Archives

March 13, 2014
Dasvidaniya, Tatanka

A new linguistic study claims to have found links between Siberian and Native American languages. It was my understanding linguistic techniques more or less fall apart after a few thousand years, but maybe they've come up with some new method.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2014
Big Bones

Scientists have announced the discovery of the largest-known predatory dinosaur ever found in Europe. Torvosaurus gurneyi was much larger than its Jurassic contemporaries but still smaller than the big Cretaceous brutes like T. Rex.

Posted by scott at 07:30 AM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2014
Rock of Ages

Using new dating techniques, scientists have confirmed the oldest rocks yet found on Earth are in Australia. What's more, they're quite a bit older than previously thought, just 100 million years before the planet got rebooted when the Moon was formed. It indicates the planet was forming a crust much earlier than current theories predicted, and that water was present even then.

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2014
A Bony Smile

DNA testing is underway in an attempt to find the remains of the model for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Yes, a bit creepy, but also a fascinating opportunity to get a look at how 16th century nobility lived, and died. Physical anthropology is an often under-appreciated window into how our ancestors lived. Hopefully this will throw some much needed light onto the field.

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February 12, 2014
Fossil Find

A new geological deposit that rivals the famous Burgess Shale has been found in Canada. In fact, it seems to be an extension of the Burgess formation, only it has more and better preserved fossils. Early history of life, FTW!

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2014
Ancient Death

Using new techniques, scientists have determined the Permian mass-extinction even happened 10x faster than previously thought. They've also go a more precise date as to when it happened, and some of the data is allowing them to make a more definitive tie-in to the Siberian Traps volcanic event. That's always been the #1 suspect, but the dates have never quite squared up yet. I think it's only a matter of time, though, before it all lines up.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2014
Old Feet

The oldest footprints found outside of Africa have turned up in a muddy estuary in the UK.

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February 06, 2014
Faster, Please

The field of prosthetic limbs seems to be progressing nicely. Right now the prototypes remind me of something a Terminator would use. Here's to hoping for long success and better miniaturization!

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2014
Old Bugs

A mass grave found in Germany is finally yielding insights into just what the Justinian Plague actually was. It's far less well known than its fourteenth century counterpart but may very well have killed more people in its day. It certainly helped create those darkest of the dark ages.

Posted by scott at 12:21 PM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2014
Old Farmer Ted

New technology has allowed scientists to sequence the DNA of the remains of an 8000 year-old man. The findings, as with most things of this nature, confirm some theories, invalidate others, and also pose new questions. Because SCIENCE!

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2014
Fun with Neutrinos

A simple change in filter rules has turned a dud into a success. Me, I'd think that particles traveling at energies a hundred times greater than the LHC would be a bit, well, "explodey." But I Am Not a Particle Physicist.

Posted by scott at 09:22 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2014
Deep Ditch

Scientists have announced the discovery of a canyon underneath the antarctic ice that dwarfs the Grand Canyon. I can't help but think this would probably end up filled with water, a-la Loch Ness, and so not be all THAT deep. Then again, who am I to stand between an editor and his juicy headline?

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Neither Fish nor Fowl

A new paper is finally detailing the rear portion of what's being called one of the most important fossil finds in the past decade. The creature, known as a "titkaalik," is a member of an extremely rare group called "tetrapodomorphs," creatures who are part of the transition from fins to legs. As usual, there's plenty of unexpected things that were found on the back end of this not-quite-fish.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2014
Shocking Color

This just in: ancient critters that lived in the ocean were colored more or less the same as modern critters that live in the ocean. Because it's so weird that water has held the same properties, basically forever. Meh, I guess it would be interesting if this didn't hold true.

Posted by scott at 05:54 PM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2014
Superbang

A group of scientists has determined the presence of liquid magma is enough to trigger a supervolcano eruption. These super-massive eruptions are hundreds of times larger than any conventional eruption experienced in history. The good news is, apparently, that such an event would cause very noticeable changes in the vicinity of said supervolcano. Oh, and don't forget one of these things sits underneath Yellowstone. Sleep well!

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2014
Plastic Ticker

A new type of artificial heart seems to be doing well in its first use in a human patient. Apparently it's very large, fitting only 86% of men and 65% of people in general, but it also seems like it provides more freedom. There's no mention of wires or tubes leading from the device to external machinery.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
December 27, 2013
Faster, Please

A pharma company has announced plans to 3D print a fully functioning human liver in 2014. Tons of testing is required before such things can be used in humans. In the meantime it and things like it will be invaluable tools for drug research.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2013
Flower Power

A new study of a unique plant is providing insights into the evolution of flowers. It seems that about two hundred million years ago a "gene doubling" may have given the common ancestor of all flowering plants an extra tool kit to use for evolutionary experiments.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2013
Welcome to the 21st Century

I always figured we'd eventually work out how to make replacement organs. I just didn't count on them being, well, printed. Faster, please.

Posted by scott at 06:25 PM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2013
Old Men

Scientists have re-visited the iconic site where Neandertals first came to light and have confirmed they did indeed bury their dead. As far as I know, this was widely accepted since the 1950s when Shanidar was excavated, but confirmation is always nice.

Posted by scott at 07:45 AM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2013
We're All Stars Now

This just in: our universe is just a holographic projection. I think. Something about a lower-complexity connection to somewhere without gravity. Check, please!

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2013
Big Cousin

Newly analyzed post-cranial fossils has revealed that Paranthropus boisei was more strongly built than previously thought. Any time you find post-cranial remains of a hominid it's big news, because they are so incredibly rare.

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2013
Grandpa Mystery

Using brand-new techniques scientists have managed to recover DNA from a hominid fossil 400,000 years old. The results are, as expected, surprising and will likely force a complete re-think of human evolution. Or not. Hey, they have to keep that grant money flowing in somehow!

Posted by scott at 03:41 PM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2013
Meat Mummy

Well how else did you expect Tut to eat? Personally I think they don't have all that much evidence for exotic preservative techniques. And hooray for coating ribs with resin!

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2013
Hidden Heat

A new geologic study of Antarctica has revealed an active volcano buried deep beneath the ice. It's moving south at the rate of not quite 10 km per million years, and could erupt again at any time. Fun stuff!

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
Cone Head

Archeologists in France have announced the discovery of two new ancient and well-preserved burial complexes. The more modern one includes a female burial with a significantly remodeled skull. The archeologists claim this was a popular practice with European nobility of that era, but it's the first I'd heard of it.

Posted by scott at 05:59 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2013
Gear Up

You have to wade through a bizarre intro to get to it, but it seems that nature worked out how to evolve functional gears a very long time ago. Of course it'd be in a bug. Most everything really clever in natural engineering happens in insects, it seems.

Posted by scott at 07:11 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2013
Ancient Eats

A study of tooth enamel may be indicating that our ancient ancestors either used medicinal herbs, or ate the stomach contents of their kills. Nah, doesn't sound very tasty to me either. But I think one of the reasons people succeeded back in the day was they learned to eat absolutely anything that could be eaten.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2013
~ Spider Brain, Spider Brain ~

New imaging techniques are allowing scientists to reconstruct ancient life forms in ever-greater detail. Plus they get to create really nifty neural diagrams of critters so old nobody's sure who, if anyone, is directly related to them.

Posted by scott at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2013
Robot Monkey

It looks like we're getting ever-closer to a real Six Million Dollar Man. I still say we all need to fine The Guardian every time they use the word "boffin." I mean, really.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2013
Spidey Sense

Look, I'm just saying if "more prone to sexual cannibalism" is part of a personality profile, that's probably not someone I want to know.

Posted by scott at 04:11 PM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2013
Paint It, Black

It seems women have been in charge of what goes on the walls for a very, very long time. The claim is, of course, contested, and to be honest I'm not sure he really has adequately explained how this doesn't represent teenaged boys.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2013
Milestone

Scientists have announced a nuclear fusion experiment has "broken even" for the very first time. No, it's still not putting out more total energy than it's putting in and yes, they're still saying "real" fusion is 20-50 years away, but HEY! Look at all those shiny toys!

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2013
Winkie Find

A relief carved into the base of an ancient tower has allowed archeologists to date the founding of an ancient Italian city right down to the day. Bonus: the reliefs are penises that connect (ha!) the city more closely to the emperor Augustus than was previously understood.

Posted by scott at 09:57 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2013
Old Plant

The discovery of ultra-rare fossilized pollen has pushed the origin of flowering plants back 100 million years. Flowers are widely seen as having evolved as a response to dinosaur predation. So, next time you see a pretty flower on a tree, remember it got there because of the dinos!

Posted by scott at 07:02 AM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2013
Tiny Gun

Scientists have developed a new "cheaper-smaller-faster" particle accelerator. A close read seems to indicate that no, you won't be able to build an LHC in your back yard with one of them, but it does seem to promise new kinds of x-ray scanners and other things like that.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2013
Old Air

Scientists have announced that the Earth's atmosphere was rich with oxygen far earlier than previously thought. The discovery implies that very complex metabolic systems like photosynthesis evolved very quickly in Earth's history.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2013
Universal Jewel

A new jewel-like geometric shape promises to vastly simplify quantum calculations. It may even provide the step needed to create a viable theory of quantum gravity, something that's eluded the field for decades. I think. Quantum physics is hard!

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2013
Dead Elephants

The everlasting tennis match that is the field of megafauna extinction in North America research has started another round. People showed up, all the big things died. This seems like a pretty straightforward equation to me, but simple and straightforward does not a good grant proposal make. And, really, when has nature ever been simple?

Posted by scott at 04:44 PM eMail this entry!
Faster, Please

The good: Scientists have regressed living adult tissue into stem cells.

The bad: Thing went all cancer-y after that

Cancer seems to be a common failure in stem cell research. Getting them to turn on isn't the problem, it's getting them to turn off.

Posted by scott at 04:39 PM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2013
Similar Genes

A new study has revealed the evolutionary phenomena of convergence has far deeper effects than previously thought. I guess there really isn't all that many different ways to screw together a bat.

Posted by scott at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2013
Plonk!

Why go through complex finite element analysis when you can just pick one up and drop it? As with most big impacts, it doesn't look all that bad from the outside. It's the interior shots that bring the forces involved to life.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2013
Element 115

Scientists are accumulating more evidence that another element exists at the far end of the periodic table. Like most of the newer ones, it's very radioactive and very unstable, assuming it's not just some glitch in the sensors. From what I've read, they keep trying because eventually they may ramp up to a heavy element that sticks around for awhile, and who knows what it'll be good for?

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2013
That's-a Spicey Meat Ball

Scientists have found direct evidence that Europeans, at least, have been using spices to flavor their food for at least six thousand years. Yeah, this is one of those "common sense requires evidence, too" sort of studies. But, hey, even common sense answers usually yield interesting details.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2013
Old Metal

Scientists have now confirmed a necklace older than the pyramids is made up in part of meteorite. The necklace was created a full two thousand years before iron was in common use.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2013
Cave Tool

Scientists have announced the discovery of specialized bone tools that were used by Neandertals. One of the hallmarks of earlier hominids was their toolkits were based on stone. Even on the occasions they did use other materials, the tool was still the same shape. However, it seems quite possible they copied the tool instead of came up with it on their own. Bonus: We know what the bone tool does because, at least 50,000 years later, people are still using them.

Posted by scott at 06:15 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2013
Burial Bonanza

Hooray for big public works projects in first-world countries! The archeologists get to find all the cool stuff. And, unlike over here in America, I don't think there are any pesky repatriation laws in the UK. Dig 'em up and examine the heck out of 'em, boys! The medieval history geek in me wishes it was about five hundred years older or so, but then I remember people in the 17th century didn't really live THAT much differently than their ancestors in the 11th. With such a cross-section of people, the demographic information should prove fascinating.

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2013
Generations

A group of scientists have announced that our genetic "Adam" lived about 150,000 years ago. Unless you ask a different group of scientists, who think it was about 250,000 years ago. And then when you ask yet another different set, they say something like 500,000 years ago. In a nutshell, they're doing cool stuff you won't completely understand so you really should renew their grants. Because SCIENCE.

Posted by scott at 08:03 AM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2013
Anti-Kill

A new study has concluded that humans probably evolved social monogamy as a defense against male infanticide. Not just humans, but other higher primates as well.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2013
Dead Cats, or Not

Scientists have worked out how to manifest quantum effects on ever-larger objects. I think. Look, it's quantum mechanics. If it was easy to understand, we'd all be doing it.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2013
Old Time

Scientists have announced the discovery of the oldest known calendar. The collection of holes was found on the grounds of an old Scottish castle, and provide a lunar calendar as well as a fix for the winter solstice. At ten thousand years, it's "thousands" of years older than any previously known calendar. Looks like even ancient man needed an alarm clock.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2013
Flat Head

Another day, another note that you need to keep your infant sleeping on its back. Normally, though, flat-spotting is caused by a brake bias problem.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2013
Buried Flowers

The oldest definitive evidence of flowers being used to decorate a grave has been discovered in Israel. No, it's not the neandertal stuff you read about in high school. Instead, this representative of the "Natufian" culture, about 12,000 years ago.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2013
Tasty Balls

Discovery: proteins responsible for our ability to taste are actually found throughout the body, and neutralizing the ones in mouse testicles (stay with me here) render those mice sterile. Headline? Testicles have Taste Receptors. Which, now that I think about it, is factually true, and it definitely got my attention. Geeze it's like these headline writers are good at their job or something.

Posted by scott at 07:01 AM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2013
Cosmic Brew

My God, Martha, there's booze up in them galaxies. There's some sort of quantum something involved, and they got it to work in the lab, and when I read the article it seems like maybe it's about alcohols getting destroyed rather than created. Physics is hard.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2013
Toss It

A new anatomical study is claiming to have figured out why humans are so good at throwing things. Turns out our upper bodies didn't only evolve for holding tools. It also evolved to toss them. It's nice to see an article that talks about something we're good at, instead of how much better some other species is. Go humans!

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2013
Holes and Sound

Using (apparently) a drill and a bunch of plastic wrap, scientists have figured out how to make a wall nearly transparent to sound. What I'm interested in is just how many holes does it take, and how big are they? It's plenty easy to make a wall transparent to sound if, for example, there's a hole as big as a bowling ball in it. Doesn't do much for the decor, though.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2013
Heart of Darkness

Scientists have announced the discovery of a previously unknown Khmer city hidden in the jungle for the past 1200 years. I'm expecting a dark and hungry god to emerge from that vicinity shortly, but that's probably because I have friends who obsess over HP Lovecraft. Nah, it's ok. They're colorful friends!

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2013
Fast Cat

A decade-long study of Cheetahs using an innovative electronic collar is revealing all sorts of new facts about the world's fastest land animal. Even running at a "slow" 35 mph, it's impressive. Maneuvering at a speed half-again as fast is even more so.

Posted by scott at 07:26 AM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2013
Diver Down

A group of scientists are claiming to have finally figured out how marine mammals hold their breath for such incredibly long times. It seems the culprit is a special sort of oxygen-storing protein that in the rest of the mammal word gets too "sticky" to be of much use. In marine mammals, an adaptation allows this protein to leverage muscles as a kind of "oxygen battery."

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2013
Cold Spin

Those crazy scientists are at it again, playing with super-cold atoms and making them lean back and forth. Supposedly it all could have applications in super computing, but I think it's mostly just them mucking about with lasers. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2013
Frog Find

A frog species recently declared extinct has instead proved simply be living in a really awful neck of the woods. Living in a miserable place does seem to be a pretty effective strategy at keeping humans at bay.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2013
Home, Home on the Range

A new, wide-ranging study of fossil teeth is providing new insight into how our ancestors transitioned from forests to grasslands as their primary habitat. While the article makes it sound like this is all very new information, the transition from woodland to savannah has been widely acknowledged since at least the 1980s. What this mainly seems to have done is refine the timeline, give greater information on how many species were out there at any given time, and exactly what they ate.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2013
Bird Food

A new study that combines engineering, anatomy, and CGI simulations has discovered that the dinosaur Allosaurus ate things in a way quite different than the younger, more famous T. Rex. In fact, its technique seems to most closely resemble that of modern small falcons. Birds of a... what am I saying? Dinosaurs are weird!

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2013
Spear Chucker

A new study on cut marks has pushed the date humans started throwing spears back to 90,000 years. Cut mark studies have been around a long time. I remember them back when I was an undergrad in the mid-80s. You'd think someone would've thought to do this sooner, but I guess not. At any rate, now that they know what to look for, I'll be the date gets pushed back even further as new finds come to light.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2013
Old Monkey

Scientists have announced the discovery of the oldest known fossils of both apes and monkeys. The finds date to about 25 million years ago, which puts them much closer to the predicted split between the two genera than anything else found to-date. The fossils themselves aren't much... a jaw fragment and a single tooth. However, now that they know where to look for these sorts of fossils, I'll bet there will be better finds on the way.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2013
Ancient Ears

A new fossil study has revealed that even our oldest relatives had ears that resembled ours. No, not the fleshy bits on the outside, but apparently one (and only one) of the three ear bones quite strongly resembled our own. No, I don't know what it really means, either. I guess we'll get the answer file when they get their grant renewed.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
Veg Attack

A carnivorous relative of the tomato seems to be the most genetically "pure" living thing found to-date. In other news, the common tomato has a carnivorous cousin. Can Attack of the Killer Humped Bladderwort be far behind? I think not!

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2013
Bio-Burger

It seems the effort to grow meat in a vat has taken another step forward. Cattle take up a lot of space, and the whole business of the slaughterhouse makes me a bit queasy. If this ends up costing, say, .00001% of what it costs now, hell I might even try it.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2013
The Shape of Things to Come

Most theories of the origin of the universe predict an equal amount of matter and antimatter was created. Explaining why it all didn't annihilate itself the very next instant just went all pear-shaped. Particle physics is, like, you know, hard and stuff. I'll take their word for it.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2013
Lost Land

Scientists using a new deep-diving submersible are claiming to have found an original piece of the long-lost continent, Pangaea. Which is a little strange to me. Just about any rocks that have, say, dinosaur fossils pretty much must be from Pangaea, right? Maybe I'm missing something. That's usually the case.

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2013
Garden Found

A British historian is claiming to have discovered the actual location of the hanging gardens of Babylon. If they're right, it should more properly be called "the hanging gardens of Assyria." Relying on new translations of old sources can be problematic, but it's not like this is the only person in the world who can translate that stuff. Someone else can take a close look, too.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2013
Binky Bash

A new study has found at least some evidence that sucking on your kid's pacifier can provide substantial protection against allergies and asthma. The findings are, of course, controversial and even the authors admit it's not conclusive. We would do this occasionally when Olivia was little, and she is mostly allergy-free. Of course, that could also have something to do with growing up in her very own petting zoo, so even we can't provide even anecdotal support for any of this.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2013
Chop Chop

Scientists have found clear physical evidence of cannibalism in England's first permanent settlement in the New World. And, if the reconstruction is accurate, they had pretty good taste, indeed.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week!

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
Crystal Time

A group of scientists has finally figured out a way to test whether or not a specific crystal formation vibrates through time instead of space. The "my little physicist" explanation seems to be: there's a mathematical construct that, if it can be built in the form of a crystal, will vibrate without expending energy or ever winding down. I think. Sounds cool, especially now that they can test it.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2013
Speaking of Dinosaurs

It seems that humans aren't the only creatures to have evolved in Africa. Of course, I'm pretty sure Africa wasn't actually Africa, in appearance or location, at the start of the Triassic. Also, it may not be that the creatures evolved in that spot. Rather, it may simply be a case of the right stratigraphy being exposed in that precise spot. Anyway, it's a damned old dinosaur, is all I'm sayin'...

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2013
The Color of Dinos

Canadian scientists are using a sophisticated light source to see if they can figure out what color a specific dinosaur was. I'm not so sure this is the only "3D dinosaur skin fossil." I distinctly remember that the natural history museum in New York has a fossil on display that has intact skin. Of course, that could be part of the same fossil.

Posted by scott at 06:18 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2013
Earth's Sun

New experiments are revealing that the Earth's core is much hotter than previously thought. As in, "hotter than the surface of the sun" hot. However, this is actually good news, since it allows the reconciliation of several otherwise good models with the observed data.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
Mayan Mahem

A new archeological study is indicating that the origins of Mayan civilization are more complicated than previously thought. Turns out the earliest indicators of Mayan civilization pre-date the older and even more mysterious Olmec, but the influence of that civilization is undeniable.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2013
Making Europe

A new genetic study of ancient human remains in Europe has revealed important, and previously unknown, migrations in the distant past. One problem with using archeology alone is that a new population may replace the people but keep using their tech. DNA analysis will spot that change.

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
April 18, 2013
Old Anchorage

Egyptian archeologists have announced the discovery of the oldest port in the world. Because of our collapsed view of history, "old" to us usually means Greco-Roman, or the very last pharaohs of the New Kingdom. What's been found this time is something much older, going right back to the time the pyramids were being built. They know this because they found receipts for the stone that built them on the site. No, really!

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
April 17, 2013
Short People

A new study is providing more evidence that the Flores hominids were in fact a dwarf species. Which won't stop critics from a new round of "is too!" This is anthropology, after all. If it can't be argued endlessly until the proponents of each side are literally dead, what fun is there?

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2013
Paging Doctor McCoy, White Courtesy Phone Please

Scientists have announced the successful implantation of a lab-grown kidney in a rat. This is by far the most complex organ grown in a lab. The trick, apparently, is in the way the cells are introduced to the "scaffold" that they grow on. The next step will be scaling up the process to see if it can create human-sized (i.e., pig) organs.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2013
Dino Grow

A fossil formed when a flood washed out a group of dinosaur nests has revealed at least one species to be the fastest growing animal yet discovered. Bonus: they also seem to have found organic matter, by far the oldest example of such stuff found so far.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2013
Big Ones

A new study has provided evidence that size does indeed actually matter. Radical feminists and their ilk will be outraged, I'm sure. Those of us who understand that a century or so of radical politics does not trump millions of years of evolution, not so much.

Posted by scott at 07:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2013
Abraham's House

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new archeology site with the ruins of a building Abraham himself could've walked through. Other good news: at least some parts of Iraq are now stable enough for Milquetoast scientists to poke around in.

Posted by scott at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
Dog's Gate

Scientists have announced the discovery of the "Plutoneion," a cave entrance the ancients regarded as a gate to hell. It still works, too. The archeologists reported several birds dropping dead near it after it'd been excavated. Maybe they'll bring in a geologist next time to figure out what makes the thing tick.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2013
Rock On Wich Yo Pinniped Self

It took training and probably a whole helluva lot of fish, but biologists have manage to train a sea lion to "keep the beat." At first I thought maybe she was just shaking her head, but it does seem like she's responding to the music itself. Ellen and I were just talking about how research said it was just humans and parrots who were the only ones to perceive music. Now we know better.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2013
Fairy Bugs

A German scientist is claiming to have solved an intriguing riddle about some geography you've never heard of. Well, I'd never heard of it, at any rate. And, really, that's all that important.

Posted by scott at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2013
Copper Cloak

Scientists at the University of Texas have created yet another kind of invisibility cloak. It takes awhile for them to admit it, but eventually they come clean and explain it's a cloak against radar, not visible light. Still likely to be useful, but far from something Harry Potter would find handy.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2013
Player Capacity

It looks like your next super-battery may be made in a DVD player. Sort of. I remember hearing about graphene's capacity (ha!) to story electricity some time ago, but the article itself is quite recent. Cheap power storage, FTW!

Posted by scott at 06:00 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2013
Zircon Clock

A new study of volcanic rocks has confirmed at least one mass extinction event was caused by massive "flood basalt events". In other words, a metric buttload of lava. I think then going on to claim that all mass extinctions are caused by volcanism seems a bit much, but I'm not a geologist, or paleontologist. But, hey, if it keeps the grant money flowing have at it.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2013
Select This

Those of you occasionally confronted with someone who insists "evolution has never been observed" now have another arrow for your quiver. Those of you who think a 60 mph armadillo is inevitable will also be pleased.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2013
Anime Eyes

The latest idea for the extinction of Neandertals is (spins the wheel o' death)... big eyes. Me, I still think a gradual out-compete combined with interbreeding with modern humans did them in, but I'm no scientist.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2013
Gold Flash

The more you know: gold deposits form when deep earthquakes rip the crust apart so fast the subsequent "flash boil" of fluid causes the mineral to fall. Which is to say, the Earth sharts, just like you and me.

Was that wrong? Should I not have said that?

Posted by scott at 04:48 PM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2013
Hossenfeffer Hell

A new study of animal bones in ancient homes is suggesting Nendertals may owe their extinction to an inability to "prey shift." It seems that, as megafauna gradually disappeared, early modern humans shifted to rabbits, but Neandertals didn't.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2013
Ancient Apocalypse

What better way to pass the day than with a brief summary of current thinking around the Permian mass extinction? Me, I'd put money on the "everything going wrong at once" square. It's the only way to be sure.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
Frozen Humps

Not news: dead camel. News: an ancient, mummified camel found in the Arctic. The genetic analysis has revealed it was much more closely related to modern versions than expected, indicating the grumpy beasts likely evolved in freezing conditions, not blasted deserts.

Posted by scott at 07:17 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2013
Quantum Cat

If this report is to be believed, the mysteries of quantum mechanics may be getting at least a little less wacky. There's definitely something about light polarization in there, and the obligatory reference to that darned cat. You're smarter than me. Go look and tell me what it means.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
Super Layers

A new man-made material is pushing the bounds of high-temperature superconductivity. Just exactly how high, the article doesn't specify. In fact, a careful reading seems to indicate whatever they've made isn't directly superconducting, but rather provides insight into the behavior of magnetic fields which could lead to new superconductors. Oh, and the stuff sounds like it's really expensive, too.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2013
Robobird

I think these guys are having way too much fun: scientists have figured out how to re-animate a dead sparrow using off-the-shelf electronics. They were studying male aggression, and needed something that could be angry on cue. Considering the robot eventually got its head bitten off, it would seem they succeeded. A robot with a shelf life. Whoda thought it?

Posted by scott at 07:11 AM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2013
The Drunken Ape

It looks like we've been boozing it up for a very, very long time now. I'll go a step further than the article and speculate that the ability to digest fermented fruit may very well have been what drew a specific set of apes down from the trees. Certainly the sudden appearance of a much more powerful digestion enzyme means SOMETHING.

Posted by scott at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2013
Chemical Burn

A group of Ohio State scientists has developed a reactor that chemically burns coal, creating energy while capturing almost all the CO2 generated. You have to go all the way to the bottom of the article before they mention how expensive it is. "Beating" a 35% increase still means it's much more expensive than existing technologies. But then, that's always been the problem with almost all green power generation. Still, that's just engineering. If they can pull the costs down to the point it's competitive, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2013
Mosh Madness

This just in: systems with broadly similar characteristics behave in roughly the same fashion. In this case, mosh pits seem to look a lot like gasses in "2D equilibrium." No, I'm not completely sure what that is, either. What it mostly proves is I'm old enough to be puzzled by the "heavy metal = mosh pit" assumption. All my metal gods are old enough now to get put in a hospital by such shenanigans.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2013
You Say That Like It's a Bad Thing

Watch out folks, they're doing science! Because everyone knows that, when your average American teenager figures out how to get drunker, faster, they're absolutely gonna stay away from it. The more you know!

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2013
Tales of Future's Past

Researchers at Microsoft are developing a software package that can predict the future. I think. It sounded impressive as hell, anyway. Isn't this sort of thing that made Asimov's Foundation series tick?

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2013
Worm Rock

A newly described fossil has pushed back the evolution of intestinal parasites by more than 100 million years. Because knowing just when horrifically nasty critters first showed up is important. Meh, ok, not really, but part of what makes science fun is how it can be interesting AND useless. Half the time, hell maybe more than half the time, someone eventually does find a use for it.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2013
Cold Genes

A new study of populations in Siberia has revealed previously unknown genetic adaptations to the cold. The thing about fat turning into heat has been known for quite some time. Maybe these populations are more efficient at it? Then again, since something like a third of all Eurasian people are related to Genghis Kahn (as I recall, anyway), maybe it's just that the genes have been distributed throughout the world's populations.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2013
Super Film

Scientists at IBM, of all places, has developed a new polymer that beats even antibiotic-resistant bacteria. According to the scientists, its action is something the bugs won't be able to defeat. Me, I think it'll result in bugs as tough as ball bearings. But that'll probably make them vulnerable to other things. Winning!

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2013
Good Thing Obi-Wan Disabled It

Scientists have developed yet another working version of a tractor beam. This one has the potential for many small-scale uses. Unfortunately it would seem this one would fry bigger stuff, so it's no use trapping that damned freighter that blasted its way out of Mos Iseley.

Posted by scott at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
~ Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'~

Scientists have discovered that dung beetles can use the Milky Way itself to navigate. One of nature's most gargantuan constructs being used to help one of its most humble creatures to protect a ball of crap has a certain... symmetry to it. Humbling from both ends of the spectrum, sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 10:45 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2013
Stainproof

A group of scientists has developed the most fluid-resistant surface known. They're claiming it'll be useful for stain-resistant clothing and ultra-low drag paint for ships. After reading about how it's applied, I'm not sure how they'd get something like that to work over a really wide area. But I'm not a materials scientist.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2013
Jew Fuel

A process invented by the person who would eventually become the first president of Israel may be providing us a diesel substitute soon. There were a lot of "once we do this" -es, which is usually a code phrase for "don't really expect much," so I'm not sure I will. Still, it's another team working the problem, and eventually SOMEONE will make it work. Will it make the greens happy? If all they were really interested in was improving the environment, I'd say, "yes." I'm not actually gonna say it, though.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2013
Chikka-Chikka-Ook

Ever wonder what would happen if you gave a chimp the remote to a full-access cable box? Pretty much what you'd expect. Brings a whole new meaning to the term, "spank the monkey," I'll give you that. I wonder if they'd be more interested in films with chimps in the... rmm... "lead roles?" One of the things you're forced to learn as part of an anthropology degree is such films most definitely exist.

Posted by scott at 06:04 PM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2013
Thermal Expansion

Geothermal technology seems to be moving in the right direction. I'm not sure it helps anyone who doesn't live next to an extinct volcano, but what do I know? Apparently "hydroshearing" is quite different from the better-known fracking, but it's not completely clear to me why this might be. It'd be nice to see my tax dollars (the DoE is in for half) get some positive alternative energy results, but I'm not holding my breath.

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2013
Silent Running

Scientists have discovered that shark embryos are able to sense when predators are near, and hide from them. The real challenge: they do it while they're still inside the egg. It's suggested the observations may lead to more effective shark repellant. I don't quite understand how that might work but hey, this is science! If it had a practical application they'd call it engineering.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2013
Floating Genius

A group of scientists are using guppies in an attempt to prove that big brains are rare because of the price an animal must pay to get them. Bonus: It seems that a mathematic genius in the guppy world consists of the ability to count to four.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
Cold Hearted

A team of scientists has announced they've figured out how to cool something below 0K. If you're thinking, "but nothing can go below zero Kelvin, that's the point!" you'd be right there with me. Apparently, as with most things I learned in science class, the truth is more complicated than that. I think. Look, I was told there would be no math...

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2013
Dragon's Ancestor

A team of Chinese scientists has revisited an iconic anthropological dig, and their findings could shed light on any number of riddles involving our ancestors. Or, in the particular case of Peking Man, our ancient cousins. Genetic study still seems to indicate that whatever species this hominid might end up being, it isn't in our direct line of descent. That said, they're still plenty close enough to provide information about how they, and by extension we, survived in such an incredibly harsh time.

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2013
Old Life

Scientists have announced the discovery of the oldest fossils found to-date. At some 3.5 billion years old, they represent a snapshot of the Earth taken when it was only a quarter of its present age. Unfortunately it's not fossilized critters that they've found, rather the remains of structures that they built. The finding is, of course, controversial but if it holds up it will provide much more information about what life was like in our remote past.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2012
Compassionate History

It would seem that, at least occasionally, we haven't always been complete bastards to each other. Fans of The Clan of the Cave Bear should recognize "Shanidar-1," who was the model for the character Creb.

Posted by scott at 05:54 PM eMail this entry!
Fist of Fury

A new anatomical study of the human hand is suggesting fighting may have influenced its shape as much as the need to manipulate objects. The article mentions some pretty interesting observations, but not any predictions to bolster the theory.

Posted by scott at 06:13 AM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2012
Tiny Terror

So now we need to add a single species of microbe to the list of things that may have caused the Permian mass extinction event. Me, I suspect there likely isn't a single cause for something so disruptive it killed off 90% of all the species on the planet. But it does make for an interesting idea.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2012
My Kingdom For A...

New, albeit unpublished, evidence discovered with a mysterious skeleton found buried under a parking lot apparently confirm that Richard III's body has been rediscovered. Apparently the release of the evidence is being held up pending the release of a documentary that, if I'm reading it correctly, was ultimately the source of funding for the whole project. Seems fair to me, but I have these wacky ideas that people who pay for things have a right to them. Such a silly belief in this day and age, I know...

Posted by scott at 06:01 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2012
Iron Snail

By studying a rare sea snail that incorporates iron in its shell, scientists believe they'll be able to create an entirely new class of more effective body armor. In other news, there's a snail out there with an iron shell, and boy is it UGLY.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2012
Still No Cure For... Oh, Wait...

Efforts to harness our own immune system to fight cancer appear to be proceeding apace. The side effects sound pretty gnarly, but apparently the current "last ditch" cancer treatment, bone-marrow transplant, is even worse. As is commonly said with these sorts of stories, "faster, please."

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2012
Pee Brain

A group of Chinese scientists has worked out a way to create neuron cells from ordinary urine. The cells did not turn cancerous, a big problem with stem cells, and were created in a significantly shorter time than other methods. To paraphrase Deng Xiaopeng, where the cells come from doesn't matter, as long as they fix the problem.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2012
Romani Roamin'

A new genetic study has shad new light on the origins of the Romani, better know to most of us as Gypsies. It seems they're originally from northwest India, and moved seemingly as a unit about fifteen hundred years ago.

Posted by scott at 09:27 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2012
Seaward, Ho!

New artifact finds on various Mediterranean islands may cause some of our ancient cousins to add the name "sailor" to their resumes. The emphasis here is "may." So far the new stuff doesn't seem to be older than the humanity that looked at you in the mirror this morning. One of the ways to differentiate hominid lines is the stone tools they make. In a strange way, it's as if technology was hard-wired into our earliest ancestors, whose toolkits varied little if at all in their history, sometimes for millions of years. I find it strange this aspect was not mentioned in the article. In other words, if there were Neandertal sailors, we should be able to spot that by the tools.

Posted by scott at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2012
Vaporator Bottle

By using materials that mimic the structures found on the back of a desert beetle, MIT scientists have announced the invention of a self-filling water bottle. Strangely, it still seems to need a power source to work. I wonder how they'll manage to keep the bottle open to the air but closed to all the bugs?

Posted by scott at 08:05 AM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2012
Goliath? Is That You?

At 6ft 8in tall, he would have been easily eligible to compete amongst those giants of sport in the U.S. basketball leagues today.

In third-century AD Rome, where men averaged only about 5ft 6in, he would have been a giant the likes of which most people had never seen.

It's no legend - archaeologists believe have discovered the first complete ancient skeleton of a person with gigantism near the capital of the ancient empire.

Read then entire article here.

No... no word from David on this either.

Posted by Ellen at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
Death on a Stick

A recent re-examination of 500,000 year-old stone weapons is forcing scientists to re-think the history of technology and our ancestors. Wear studies have revealed that hafted weapons like arrowheads have been around far longer than previously thought.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2012
Finding a Way In

By using advanced brain scanners, scientists have proven a man assessed as completely vegetative is in fact conscious and aware. Fortunately, unlike that old Metallica video and the movie clip it used, he's not tapping out "kill me" or anything like that. The findings will likely force a re-assessment in how patients are judged to be "completely nonresponsive."

