22T18:24:00.004-04:00

I recently posted x-ray proof that sword-swallowing is not a trick, so why is it so hard for this sword-swallower to swallow a tiny iPod shuffle?

Can the iPod shuffle be swallowed? from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

8 Secrets of Success

2009-04-21T23:31:00.004-04:00

My Mom sent this to me, and now I'm sharing it with you:

The Beauty of Nature

2009-04-21T17:20:00.006-04:00

Check out these beautiful pictures:

More pictures can be found here

Winners of the Green Innovation Challenge

2009-04-21T17:02:00.005-04:00

Check out NewScientist's gallery showing the winners of an international competition to find innovations that could help combat climate change:

Gallery

Fraction Neurons

2009-04-21T16:55:00.001-04:00

From NewScientist (full article):

FRACTIONS may be written as the ratio of two whole numbers, but that's not how our brains process them. Instead it seems we respond to fractions directly, without processing whole numbers along the way. This suggests that kids, who often dread fractions, could be taught them more intuitively.

Previous tests have shown that specifc groups of neurons respond to different whole numbers, with the number one altering the firing patterns of different neurons than the number three. Now Simon Jacob and Andreas Nieder of the University of Tübingen in Germany have shown that we have fraction-specific neurons too.

The pair scanned the brains of adults as they were shown a variety of different fractions - either as numerical ratios or in words. In both cases, specific groups of neurons altered their firing patterns. Crucially, control experiments showed that the volunteers weren't responding first to whole numbers, and then calculating the ratio, but were reacting to the fraction itself (The Journal of Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0651-09.2009).

Fractions tend to be taught as ratios of whole numbers, but Nieder says this may not tap our neural machinery in the most constructive way, making fractions harder to grasp than they need to be.

Flying Bionic Penguins

2009-04-21T16:52:00.000-04:00

Visualizing World Energy Use

2009-04-21T14:08:00.008-04:00

Here's a nice graphic for you to contemplate:
click pic to enlarge

Green Porno: Snail

2009-04-21T00:08:00.003-04:00

Now for a little fun:

What We Can Tell From Facial Expression

2009-04-20T23:59:00.003-04:00

I mentioned this study on how accurate our perception of a person is simply based on their picture in class today, so I figured I would direct those interested to the post, which can be found here. For more on the topic, check out You Don't Even Know What You Like

Corn Ethanol No Better Than Petroleum

2009-04-20T23:43:00.005-04:00

Here's another nugget regarding alt. energy (SciAm.com):

Corn Ethanol Will Not Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

I've posted on this topic before, check out Beyond Fossil Fuels, Duckweed, Renewable Energy to the Rescue, Water vs. Energy, A Note on Biofuels and Alternative Biofuels.

Beyond Fossil Fuels

2009-04-20T23:30:00.005-04:00

I want to direct your attention to a series that started today on SciAm.com. I am super busy with the end of school and trying to find a job, so I don't have any time to discuss it, but check it out:

Beyond Fossil Fuels
A survey of executives at companies engaged in energy alternatives to fossil fuels reveals some of the challenges facing the industry

Roots do the Obama Remix

2009-04-17T00:25:00.001-04:00

The Fountain of Youth Flows With Heavy Water

2009-04-17T00:10:00.002-04:00

The Big Bang in Glass

2009-04-16T23:59:00.002-04:00

I'm a big fan of blown glass in general, and this artist has tried to embody the theory of the big bang in a glass sculpture - and he actually has some pretty interesting things to say about it:

Seeing Through Walls

2009-04-16T23:46:00.002-04:00

The previous post showed how a reflective coating and a camera can make it possible to see through objects - well here's another way:

Invisibility: From Sci-Fi to Reality

2009-04-16T23:37:00.002-04:00

Check out these two almost unbelievable new technologies: first, the combination of a special reflective coating and a video camera may make it possible to see through the solid parts of your car to virtually eliminate blind spots; second, by altering electromagnetic waves it is possible to make light waves appear as if they pass right through an object, thus making it invisible. Check it out:

More on the Affect of Facial Expressions

2009-04-16T23:30:00.002-04:00

This goes quite well with the video I posted about ten minutes ago:

X-Ray of a Sword Swallower

2009-04-16T23:25:00.001-04:00

In case you thought sword swallowing was some sort of magic trick - here's your proof that it can really be done:

You Don't Even Know What You Like

2009-04-16T23:15:00.002-04:00

It's a simple experiment/trick, and it's pretty cool. The guy shows two faces and asks which you like. Upon choosing he puts down the card, hands it to you, and asks why you picked it. The catch is, he is handing you the one you didn't pick - but more often than not you don't even realize, and proceed to explain why you like the picture you didn't choose. What's the explanation for this? Hell if I know.

Bed Bugs an Increasing Problem

2009-04-16T14:18:00.004-04:00

Bed bugs have always been somewhat of a mythical creature to me. Probably because because of the little rhyme recited every night by my parents as they tucked me in: "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. And if they do, get out your shoe, and beat them 'til they're black and blue." (The second line wasn't recited by my parents, but learned later from peers at school.)

Anyway, I have never taken this warning particularly seriously, but there may now be reason to heed the warning with a little more care. Check it out (from 60 Second Science):

Federal environmental regulators are hosting the first-ever "bed bug summit" to discuss emerging infestations of the insects around the country.

At the behest of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some 300 people gathered in Arlington, Va., yesterday and today to swap ideas about how to get rid of the critters, whose bites make up to half of victims itchy with hives. While there's no official count of how many people are bitten, cities including New York, Chicago, Boston and Cincinnati have reported growing bed bug problems, which experts blame in part on declining use of pesticides amid concerns about their health effects. Read more...

New Breed of Cancer Vaccine Shows New Promise

2009-04-16T13:40:00.005-04:00

Seattle bio-tech company Dendreon has announced that it's anti-cancer vaccine, Provenge, prolongs the lives of prostate cancer patients. 500 patients for who no other therapies were effective participated in the study, but the exact results have not been released (leading to some suspicion regarding the truth of the claim).

While most vaccines rely on prevention, provenge works by targeting immune cells/molecules to established tumors. Many believe this type of vaccine could be less toxic and more effective than chemotherapy or radiation, and when used in conjunction with chemo, the results appear to be synergistic.

However, while preliminary results are certainly promising, the FDA has been reluctant to approve Provenge - inciting outcry and criticism by many cancer-patient advocates. Maybe these latest results will help (when the details are finally released - and if the claims are true).

