Science News
clock | November 6, 2008Seeing A Brain As It Learns To See:
A brain isn't born fully organized. It builds its abilities through experience, making physical connections between neurons and organizing circuits to store and retrieve information in milliseconds for years afterwards.
Looming Ecological Credit Crunch?:
The world is heading for an ecological credit crunch as human demands on the world's natural capital reach nearly a third more than earth can sustain.
Extreme Weather Postpones Flowering Time Of Plants:
Extreme weather events have a greater effect on flora than previously presumed. A one-month drought…
clock | November 6, 2008In today's News and Observer:
Mary H. Schweitzer, associate professor of paleontology at N.C. State University, will talk about how paleontology can help determine whether life ever existed on other planets.
She will speak at a Periodic Tables event sponsored by the Museum of Life and Science in Durham on Tuesday.
Periodic Tables is a regular program that gives adults a chance to learn and discuss the latest in science. Schweitzer will share her expertise in the field of astrobiology and explain how we can use the tools of molecular paleontology to detect biomarkers not only in fossils but…
clock | November 5, 2008Ecologists Say Metabolism Accounts For Why Natural Selection Favors Only Some Species:
Why are some species of plants and animals favored by natural selection? And why does natural selection not favor other species similarly? According to a UC Riverside-led research team, the answer lies in the rate of metabolism of a species - how fast a species consumes energy, per unit mass, per unit time.
Genes That Prevent Changes In Physical Traits Due To Environmental Changes Identified:
New York University biologists have identified genes that prevent physical traits from being affected by…
clock | November 5, 2008There were 15 new articles in PLoS ONE published last night but I was too busy watching the election returns. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here are my own picks for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
Historical Mammal Extinction on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) Correlates with Introduced Infectious Disease:
It is now widely accepted that novel infectious disease can be a leading cause of serious population decline and even outright extinction in some invertebrate and vertebrate groups…
clock | November 4, 2008Protect Your Vote: Avoid Election Machine Errors:
Of all the conceivable problems that could lead to a miscount Election Day, there's one possibility that voters can do something about - avoid making election machine-related errors, says a University of Maryland researcher who led a comprehensive study of voter problems using touch screen and paper-based machines.
Seasonal Affective Disorder May Be Linked To Genetic Mutation, Study Suggests:
With the days shortening toward winter, many people will begin to experience the winter blahs. For some, the effect can be devastating. About 6 percent…
clock | November 3, 2008Ageism More Prevalent Than Racism Among Presidential Voters, Study Finds:
An ongoing study by UCLA and Stanford University researchers of 20,000 registered voters has found that far more of them would vote against Sen. John McCain because of his age than would vote against Sen. Barack Obama because of his race.
Does Your Personality Influence Who You Vote For?:
Does your personality influence who you vote for? The short answer is yes, according to John Mayer, professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire. As Americans go to the polls in record numbers to vote for the next U.S.…
clock | November 1, 2008Extinct Sabertooth Cats Were Social, Found Strength In Numbers, Study Shows:
The sabertooth cat (Smilodon fatalis), one of the most iconic extinct mammal species, was likely to be a social animal, living and hunting like lions today, according to new scientific research. The species is famous for its extremely long canine teeth, which reached up to seven inches in length and extended below the lower jaw.
Sea Urchin Yields Key Secret Of Biomineralization:
The teeth and bones of mammals, the protective shells of mollusks, and the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins and other marine creatures are…
clock | October 31, 2008Mathematician Cracks Mystery Beatles Chord:
It's the most famous chord in rock 'n' roll, an instantly recognizable twang rolling through the open strings on George Harrison's 12-string Rickenbacker. It evokes a Pavlovian response from music fans as they sing along to the refrain that follows:
It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog
The opening chord to A Hard Day's Night is also famous because for 40 years, no one quite knew exactly what chord Harrison was playing. Musicians, scholars and amateur guitar players alike had all come up with their own theories, but it took a…
clock | October 31, 2008So, let's see what's new in PLoS Genetics, PLoS Computational Biology, PLoS Pathogens, PLoS ONE and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases this week. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here are my own picks for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
Curling Up with a Story: An Interview with Sean Carroll:
To meet Sean Carroll on his home turf in the early spring of Wisconsin is like encountering a bear cuddled up in his lair, waiting out the cold winter. I burrowed into the softly lit cave of small…
clock | October 31, 2008
Daylight Saving Time: Clock-shifts Affect Risk Of Heart Attack:
Adjusting the clocks to summer time on the last Sunday in March increases the risk of myocardial infarction in the following week. In return, putting the clocks back in the autumn reduces the risk, albeit to a lesser extent. This according to a new Swedish study.