Posted by scott at 07:00 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2012
Chords of Science

Ever wonder why certain musical chords just sound better than others? You're not the only one. That we hear music at all, and in a way that's mathematically so predictable and regular, is to me the larger mystery.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2012
Super Proof

The latest news from everyone's favorite doomsday device has put paid some of the more popular theories of supersymmetry. Most people think the Large Hadron Collider will spend its most productive days discovering new particles and proving new theories, but DIS-proving things is every bit as important. Falsifiability is, after all, at the core of science. If you can't somehow prove a thing wrong, it's simply not science.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2012
I Wonder if Netflix will Use It

NASA engineers have teamed with their European counterparts to create network technologies that can be used at interplanetary distances. I can't help but think the article may be oversimplifying things a bit. I'm reading the ultimate resolution as some sort of store-and-forward technology, which is a pretty huge "duh" for anyone who knows much about high latency environments.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2012
Tool Time

A new study of stone tools found in South Africa is pushing back the time scientists believe humans became "culturally" modern. The problem is that we seem to have reached our modern anatomy tens of thousands of years before we can find any evidence of (comparatively) advanced culture or technology. Some say this is just the result of a patchy fossil record. Others claim some other, so far mysterious, things needed to happen before we could achieve our full potential. The discovery of these "microliths" would lend credence to the "spotty record" camp.

Which, of course, will mean yet another slow-motion flame fest in the academic journals. Nobody in anthropology comes up with an original idea without a decades-long trial by fire.

Posted by scott at 03:39 PM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2012
Rare Bear... Rrmm... Whale

Specimens of a whale so rare it's never been seen alive have been found on the coast of New Zealand. The spade toothed whale was previously only known from a few skull fragments, the last of which was collected more than 25 years ago. The two whole specimens are the remains of a mother and calf who beached themselves two years ago. The find almost went unremarked because conservationists misidentified the remains at first.

Posted by scott at 07:30 AM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2012
Suck It!

British archeologists have found evidence that, while you and I think vampires are (at best) something scary that doesn't sparkle our ancestors took them all too seriously. It'd be nice to think all that happened to a corpse, and not someone who could still feel. It'll help me sleep at night, at least.

Posted by scott at 07:05 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2012
That's... Lovely...

Scientists have described nine new species of tree tarantula. Now there are 16 different kinds of terror that crawl in the trees. Of jungles. Which is yet another reason why I have no plans for visiting any rain forest anywhere. Ever.

Posted by scott at 07:38 AM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2012
Sight Sign

By using a giant genetic dataset, a group of scientists has determined that vision likely evolved around 700 million years ago. The conclusion was reached after comparing all the relevant genetic information responsible for the creation of opsins, a substance vital to vision. And by "all," they apparently mean creatures as diverse as sponges and, well, people.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2012
Swingers

A new, exceptionally well-preserved hominid fossil is revealing new details about how our earliest ancestors may have lived. At first I stumbled over the idea that they could tell if a three year-old juvenile was female, because in humans there aren't any good tell-tales in the skeleton to reveal this. Then I remembered A. afarensis was actually not THAT human, so it probably matured a lot faster than we do.

Posted by scott at 02:36 PM eMail this entry!
More Feather Finds

A bird fossil found in an unexpected place has led to a re-thinking of why feathers evolved in the first place. I mean, something had to make those things look better. Couldn't get much worse!

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2012
Archer Inbound!

Funny, I always thought it was like when my kid spits water: scientists have, finally?, worked out how the archer fish manages to knock even firmly-attached prey into the water. It's an Italian study, so it's not like any of our tax dollars were used. Science is cool!

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2012
On the Way to Infinite Bandwidth

By using algebraic equations MIT scientists have figured out a way to increase bandwidth speeds ten-fold. The increase does not require more transmitters, power, or anything else but math. I was told there would be no math.

Posted by scott at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2012
Parrot of the Sea

That's a mighty large parrot: scientists have discovered that "white whales" have the ability to mimic human speech. Didn't they used to call them beluga whales? At any rate, it seems the capability was documented more than thirty years ago, but the research was buried and forgotten until recently. Or, something to that effect. The article isn't particularly clear about that, IMO.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2012
Tablet Time

Using a new scanning system Oxford scientists are hoping to finally decipher and translate one of the last remaining caches of unknown ancient writing. The scanner allows them to see the more than five thousand year-old words far more clearly, and by posting the results online it's hoped "crowdsourcing" can provide a valuable resource to make the final translation.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2012
Clock Set

By using sediments from a lake in Japan, scientists are planning on pushing carbon 14 "calibration" back much further than it was before. The initial theories around C14 dating assumed carbon absorption was constant, but it was later discovered this was not the case. Tree rings were used to account for variations but only went back about 14k years. The new data promises to push that marker back all the way to 50k+ years.

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2012
Crystal Time

A new scientific paper has described a specific sort of crystal that i symmetrical in time instead of space. I think. There's some sort of folderol about perpetual motion in there, and quantum computers, too. This sort of physics makes my head hurt.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2012
Laser Henge

A recently-completed laser scan of everyone's favorite enigmatic set of lumpy stones has revealed more previously undiscovered details about Stonehenge. This time, they were able to resolve hundreds of small decorations that have long since weathered away to invisibility to the naked eye. It also revealed which stones were the most heavily worked, which provided new insights into how the monument may have functioned.

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2012
Making Eggs

Using new techniques scientists have created healthy mice from eggs made from skin stem cells. The feat is (apparently) a technical tour-de-force, but practical applications in human medicine are still a long way off.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2012
Tiny Dino

Scientists have announced the discovery of a very early, very small, VERY ugly kind of dinosaur. The fossil itself was collected nearly fifty years ago, and was examined by scientists nearly thirty years ago, but its significance wasn't understood until very recently. Slow scientist is slow.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2012
Drill Down

Scientists have announced their intention to retrieve fresh samples of the Earth's mantle for the first time. They'll have to figure out how to drill a hole not quite four miles deep using a ship floating who knows how high over a specific, as yet undetermined, spot in the Pacific Ocean. Who says big science is restricted to physics?

Posted by scott at 07:13 AM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2012
A Hole in the Jar

Scientists have worked out a way to create a black hole laser. The article almost certainly oversimplifies it and it still doesn't make complete sense to me. There seems to be some way to create teeny-tiny black holes and their time-reversed equivalent to create a channel that can be used to create laser light. I think. I'm gonna be over in the corner soaking my head.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2012
Regen

A small species of African mouse has a remarkable ability, not seen in any other known mammal. If it helps push us further down the "grow your own organs" path, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2012
Veg-Gene

A new genetic study is implying we only left Africa after a single mutation allowed our ancestors exploit plants as food more effectively. Which the author of the article naturally turns into "become vegetarian," because after that it's quite obvious we all turned to plants as our exclusive source of food, right?

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2012
Paging Montgomery Scott, White Courtesy Phone Please

New tests of different geometric shapes has revealed that warp drive may not be as impossible as once previously thought. If I'm reading it correctly, it's still far more energy than we can easily generate nowadays, but at least it's not requiring the conversion of an entire large planet to work.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2012
Tiny Things

Scientists working at IBM have announced the ability to image molecules in such detail that the properties of atomic bonds can be made out. The measurements are so sensitive even vibrations from temperature differences must be removed, and so they're taken at -268C, which is... really cold... in Fahrenheit. And then it gets REALLY complicated.

Posted by scott at 03:38 PM eMail this entry!
Biscuit!

A scientist is using a 7000 year-old technology discovered by ancient Egyptians to put the finishing touches on his new 3D ceramic printing technology. Right now it seems to turn everything an, admittedly nice, bluish color, which may limit the appeal. Then again, that's just engineering, so if the thing takes off I can't help but think the color limitation will go away.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2012
Long Live the King

British archeologists have announced they've discovered what they believe to be a strong candidate for the bones of Richard III. He was buried in a church near the field where he fell, but, like most monastery churches of the era, it was razed with its location long forgotten. The remains are consistent with contemporary descriptions of the king, although (predictably) nothing like the exaggerated descriptions found in Shakespeare's play.

Posted by scott at 06:54 PM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2012
We Can Remember it For You Wholesale

Neuroscience graduate students have discovered a technique that allows them to imprint short term memories directly onto a brain. For now, at least, it's done with hapless rat brain tissue, and it's not completely clear exactly what a living creature would experience "remembering" these things. Frankenmemories!

Posted by scott at 06:56 AM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2012
Tick Tock

Not content with the European Union kicking Greece in the nuts every few months, it looks like God is going to let nature have a few goes as well. Still, magma building up under Santorini is not the same as Santorini going kerplooey. Heck, it may even make trips over there cheaper. I think I'll give touring that specific island a pass, thought.

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2012
Spooky Distances

Scientists have announced a new distance record in transmitting quantum state information. I'm sure I'm getting this wrong, but I *think* it will mean we're one step closer to instantaneous communications that might be faster than the speed of light. Or some sort of confusing thing that'll put a cat in a box with a sandwich. HMmm... Sandwiches...

Posted by scott at 03:28 PM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2012
Smooth Foam

Sometimes tiny things can overturn large constructs. Like how three little photons are threatening to overturn entire classes of quantum gravity theory. I'm impressed they worked out how to probe Planck-scale phenomena without an infinitely powerful energy source. Controversial? Duh.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2012
Feel Free to Scratch at Any Time

Well, it did turn out that ulcers were caused by bacteria: a new report claims a common facial disease is actually caused by mite poop. I have a few relatives who suffer from rosacea. This may make them squirm a bit (it makes me squirm a bit), but if it means more effective treatments, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2012
Monster Mystery Solved

By using DNA analysis techniques, scientists have finally solved the mystery of the "monstrous larva." First discovered in the guts of fish back in the 19th century, Cerataspis monstrosa was so weird looking nobody could figure out what, exactly, it was meant to grow into. Turns out, it's a shrimp.

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2012
Bug Zapper

By using bug traps enhanced with artificially intelligent programs, scientists are attempting to battle a well-known agricultural pest on a different playing field. When the damage caused by the oriental fruit fly is counted in the billions of dollars, it's a war well worth fighting.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2012
Old Talk

By using tools more commonly applied to tracking disease outbreaks, a group of scientists now believe they have proof that all Indo-European languages evolved from something spoken in what is now Turkey, 9500 years ago. People have been trying to peg this sort of thing for generations, and I can't help but be surprised this specific technique hasn't been tried before. Expect a long, slow firefight in academic journals to commence oh, any second now.

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2012
A-Bomb of the Sea

By improving on a Japanese design created in the 1990s, scientists have been able to halve the cost of harvesting uranium from seawater. It's estimated there's enough of the stuff in the oceans to power all the world's nuclear power plants for more than six THOUSAND years. Yes, it's still five times more expensive than pulling it out of the ground, but that's just engineering. If we want it, it's there for the taking.

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2012
Dem Bones

Scientists have announced the discovery of the oldest known modern human fossils in Asia. The climate conditions in the area at the time of migration are very poor for fossil formation, so such finds are extremely rare. The location suggests an alternate route for our move from Africa to Asia, and could provide valuable DNA information as well.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2012
It's a... Spee-eye-der!

Yet another reason to keep cave exploring to the guys on Animal Planet and the Travel Channel: scientists have discovered an entire new family of "large" cave spiders in an Oregon cavern. Large being, from eyeballing the photo, about two inches or so. Small by person standards but I'll concede large by a "holy-sh-t-it's-a-spider!!!" standards.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2012
Paging Dr. Evil, White Courtesy Phone Please

I'll see your giant optical laser and raise you a solid-state maser. Yeah, maser. Does for microwaves what lasers do for visible light. And with cheap materials, no less! Various comments seem to indicate this'll have a big impact in telecommunications, where large microwave towers have to overcome scattering and interference.

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2012
More Hominids in the Woodpile

Steve U. gets a no-prize that might look like his (and our) million-times-great grandpa for bringing us yet another possible hominid in our family tree. I think we're now up to something like seven bipedal hominids wandering the rift valley about 2 million years ago. There weren't much more ape species around at the time, as I recall. Controversy? Hey, these are Anthropologists we're talking about. The only time they stop bickering is when they die.

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2012
Elephant Buzz

Elephants have long been known to communicate with infrasonic sound, sound pitched so low it's below what a human can hear. However, the mechanism to generate the sound wasn't known, with theories of conventional vocalization competing with others that would have the sound generated in a way similar to a cat's purr. While the image of a multi-ton cat buzz is appealing, new evidence seems to indicate something else.

Posted by scott at 02:47 PM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2012
What's In The Box?

Some really cool CT scans of mummies!

Posted by Ellen at 05:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2012
Paging Sam Jackson, White Courtesy Phone Please

Scientists have announced the discovery of an idol cast down by a people made famous for the practice by the Bible. A less informative article that contains a picture of said statue is here. Sometimes it's important not to forget that the Bible also includes a chronicle of the Levant three thousand years ago. It can be hard to tease out sometimes, but it's there.

Posted by scott at 03:14 PM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2012
Stone Cold Poison

Scientists have announced the discovery of the oldest-known use of poison by humans. The discovery of the artifacts in a cave in South Africa also push back the start of the late Stone Age in Africa by about 20,000 years. As if that weren't enough, it also appears to fill a gap in the archeological history of the area. Pretty fancy for bits of wood and beeswax!

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2012
Your Thought for the Day

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2012
Pyramid Rises

Scientists have announced the discovery of a "dramatic" new Mayan temple. From the article: "Some 1,600 years ago, the Temple of the Night Sun was a blood-red beacon visible for miles and adorned with giant masks of the Maya sun god as a shark, blood drinker, and jaguar." Pretty neat!

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
Bug Bomb

Just when you thought the insect world had thought of everything, scientists discover a species of termite that "explode" when confronted with enemies. Though, after watching the brief video, I think it would be more accurate to say "extrudes poison," which is still pretty damned weird. For "exploding insect, actual," take a look at bombardier beetles.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2012
A Scar of Ice and Time

Steve U. gets a no-prize that unfortunately comes with a bunch of shrieking greens attached to it for bringing us news that a Grand Canyon-sized rift has been found beneath the Antarctic ice. Since it's CNN, you probably already heard the "CLIMATE CHANGE OF DOOM!!!" soundtrack start up, but let's just sit and listen anyway. The trumpet part is quite nice.

Posted by scott at 02:58 PM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2012
Rat Grass

Newly discovered fossils have revealed that grasslands first appeared in South America, 15 million years before they appeared anywhere else. In other words, about 32 million years ago. Apart from one of the fossils being the oldest chinchilla found to-date, I'm not completely clear what the significance of the find really is. But they're scientists. They do cool stuff. That's good enough for me.

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2012
Flash Memory

Using special goggles, scientists have discovered that strobe lighting improves memory. So it seems all my goth friends really ARE smarter than I am, and for a reason.

Posted by scott at 02:47 PM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2012
Frankenjelly

Using polymers and rat cells, scientists have created an artificial jellyfish. The article includes an extra-creepy video. The ultimate goal is to produce artificial muscle tissue to do things like repair hearts. Best quote: "Morphologically, we’ve built a jellyfish. Functionally, we’ve built a jellyfish. Genetically, this thing is a rat."

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2012
Human Bottlenecks

One of those things I've known for awhile which other, less nerdy, people may not be aware of: "One study suggested that [humanity's ancient] population, worldwide, might have dropped as low as 40 adults. (The world record for fitting people in a phone booth is 25.)" The article includes a quick summary regarding why and how this conclusion was reached. Amazing coincidence, or divine intervention? Hey, the reason why the world's surviving religions have similar cores may be because only seven people originally thought them up.

Posted by scott at 06:23 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2012
Armed and Dangerous

By carefully examining fossil remains, scientists have been able to draw some interesting conclusions about what sort of activities our cousins the Neandertals engaged in. It turns out, I guess not surprisingly on reflection, their lives were a lot less about exciting big-game hunts and a lot more about boring, repetitive, incessant skin-scraping.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2012
We Have the Technology...

Coming soon to a blind person near you: a laser-powered bionic eye. From the demo film, it doesn't seem to be very sharp and it's in black and white. Still, if it's the choice between a bad old black and white TV and complete darkness, well, that's an easy one for me.

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2012
Ye Olde Undergarmentes

A find inside an old castle wall is up-ending conventional wisdom about women's underwear in the Middle Ages. Textiles are the most fragile of all human artifacts, so the survival is remarkable. But, really, this is the first evidence of women's underwear from this period EVAR? I'm thinking maybe that has more to do with monks being the "persons of record" of the era than with anything regularly worn by, well, regular people.

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2012
Rare Nuclear Bomb Footage

But Alex Wellerstein, an historian of science at the American Institute of Physics, has shared a unigue video of a blast during America's testing of nukes in the Yucca Mountain area of Nevada during the 1950s.

The historian was sent the video below from a Russian colleague, and has now shared it on his blog.

Check out the article and video footage!.

Posted by Ellen at 06:41 PM eMail this entry!
Hot Sound

Those propeller-heads at DARPA are at it again, this time demonstrating how fire can be put out with sound. It seems it doesn't even have to be a particularly loud sound, either. Ha! My music isn't too loud, I'm putting out a fire with it!

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2012
Fossil Find

A rock excavated some three years ago has been discovered to contain one of the most complete hominid fossils found to-date. It's thought this example of Australopithecus sediba, itself a species only discovered in 2008, may contain parts of a hominid not previously preserved in any other known fossils.

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
I Shall Call It, "Holovision"

Scientists at MIT have developed a new TV technology that promises 3D without the glasses. The tech seems to be related to what drives a Nintendo 3DS... instead of altering the image, multiple images are created and interleaved on three stacked screens. Exactly how this will prevent the TV from being three times as expensive as a "normal" one isn't clear, at least from the article.

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
July 04, 2012
Higgs High

The worst-kept secret in physics has now been brought into the light. It's so early I haven't found any mainstream sources that are discussing the implications of finding the particle at around 125 GeV, but there will eventually be many. It should allow the elimination of any number of proposed models of particle interaction, as well as to confirm others. The ultimate result will probably be new technologies and inventions that'll do any number of magical things.

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2012
Feather Find

A new fossil discovery is forcing scientists to re-examine the evolution of feathers in dinosaurs. Previously, all feathered dinosaurs were from a specific family. Sciurumimus albersdoerferi (really? Really?), however, is a member of a completely different dinosaur family, and pretty far up the ancestry chain of that family to boot. In other words, feathers may have been far more ubiquitous than anyone had considered before.

Posted by scott at 08:05 AM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2012
Ancient Uncles

A pair of skeletons recovered from a cave in Spain have yielded the oldest intact DNA samples yet collected from a human body. Surprisingly, the evidence indicates these individuals were more closely related to Northern European populations, and not local Iberian ones.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2012
Warm Birds

Scientists have found even more evidence that dinosaurs were warm blooded. I thought this particular bit of science had been settled long ago. I guess I underestimated the ability of academics to grind against each other arguing for decades over the smallest of disagreements. Beats having to work for a living.

Posted by scott at 11:11 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2012
Old Food

Scientists have discovered that a newly-found human ancestor ate a unique diet. It appears that Australopithecus sediba, which lived about two million years ago, fed on tree bark, and seems to be the only hominid yet found to do so. Remarkably, actual bark was found in between the fossilized teeth of some specimens.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2012
Fresh Rock

Scientists examining a meteorite that fell to Earth more than forty years ago have announced the discovery of several new minerals contained therein. It's thought the compounds will provide important insights into the conditions of the early solar system.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2012
Well Howdee-Do

By cleverly leveraging info from elephant seals, scientists have discovered the Antarctic ice shelves aren't melting at all. It would seem that, until now, the computer models being used to "prove" they were had never actually been tested with real-world observations. Which we all know is completely OK since the science has been settled. Yes, that's exactly what it sounds like when the other side coughs up the ball. Again.

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2012
Cow and Woman

Scientists have announced the discovery of a unique ancient burial. Fifth century AD would put it right in the heart of Britain's Dark Ages, as Rome's influence collapsed and barbarian hordes started pushing down roots. Apparently a burial of this sort is unique to all of Europe.

Posted by scott at 04:29 PM eMail this entry!
Henge Finds

And today's theory of what Stonehenge actually means IS... [spins wheel]... a hippie commune. Good as any other, I guess. However, the article (and, presumably, the book it's based on) does supply a nice catch-up summary of the latest findings on the site, which are quite numerous and interesting. They seem to have been pretty busy over there recently.

Posted by scott at 09:12 AM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2012
Fungi of DOOM

Scientists have discovered plants get a surprising amount of nutrients from deadly fungi in and around their roots. No, you're not going to drop dead in the garden tomorrow morning. But the insects you're fighting just might. Good, bad, the fungi's the one with the gun.

Posted by scott at 12:46 PM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2012
Legends Confirmed

A new genetic study has provided hard evidence that the Queen of Sheba was real. I only knew her as a name, even the biblical legends were beyond me. The study also revealed interesting information about our very ancient past as well.

Posted by scott at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
Old Farmer Tedai

Archeologists have found evidence of dairy farmers in Africa 7000 years ago. Analysis of pottery sherds revealed evidence of dairy fats, indicating the Saharan Africans were processing the milk into a form that would make it more digestible to their (presumably) lactose intolerant systems.

Posted by scott at 07:51 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2012
Big Boson

Making the rounds: sometimes even physicists can act like kids the night before Christmas. Filling in the last of the blank spaces in the Standard Model will be every bit as revolutionary as it's being made out to be. Knowing exactly what the Higgs boson looks and acts like will eliminate a huge swath of theories while confirming others, and may even allow the development of things like antigravity plates. Floating skateboards, FTW!

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
Awkward for Eternity

Scientists have announced the discovery of the first-known fossils which capture vertebrates in the act of reproduction. The hapless victims were a kind of ancient turtle, with the working theory that some extraordinary event got a whole bunch of them at once. Well, if you gotta go, that would seem to be one of the better ways.

Posted by scott at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2012
My Mother Will Buy This By The Crate!

Swill down a yoghurt-style drink which interacts with the food in your stomach and your excrement turns a variety of hues depending on how sick you are.

The scientists have so far only suggested it could detect the progress of e.coli - but they hope one day it could diagnose far more conditions.

Crazy thing is, she would make me do it and we would do manicures and pedicures at the same time.

Posted by Ellen at 07:35 PM eMail this entry!
Old Art

Scientists have announced the discovery of the oldest definitively dated rock art in Australia. Unusually for this sort of art, the work found in the Northern Territory rock shelter, known as Nawarla Gabarnmang, was made with charcoal, which allowed it to be accurately dated. While not as old as the ~40,000 year old art found in Spain, at 28,000 years the site is still on the far side of ancient.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2012
Plunk!

Scientists have discovered that a certain type of carnivorous plant is able to catapult bugs into its gullet. A leaf covering the "pitcher" in a pitcher plant has a special coating on its underside. If a bug crawls on the underside of the leaf, that special coating ensures it can barely grip the surface. A water drop, a breeze, basically anything that causes the leaf to shake plops the hapless insect into the plant's waiting maw. Ain't nature grand?

Posted by scott at 12:35 PM eMail this entry!
Old Paint

New tests have revealed cave paintings found in Spain are the oldest known in the world. At 40,000 years, the oldest is right on the cusp of when modern humans were settling in Europe. This, of course, caused at least one of the scientists to imply neandertals were responsible. Since we've never found any other neandertal art anywhere and this IS still a time period modern humans could've done it, I'm thinking that is unlikely.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2012
Dead Ball

Scientists have announced the discovery of a rare, intact skeleton of a soldier killed during the Battle of Waterloo. The location of the individual and the artifacts found with him strongly indicate this is a British soldier, probably killed by the musket ball found in his chest cavity. It's hoped those artifacts will help identify him, allowing him to be buried in something other than an unmarked grave.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2012
Hehehe... Wood... HEHehehe

So, the next big thing, or another green boondoggle? Scientists have lofty ambitions for a new form of building material, laminated timber. If it makes buildings easier/cheaper/safer, heck I'm all for it. Costs a premium? Well, it's your money, your house. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 05:53 PM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2012
Warped Ring

How sensitive can the Large Hadron Collider actually be? Sensitive enough that an object 235,000 miles away can cause the data to go jiggery. It's also thrown off by a TGV that runs nearby, and a host of other very minor effects. Ultimately, when you're using a machine that has gauges that *start* with nine zeros after the decimal, it don't take much.

Posted by scott at 09:14 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2012
Moar Powah!

Coming to a desktop near you: compact x-ray lasers. We'll just have to take them at their word that it's useful, since the article doesn't mention any explicit applications. But it's an x-ray laser, man, it can sit there and just be awesome.

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2012
Stake It

In other news, vampire bones are being dug up in Bulgaria. Well, ok, not actual vampires, but apparently whoever did the burying was wanting to make sure no funny business with fangs was going to happen. Apparently it's so common in that region that the scientists aren't sure what all the fuss is about.

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2012
Hot Day Meat Chaser

Yeah, yeah, we know. Physically, humans are pretty awful predators. We've got tiny teeth, no claws, poor smell and vision. But it turns out we are the absolute kings and queens of long distance running. Hey, we grew up on one of the greatest lawns on the planet. Being able to run something to death was probably a pretty damned useful thing to have back then.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
Out of Asia

Scientists have found important new evidence in the quest to understand the evolution of apes. In spite of what the article implies, "out of Asia" for apes has been bandied about for at least thirty years or so, when I was an undergrad in anthropology. Back then, the problem was trying to figure out if all these ape fossils were in Asia because that's where apes evolved, or if it was because that's one of the very few places where sediments of the right date are accessible. This find definitely seems to point to the former conclusion.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2012
Big Bug, Dead Bug

Grateful that the biggest bugs you have to face in your daily life are nothing like the monsters that flitted around millions of years ago? Thank birds. Swoozie still doesn't get to screech any time she feels like it. She'd be a very noisy, very naughty bird otherwise.

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
Skeeter Splat

I don't know why, because the summary certainly sounds dry as dust, but this story about pelting mosquitoes with raindrops was just fascinating to me. Maybe it's just that growing up in SE Arkansas makes me almost professionally interested in things which can send those buzzy little bastards to an early grave. Unfortunately it turns out that drops of water, of any sort, won't do it.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2012
Well THAT'S Comforting

Just in time to re-stoke 2012 doomsday hysteria: last month's solar flare caused a mysterious neutron "pulse" that shouldn't have happened at all. It's, naturally, not at all clear why it happened, or even how it happened. A press release in the never-ending quest for grant money, or yet another harbinger of DOOOOOOM? You decide.

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
Down We Go

Once you get past the author's purple prose of an introduction, it seems scientists have figured out some pretty cool stuff about the Earth's core. Includes the standard scientific plea, "Oh, the things we could learn, if only we had unlimited resources." Yeah, ain't that the troof?

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2012
Old Rain

Scientists have announced the discovery that it was the gradual migration of monsoon rains which allowed, and then devastated, an ancient Indian civilization. The Harappan civilization was, at its height, larger than Egypt and Mesopotamia combined. It had its own system of writing, big cities, and a distinctive culture which endured for some sixteen centuries only to almost literally dry up and blow away with the winds.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2012
Ping!

A new study suggests that, not only does "gaydar" exist, it's actually very efficient. I guess mine isn't particularly good because I don't really care all that much about it.

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
May 25, 2012
Buried Treasure

Israeli archeologists have announced the discovery of rare ancient jewelry from the Biblical period. The pieces were found in a clay jar buried more than three thousand years ago near the ancient city of Megiddo, and are said to represent "the most valuable [items] ever found from [that] period."

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2012
Diff Sniff

Scientists have discovered a new sensory organ in whales. Found on a sub-group of baleen whales called rorquals, the grapefruit-sized mass is thought to help the whale decide if it's worth taking a big gulp of water to grab some food. When you're moving a body that big around in an apparently complex motion, I guess it's a good idea to make sure there's something to swallow.

Posted by scott at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2012
Old Ink

By using an array of new techniques, scientists have determined that cuttlefish ink hasn't changed much, if at all, since at least the Jurassic. While in and of itself the find is interesting but not particularly ground-shaking, the techniques could open up a whole new field as they provide the tools to study soft tissue in fossils.

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2012
I Saw a Turtle

Scientists have announced the discovery of a turtle the size of a small car that ate alligators for lunch. Our own, comparatively tiny, tortoise Om pretty much defines "bloody-mindedness." When something is in her way, she pushes at it until it moves OUT of her way or she gets moved by it. I can only imagine the implications of that in something as big as a car.

Posted by scott at 03:16 PM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2012
Tube Evolution

A group of mathematicians has announced the discovery that large subway networks gradually converge on a common design, no matter where they're located. The design features distinct topological features which suggest underlining universal principles are at work. No, I don't exactly know what it means either. Maybe God really does ride the subway sometimes.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2012
We Ain't Changed All That Much

Scientists have announced the discovery of the world's oldest rock art and, you guessed it, it's a cooter. Or pac-man. You pick. On reflection, though, I'm vaguely surprised our erstwhile caveman didn't immortalize his own junk in stone. That tends to be what gets put up on the bathroom walls, even in Pompeii.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
Like Splicing a Wire

Using a new surgical technique doctors have allowed a previously paralyzed man to regain the use of his fingers. The injury the 71 year-old sustained crushed his C7 vertebra, at the base of the neck. He had arm function but only got the ability to use his fingers back when doctors almost literally rewired his nerves.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2012
Solar Eye

Using technology originally developed for solar cells, scientists are creating eye implants which could enable blind people to see. They're still most definitely in the "do-gross-things-to-rats" proof of concept stages, but the technology does seem to be promising. It'll probably disappoint cyber-punk fans, but apparently the idea is to make them as invisible as possible.

Posted by scott at 01:10 PM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2012
Glub Glub Glub

A project to recreate a bronze-age boat has had a set-back. Sinking will tend to do that.

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
Worse Than Watching Grass Grow and Paint Dry

A lump of the black substance, which can be broken with a hammer, was put into a glass funnel - and the waiting began. A decade after the late Professor Thomas Parnell, formerly from Cambridge University, began the process, the first of eight drops fell.

The viscous liquid continued its incredibly slow, but inexorable, journey downwards, and in 1947 the second drop fell.

The next drops occurred in 1954, 1962, 1970, 1979, 1988 and lastly in 2000 when the webcam that was trained on the experiment broke at the crucial stage.

Read then entire*YAWN* here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:06 AM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2012
Cheeky Monkey

A stone-throwing chimp in a Swedish zoo has started getting sneaky. The Little Rock Zoo has, or at least had, a chimp who'd fling whatever he could grab at the zoo staff, but leave everyone else alone. Well, everyone else who didn't wear a khaki shirt that made them look like zoo staff. Fortunately their arms and hands aren't strung for accurate throwing. But it did make for a fun bit of dodging!

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
Old Shrines

Archeologists have announced the discovery of the earliest-known evidence of a Biblical cult. Shrines discovered in the ruins of Khirbet Qeiyafa, a fortified city destroyed some three thousand years ago, seem to provide clear evidence of a distinct sort of religion being practiced in the region around the time of King David.

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2012
Soft Head

A new look at the iconic Taung Child fossil has caused one scientist to link unfused infant skulls with bipedalism. I think. The article throws a lot of quotes about increasing brain size around, but not about bipedalism. That unfused skulls are part of what makes it possible for a bipedal ape to have children with brains all out of proportion to their bodies was known and accepted when I was an undergrad in the late 80s, so (at least from what the article presents) I'm not completely sure what's new here.

Posted by scott at 03:13 PM eMail this entry!
Taming Insanity

Scientists using a new computer model have put forward a new theory on when and where the horse was first domesticated. It's not exactly a stunning find, but it definitely seems to answer nagging questions about previous theories.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2012
Everyone Needs a Copy Editor

A new genetic study seems to indicate human intelligence is primarily the result of two distinct genetic copy errors. The timing of the errors seems to coincide with the emergence of Homo (shaddup, you) as a genus. The results will, presumably, be contentious and generate who knows how many slow-motion flamewars in the scientific journals. Still, it's interesting to know that the less than two percent of us that's not chimpanzee may be mostly encompassed in exactly two places on our genome.

Posted by scott at 02:11 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2012
Diamonds are a PC's Best Friend

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new technique which could increase the density and lifetime of sold-state computer storage. I think. Reading the article makes me think of a really advanced, presumably very small, record player. "Pressure using tools" definitely sounds like moving parts to me, at any rate.

Posted by scott at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2012
Croatoan Cracked

Using a very old, patched map researchers have found new clues that may lead to the discovery of what really happened to the first English colony in the new world. Under one of the patches, never seen before, seems to be an indication that the settlers may have made a fort west of the original location of the colony. The land indicated is privately owned and may be partially covered by a golf course, so excavations won't be happening any time soon.

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2012
Pronoun Love

So, is there really some scientific way of reliably predicting who will end up dating a specific person, or who has more power in a given relationship? It would seem there is.

Posted by scott at 09:22 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2012
They Really Did Exist

Shades of the D&D Monster manual: scientists have announced the discovery of giant blood-sucking fleas! Well, hey, at least now we know your garden variety dinosaur probably itched as much as that stray dog that wanders the neighborhood. That said, it's not like dinosaurs are built to scratch. I wonder how they pulled it off?

Posted by scott at 10:21 AM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2012
Down in a (Icy) Hole

Looks like scientists are getting closer to tapping that vast lake sealed off for who knows how long under the ice of the antarctic. Drilling through two miles of ice in three days' time seems pretty darned fast to me. Didn't it take them months the last time? At any rate, I, for one, will welcome the mysterious icy overlords they will presumably unleash.

Posted by scott at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
Carbon Carbon Everywhere...

Scientists have announced the discovery of yet another form of carbon. Called "Silicene," this new two-dimensional form may have the conductive properties of graphene but with the added bonus of compatibility with existing semiconductor technologies. They think. So far it seems they've only proved the stuff exists.

Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2012
Head Time

Anthropologists studying a primitive tribe in New Guinea have discovered a mathematical construct thought of as basic and innate, isn't. They also discovered a different way of expressing the concepts of past, present, and future. Me, I've seen what New Guinea looks like in movies. The place is an absolute staple of cultural anthropology studies. It was one of the reasons I realized I had no desire to become a cultural anthropologist.

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2012
SuperBatt

IBM has announced a lightweight battery with an energy density approaching that of gasoline. This "air breathing battery" uses atmospheric oxygen and new lithium composites to create a reversible reaction that produces electricity. They're going on and on about green cars, but that's not really important. The really important question is, "what will the implications be for radio controlled helicopters when the batteries shrink to 1/10th their current size? Priorities, people. Priorities!

Posted by scott at 12:27 PM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2012
Crabby Computer

Japanese scientists have discovered a computer could be built using crabs. Yes, crabs. No, not THOSE crabs, the kind you turn into crab cakes. Although I bet this kind would itch, too.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2012
Dead Photon Walking

Kevin T gets a no-prize that can walk two ways at once for bringing us the latest development in quantum computers. I can remember, back in the 80s, when people knew these sorts of effects existed but didn't know how to use them to transmit information. Last I heard, if anyone actually gets this stuff working the performance leap would represent a "significant discontinuity" in computer performance. Which, translated into regular-speak, means they can definitely be turned up to 11.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2012
Collapse Cause

Scientists seem to have figured out what's causing the worrying epidemic of "colony collapse" in honeybees. The culprit seems to be high fructose corn syrup, a common sort of bee food, made from crops treated with a specific sort of pesticide. This would seem to indicate a pretty straightforward fix.

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2012
No, I Said Flashlight

Scientists have developed a flashlight-like device that uses plasma to quickly sterilize surfaces, including skin. Fortunately the plasma is cool enough not to damage skin. The device is powered by a 12 volt battery (must be custom, because it's too small for a car battery) and it's claimed it will cost less than $100 once in production. Better still, while plasma has been known to be an effective anti-bacterial, nobody's completely sure why.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2012
That's Mister Cute n' Cuddly to You, Bub

Kevin T. gets a no-prize that's been teaching kids what cross-dressing means since 1940 for bringing us news of the discovery of one massive damned rabbit. Huge, and weird looking ta boot. It's thought this may be the first known example of "Foster's rule," which describes why large animals get small and big animals get large when they're trapped on an Island.