(link to article about another alt. treatment with nanoparticles)

Image: T-cell

Source
Scientific American: 60 Second Science
New Hope For Cancer Vaccines
by Gary Stix

New Yorkers to be Entered in Science Experiment

2009-04-11T23:59:00.001-04:00

Michael Bloomberg and Thomas R. Frieden forego the constraints of compelling evidence and consent to engage NY in the largest unapproved science experiment in a long time.

Check out this article by John Tierney from the NYT:

Suppose you wanted to test the effects of halving the amount of salt in people’s diets. If you were an academic researcher, you’d have to persuade your institutional review board that you had considered the risks and obtained informed consent from the participants.
You might, for instance, take note of a recent clinical trial in which heart patients put on a restricted-sodium diet fared worse than those on a normal diet. In light of new research suggesting that eating salt improves mood and combats depression, you might be alert for psychological effects of the new diet. You might worry that people would react to less-salty food by eating more of it, a trend you could monitor by comparing them with a control group.
But if you are the mayor of New York, no such constraints apply. Read more...
Do you want New York's mayor and health commissioner leading a nationwide initiative to halve the salt in your food? Join the discussion. Go to TierneyLab »

Florida's Solar City

2009-04-11T23:51:00.004-04:00

I already posted about this once, but for those of you who missed it, here is another article about Babcock Ranch, the first solar city in the U.S. (from SciAm.com):

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Florida utility and a real estate developer are aiming to bring the country's first solar-powered city to the Sunshine State.

FPL Group Inc's utility Florida Power & Light is working with the realty group Kitson & Partners to construct what the utility says will be the world's largest photovoltaic solar plant in a planned, environmentally friendly city near Fort Myers in southwestern Florida.

Called Babcock Ranch, the city will aim to build 19,500 houses and about 6 million square feet of retail, light industrial, and office space when it is completed, the developers said.

The entire project is expected to cost $2 billion. Read more...

Rare Megamouth Shark Caught in the Phillipines

2009-04-11T23:46:00.003-04:00

From SciAm.com:

On the morning of March 30, fishermen casting their nets in the Burias Pass, a centrally located channel in the Philippine archipelago, got the catch—not to mention surprise—of their lives: a megamouth shark so rare that some people still consider it a "cryptid", a creature that is seen so infrequently science can't confirm its existence.

That's likely an overstatement when it comes to the megamouth, first spotted in 1976 in waters near the Hawaiian island of Oahu. But, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) in Gainesville, which dubbed last month's catch "megamouth 41" (this being only the 41st observation of one of these sharks)—this is the eighth specimen snagged in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines. Read more...

Like Loud Misic, Scared of Going Deaf - Fear No More

2009-04-11T23:18:00.002-04:00

From SciAm.com:

Anti-Loudness Protein

Fans of club music and rock concerts who like the volume cranked up to 11 but want to save their hearing might someday pop a pill rather than plugging their ears. Scientists have pinpointed the biochemical mechanism in ears that works to limit damaging effects of loud sound. When a noise registers in the brain as too loud, the protein nAChR, located on sensory hair cells in the inner ear, kicks in to limit the ability of the hair cells to respond. Mice genetically altered to produce a more potent nAChR could not hear soft sounds, and they suffered less permanent damage to their hearing when scientists blasted 100-decibel noise at their ears. "We know some drugs can modify the protein," says Paul Fuchs of Johns Hopkins University, who published the findings in the January 20 PLoS Biology. "But we need to know more about specific amounts" before a sound-protecting drug can be made. So don't toss the earplugs yet.
--Kate Wilcox

Why Do People Believe in Creationism or Evolution?

2009-04-11T22:18:00.003-04:00

For anyone interested in the evolution/creationism debate, I would like to direct your attention to this extremely interesting podcast from SciAm.com. It is somewhat long, but the first ten minutes are an interview with University of California, Berkeley, psychologist Tania Lombrozo, who talks about why people believe what they do, especially regarding evolution or creationism.

Why People Believe What They Do

Anatomically Normal Girl with Y Chromosome

2009-04-10T12:19:00.003-04:00

This is quite amazing and could prove to be a significant finding for the field of developmental biology, and it might not have been discovered if it weren't for prenatal genetic screens. Check it out (from NewScientist):

A seven-year-old girl with a Y chromosome is providing new clues about a possible "master switch" of maleness.

The girl has the normal chromosome count – 46 – and should be male. Other children who have the male sex chromosome but do not appear to be boys have been found to have gene mutations that temper the Y chromosome's effects. However this child doesn't have ambiguous gonads, shrivelled testes or other developmental defects. She instead has a normal vagina, cervix and set of ovaries.

A team led by Anna Biason-Lauber, of University Children's Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, thinks the patient's normalcy is due to mutations in a poorly understood gene on chromosome 17 called CBX2.

The child's unique condition might not have been discovered were it not for tests performed before birth to check for major genetic defects, such as an extra copy of chromosome 21 that causes Down's syndrome. Those tests came up negative and indicated the child would be a boy.
Read more...

Cosmic Hand

2009-04-10T12:09:00.004-04:00

This awesome picture is just one of eight great astronomy pictures from NewScientist's gallery rounding up the best images released in commemoration of 100 Hours of Astronomy, an event celebrating the International Year of Astronomy.

Check out the rest of the images here.

Better Light Bulb?

2009-04-10T00:27:00.004-04:00

From Green Inc.:

The pending extinction of traditional incandescent bulbs in the United States and abroad has created an enormous market opportunity for energy-efficient lighting technologies. The current shortcomings of compact fluorescent lights and pricey LED bulbs show that future dominance of the American socket is still very much up for grabs.
Vu1 (that is, “view one”), a company based in Seattle, thinks it has a shot.
The company’s tag line, “light without compromise,” suggests that it’s keenly aware of the biggest stumbling block for most next-generation lighting technologies: they don’t behave like incandescent bulbs, which is what most consumers are accustomed to. “We believe that we’ve got something here that will be much more comparable with people’s expectations than what’s been out there until now,” said Vu1’s chief executive officer, David Grieger. Read more...

"Do Parents Matter?"

2009-04-09T23:59:00.001-04:00

Sorry Mom and Dad, but I didn't say it. From SciAm.com:

Do Parents Matter?
A researcher argues that peers are much more important than parents, that psychologists underestimate the power of genetics and that we have a lot to learn from Asian classrooms.

In 1998 Judith Rich Harris, an independent researcher and textbook author, published The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out The Way They Do. The book provocatively argued that parents matter much less, at least when it comes to determining the behavior of their children, than is typically assumed. Instead, Harris argued that a child’s peer group is far more important. The Nurture Assumption has recently been reissued in an expanded and revised form. Mind Matters editor Jonah Lehrer chats with Harris about her critics, the evolution of her ideas and why teachers can be more important than parents.