Programmable Genetic Clock Made Of Blinking Florescent Proteins Inside Bacteria Cells:
UC San Diego bioengineers have created the first stable, fast and programmable genetic clock that reliably keeps time by the blinking of fluorescent proteins inside E. coli cells. The…
clock | October 30, 2008There are 33 new articles in PLoS ONE today. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here are my own picks for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
The Political Gender Gap: Gender Bias in Facial Inferences that Predict Voting Behavior:
Throughout human history, a disproportionate degree of political power around the world has been held by men. Even in democracies where the opportunity to serve in top political positions is available to any individual elected by the majority of their constituents,…
clock | October 30, 2008Programmable Genetic Clock Made Of Blinking Florescent Proteins Inside Bacteria Cells:
UC San Diego bioengineers have created the first stable, fast and programmable genetic clock that reliably keeps time by the blinking of fluorescent proteins inside E. coli cells. The clock's blink rate changes when the temperature, energy source or other environmental conditions change, a fact that could lead to new kinds of sensors that convey information about the environment through the blinking rate.
Real Robinson Crusoe: Evidence Of Alexander Selkirk's Desert Island Campsite:
Cast away on a desert…
clock | October 29, 2008
Brain's 'Hate Circuit' Identified:
People who view pictures of someone they hate display activity in distinct areas of the brain that, together, may be thought of as a 'hate circuit', according to new research by scientists at UCL (University College London).
Soybeans No Longer 'A Musical Fruit?':
Soybeans may drop off the list of musical fruit. Scientists in Singapore are reporting victory over some consumers' No. 1 complaint about soy products -- the "flatulence factor" caused by indigestible sugars found in soy.
Red Enhances Men's Attraction To Women, Psychological Study Reveals:
A…
clock | October 28, 2008There are 25 new articles in PLoS ONE today. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here are my own picks for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
Overall Alteration of Circadian Clock Gene Expression in the Chestnut Cold Response (see this for previous work):
Cold acclimation in woody plants may have special features compared to similar processes in herbaceous plants. Recent studies have shown that circadian clock behavior in the chestnut tree (Castanea sativa) is disrupted by cold temperatures…
clock | October 28, 2008'Voter-Verifiable' Voting System Ensures Accuracy And Privacy:
Approximately two-thirds of Americans voting in the November Presidential election will cast their votes on paper ballots. How can voters be assured their votes are counted and kept private?
Victorian Manchester Home To First Youth Gangs:
A historian at the University of Liverpool has uncovered extensive archive material detailing the activities of the 'scuttlers' - one of Britain's earliest youth cults.
Youth From Poor Neighborhoods 4 Times More Likely To Attempt Suicide:
Youth in their late teens who live in poor neighbourhoods…
clock | October 27, 2008PLoS Biology at 5: The Future Is Open Access:
On the 13th of October in 2003, with the first issue of PLoS Biology, the Public Library of Science realized its transformation from a grassroots organization of scientists to a publisher. Our fledgling website received over a million hits within its first hour, and major international newspapers and news outlets ran stories about the journal, about science communication in general, and about our founders--working scientists who had the temerity to take on the traditional publishing world and who pledged to lead a revolution in scholarly…
clock | October 27, 2008There are 13 new articles published Friday night and 10 new articles tonight in PLoS ONE today. As always, you should rate the articles, post notes and comments and send trackbacks when you blog about the papers. Here are my own picks for the week - you go and look for your own favourites:
Implication of the F-Box Protein FBXL21 in Circadian Pacemaker Function in Mammals:
In mammals, the circadian clock relies on interlocked feedback loops involving clock genes and their protein products. Post-translational modifications control intracellular trafficking, functionality and degradation of…
clock | October 27, 2008Acupuncture Used For Animal Ailments:
Needles are often equated with pain and discomfort; however, for a horse named Gypsy the tiny sharp objects brought about much needed relief as Dr. Mark Crisman, a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, administered acupuncture therapy.
How Breastfeeding Transfers Immunity To Babies:
A BYU-Harvard-Stanford research team has identified a molecule that is key to mothers' ability to pass along immunity to intestinal infections to their babies through…
clock | October 26, 2008Protein Compass Guides Amoebas Toward Their Prey:
Amoebas glide toward their prey with the help of a protein switch that controls a molecular compass, biologists at the University of California, San Diego have discovered. Their finding, recently detailed in the journal Current Biology, is important because the same molecular switch is shared by humans and other vertebrates to help immune cells locate the sites of infections.
Alternative Medicine And Heavy Metal Poisoning:
Many Ayurvedic medicines can contain dangerous quantities of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, thallium and arsenic,…
clock | October 25, 2008Phony Friends? Rejected People Better Able To Spot Fake Smiles:
"There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all." It's true too--next time you are lost in a foreign country, just flash a smile and the locals will be happy to help you find your way. An honest smile can convey a wide range of meanings, from being happy to having fun. Although, not all smiles are genuine. All of us have "faked a smile" at some point. Now, a new study might make us think twice about sending out a phony grin. It has been shown that individuals who are experiencing rejection are better at…