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
Robosquirrel!

Scientists are trying to figure out why squirrels avoid rattle snakes by shaking their tail. I, for one, welcome our robotic nut-eating overlords.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
April 04, 2012
Maker's Mark

Scientists have discovered the first wooly mammoth carcass with obvious signs of those meddling kids. The carcass is so well preserved the tissue is still pink in some places, and the "strawberry-blonde" coat is still largely intact. Discovery Channel is funding the research, so we'll be looking forward to a show next year!

Posted by scott at 12:37 PM eMail this entry!
This Explains a Lot

Scientists have found evidence that "beer goggles" are real, and affect women's judgement more than men's. The standard line of thinking is that ancient humans invented intoxicants as an escape. With this evidence, I'm thinking it was probably more of a mating strategy.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2012
I Was Told There Would Be an Earth Shattering Kaboom

A new research study has found that a massive explosion in the UK may have been made much worse by trees. Note to self: make sure the rocket fuel refinery is surrounded by pine trees. Even better, just tell the tree huggers to get a job and chop the damned things down. With video!

Posted by scott at 02:45 PM eMail this entry!
Quest for Fire

Scientists have discovered strong evidence that our ancestors were using fire some 300,000 years earlier than previously thought. The new evidence, found inside a cave in South Africa, pushes that time back to a million years ago, long before modern humans had evolved.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2012
Cousin's Foot

It seems Lucy's kind wasn't the only sort of hominid wandering around in Africa 3.5 million years ago. True, a fragmentary foot fossil isn't all that much to go on, but it can be enough to tell if they're looking at a different species. Considering we have quite a few A. afarensis fossils and (presumably) just this one of a different type, it may have been quite rare indeed.

Posted by scott at 02:06 PM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2012
Faster, Please

Scientists have announced promising research on a "one ring to rule them all" anti-cancer drug. I've seen a lot of promising mouse cancer cures not pan out into human cancer cures. Here's to hoping this one manages to make it through human trials.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2012
Dust and Crosses

An archeological dig has revealed what could be one of the earliest examples of Christianity taking over from paganism. The grave is pagan, the cross definitely is not, and the sixteen year old girl found in Cambridge may provide important and rare clues as to what life was like in the depths of the dark ages.

Posted by scott at 03:13 PM eMail this entry!
Grave Scanner

A wind farm developer has funded a new scan of ancient Scottish tombs. And when I say "ancient," I'm not talking "gee-wasn't-Bobby-Bruce-cool" old, I'm talking five hundred years before the pyramids old. Around the same time that Stonehenge was getting set up, if I'm getting the timing correct. The article doesn't make it clear if this was out of the goodness of the business's heart, or part of a requirement to enable an expansion.

Posted by scott at 01:27 PM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2012
Think of It Like a Really Slow Pink Floyd Song

Beware! Beware, I tell you! Beware the snails of war! I was wondering when the dawn of cybernetics was actually going to break. Not wondering any more.

Posted by scott at 01:10 PM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2012
Archeology... in... Spaaace...

A new custom software application is allowing archeologists to use satellite imagery to survey massive areas for signs of ancient human habitation. It's really quite surprising how much can be seen from space, and how little of it has been explored. Unfortunately the most promising sites seem to all be in Syria, which as we all know is not the most welcoming of places to do science at the moment. It's hoped that the improving situation in Iraq will allow further testing of this technology in that region.

Posted by scott at 12:04 PM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2012
Buzz Kill

Using what I presume to be the world's smallest MRI machine scientists have figured out which part of a Japanese honey bee's brain is used to cook predatory wasps to death. Yep, when a certain sort of wasp invades a hive of this sort of bee, they form a "bee ball" around it, cooking it until it keels over. This is the only sort of honeybee that's known to do this, so naturally they're going to be killing a whole bunch of wasps trying to figure out what makes it tick. I hate wasps, so I'm OK with this!

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
Farting Earth

A new study of marine sediments is revealing a surprising model for the atmosphere of the early Earth. Exactly how a planet much larger and closer to the Sun than a moon of Saturn can still end up with an atmosphere very similar to said moon's is, of course, a mystery. Ain't science grand?

Posted by scott at 01:07 PM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2012
Anime Eyes

Giant and colossal squid have long been famous for their gigantic eyes. Now scientists have figured out why they got so big. Structures evolve for a reason. Just because naked apes with delusions of grandeur can't figure those reasons out doesn't mean they don't exist. This, more than anything else, is why I know "social justice" is a pile o' steamin' crap.

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2012
Sharp Eel

By using a combination of advanced imaging and computer models, scientists have discovered the world's sharpest teeth. The choppers possessed by Conodonts, eel-like proto-vertebrates which lived 500 million years ago, had tips 2 microns across and despite their small size had biting power to rival much larger modern creatures. They also chewed left-to-right. Nature's weird.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2012
Paging the Highlander, White Courtesy Phone Please

A new archeological exhibit in Manhattan is giving people a fresh look at ancient, enigmatic nomads from the steppes of Asia. Teeny-tiny men riding teeny-tiny horses, very fast. Bonus: the burial mounds are called "kurgans," and no I don't think that's a co-eenky-dink.

Posted by scott at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2012
A Horse of a Different Bodysuit. Wait... What?

Leave it to the Aussies to think this up: a bodysuit for race horses is turning heads down under. It looks kinda goofy to me, but if it helps prevent injuries I'm all for it. Brave are the people who convince the horse to put it on, I'd wager.

Posted by scott at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2012
Paging Dr. Evil, White Courtesy Phone Please

The propeller heads at DARPA are at it again, this time fielding a new combat laser system. This time the spec includes the magic words "solid state." All previous super-high-power systems were not only gigantic contraptions, they used heavy, expensive, caustic, and poisonous chemicals to turn the light on. Going solid state makes it smaller, cheaper, and more reliable. No word if it'll be quick/powerful enough to knock down mortars. That'd be a nice get.

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2012
That Pretty Much Defines "Cold Case"

By using advanced medical imaging technology scientists have finally figured out how a mysterious stranger died. Not a big deal, right? Well, turns out this particular stranger died not quite two thousand years ago and his body got tossed into a bog in Britain. Or Britannia, as it was known back then. Romans, gotta love 'em.

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
~ Black Dino Singing in the Dead of Night ~

Using a new technique with an electron microscope, scientists have determined the extinct dinosaur Microraptor probably had black, iridescent feathers. It also had long, ornamental tail feathers which may have impaired flight. It's thought the strange four-winged dinosaur may have developed these features more for display than for function.

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2012
New Scope

Scientists are expecting a revolution in microscopy with the development of a technique which completely does away with lenses. No more stains, no more special mounts, with a resolution limited only by the wavelength of energy used to create the image. It's a good thing!

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2012
Moon Over Tragedy

While a weird atmospheric inversion may have made the iceberg Titanic hit invisible, it seems the moon is the reason it was there at all. The finding would seem to vindicate Captain Smith, changing him from a reckless speed freak to a seasoned captain who was faced with a completely unexpected situation. Not that it much matters at this distance.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2012
Red Hurt

It turns out being "ginger" has its advantages. Watching a friend's very red-headed boy bounce impressively off the walls and floor as he grows up makes me think they're onto something there.

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2012
A Titanic Weather Disaster

New scientific research is suggesting a mirage may have been responsible for Titanic striking that iceberg. This "superior mirage" may also have prevented the nearby Californian from correctly identifying the stricken liner and coming to her rescue.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2012
Giggity. Ook.

It seems our close cousins have an affection for porn as well: Bonobo females will "advertise" their homosexual encounters, especially when they're with higher-status females, or the high status males are around. You can take the ape out of the jungle...

Posted by scott at 01:15 PM eMail this entry!
Old Wood

A fortunate need for maintenance on a dam is allowing scientists a new look at "the oldest fossil forest". The 384 million year-old field of stumps is located a few hours' drive from my in-laws house on (what I think is) the other side of the Catskills range. New discoveries are already helping scientists re-think how the rise of forests altered the planet's ecology.

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
Spycatcher

Using a re-engineered protein found in the infamous "flesh eating bacteria," scientists have created a new "ultimate" super glue. Reading the article, it sounds more like "super-velcro" to me, since the substance only sticks to itself. Anything making it less likely for me to glue my own fingers together is fine by me.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
February 29, 2012
That's a Comforting Thought

Scientists have announced the discovery of a distinctly "upsized" bug. The giant Mesozoic flea was ten times bigger than its modern descendants, probably because it had to chew on dinosaurs to survive. On the upside, it didn't have the legs a modern flea has, so it'd have to crawl on you instead of jump on you. Sleep well tonight!

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
Ice Man Info

Scientists have finished scanning the DNA of Oetzi, the 5000 year old "ice man," and have discovered a number of unexpected things.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2012
That's Mister Happy Feet to You, Bub

Scientists have reconstructed a previously undescribed species of giant penguin. Working from fossils collected in the 1970s, the "giant" lived around 25 million years ago and probably stood a little more than four feet tall, which is still more than a foot taller than the modern emperor penguin. Its build was quite different than existing species, and its hoped the fossil will provide insight into the evolution of that family of birds.

Posted by scott at 10:48 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2012
Dead Cousins

New evidence regarding the extinction of Neandertals is coming to light. DNA analysis seems to indicate that the species suffered a significant reduction in population thousands of years before modern humans encountered them. Now that I think about it, I seem to recall reading that there's evidence for a similar sort of population "crunch" in our own genes. It'd be interesting to see how, or even if, they're related.

Posted by scott at 04:12 PM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2012
Break Like the Wind

Scientists have measured the fastest winds in the universe. Not surprisingly, they're generated by a black hole. However, they're a lot faster than theories were predicting, so now they need to muck around with their theories again. Well, hey, it does give them something to do, ya know?

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
February 23, 2012
Dinobots!

Well, what else would you call miniaturized mechanical dinosaurs? I've always known that 3D printing technologies would lead to loads of awesome. Ooo... I bet they'll be radio controlled, too. How long until we have dino fights?

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2012
Rock Forest

Scientists have discovered an ancient rain forest entombed for three hundred million years by a gigantic volcano eruption. Now located in Mongolia, the find is so well preserved it's hoped to provide insight not only in what life forms were around at the time, but also what the climate may have been like as Pangea started to form.

Posted by scott at 03:48 PM eMail this entry!
Old Flowers

Russian scientists have used long-buried seeds to regenerate an ancient plant. The small flowering plant Sylene stenophylla grew from seeds planted by a squirrel about 30,000 years ago. It's hoped this technique can be used to re-create other forms of life from frozen remains preserved in the Siberian tundra.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2012
Test Tube Burger

A team of Dutch scientists have announced the intention to create the first lab-grown hamburger by the end of the year. No, they haven't built a big pen in their lab, they'll be using stem cells and (presumably) petri dishes. Me, I have a bit of an "ick" factor to overcome, but on the other side I've never been particularly happy with the way the existing meat industry works. If scientists come up with the same stuff without killing anything, I'd probably at least give it a try.

The article's pretty heavy-handed on the apocalyptic Green message, so it's got that going for it, too.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2012
Moar Powah!

Administrators of the Large Hadron Collider are set to increase the power of the device to improve the chances of finding the Higgs Boson, crazy guys babbling about Kit-Kats, and invoke the 2012 apocalypse. Well, one of those three, anyway. Definitely the first one. I think. Mmm... Kit-kats...

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2012
I Shall Call It, "Buttermometer"

Scientists have discovered that, with a little nano-help, butterfly wings make for excellent temperature sensors. It seems that the structures which make some butterfly wings iridescent are incredibly sensitive to heat, and coating them with carbon nanotubes makes them even more sensitive. It's thought a device based on the discovery could measure changes a small as .018 degrees.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2012
Weighted Hover

Using weights and pyramid-shaped objects, scientists have discovered top-heavy objects are actually the most stable configuration in a hover. This counter-intuitive result seems to help explain why insects are built the way they are, and may point the way toward more efficient vehicle designs.

Posted by scott at 07:23 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2012
Soldier's Pompeii

Engineers building a new road in France have discovered the bodies of 21 German infantrymen, buried alive 94 years ago. The WWI soldiers were victims of a tunnel collapse triggered by a massive shell which exploded over them in 1918. Strangely, the names of all the victims are known, but it's uncertain if any relatives remain to claim them. I'm disappointed the Mail chose not to run pictures of the remains themselves. Skeletons are interesting!

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2012
I Shall Call It, "Bugoflage"

It looks like the Zebra got its stripes to stop horse flies from biting. Horse flies and black flies were a bane of everyone's existence during summer breaks at the pool when I was a kid. If we'd know stripes would've helped, there would've been a whole lot of zebra-fied kids swimming around. Those would be some interesting tan lines, I tell ya!

Posted by scott at 02:00 PM eMail this entry!
Decoding the Cousins

Scientists have released the first-ever highly detailed genetic map of an extinct hominid. According to the article, they have sequenced every position of the genome at very high resolution. It's hoped that other scientists can use the data to learn much more about this distant cousin, as well as ourselves.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2012
Amasia? Why No Asierica??

Using a new computer model a group of geologists is reporting one day the Earth will end up with a single giant continent. Again. This time, according to them anyway, it'll form over the Arctic Ocean as North and South America combine and meet up with Asia, Africa, and all those other continents I can't remember. You know, like Manhattan. That sort of thing. No word on just when it'll happen. I blame Dick Cheney.

Posted by scott at 02:47 PM eMail this entry!
Higgs Hope

A more detailed look at the results from November's LHC experiments has raised hopes that the Higgs boson has finally been discovered. Or not. It seems that a 99.996% likelihood gosh darn it just isn't good enough, since that's not hugely different from something to do with a coin toss. Includes uber-nerdy joke that went right past me.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2012
BioSolar

Scientists are claiming to have made a breakthrough in the manufacture of solar cells using otherwise worthless organic material. While still nowhere near the ballpark of generating useful energy, the new process is far less expensive, raising hopes that many more researchers will be able to examine, and hopefully improve, the technique.

Posted by scott at 08:38 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2012
Lake Landing

After a puzzling silence lasting more than a week, Russian scientists have announced they have successfully reached a deeply buried Antarctic lake. Lake Vostok is thought to have not been exposed to the outside world for millions of years, and may end up being a testbed for a wide variety of space probe technology, as well as providing a unique environment to observe and experiment on.

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
Back to the Future

A series of rigorous, double-blind tests seem to be proving humans can indeed predict the future. All that quantum business makes me think, "it could happen." However, other scientists have repeated at least one experiment and not repeated the result, so maybe it's a bug in the software?

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2012
Grandma's Jaw

Scientists have for the first time used 3D printing technologies to create an entire lower jaw. The custom-designed replacement was created with titanium, and took hours to make instead of days.

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2012
Predicting the Earth-Shattering Kaboom

By examining rock crystals on the Greek island of Santorini, scientists think they may be able to predict when a "supervolcano" will erupt years in advance. It seems the rising magma does so much more quickly than previously thought, creating visible, measurable changes which can be detected with modern instruments. Having a year to get out of a volcano's way sounds pretty handy to me.

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
Cancer Cures Cancer

Inspired by a sea food dinner, scientists have developed a crab-like micro-robot to treat stomach cancers. The device is mounted on the end of an endoscope and uses pincers to grasp and remove the tumor, then cauterize the wound, all in a fraction of the time a more conventional surgery would take.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2012
Typing Out of the Dark

A UC Berkeley team has successfully managed to decode the thought of words into the words themselves. While understandably crude and invasive now, the research would seem to point the way toward therapies and devices to allow people "locked in" by injury or illness to communicate. And, you know, probably enable that whole freaky "Scanners" thing.

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2012
The Stem of a Cure

As they say, "faster, please:" Scientists have figured out how to convert skin cells directly into the precursors of nerve cells. The technique avoids the problematic use of stem cells, which have a tendency to cause cancer when used to create other forms of cells. It's hoped the research will lead to mass-produced tissues from the patient's own body, opening up a new world of therapeutic treatment.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2012
Moar Powah!!!

More then forty years after being predicted, scientists have successfully managed to make the first "atomic x-ray laser." Exactly what that really means is a bit unclear to me, but it sounds impressive as hell. Apparently the device will be used in atom-scale experiments.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2012
Where'd It Go?

Using a different class of "metamaterial" (whatever the hell that is), scientists have developed a cloak that can conceal a 3D object in free space. Of course, they're only cloaking against long-wavelength radiation like microwaves, and will probably only be able to cloak really small things against visible light, but dude. Cloaking technology!

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2012
But Did it Sing the Blues?

A new study on an ancient feather has revealed at least some of Archaeopteryx's feathers were black. Like, you know, a crow. I wonder if they squawked as loud as the dinosaurs that live in our house do?

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2012
Dead Dog

The discovery of a fossilized dog skull is forcing scientists to reexamine when, where, and how man's best friend was domesticated. The new evidence not only punctures the "single common ancestor" theory, it also pushes the date back several thousand years and scatters the event all over Eurasia.

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
Insert Austin Powers Joke Here

Scientists have worked out how to use lasers to cool semiconductors. It does this, somehow, by leveraging quantum effects and heat. The technique could help push along attempts at quantum computers, as well as create new cooling technologies for existing circuits.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
Magic Soap

By combining simple iron filings with a combination of other harmless chemicals, scientists have created magnetic soap. The substance should make it much easier to safely clean up things like oil spills, and to purify water.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2012
Maps of Burnt Offerings

New technology is allowing detailed archeological surveys of Nazi concentration camps. More traditional methods that involve digging are forbidden due to the sensitive nature of the sites, so it's only recently that such surveys have even been possible.

Posted by scott at 12:22 PM eMail this entry!
Angling Terror

Scientists have found that, as with nearly everything else in nature, anglerfish have those wicked-looking teeth for a reason. I'm just happy these fish are all (as I understand it anyway) no bigger than a large goldfish, and live miles underwater. I definitely would never want to see a big one anywhere near the surface!

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2012
The Thinking Cave Man

So, did Neandertals tell jokes? Did they laugh? Cry? While we may never know with absolute certainty, there's enough evidence to allow some fascinating educated guesses. Of course, since they are just that, they'll provoke endless disagreements about each and every point, vehement to the point of bedrock certainty that one or the other is flat wrong. And that's what makes us human.

Posted by scott at 12:16 PM eMail this entry!
Splits and Combines

A pair of scientists decided to see if they could cause multicellular life to evolve in a lab setting. Not only did they manage to succeed, it happened a lot faster than anyone expected. Me, I want to know how it's been figured out that multicellular life evolved independently "at least 25 times." Some sort of molecular evidence?

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
January 16, 2012
Old Rock Star

Scientists have discovered the tomb of an ancient Egyptian temple singer. It seems she was interred in a much older tomb, who's original occupant is unknown. It represents the first non-royal tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings.

Posted by scott at 11:10 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2012
The Wonder of a Pencil Lead

Graphene, a new form of carbon discovered in 2004, seems to be taking the physics world by storm. I would take a bit of issue over the author's assertion that bucky balls and nanotubes have been non-starters. I read about various interesting practical applications involving them at least a few times a month. Still, this new stuff has pretty obvious implications in circuitry design, and that nearly always turns out well. Coming to a flat screen near you!

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2012
Nom Nom Nom

Scientists have discovered a new kind of carnivorous plant which uses its leaves to eat worms. Found on the tropical savannas of Brazil, Philcoxia minensis and its relatives actually buries its leaves into the soil in order to collect nematodes and other microscopic critters.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2012
Bring on the Inane Giggles

Scientists have discovered that RNA may not have been the primary molecule which formed in the earliest "soup of life" on Earth. It is, per usual, too early in the game to make even a preliminary call, but it does set up some tantalizing question. I just wish they'd come up with a better, less Beavis-and-Butthead-worthy name.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
Family Pictures

A new exhibit in Germany contains reconstructed faces of 27 different human ancestors. Dang, our grampas were some homely folk, weren't they? Hopefully it'll go on the road and head out here, because that's an expensive commute for us.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2012
Old Sound

By constructing an elaborate double-blind study, scientists have found evidence that new violins don't seem to sound better than really old ones. It seemed a lot less trivial while I was reading the article. At any rate, even the scientists are not claiming a definitive result. With something so subjective as what a human musician prefers when creating music, I'm not sure a definitive result is even possible.

Posted by scott at 07:23 AM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2012
Meanwhile, in Frankenstein's Lab

Scientists have announced the first successful creation of "Chimera monkeys". These are created by combining material from several embryos to create a single creature. Mice with a similar creation scheme are used in medical research because the technique allows researchers to "knock out" certain genes from an individual, so, while the article doesn't explicitly mention it, I think that's what these monkeys will be used for as well.

Posted by scott at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
Soopa Ants

By using a specific hormone at a specific time, scientists are able to create "super soldier" ants in species which do not otherwise have them. The idea, apparently, is to provide insights into various aspects of evolution. I, for one, will welcome our new ant overlords.

Posted by scott at 10:51 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2012
Circular Camoflage

A new underwater film has captured a fish mimicking an octopus that mimics a different fish. Emergent complexity is a wonderful thing! It's still not clear if the octopus ever even notices his shadow companion.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
Time Cloak

And for the very weirdest physics news of 2011, we have the development of a cloak that works with time instead of light. It's such a weird finding even the scientists who cooked it up aren't completely sure what, if anything, it'll be good for. Another grant at the very least, I'd wager.

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2012
Deep Black World

Another day, another antarctic ecosystem. I've always found it strange that, on land, the tropics are where all the biodiversity is, but at sea it's always some of the darkest, coldest places that have all the crazy critters. If the Burgess Shale and other similar formations are any indication, it's been like this a helluva long time. I'm sure there's a reason for it, I just can't ever recall one.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2012
Who Put That There?

A form of crystal once thought to be flat-out impossible, and then thought only to be produced artificially, has now been found in nature. Science will always provide the right answer, until it is provided with new data. Then it will provide a different right answer. This is why science is great foundation for technology, but lousy one for morality.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
Mongrels of the Sea

Scientists have reported the discovery of hybrid sharks found in the wild. The specimens are a hybrid of two closely-related species, the common and Australian black-tipped shark. It's believed this is a sign that the animals are adapting to warming ocean temperatures, and could herald the arrival of a stronger shark species.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2011
Might Make Parting It a Little Easier

Scientists have confirmed fishermen's reports: there are new islands in the Red Sea. It's not clear if it'll last, and what with all the rocks being spat out at speed, it's not like you'll be visiting it any time soon. Volcanic activity seems to be on the rise in the region, so at least we all have something new to blame on Bush, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
December 26, 2011
Tortie Smarts

It looks like our tortoise Om may be a lot smarter than we give her credit for. She definitely seems to navigate the maze of our living room floor with relative ease. When, you know, she's not just sitting there, staring at the world.

Posted by scott at 04:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2011
Critter Mystery

Fossils which were once thought to show Cambrian-era life existing in the older, more mysterious Ediacaran period has, naturally, been challenged, and then challenged again. The current thinking is still just about as weird. Life that ancient is fascinating to me, because it's so incredibly different than what's around today, yet we are quite clearly related to it. Most of the time, anyway.

Posted by scott at 09:01 AM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2011
Particles in the Dark

Told ya: the data resulting from the search for the Higgs boson has already proved a few alternatives to the Standard Model wrong. Personally I'd be happy if the whole dark matter/dark energy thing went away completely, but I've read enough about them both to know that, if that were to happen, they'd have to be replaced with something. Because this is physics we're talking about, it'd likely be something even weirder.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2011
Hot Metal

Scientists have discovered that, when under intense pressure and extremely high temperature, iron will change its electrical properties without changing its structure. This esoteric-sounding discovery has profound implications for what makes the Earth's core tick, and may reveal a new, previously undiscovered, type of metallisation. Yes, metallisation. That's how they spelled it!

Posted by scott at 01:31 PM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2011
Bird's Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Walk

A new examination of just how the African lungfish gets around may force scientists to re-write the evolution of land animals. The weird trackways which are a hallmark of vertebrates hauling themselves out of the muck my have in fact been made by fish, not their tetrapod descendants.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2011
Higgs Hunt Harvest

Turns out physicists aren't all that much different after all. Witness the sewing-circle excitement over what is presumed to be an announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson. In fact it is a big deal, since right now there are a range of theories vying to replace or supplement the current Standard Model of physics, and just where the Higgs is and what it really looks like will likely cull many members of that herd. Oh, it won't make any sense to the likes of us, but it'll still be cool!

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2011
Paging Remy, White Courtesy Phone Please

Scientists have discovered that, far from being the beastly creatures of nightmare, rats appear to have empathy, and co-operate with each other. Females seem to be more likely to do so than males, who occasionally "take a day off." Sounds about right. No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2011
Big Bones

Apparently sick of being beaten like an NFC East team, North American paleontologists have taken the title of "largest dinosaur" away from their South American counterparts. More than just bragging rights are in play, as the new description could change the way we think about how these giant sauropods were related to each other.

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
It Had... Anime Eyes

Scientists have finally confirmed the very first apex predator had excellent vision. In a sea filled with creatures measuring no more than a few inches, the three-foot long Anomalarcus pretty much defined "giant."

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2011
Diamond Buzz

Scientists have demonstrated the ability to manifest what Einstein called "spooky action at a distance" by using lasers and diamonds. The current experiment has no commercial application and it's not clear if information can in fact be transmitted using this method. But it is pretty neat, if difficult to understand.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
Dynamo Twirl

So, you want to model the Earth's core for magnetic experiments? Take 28,000 pounds of sodium and call me in the morning. Liquid sodium, no less. Definitely not something you'd want to have rupture, I'd warrant. And heck, they're not completely sure it'll even work. A scientist's dream grant, that.

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
Science, FTW!

Scientists have announced the creation of a new, more durable, vaccine for the Ebola virus. It's still in (what I understand to be) early animal trials, but the results seem promising.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2011
What's in a Name?

The scientific body responsible for naming elements has made its choice for the two newest discoveries, but if you act now you can suggest better ones. I would suggest "ScottIsAwsomium" and "Johnsonium," but I figure I'd let one of you guys win this one.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2011
Gene Skeeter

A genetic engineering company is on the verge of granting every southerner in the United Sates their most fervent wish: the extinction of all mosquito-kind. This one's not just a lab experiment, it's been tested successfully in the wild. Oh, yes, there's the standard angst about "what can go wrong?" and "what hath we wrought?" but those are the worries of people who don't live with the little bastards. I will be the first to hold a party when the last of those critters hits the dirt.

Posted by scott at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2011
This Is Not The Wall You Are Looking For.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Newly found coins underneath Jerusalem's Western Wall could change the accepted belief about the construction of one of the world's most sacred sites two millennia ago, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday.

But archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority now say diggers have found coins underneath the massive foundation stones of the compound's Western Wall that were stamped by a Roman proconsul 20 years after Herod's death. That indicates that Herod did not build the wall — part of which is venerated as Judaism's holiest prayer site — and that construction was not close to being complete when he died.

Read the entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:56 PM eMail this entry!
Bone Printer

Scientists have developed a compound which allows 3D printers to create bone scaffolds. The scaffolds are then implanted into an injury to facilitate regrowth and healing, eventually being completely absorbed by the body. It's thought clinical trials on humans are only a few years away.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
Worms... in... Spaaace...

No, really, that's even what they called it: worms in space. You'd think anything that grew up in British garbage pits would be pretty immune to, well, everything. Except, you know, that whole teeth thing.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2011
Pit of the Ancients

A ground penetrating radar survey of Stonehenge has revealed even more undiscovered secrets. The site is enormous and now that archeologists have access to tools which allow relatively quick-and-cheap surveys like this I'd expect more of these kinds of discoveries to follow. The real bonus is it's completely non-invasive, which is a massive improvement over the old "dig a trench and poke around" method practiced back when I was an undergrad.

Posted by scott at 10:23 AM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2011
~ My Name is LUCA ~

And in the, "just when you thought science couldn't get any weirder" file, we find news that at one point in the distant past, life on Earth was characterized by a single, planet-spanning life form. It sort of sounds like the contents of an old jelly jar, spread over the whole globe.

Posted by scott at 07:00 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2011
Brincicle On Film

Using timelapse cameras, specialists recorded the salt water being excluded from the sea ice and sinking to the sea floor.

The temperature of this sinking brine, which was well below 0C, caused the water to freeze in an icy sheath around it

Where the so-called 'brinicle' met the sea bed a web of ice formed freezing everything it touched, including sea urchins and starfish.

Run starfish! RUN!

Posted by Ellen at 07:39 PM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2011
Energetic. Dark. Different

By using the Earth's own magnetic field as a clever sort of telescope, scientists seem to have found a confirmation that dark energy exists. I think. Astrophysics is hard! For all I know the paper may actually say chocolate and peanut butter taste good together.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2011
Electric Eyes

Scientists have created electronic contact lenses. While at the moment they're only meant for rabbits, and can only display a single pixel, the goal is to create high-resolution displays for any manner of uses. I dunno. Sounds pretty expensive to me.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2011
Persistence and Memory

Today leads us to two studies on memory: one which claims walking through doorways makes you forget, and another which claims you can remember things even when you think you can't. I'd talk more about it, but I need to remember where I put my keys last night.

Posted by scott at 07:01 AM eMail this entry!
Your Distant, Batty Cousin

Nestled inside this lightweight piece on bats is the startling assertion at least some of them might have evolved from primates. If the theory were based on genetics I'd be intrigued, but (according to the article) it's based on morphology, which is a lot easier to get wrong. Quick! Someone get that man a gene sequencer!

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2011
Wetwear

Scientists have for the first time created a complete biological synapse on a computer chip. The goal is to create neural analogs of whole sections of the human brain for study. It may also allow the construction of replacement sections to treat diseases. Cyber-spares, FTW!

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2011
Chicken McPetri

Efforts to develop in-vitro meat for human consumption seem to be proceeding apace. The point that this concept actually isn't as gross as how industrial meat packing works is well taken. Oh, and the "secret funder?" I'd dig around in PETA's closet first to find them.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2011
Smart Tapestry

Two words: cotton transistors. They sound expensive, and not particularly powerful, but having a carpet that can count the number of people standing on it is pretty neat. I'd be much more interested in one that'd zap a cat trying to pee on it, but that's just me.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2011
Tiny Terror

The smallest arthropod fossil yet found has been successfully imaged by a UK university team. The 50 million-year-old mite, which was found on a fossilised spider, is just 170 millionths of a metre long.

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2011
Food Fight

So, how many of these 10 "food myths that just won't die" do you believe in? I'd never even heard of the "pregnant women shouldn't eat sushi" one but it's just as well. I mean, it's not like I'm going to be eating the stuff when I'm pregnant, ya know?

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
RoboBeer

Scientists have for the first time created a simple and effective way for computers to control yeast. Which at first sounds, well, not that big of a deal. According to the article, though, the tech will likely have applications in pharmaceutical production. In other words, cheap drugs.

Posted by scott at 07:00 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2011
Candy Science

By using gummy bears and cellphones, scientists are trying to study the massive underwater waves that dominate the lower areas of the planet's oceans. Unfortunately one of the waves crushed the camera which was supposed to be filming the experiments, so they're going to start it all over again. Like it wasn't cool enough to begin with.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2011
But What About the Sharks?

Scientists are planning to build a laser so powerful it can tear a hole in the universe. Presumably a very small, very safe hole, right? At any rate, the experiments are meant to prove, or disprove, various cosmological theories which predict exotic particles will appear at the energies the device will generate.

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2011
Tooth Time

By using new dating techniques, scientists have discovered modern humans may have been in Europe quite a bit earlier than previously thought. The find has implications for the continuing mystery of just what our ancestors did when they first encountered neandertals, and what they may have done in turn.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2011
Paging Larry Niven, White Courtesy Phone Please

When I first read the news that scientists are finding evidence that our ancient ancestors interbred with other hominid species, I immediately thought, "Rishathra!" Since I know a significant minority of underprivileged readers are likely unfamiliar with Larry Niven's Ringworld series, I figured a link to the definition of the term would be in order. When I go there what do I find? Someone's already updated the entry to reflect the new science. Wikipedia. Such a wonderful thing.

Posted by scott at 01:54 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2011
A Specific Sort of Apocalypse

Let's just be glad they don't own teeny-tiny shotguns: Scientists have discovered a number of insects over the years which use a zombie-creation strategy as part of their reproductive cycle. Plus: they seem to be dedicated to zombie-fying pests like roaches and moths. Minus: seems to be mostly wasps doing the deed.

Posted by scott at 03:25 PM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2011
Dinosaur Walkabout

By studying fossil teeth, scientists have found conclusive proof that dinosaurs migrated. I know, I know, "captain obvious with a chisel," but if they can prove an obvious point, it should mean they can prove less obvious ones, like perhaps which particular types of plant-eating dinosaurs the predators were eating at any one time.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2011
Cracked It Like an Egg

Using modern algorithms and hardware, computer scientists have cracked a mysterious cipher from the 19th century. It seems it was all about a secret German society with a bizarre fascination with eyeballs. It's hoped the tools can be applied successfully to better-known but stubbornly intransigent ciphers like that used by the Zodiac Killer.

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2011
Old Bang

Scientists have finally figured out how the world's first recorded supernova got so big, so fast. Recorded by Chinese astronomers in 185 AD, the remnant was mapped in the 1960s and found to be much larger than expected. New data from the Spitzer space telescope finally provided the evidence necessary to explain the discrepancy.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2011
Lazy Shooter

New studies are indicating that playing video games assists in curing "lazy eye syndrome." Even better, the therapy works well after age 9, when conventional wisdom says the more traditional "eye patch and exercises" therapy stops working. More refined techniques using "perceptual learning" could provide even greater success.

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2011
Dino Find

A recently discovered dinosaur fossil is about to go on display in Germany. Thought to be as much as 98% complete, it represents the most intact fossil dinosaur in Europe and one of the most intact in the world. It's unsure which dinosaur it is or even how old it might have been when it died, but it's only a matter of time until that's all found out.

Posted by scott at 07:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2011
Common Cause

Scientists have announced the discovery of a common cause for all forms of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The key is a problem neurons of the spine and brain have recycling certain kinds of proteins. The discovery has implications for new treatments of most kinds of dementias, including Alzheimer's.

Posted by scott at 02:49 PM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2011
Bone Find

New dating techniques have been used on an old archeological find to push back the date of the first human settlements in North America some eight centuries. Doesn't sound like too much when you're talking about an event that was at least 13,000 years ago, but you know scientists... always looking to get their name in the paper about something. Well, that, and the fact that such a push means the "new" old people used a culture different from the "old" old people.

Posted by scott at 09:24 AM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2011
Hot Monkey Love

While (apparently) the idea that human females living close together synchronize their menstrual cycles is still controversial, it's now been proven a species of monkey synchronizes the sexual receptiveness of a troupe's females. It's thought this provides a reproductive advantage to the females, since it helps to prevent the dominant male from monopolizing them. Think "embarrassment of riches," that sort of thing.

I'm just glad I wasn't the one forced to watch monkeys go at it for hours on end and then pick at their poo after they're done.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2011
Paging Led Zepplin, White Courtesy Phone Please

A "fully intact" Viking boat burial site has been found in the highlands of Scotland. It represents the best-preserved example of this type found so far in the UK. The find is part of a much larger archeological project who's objective is to chronicle changes in lifestyle from the earliest known traces of habitation right through to the modern era. I'll give them this, they don't lack for ambition.