If you have any interest in the nature/nurture debate, I suggest that you read the interview...

Solar City to Rise In Florida: Will it Work?

2009-04-09T23:55:00.004-04:00

From SciAm.com:

A Florida developer unveiled plans today to build the nation's first solar-powered city – a cluster of homes, offices and factories less than 20 miles from Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast.

"Babcock Ranch" would be built on 17,000 acres in Charlotte and Lee counties, with more than half of the land set aside for nature preserves, agriculture and other open space. Florida Power & Light Co. would build a 75-megawatt solar photovoltaic array to supply electricity to the development's 6 million square feet of residential, industrial and retail buildings.

The big question: If you build it in this economy, will buyers come? Find out...

Armed and Curious

2009-04-08T21:26:00.003-04:00

A fleet of 40 vehicles armed to the teeth with advanced tornado tracking/monitoring equipment controlled by 100 scientists will spend next month trying to unravel the mystery of tornadogenesis. For more of the techie details, click here or check out the video below (kind of long, but pretty cool):

Duckweed: The Newest Alt. To Corn Ethanol

2009-04-08T21:10:00.003-04:00

Duckweed is a small aquatic flower that can convert nutrients in waste into starch. And not only can it remediate polluted water, it is actually more productive than corn. According to researcher Jay Cheng, ""Based on our laboratory studies, we can produce five to six times more starch per unit of footage." Read more...(from Wired Science)

Tuning in on Back Pain

2009-04-08T18:49:00.002-04:00

Full article from NewScientist:

TUNING forks, brushes and erasers can all help to quickly and cheaply reveal which painkiller to prescribe for back pain.

From a patient's description, doctors struggle to distinguish between neuropathic pain from nerve damage, such as in sciatica, and pain from inflammation, yet each requires a different painkiller. Only expensive tests such as MRI scans reveal the source precisely, leading Joachim Scholz of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and his colleagues to look for a quicker, cheaper way.

The team compiled a list of quick questions and physical tests and assessed the response of patients diagnosed with each type of pain. From this, they whittled the list down to six questions and 10 physical tests that included rubbing brushes, safety pins, tuning forks and pencil erasers on the back. Together, the tests can show whether or not the pain is neuropathic (PLoS Medicine, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000047).

The whole list takes just 15 minutes to complete and also distinguishes between three types of neuropathic pain.

Viral Batteries

2009-04-08T18:43:00.003-04:00

From NewScientist:

GENETICALLY engineered viruses that assemble into electrodes have been used to make complete miniature rechargeable batteries for the first time. The new lithium ion batteries are as powerful as existing devices but smaller and cleaner to make, claim the team behind the work. The technology could improve the performance of hybrid electric cars and electronic gadgets. Read more...

100 mpg Car Contest

2009-04-08T18:36:00.003-04:00

From NewScientist:

Last night in California a list of 111 teams was announced – one of which may hold the key to motoring's green future. They are the registered entrants to the Progressive Auto X Prize, a contest that will award prizes totalling $10 million for vehicles that can go 100 miles on the energy equivalent to that in a gallon of fuel.

Notable by their absence were the world's largest car manufacturers – bar Indian firm Tata – who don't seem interested in taking part. The list is varied spanning slick Californian start-ups with electric cars, to less-refined backyard efforts still finalising their designs. Read more...

See a gallery of some of the vehicles entered into the Auto X Prize

Prop 8: The Web Series - Episode 1 - Religion

2009-04-08T00:32:00.001-04:00

Prop 8: The Web Series - Episode 2 - Military

2009-04-08T00:31:00.000-04:00

If Atheists Ruled The World...

2009-04-08T00:26:00.000-04:00

Does Requiring Evidence Make You Close-Minded???

2009-04-08T00:07:00.001-04:00

Is GM Serious?

2009-04-07T23:43:00.003-04:00

Check out their latest project. Is this supposed to be the idea that revitalizes the company? I hope not!!!

Green Porno: Fly

2009-04-06T19:45:00.000-04:00

For the Bird Watchers

2009-04-06T19:26:00.004-04:00

From Wired Science:

With an old computer and 30 dollars worth of off-the-shelf components, you can gear up with cutting edge avian monitoring technology and help save the birds.

For years, birdwatchers counted by sight during the daytime. The night — when most migratory birds travel — was literally hidden to them. But that's changing. Anyone can attach a microphone to a computer running birdcall-identifying software and track birds passing overhead in the darkness.

"You wouldn't be able to understand what's happening at night without this technology," said Andrew Farnsworth, a Cornell University ornithologist. "And when it comes to recording the things I work on, that's something anyone can do."

Scientists already depend on citizen birdwatchers for data that provides the foundation for estimates of species health and behavior. Their spare-time jottings are collated in efforts like the Great Backyard Bird Count, eBird, North American Bird Phenology Program and Project Feederwatch. With hundreds of species threatened by habitat loss, climate change and pollution, that data is now invaluable for conservation efforts.

But because many species migrate at night and are hard to find during the daytime, birders can miss them, said Farnsworth, or are forced to use proxy measures: If a bird seen yesterday isn't seen today, then it probably left. "It's not that the proxy methods are bad," he said, "but we're finding this method of nocturnal tracking can be incredibly powerful." Read more...

NYT: The Green Home

2009-04-06T18:51:00.006-04:00

The NYT has an ongoing series called The Green Home (pretty self-explanatory). For your convenience (because we're all lazy when it comes down to it), I have provided links below to the articles that have been published so far:

A Lawn as Healthy as It Looks

In honor of spring and the continuing quest for the perfect lawn, here are some tips on achieving an attractive yard without wreaking environmental havoc.

Don’t Sweep It Under the Rug

Jeffrey L. Carrier, who heads the sustainability effort for the Carpet and Rug Institute, discusses the environmental impact of carpeting.

Five Beginners’ Steps to a Greener Home

The author of “Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies” distilled a vast amount of green advice into five must-do steps.

Recycling Gadgets When They Go Pffft...

Jason Linnell, the executive director of the National Center for Electronics Recycling, discusses how to dispose of old electronics.

When It Comes to Detergents, What’s the Least Irresponsible Choice?

Investigating whether cleaning products labeled “organic” and “natural” really are better for the environment.

"It's the Economy AND the Environment, Stupid!"

2009-04-06T18:39:00.002-04:00

From NewScientist:

A big cloud of cyber-fuss has blown up over an article in the New Yorker which argues that prosperity can only be achieved by rampant greenhouse gas production.
By pitting the economy against the environment that article, by David Owen, makes a mistake that the former chief economist of the world bank, Nicholas Stern, has been warning us of for several years now: It's not either the environment or the economy. It's both. Read more...

Galaxies Spell Out Cosmic Warning/Apology!

2009-04-06T18:08:00.008-04:00

From NewScientist:

Trolling through a physics preprint server today, a colleague of mine spotted several highly intriguing papers.
One (pdf), from a project called Galaxy Zoo that invites volunteers to analyse and categorise galaxies in images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, reports on a strange new class of galaxy cluster (see images).
The team writes: "Upon detailed inspection, the morphologies of individual galaxies and close systems approximate the familiar geometric shapes of letters of the basic modern Latin alphabet. . . . the existence of these messages might indicate intelligent life beyond our own."
From the observed phrases ("Caution! Structure formation in progress", "Delays possible for 7 Gyr" and "We apologise for the inconvenience"), it's clear that these are cosmic road signs, and that the creator of the signs speaks the Queen's English (this I deduce both from the "s" in apologise and from the general politeness of the message).

"Congress Delays Obama's Green Push"

2009-04-06T17:52:00.001-04:00

From NewScientist:

The US president has big plans to revitalise his nation by pumping vast amounts of cash into 'green jobs' and reducing carbon emissions, but Congress seems to have other ideas. Read more...

PrayerMax 5000

2009-04-05T23:16:00.001-04:00

CT Scan Music Video

2009-04-05T23:09:00.001-04:00

Inside The Jaymis: Squishy Bits Version from Jaymis on Vimeo.

Inside The Jaymis: Skeleton Animation - Wide Time from Jaymis on Vimeo.

Masturbation Relieves Hay Fever

2009-04-05T22:52:00.001-04:00

From NewScientist:

Spring is here and with it come the woes of hay fever. Never fear, however, as there may be a quick and pleasurable treatment to clear those bunged noses, for guys at least – a well-timed ejaculation.

That's what Sina Zarrintan, a neurologist from the Tabriz Medical University in Iran proposes, anyway. The logic behind the proposal is based on the fact that the nose and the genitals are both connected to the same part of the nervous system that controls certain reflexes – the sympathetic nervous system.

A blocked nose is caused by swollen and inflamed nasal blood vessels, irritated by an infection or pollen in the air. But during ejaculation, the sympathetic nervous system constricts blood vessels across the body. That should soothe the swollen nasal blood vessels, freeing the airway for normal breathing, according to Zarrintan. Read more...

What If We Had No Forests?

2009-04-05T22:48:00.001-04:00

From NewScientist:

THE acres upon acres of lush tropical forest in the Amazon and tropical Africa are often referred to as the planet's lungs. But what if they are also its heart? This is exactly what a couple of meteorologists claim in a controversial new theory that questions our fundamental understanding of what drives the weather. They believe vast forests generate winds that help pump water around the planet.

If correct, the theory would explain how the deep interiors of forested continents get as much rain as the coast, and how most of Australia turned from forest to desert. It suggests that much of North America could become desert - even without global warming. The idea makes it even more vital that we recognise the crucial role forests play in the well-being of the planet. Read more...

Stem Cells May Provide Cure For Hearing Loss

2009-04-05T22:43:00.001-04:00

From NewScientist:

Human ear cells vital for hearing have for the first time been created in the lab, and could eventually yield new treatments for hearing loss.

Such cells have been created before from mice, but the new cells will reveal more about how human hearing works.

"We believe these are the first from humans," says Marcelo Rivolta of the University of Sheffield, UK and head of the team presenting its findings on Monday in Oxford at a conference on stem cells.

"Stem cell therapy for hearing loss is still some years away, but this research is incredibly promising and opens up exciting possibilities," says Ralph Holme, director of biomedical research at the UK Royal National Institute for Deaf People, which co-funded the research with Deafness Research UK.

The team grew the cells from cochlear stem cells they'd isolated from fetuses following abortions, with the full consent of the women involved.

Robot Makes Publishable Discovery in Genetics

2009-04-05T22:32:00.001-04:00

From NewScientist:

Fish Glow Red But You Can't See

2009-04-05T22:18:00.003-04:00

Scientists have assumed that since red light doesn't travel through water, fish must not emit it - what a silly assumption! From NewScientist:

Gene Linked to Motor Skill Acquisition

2009-04-05T15:16:00.003-04:00

Entire article from SciAm.com:

Scientists know that small variations in certain genes can predispose people to cancers or heart disease. Now researchers are starting to show a direct, quantifiable effect on learning traceable to these types of genetic influences: single-nucleotide polymorphisms. A difference in just one amino acid in a protein might explain why some people learn new motor skills faster and reach higher levels of performance.

The protein, called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), is a key driver of synaptic plasticity, the ability of the connections between brain cells to change in strength. This plasticity is an important factor in learning, explains neurologist Janine Reis, who led the study at the National Institutes of Health. According to Reis, this finding offers the first evidence that slight variations in BDNF’s structure affect learning ability.

Volunteers with one type of BDNF learned faster and performed better at a task in which they had to grip a handle more or less tightly to move a computer cursor through a sequence of targets. Those with a different variant never reached the skill level acquired by the faster learners. (The researchers excluded people who play video games.)

Other groups have found that the BDNF version that Reis linked with poorer acquisition of skills is associated with reduced function of the hippocampus, a brain region involved in motor learning.

This difference in BDNF may be a clue as to why certain people excel at athletic performance, Reis says, or it may help predict how well patients will recover motor skills after a stroke. Her team and others are gearing up to look at gene variants in stroke patients, hoping to find new targets for drug therapy.

Making a Stink Over Mushrooms

2009-04-05T15:04:00.005-04:00

From SciAm.com: "Can science keep mushroom farmers from stinking up the Commonwealth of Pennyslvania?"

Editor's Note: This is the fifth in a series of six features on the science of food, running daily from March 30 through April 6, 2009.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.—Donald "Buster" Needham and his sons Artie and Don are moving their mushrooms out of Pennsylvania. Needham, 73, took over the business from his own father 50 years ago, but his West Grove operation—fueled with several hundred tons of steaming horse and chicken manure each week—has proved too stinky for city folk buying up homes in this township 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Philadelphia.

In 2004 Needham announced plans to expand, but his neighbors shut him down, complaining of fetid odors and the potential for manure runoff to seep into groundwater and nearby streams. "The regulatory people, the township supervisor in the area, and neighbors—they wouldn't accept anything," Needham says...
And Needham isn't the only farmer feeling the pinch. Mushroom expert Dan Royse of Pennsylvania State University in University Park says it's the same story all over the Keystone State, which is the nation's largest mushroom producer: Some 500 million pounds (225 million kilograms) of button mushrooms grown within its borders hit the market annually, and at $453 million, mushrooms are the state's largest cash crop. As much as residents rave about the yearly Mushroom Festival in historic Kennett Square each fall, few want a mountain of manure in their backyards. And while Republicans may have raised a fuss last month about federal funding of pig odor research in Iowa, farm odors are a national problem that are pitting agricultural economies against a deluge of suburbanites who thought they wanted a piece of the country lifestyle. That's why Penn State scientists are stepping in to try to make the beleaguered mushroom industry more environmentally friendly. Read more...