Posted by scott at 12:23 PM eMail this entry!
Flapping Away

By using a tiny robot originally developed as a spy, scientists have gained new insight into the evolution of flight. The "trees-down" team gets a boost while the "ground-up" side gets something to argue about.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2011
Ancient Tours

And all this time, I thought it was the British museum that was old: a palace complex in ancient Babylon contained the world's first known museum. Built around 530 B.C., the museum contained exhibits still recognizable in the ruins when it was excavated more than two thousand years later.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2011
Particles Get Ticket, Law is Safe

It looks like relativity isn't going anywhere any time soon. It seems all that noise about particles going faster than light boiled down to a relativistic effect on the GPS clocks used to take the measurement. In other words, they found another proof of relativity figuring out the thing that might have been disproving it.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2011
Paint Shop Pro

Scientists have announced the discovery of the earliest-known paint factory. The 100,000 year-old cave site contains artifacts used in just about every part of the process needed to turn ocher into red paint, pushing the time we first started creating art some 60,000 years.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2011
One Bitch of a Grandmother

A new study of the genome of the bacteria which caused the Black Death in the 14th century has revealed some surprising results. Not only has it not changed significantly in the past seven centuries, it appears that the plague of 1348 was in fact the very first caused by the bacterium we now know. Exactly why it was so virulent then, and what may have caused earlier less well-known plagues, is not clear.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
Like They Needed to Be Any Bigger

By using actual skeletons instead of scale models, a team of scientists has determined T. Rex may have been nearly a third larger than previously thought. Which is neat as far as it goes, but those skeletons can have post-mortem "adjustments" over the eons which, I would think, may introduce the same sorts of errors that scale models often include. Unfortunately the article doesn't discuss how they controlled for this.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2011
Drill Deep

A UK team is preparing to drill into a deep lake in the Antarctic. Which just doesn't do justice to an effort requiring tons of gear to get a probe down through more than a mile and a half of ice to sample water sitting under 300 atmospheres of pressure at -20 degrees or more. All for a cup of water. Are humans a bunch of busybodies, or what?

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2011
The Devil in the Deep Blue Sea

A scientific team believes it has discovered evidence of a for-real "Kraken" that once swam in the Earth's Triassic seas. The evidence is, per usual, circumstantial and contested, but if it all pans out it means that some time in the past a monster twice the size of a colossal squid once swam the seas. I, for one, am very glad about the "once" part of that sentence.

Posted by scott at 03:10 PM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2011
Nanoboobies

Headline says it all: scientists are developing alternative breast implants using nanotechnology. Bonus: the tech can also be used as an alternative delivery vehicle for things like chemotherapy, reducing debilitating side effects.

Posted by scott at 01:34 PM eMail this entry!
Try Again

Scientists have announced the discovery of the first known reptile with a true placenta. While live birth is something that's evolved independently many times in the history of life on Earth, it was long thought that only mammals had figured out placental nourishment. Now it looks like perhaps as many as three skink species have done it as well.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2011
Third Hands

Scientists are announcing a breakthrough in getting artificial limbs to provide a sense of touch as well as brain-powered movement. Tests with monkeys have been very positive (and surprisingly free of "let's chop up the monkey" procedures). It's hoped a production system can be fielded within the next three years.

Posted by scott at 05:24 PM eMail this entry!
Razorback Dinosaurs

Scientists have announced the discovery of a significant new set of fossilized dinosaur tracks in southwest Arkansas. The find, which was laid down in the early Cretaceous period, includes the tracks of a very large predator which may be Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, as well as various other dinosaurs.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2011
Nose Clock

Headline basically says it all: the inside of the nose can help reveal the time of a person's death. It seems tiny finger-like projections called cilia continue to beat after death, and that they slow at a predictable and consistent rate. This should provide a more accurate estimation of time of death, especially in the first 24 hours. Sleep well tonight!

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2011
Paging Alladin, White Courtesy Phone Please

Using newly discovered electrical effects, a UK graduate student has created what can reasonably be termed a "flying carpet." Right now it's only a 10cm sheet of plastic which doesn't fly very high or go very fast, but it definitely proves the concepts are sound. Who knows where it'll end up next?

Posted by scott at 12:51 PM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2011
Robo Rat

Ok, on the one hand scientists using an artificial cerebellum to make a rat blink is creepy on all sorts of levels. On the other, if it leads to something which cures all the various ailments that are caused by a defective cerebellum... well, it's still creepy, but it's creepy with a purpose.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
A Shot to Cure What Ails Ya

Scientists have announced a new HIV vaccine which has successfully completed its first round of human trials. The vaccine is based on an altered version of a smallpox vaccine, and first proved itself in earlier studies involving mice and primates. Two more human trials must be passed before it would be considered for production.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2011
Port Find

Archeologists have announced the discovery of a huge ancient Roman shipyard. The appropriately named Portus contained the building, which was nearly five hundred feet long and two hundred feet wide.

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2011
Beyond

Today, De Santo has a name for what happened that night: "crisis apparition." She stumbled onto the term while reading about paranormal activities after the incident. According to paranormal investigators, a crisis apparition is the spirit of a recently deceased person who visits someone they had a close emotional connection with, usually to say goodbye.

Read entire article here.

Scott does not believe in the afterlife. He believes in reincarnation. I do not. I am an absolute believer of ghost and the afterlife because I have had few experiences like this that you simply cannot explain.

Don't even get into a discussion with an atheist over the subject. Even though the majority of them believe in zombies.

Posted by Ellen at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2011
Speedy Bits

Scientists are actually rather worried they've found evidence of things moving faster than the speed of light. They're concerned because there's lots of evidence that this shouldn't happen. The idea is to get someone else to duplicate the (presumably expensive) experiment so they can figure out what the heck is going on.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2011
Faster... Than... Rabbits...

“We have collected over a thousand so far and we have only just begun,” said Denise Feiber, Public Information Director for Florida’s Division of Plant Industry.

Don't forget to watch the video!~

Make sure you click the link to see what this article is about!

Posted by Ellen at 07:36 PM eMail this entry!
Tiny Horrors

Just when you thought nature couldn't get any more macabre: scientists have finally discovered the mechanism which certain beetle larva use to feed on much larger amphibians. In other news, there are finger-sized beetle larva which can eat a whole frog all by themselves! The article helpfully includes shiver-inducing pictures and video of just what this means. Creepy!

Posted by scott at 11:50 AM eMail this entry!
You Are What You Eat

Scientists have discovered that not only do "just" digest food, the genetic information in that food can alter your own genes. Considering that we've been eating other things, well, forever, it's probably not as alarming as it would at first seem. Still, it may suggest new methods of treating diseases. A good thing!

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2011
Who Did It and Ran

Scientists have discovered that certain species of squid are will mate first, and never ask questions at all. By using unpiloted submersibles, scientists were able to observe clear indications that these squid do not bother to "check under the tail" to make sure they're mating with the opposite sex before they do the deed. The strategy may actually help increase the odds of a successful mating.

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2011
Captain Obvious, the Paleontologist

Scientists have found conclusive evidence that at least one raptor-like dinosaur used its talons as weapons. Because, you know, a giant razor-sharp claw attached to the foot of a critter that had feet just built for kicking things could be using it for something else. Shuffleboard, for example.

Posted by scott at 12:58 PM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2011
Thor's Perpetual Propulsion

A US company has announced it's developing a radioactive steam-powered car engine. According to the company, the engine would be a turbine powered with steam heated by lasers powered by the mildly radioactive element thorium. According to the company the engine would go decades between refuelings, and be perfectly safe.

According to me it sounds like a load of hooey, but I do wish whichever venture capitalists that are under-writing this venture loads of luck. I have a feeling they're going to need it.

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2011
~ Wheels From the Sky Keep On Turnin' ~

Most folks have heard of the mysterious Nazca lines, but have you heard of the stone wheels? They are just as strange, might be just as old, and there are thousands of them. I'm still pretty puzzled that, with so many, nobody seems to have done any research at all on them.

Posted by scott at 12:28 PM eMail this entry!
Feather Find

Making the rounds: scientists have discovered a wide variety of dinosaur feathers trapped in amber. The finds are so well preserved it's possible to figure out what colors they contain. It would seem our ancient giants could be every bit as colorful as a modern bird.

Posted by scott at 07:04 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2011
Big Croc

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new, very large, species of extinct fresh water crocodile. Acherontisuchus guajiraensis inhabited an ancient rainforest ecosystem some 60 million years ago, during Palaeocene times. It lived alongside an even bigger ancient snake, a 42 foot beast called Titanoboa. Fortunately, separate geologic eras mean Ellen actually can't have either of them. Not that she wouldn't try, mind you...

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2011
Lego V'Jer

One scientist is on a mission to prove life can evolve based not on carbon, but on metal. It seems like he's managed to generate most of the structures which life needs to function, but hasn't figured out how to knit them all together into a critter. Nobody, even the guy behind the work, is completely sure it's possible. I wonder if it'll shine like chrome?

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2011
FIsh Find

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new species of ancient toothed fish. Laccognathus embryi is thought to have been a bottom-dwelling ambush predator about six feet long, and lived in the late Devonian. While I'm thinking about ways to get away from something like this, I'll bet half of you are trying to figure out how you'd catch it.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2011
Bug Murder

By genetically manipulating a population of insects, scientists have created a "mutant army" that promises to be far more precise in destroying pest populations than any pesticide. The technique itself is not particularly new, but genetic manipulation allows it to be used more cheaply and effectively. If it helps kill mosquitoes, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 03:35 PM eMail this entry!
Talk Fast

Turns out there's a reason why it sounds like Spanish speakers are talking a thousand miles an hour. I'd read, in other books, that it was because languages like English have more sounds (consonants, in this specific case) than others like Spanish, but it seems there's more to it than that.

Posted by scott at 09:47 AM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2011
Missing Link Found?

Two primitive ape-like creatures, believed to be a mother and her young son, plunged through the roof of a cave and suffered a slow death from starvation.

Now scientists believe their fossilised skeletons show they could be our direct ancestors, the long-sought ‘missing link’ between apes and humans.

The things you find in caves. Amazing.

Posted by Ellen at 08:27 PM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2011
Kiss me, CATE

A new study using "crowdsourcing" techniques to spread traffic information at near-real-time to apps that then use that data to select the fastest route shows real promise in improving traffic flow any time, anywhere. Bonus: according to the article, less than half the vehicles on any road need to be using the system for it to provide maximum benefit. No, I don't completely understand it, either, but if it can help get me out of yet another Saturday morning traffic jam on the Beltway, sign me up!

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
Zap Bugs

A team of scientists has figured out exactly how a specific sort of microbe can generate electricity while it eats nuclear waste. They're hoping to use the knowledge to create a renewable energy source that cleans up toxic waste while it works. Everybody wins!

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2011
Quick! Call the Northwestern!

Giant king crabs have been discovered in large numbers in Antarctic waters. Since it's the BBC, the finding is treated as even more evidence of apocalyptic climate change. Fans of the Discovery show Deadliest Catch know that extermination of an undesirable king crab population is only a few seasons of unrestricted commercial fishing away. Predictably, this is illegal in the "threatened" waters.

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2011
MicroSpider

Scientists have developed a micromachine which could lead to incredibly small mechanical spiders that swim through blood vessels to deliver drugs or heal injuries. After reading the article, I think they're quite a long way from something that cool, but you gotta start somewhere, even if that step is very, very small indeed.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
Aren't They Supposed To Screen The Blood?

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't they supposed to screen the blood before giving it to another person?

Of the 162 cases of Babesia infection caused by blood transfusions between 1979 and 2009, nearly 80 percent occurred between 2000 and 2009.

"Babesia microti has become the most frequently reported transfusion-transmitted parasite in the United States," CDC researchers wrote, far outpacing malaria infections, which accounted for 49 cases of transfusion-associated disease during the same period, including just five cases during 2000-2009.

Scary.

Posted by Ellen at 05:07 AM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2011
That Man Is Good At Spreading His DNA

Today there are 150 children, all conceived with sperm from one donor, in this group of half siblings, and more are on the way. “It’s wild when we see them all together — they all look alike,” said Ms. Daily, 48, a social worker in the Washington area who sometimes vacations with other families in her son’s group.

But...

Now, there is growing concern among parents, donors and medical experts about potential negative consequences of having so many children fathered by the same donors, including the possibility that genes for rare diseases could be spread more widely through the population. Some experts are even calling attention to the increased odds of accidental incest between half sisters and half brothers, who often live close to one another.

Read the entire article.

Posted by Ellen at 03:56 PM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2011
I Shall Call It, "Cyborgeetle-inator"

"AMCGLTD," we hear you ask, "I've figured out how to turn insects into remote controlled spies ready to do my bidding, but I can't make the batteries small enough. My madcap plans for world domination cannot be held up because of that stupid Energizer Bunny! What can I do?"

Fear not, kind Doofenshmirtzian, DARPA is here to help!

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2011
Femtowha?

It seems the fate of the Standard Model may be decided before Thanksgiving. The Large Hadron Collider is collecting data so efficiently that the experiments designed to prove (or disprove) the existence of the Higgs particle, predicted by the Standard Model to be the transmitter of the force of gravity, may be completed much sooner than expected. This evidence will likely determine if the Standard Model, which has held up so well over the past 40 years, is complete, or if it must be discarded for another theory.

Posted by scott at 02:40 PM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2011
Diesel, with Chinese Characteristics

In the "never think any science is useless file" we found the discovery that poo from China's giant panda may end up being the key that unlocks efficient biodiesel production. It seems there's an enzyme in there that allows the panda to convert 95 percent of the plant matter it ingests into energy. It's hoped that, once the enzyme is synthesized, it will allow the creation of a cheaper process for converting plant matter into biodiesel.

Anything that puts hajji closer to the breadline...

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
Sing a Song

Scientists have discovered the specific area of the brain that keeps a Rick Astley song stuck in your head until you go mad. By studying volunteers with different kinds of dementia, as well as healthy people, an area of the brain called the right anterior temporal lobe has been discovered to have a primary role in musical remembrance.

Hang on a minute... "volunteers with different kinds of dementia"?

Posted by scott at 12:22 PM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2011
A Great Circle of Life

It's everything the shrieking chimps on my side of the peanut gallery ever wanted: scientists have discovered a microbe that eats newspapers and craps gasoline. Ok, not gasoline, but something really close to it. If we could only find one that ate columnists. Or, you know, at least Olberman. I kid, I kid...

Seriously, though. Gas has been so high for so long there are now, what, six, seven different groups chasing microbes that poop diesel or something like it? I desperately want one of these bunches to go public, because which ever one of them hits the jackpot will quite literally change the world.

Posted by scott at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2011
Theory Evidence: Not Yours

Evidence from the Large Hadron Collider seems to be burying the simpler supersymmetry theories. In other worse, the bazillion dollar big science toy is actually starting to do its job.

Posted by scott at 11:32 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2011
I'm All For It

A scientist who was involved in cloning Dolly the sheep 15 years ago has started work on a new technique to clone rare Scottish wildcats.

Embryologist Dr Bill Ritchie said the project could help protect the species which is thought to numb>er about 400 cats in the wild.

Bring back the Scottish MEOW!

Posted by Ellen at 06:57 PM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2011
Deniers Gonna Deny

A report detailing scientific findings of a study on how cosmic rays interact with cloud formation is likely to force "substantial revision" of existing climate models. Science will always provide the right answer, until provided with new data. Then it will provide a new, right answer. Keep that in mind the next time a green proposes... well... anything.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
Molecule You

By using a sophisticated imaging technique who's description made my head explode, scientists have directly imaged the orbits of a molecule's electrons. What good does it do? Who cares! They're taking pictures of molecules, man! The article does mention something about designer molecules, but by that point I was all, "vibrating wha???" Anyway, sounds good enough to me!

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 25, 2011
Furry Fossil Find

A spectacular fossil found in China is bringing the fossil record of mammals more in line with the DNA evidence of their, our, evolution. Juramaia sinensis was only a few inches long, but displays the unmistakable characteristics of a placental mammal 35 million years earlier than any other previous fossil.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
Flipper Fun

Scientists believe a fishing technique known as "conching" is slowly spreading through an Australian population of dolphins. Considering how long dolphins have been around, you'd think they would've figured it out sooner.

Posted by scott at 06:12 AM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2011
Y Migration

A new genetic study is calling the conventional story of just how Europe was populated into question. Previously, it was thought farmers from the plains of central Turkey gradually displaced the hunter-gatherer tribes native to the region. A recent Y chromosome study seems to indicate that the hunter-gatherers stayed where they were, and just changed jobs.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
The End of Swimmer Shaving?

Scientists have developed a wetsuit that promises to let swimmers go faster. The trick? Extra-long artificial "hairs" that go right through the thing, which, according to the guys who invented it, allows the swimmer to more effectively feel and therefore control the water flow around them. Thing is, last I heard the "in thing" was to shave the whole body for competition. Of course, that was more than twenty years ago. These kids, always thinking up new things!

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2011
Lager Lead

Important science find: the ancestor of the yeast responsible for lager has been found in the forests of Patagonia. It's thought the yeast managed to hitch-hike back over the Atlantic, where it was inadvertently hybridized and, eventually, turned into the species which is used by brewers the world over today.

Posted by scott at 07:56 AM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2011
Ancient Rotten Eggs

Scientists have announced the discovery fossils which may represent the oldest direct evidence of life on the early Earth. These sulfur-processing microbes lived a whopping 3.4 billion years ago, and their discovery may provide insights into if, how, and where Mars may have developed life as well.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2011
Bullet Bombs

Scientists have announced the development of an innovative warhead material. The substance is a combination of metal and polymers which is more destructive than a standard explosive and also strong enough to be shaped into the nose of, say, a missile or even a bullet. The result is said to be a much more destructive "kill," that also reduces collateral damage.

Posted by scott at 02:42 PM eMail this entry!
Dead Fabulous

A new survey of ancient Egyptian mummies has revealed they spent as much time preserving their hair as they did the rest of their bodies. Seems like priests and priestesses shaved their heads, but nobody else did. At least, 3000 years ago in Egypt it was like that, which was when their sample of mummies were created. It's important to keep in mind that, even at that date, the pyramids were already 1500 years old.

Posted by scott at 09:57 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2011
Better Than the Trainer in Honeysuckle Rose

An engineering team has developed an innovative trainer to help golfers improve their putting game. No pictures are provided, but the description makes it sound like an elaborate frame that uses wires to ensure the swing is correct and straight. Expensive, yes, but most things in golf seem to be. Me, I fly RC helicopters instead. You can't mow down dragonflies with a golf ball!

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
Dark Illusion

The on-again, off-again debate on whether or not dark matter even exists is now on again. I've read enough popular science books to become convinced the stuff probably does exist, but I must admit it all seems really kludge-y. Getting rid of it would make this place conceptually a bit more elegant, in my opinion.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2011
But What About the Sharks?

A new tech start-up is promising drones with infinite endurance using laser power. It's not the first time I've heard of such a scheme, indeed the article mentions a better-known instance when the company in question actually won a prize from NASA for powering a proof-of-concept space elevator prototype. I can't help but wonder how they plan on solving the "over-the-horizon" problem though. Lasers don't exactly bend with the curvature of the Earth, ya know?

Posted by scott at 09:52 AM eMail this entry!
Don't Treat it, Cure it

While it has only been tried on exactly three patients, a new drug treatment holds real promise for being an outright cure for a common form of cancer. Using a re-engineered HIV virus to customize white blood cells has been a technique I've read about for twenty years or more. It's nice to see it finally paying off. Assuming it continues to pay off, that is.

Posted by scott at 08:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2011
Big Bird

Scientists have found fossil evidence that very large birds once roamed with the dinosaurs. Prior evidence seemed to indicate that Cretaceous birds consisted almost exclusively of crow-sized creatures, but the lower jaw found recently indicates birds which may have stood taller than an ostrich also lived at that time.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
August 09, 2011
Texas: It's Like A Whole Other Continent

Scientists have announced the discovery that Texas was once joined to Antarctica. Once joined 1.1 billion years ago, that is, which puts it so far back it predates just about all known multi-cellular life. Back then that whole part of the world was a blasted wasteland unfit for human habitation. Now that I think about it, Texas really hasn't changed all that much, has it?

Exit, stage right!

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
Soopa Weed

Scientists are reporting the discovery of artificial genes in "escapee" weed plants. It seems that, once a crop plant gets out of its field it's then called a weed, and these weeds have been found not only all over the place, but with other artificial genes in their makeup that they could only have gotten through wild interbreeding. While not a doomsday proclamation in and of itself, the findings do provide worrying evidence that it is at least possible that fully wild weeds could one day acquire artificial resistance to widely used weed killers.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2011
~ Diamonds are a Nerd's Best Friend ~

Scientists have announced the ability to create basic computer circuits out of diamond. These new nano-material circuits should allow the construction of far more robust digital devices, able to operate in environments where normal circuitry would fail.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2011
Look What We Found!

Scientists have announced the discovery of a thin band of antimatter circling the Earth. There's enough out there that people are beginning to scheme ways to go out and harvest it. What could possibly go wrong?

Posted by scott at 11:06 AM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2011
Tuna Time

Scientists have announced a significant positive step forward in farming blue fin tuna. It would be a massive step forward if aquaculture of this endangered and unfortunately tasty fish can be made economically viable.

Posted by scott at 05:23 PM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2011
~ Got a Condo Made of Stone-ah ~

A genetic study has found that about half of all European men "share king Tut's DNA", which is a classic MSM distortion of, "share a common ancestor with king Tut." The finding is still quite surprising, since Tut himself was a member of a (now) rare haplogroup.

Posted by scott at 07:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2011
Old Ape

Scientists have announced the discovery of a 20 million year-old ape fossil. It represents the first known instance of cranial remains of an ape of this age.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
Multi-Test

Scientists have finally figured out some tests to see if we really do live in a "multiverse". As I understand it, a lot of conflict between relativity and quantum mechanics, particularly with regard to gravity, can be explained if our universe is just one of many "bubble" universes. And that's about as far as I can get, since the physicists who's books I've read sort of sputter out at that point because they can't use the right sort of math in a popular science book. Anyway, testing is good!

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2011
I Shall Call It, "BugDiesel"

More hurdles seem to have been cleared in the effort to get algae to poop diesel. Last I heard the stumbling block was in making sure regular algae didn't contaminate the engineered kind. That's not mentioned at all here, so either a) they've fixed it or b) they've got enough money to build some sort of big factory that'll put the critters in a white room. Bonus: the greens better damned well love it because it eats CO2 as part of the process. Double bonus: puts hajji that much closer to the breadline. Triple bonus: creates American jorbs!!!

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
Yoga. You Seek Yoga!

A new report published in the medical journal Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation is extolling the virtues of yoga-based therapy in treating many kinds of common injuries. Doesn't seem like it would be a big deal to just try it.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2011
Glow Dog

Scientists have announced the birth of a genetically modified beagle that glows in the dark. The modification is actually a rather routine proof-of-concept that should pave the way for more meaningful alterations which could help advance any number of medical research projects.

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
Bug Helmets

Just when you thought the insect world was done with surprises, someone comes along to explain something like an insect which uses a re-activated gene to alter a body part to look like an aggressive ant. It's actually uglier than the bug that imitates bird poo, which turns out to be a cousin. Nature can be a damned strange place, I tell ya...

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2011
Sub Cloak

Another day, another new technique to make submarines invisible. Covering something in a mesh that leaves water completely undisturbed after an object passes is all well and good, but if it only works for sugarcube-sized objects barely moving at all, I'm not sure how practical it will be. Still, gotta start somewhere.

Posted by scott at 09:06 AM eMail this entry!
U R So Cool!!! :)

Slashdot has a whole set of links regarding new research that attempts to predict gender based on twitter posts. I've got a much simpler rule: they're all male federal agents.

Well, thank you, but I already have a foil hat that fits better than this one. Maybe you should think about using it yourself?

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2011
The Billion Year-Old Zit

Scientists have announced the discovery that several of the most massive volcanic eruptions on Earth in the past 250 million years share the same magma source. Better still, this source seems to be made up of primordial material that's essentially unchanged since the planet was formed. If further investigations hold up the conclusion, it will fundamentally change how geologists look at the composition of the planet.

Posted by scott at 04:20 PM eMail this entry!
Tomb Time

Archeologists have announced the discovery of an apostle's tomb in south east Turkey. I'm not familiar with St. Philip, but (being a heathen) I guess I shouldn't expect to be. I'm always surprised at how many ancient Christian sites of such importance end up being completely lost to history.

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2011
When Extinct Chickens Attack

A new scientific study is proposing to boot Archeopteryx from the base of the bird family tree and replace it with a previously unknown chicken-sized dinosaur. Everyone seems to concede the idea has merit, but needs more data and examination. While women and minorities will of course be hardest hit by this revelation, Archeopteryxes (Archeopteryxii?) are expected to continue being important to science.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
Owl Eyes

Scientists have found evidence that dark winters caused humans living in higher latitudes to evolve larger eyes. Brain size, presumably to process the extra optic information, also increased. Unfortunately the article doesn't specify by just how much, but, since humans have lived in such high latitudes for a comparatively short period of time, it does show how elastic our genes can be when confronted with new environmental pressures.

Posted by scott at 09:27 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2011
Dog Croc

Scientists have discovered a fossil crocodile which looks, and probably lived, more like a wild dog than a swamp king. I'm pretty much fine with this thing being extinct.

Posted by scott at 09:41 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2011
Footfall

A new look at some very old footprints is providing even more evidence that our ancient ancestors walked in a way nearly identical to our own. The evidence for bipedalism has been pushed back so far now it's my understanding some scientists are mulling over the idea that the ancestor we share with chimpanzees may have had this ability, and part of the chimp's evolution was its loss.

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2011
No More Complaining About Your Dry Spell

Scientists have determined that some species of stick insect have gone without sexual reproduction for more than a million years. The conclusion was reached after genetically analyzing stick insect species known to reproduce via cloning. It's thought the information will provide insight into various reproductive issues. Oh, and the bugs are damned ugly, too.

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2011
The Caveman in the Woodpile

Scientists have announced the discovery that all non-African humans have Neandertal DNA in their genes. It's thought the admixture was created mostly in the Middle East as our ancestors made their way out of Africa. The study confirms other evidence brought to light in the years since the Neandertal genome was sequenced.

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2011
Pill Prevention

Scientists have announced a breakthrough treatment which promises significant protection from the HIV virus. It's hoped this will provide another alternative for third-world prevention of the disease, since various other well-known techniques have proven stubbornly ineffective in the face of such traditional societies' values.

Posted by scott at 01:07 PM eMail this entry!
Definitely not a Prince

A toad not seen in the wild for more than 80 years has been found again, and boy, is it urgly!. No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2011
Mind the Gap

Scientists think that a newly discovered dinosaur fossil has finally closed the "three meter gap." Seems that what we didn't learn in school was (until now) no dinosaur fossils had been found in the sediments laid down just before the KT boundary, leading many scientists to claim dinosaurs were on their way out long before the sky fell on them. Will it end the debate? Is a bear Polish?

Posted by scott at 03:33 PM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2011
That's a Crappy Way to Travel

Scientists have discovered tiny snails with the ability to survive a bird's digestive system and emerge intact and alive out the other side. The survival rate is still low, 15%, but represents a previously unknown method of snail distribution.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
Fish Tools

A scuba diver in Australia may have captured photos of the first known case of tool use... in fish. Banging things on a rock to make them do what you want may not constitute tool use to some people, but it represents a valuable technique for shade tree mechanics the world over.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2011
Sand...More Than Just Grit

Next time you walk on sand remember this!

Incredible!

Posted by Ellen at 11:17 AM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2011
Big Bite

UK Scientists have unveiled the skull of one of the largest predators ever to swim the seas. The "Dorset pliosaur" represent a new species or even genus, and is one of the best preserved skulls of the type yet found.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2011
When Irish Bears are Smiling

A new genetic study has revealed extinct Irish bears are the maternal ancestors of all living polar bears. Article helpfully includes an "oh, hai!!!" picture of a bear.

Posted by scott at 03:08 PM eMail this entry!
NOS Parts for People

Scientists have announced the first successful transplant of a fully synthetic organ. By using an innovative new technique to create a "scaffold" for adult stem cells, an international team were able to fashion a completely new windpipe for a patient who's original was damaged by inoperable cancer. This definitely sounds more complex than something like a bladder. Can even more complex regeneration be far behind?

Posted by scott at 02:12 PM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2011
Sleep Light

Scientists are beginning to find evidence that the color of the lights we surround ourselves with and stare at can affect how well we sleep at night. The article is long on interesting implications we should all sit around in the dark, but short on emphasizing how preliminary the findings are. Still, it does suggest experiments anyone can do. Just shut the computer and smartphone off one hour before bed and leave them off.

Hang on. Someone go fetch smelling salts or something. Ellen just passed out at the very thought.

Posted by scott at 02:18 PM eMail this entry!
Hope of an Age

Scientists have announced a possible treatment for the remarkable, and cruel, genetic disease progeria. This disease, which causes children to develop the signs of rapid aging as toddlers and deadly age-related diseases as teenagers, is caused by exactly one genetic defect. Study and treatment of the disease holds the promise of wider applications in people who age normally.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2011
A Distant Light

Scientists have discovered a "monster" driving a cosmic beacon. What I grew up knowing as a quasar has now been spotted so far back in the universe's history it is surrounded by a significant amount of the gas which is thought to have constituted the universe before stars were born.

Posted by scott at 09:47 AM eMail this entry!
~ Singin' in the Bowl / Just Singin' in the Bowl ~

By using high-speed photography, scientists have figured out the secret behind Tibetan singing bowls. The discoveries may help shed light on other fluid systems, such as fuel injection. Article helpfully includes a picture of what an old Englishman can do when one of these plays.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2011
Down on the Ant Farm

No, not the kind of ant farm that lives between plates of glass, I'm talking about an ant farm where the ants are herding livestock. It hasn't been conclusively proven that this specific species of ant actually is farming meat, but it seems likely.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2011
Metal Power

Robert H. gets a no-prize that'll power a soon-to-be-extinct light bulb for bringing us news that scientists at the University of Minnesota have created a metal alloy that generates electricity when it gets hot. Exactly how much electricity is created, and how much this alloy costs to construct, isn't clear, but they gotta start somewhere.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2011
Lip Puff Pow

A new study claims the shape of a woman's lip can predict how likely a woman is to achieve orgasm. Ok, ladies, no problem, we'll wait. Done looking in the mirror? Good. And you all thought we were silly about that whole finger length thing.

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2011
~ 'Cause There Ain't No One for to Give You No Pain ~

Climate change, for the rest of us: the Sahara Desert is growing greener, at an unprecedented pace. The source? National Geographic News. Which is too bad, really. Hopefully the zealots will leave some trace after they're done punishing them for such heresy.

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2011
Paging Borat, White Courtesy Phone Please

A macabre discovery in an ancient well has provided scientists with an unprecedented opportunity to study life, and death, as a Medieval Jew in Britain. Includes gratuitous "everything looks like a nail" quotes from the lead scientist, who's quotes make it seem as if they're mistaking Norfolk for Kosovo.

Posted by scott at 12:44 PM eMail this entry!
Shell Game

A clever new experiment has confirmed a forty year-old prediction about quantum mechanics. The article starts out by saying it proves a particle can be in three places at once, but finishes by implying other things. Quantum mechanics is cool, but makes my head hurt. You go figure it out.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2011
That's One Way to Do It

Leave it to the Germans to solve the problem of an archeological dig by cranking the whole site out of the ground and carting it away. Definitely does away with the pesky bugs and occasional sunstroke often inflicted on the volunteers and scientists on your typical dig.

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
Compass Vision

So, do humans sense magnetic fields, and if so, how? The answer, it seems is all in the eye of the beholder. Hopefully needing glasses won't affect whatever this may be, because if it is I'm sunk.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2011
Regen, Oo-rah!

By using a new hormone treatment and an innovative surgical matrix, doctors have developed a therapy which could substantially reduce the number of amputations required because of trauma. War is always the worst way to discover new technologies, but I'll take what it provides.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2011
Bodies of The Bog

Over the past few centuries, and likely before then, men harvesting peat in European bogs have struck upon remarkable and, to the peat cutters, no doubt frightening discoveries. More than a thousand bog bodies and skeletons have come to light, and scientists now have the means to study the remains in such detail that they can, in a sense, resurrect these ancient people.

See the map and the mummies themselves!

Also 10 ways to make a mummy.

Posted by Ellen at 10:07 PM eMail this entry!
I Put A Hissssss On You, and Now You Die

The man who mesmerized generations of paying customers from 1947 to 1984 by extracting venom at his Miami Serpentarium as a spine-tingling South Florida attraction is dead.

He died of natural causes on Wednesday in Punta Gorda, on Florida’s west coast, where he had made his home.

He was 100 years old.

The key to longevity here...play with snakes. Venomous ones.

Posted by Ellen at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2011
Arrrr!!!

A new archeological expedition to the famed pirate Blackbeard's shipwreck has revealed insights into the tactics he used in attacking his prey. Improvised munitions such as bags of shrapnel and chained cannonballs indicate clever uses of limited materials. Still no word of the treasure, though...

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
Can't Be Any More Annoying Than the Original

Pleased to be welcoming Spongiforma squarepantsii, the latest in that oh-so-rare category of "named" fungus species. The article doesn't seem to mention if it's edible or not. Coming to a pineapple-shaped house near you!

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2011
Dances with Whales

Robert H. gets a no-prize that'll be embarrassed when it takes off its swim trunks for bringing us the story of the naked yoga instructor and the beluga whales. It seems the thinking is belugas do not like being touched by artificial stuff, so some folks in north-west Russia chucked the previously noted naked yoga expert into the (nearly freezing) water with them, to see if she had an easier time taming them. No, really! Article contains artsy-ish sort of "nud" pictures, so if that'll get you in trouble at work, wait 'till you get home.

Posted by scott at 05:35 PM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2011
Good Thing Only Prostitutes Live There

Scientists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were inspecting the Martis Creek Dam, which sits just outside Truckee, Calif., and about 35 miles upstream from Reno. It is one of 10 dams in the United States that has “urgent and compelling” safety concerns, according to the Corps, which owns the dam. Data from the most recent evaluation revealed that, not only does the dam have significant leakage, it also lies in close proximity to not two, but three fault zones.

Introducing the Polaris Fault.

Posted by Ellen at 07:31 PM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2011
Renaissance Darwin

How do I meete myne maker? Lette me counte the wase. People have been dying in amusingly macabre ways throughout history. I guess it's just the thought of all those elaborate clothes, coupled with the existence of actual records, that makes the Tudor era more informative in this respect than any previous time.

Posted by scott at 01:54 PM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2011
Cell Light

Scientists have announced the creation of cells which can create laser beams. By using a common genetic engineering trick to get specific cells to glow and then bathing them in a special sort of light, green laser light was detected emitting from them. Aside from the endless Dr. Evil imitations this enables, the development is also thought to hold promise for new types of light therapies and medical imaging.

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2011
Barefoot in the Park

So, is it really better to run barefoot? On the face of it, it's hard to argue that a few decades of running shoes would better the few million years of evolution on the savannah. As usual, human obstinacy can easily overcome both. It'd never occurred to me that shoes make you walk (or run) differently, but that's what a cyclist gets for thinking about running.

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2011
Anti-Bottle

By using new techniques and technology, scientists at CERN have massively increased the time antimatter can be held for study. It's still only 15 minutes, so we're not going to see the stuff powering a starship any time soon, but it should allow much more extensive experiments to understand the nature of this exotic stuff.

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2011
Quantum Nose

Theories that the sense of smell may be intimately related to quantum physics are gaining respectability. Most importantly, they seem to also be gaining testability. The research could lead to chemical sensors far more sensitive than anything available today. And, you know, a lot of head-crunchingly hard math.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2011
Quantum Work-Around

Scientists have announced an experiment that seems to show a subatomic particle's location and it's speed at the same time. A closer reading reveals it's not really a violation of Heisenberg's uncertainty principal, but it probably does mean something important. Exactly what, I don't know. My head always gets all 'asplodey when it comes to quantum mechanics.

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
A Very Quick One-Way Ticket to Midnight

The heaviest elements yet discovered have now officially joined the periodic table. The as-yet-unnamed elements 114 and 116 exist for only fractions of a second before decaying into other stuff, but they do represent progress toward an "island of stability" which could see the creation of new super-heavy elements that can last for years or longer. Because nothing says safety like physicists creating artificial super-heavy, long-lived elements in the lab.

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2011
The Persistence of Memory

Scientists are making progress figuring out why it's so difficult to recall early memories of childhood. I believe I can recall events in my own childhood very far back, but it's very difficult to confirm this sort of thing nowadays.