Small Farms May Suffer Under New Food Safety Rules

2009-04-05T14:56:00.002-04:00

From SciAm.com:

As salmonella-tainted pistachios and peanuts fuel the latest in a series of foodborne-illness outbreaks, lawmakers are proposing a flurry of bills aimed at strengthening the country's neglected food safety system.

But while food industry giants that have long opposed new regulations are beginning to change their tune, small-scale producers are growing increasingly vocal about their own concerns.

The problem, they say, is that small farmers, who are most accountable for their food's freshness and health, may suffer the heaviest burden under proposed new food rules.

"A lot of people worry that what's on the books right now is very much geared toward the biggest agricultural players," said Patty Lavera, assistant director of the nonprofit consumer group Food and Water Watch. "It's sort of a one-size-fits-all approach, and when its one size fits all, it's usually written by the big guy."
...
"A small farm is much more likely to grow multiple things and have a diversified approach," Lavera said. "So if they have to take 19 steps for each of those crops, it's much harder for them than a large farm that only grows one or two things."

Small farmers argue that they are already much more accountable to their customers for the quality of their product than are mass-production facilities, and that they will be crushed under the weight of well-meaning laws aimed at large industrial offenders. Read more...

Insurance Companies: The New Climate Ally?

2009-04-05T14:46:00.004-04:00

From SciAm.com:

Insurance companies might not come to mind as key environmental advocates, but they have a vested interest in climate change: billions—if not trillions—of dollars. As sea levels rise, storms gain force and even as agricultural patterns change, insurance companies will have to shell out more and more cash to cover losses. Hurricane Ike, which struck the Texas coast in 2008, cost insurers in that state $6.6 billion, according to a report by The New York Times. Hefty price tags get passed along to consumers, taxpayers and investors alike.

But a new industry survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), a nationwide advisory organization, aims to ensure that insurers are taking a long, hard look at climate change and what it means for their bottom line.

"Once they're aware of the risk," says Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario, "they'll mitigate it." Mitigation in this case doesn't just mean upping premiums or dropping coverage, but actually working to reduce climate change overall. Just as insurance companies helped to make workplaces safer (not because they're altruistic, rather because it makes good business sense—lower risk cuts costs), they "can help foster improvements in global warming," says Peter Kochenburger, executive director of the Insurance Law Center at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Read more...

Towards a Cure for Heart Attacks

2009-04-05T14:38:00.003-04:00

From SciAm.com:

Even though heart attacks may not be deadly, they can leave your ticker damaged. The reason: they occur when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn't restored quickly, a section of the heart muscle becomes damaged from the lack of oxygen and begins to die, weakening its ability to pump blood.
...
A study in Science today confirms that some heart muscle cells do, in fact, regenerate slowly over the course of a person's lifetime.
...
Those results suggest that heart cells could, in fact, be nudged to regenerate or artificially replaced through cell transplants, according to an editorial accompanying the study. "Even though cardiomyocyte (heart muscle cell) turnover is low in the adult heart, the fact that it occurs at all suggests that it can potentially be therapeutically exploited," write Charles Murray, co-director of the University of Washington's Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Richard Lee, an associate physician in cardiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Read more...

Baseball Stadiums Going Green

2009-04-05T14:28:00.003-04:00

From SciAm.com:

At the Cleveland Indians home opener on April 10 crowds can expect to hear super fan John Adams pound away on a bass drum in left center field as he has in virtually every home game since 1973. Over by the first base side of the field—and commanding a bit less attention—game- goers may also notice another distinguishing feature at Cleveland's Progressive Field: an upper deck solar panel array. The Indians were the first American League team to install an alt-energy power source in 2007, making it a member of the growing number of ball clubs whose stadiums are going green.

"We view ourselves as a civic leader, so it's our duty not just to think and act green, but to try to influence fans and the community, as well," says Curtis Danburg, a spokesperson for the team. The franchise put up $100,000 toward the $180,000 panels, with two grants covering the rest. Danburg says the panels generate 8.4 kilowatts, or "enough to energize the 400 televisions we have in the ballpark." Read more...

More Green Porno: Spiders

2009-04-03T03:04:00.004-04:00

I love these, they are hilarious. More to come... (from SundanceChannel.com):

Giant Panda at Castaways Tonight

2009-04-02T16:26:00.001-04:00

Don't forget that GPGDS is playing at Castaways tonight. For more info...see the sidebar.

Green Porno

2009-04-02T14:14:00.006-04:00

Check it out, "it's funny, but it's a little sick too, and also very informative" - Angelina Rossellini:

For more...
Green Porno

Science Works to Ensure Safe Food

2009-04-02T14:01:00.003-04:00

From SciAm.com:

During the most recent outbreak of salmonella poisoning, which was connected to peanut butter and other peanut products, the food-borne bacteria has sickened nearly 700 people and may have contributed to the death of nine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports. That came on the heels of an outbreak last summer, finally traced back to jalapeño peppers imported from Mexico, that was responsible for more than 1,400 infections, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports.

And when deadly pathogens enter the food supply, the financial costs can add up, too. The peanut butter salmonella outbreak caused the recall of thousands of peanut-related products, and Georgia Peanut Commission executive director Don Koehler says the total loss could be more than $1 billion.

So what are researchers doing to protect our food?

Read more...or check out this slideshow.

And You Thought You Were Old

2009-04-02T13:52:00.003-04:00

From SciAm.com:

And you thought you felt old: Last week, in the village of Prishakhtinsk in central Kazakhstan, Sakhan Dosova celebrated what she, her family and Kazakh officials all agree was her 130th birthday. If true, her advanced age would shatter the old-timer record set by Jeanne Calment, who died in Arles, France, in 1997 at the age of 122.

Dosova has a passport and an identification card verifying she was born March 27, 1879; she doesn't have a birth certificate but apparently that is because such records were not routinely kept where she grew up in the late 19th century. Soviet census records, however, list her as being 46 years old in 1926, further supporting Dosova's über-Methuselah status. (To add perspective, if Dosova's story is true, she was pushing 40 during the 1917 Russian Revolution and when World War I ended in 1918, and she was born the same year as Albert Einstein and Joseph Stalin.) Read more...

"Greenwashing"

2009-04-02T13:45:00.002-04:00

From SciAm.com:

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from Green: Your Place in the New Energy Revolution by Jane and Michael Hoffman.
Greenwashing is what happens when a hopeful public eager to behave responsibly about the environment is presented with "evidence" that makes an industry or a politician seem friendly to the environment when, in fact, the industry or the politician is not as wholly amicable as it or he might be. We touched on this concept when we talked about the Christmas tree-growing industry presenting partial evidence of its ecobenefits—tree farms as carbon sinks—while neglecting to mention the polluting pesticides or harvesting helicopters. Greenwashing is a marketing strategy, and one the public might grow ever more susceptible to as our need for energy expands and the CO2 in our atmosphere continues to accumulate. As we grow ever more anxious for answers to our energy problems, we need to foster a healthy skepticism and understand that some of the answers that result won't be wholly reliable. Read more for additional examples of greenwashing...

Plan B for Energy: 8 Revolutionary Energy Sources

2009-04-02T13:31:00.004-04:00

From SciAm.com:

Plan B for Energy: 8 Revolutionary Energy Sources
If efficiency improvements and incremental advances in today's technologies fail to halt global warming, could revolutionary new carbon-free energy sources save the day? Don't count on it—but don't count it out, either

Editor's Note: We are posting this feature from our September 2006 issue in light of the Obama administration's renewed focus on how to power the country without overloading the atmosphere with greenhouse gases.

To keep this world tolerable for life as we like it, humanity must complete a marathon of technological change whose finish line lies far over the horizon. Robert H. Socolow and Stephen W. Pacala of Princeton University have compared the feat to a multigenerational relay race. They outline a strategy to win the first 50-year leg by reining back carbon dioxide emissions from a century of unbridled acceleration. Existing technologies, applied both wisely and promptly, should carry us to this first milestone without trampling the global economy. That is a sound plan A.
...
Sooner or later the world is thus going to need a plan B: one or more fundamentally new technologies that together can supply 10 to 30 terawatts without belching a single ton of carbon dioxide. Energy buffs have been kicking around many such wild ideas since the 1960s. It is time to get serious about them. “If we don’t start now building the infrastructure for a revolutionary change in the energy system,” Hoffert warns, “we’ll never be able to do it in time.”

But what to build? The survey that follows sizes up some of the most promising options, as well as a couple that are popular yet implausible. None of them is a sure thing. But from one of these ideas might emerge a new engine of human civilization. Read more to find out what they are...

Caffeine Cuts Workout Pain

2009-04-02T13:21:00.003-04:00

Check out this podcast from 60 Second Science (partial transcript follows):

Coffee before biking? You may have to stop on the side of the road sooner, but new research suggests that caffeine can help you get more bang from your workout buck, because it keeps you from feeling the burn. Read the rest of the transcript...

Fact or Fiction: Raw veggies are healthier than cooked ones

2009-04-02T13:13:00.005-04:00

From SciAm.com (featuring a Cornell professor):

Cooking is crucial to our diets. It helps us digest food without expending huge amounts of energy. It softens food, such as cellulose fiber and raw meat, that our small teeth, weak jaws and digestive systems aren't equipped to handle. And while we might hear from raw foodists that cooking kills vitamins and minerals in food (while also denaturing enzymes that aid digestion), it turns out raw vegetables are not always healthier. Read more...

The Dalai Lama on Science and Religion

2009-03-31T00:49:00.011-04:00

The Dalai Lama "favors scientific evidence over classical Buddhist concepts" (from SciAm.com):

Editor's note: We are posting this feature from our February 2006 issue to commemorate the 50th anniversary this month of the Dalai Lama's forced exile from China.

Many years ago a curious boy looked through a telescope and, on seeing the shadows in the craters of the moon, realized that he had to make a choice. His religion taught him to respect the moon as a generator of light, but science taught him that the moon reflected the sun’s rays. The subtle clarification offered by science ultimately trumped the Buddhist interpretation for Tenzin Gyatso, the current Dalai Lama.

Today when this political and religious leader is faced with conflicting explanations of life’s mysteries, the Dalai Lama still favors scientific evidence over classical Buddhist concepts. At a time when Americans are battling state by state for religion-free science education, he urges people to take a path of peace between the perspectives. An estimated 14,000 people attended his lecture on November 12, 2005, at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, D.C., with most of them watching from overflow rooms where the talk was broadcast on large screens. Dressed in gold and crimson robes, he suggested a healthy dose of skepticism toward religious pronouncements. Although science can overturn spiritual teachings, people can benefit from scientific understanding without losing faith, he reasoned. Read more...

More on the 50th anniversary of the exile of the Dalai Lama (from npr.org):

China has overseen a "brutal crackdown" in Tibet since protests shook the Himalayan region last year, part of decades of Chinese oppression that have driven Tibetan culture to the verge of extinction, the Dalai Lama said Tuesday in a speech to mark the 50th anniversary of the failed uprising that sent him into exile. Read more...

NPR podcast on 50th anniversary of the exile of the Dalai Lama

On the topic of the Dalai Lama and the influence of Western culture on his views...if you haven't seen Seven Years in Tibet, watch it NOW!

New All Electric Vehicle

2009-03-31T00:34:00.006-04:00

From 60 Second Science:

After providing some teaser shots, Tesla Motors yesterday let everyone get an eyeful of the new Model S, the company’s $57,400 all-electric new prototype vehicle. Like its sports car cousin, the $109,000 Roadster, the Model S relies on lithium ion batteries for its juice, giving the auto a top range of 300 miles (482 kilometers) after a 45-minute charge, the company says. The need for speed has not been neglected: The Model S reportedly revs up from zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds. Read more...

Running Out of Water

2009-03-31T00:28:00.003-04:00

From SciAm.com:

The Ogallala Aquifer:
Saving a Vital US Water Source

Key Concepts
If spread across the U.S. the aquifer would cover all 50 states with 1.5 feet of water
If drained, it would take more than 6,000 years to refill naturally
More than 90 percent of the water pumped is used to irrigate crops
$20 billion a year in foodand fiber depend on the aquifer

On America’s high plains, crops in early summer stretch to the horizon: field after verdant field of corn, sorghum, soybeans, wheat and cotton. Framed by immense skies now blue, now scarlet-streaked, this 800-mile expanse of agriculture looks like it could go on forever.

It can’t.

The Ogallala Aquifer, the vast underground reservoir that gives life to these fields, is disappearing. In some places, the groundwater is already gone. This is the breadbasket of America—the region that supplies at least one fifth of the total annual U.S. agricultural harvest. If the aquifer goes dry, more than $20 billion worth of food and fiber will vanish from the world’s markets. And scientists say it will take natural processes 6,000 years to refill the reservoir.