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
Fish Gotta Swim, Hominids Gotta Move

By examining isotopes found in tooth enamel, scientists have discovered that our ancient ancestral sisters moved around, while our ancestral brothers stayed put. This is a pretty common pattern for human societies even today, although I'm not clever enough to beat Wikipedia into letting me know if it has a name. Using Australopethicids instead of a later species means the sample size is very small, so it will be interesting to see if the discovery holds up.

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
Gold Worm, Red Worm

Scientists have discovered complex multicellular life-forms living at depths in the Earth's crust far below what was previously thought possible. While nematode worms aren't much to look at, their survival in such inhospitable environs suggests that places like Mars may not be as uninhabitable as previously thought.

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June 01, 2011
No, You Cannot Spread Them On Biscuits

Posted by Ellen at 09:59 PM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2011
Shocking Trombones

Scientists have captured images of supersonic shock waves exiting a trombone. First predicted in 1995, these shock waves are a quirk of the instrument, and not something found with other instruments. I guess that's where the distinctive "blat" sound comes from. With video!

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
Pyramid Find

Scientists have announced the discovery of mysterious markings along the walls of an obscure passage inside Egypt's Great Pyramid. Bonus: It seems the magician who advised the pharaoh building the pyramid was named "Djedi." No, really!

Posted by scott at 07:39 AM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2011
Ancient Giant

A new fossil find has revealed the world's earliest-known giant critter got bigger, and lived longer, than anyone previously realized. In a world where "big" started at about six inches and went DOWN, the two (and now three) foot anomalocaridids must've been amazing, terrifying creatures.

Update: Fox News has a CGI model of the critter. It's OOOGLY!!!

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
May 25, 2011
Sandbox Lost & Found

By using new infrared imaging techniques, scientists have used survey satellites to find dozens of previously unknown archeology sites in Egypt. The finds seem to include a few (presumably smallish) pyramids. Every time I think Egypt couldn't possibly have more things to find, I'm proven wrong.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2011
Paging R2D2 White Courtesy... Rrmm... Phone?

By allowing robots to develop a language all their own scientists are finding they actually start having things to say. Doesn't seem quite like the "boop-beep" of our titular Star Wars character, but it may be close.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
THUD

An archeological journal has published details of a recently discovered bronze-age battlefield in what is now Germany. It represents possibly the earliest-known evidence of warfare in European history.

Posted by scott at 07:09 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2011
Meso Vista Ahoy

Mark gets a no-prize on a boat that'll eventually cause a different set of loons to predict the end of the world for bringing us news that not only did the Maya have a strong seafaring tradition, they left behind enough of it for the modern world to study. Apparently Columbus's actually described the long canoes the Maya used to trade all manner of goods across the Western Hemisphere.

Posted by scott at 10:01 PM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2011
Triumph, Glory, Brutality

British archeologists have announced the grim discovery of what happens to the spoils after the victor is done with them. Such brutality is common in war, even today, which is yet another reason to avoid it whenever possible.

Posted by scott at 01:28 PM eMail this entry!
Stand, and Walk Again

A revolutionary form of therapy is promising unprecedented hope to spinal cord injury victims. By using a pacemaker-like device to send electric pulses at strategic points on the spine, at least one paraplegic has gained the ability to stand and control other body functions. Exactly how it all works isn't covered in the article, but that it does is in no doubt.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2011
Sticky Life

Scientists have published a new study which describes an alternative, non-Darwinian, method of evolution. Chemical defects in protein structures make them more likely to stick together, and therefore begin to work together. It's not meant to replace evolution, but supplement it.

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2011
Hard Old Heart

Scientists have announced the discovery of the earliest known case of heart disease. The "patient" is a 3500 year-old royal Egyptian mummy scanned as part of a larger project to scan 52 mummies for various diseases. The finding provides evidence that these sorts of diseases are not limited to the modern era.

Posted by scott at 03:32 PM eMail this entry!
Revisions, Revisions...

Color me unsurprised: a new, more accurate model of how glaciers melt show that sea levels will not rise as high as previously predicted. I can already hear the shouts of "apostasy!" and "heretic!" from the left side of the peanut gallery. Attacking religious beliefs tends to do that, ya know...

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2011
Paging Mary Poppins, White Courtesy Phone Please

It looks like a spoon full of sugar really does help the medicine. It doesn't just make it easier to take; scientists have discovered it also helps antibiotics shut down infectious bacteria that otherwise is resistant to standard treatment protocols. So much for that whole, "sugar is poison!!!" meme that ran through the newsrooms a few weeks ago, eh?

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2011
Last Stand

Scientists have announced the discovery of what may be the Nenderthal's final refuge. The find consists of fossils and tool kits consistent with our cold-weather cousins dating to about 30,000 years ago. As with anything in anthropology, the findings are important but contentious.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2011
Holy Face!

From the BBC.

How A Fetus Gets A Face. From the show: "Inside the Human Body."

Posted by Ellen at 08:52 PM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2011
A Whole New Face

His injury happened in November 2008 when Wiens, now 26, was painting his church as a volunteer: His head got too close to a high-voltage power line, and he lost almost his entire face from the burns.

For 90 days, doctors kept him in a medically induced coma while they performed surgeries and he breathed through a ventilator. Many people didn't think he'd make it out of the intensive care unit, Janis said Monday.

But he did survive. Janis connected with Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, Burn Unit director at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Massachusetts, who had previously performed a partial face transplant. Pomahac became the team leader for more than 30 medical professionals who would take part in Wiens' surgery.

With video!

Science is an amazing thing!

Posted by Ellen at 05:58 AM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2011
Watch Out for Zombies

If this article is true, my daughter is the smartest person on the planet. So is every other kid out there. If the research leads to treatment, I'm ... oooh! Shiny!

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2011
Tales of Epic Sea Battle Found!

The size and spacing of the tooth marks on the specimen found do not match any potential predators or prey, but are consistent with bites from another ichthyosaur.
Check out the entire story with pixes here!

Posted by Ellen at 07:20 PM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2011
Bot Proof

By using a simulation of small robots (yes, simulated robots, keep up here) scientists claim to have found proof for a fundamental, and apparently controversial, evolutionary theory. Seems like there's been one of those classic slow-motion flame wars you sometimes get in academic journals about this theory recently. As with all such dusty-deadly book fights, the other side is sticking to their guns and not buying any of it.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
Cat Dog

A new study of the famous "Tasmanian tiger" has revealed the creature probably hunted more like a cat than a wolf. It seems the unique environment in which it evolved lead to unique adaptations in the way it hunted.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2011
Sun Calling

Scientists have discovered the sun may be influencing the rate of radioactive decay of elements on the Earth. What was once thought to be a universal constant has turned out to not be so constant after all.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2011
Before and After- Tornado Style

Remember those tsunami before and after images you can play with?

Now you have just as much horrifying fun with the Alabama tornados!

It just goes to remind you to be grateful for what you have on a daily basis. Not only did people lose their lives, but their homes, businesses and their communities.

Posted by Ellen at 01:35 PM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2011
Dillo of DOOM!

Scientists have found proof armadillos can transmit leprosy to humans. Fortunately the disease is curable nowadays, although the damage it does can't be reversed. As if I needed a reason to stay away from the darned things...

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2011
Skintastic

Scientists have released a study which claims current synthetic skin products are every bit as good as the real stuff, at least when it comes to animal testing. Keeping Mr. Rat away from the makeup testing is all well and good, but I'm curious about the potential for burn victims. Oh, and the possibilities for complicating the lives of vegans with extra choices in footwear sound fun, too.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2011
Frikken Combusters

Scientists in Japan have announced the development of lasers small enough and tough enough to replace the venerable spark plug in an internal combustion engine. Such devices should allow increases in power and fuel economy, along with reduced emissions.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2011
Spooky Computing

Scientists have announced the successful use of quantum entanglement to transmit information without loss. Use in quantum computers is all well and good, but I have to wonder if this also points the way toward a method of communication which is unaffected by the speed of light.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
Kites of Death

Scientists have, for the first time, confirmed that ancient structures known as "desert kites" were in fact used for the mass slaughter of gazelles. The emphasis on what an environmental disaster this practice was is a predictable anachronism. The regional population of gazelle fell, yes, but the world did not run out of them. People were far too busy with more important concerns, like not starving or getting slaughtered themselves by competing warlords.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2011
Natural Language

Scientists have released a new study of human language that reveals its evolution was more complex than previously thought. It seems that the idea that our brains are computers with language "chips" installed in them isn't supported by the data.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2011
Not So Stone Age Fabulous

Per usual, other scientists don't think the "gay cave man" was, well, gay. Instead, they find the idea of a "3rd gender" more likely. Because that's a lot different from a guy who likes to kiss other guys or dress up like a woman. Much different.

Not that there's anything wrong with that (obligatory)

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2011
It's Taken Them This Long?

Scientists are now claiming going "cold turkey" by giving up a smart phone may produce withdrawal-like symptoms. I've seen Ellen panic, pure, wild-eyed panic, over only two things in her life... her child, and her phone. The time it takes her to get the former to the hospital compares favorably with the time it takes her to get the latter to the Verizon store.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2011
Stone Age Fabulous

Scientists have announced the discovery of "the world's first gay cave man." The individual, a member of the "corded ware" society, lived about five thousand years ago in what is today a suburb of Prague. He was found to be buried in a way normally reserved only for women, right up to grave goods associated with getting a sammich.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
April 04, 2011
Moo Cow Mom

Robert H. gets one of the less expected no-prizes for bringing us news that Chinese scientists have genetically engineered cattle to produce something resembling human milk. The "ick" factor is high with this one. Then again, if it keeps little kids from starving, how bad can it be? Added bonus: it gets the anti-GM crowd, purest of the pure green fanatics, in an absolute froth. That must be a good thing.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2011
Cranking the Nights Away

Every time I turn around, it seems like someone's made a new discovery about the Antikythera mechanism, that utterly unprecedented computer from the ancient world. This time, it turns out to have included the ability to vary the motion of the moon and the sun as it made its various calculations. Goodness only knows how much this thing really cost to build.

Posted by scott at 07:40 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2011
~ Because It's Only a Potato Earth / Sitting Under a Geoid Sky ~

Yeah, I guess when you exaggerate the Earth's gravitational field in a photo, it does sorta look like a potato. Personally, I'm wondering just why the variations are where they are.

Posted by scott at 03:13 PM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2011
That's An Old Brain!

A 2,500-year-old human skull uncovered in England was less of a surprise than what was in it: the brain. The discovery of the yellowish, crinkly, shrunken brain prompted questions about how such a fragile organ could have survived so long and how frequently this strange type of preservation occurs.
Pretty cool!!
Posted by Ellen at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2011
Magical Mystery Life

By studying genetic material floating around in the ocean, scientists have discovered tantalizing evidence that a fourth domain of life may exist, previously undiscovered, on Earth. It may be some sort of virus. It may be something we've been mistaking for bacteria. Heck it might be the Obama administration's backbone. Nobody knows.

Posted by scott at 07:11 AM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2011
~ Power's To Become Cheap and Clean ~

Scientists have developed a new catalyst for fuel cells that is just as powerful but costs a fraction of platinum-based catalysts in current use. Even better: these carbon nanotube-based items don't "rot" the same way their platinum equivalents do, and can run on fuel that's easier to store than raw hydrogen.

Posted by scott at 02:53 PM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2011
Old Experiment, New Results

By examining 50 year-old leftover samples, scientists have discovered evidence that the primordial Earth may have had a much more sophisticated soup of organic compounds than previously thought. And that, folks, is why experimental evidence is seldom, if ever, thrown away on purpose.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2011
The Health of the King

A different group of scientists are proposing (yet another) set of reasons to explain why Henry VIII fell apart. This time, it's a genetic disorder combined with a rare blood type that did the deed. Ya know, it obviously won't kill the guy to maybe take a sample or two from his body. Yeah, I get it, "good luck convincing Queenie to dig up the floor of her personal chapel" and all that. Ah, well...

Posted by scott at 10:12 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2011
Evolving Cooperation

A new survey of existing hunter-gatherer bands has validated a new theory about how, and why, the human/chimpanzee split occurred. By confirming through genetic surveys that hunter-gatherer groups are actually not strongly related to each other, scientists have confirmed a prediction of the new theory that it was our ancestors' ability to recognize and cooperate with each other that started us on the road to humanity.

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2011
Laser Scribe

Scientists have announced the development of a scribing technique which could allow the creation of cheaper, more powerful solar power cells. The proof-of-concept project is set to run for 3 years, at the end of which we will presumably know if this will, well, actually work or not.

Posted by scott at 10:55 AM eMail this entry!
Lost and Found

A group of scientists are claiming to have discovered the iconic city of Atlantis. This time, it's buried under a mud flat in southern Spain. We missed the premiere of the documentary mentioned, but it's on the Tivo's schedule now. Makes for a nice idea, it'll be interesting to see just what they've found.

Posted by scott at 06:56 AM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2011
Lost World

Scientists have announced the discovery of a community the likes of which the world hasn't seen in perhaps sixty-five million years. True, crinoids aren't as glamorous as, say, a Tyrannosaur, but the find is remarkable nonetheless.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2011
The More You Know...

I'm sure most folks in the audience are glad the 3% of our genetic make-up that isn't chimpanzee includes the bit that turns off spines on the male penis. Being humans, I'm sure there are some folks in the peanut gallery who are disappointed.

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
Bio-Break

Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have announced the development of a more powerful biofuel which uses decaying grass instead of corn. Which is all well and good, until you remember the real reason we use ethanol is it provides a back-door subsidy for corn farmers. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
God's Fist

A National Geographic field team has announced the discovery of an impact crater in central Africa. It represents the first confirmed crater found in the area. Currently the impactor is thought to have been about half a mile across, but it's still unclear just when it happened.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2011
Spare Hose

Scientists are reporting successfully creating and implanting artificial urethrae into humans. No, it's not the most glamorous application, but if the alternative is a permanent catheter, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2011
Which Comes First, the Chicken or the... Dinosaur?

Jack Horner's attempt to create a "chickenosaurus," a genetically modified chicken which expresses dinosaur traits, seem to be making progress. He still seems optimistic, well, as optimistic as Horner ever does, but it sounds like he's beginning to back away from the idea that they'll get a living, breathing example in a few years.

Posted by scott at 12:42 PM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2011
Waves on the Water

A new series of experiments has confirmed the unexpected mechanisms which cause ripples to form on icicles. The research may reveal new ways to, for instance, prevent ice from forming on the wings of airplanes.

Posted by scott at 07:15 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2011
I Can Haz Sarah Conner?

Darpa's at it again, this time awarding a contract to have a "cheetah-bot" built. This is the same company that brought us that freaky mule-bot, so I don't doubt they're capable of it. Bonus: they're also working on a Terminator look-alike.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2011
Cranky Old Men Never Change

A new reconstruction of Oetzi, the world-famous "iceman" discovered twenty years ago this year, shows he looked like pretty much what you'd expect of a grizzled veteran of the late neolithic. Every time it seems like science is done with one poor old bastard unfortunate enough to drop dead on the ice, they go and find something new.

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2011
A Fungus Among Us

Scientists have announced the development of a genetically engineered fungus which goes after malarial mosquitoes. As someone who grew up in southeast Arkansas, where the mosquitoes would either eat you there or take you home, anything that makes life difficult for the beasties is OK by me.

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
February 23, 2011
Cell Boost

A new study has discovered prolonged cell phone use increases brain activity. If this really is true, Ellen and Amber must have the most active brains in human history.

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2011
Lost & Found

While the "convincing evidence" seems kinda slim to me, an answer to the mysterious disappearance of an ancient Roman legion may finally have been found. Looks like we've got a nifty fiction movie and another documentary about this coming out soon.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2011
Zip Zappin' Away

US Navy researches have broken records with a new, more powerful version of a free electron laser. Currently the demo version pumps out 14kw, but the Navy has awarded a contract to develop a 100kw variant. Cruise missiles? What cruise missiles?

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2011
Just Don't Put It On a Sandwich

As if carbon didn't have enough to do already, scientists are predicting that under very specific conditions, carbon can be turned into a gel. This upends the conventional wisdom about gels, which previously were believed to require a solid and liquid component. Nobody's actually managed to make the stuff, yet, but that can't be far behind.

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2011
Paging the Bangles, White Courtesy Phone Please

By carefully re-creating artificial toes (no, really) found in Egyptian tombs, a scientist has found further proof these are not after-death decoration, but are instead actual, and ancient, prostheses. Unfortunately the artifacts weren't accompanied by an instruction manual, and no literary sources seem to reference them, so the jury still stays out.

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2011
Peak Oil Pops

So, the Canadians are becoming our most important source of foreign oil. New technologies have increased the potential of our own domestic oil fields a whopping 2,400%. Can we now put to rest the notions that "peak oil" will somehow doom us all? Secular people roll their eyes at creationists for their obstinate refusal to acknowledge basic facts. Funny, that...

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 06:24 PM eMail this entry!
Foot Bone Find

A recently described hominid fossil is providing even more evidence that Lucy and her kindred walked upright almost exactly the same way we do. Yeah, you'd think by now everyone would be convinced, but anthropologists are a hard-headed bunch.

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2011
Yeah, but "Google-ana Jones" Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring

By using Google Earth, armchair archeologists are discovering thousands of sites in places difficult, if not impossible, to survey on the ground. I once went on an archeological "walkabout" in the Nile valley and was stunned at the number of obvious sites that neither I or Wikipedia knew anything about. Maybe there's an ancient library down there somewhere.

Posted by scott at 07:00 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2011
*Sniff?!? CANCER! POINT POINT POINT!*

When smelling breath samples the dog's success rate was about 95 per cent and that figure climbed to 98 per cent when smelling stool samples.

Once again, a dog's nose is amazing!

Posted by Ellen at 07:32 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Led Zepplin, White Courtesy Phone Please

A series of experiments seems to confirm Vikings actually did use special "sunstones" to navigate the ocean on foggy days. The polarization of light seems to be the key.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2011
That's Not Natural

Scientists have announced the ability provide a hydrogen disguise for helium. Finding the Universe's Smallest Costume Shop was apparently the toughest part.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the veal!

Posted by scott at 06:14 PM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2011
Sawing the Peak Clean Off

Making the rounds: a British company has announced the development of a synthetic fuel which can be used in existing automobiles that produces no greenhouse gasses when burned, and could be had for as little as $1.50 per gallon. This has "pipe dream" written on it in titanic green neon letters, but if it DOES turn out to be true, there's at least one hard-left greenie in the peanut gallery who's going to owe me a pizza while he helps me shred all his "peak oil ZOMG! DISASTER!" literature.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2011
Handshake Hell

Ever wonder who you're really talking to when you argue with yourself? Turns out, it may be your "other half." By studying patients who, for one reason or another, have had the hemispheres of their brain disconnected, scientists have determined that the two halves of our brain represent discrete, conscious, and potentially independent entities. This is all fine when everything is wired up properly, but when the wiring goes wrong the results can lead to "Alien Hand Syndrome."

Just when you thought consciousness couldn't get any weirder...

Posted by scott at 09:50 AM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2011
Twisted Firestarter

A new study on Permian-era sediments suggests giant coal fires may have contributed to the mass extinction that killed off as much as 96% of Earth's life forms. For once, the article even details a few of the predictions the theory makes, which means (funds pending) a definitive answer may actually be on the way.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
Yellowstone's Super Volcano

Scientists think a swelling magma reservoir four to six miles (seven to ten kilometers) below the surface is driving the uplift. Fortunately, the surge doesn't seem to herald an imminent catastrophe, Smith said.

Read entire article here.

With video!

Posted by Ellen at 05:53 AM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2011
Tricerawho?

It seems triceratops might actually not be triceratops. Scientists are, of course, arguing about it, but that is their job after all. Fortunately, the obscure rules that dictate species names mean the name won't be going away any time soon.

Posted by scott at 07:56 AM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2011
Giant Crawdads from Space!

Well, not exactly space, more like Tennessee. They literally found a previously unknown giant sort of crayfish hiding out under a rock in a river in the ol' Vol state. Unfortunately they don't go into enough detail to define how big "giant" is when talking about crawdads.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
That Sounds... Science-y?

Scientists have announced the discovery of an exotic state in an "unconventional superconductor" The article is chock-full of head-'asplodey goodness, but I think the basic point is it may point the way toward a kind of digital memory which can be used by quantum computers. Hey, it's 6:30. I'm not scheduled to actually start thinking for at least another hour.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2011
Cloning The Mammoth

A team of scientists from Japan, Russia and the United States hopes to clone a mammoth, a symbol of Earth’s ice age that ended 12,000 years ago, according to a report in Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun. The researchers say they hope to produce a baby mammoth within six years.

Ok, my question is this. WHY would you clone something just to keep it secret so the world cannot see?

Posted by Ellen at 08:45 PM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2011
What the Heck is That?

Scientists have announced the discovery that a certain type of crow will sometimes use tools to explore its environment. Go for the interesting discussion. Stay for the "wtf?!? What is that? Lemme poke it. WTF?!?!" crow videos.

Posted by scott at 01:54 PM eMail this entry!
Out in the Cold

A group of scientists have released a study which claims Neanderthal faces did not actually have any special adaptations to the cold. This was an absolute given when I was an undergrad. If it really were this obvious, you'd think someone would've noticed before now.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2011
Not The Crickets!! Anything But The Crickets!

Not the CRICKETS!

Posted by Ellen at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2011
~ Why Do Birds / Suddenly Appear / Dead on Streets / and Cause Fear? ~

Color me unsurprised: Scientists are noting the frenzy over "mass bird death" is less about birds and more about selling newspapers. Or, you know, online ads, that sort of thing. Our media? Fueling hysteria? Say it ain't so!

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
Quick! Call the Weather Girls!

Because, wait for it... it's raining, rrm... magma! It seems the weird difference between earth rocks and moon rocks can be explained by the way certain elements precipitated out of the Earth's atmosphere after the collision with a Mars-sized body which caused the moon's formation.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2011
Lake Effect

Russian scientists are about to sample water from a lake that has been completely cut off from the rest of the planet for 15 million years. It's thought that any critters living in the hyper-oxygenated water will provide insight into metabolic processes, as well as provide information on what Enceladus and Europa, which are thought to have a similar environment, are like.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2011
Nanoshirts!

Scientists have worked out new manufacturing techniques that promise smart clothing that can survive a washing machine. Not only that, it seems the material may also be useful as a stealth coating. That's right, the next fighter the air force buys may actually be wearing a sweater.

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2011
Hairy Hope

A group of scientists has announced significant progress in the discovery of the cause of male pattern baldness. Ok, all those women in the peanut gallery who just rolled their eyes? It may very well have implications for female baldness as well. The wigs we save may be yours, too!

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2011
Fud Haz Thumbs

It looks like our ancestors had to deal with more than one kind of sabretooth cat. And by "ancestor" I mean, "so far back it may have lived before the human/chimp split." Nice kitty!

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2011
What Pose Is That Called?

She broke her tibia and fibula in both legs after she was hit by a truck. It happened while she was at the BYU-Utah game on Thanksgiving weekend. She was leaving the tailgating lot where a lot of people were yelling and shoving as they were leaving the stadium. She said was forced off the sidewalk, right into the path of a truck.

The power of the human body.

Posted by Ellen at 07:41 AM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2010
The Gravity of Information

Technology Review's "best idea of 2010" is that gravity is an emergent phenomena generated by quantum mechanics. I think what they're saying is that by treating gravity as something that springs out of quantum interactions, a number models far simpler than those floating around today can be built of what makes the universe tick. Simpler models tend to mean cheaper experiments to prove them, so maybe we've finally found a new way forward toward the good ol' GUT.

Posted by scott at 03:48 PM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2010
Floss Daily

Sir Paul Mellars, a prehistory expert at Cambridge University, said that the find is "important," but that it was premature to say the remains are from modern humans. He said the teeth are more likely from ancient relatives of Homo sapiens, such as the Neanderthals or their ancestors, which are thought to have left Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Read the entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:14 AM eMail this entry!
December 27, 2010
Quick! Another Round of Cancun Climate Conferences!

Recent observations that the Earth's magnetic north pole has begun moving around much faster than before have triggered a revision in the ideas of just what, exactly, makes that happen. Seems like it might be related to the same forces that generate a whirlpool in a bathtub drain. I think. At any rate, I'm sure the Bush administration will (still) get blamed for it somehow.

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
December 24, 2010
I've Heard of "Dry Aged" Beef Before...

Scientists have announced the discovery of a "missing link" cattle species, with a fossil find some two million years old. Exactly how the scientists determined humans had anything to do with eating the beast is a little unclear from the article, but if nothing else it does prove that we were all wandering around the same area at the same time.

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2010
A New Cousin?

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new, genetically distinct, line of ancient humans. DNA testing reveals this population shared a common ancestor with Neanderthals, and interbred with early modern humans who'd taken up residence in the same area.

Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!
December 19, 2010
Meanwhile, at Apocalypse Central

Now that the future has decided to stop monkeying with the LHC, it's finally starting to refute some theories. Ellen will, of course, be vaguely disappointed that they haven't managed to create any black holes yet, but that's not going to stop them from trying!

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2010
Found King

After bouncing around various private collections for more than two hundred years, the head of the French king Henry IV has been found and identified. One of the things that still bugs me about the royal burials at St. Denis is how they were all piled into a few big boxes after the lunacy of the revolution because identifying the separate skeletons would be "impossible." Probably in the 19th century, yes, but even before modern DNA testing it has long been possible to reassemble disarticulated skeletons using modern osteological techniques. All they'd need to do was try. Politics. Bah.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2010
Deep Update

Everyone's favorite deep water submersible (and really, who doesn't have a favorite deep water submersible?) is getting an extensive refit which should allow it to explore more than 90% of the ocean's depths. Alvin's been around a long time, and has done some spectacular science. It's nice to hear it'll be around a good while more. I do, however, find it a little bit strange that the article completely failed to mention the sub is actually owned by the Navy.

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2010
Assassin's Fingerprint

Scientists have speculated for years that the Siberian Traps, a featured formed by a massive volcanic event 250 million years ago, may have been involved in the Permian extinction, but nobody's worked out exactly how. Now a group of scientists are proposing exactly that. Having the lava pass through salt-rich rock, and thereby creating a much more poisonous event, would neatly explain why this eruption was so disruptive when other similar events, like the one which formed the Deccan Traps area, were not.

Posted by scott at 03:45 PM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2010
~ We Gotta Thing / And it's Called, Radar Lake ~

NASA scientists have confirmed the existence of a gigantic lake in what is now the middle of the Sahara. I've read in a few places that earlier radar mapping missions (STS-2 and -41G) were not really the pure science they were advertised as, but instead were subtle cold war demonstrations meant to prove we had the means to detect silos no matter how well the Soviets hid them. Dunno if that's true, but it makes for a neat story.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2010
MMmm...People...

"Instead of briefly grabbing for testing or tasting purposes, this female apparently considers human swimmers as a potential food source," she said.

Oh calm down...it's about a shark.

Posted by Ellen at 09:02 PM eMail this entry!
The Oddities of 2010

Careful! There are many squee moments!!!

Posted by Ellen at 08:48 PM eMail this entry!
Dark X

A group of scientists are proposing (yet another) theory that explains dark matter and why the whole universe wasn't annihilated by anitparticles billions of years ago. This time they're proposing a super-dense particle that, due to its makeup, prefers to decay in a unique, asymmetrical way that would naturally lead to the universe we see now. Me, I think it sounds pretty convenient, but they do claim there are existing experiments which should be able to disprove the idea. Hey, why not?

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2010
Bug Oddity: Not Yours

I guess the internet really has sped even the most staid of discussions up. This time, instead of it taking months or even years for a tennis match of scientists to complete a volley, it only takes a few days. Even I thought the description of NASA scientists' discovery of an exotic type of bacteria sounded a little weird. Does it mean that they're wrong, or even that the science is bad? Only time will tell.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2010
You Do Know How We Treat Blasphemers

Robert H. gets the coveted Albigensian no-prize for bringing us evidence that the media frenzy about climate change has a long and rich history. Yes, yes, "This is a Crisis! You are a Dangerous, Greedy, Immoral, Evil, Stupid, Naive, Misguided Person! Denier! Apostate! Here's your yurt, we're off to Cancun!" Must always remember to post up those cautions. Don't want the plebes to get the wrong idea.

Posted by scott at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
Paging Bing Crosby, White Courtesy Phone Please

Weatherman Joe Bastardi (no, really, that's his name. Stop giggling! I said stop it!) is predicting lots of snow for lots of people this Christmas season. And yes, the only real point to this is to poke fun at this guy's name.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2010
Ice Ice Baby

Robert H. gets a no-prize guaranteed to send die-hard greens into an apoplectic frenzy for bringing us news that we may all in fact be in the grip of a "mini ice age." Yes, I understand it's all about climate change and yes, "one-paper-does-not-make-a-trend-who-is-this-maniac-you-dangerous-denier-type-person!!!" The point is when regular folks like me see temperature trending consistently up, that's worrying. When we see the temperature trending up and down, well, that's just weather.

Posted by scott at 07:18 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2010
MOM!! Close The Door!

Along the warmth of the coast, this long, spindly-legged lizard deposits its eggs where they can fend for themselves. If a predator doesn't get them, they'll hatch into a whole new generation of yellow-bellied skinks. Up in the mountains, the eggs would have a rougher time of it. The temperature at higher altitudes drops, and the skink eggs don't have the same chance as their coastal siblings do. The yellow-bellied skink has found a solution to that; it disposes with eggs entirely and carries its young internally until it can give birth to them.

Is it a snake or a lizard!

Or...BOTH!

Posted by Ellen at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
Now That Is Hot!

Researchers at Warwick University testing the Naga Viper found that it measures 1,359,000 on the Scoville scale, which rates heat by tracking the presence of a chemical compound. In comparison, most varieties of jalapeño peppers measure in the 2,500 to 5,000 range -- milder than the Naga Viper by a factor of 270.

Habanero take a step, no wait, several steps down from super hot!

Posted by Ellen at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2010
It's Life Jim, but not as We Know It

Mark gets a no-prize that'll knock Klingons off the starboard bow for bringing us news of the discovery of a critter that might not even be based on the same chemistry we are. Discovered in a godforsaken lake somewhere in eastern Cali no less. When I read the article, it's also possible this just happens to be a bacteria you can't kill with a stick. It'll take a few more experiments, a lot more grant money, and a slow-motion journal-based flame fest to be sure. Hey, that's science!

Posted by scott at 10:24 PM eMail this entry!
Serial Immortality Isn't Something that Comes in a Box with a Toy

The world's first successfully cloned animal has been cloned once again. This time there are four "Dollies," and instead of needing hundreds of sheep embryos to produce a single clone, they only needed to use five. Me, I can't believe it's been fourteen years since the original Dollie was born.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
November 27, 2010
Ptoooey!

The earth never ceases to amaze me.

Icelandic photographer Ragnar Sigurdsson captured the spectacular scenes as he documented the progress of the eruption - even bravely flying over the bubbling crater.

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Posted by Ellen at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
November 26, 2010
Squids, Departing

Scientists have finally confirmed reports that not only can some squid species jump out of the water, they can actually fly. Every time you think you've seen everything nature can cook up, out pops another dish of surprise.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2010
It's A Girl! No Wait! It's A Boy!

The mummy, housed at Saffron Walden Museum in Essex, was shrouded in mystery after it was discovered in a private collection in 1878.

However, studies last year discovered it was wrapped in clothing adorned in feminine symbols, wearing girl’s breast cones and a female bracelet.

Ground-breaking CT scans carried out at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, have finally solved the mystery revealing the mummy is a boy dressed in girl’s clothing.

And cue Zahi Hawas...

Posted by Ellen at 07:20 PM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2010
I Can See! No, Not Really...

Science is amazing!

How artificial eyes are made.

Posted by Ellen at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2010
Demonic Energy

By using what seems to be a sophisticated electronic one-way valve, scientists have for the first time converted information directly into energy. The experiment proves a hypothesis proposed some 150 years ago by physicist James Clerk Maxwell that the second law of thermodynamics can be reversed without using energy.

As with most of these sorts of pure science... thingies... I don't completely understand what anyone is talking about, but they are all excited so I'll take their word for it that it's cool. Or hot, as the case may be.

Posted by scott at 02:40 PM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2010
Coming In At Number 9

At the age of 12, an intrepid Wernher von Braun loaded his toy wagon with some firecrackers and shot off across a crowded German street. It was a sign of things to come. The brains behind Hitler's V-2 rocket program arrived in the United States as a prisoner of war and went on to be its champion of space and lunar exploration. While putting people on the moon, von Braun also mastered scuba diving and philosophy.

Meet the other scientists.

Posted by Ellen at 05:58 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2010
You Have Already Read This Story

It seems that, after eight years of experiments, a scientist discovered the evidence parapsychologists have been claiming they had for years. By taking common psychology tests and simply reversing the order in which they're taken, Daryl Bem of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York seems to have produced repeatable evidence we are influenced by events before they happen. At least one attempt to duplicate the results have failed, but (if I'm reading the article correctly), this attempt used a different protocol. Regardless, this isn't someone bending spoons. The experiment is well-described and presumably makes even more testable predictions.

No, I don't know what it ultimately means, either, but it sure seems cool!

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2010
Golden Boughs

By using nanoparticles of gold, scientists have figured out how to make trees glow in the dark. The article is big on "ooh! ahh! pretty!" but short on the details that would convince me, at least, that this might be a viable substitute for street lights. I mean, what happens when the leaves fall off, and are eaten by a critter? Just how bright is it, anyway?

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2010
I'm Pretty Sure That'll Void the Warranty

A consortium of doctors and engineers are working together to create mobile phone kits that will diagnose STDs privately and discreetly. Yep, that's right, you pee on your phone and it'll tell you if you've got the clap. A more effective way of preventing someone from sharing said phone, I literally cannot imagine.

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2010
Bloodskin

Scientists have announced the development of a technique that turns human skin cells directly into blood. Not just the red cells, but several other types which make up this vital substance. What's not exactly clear is just how much blood is made in a particular batch.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2010
Opfor Power Plant

So, does the internal combustion concept really have depths left to chart? This guy thinks so. As I first read the description, I thought, "two stroke flat four, dur." Then I watched the video, and things got much more interesting. Two pistons in the same cylinder, which complete a power stroke by pushing toward each other? I'll bet you a nickle the idea was worked out a hundred years ago, but material science couldn't come up with the alloys to make it practical. We've come a long way with material science, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 10:19 PM eMail this entry!
Grow-an-Organ

Scientists have announced the creation of a (very) small-scale human liver. They've got a long way to go before they can grow a whole liver from scratch, but they're making progress.

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2010
But What's the Fun in That?

Remember that "time traveler caught on silent film" segment? The one with the lady on the cellphone wandering around in a Chaplain film? Two words: hearing aid. Ah, well. It was fun to think about, that's for sure.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2010
Distant Relatives

Scientists have announced the discovery of human remains which push back the date our ancestors were thought to have populated Asia by fifty thousand years. The find is, of course, controversial, but assuming all is well it poses interesting questions in the how and why of humanity's great eastward migration.

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2010
I Guess Someone's Got to do It

Scientists at Fermilab are building a "laser holometer" to find out if our 3-D universe really IS a 3-D universe. Boy, I bet you're going to feel sheepish about buying that 3-D TV if it turns out the whole dimension is a lie. Me, I'd blame Karl Rove.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2010
I Shall Call Them, "Spiderpillers"

Scientists have announced the development of a silkworm that spins a kind of spider silk. The resulting fabric is much stronger than normal silk, but not as strong as pure spider silk. However, the group says it's only started experimenting, and are confident the much stronger pure spider silk is not far off.

Posted by scott at 06:20 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2010
I See that SOMEONE Needs Some Busy-Work

At Livermore California, scientists are trying to create stars. Even better, they're using frikkin lasers! Where large research grants go, cool science tech is sure to follow.

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2010
Caring and Sharing

Scientists have announced the discovery of the earliest known example of a hominid that had to have received help from others to survive. This all may seem screamingly obvious to everyone, but physical anthropology has been burned numerous times by "obvious" conclusions that were eventually overturned when someone looked at the evidence. Nowadays if they don't find direct, incontrovertible evidence, they won't make the call, and even if they do the guys on the other sideline throw about a dozen red flags down for another replay. It's sort of like really, really slow-motion football that way.

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 03:45 PM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2010
~ There's a Killer in the Hive ~

It seems that, with the help of the Army, the cause of the well-publicized domestic honey bee collapse has finally been found. Turns out it's a combination of a virus and a fungus, neither of which has the ability to destroy a colony on its own. Just why this happens is still unclear, but now that the cause is known it's hoped a cure will be soon to follow.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2010
Radiation Hawks

By using an "artificial event horizon," scientists seem to have found the first direct evidence for Hawking radiation. As with most really weird scientific experiments, the result is open to interpretation, not all of which confirm that black holes do in fact radiate energy.

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
Glasses? We Don't Need No Glasses!

Engineers at Toshiba have unveiled a 3D television which does not require glasses to work. Bonus: it also can transform "normal" broadcasts into 3D. New TV tech being what it is, prices start high... the equivalent of about $1500 in yen for a 12" screen. TV tech in general being what it is, I'd expect the price to drop steadily if it meets market success.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2010
Dope Science

Ok, so it turns out Contador's failed drug test involved a substance that increases a person's metabolic rate, among other things. It's also just possible he really didn't take it intentionally. Me, I remember Floyd Landis was about as sincere as he could be professing his innocence, and look how that turned out.

Posted by scott at 07:18 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2010
Well of Course We're Gonna Link THIS Up

"As with the origins of so many great scientific discoveries, this story begins with a serendipitous chain of events. 'Our interest in the psychological properties of semen arose as a by-product of an initial interest in menstrual synchrony...'" Nah-ah-ah! It's in Scientific American. Respectable, even!

What's that? Well, of course we're staying classy. You don't have to keep saying it.

Posted by scott at 05:42 PM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2010
Proof and Quantum Puddings

By using clocks that pretty much define "hyper-accurate", scientists have demonstrated relativistic effects on Newton-level scales. I'm old enough to remember when many people thought Einstein's theory was too wacky to actually be true, mostly of the fundamentalist Christian bent. I wonder if they realize the GPS unit that guides them to their (now) grand-kid's birthday party at the local Chucky's wouldn't work at all if it weren't for Einstein's relativity theories?

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2010
Dino Tank

Scientists have announced, to the undoubted delight of headline writers everywhere, the discovery of the "horniest" dinosaur ever. This cousin of the more familiar triceratops had fifteen well-developed horns on its six foot long head. As usual, the likely purpose was to impress chicks.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2010
Soup of the Universe

Scientists working with the Large Hadron Collider think they may have seen evidence of a kind of matter present at the beginning of the universe. The implications for various cosmological theories are large, albeit largely incomprehensible to me. Giant machine smash tiny things, uhnk!

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2010
Printing the Future

It's looking like the first big 21st century "game changer" is turning out to be 3-D printers. I'll be happy when someone starts ginning up Milano spares for me. I never thought to be so ambitious as to try to print out a whole freaking house.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
Tractor Time

Scientists have announced a for-real, working tractor beam. Sure, it only moves tiny masses small distances, but hey, ya gotta start somewhere! Even with such modest capabilities, the scientists can imagine practical uses for the device, like atmospheric sampling or the manipulation of hazardous microbes.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2010
Toka-wha?

Construction on the first full-scale fusion reactor has begun. Weirdly, the article does not mention what the scheduled completion date is. I think that may not be an accident, considering that fusion power has been "fifty years away" for a least the past thirty.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2010
A Zorse is a Zorse of Course

It seems genetic science has progressed to the point hybrid studies are more accurate, and lead to sometimes surprising results. It seems not all cross-species offspring are sterile, and some prove quite successful indeed.

Posted by scott at 07:15 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2010
Oh Great, There Goes the Only Thing Keeping Ellen Off the Darned Thing

Next up: cell phones powered by conversation. Now that I think about it, if Ron and I can figure out the right sort of harness, we'll likely be able to power our houses with the energy Ellen and Amber generate every day. Maybe we'll be able to sell it back to the power company!

Posted by scott at 08:19 PM eMail this entry!
I Like "Dry Hurricane" Better

Scientists have had to come up with a new name to describe a super-storm which swept across Kansas last year. I wish they would've provided a pronunciation guide for "super derecho." I don't need to add another word to my "most likely to mispronounce" list.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2010
Good Luck with That

For just $150, you can take a positive step toward protecting yourself from the upcoming food supply crisis. Since I don't actually believe there is an upcoming food supply crisis, and eating something that grew in my pee which at best tastes like seaweed is sort of the opposite of what I consider appetizing, I'll give it a pass. But I'll be cheering anyone else who takes the (green, gooey) plunge.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2010
That's a Nice Scope Right There

It seems that the Hubble's replacement will be sophisticated enough to detect volcanoes and oceans on planets light-years away. At this rate, we'll be able to read the menu on the outside of McAndromedas before Olivia's out of college. I wonder if they'll have a McRib sandwich, too?

Posted by scott at 06:33 PM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2010
Vita-Memory

Scientists have announced the discovery of a vitamin concoction which significantly slows the mental impairment widely seen as a precursor to Alzheimer's. By using very large doses of three vitamin B compounds, the treatment helps neutralize homocysteine,which is thought to play a significant role in the progress of the disease. Best of all, it's cheap!

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
Jellitricity

Hot on the heels of the revelation of one new solar panel technology, comes yet another debut, this time using jellyfish goo at its core. Could solar power finally be on the verge of fulfilling the promises made for it for decades? Only time will tell.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2010
Brain Study

It would seem that not only is conventional "study" wisdom wrong, it's been wrong for at least twenty years. I sort of stumbled upon the fact that studying in different places and at different times yielded better results, back in college. Then again, I was so desperate to graduate and quite obviously outclassed I grasped firmly to every straw I could find. This will definitely inform how we help Olivia do her homework.

Posted by scott at 08:29 PM eMail this entry!
Brain Talk

Scientists have announced progress in electronically translating brain waves into words. The main innovation is the use of electrodes which are placed on the surface of the brain, avoiding the injury risks involved with implantation. Right now the device isn't particularly accurate, but does prove the concept is valid. It's hoped that with further development such a device could be used to liberate fully conscious people "locked in" by various diseases and injuries.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2010
Lego Panels

Scientists have announced the creation of a photovoltaic compound which will tear itself down, and build itself back up, based on the presence of a drop of a soap-like substance. Self-assembly of a system which turns light into energy was mastered by plants billions of years ago, but has been out of the reach of us humans, until now. The predicted efficiency is claimed to be twice that of existing solar panels, although no mention is made of the cost.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2010
Bug Brain Bio Buster

Scientists have discovered that the brains of locusts and roaches contain powerful substances that stop so-called "microbial superbugs" in their tracks. At this stage, nobody's sure exactly what those substances might be, but since the world is not suffering a shortage of either critter, I'd expect further research is on the way.

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2010
It's About Damned Time

String theory seems to finally have found a practical test. It's been making promises for years, but testing those promises required science so big it made the Large Hadron Collider look like a cheese wheel. No, it won't prove everyone's favorite multi-dimensional cosmology, but it could disprove it, and in science the latter is just as useful as the former.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2010
Special Memory

Scientists have announced the development of a new way of making non-volatile computer memory. By using nanowires made of silicon, the technique allows a density five times greater than current technology, at (presumably) a lower price. Solid state and it "remembers" even with the power off. A good thing!

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2010
Glacier Secrets

It looks like otzi, the famous "ice man," may not have been murdered after all. I'm a little suspicious it's taken this long for someone to examine the area the ice man was found in as an archeology site, and I know from the documentaries I've seen that the site was far from pristine. Still, it makes for an interesting discussion.

Posted by scott at 05:55 PM eMail this entry!
Hanging Time

By examining videos of hanging deaths both accidental and intentional, scientists think they have found both the mechanism that causes death, and aspects of that death which could provide important evidence criminal cases. I've seen one or two of these things myself over the years, and I definitely say they are incredibly sad. It's nice to know some small good may come from such a terrible thing.

Posted by scott at 02:50 PM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2010
I KNEW IT!

According to the latest research, the final proof that if there is a universal grammar of numbers in which all facets of their behaviour can be expressed, it lies beyond our ken has been discovered. Somehow, though, I doubt "Peano's rules have been debunked by Gödel's incompleteness theorems and boolean relation theory," would've gotten me very far when I brought home a D in math, back in the day.

Update: Link fixed!

Posted by scott at 07:07 AM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2010
Dino Chicken

The effort to turn a chicken into a dinosaur continues to progress. We first heard about this the last time Horner was in a documentary, say two years ago. It's interesting to see they haven't hit any dead ends with the project yet. That said, they also still just have a bunch of chickens. Something to keep an eye on, for sure.

Posted by scott at 06:03 AM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2010
Bone Slices

Scientists have announced the discovery of fossils which push the dawn of tool use in hominids back a full million years. That's Australopithecene territory right there, and represents the first conclusive evidence of that species using tools and eating meat. For a long time the conventional wisdom said our body plan got sorted out with the Australopithecene, with intelligence coming only with the rise of Homo (shaddup, Ron). Now that will all have to be re-thought.

Posted by scott at 07:12 PM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2010
I Shall Call it, "Croc-Cat"

Scientists have announced the discovery of a fossil crocodillian so weird, if all you saw was its teeth, you'd call it a mammal. I dunno, a crocodile of any sort limber enough to catch insects and our rat-like ancestors is still a bit intimidating. Fortunately it's long extinct, so Ellen can't have one.

Posted by scott at 06:45 PM eMail this entry!
But Where's the Platter?

Archeologists have announced the discovery of what may be the remains of John the Baptist. The evidence relies a bit too much on tradition and speculation for my taste, but they've definitely found something. Still, there have been pretty remarkable artifacts preserved in out-of-the-way places. Who knows?

Posted by scott at 07:02 AM eMail this entry!
And a River Runs Through it

Scientists have discovered what they're calling the sixth largest river in the world. The reason nobody's heard of it until now? It's flowing at the bottom of the Black Sea. Turns out there's a salinity gradient (I think that's what it's called anyway) that flows and meanders just like a surface river. The picture featured even seems to show banks on its "shore."

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2010
But of Course, We Still Spent $$$ to Fix it One Last Time

Now, it did take, what, twenty five years, but we now have a ground-based telescope publicly claiming to have exceeded what Hubble can do. I say "publicly," because I distinctly remember reading similar, and quite believable, claims when Mauna Kea got its first dynamic optics back in the early 90s. So any time you feel nostalgic about that giant wrapping paper tube twirling around, just keep in mind the danged thing is that old, and the next one will be a massive improvement.

Posted by scott at 07:14 PM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2010
Definitely Better than, "Kaboom"

Scientists have figured out how to use an exotic form of carbon to simulate very powerful electromagnetic fields. I think. There was stuff in there about electrons and chicken wire, I do know that. That's gotta be good for something, eh?

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2010
Alzheimer's Update

Scientists are using new imaging techniques to come up with better theories of how Alzheimer's works. Which, of course, is likely to lead the way toward effective treatments. There's even some indication it may ultimately be an autoimmune disorder.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2010
Impact Fungus

It seems that the on-again, off-again idea that an impact caused the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna is off again. I'm always suspicious when a group of scientists claim they have found The Answer.

Posted by scott at 06:42 PM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2010
Dig-Dug

Scientists have discovered evidence of a dinosaur hunting small mammals. The fossil preserves both the burrows the mammals were living in, and the claw marks of the dinosaur that (presumably) dug them out.

Posted by scott at 07:14 AM eMail this entry!
Adapt and Conquer

Now that the human genome is well and truly mapped, scientists are discovering lots of evidence for very recent evolution in our species. No wonder Chinese people have a reputation for drinking everyone else under the table!

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2010
Think Small

It seems that, with nuclear power anyway, smaller may just very well be better. All honest players admit the only viable alternative to hydrocarbon energy is nuclear, and it's going to be that way for a very long time. Any development toward making it safer, cheaper, or easier to use is a net plus in my book.

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2010
RRrmmm.. Whut?

Ok, and in the, "I'll take your word for it, and no, I don't need the details of how you found that out" file, we have The Electrical Characteristics of Three Human Penises. Or should that be "Peni?" Yes, yes, ladies, I get it, ain't got nothing on what you have to go through on your yearly. That said, last I heard, electricity wasn't directly involved in your garden variety pelvic exam...

Posted by scott at 10:08 PM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2010
I'm Too Sad To Think Of This

Exposure to the antidepressant fluoxetine causes shrimp to radically alter their behavior. While normal shrimp are more likely to avoid swimming towards light because it's often associated with prey like birds or fishermen, those exposed to fluoxetine become five times more likely to swim towards light than away from it. That change in behavior places them in harm's way, and if enough shrimp are exposed to the antidepressant the entire population could be at risk.

So much for shrimp cocktail.

Posted by Ellen at 09:29 PM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2010
Cold Bugs

By using Arctic bacteria, scientists have come up with vaccines which trigger an immune reaction, but don't survive long enough to do harm in a warm mammal body. Well, a warm mouse body, at any rate. Mice are not people, but this approach seems general enough to perhaps work on just about any of us glorified moles.

Posted by scott at 07:16 PM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2010
Captain Obvious on the Sea

Scientists have discovered whales do exactly the same thing we do when background noise makes it hard for someone else to hear you. Way to keep those grant dollars rolling in there, son.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2010
Squashed Batteries

Scientists have announced the discovery of a material which could some day become the heart of a "battery of the future." By subjecting a common crystal mineral normally used to etch silicon conductors to gigantic pressures, they created a new substance which chemically stored all that energy in the bonds used to create it.

Me, I see two problems: 1) diamond anvils don't sound cheep, and the process required to produce the stuff doesn't sound very fast, and 2) getting energy out of something this power-dense without it getting all explode-y is going to be a neat trick. Still, it does seem to have potential.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2010
And the Word of the Day is, "Fossil"

Scientists have announced the discovery of what is likely the oldest fossil evidence of multicellular life on Earth yet found. A "cookie-shape" sounds funny, until you realize it's two billion years old. For those of you not keeping score, that is a full 1.5 billion years before life forms you and I would recognize as a critter showed up. Our ancestor around that time? Yeah, you guessed it. Glorified worm.

Posted by scott at 08:31 PM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2010
Whale Killah

Scientists have discovered the sperm whale's really, really nasty great-grandfather. I'm struck by how similar the teeth look to its presumed, and as I recall contemporary, immediate rival, the megalodon. Which means it ate more or less the same thing. Which means, yeah, not a great candidate for SeaWorld right there, nope.

Posted by scott at 10:25 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2010
Tasteless Particle

The "sterile" neutrino, once dismissed out of hand as a good idea that just didn't pan out, may have some life left in it yet. When the predicted numbers are off by even the smallest amount, usually there's a new particle hiding out in the woodpile. No, I'm not completely sure what good this will do you and me, but so far no matter how hard physicists try, practical applications always seem to be found for even the most obscure discoveries.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2010
Me, I Think They Should've Named Him, "Desi"

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new A. afarensis fossil, and the "big man" seems to have a lot to say. Any post-cranial fossils from any hominid will always be a big deal, because, since our ancestors were mostly hunted by bone-crunching leopards and hyenas, by far the most common fossils we find are skulls (because the head has an annoying tendency to roll away) and the teeth inside them. That the fossil represents an adult male of the same species as the famous Lucy is an added, and valuable, bonus.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2010
Minos Rules

A new experiment at Fermilab has revealed yet another chink in the Standard Model's armor. I'd try to explain it, but every time I take a shot at that I feel like a cave man trying to explain an Alfa Romeo to his friends, "Unkh. Shiny thing goes fast. Shiny thing falls apart. Is important. Unkh."

Posted by scott at 08:02 PM eMail this entry!
Stoned & Horney

It seems that your attitude toward casual sex is a strong predictor of your attitude toward recreational drugs. I'm not completely convinced. Then again, being a libertarian, I don't really care what consenting adults do behind closed doors. Stay out of trouble, pay your taxes, keep off my lawn, and we're all good.

Posted by scott at 06:17 PM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2010
Bouncin' Bosons

Scientists have discovered methods in quantum mechanics that break the equivalence principle. That being, according to Einstein (via the article), "the gravitational force we experience on Earth is identical to the force we would experience were we sitting in a spaceship accelerating at 1g." Turns out that with a clever combination of gravitational and electromagnetic boxes and oscillators, well, it ain't so.

No, I'm not sure what to make of it either, but usually when these propeller-heads come up with something really weird, eventually someone else figures out how to make a neat gadget using it. [Whisper]NEAT GADGETS.[/Whisper]

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
Shake That County!

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake erupted five miles east-southeast of the desert town of Ocotillo at 9:26 p.m. Monday, causing sharp shaking throughout San Diego County and beyond, the U.S. Geological Survey says. The quake, an aftershock to the 7.2 Easter Sunday quake near Mexicali, briefly caused a delay in the game between the San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays at Petco Park in downtown San Diego.
And San Diego is one of my favorite places! :/
Posted by Ellen at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2010
Ancient Fuzz

Scientists are reporting the discovery of two hundred-million year-old mammal hairs trapped in amber. This is the first time scientists have been able to examine the structure in 3D. Turns out it has changed surprisingly little over such a very long time. Walking with dinosaurs, shedding on the landscape.

Posted by scott at 06:09 PM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2010
~ He isn't Always Evil, and He is not Always Wrong ~

Scientists have discovered that the hormonal counter-weight to the "trust everything" oxytocin turns out to be that bugaboo of all radical feminists, testosterone. Bonus: it seems to help the very sex who's radicals claim it victimizes.

Posted by scott at 06:26 PM eMail this entry!
Mystery Whale

The first gray whale known to have ever visited the Mediterranean sea has been sighted again. According to the article, scientists are trying to decide if this means the species has re-colonized the Atlantic after an approximately three century absence, or if this individual has managed to survive the longest known migration in history. I think it's one of two things: if the whale is male, it's obvious he never stopped to ask for directions. If female, well, hey, the Rivera won't shop itself, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
Gladiator Graves

British scientists have announced the discovery of the largest-known gladiator grave yard in the UK. The article includes the skeletal remains of someone who seems to have gotten a really close shave.

Even if it doesn't prove to actually be a bunch of gladiators, the find is still significant because Roman custom was to normally cremate their dead. Skeletal remains are rare, and can reveal a great deal about how people lived.

Posted by scott at 06:56 AM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2010
Ancient Nom

Scientists have found a massive cache of fossils and tools which indicate our ancestors were eating various kinds of meat at least 2 million years ago. As per usual, since they didn't find a hominid skeleton with a tool in one hand and a croc leg in the other, lying on top of the mound, they're not able to say exactly who was doing the butchering. More reasonable people will likely draw the conclusion this was Homo habilis's doing.

Posted by scott at 06:56 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2010
Possum of Poison

BBCnews is carrying this special report on the hunt for a mammal which likely hasn't changed all that much in 75 million years. For those of you keeping score at home, that means this critter, or one very much like it, was dodging for-real dinosaurs, back in the day. From such humble beginnings...

Posted by scott at 06:20 PM eMail this entry!
May 31, 2010
I'm Sure Dick Cheney's Still Behind it all. Just Ask Rahm!

A new scientific paper is claiming that early hunter-gathers may have been responsible for a cooling episode known as the "Younger Dryas event". The thinking goes that once human hunter-gatherers caused the extinction of North American megafauna like mammoths and woolly rhinos, the resulting drop in atmospheric methane triggered the shift. Sharp readers will note the author appears to have used one very controversial idea (that humans were the sole cause of megafauna extinction) to prop up a new controversial idea about climate change. This makes my, "smells like political spirit" detector go all itchy around the corners. Then again, I haven't showered yet, so it could just be, you know, fleas or something.

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2010
Bee-Gone

Scientists in India are claiming to have found strong evidence that cell phones are the root cause of the crashing honeybee populations in Europe and North America. The study seems to have been done correctly, and also appears repeatable enough, so further research should go a long way toward confirming or denying the hypothesis.

Posted by scott at 07:19 AM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2010
Black Crop Munching Cloud

"There is the potential for widespread outbreaks this summer," Brown said. "We could see grasshopper levels several times of what you would see in a normal year."

I must be very behind in the grasshopper news. The last time I read something about this was in one of the Laura Ingalls books.

Yuck.

Posted by Ellen at 05:34 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2010
Insert Vanilla Ice Reference Here

By using an unlikely combination of radiometric dating techniques, scientists may have finally unlocked the mysteries that start, and stop, Earth's ice ages. Bonus: the Atlantic overturning circulation - the great ocean current that carries heat north, then sinks and flows back along the bottom of the ocean - that most recent of go-to bugaboos climate chicken-littles enjoy waving in everyone's faces, plays a primary role in ending an ice age, not causing it.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2010
Tomb Time

Archeologists have announced the discovery of more than 50 intact tombs in Egypt. Unlike most recent Egyptian tomb discoveries, these aren't "just" a bunch of Roman-era wannabes, but are the real deal, one of which dates back to before the pyramids.

Posted by scott at 06:33 PM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2010
*BlOOp!*

Blockquote>"This mythical story began around the time of Aristotle that the argonaut female actually lived in the shell and raised those webs as sails as she sailed across the ocean," explained Dr Finn. "

With picture goodness!

Posted by Ellen at 07:17 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2010
May 11, 2010
~ Ella, Ella, Ay, Ay, Ay ~

The next-gen airborne laser program seems to be targeting the B-1 platform as its carrying vehicle. If memory serves, it's when you get beyond 100kw that lasers start getting useful as a weapon.

Posted by scott at 07:00 AM eMail this entry!
Ook Ook... Giggity

So, what happens when a reporter is startled by a potentially sensational claim buried in a scientific article? Why, he takes that boring note about how the male members of a troupe of chimps sometimes use the sound of crinkling leaves to get a female's attention and slaps a "chimps use sex toys" headline on it. We're in the best of hands...

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2010
Cousins After All?

In a new study, scientists are claiming that 1-3% of Asian and European genes are Neandertal. Exactly how DNA evidence can be gleaned from fossil examination isn't clear to me, but that could be caused by Ellen rushing us all out the door early today. Further examination will follow later...

Posted by scott at 07:21 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2010
Tetra-Who?!?

Scientists seem to be spotting a new, exotic kind of matter. I think. Quantum mechanics makes my head hurt. Or does it?

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
Ancient Pipes

Scientists have found evidence of the earliest known plumbing system in the New World. It appears the Maya were building pressurized water systems well over a thousand years before the Spaniards arrived.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2010
Usefull!!!

"No, no, sir, I'm not breaking the seal, I'm recharging the battery."

Posted by scott at 10:36 PM eMail this entry!
Shut Up and Calculate

Every once in awhile a physicist takes a crack at explaining quantum physics, but since even the scientists still aren't sure how it ticks, they fail. That said, this guy fails in a pretty informative way. The important thing to remember is this stuff isn't just a physicist trying to be glib on TV... according to every experiment anyone's managed to cook up, this really is how it all works. If it wasn't, the experiments would fail. They don't.

Posted by scott at 09:53 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2010
My Kind of Shot

The FDA has approved the first vaccine for fighting cancer. Before all the guys line up outside the clinic, it should be pointed out this is a treatment meant for use after the cancer has been diagnosed. It also "only" extends life a few months, but I imagine when you're living every day like it was your last a few more week's worth of them would seem like a big bonus. And, hey, they gotta start somewhere.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2010
Worm Sign

Scientists have discovered new specimens of an earthworm species thought to have gone extinct. Turns out the giant, spitting, flower-scented earthworm isn't any of those things. But it is rare.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2010
New Moth

A new species of "micro moth" has been officially recognized, and lives nowhere outside the UK. You'd think with a country full of English busy-bodies it would've been spotted before now. Nature is full of surprises.

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2010
Oh Noes!!!

Scientists have found evidence that chocolate consumption is linked to depression. Suddenly a whole raft of female behaviors has a rational explanation!

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2010
Sausage Solution

Australian scientists have come up with a novel idea to stop native species from eating poisonous cane toads: frog flavored sausages. Yep, that's the way the cute critters are supposed to feel when they eat them, too.

Posted by scott at 10:14 AM eMail this entry!
Pyscho Healing

Scientists are beginning to do research to see if psychedelic drugs can be useful in chemotherapy treatments. The idea seems to be that the powerful experiences these drugs create are meant to help the patient cope with what they're going through. It sounds an awful lot like some 60s hold-outs are still trying to legitimize their own personal experiments, but what do I know?

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2010
Invis Cloak Fail

Looks like there's a flaw in the cunning plan of invisibility cloaks. Still smells like an engineering problem to me, which just means they need to throw more money at it. That sound you're hearing is the sighs of various junior high principals, who've realized they have awhile yet to worry about cloaked boys sneaking into the girl's locker room.

Posted by scott at 07:21 PM eMail this entry!
Still No Cure for... Oh, Wait...

Scientists have announced the discovery of a compound which seems to completely stop cancer from spreading. History is strewn with drugs that work in mice but don't in humans, so this definitely needs more testing. Still, if nothing else it has opened up a new avenue for research.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2010
Pitch-Perfect Life

Scientists have discovered that a noxious lake of bubbling tar is actually teeming with life. There are many different implications for life on Earth, but it seems the biggest change is in how scientists view the chances of finding life on that famous ball of hydrocarbons, Titan.

Posted by scott at 06:56 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2010
Rehenge

Scientists have discovered a long-forgotten monument which may also be the work of the people who built Stonehenge. It seems every time someone decides to dust off a bit of the UK they end up discovering yet another ancient monument. Those people don't throw away anything.

Posted by scott at 06:12 PM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2010
I'm Sure This is Important

Nature's throwing another monkey wrench into our very carefully constructed view of the universe. Hyper-powerful astronomical objects that refuse to follow predicted rules make baby Jesus cry. The standard model now has so many cracks and fissures you could get a tan from what's shining through, but to-date nobody knows exactly what's making the light.

Posted by scott at 08:27 PM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2010
Sink Hole Surprise

Scientists have announced the discovery of two nearly-complete hominid skeletons. The two individuals, one a middle aged woman and the other a young boy, apparently fell into a sinkhole and were rapidly buried and fossilized. The finds are the first complete finds to fall between the dates of A. afarensis Lucy and H. erectus Turkhana boy.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2010
Zapping to a Better Life

Scientists are slowly starting to figure out why a therapy involving high-frequency pulses of weak current works so well on a variety of brain disorders. It also explores the surprising discovery that this therapy is proving effective on a very wide variety of mental illnesses.

Posted by scott at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
Tick-Tock

Scientists have proved that modern terrestrial clocks can be more accurate than their natural rival, pulsars. The achievement becomes more amazing when I think about just how accurate pulsars really are.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2010
Fun with Chemistry

The next element in a table nobody really remembers has been found. Element 117 seems to be proving the hypothesis that, as elements get heavier from here, they will become much more stable. Nobody knows exactly what it'll mean, but I bet it'll be way cool.

Posted by scott at 07:15 PM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2010
Dinosaur Find

Scientists have proven T. Rex ancestors once lived in Australia. The find disproves the theory that tyrannosaurs never lived on the southern continents, but provides no answers for the question why they grew so much larger in the north.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2010
Still No Cure for... Oh, Wait...

Scientists have announced the first successful clinical trial of nanoparticles as a cancer treatment. The trial was a complete success... the tumors were destroyed with no observable side-effects. The treatment is general-purpose, and has the potential to work effectively on a very wide variety of cancers.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
Surprise Cousin

Scientists have announced the discovery of a new human relative, previously unknown but living in the same place as humans and neandertals about 50,000 years ago. While the fossil discovery was that of a single bone, the conclusion is based on DNA analysis. The find has implications beyond that of the fossil itself.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2010
Medieval Zombie Food

Scientists have published a detailed examination of the brain of a toddler who died some 800 years ago. The nearly perfectly preserved organ contained intact structures all the way down to individual neurons. It's hoped further study will provide more information about the robust nature of the brain and how it works.

Posted by scott at 07:11 AM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2010
Convergent Play

Turns out canid ethics put your garden variety leader's to shame. That a pack of wild dogs are roughly as "ethically intelligent" as a pack of wild 4 year-olds is darned interesting. That both put a pack of wild politicians to shame is merely expected. That we put the latter in charge and stick the former in managed care facilities says something quite complex about human society. And not a nice thing.

Posted by scott at 05:30 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2010
Brain Bullets

New evidence seems to indicate Alzheimer's may end up being yet another autoimmune disorder. The evidence is, of course, not totally accepted, and even if it proves true it's not clear if it will lead to any new treatment strategies. Still, anything that demystifies this terrible killer must have some net positive result, donchathink?

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2010
A Very Weird Matter

Scientists have announced the creation of particles so intensely complex and strange, they can only be termed "really weird." I've had a very cursory review of the math that goes on in high-energy physics land. I'll take their word for it.

Posted by scott at 11:25 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2010
Magnetic History

Scientists have published a new article claiming conclusive evidence for Earth having a strong magnetic field 3.45 billion years ago. This is about 200 million years earlier than previous evidence seemed to support. It's my understanding there aren't many rocks much older than that, so (in my extremely expert opinion) it's a good bet Earth has had a strong magnetic field for as long as it could have one.

Posted by scott at 04:40 PM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2010
Tar Conductor

Scientists have announced the creation of an organic superconducting material. This particular material is in no real way superior to existing ceramic materials, but it's hoped that now that it's been proved possible, other organic chemists can suss out higher-temperature combinations.

Posted by scott at 11:03 AM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2010
Old Words

Scholars recently discovered a long-forgotten English inscription on a wall in England's Salisbury Cathedral, and are now polling the public to see if anyone else wants a crack at deciphering it. Salisbury Cathedral is also, apparently, home to the oldest functioning clock in England, a 14th century device that was removed three hundred years later and then forgotten, until it was discovered in an attic during the 1920s.

In other words, Britain has so much history there's probably still a lot of it stuck up in people's rafters, just waiting for re-discovery.

Posted by scott at 10:49 AM eMail this entry!
Organ Factory

Scientists have announced the creation of a device that literally prints replacement human body parts. At heart (as it were), it's an inkjet printer that sprays both stem cells and a sugar-based scaffolding for shaping the result. At the very least, I'd think a device like this would give severe burn victims a very real chance of having a normal life again.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2010
Brain Switches

By transplanting fetal neurons into the brains of older mice, scientists were able to "re-activate" a brain's ability to rapidly, and significantly, re-wire itself. It's thought that if the mechanisms can be teased out and they prove to work in adults, the findings could open up an entirely new avenue of research for brain therapies.

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2010
Short & Curly Science

I don't care how gross it may at first seem, you'll still find this extensive scientific review of all the different ways human pubic hair, well, "stands out" fascinating reading. Well, I did anyway, and we all know how normal I am.

Ok, ok, the laughing is expected. The pointing's a little rude, though.

Posted by scott at 05:33 PM eMail this entry!
Mo' Bettah Sunshine

Scientists have announced a new manufacturing technique which promises to significantly reduce the cost of solar cells. They're not as efficient as current models, but if they're 30% less efficient and cost 90% less to make, well, that's math even a progressive greenie will likely understand.

Posted by scott at 12:34 PM eMail this entry!
February 23, 2010
Time Tomb

An incredibly well-preserved temple complex built a full seven thousand years before the pyramids is causing historians and archeologists to reconsider basically all the assumptions surrounding the rise of civilization. The best part is the site has been known for quite some time, but nobody had the guts to take it on, until very recently.

Posted by scott at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
Mirror, Mirror, on the Ice

Scientists have now conclusively proven there are hundreds of cold-specialized species living at both poles of the planet. Sounds pretty "durp durp durp," you say? Well, the trick is they're identical but separated by several thousand miles of much warmer ocean. There are a few theories which attempt to explain how that can happen, but none seem to have made it much past the testing stage. Just when you think the planet couldn't get any weirder...

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
(Green) Power to the People

Remember all that buzz about innovative fuel cells and other types of energy production that would one day free us from "the grid"? It seems the first for-real product is here. It's very nice to see an actual, working example of one of these futurist's dreams. You want to know what The Next Big Thing that will drive US wealth, prosperity, and growth looks like? You just saw it. Stick that in your, "ZOMG!!1!! THE CHINESE ARE TAKING OVER!!!" pipe and smoke it.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2010
Old Sailors

Scientists have found evidence that hominids may have been making sea crossings much earlier than previously thought. The Australian aborigine crossing has perplexed scientists for as long as people have known it happened 60,000 years ago. Having hard evidence for another crossing twice as old will just confuse things further. Ain't science grand?

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2010
King Tut Update

The newest tests paint a picture of a pharaoh whose immune system was likely weakened by congenital diseases. His death came from complications from the broken leg — along with a new discovery: severe malaria.

Bring on Zahi Hawass!

Posted by Ellen at 09:44 PM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2010
No, Ellen, You Can't Have One

A New Zealand scientist is attempting to raise sea squids in captivity, starting with eggs. The ultimate goal is to raise giant squid, although the formidable challenges of the project make it seem such a goal will not be realized soon.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2010
Captain Obvious, the Archeologist

Scientists have recently unlocked the genome of a Greenlander who died 4,000 years ago, and they determined he was probably some sort of native American. You know, Inuit-like. Ya don't say.

Actually, it's more complex than that, since apparently he wasn't related to any of the Inuit we know. I think it's more interesting they're able to afford to sequence such old DNA on an archeological grant. Now that price floor has been broken, all kinds of cool things should start coming to light.

Posted by scott at 06:34 PM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2010
Cellular Trash Belt

Scientists have discovered the mechanism which allows daughter cells to be created without any age-related damage from the parent cell. Turns out "conveyor belt" proteins once thought to act as a one-way method of getting items from the parent to the daughters is actually a two-way connection which allows those daughter cells to "back flush" damaged proteins into the parent.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2010
Climbing into the Black Box

Scientists in Belgium have developed a technique which allows them to communicate with otherwise vegetative patients. Anything that allows people to communicate is fine by me!

Posted by scott at 07:40 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2010
T. Rex Time

Scientists have unearthed another T. Rex ancestor in the American southwest. This one seems to be a real transition species between the smaller, earlier varieties with "shallower" snouts, and the later giant-eaters we're all familiar with. Oh, and as a dad who's daughter regularly picks paleontology books out for bedtime stories, I can only say, Bistahieversor sealeyi?!? Guys, it's easy to write those names, but have you ever actually tried to read them out loud? More than once?

Posted by scott at 07:39 PM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2010
And This is Bad BEE-CUZZ???

Seconded: "The fact that climate engineering is possible and affordable is why I do not expect south Florida, most of Bangladesh, and other large low lying places won't be submerged by melting ice from Greenland and Antarctica." And I also agree we need to be spending an appreciable amount of money on this as well. Others will likely disagree. I'm very interested to find out their reasoning.

Posted by scott at 07:17 PM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2010
The Color of Dinosaurs

Scientists have for the first time confirmed the color of a dinosaur. Everyone knew China held spectacular fossils out in the Gobi. I'm not sure anyone counted on just how spectacular they'd actually end up being.

Posted by scott at 08:06 PM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2010
Climate Change We Can Believe In

A set of scientists has announced the amount of entropy in the universe may be as much as thirty times higher than previously thought. The detail of the article makes it seem, to me at least, that they don't really know what such a conclusion might actually, you know, mean. Bah. Dick Cheney's behind it all. I just know it.

Posted by scott at 09:47 PM eMail this entry!
A Girl's Best Liquid

Scientists have created a theory which predicts oceans of liquid diamond, complete with solid diamond "bergs" floating in them, may exist on Uranus and Neptune. The evidence comes from two separate lines: the properties discovered when a proper small-scale technique for liquefying diamond were created, and the weirdness found at the magnetic poles of the two planets.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2010
Sun Power

Another company has announced it's "getting serious" about space-based power generation. I seem to recall the Japanese are mulling this over as well. Even ten years ago, all you heard about was talk of concepts. This definitely seems to be a step forward, although I'm not sure just how big of a one it is.