The challenge of the Ogallala is how to manage human demands on the layer of water that sprawls underneath parts of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. As landowners strive to conserve what’s left, they face a tug-of-war between economic growth and declining natural resources. What is happening here—the problems and solutions—is a bellwether for the rest of the planet. Read more...

Turning Off Computers at Night Could Save Billions

2009-03-31T00:22:00.003-04:00

From 60 Second Science:

The computer you're reading this on may not seem like a huge energy waster, but the power consumption adds up when joined by the other PCs worldwide (Stamford, Conn., research firm Gartner estimates there are more than 1 billion). A study released last week puts a finer point on this assertion, reporting that U.S. workers waste $2.8 billion annually in energy costs by failing to shut off their PCs at the end of the work day. What's more, machines left on during off hours may emit up to 20 million tons of carbon dioxide (C02) this year alone, roughly the equivalent impact of four million cars. Read more...

Countries Waiting for US to Make First Move

2009-03-30T23:50:00.002-04:00

U.S. special envoy for climate change Todd Stern warns that although many countries are looking to the US to make the first move toward supporting a global treaty to combat climate change, they should not expect the US to "ride in on a white horse" and solve the problem (from SciAm.com):

BONN, Germany (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama's administration promised to push for a new global treaty to fight global warming at United Nations climate talks on Sunday but cautioned it had no magic wand.

"The United States is going to be powerfully and fully engaged," U.S. special envoy for climate change Todd Stern said at the opening of 175-nation U.N. talks in Bonn.

"But we are all going to have to do this together, we don't have a magic wand," he told a news conference at the March 29-April 8 meeting in Bonn, the first since Obama took office. The U.S. delegation was greeted by applause at the opening. Read more...

Combined Feed (New Scientist)

2009-03-29T23:18:00.008-04:00

I have too much fricking work!!! Which means no time for blogging, and you get a combined post with all the coolest most interesting new stuff from NewScientist.com:

Flowers on the Moon?

A firm that has designed habitats for plants and animals living in microgravity now hopes to grow the first flowers on the moon, the company's founders announced on Friday.

Engineering firm Paragon Space Development plans to build a greenhouse to fly to the moon. It is set to travel on a lunar lander designed by Odyssey Moon, a competitor for the Google Lunar X Prize, a $30 million contest to send an unmanned lunar rover to the moon. Read more...

Locked Drugs

Future drugs could feature built-in security to prevent them reaching the wrong tissue inside the body, says an international team of biochemists.

The researchers have developed a light-activated "combination lock", a molecule that only becomes active when exposed to two distinct colours of light in the right order. It could provide a way to ensure that small packages of drugs deliver their payload only exactly where and when it is needed, says Joakim Andréasson at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. The lock was developed with colleagues at Arizona State University.

Molecular locks have been made before. But they used chemicals as the trigger, which makes for a sluggish system, says Andréasson, because they diffuse slowly through the body. Using pulses of light is much faster and also allows the lock to be opened and closed repeatedly, because there are no chemical residues to foul the molecular mechanism. Read more...

Artificial Baby Butter Increases Healing

AN ARTIFICIAL version of the buttery coating that protects and nurtures a fetus's developing skin could find a use outside the womb, in speeding up wound healing and treating eczema.

Natural vernix caseosa contains a mixture of fatty compounds that waterproof the fetus. Crucially, it also contains dead cells called corneocytes, which store large amounts of water and ensure that the fetus does not get dehydrated. Vernix may also act as a barrier to infections. Read more...

California Considers Ban on Blacks (cars that it)

News that California may ban the sale of black cars for climate protection reasons raised the hackles of many a petrolhead yesterday.

At the root of the stir was a presentation (pdf) by the Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board (CARB). The Cool Paints initiative suggests that the state should set a minimum level of reflectivity for all car paints and windows.

More reflective vehicles, goes the idea, could stay up to 10 °C cooler in the sunshine state - this in turn could reduce the need to have air conditioning on and thereby cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Read more...

Climate Changes Borders

Italy and Switzerland are planning to redraw their shared alpine border, as global warming is melting the glaciers that originally guided the line. Although peaceful, the move raises fears of future conflicts over shifting borders and resources.

Glaciers and ice fields around the world are melting as temperatures rise, with Europe's high mountains particularly hard hit. Read more...

e²: the economies of being environmentally conscious

2009-03-28T23:17:00.008-04:00

If you don't already know about the PBS series of series, e², get with it.

By PBS's description:

e² is an ongoing PBS series about the economies of being environmentally conscious...with a combination of policy, technology and ingenuity...from energy consumption to building efficiency...it chronicles global efforts to solve pressing ecological challenges

So far, the series have covered architecture and design, energy, and transport; while future series will cover water, food, and cities.

You can access trailers and excerpts from the episodes, as well as the series of Web-exclusive video podcasts that accompany each episode from here. Some full length episodes from the design and energy series can be found here.

Below are the PBS descriptions for the series that have aired:

e² design

e² design is an ongoing PBS series about the pioneers and innovators in the field of sustainable architecture, and how their work is producing solutions to pressing environmental and social challenges. Now entering its third season, the series features compelling stories from around the globe: Beijing to Nova Scotia, Ladakh to New York. Each episode examines the built environment's effects — both ecological, and social — and the design innovations that can reduce buildings' contribution to climate change.
e² design is narrated by Brad Pitt.

There have been three seasons of e² design with six episodes per season.

e² energy

Global in scope and comprised of six 30-minute chapters filmed in HD, e² energy features the engineers, policymakers and innovations that are transforming energy availability and consumption. Each episode covers viable policy and technology alternatives to the fossil fuel culture. Episodes explore: California as a world leader in emissions control; transportation and the need for greater efficiencies; ethanol in Brazil and its future in the United States; distributed solar energy as a means to poverty alleviation in Bangladesh; community wind in Minnesota and its role in regional economic development; and the role of coal and nuclear power in our future energy mix. Solutions-oriented, the series illustrates the trials and trade-offs that any evolution in our global energy system will demand.
e² energy is narrated by Morgan Freeman.

e² transport

The most recent installment of the e² series – e² transport – examines sustainable transportation alternatives with potentially far-reaching effects. The series introduces a broad range of ideas to address the crises of automobile culture and fossil fuel dependence: from existing technologies, to long-term urban planning, to economic incentives. The six e² transport episodes explore: the transformation of London into a transit-efficient capital thanks to visionary mayoral leadership; Paris’ ambitious public-private Vélib’ bike initiative, which encourages residents to forgo cars for bikes and public transportation; the potential for local food production to lessen the environmental impact of the global food market and – as renowned author Michael Pollan elaborates – build healthier, more sustainable communities; the effort to reduce traffic and pollution in Seoul, Korea by restoring the Chonggyecheon Stream as a center of public life; Portland, Oregon, as a global model of transit-oriented development and urban “livability”; and the efforts made by aerospace corporations, technology firms and administrators to make the aviation industry more efficient.

e² transport is narrated by Brad Pitt.