Posted by scott at 05:26 AM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2010
Insert Princess Bride Reference Here

Scientists believe they've found the earliest-known intact skeleton of an English royal. Princess Eadgyth was married to one of Europe's most powerful monarchs in the early 10th century. The body was found in a 17th century monument as part of a research project into Magdeburg Cathedral, located about 90 miles west of Berlin.

Posted by scott at 07:59 PM eMail this entry!
Ya Don't Say

It seems one of the more lurid predictions of climate change gloom, well, isn't going to work out after all. So, what you're saying is, reporters took an off-the-cuff remark, exaggerated it for effect, and used it to scare us all? Really? No way...

Posted by scott at 07:09 AM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2010
In Other News, Water Wet, Sky Blue

Scientists have announced that a simple morphine treatment shows promise in treating PTSD. By all accounts I've ever read, morphine is great for treating lots of stress-related problems.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2010
Something Beer Can't Do?

Scientists are reporting on evidence that green tea offers important protection against lung cancer. Of course, not smoking at all is the best strategy, but every little bit helps.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
January 01, 2010
A Devil's Cure?

Scientists have discovered that the devastating cancer that's killing off the Tasmanian devil likely came from a different species, and is spread by bites. It's hoped the discoveries will assist in the creation of a vaccine to stop the disease, which otherwise may threaten the iconic animals with extinction in the wild in as little as 25 years.

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December 30, 2009
Slip Slidin' Away

As with most things that seem stove-bolt simple in real life, measuring friction in a repeatable, neutral way turns out to be damned complicated. Considering my wife trips on level floors and my mom trips over, well, as far as we can tell... air, this is a subject of more than casual interest to me.

Posted by scott at 06:38 PM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2009
I *STILL* Blame Karl Rove

Movement of the Earth's magnetic pole has accelerated again. 40 miles a year, for something as big as, you know, the f'ing pole, seems pretty spectacular. I always love it when a natural phenomena has mysterious origins and unknown implications. Watching the MSM try to pin it on whoever they're unhappy with that week is always great sport. Global warming, anyone?

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December 28, 2009
Tiny Thunder

With the press focused on the search for the Higgs boson and the LHC ending the world, the search for the neutralino may end up being the science story of 2010. Confirming or disproving the concept of super-symmetry will definitely be high on the list of "crap we don't understand but physicists rightly think is real important." Unless the world ends.

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December 24, 2009
Power Winkie

"This isn't just bizarre voyeurism. Duck penises are a wonderful example of the strange things that happens when sexual conflict shapes the evolution of animal bodies."

With bizarre high-speed film of something that just shouldn't move that fast.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2009
~ Doncha Know You Gonna / Shock the Dino ~

Scientists have discovered what appears to be conclusive evidence for a venomous dinosaur. Just because the critter was turkey-sized doesn't mean it wasn't dangerous to bigger critters. A dozen venomous, clawed turkeys would be enough to ruin anyone's day, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 07:26 AM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2009
Deep Boom

Scientists have recorded the deepest-known underwater volcano eruption. I think it's amazing that the pressure is so high even when flashed to steam the explosions only last a second or two before being collapsed back into water.

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December 16, 2009
Well That's a Comforting Thought

It seems Yellowstone's plumbing is a helluva lot larger than previously thought. Not only is the caldera some obscene number of miles across, it's hundreds of miles deep, and has layers scientists publicly admit they don't understand. You can have your damned grizzlies, my next vacation will be in the Bahamas.

Posted by scott at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2009
But Does it Migrate?

An Australian scientist has discovered a species of octopus that uses coconut shells to build itself a shelter. This is said to be the first observed evidence of tool use in an invertebrate. Just as long as those tree-climbing octopus never make an appearance, I'll be fine.

Posted by scott at 08:19 PM eMail this entry!
Spooky TV

Scientists are figuring out how to make a regular LCD TV respond to gestures you make. That'd certainly relieve the regular rabbit hunt that happens every evening around here when it comes time to track down the remote. Still, it's one thing to think you're being watched, and quite another to know it.

Posted by scott at 08:12 PM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2009
Magic Tires

A group of scientists have announced the creation of artificial blood cells just as agile as the real thing. If the substance delivers on its promises, it could lead the way to a whole host of new drug delivery methods and trauma treatments.

Posted by scott at 07:25 PM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2009
Quantum Engine

Scientists have a new theory which predicts the possibility of an engine powered by the fields found in a quantum vacuum. Includes this bon mot: Of course, nobody is getting a free lunch here. "Although the proposed engine will consume energy for manipulation of the particles, the propulsion will occur without any loss of mass," says [Alex Feigel at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center, a government lab in Yavne Israel]. He even suggests, with masterful understatement, that this might have practical implications. Ya think???

Posted by scott at 11:09 AM eMail this entry!
Inconvenient Galciers

Turns out those Himalayan glaciers that are disappearing at an ever-more-rapid pace well, aren't. I know, I know, the guy practically drips reactionary denial. That said, I'm still going to refuse to beggar my country and others, while allowing other polluters to belch ever more nasty stuff into the air simply because they're "developing", over a catastrophe so fragile an Indian scientist can refute one of its more colorful assertions with ease.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2009
Sickle Triumph

Scientists have developed a new low-toxicity treatment for sickle cell anemia which appears to flat out cure the disease in 9 out of 10 adults. A similar, much more toxic, treatment has been available for children for some time, but the protocol was so nasty it either killed the adults outright or some time later gave them a nasty disease which would do the deed. The headline mentions stem cells, but it doesn't seem to make up a big part of the cure.

Posted by scott at 07:22 PM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2009
Which is More Proof I'm not an Average Guy

It would seem everyone perceives men to be smarter than women. Perception is, of course, quite different from actuality. Unless it's my house, then perception and actuality are dictated by the boss. Which, if you read this site long enough, you will rapidly realize is not me. :)

Posted by scott at 06:27 PM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2009
Lab Meat

Scientists are claiming to have created the world's first artificial meat. The first product is described as an extra-tasty sounding "soggy pork," but it's hoped that the product will improve as soon as they figure out how to "exercise" it. Which sounds pretty damned creepy, if you ask me. Then again, if they really can make it as tasty as the real thing, and get the price point close, it wouldn't bother me at all to at least give it a try.

Posted by scott at 08:09 PM eMail this entry!
Hammering Away

Scientists are claiming to have solved the mystery of the hammerhead shark's weird head. Turns out it provides significant advantages in binocular vision, as well as a widened field of view.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2009
Zap Your Wang

Israeli scientists have discovered that electro-shock therapy makes for an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction. It seems very low-level electric shocks stimulate the growth of blood vessels in the treated area, which effectively treats the most common cause of ED.

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
November 27, 2009
Blue Power

Researchers in Norway have announced the opening of the world's first osmotic power plant. The plant works by using special membranes and the salt gradients between sea and fresh water. The current plant is meant for the validation of various ideas, models, and materials. A production plant will, presumably, follow if the tests are a success.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2009
Cutting the Seams

Latest attempt at a new theory of gravity: cut space away from time. They're talking about "way-way-way-early universe" time and temperature here. The math is (obviously) beyond me, but other scientists seem to think the idea has merit. As a bonus, the theory could help do away with the whole concept of dark matter.

Posted by scott at 07:45 PM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2009
Odd Crocs

Scientists have reported the discovery of new and UNN-YOO-ZHYOO-ALL fossil crocodile species. Bonus: "I has a scientist nom" picture.

Posted by scott at 08:36 PM eMail this entry!
Strange Universe

Bah, I don't think these 10 facts are weird, I think they're cool. Science is fun!

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2009
Smoke Shot

A pharmaceutical's effort at creating a nicotine vaccine has entered (what I understand to be) its final set of trials. Everything I've ever read says smoking is by far one of the worst things people do to themselves, so anything that helps them quit seems fine by me.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2009
I Have A Bigger Brain Than You!! Neener Neener Neener!!!

A National Institutes of Health study from November 2007 found that in youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the brain matures in a normal pattern. However, it is delayed three years in some regions, on average, compared with youth without the disorder. The researchers used a new image analysis technique that allowed them to pinpoint the thinning and thickening of sites in the cortex of the brains of hundreds of children and teens with and without the disorder. The findings bolster the idea that ADHD results from a delay in the maturation of the cortex.

This has got to be caused by the crap we eat today.

Posted by Ellen at 06:14 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2009
So Much for Ancient Health

Conventional wisdom has long held ancient peoples ate healthier than we did and died too soon for it to matter anyway, so they never had to worry about things like heart disease and arteriosclerosis. Conventional wisdom is, as usual wrong.

Posted by scott at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
Glow Mine

Scientists have created a strain of bacteria which fluoresces in the presence of explosives. The idea is to turn mine hunting from a slow, deadly-dangerous chore into a glorified gardening project. Of course, the military can and will use this just as quickly as an NGO, so perhaps this spells the end of mines as an effective weapon? Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2009
Peppers of DOOM

Scientists are beginning to find evidence that cocaine and pepper spray may be a deadly mix. Seems like every time I turn around they've figured out another way cocaine can kill you.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2009
Shark Survey

By using special satellite tracking devices attached to the fish via darts, scientists have discovered great white sharks congregate in large numbers quite near the central and north California coasts during certain times of the year. Considering some of their primary prey items are seals and sea lions, which northern California has in abundance, I'm surprised it's taken them this long to make the discovery. Then again, it speaks well for just how small the danger is of humans being attacked by one of these sea-going predators.

Posted by scott at 08:54 AM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2009
Exotic Prediction

It would seem that a mundane gravitational boost has all eyes watching for a predicted error. By very closely examining the velocity of NASA's comet-bound Rosetta probe, scientists hope to test if an explanation of tiny but very significant velocity deviations of other probes is true.

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2009
Army? What Army?

Mark gets a long-lost no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of one of the first recorded "lost armies" in history. There's nothing that gives an anthropologist like me, trained in the acid sands and clays of the south, quite the geeky buzz as seeing perfectly preserved skeletons just sitting there, out in the open. The fact that they're more than 2000 years old...

Ok, sorry, had to have a lie down there. Anyway...

Posted by scott at 08:41 PM eMail this entry!
That Sounds... Interesting?

An MIT graduate student has used game theory to prove that the Nash equilibrium of complex games belong to problems of PPAD complexity, which is a subset of FNP problems which is a subset of NP problems. Somehow this all leads to the obvious conclusion that, if you can generalize a solution to poker, you can discover the Nash equilibrium of the national economy. The only person in the world I know that any of this would make sense to is now nodding his head sagely, and coming up a with a reply that'll just make my head explode a second time.

Ain't science grand?

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2009
Who Ordered *That*?

Scientists have detected antimatter in terrestrial lightning. Apparently the guys who run the Fermi Gamma-ray telescope had enough free time to point the thing Earth, and PoInK!, got a signature for antimatter in a thunderstorm. Just when you thought weather couldn't get any weirder...

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
Super Solution

By using an innovative technique involving two low-powered lasers, scientists appear to have cracked the fundamental problem of using crystals as an information storage medium. Various groups have been promising "huge-abyte storage the size of a sugar cube" for as long as I can remember, but this time they might mean it.

Posted by scott at 07:37 AM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2009
Cry Accent

A new study reveals infants cry with their parents' "accent". By analyzing exactly how an infant cries, scientists found strong correlations between things like pitch and modulation and the language of their parents.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
When the Future Attacks... Maybe

This time the Large Hadron Collider was damaged by (spins the Wheel o' Doom) a baguette dropped by a bird. No, really!

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2009
Lego Sky

Ok, according to a certain set of scientists, clouds, and the weather that creates them, can be reduced to modest, definable quantities, if you use the right formulas. College friend Bobby will probably nod his head sagely and gasp at how simple it is. I only ask he brings along a broom and a dustpan to sweep up the bits of my head after it 'asploded. I'll take both their words for it.

Posted by scott at 08:13 PM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2009
Giggidy

Like the Fark headline says, it would appear it is possible to frak someone's brains out. At 59, no less. If freaking out the teenager by doing the nasty upstairs with the wife isn't a benefit of middle age, I'm not going.

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
~ Fermi Haze / All in My Brain ~

Scientists are now speculating that the mysterious haze recently discovered at the center of our galaxy may be caused by dark matter. Per usual, this is not without controversy, but the predictions made should help figure out just what, exactly, is going on out there.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2009
Clever Critter

By genetically engineering a rat's brain, scientists have created what is perhaps the smartest rat on the planet. At the end of the predictable and rather long aside into Flowers for Algernon comes the news that this particular alteration seems to last well into old age.

Posted by scott at 05:47 PM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2009
Eye Bird

Scientists believe they've found that the key to avian navigation lies in their eyes, not their noses. Not much else to say about that.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2009
Well that's... Interesting...
Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2009
Monsters of the Deep

To close up a rainy night, we have this nice summary of where marine reptile research is nowadays. The first dinosaur book I ever had talked as much about these beasts as it did about their land-based cousins. It seems kind of interesting that such an amazing variety of reptiles existed so long ago, while today the world is dominated by what was then a rare and insignificant sort of reptile primarily designed to live in buried warrens.

Posted by scott at 09:53 PM eMail this entry!
Rishathra for Real

A scientist has announced he has found conclusive proof modern humans and Neandertals had sex with each other. Just exactly what his evidence is remains to be seen. The guy says he's managed to sequence the whole Neandertal genome. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2009
Squeaky-Clean Honesty

It seems something as simple as a clean smell promotes moral behavior. I guess that explains why cats are such horrid little creaters, especially whenever they get close to a litter box.

Posted by scott at 08:23 PM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2009
A Kind of Blue

Engineers at IBM are attempting to simulate a for-real brain in silicon. Since it's not Microsoft, The Blue Screen of Death will likely be held at bay. This being IBM, the next version will have a different label stamped on the case and cost 3x as much.

Posted by scott at 06:58 PM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2009
Crater Time

Looks like Chixalub may have a competitor. Giant volcanoes, now it would seem multiple impacts, geeze... God must really have had it in for those critters.

Posted by scott at 06:34 PM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2009
Evolving Chicks

It would appear we have seen the woman of the future, and she's shorter. And heavier. But not by all that much.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2009
New Growth

Scientists have developed yet another use for stem cells: creating new bone. It's hoped the technique will benefit accident victims, cancer patients, and anyone else who needs bone growth to heal an injury.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2009
F'ing with Flies

By using frikkin lasers, scientists are now able to modify a fruit fly's behavior. Just what it means, I'm not sure. They seem to think it'll give insights into human memory. Now where'd I put that laser pen?

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2009
Mind the Gap

Scientists have discovered new fossils which seems to fill an important gap in pterosaurs evolution. Not surprisingly, the fossils pose nearly as many questions as they answer. But hey, if it didn't work that way science wouldn't be any fun!

Posted by scott at 03:50 PM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2009
Foil Hat Science

Making the rounds: some scientists are speculating the LHC keeps failing because the future doesn't want it to work. Unlike most other kooky theories, this one makes testable predictions. See you in December. If I haven't already, that is.

Posted by scott at 07:15 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2009
Bloody Glaciers

Scientists have discovered a population of bacteria in Antarctica that appear to have been isolated, and evolving, for the past 1.5 million years. They seem to have been trapped by moving glaciers in a briny lake, and evolved to "eat" sulfur and iron.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2009
Turin Time

Another year, another scientist teasing out the solution to another "mystery" of the Shroud of Turin. What seems to be ignored by all the people who so desperately want this thing to be real is the scientists would have no problem if it was real either. I mean, how cool would that be? Unfortunately that just isn't the case. I imagine it will take the development of some sort of non-destructive dating process before everyone else really accepts this thing came from the thirteenth century.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2009
I Have Seen the Future, and Its Name is VASIMR

A private company has now completed full-power testing of an ion engine that may be used to keep the ISS in the proper orbit. Ion engines are orders of magnitude more efficient than are chemical rockets, and may eventually be powerful enough to make huge differences in interplanetary travel times.

Posted by scott at 06:23 PM eMail this entry!
Algae Bounce
Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2009
Old Henge, New Henge, Stone Henge, Blue Henge

Scientists have uncovered what appears to be a smaller version of Stonehenge just a few miles from the original. It's thought this henge was contemporary with its more famous companion, and was eventually dismantled as part of an expansion of the larger site.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2009
The Six Million Dollar Bug

Scientists have managed to remotely control a beetle in flight. They did it pretty much how you'd expect... Frankenbug-like electrodes in the brain. They can make the bug take off, land, climb, dive, and even turn.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2009
Ancestor Update

Scientists have announced a new hominid fossil with extensive post-cranial remains that's even older than Lucy. Like it, the extensive study reveals surprising things about what genetic evidence suggests really is our last common ancestor with chimpanzees. Theories have been moving toward "doesn't look like a chimp OR a human" for probably ten years now, by my reckoning at any rate. It's nice to see the fossil record confirming these predictions.

Update: Much more information is here...

Posted by scott at 06:45 PM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2009
~ And the Table Goes Round and Round ~

Mark gets a circular no-prize for bringing us news that yet another grand artifact from Nero's Golden Palace has been found. This time, it's the famous rotating dining room, which used water to slowly turn a whole room to impress guests and ensure their comfort. I guess it speaks well to just how huge this bloody place was that, even after doing their level best to destroy it, Romans still left amazing bits of the Golden Palace intact.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2009
Ancient Fate

Ok, all of you folks who think Archeology and Physical Anthropology can't hold a candle to history are pleased to be sitting down and shutting up now. I'm not saying any of you are like that. Almost everyone I know is downright fascinated with the fields I made my academic career in, especially when it involves the discovery of a pit of 50 decapitated Vikings. That said, there's definitely a sneaky minority of history majors out there who would do with the occasional reminder. I'm just saying...

Posted by scott at 07:11 PM eMail this entry!
Ghost Fish
Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2009
Ship Slime

A scientist is working on a device which will make ships slimy. The thinking goes this will radically reduce the bacteria populations which form the basis for barnacle and plant infestations that regularly cause ships to be taken into dry dock to be cleaned. It doesn't sound particularly practical to me, but if it eventually makes transport cheaper, it'll be a good thing!

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2009
Have Metal Detector, will Travel

I guess it's just proof positive if you hunt around with a metal detector long enough, you will find something cool. I think the best I ever did with one was a beat up quarter. Then again, I never stuck to it anywhere close to 18 years.

Posted by scott at 06:28 PM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2009
And the Dinosaur Goes, "Chomp Chomp"

Mark gets a toothy no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a T-rex fossil with unmistakable evidence of being munched on by another tyrannosaur. Exactly why this one got chomped on is unclear, but it does seem that the wound was fatal.

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
Radioactive Scrub

By using a bacteria and a cheap compound that's a byproduct of of feedstock production, scientists have created a way to safely recover uranium from abandoned mines and nuclear waste dumps. Put that in your, "there's only a limited amount of vital element X in the Earth's crust oh noes apocalypse!!!" pipe and smoke it.

Posted by scott at 07:00 AM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2009
Brings a Whole New Meaning to "Sleeps with the Fishes"

Looks like the east river's going to be a lot more colorful, and informative, than in previous years. I mean, aside from letting you know which collection of goombas happens to be running the... "waste management" duties that week.

Posted by scott at 07:18 PM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2009
Plastic Gas

A new bio tech company is claiming their factory can turn plastic waste into $10/bbl fuel. Something tells me there's more to it than that, but regardless it's still nice to see one of these high-tech alternative fuel ideas made real. Me? I'm waiting on those guys who're teaching algae how to poop diesel. But this will do for now.

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2009
It's a Good Thing

Making the rounds: scientists have determined it actually is possible for adults to grow new brain cells. It all started, strangely enough, with the study of bird songs.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2009
Timing Oxygen

Scientists have announced the discovery that Earth seems to have become free-oxygen rich much earlier than previously thought. The findings are, of course, controversial, and even the authors of the study admit they're not quite sure what to make of the data. Chemistry is hard enough when it's happening in the lab, it's no wonder trying to piece together what happened some 2.5 billion years ago is quite a bit more difficult.

Posted by scott at 08:23 PM eMail this entry!
Big Damned Bird

After re-examining the fossils, scientists have determined Maori legends of a giant killer bird are likely to be true. I've seen film of golden eagles power-gliding away from hills after snatching baby goats. A bird from the same species but twice as big would almost certainly have been able to do the same to a human child.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2009
Just Floatin' Around

Scientists have developed a new device which levitates mice in the lab. The system uses a superconducting magnet which creates a magnetic field so powerful it causes the water molecules inside the mouse to lift, creating a zero-G effect on the animal. The scientists want to use it to study the effect of bone loss in zero-G environments. I think it's at least as interesting to find out these mice, which are exposed to truly massive magnetic fields, so far show no tendency toward cancer. All those scientists studying whether cell phones and the like cause cancer should likely take note.

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2009
I Shall Call it, "Bleach Bug"

Scientists are trying to develop a bacteria that can turn dangerous radioactive metals into inert substances. The trick is that the existing bacteria doesn't particularly like oxygen, and trying to breed one without that restriction could lead to one that eats our cars. Like my spider needs another excuse to rust...

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2009
Gray Matter Efficiency

It looks like mammalian brains may have another advantage besides size and structure. Armchair biologist that I am, I'm convinced the reason why dinosaurs won out after the Permian extinction was because of a metabolic efficiency our kind just didn't, and doesn't, have. After all, to this day one can easily predict the rough lifespan of a mammal just by its body mass, but when birds are judged by the same metric they live twice as long as they "should."

Did we end up on top because our brains are more efficient? It'd make for an interesting hypothesis to test!

Posted by scott at 09:14 PM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2009
Fanged Frogs and Giant Rats, oh My!

Scientists rooted around in the crater of an extinct volcano and discovered something like 40 species nobody's ever seen before. These the critters described in the title, as well as monitor lizards and several different kinds of fish.

Update: I shall call it, "pip squawk."

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2009
Fish: Not Yours

Ok, I get that sperm whales can be a nuisance to fishermen. But after watching this video, I'm flummoxed as to exactly what can be done about it.

Posted by scott at 07:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2009
Heart Patch

Scientists have developed a new technique for "patching" damaged hearts. Healthy heart cells are taken from a patient, allowed to grown on an organic "scaffold", and then implanted in the abdomen, where they grow and develop blood vessels. When the result is implanted in the heart, it integrates and synchronizes its beating, effectively healing the damage.

At least, that's the way it works in mice. It's hoped the technique will also work in humans, providing hope for millions of heart attack victims.

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2009
Let's Just Say I'm Glad Plants Don't Move Very Fast

Presenting Nepenthes attenboroughii, a pitcher plant so big it eats rats for dinner. Do not miss the time-lapse film of these things growing and then blooming. I especially liked the monster sound effects.

Posted by scott at 10:11 PM eMail this entry!
Blocking Practice

Turns out that, if you want to help people get out of a room quickly, you should block their way. As with most counter-intuitive science discoveries, it's the details that make the difference.

Posted by scott at 07:04 PM eMail this entry!
Ancient Brew

Being scientists, a group of men resurrected some 45 million year-old yeast just to see if it could be done. Being men, they then used the result to make beer. No, really!

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2009
~ Touch My Man Again and Ima F-- You Up ~

It would seem there's a reason Ellen growls at those cute checkout girls when we go grocery shopping. Me? I'm clueless. The only way I know the cute chick thinks I'm cute is when Ellen's hackles go up. Otherwise I'm the same ol' clueless computer nerd I always have been.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2009
I Shall Call it, "Greencrete"

By using a different base for its cement, a British company has created a concrete that "eats" carbon dioxide. I think. The article looks a bit spin-tastic to me, but whaddoIknow?

Gee. If only there was a phrase to describe what happens when entrepreneurs are given incentives to meet a growing demand. Oh, wait...

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
Rain Rain Go Away

Scientists in China are claiming to have discovered a strong link between rain an flower evolution. Seems creating a solution to the problem of grazing dinosaurs (which is, as I understand it at any rate, the most widely accepted explanation for flower evolution in the first place) also created a vulnerability to rain, which flowering plants have been working to solve ever since. Their solutions are as many and varied as anything else you'd expect from nature.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2009
I Shall Call it, "Holotouch"

Making the rounds: scientists have created a "touchable" hologram that uses ultrasound to reproduce the "feel" of an item. Oh, don't worry, people are already talking about what it might all imply for the obvious application.

Posted by scott at 05:31 PM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2009
But will it Work with Porn?

By using innovative new techniques and devices, scientists have created a new technique to induce "out-of-body" experiences. The idea is that this sort of thing can be used in therapy to help physically disabled people more easily and successfully incorporate prosthetics into their daily lives. I think. Once they started talking about mirrors and vibrators I sorta lost my concentration.

Oh shaddup, you. That wasn't what I was talking about.

I think.

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2009
Old Bugs

By using sophisticated new x-ray techniques, scientists have been able to create 3-D models of long extinct spiders. Turns out, they were just as creepy 300 million years ago as they are today.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2009
Electric Bugs

By using various new breeding techniques, scientists have created a bacteria which generates 8 times as much electricity as its "wild" ancestors. Yep, you hear right, bacteria which creates electricity. And all this time I thought bacteria that pooped diesel oil was a neat trick. These new guys just saved a step!

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
Brain Buzz

Scientists claim to have discovered a structural difference in the brain which appears only in those qualified as "psychopathic." Will this be a valuable new diagnostic tool, or yet another example of a new, more expensive sort of phrenonlogy? Only time will tell.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2009
We Live In a Mentally Ill Country

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday.

About 6 percent of people were prescribed an antidepressant in 1996 -- 13 million people. This rose to more than 10 percent or 27 million people by 2005, the researchers found.

Sad really. Many of them are misdiagnosed too.

Posted by Ellen at 07:02 AM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2009
I Shall Call it, "Jogbot"

Japan's fascination with robotics seems to have made another step in bringing us a genuine C3PO. It sorts looks like a person trying to run across ice, at least to me.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2009
Your Inner Victorian

New Scientist is featuring these highlights from The Welcome Collection in London called Exquisite Bodies, which lays claim to "exploring the often bizarre Victorian approach to medical teaching and public titillation." Ellen will likely click through it three or four times.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2009
Road Jerks

Science is proving that, once again, when you analyze human behavior, even "bad" behavior, it's often done for a good reason even when that reason isn't always clear. Case in point: people are jerks in traffic because being a jerk works, and, surprisingly, it works for everyone. At least until the tail-gaters get involved. Ellen. :)

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2009
Bug Gas

A new company is claiming to have created an algae-based technique for biofuel with yields which could make it competitive with common dino-juice. Two years ago this stuff was all in labs, and the scientists were saying, "five to ten years." Now they're saying things like "three to five years," and are scouting sites to build farms. Now, that's my kind of progress!

Posted by scott at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
The Power of Blue

Scientists have discovered the compound used to make M&M shells blue can also be used to help reduce the damage of spinal injuries. Bonus: you turn blue when you're treated with it. Hey, IMO looking like a smurf is a small price to pay to stay away from a wheelchair!

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2009
~ Whoa oh oh it's MAGE-ic ~

Scientists have developed a new technique which may rapidly decrease the time it takes to engineer bacteria that create desirable substances. The key is a system which allows a massive number of bacteria to be created with slight, but significant, genetic differences in each one. This "shotgun" approach seems to be a bit like the lottery... if you play enough numbers, what you want is bound to show up eventually.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
Wreck Find

Mark gets a no-prize shaped like an amphora for bringing us news of the discovery of even more ancient Roman ship wrecks. Apparently looters are getting better gear, and are now able to pick apart even comparatively deep wrecks like the ones featured in the article. It always will be a race between science and profit.

Posted by scott at 10:18 AM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2009
Glow People

It would seem people actually emit visible light. As in, "glow in the dark," albeit very, very faintly. Who knew?

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2009
Um... that's Kinda Freaky

Chinese scientists have announced the ability to create viable and fertile mouse pups from adult mouse skin cells. Cloning whole critters is all well and good, but I'm looking forward to the day they can clone spare parts.

Posted by scott at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
Just Don't Tell the Feminists

It would seem fathers really aren't dispensable. Certain females in my life, who once harped quite often on how women could do without men but not vice-versa, will be ever so disappointed.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2009
Laser Spark

It would seem the next endangered auto technology is the spark plug. Great. Yet another part that will eventually become impossible to find for the cars I drive. Ah, well...

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2009
~ Shake Shake Shake / Shake Your Building ~

Engineers have created an apartment block made of wood which can withstand a 7.5-strength earthquake. Kind of a shame, in a way, since I think the only way to get rid of those bums in downtown San Francisco would be to drop buildings on them.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2009
The Few, the Proud, the Neandertals

A recent genetic study has concluded Neandertals likely went extinct because there just weren't that many of them. Perhaps as few as 3500, even. Such a precise, and precisely small, number would seem to make them far less likely to be fossilized. That said, perhaps the neandertal practice of burying their dead made them much more likely to be fossilized?

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2009
Early Intervention Needed

A MOTHER has made public the plight of her son who became a teenage alcoholic and is now dying because he is not allowed a liver transplant.

Now you feel you need help?

Sorry dude. Karma sucks.

Posted by Ellen at 04:49 PM eMail this entry!
Why Am I Not
Posted by Ellen at 04:28 PM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2009
Faster, Please

Remember those scientists who were working on a way to get algae to poop fuel? They seem to be progressing nicely. 100k gallons of fuel in a year is quite a lot of gas, but it's less than a drop of what the whole country uses in a day. Still, ya gotta start somewhere, and this also seems to demonstrate the technique is not just a whole lotta hype.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2009
Skin, in a Jar

Scientists in Germany have created a new technique to grow artificial human skin at a much lower price than other existing techniques. It seems the process is much faster as well. It's a little creepy to me, but I'm sure my squeamishness would disappear quickly enough were I to need a skin graft of some sort.

Posted by scott at 10:13 AM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2009
Pee Power!

No, really, pee power:

Urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices could be available in six months with new technology developed by scientists from Ohio University.

Using a nickel-based electrode, the scientists can create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells. "One cow can provide enough energy to supply hot water for 19 houses," said Gerardine Botte, a professor at Ohio University developing the technology. "Soldiers in the field could carry their own fuel."

"No, officer, I was drinking beer because I ran out of gas!"

Posted by scott at 08:19 PM eMail this entry!
Not That There's Anything Wrong with That

A British museum has discovered one of the mummies in its collection claims to be a she but is in fact a he. Seems quite strange to me, since I can't recall ever hearing about trans-gendered folks in antiquity. By the time this mummy was made, Greek culture was ascendant and they quite famously had no problems with sexuality of any sort.

Via Violins and Starships.

Posted by scott at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
Light Crane

Scientists have discovered a "repulsive" side of light which should enable more sophisticated micro-manufacturing techniques. It all works because out-of-phase light beams repel each other. Not only does the discovery have implications for building very small things, it also could be used to create light-based circuits as well. Anything that'll make a laptop run cooler is fine by me!

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2009
Digging Dinosaurs

Scientists have discovered evidence that some dinosaurs who lived in Earth's polar regions burrowed in the ground to survive. I'd think with such a ready-made opportunity for fossilization, there'd be more of these to find. Then again, what do I know?

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2009
That's Just Too Easy

Scientists have developed a new technique which, in mice at least, allows mammals to convert fat in to CO2 and exhale the result. Wasn't there a fad diet that claimed to be able to do this?

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2009
July 08, 2009
I Know...I'm Not Allowed One Either...

The 3-foot-long (0.9-meter-long) Cretaceous creature had a boxlike skull and beaklike jaw that resemble those of modern parrots, which have beaks that can crack open nuts, a new study found.

That's one big parrot!

Posted by Ellen at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
Don't Forget To Wipe!

But it was still an uphill battle to get the public to openly buy the product, largely because Americans remained embarrassed by bodily functions. In fact, the Scott brothers were so ashamed of the nature of their work that they didn't take proper credit for their innovation until 1902.

Do you fold or crumple?

Posted by Ellen at 06:15 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2009
Key To Your Brain

I guess this fits in this week since Scott is in San Francisco for his yearly work convention!

Scientists have discovered a remarkable similarity between the genetic faults behind both schizophrenia and manic depression in a breakthrough that is expected to open the way to new treatments for two of the most common mental illnesses, affecting millions of people.

Previously doctors had assumed that the two conditions were quite separate. But new research shows for the first time that both have a common genetic basis that leads people to develop one or other of the two illnesses.

Don't miss out on this read!
Posted by Ellen at 09:08 PM eMail this entry!
July 04, 2009
Taking that Whole "Eye Teeth" Thing Way Too Far

A blind man is able to see for the first time in years via what is effectively a tooth implanted in his eye. It would seem the quality of sight is quite high; unfortunately the article doesn't seem to detail just how high it might be.

Posted by scott at 07:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2009
It's the Incredible Shrinking Genome!

No, really:

So it seems that mammalian genomes have been purging themselves from mobile DNA elements just around the KT boundary, give or take a couple of million years. (Or rather: not taking in new elements).

Predictably, nobody's really sure why this is, or what it means.

Posted by scott at 02:54 PM eMail this entry!
Paul Presents

Mark gets a no-prize that'll complain with impressive theological arguments any time it feels disrespected for bringing us an update on just what, exactly, the Vatican has found buried underneath its altar. To anyone else, the carbon dating results of the human remains found simply do not exclude that they could be of Paul. The rest, as I guess is intended, must be taken on faith.

Posted by scott at 11:50 AM eMail this entry!
Buzz, Buzz... Nom, Nom...

Making the rounds: an artist has created a "carnivorous clock" which eats bugs to get its power. In the South, we call these "bug zappers."

Posted by scott at 07:04 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2009
Ancient Elephant

Scientists have discovered fossil evidence of the earliest-known ancestor to the modern elephant. It apparently weight not much more than 25 pounds, and lived just five million years after the dinosaurs went extinct.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2009
Damned Sky Rats

And now, seagulls attacking full-grown whales. Like they need something else to worry about.

Posted by scott at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2009
Two Words...

... drunk monkeys. And not the "Hey Hey We're the" kind either.

Go for the wobbly primates. Stay for the lunatic who dressed up their cat.

Posted by scott at 08:58 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2009
When Chicken Little Fails

Remember all those deformed frogs scientists were finding? You know, the ones who were a solid harbinger of climate change, the "smoking gun" that was going to force all us luddites to finally agree to strangling the economy to save them? Yeah, not so much.

Scientists have been claiming the imminent destruction of every princess's favorite amphibian for at least the past thirty years. Like most eschatological predictions, this was has the infuriating habit of not happening!

Sic semper balatro.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2009
The Tot Who's a Teen

Meet Brooke Greenberg, the child who does not appear capable of aging:

"My system always has been to turn years into months," [Brooke's mother] said. "So, if someone asked today, I might say, she's 16 months old."

Scientists think figuring out just what's wrong with Brooke may provide insights into aging.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2009
Shark Smarts

Scientists have found that great white sharks are very particular about the sorts of places they choose to hunt. Seems pretty basic to me, but I guess if you grow up thinking a shark is just a big, nasty, dangerous goldfish, it would be a bit of a revelation.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2009
Tomb Time

Scientsts have discovered a 6000 year-old complex of tombs near Stonehenge. I'm not sure which is more remarkable... the complex itself, or the fact that it took the famously heritage-minded Brits until now to find it.

Posted by scott at 07:06 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2009
Like the Hole in Your Head

The on-again, off-again saga of modern trepanation, the practice of drilling holes in the head to relieve diseases, now appears to be "on" again. This time, research seems to be indicating a leading cause of dementia may be restricted blood circulation through the skull and brain, which strategically placed holes may help alleviate.

Posted by scott at 08:47 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2009
Color Me Classic

Using special lights and cameras, scientsts have for the first time direct evidence of exactly what color was used on the Parthenon, and where. I'm holding out for the 3D virtual reality that'll let me walk around and view these things as they appeared in their heyday.