Ultimate Virtual Reality

2009-03-26T18:52:00.002-04:00

People have proposed stay-cations as a way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Well, how about a stay-cation to the moon?

Wet Shoe Physics

2009-03-26T18:40:00.003-04:00

It's video day!

Robot Muscles

2009-03-26T18:35:00.004-04:00

This is really sweet, stronger than steel but stretchable and so lightweight that it floats around like smoke:

Robot Body Language

2009-03-26T18:28:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure I would want my robot to be human-like (especially if it looked like that):

Printable Gadgets

2009-03-26T18:21:00.002-04:00

Have you heard of printed light emitters, I hadn't:

Renewable Energy to the Rescue

2009-03-26T17:58:00.004-04:00

And we better hope (or pray, if so inclined) it works, because the Obama administration seems to be trusting that it will (from SciAm.com):

ASPEN – Shifting the United States to clean-burning renewable fuels has the potential to cut through a thicket of thorny social ills and solve long-standing problems across the entire spectrum of American life, from manufacturing to national security to clean water, the country's top environmental cop said on Wednesday.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson spoke before 150 scientists, lawyers, industry executives, activists and others gathered at this alpine town for a three-day conference on the country's energy future.

She said weaning the country from fossil fuels remains a top priority of the Obama administration because it offers such a broad suite of solutions across all aspects of American life: rewarding innovation, discouraging pollution, investing in jobs and encouraging energy independence.

"It's extraordinary to be at a time where one answer answers so many extraordinary big issues," she said.

The Next Generation of Amusement Rides

2009-03-26T17:25:00.002-04:00

Rides may soon be adjusted for your liking based on biofeedback:

Thanks to Proposition 8

2009-03-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

I detect a bit of sarcasm:

"Genome Hacking"

2009-03-25T23:08:00.022-04:00

We have officially reached Gattaca status - well, not exactly - but according to an article from NewScientist.com, we're not far (if you haven't seen Gattaca, and therefore have no idea what I'm talking about, you need to watch it - not just to understand this reference, but because it is unusually accurate, and at the very least insightful - if not prophetic).

What I mean is this: similar to the film, it is now possible to 'hack' another's genome. This highlights a major issue regarding the blossoming field of personal genomics: the right to privacy (other pertinent issues are also discussed in the article - including the accuracy and reliability of info provided by different companies). Check it out:

INTIMATE secrets hidden in your DNA could be stolen without you even realising. By taking a glass from which you have drunk, a "genome hacker" could obtain a comprehensive scan of your genome, revealing DNA variants that help determine your susceptibility to a wide range of diseases, from a common form of blindness to Alzheimer's disease.

That's the disturbing finding of a New Scientist investigation, in which one of us - Michael Reilly - "hacked" the genome of the other - Peter Aldhous - armed with only a credit card, a private email account and a home address.

You might have thought that genome hacking requires specialist skills, and personal access to sophisticated equipment. But in recent years, some companies have started to offer personal genome scans to the public over the internet. Other firms routinely analyse genomes on behalf of scientists involved in human genetics research. In theory, both types of service are vulnerable to abuse by a genome hacker determined to submit someone else's DNA for covert analysis.

Until our investigation, it was not clear whether this would be possible in practice. Could a hacker with no access to a genetics lab take an item carrying another person's DNA and obtain a sample that companies would accept for scanning? Would the sample be of high enough quality to yield accurate results? And would genome analysis companies have procedures in place to identify and refuse suspicious orders?

We decided to find out. Rather like computer security researchers who expose vulnerabilities in software code so that they can be "patched" to guard against malicious hackers, our goal was to uncover vulnerabilities in the way companies offering genome scans operate, so that they can be fixed.

Our investigation uncovered some loopholes that might be closed to help thwart genome thieves. The findings also strengthen the case for additional laws to protect the information contained in the DNA that we all shed continually and leave lying around.

"Just as we have a right to expect that relatives, neighbours, or even strangers can't poke through our medical records without our permission, we should have a right to expect that people can't snoop through our genes," says Kathy Hudson, who heads the Genetics and Public Policy Center in Washington DC. Read more...

Beyond piracy, there is, perhaps, a more pertinent question that will soon require an answer: who is legally entitled to your genetic information - your spouse? your kids? siblings?

When I first contemplated the question, my initial impulse was that no one should be legally entitled to my genome. However, upon further contemplation, my answer changed. Why? Well, considering that you share half of your genes with your children, siblings, and parents - is it not their right to know if you discover that you are at high risk for a certain disease (implying that they too may have a similar risk)? My suggestion would be some kind of middle ground, where relatives would have access only to information about genes that could have potential implications for them as well.

It is an intriguing question to which there is not necessarily a "right" answer. None the less, it is a question that will need to be answered (and probably sooner than you think).

Ghost Bird

2009-03-25T22:32:00.008-04:00

I'm not exactly an ornithology buff, but I decided to post this for two reasons: first, Cornell's involvement; and second, the passion/enthusiasm of Mary Scott is somewhat infectious (besides, I already posted about one documentary today, so why not make it a theme.) Check it out:

Water vs. Energy

2009-03-25T18:51:00.003-04:00

I posted recently about the trade-off between some biofuels and water (see A Note on Biofuels and Alternative Biofuels). Well here is an article discussing the trade-off between water and energy in general. As the subtitle points out: "Water is needed to generate energy. Energy is needed to deliver water. Both resources are limiting the other - and both may be running short. Is there a way out?" Find out for yourself (from SciAm.com):

Water and energy are the two most fundamental ingredients of modern civilization. Without water, people die. Without energy, we cannot grow food, run computers, or power homes, schools or offices. As the world’s population grows in number and affluence, the demands for both resources are increasing faster than ever.

Woefully underappreciated, however, is the reality that each of these precious commodities might soon cripple our use of the other. We consume massive quantities of water to generate energy, and we consume massive quantities of energy to deliver clean water. Many people are concerned about the perils of peak oil—running out of cheap oil. A few are voicing concerns about peak water. But almost no one is addressing the tension between the two: water restrictions are hampering solutions for generating more energy, and energy problems, particularly rising prices, are curtailing efforts to supply more clean water. Read more...

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