Posted by scott at 06:35 PM eMail this entry!
Water Magnet

A new theory holds that it's Earth's oceans that are responsible for the planet's magnetic field, not the core. It's hard to tell from the article, but the theory appears to account for recorded variations in the planet's magnetic field over time. Things like pole reversals, and strength fluctuations, which core-centered theories haven't been able to account for. It'd be interesting to find out what sort of predictions the theory makes.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2009
Stone Chef

An anthropologist has written a popular science book which claims what really made us human was cooking.

Like most "absolutely everything can be explained by X" theories, this one likely won't last all that long either. Still, it does seem to introduce important, and original, ideas in the study of human evolution. That said, I could swear I've read elsewhere that cooking was considered an important part of our evolution.

Posted by scott at 07:19 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2009
DNA Doctor

Scientists have created a new compound which holds promise both as an anti-cancer drug and an antibiotic. The new iron-based substance disrupts the function of a cell's DNA, and was able to kill "virtually all" bacteria in a culture 2 minutes. How it manages not to affect the DNA of "good" cells is unclear, but presumably this is not a problem.

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2009
Rat Research

It would appear wild rats are every bit as interesting as their lab-based brethren. They have to be. They have to fight Baltimore junkies and homeless people for the same living space.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2009
Stem Sight

Scientists have used stem cells to repair corneas of three different patients in Australia. The results are far from "bionic", but it beats the s- out of being blind I'm sure. And hey, you gotta start somewhere, eh?

Posted by scott at 09:47 PM eMail this entry!
Witch Bottle

Archeologists have unearthed the first intact "witch bottle" from the 17th century. Filled with nails, wire, sulfur, and urine, the devices were meant to protect the owner from witch's spells. This one even sloshes.

Posted by scott at 07:17 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2009
Diver Down

Scientists have developed a new robotic submersible that's strong enough to plumb the depths of the Challenger Abyss. The real innovation would appear to be the craft does not need any sort of tether, substantially increasing its mobility and, thereby, its ability to do research.

Posted by scott at 07:33 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Elton John, White Courtesy Phone Please

While a bit long on the "entertaining anecdote" and short on the "hard science", this brief essay on "The 'Bitch' Evolved: Why Girls are So Cruel to Each Other" was still of interest, and even provided some predictions! Since I'm raising one of these monsters-to-be, I have a particular interest in the subject. Quite well taken was the point that parents may not respond as actively to instances of social violence as they do to physical violence.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2009
Stem Cell Update

This sounds darned promising:

Researchers at Harvard and Advanced Cell Technology are reporting that they have been able to turn ordinary skin cells into stem cells by dousing them with the proteins made by four specific genes.

Of course, then the scientist has to go and ruin it by getting all enthusiastic:

"After a few more flight tests -- in order to assure everything is working properly -- it should be ready for commercial use," [Dr. Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell] said by e-mail.

I'll believe it when I see it, but it sure does sound hopeful!

Posted by scott at 04:06 PM eMail this entry!
Invisi-Sub

Scientists have developed a sonic "ultra-lense" which does all sorts of neat things to sound. The two mentioned in the article are making a ship invisible to sonar and improving the resolution of ultrasound devices without upping the energy they use. Personally, the latter sounds more do-able in the short term than the former, but wtf do I know?

Posted by scott at 10:12 AM eMail this entry!
May 28, 2009
Sometimes, all You Need is the Title

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Female Ejaculation but were Afraid to Ask. It's a science article, and so completely SFW.

And won't you have an entertaining topic for the dinner table tonight, eh?

Posted by scott at 03:32 PM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2009
Personally, I Think "Bone Spackle" is a Better Name

Scientists have announced the creation of a new medical compound that could help people with nasty bone fractures be up and around in a matter of weeks. Called "bone putty", the substance is a mold-able lattice that encourages new bone growth to span severe bone injuries. If the substance works as advertised, it sounds like it'll make the current "rods-screws-and-bolts" look positively medieval.

Posted by scott at 01:07 PM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2009
Chicken Little in a Soda Can

Ruh-Roh:

Doctors have issued a warning about excessive cola consumption after noticing an increase in the number of patients suffering from muscle problems, according to the June issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

So says the admirably scare-mongering headline. A close reading reveals that an undisclosed number of people who drank two to nine liters of soda a day suffered a variety of ailments one would presumably expect from a population consuming orders of magnitude more sugar and caffeine per day than the general population.

Using such an observation to preach a back-handed sermon on our bourgeois lifestyle makes for admirable watermelon-rolling, but not particularly informative journalism.

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2009
Critter Gallery

Those not satisfied with Space Shuttle pictures may find this collection of newly-discovered animal oddities of interest. No, Ellen, you can't have any.

Posted by scott at 12:42 PM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2009
Neandertal Nom

It would seem at least one of the causes of Neandertal extinction was that they were tasty, and good with BBQ sauce. All jokes aside, it's my understanding from the various Discovery documentaries I've seen that there is strong evidence for cannibalism in ancient H. sapiens of all sorts. In other words, our ancestors were pretty much like any other animal, willing to eat absolutely anything that wasn't poisonous or trying to eat them first.

Posted by scott at 10:18 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2009
More Invisible Fun

Those kooky scientists at Hong Kong University are at it again, this time coming up with a cloak that makes one object look like another. In their example, it involves making an elephant look like a mouse, and visa-versa. Personally, I've had it with all these neat descriptions. To paraphrase, Products, or GTFO!

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2009
Blue Return

Blue whales are returning to northern grazing areas they'd been hunted out of decades ago. The reasons behind the move are unclear. Surprisingly, this lack of data meant blaming climate change came in second to "that's where the food is." The first crack in the watermelon's armor? We'll see...

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2009
Funny Spider

Today's "clever bit of nature iddinit?" comes from the Hawaiian Islands. "Happy face" spiders are all well and good, but can they dance?

Posted by scott at 03:30 PM eMail this entry!
Prime Patterns

Mathematicians have discovered a new pattern in prime numbers. Turns out there's another way that they're not random. What does it mean? I dunno, math never was one of my strengths. It does sounds pretty neat though, in a "ahhhuuah??" way

Posted by scott at 11:31 AM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2009
Organ Growth

Scientific American is featuring this in-depth look at how growing organs is progressing. Don't have time to go through it here at work (shocking, I know), but it's definitely on the list for tonight.

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
Now That's a Science Project

So, do you think relativity's a bunch of hooey now? Took me two run-throughs just to figure out what the guy was trying to accomplish. Oh, and leaving a car idling for two days? Yeah, he knows physics a lot better than auto mechanics.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2009
Hobbit Update

Hard to believe it's been 5 years since the Flores "Hobbits" were discovered. Fortunately, the science keeps rolling on. The article passes over it only briefly, but it would seem the hobbits not only had small brains, they also had big feet.

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
"Trapping" the Dinosaurs

In the ongoing tennis match between volcanism and impact theories about the extinction of the dinosaurs, it would appear today's serve comes from the Deccan Traps. The article's not particularly good at summarizing just what the scientist means by all this, Wikipedia's entry is, naturally, more informative.

Seems to me the most likely explanation would be the dinosaurs barely struggling through this awful millenia-long volcanic disaster, only to have the sky fall on them in the end.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2009
Past Sequences

Scientists have sequenced the proteins of another dinosaur. This time, it's a hadrosaur species from a fossil much older than that which produced the T. Rex sequences last year. It sounds like they're a very long way indeed from getting an entire genome, but who would ever have thought they'd be able to sequence any organic matter from 65 million-year plus rocks?

Posted by scott at 05:43 PM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2009
Winkie Clarification

While we missed the originating article, this rejoinder to criticisms about why the human penis evolved into its present shape was still pretty interesting. The original article is linked in the reply, so it's easy to get caught up. Heheheheh... I said, "up."

Posted by scott at 02:53 PM eMail this entry!
Nuclear Whiskey

Scientists are using a rather interesting test to determine if expensive vintage whiskey really is, well, expensive vintage whiskey. The hook? Turns out all the open-air nuclear testing back in the 50s and 60s flung enough radioactive crap into the air to detectably alter whiskey distilled after that time. So now it would appear to be very easy to tell if, for example, a whiskey advertised as distilled in 1856 was actually made in 1956. There may or may not be a difference in flavor, but it definitely makes a difference in the price.

Which also answers a question I've had for years. Beer and wine will age to a certain point, but after that they spoil or go to vinegar. It would appear whiskey, at least, does not have this problem.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2009
Bring Out Your [Teeny Tiny] Dead

It would seem ants have a particularly stinky sort of "dead man's switch" which allows them to move their dead compatriots out of the nest before the corpses can cause harm. No, I'm not completely sure what good finding this out does for us, but hell I thought it was interesting. Science is funny that way, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2009
Sole Surviors?

A US paleontologist is claiming to have found a population of dinosaurs which survived the K-T extinction event. What puzzles me a bit is the location. I would think the Arizona-New Mexico area would've been way too close to the impact for anything to survive. Then again, I'm not completely sure that bit of continental shelf was actually all that close to the impact 65 million years ago.

The finding is, of course, controversial.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2009
Quantum Efficiency

It's beginning to look like living systems like plants, birds, and insects use quantum effects for a variety of biological functions. Strong proof is still to be discovered, but the evidence is mounting. Most heartening is that, unlike the previously cited sexual study, this one is making concrete, testable predictions that will lead to further evidence, either for or against.

And wouldn't it be spooky to ultimately define life as "systems which manipulate quantum states through carbon-based chemical processes"? I wonder what it would mean for consciousness?

Posted by scott at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
A Specific Sort of Bias

So, it seems women are supposed to be hard to bring to orgasm. To me, the whole thing sniffs of postmodern feminist doctrine disguising itself as science, but the basic premise seems interesting enough. I just wish they'd make more (any?) testable predictions with their hypothesis.

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2009
I Shall Call it, "Gecko Bot"

Experimental products using the mechanism geckos use to climb walls are literally starting to crawl out of the lab. They're still a long way from production, but it's nice to finally see some tangible results from the discovery of the surprisingly sophisticated method geckos use to sneak up on bugs.

Posted by scott at 12:30 PM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2009
Mini Find

Sometimes "frozen mammoth find" means an undifferentiated lump of mud and fur. This is not one of those times. I wonder how long it'll be before they dig up one of the people who hunted these things?

Posted by scott at 04:14 PM eMail this entry!
GlowPup

I'm surprised it's taken this long for scientists to create a fluorescent puppy. It's hoped this proof-of-concept will lead the way toward better fertility treatments and other new disease treatments. No, I don't immediately see how either, but they seem to. Beats finding them in soup, I guess.

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
I Shall Call it, "Fart Cart"

Leave it to the Japanese to make a big deal about methane powered golf carts. I guess any press release containing the words "cow" and "dung" will attract attention but really, alternative-fuel carts have been around for decades. Maybe the factory that produces the methane is the real innovation here, but (of course) that's not what everyone's focusing on.

Posted by scott at 09:58 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2009
Turns Out It's True

The goggles, they do nothing:

"Another interesting finding was that overall participants who drank alcohol actually rated all the women in the photos as less attractive, compared to the participants who hadn't drunk alcohol. This seemingly flies in the face of the commonly held notion of 'beer goggles'."

I can't remember a time I was so lit an ugly chick suddenly became pretty. Then again, it's been a very long time since I was single, and I wasn't particularly good at it even back then.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
April 17, 2009
~ Are We Breathing Out, or Breathing in? ~

Scientists have developed new devices and techniques which allow human lungs to survive for up to 12 hours outside the body. The developments are allowing lungs that would previously have been unsuitable for transplant to be used, very successfully. The article includes an "Airplane-joke-waiting-to-happen" picture of the device.

Posted by scott at 01:30 PM eMail this entry!
But What About the Asp?

Jeff gets a no-prize with its face painted red* for bringing us news that Cleopatra's tomb may have been found. So far it's only an interesting radar return. It remains to be seen if there will be any digging to confirm the team's suspicion.

Article includes a quote from everyone's favorite Egyptologist, Zahi Hawass. Heyy-ya-HUP!!!

----
* Oh go look it up.

Posted by scott at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
Quantum Decisions

Scientists have created a theory which uses quantum mathematical techniques to more accurately predict human behavior. If a strong link between human consciousness and quantum mechanics can ever be established... well, I'm not sure what it'll mean, but it'll be profound. It'll be quantum!

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2009
Cannonball!

Ok, well, that's nice: a small-to-medium sized asteroid hit won't cause massive tsunamis. It will send several hundred thousand tons of water into the air. I agree with the scientists... bad idea all around to be anywhere near one of these things.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2009
Diabetes Development

More studies seem to indicate a stem cell treatment for diabetes works. The studies are still small, and the treatment doesn't seem to work for everyone, but any progress toward a more permanent fix for this very debilitating disease would be welcome.

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2009
Transplant Touchdown

Scientists may have finally cleared the final, toughest hurdle of organ transplant: immune system rejection:

Professor Jonathan Sprent and Dr Kylie Webster from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research focused on a different type of T cells – known as regulatory T cells (Treg) – in this study. Tregs are capable of quieting the immune system, stopping the killer T cells from seeking out and attacking foreign objects. Usually, these cells live in basic equilibrium, allowing the killer T cells to destroy what needs to be destroyed, but stopping them once the infection is over. The idea was to boost the number of Tregs in the system, quieting the killer T cells for a period of time sufficient for the body to accept the new tissue. After that point, the immune system would return to normal activity.

Sorta sounds like burning a new BIOS for your immune system, eh? Here's to hoping it works as well in humans as it does in mice!

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2009
Warp Drive: Not Yours

It seems that quantum mechanics is ruling out warp drives. Again. I think. Actually, assuming they can keep it turned on without exploding and it doesn't suck the Earth into a black hole, the Large Hadron Collider is set to significantly revamp the standard model in the next five years or so. This definitely isn't the last word.

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
April 01, 2009
Tobacco Sheild

Ron gets a no-prize he can smoke for bringing us news that, by using a genetically engineered virus, scientists have turned a specific sort of tobacco plant into a natural drug factory. Wouldja lookit that... a cause various leftist Luddites and suspicious tobacco farmers can get all up in arms about together!

Posted by scott at 01:30 PM eMail this entry!
Vampire Power

Scientists have created a yeast-powered fuel cell which can use human blood as its fuel. They are apparently quite a ways from creating a usable product, but its hoped that if the research pans out the devices will be used to power a number of micro-devices inside the human body, like pacemakers or pumps.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2009
Mind Control

Honda has developed a system which allows an individual to control one of its ASIMO robots with thought alone. Notwithstanding all the "big brother" and "I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords" issues everyone will likely bring up, I wonder if this development could be used to help people with catastrophic mobility disabilities in any way? In my own opinion, having a disability which completely immobilizes the body but leaves the brain fully functional is one of the worst of human fates. It would seem that Honda's creation could one day promise at least a small, and potentially a very large, amount of relief to such people by providing them with a helmet and a robot helper.

Posted by scott at 12:40 PM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2009
Big Science

Nothing like a monstrous chamber of hyper-pure water to start your day. I wonder how they keep it that pure and still let people in? Those must be some interesting dive suits!

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2009
Here We Go Again

Cold fusion appears to be poised for yet another comeback. This time around, it seems scientists are taking the data more seriously. This is, what, the third or fourth time another cold fusion discovery has been made? Sooner or later I'll bet they find something...

Posted by scott at 12:40 PM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2009
Somebody Wrote the Bloody Things

Jeff gets an enigmatic no-prize for bringing us news of a new study who's author claims the Dead Sea Scrolls were not, in fact, written by the Essenes:

Elior, who teaches Jewish mysticism at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, claims that the Essenes were a fabrication by the 1st century A.D. Jewish-Roman historian, Josephus Flavius, and that his faulty reporting was passed on as fact through the centuries. As Elior explains, the Essenes make no mention of themselves in the 900 scrolls found by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947 in the caves of Qumran, near the Dead Sea. "Sixty years of research have been wasted trying to find the Essenes in the scrolls," Elior tells TIME. "But they didn't exist. This is legend on a legend."

I'm not sure a more contentious area of scholarship exists than historic biblical criticism. This has the smell of a politically-motivated attack, or a bomb-thrower looking for some publicity. However, in this particular contest I'm merely sitting on the top row of the bleachers, waiting for the rest of the People's Front of Judea to show up. WTF do I know?

Do you have any change? I could really use a bag of those otters' noses...

Posted by scott at 02:18 PM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2009
Ima Git U... *OOK*

A zoo chimp's bad behavior seems to provide proof our closest cousins can also plot long-term strategies. The chimp troupe at the Little Rock zoo had (perhaps still has) a member who would flip out whenever anyone wearing a shirt like the one the staff wore showed up. Which, of course, one day I did. Let's just say I'm quite happy the only thing in the world even worse at throwing a ball than I am is a chimp.

Posted by scott at 09:53 PM eMail this entry!
It'll Certainly Make Trips to the Bathroom More Interesting

Scientists are now experimenting with hookworms as a treatment for MS. The reactions of the medical professionals in my family, who've spent their entire careers fighting such things, should be instructive.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2009
Gauging Loops

A team of scientists has modified a "dark horse" theory of gravity, enabling it to account for at least some gauge transformations. The only reason I could follow the article at all was I just recently read Warped Passages (highly recommended!). Even then it made my head crack, instead of explode like this sort of thing normally does. I guess it would suffice to say this is important, and, if the predictions this new theory is presumably making pan out, could represent the revolution required to integrate gravity with quantum mechanics.

Posted by scott at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2009
As If Guys Don't Smell Already

Research leader Professor Giuseppe Cirino said: “We found that hydrogen sulphide is involved in human penile erection. That was proved in this study.” He added that the discovery would help treat erectile dysfunction in future.

What?

Posted by Ellen at 09:44 PM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2009
Domestic Dating

They're not transportation, they're self-propelled breweries:

Horses were domesticated much earlier than previously thought, according to a team of researchers.
...
Writing in Science, a team from the UK's Exeter University suggested that the community in Kazakhstan rode their horses 1,000 years earlier.

They also ate them and drank their milk, possibly as an alcoholic brew.

I've heard enough rumors about fermented horse milk to continue to hope all I ever know about the stuff is rumors.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2009
OOlllldddd... Brainsss...

Scientists have discovered the earliest known intact brain fossil ever found. The technique could lead to a re-examination of huge numbers of fossils, with the potential for greatly increasing our understanding of the evolution of the brain.

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
Some Secrets are Better Left Unrevealed

And in the, "don't you have anything better to do?" category, we have a new entry giving a scientific explanation for why belly buttons collect fuzz. I've heard of "contemplating your navel" before, but that's ridiculous.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2009
Design-a-Kid

It would seem the future is now, at least where designer babies are concerned.

To ensure my child is not afflicted by some horrible, life-ending genetic problem? Sure! To make sure it's a certain type, with a specific eye color? Bah. When they come up with a check for, "learns 'get daddy a beer'" faster, maybe I'll call.

Posted by scott at 03:35 PM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2009
Molecular Face

At least one scientist thinks it may soon be possible to glean facial details from DNA. While not exactly a full reconstruction from a strand of self-important protein, it still seems enough to, say, narrow down a list of suspects, sometimes significantly. Who knows, perhaps ten years from now we'll be able to reconstruct what someone looks like just from a fingernail clipping. The implications for historical reconstruction are pretty exciting.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2009
Waitaminute... I'm Married?

Scientists have discovered a common high blood pressure treatment may be useful in treating disorders caused by traumatic memories. It doesn't appear to be a pill that makes you forget, but rather a pill that allows you to remember.

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2009
Bank Shot, Corner Pocket

Instead of coming up with "mo' bettah" antibiotics to fight superbugs, one group of scientists has discovered a compound which seems to act like kryptonite. As long as the little bastards end up dead before I do, it's all good to me!

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2009
BioBugs

Scientists appear to have discovered that parasitic wasps gained the ability to "zombify" caterpillars by harnessing a viral disease some 100 million years ago. I guess if life is given enough cracks at it, just about anything's possible... even internal genetic engineering!

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2009
E-Smoke Up, Charlie

When engineering meets addiction, the e-cigarette is born. If it makes clubs less polluted, I'll call it a good thing.

Posted by scott at 07:56 PM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2009
Ancient Box, Virtual Opening

Ah, the joys of non-destructive archeology. One of these days we'll have to travel to Chicago and see all of these things. I was last there I think in 1998. Too long.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure 3000 years ago places Ms. Sealed Sarcophagus in the new kingdom.

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
[Marvin Martian Voice]Delays... Delays...[/MMV]

Due to a lack of competent trumpet players, the end of the world has been postponed seven months:

The Large Hadron Collider could be switched back on in September - a year after it shut down due to a malfunction and several months later than expected.

We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause.

Posted by scott at 02:11 PM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2009
Practical Science

Well, who wouldn't want to know if someone can swim faster in syrup than they can in water? If it's safe to pour down the sewer, why's everyone wearing breathing masks?

Posted by scott at 01:13 PM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2009
Why Warm?

A new scientific theory is postulating warm-bloodedness was a response to the conditions of plant eaters, not predators. The theory is still quite new and therefore strong on predictions but short on evidence. However, it does seem to neatly explain why both mammals and (presumably) dinosaurs selected what would otherwise be considered a quite wasteful metabolic strategy.

Posted by scott at 11:05 AM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2009
Hybridize Hold-Up

Scientists seem to have discovered that creating human-animal hybrid embryos is much more difficult than previously thought. Has there ever been a time when something's turned out to be easier than previously thought? The entire US government would seem to be a gigantic counterfactual to the very idea.

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2009
Old Tool Time

Scientists have found evidence of human ancestors traipsing around South East Asia far earlier than previously thought. In fact, the tool evidence, which has been dated to 1.8 million years ago, pre-dates all other evidence of hominids in that region. It's so old it can't possibly be evidence of Homo sapiens, since we didn't show up most of the rest of history (200,000 years ago). What sort of hominid did create the tools is, of course, a matter for speculation.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2009
Double Invention

Scientists have found evidence that nervous systems were developed at least twice in the history of life. Good ideas get copied in nature no less often than they do in business, it would seem.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2009
LED Breakthrough

UK scientists have discovered a way to make LED lights comparable in price to compact fluorescents (CFs). Considering LED lights last 10 times longer and are generally considered to provide a superior light source, it's a good thing! Bonus: this one comes just after the UK instituted all sorts of legislation to encourage CF usage. Remember, folks, the market cannot be trusted to provide superior solutions in shorter time frames. Only government can provide!

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2009
The More You Know...

Yes, children, it is indeed possible for men to break their wangs. This is something that will always and forever sit on the very top of my "must never ever ever try to do" list.

Posted by scott at 04:30 PM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2009
When 111 Years Old You Become, Look as Good Your Offspring will not

Mark gets an old, scaly no-prize for bringing us news of a 111 year old reptile successfully reproducing. The "gee, ya think?" quote:

Henry's keepers have put his newfound vigour down to a recent operation to remove a tumour from his bottom.

The mind boggles.

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2009
(Squid) Tooth Time

Ron gets a horrible yet strangely useful no-prize for bringing us news that "jumbo" squid teeth may be useful for more than just flaying your garden variety helpless starlet. I've always thought humbolts were nifty critters. As long as I can admire them from the comfort of my couch, that is. Having them eye my boat like it's the gravy variety, maybe not so much.

Posted by scott at 11:03 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2009
Polynesian Origins

Using genetic studies of a human parasite and new linguistic studies, scientists have determined it was the Taiwanese who colonized the South Pacific. It's nice when two completely different lines of research come together.

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2009
Tiny Machines

Slashdot linked up two stories about advances in super-micro electronics: news of a motor which could be used to power tiny robots which would swim through the human body, and a tiny boat that uses only surface tension and small electrodes to move around. Of all the codgery "I remember when there wasn't any..." things I was going to tell Olivia about, "robots that swim in your veins" just wasn't on the list.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2009
It's Like Sputnik, for Your Innards

A biomedical company in California is developing a "digestible" sensor device for medical diagnosis. You swallow the pill (colored, one would hope, red) and a patch on your arm picks up the telemetry while the unit cruises your digestive tract. If it turns out to be something other than vaporware, I mean.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2009
Invisible Update

Scientists appear to be getting closer to a true invisibility cloak every day. And on that day, should it ever come, high school women's locker rooms will never be the same.

Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2009
But will They Help Search for Sarah Conner?

Australian engineers have developed a retrofit kit for refrigerators that will allow them to network and coordinate power use to minimize peak draws. The article doesn't make it clear if they're using power lines as the interconnects. If they are, it's all good. If not, setting up the internet connections will be a pretty significant hurdle.

Oh, and quote FTW: "A lot of people don’t realise [sic] that fridges cycle on and off regularly, which means you’ve got a bit of discretion about when they use power."

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2009
Dust to Dust, Gas to Gas

Scientists have discovered a microbial enzyme which can generate hydrogen from water much more efficiently than other similar biological processes. No, unfortunately it's not the breakthrough that will allow us to put Hajji on the bread line, but it is a step in the right direction.

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
It's Life, Jim, but not as We Know it

Depending on who you ask, scientists either have or have come mighty close to creating primitive forms of life in a laboratory. If nothing else, their work provides new insight into abiogenesis, the theories which describe and predict how life formed on this planet.*

----
* And no, abiogenesis is not Darwinism or evolution. It's quite different. Which is a useful thing to know when you need to poke a rhetorical stick in a creatonists' eye. Not that I would ever do something so rude. My story, sticking to it.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2009
A Special Set of Ants Marching

By using a special implant which emits a specific sort of cell-signaling molecule, scientists may be able to use a patient's own immune system to battle diseases and even cancer. The immune system of any multicellular creature represents the culmination of literally millions of years of research in battling various sorts of nasties. It's subtle and flexible beyond belief. Harnessing it successfully could unlock a staggering toolbox of treatments and cures.

Posted by scott at 03:35 PM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2009
Paging Moses, White Courtesy Phone Please

After years of talking about it, it seems manufacturers are getting serious about producing insect-analog electronic sensors for the field. Personally, I just like the image of a swarm of not-quite-insects descending on every house hajji tries to turn into a bomb factory. Got a biblical feel to it, no?

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2009
Mirror, Mirror, on the Fish

Scientists have discovered a fish which uses mirrors that are a part of its eyes to see. The brownsnout spookfish has been known for quite some time, but apparently it took catching a live specimen before this unique quirk of biology was discovered.

Oh, and they look really weird too.

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2009
Graveyard Find

What's being termed "the world's largest dinosaur graveyard" has produced evidence that ceratopsids like triceratops did indeed roam beyond what is now western North America. They've already dug out something like 7600 fossils from this Chinese fossil bed. Who knows what they'll find next?

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2009
Not Quite a Cadillac, but it'll do

Mark gets a coral-colored no-prize for bringing us news of new discoveries about the Galapagos iguanas:

A spectacular pink type of Galapagos iguana promises to rewrite the family's evolutionary history in the islands.

Rosada was missed by Charles Darwin during his 1835 visit, but appears to indicate the earliest known divergence of land animals in the archipelago.

Even better... the date of the split is well before the date the island these critters live on appeared.

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Mr. Teatime, White Courtesy Phone Please

It would seem that dentists will be able to grow replacement teeth for patients in the next 1-5 years. See, Ellen! I told you holding out for a ridiculously long time between dentist visits would pay off!

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2009
Roman Find

Mark gets an eagle-shaped no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a major Roman-era battlefield in Germany. The kicker? According to the article, it's too late and too far north to agree with existing histories.

Posted by scott at 03:49 PM eMail this entry!
Well Lookit That

As with most apocalyptic predictions, the chicken-little forecast of arctic ice disappearing completely in 2008 ended up flat wrong. The stuff actually increased during the year, for reasons scientists only puzzled out after the fact.

Now, tell me again, and slowly because I guess I'm just that retarded, why I should support inhibiting the economic growth of my country on the predictions of, presumably, these exact same scientists?

Those who think global warming is a) mostly man-made and b) a dire and immediate threat to civilization would do well to remember an axiom about science: "we love science because it can find The Ultimate Answer to any particular question. We hate science because it will change The Ultimate Answer whenever conflicting data is found."

That sound you hear is the True Believers moving the goalposts. Again.

Via No Pasaran.

Posted by scott at 02:37 PM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2008
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2008
Well, at Least it's Official
Posted by scott at 03:22 PM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2008
Self Control Surrenders

Headline: Black women are shrinking. Actual article summary: poor and "middle income" black women are losing height, while higher income black women are catching up and will most likely pass their white counterparts some time in the next few decades.

Article conclusion: people are helpless, prostrate before the monstrous consumer culture we have accidentally created.

GTFOML* explanation: poor people now have the opportunity to eat themselves to death with cheap, tasty food. For some weird reason, probably cultural, poor black women are more susceptible to eating themselves to death than others. Certain scientists and their liberal handlers are trying to pin this on the rest of us. Especially the white rest of us.

My solution: there is no "solution" per-se. If a certain subset of people wish to eat themselves to death, that's their business. Of course, poor women are typically poor because they got knocked up before they got a driver's license. This makes the "if they want to, let 'em die" policy heartless instead of libertarian. Which is why I get to be a gadfly, instead of actually make policy.

More likely solution: Let the policy makers do what they want, as long as it doesn't cost any more of my tax dollars.

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

-----
* Get the F- Off My Lawn

Posted by scott at 06:31 PM eMail this entry!
December 24, 2008
Like a Time Machine, for Wine

Need to turn a $2 bottle of trash into something that would please the most difficult sommelier would enjoy? Zap it with a little electricity. Will this make Ripple a valid choice for the table? Only time will tell.

Posted by scott at 07:54 AM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2008
(Mosquito) Busted
Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2008
For the Discerning Cephalopod, Nothing Else Will Do

Octopus enjoy watching TV, as long as it's in hi def, and don't seem to express distinct personalities in a specific set of experiments. I've read elsewhere that many animals may ignore TV because it doesn't "look right" to them. Seems we've got another set of critters to add to the list.

Posted by scott at 07:42 AM eMail this entry!
December 19, 2008
Who's a Warm and Fuzzy Console Now?

Scientists are exploring using the "WiiMote", Nintendo's innovative controller for the Wii console, to control combat robots. The idea is the remote is much more intuitive than the current laptop-based system, which sometimes requires a hazardous amount of attention to operate.

Bah. Just introduce break-away wrist straps, and start the soldiers to playing bowling. They'll be flinging wiiMotes through hajji's head in no time.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2008
Great. Just What I Needed. Another Excuse.

Scientists in the UK are setting up to play Christmas pop tunes at sharks to see if they respond to them. It would seem that fish in general recognize melody, so this would seem a sort of "spaghetti against the wall" experiment just to see what sharks will think of the music.

No speakers around the goldfish tank, Ellen. No! Bad!

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2008
I Can Has A New Face?

A woman being treated at the Cleveland Clinic has an almost entirely new face following the most extensive facial transplant ever performed, the medical center said Tuesday. The surgery was the first face transplant in the U.S. and the fourth in the world.

Few details about the patient have been released in advance of a news conference scheduled for today. About 80% of the patient's face was replaced with skin and muscles harvested from a cadaver.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 08:27 PM eMail this entry!
Rrmm... Ahh... Oops?

Drill for thermal energy, find an undiscovered magma chamber instead. They say the magma only rushed up the bore hole a few dozen feet before solidifying, but I bet the pucker factor was pretty high until they were certain of it. And why wait 3 years before telling anyone? Mighty suspicious, I say...

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2008
Death Climb

Wanna survive climbing Everest? Be on your guard on the way down. Ellen wants to go to take pictures of all the mummified corpses.

Posted by scott at 11:18 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2008
Pushing Back the Line

Scientists have discovered evidence that Homo sapiens may have evolved some 80,000 years earlier than previously thought. They must be employing some new radiocarbon dating techniques. Back when I was an undergrad, 80k was the margin of error in most of the ones in use at that time.

Posted by scott at 01:10 PM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2008
... and the Particle Accelerator Goes, "Boom!"

Sometimes big science leads to big accidents. They're not expecting to re-open the LHC until some time next summer. Considering the expense of these one-of-a-kind systems, I can understand the delays involved ensuring it doesn't go "kerplooey" again.

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
Ant Arm

Scientists and engineers appear to have created a superior artificial limb which may hit the market as early as 2011. They used the behavior of ants to model algorithms which (apparently) closely mimic how nerve impulses travel across the human body. The result is a limb which can be controlled with the same neuron paths as the original. In other words, according to these guys anyway, if an amputee can still feel a phantom limb, this new system will use those impulses to control an artificial one.

Posted by scott at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2008
Not So Easy After All

It appears building a space elevator will likely be even more complex than one would at first think. The complicating factors? Coriolis, solar wind, and gravitation system effects combining to destabilize the whole system.

Still, what we're talking about here are engineering problems, not ones of material strength or basic physical laws. Engineering problems always (eventually) respond to blood, sweat, and treasure, and something tells me these will be no different.

Well, eventually.

Posted by scott at 03:10 PM eMail this entry!
Ancient Secrets Revealed

While still in rough draft form, the Neandertal genome sequence project is already making important discoveries. Right now, it seems to mostly involve what's not there... i.e., no "smoking gun" clearly pointing to interbreeding. The project is expected to take several more years before a complete sequencing is finished.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2008
Bone Goo

Scientists have developed a new "bone scaffold" polymer which helps hold fractured bones together without the undesired heat of other, previous substances. If the patient has a really spectacular fracture they'll still need the requisite rods, screws, and pins to hold things together, but this new substance could obviate the requirement for bone grafts that are often required to heal such severe fractures.

Posted by scott at 10:46 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2008
Bright Stuff

Mark gets a no-prize shaped like a you-know-what for bringing us a study that appears to link intelligence with a higher quality of sperm in human males. The association isn't a very strong one, but it does seem to be statistically significant.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
Big Not-Bird

Scientists have announced the discovery of the largest Pterasaur ever found. It's estimated the creature had a wingspan of not quite 17 feet, and stood about 3 feet tall. The fossil also represents the first chaoyangopteridae species found outside of China.

Posted by scott at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2008
Self-Powered Phone

All I can say is, if scientists really do figure out how to power a cell phone with the speech of the user, they better include a power-out on the one Ellen gets. That way I'll be able to use it to power the whole house.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2008
Looks Like a Great Way to Get Sick to Me

Ever the busybodies, scientists in Switzerland have cooked up a rig which seems to be able to convince your brain it's living in someone else's body. I think that whole bit about being convinced you're a chair would've been easier with a bottle of vodka or two.

As hokey as it seems, even I can see it has futuristic implications for people with profound mobility disorders. Living sci-fi indeed!

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2008
Neutralizer!

Scientists from the University of Akron have patented a process that would use supersonic aircraft to disrupt hurricane formation. Hugo Chavez raging about how El Norte was steering hurricanes south to get him would, presumable, follow.

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
November 26, 2008
I See You

Another day, another video of some wacky new type of large squid. Sometimes, well, most of the time, working on a oil rig doesn't sound like much fun. But on days like those...

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2008
Your Next Car Cover?

Chemists have developed a fabric coating which provides the ultimate in water protection. The result? The most waterproof clothing-suitable fabric ever created. If it's cheap enough, and really as durable as they say, the idea of a "suit bag" for your classic car may one day soon be a reality.

Of course, it could also be used for other, less important applications like self-cleaning clothes, permanently dry swim wear, and who knows how many medical items, but hey, let's stay focused on what's important... protecting quirky old Italian cars tossed out of their garage by other quirky old Italian cars!

Posted by scott at 01:20 PM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2008
Big Ball

Scientists have discovered that a modern single celled organism as big as a grape leaves trails identical to those found in 600 million year old fossil beds. The implication being these critters, or something very like them, have been around longer than just about anything else we know of, and that the Cambrian explosion may not in fact simply be a gap in the fossil record.

In other news, there are single celled organisms out there as a big as a grape!

Posted by scott at 03:30 PM eMail this entry!
Crypt Find

Scientists have announced they've found and identified the grave and remains of famed scientist Nicolaus Copernicus. The grave was discovered in a 14th-century Polish cathedral under floor tiles near one of the side altars. The findings were authenticated using DNA samples taken from the remains and from a hair sample found in a book used by Copernicus.

Ain't science grand?

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2008
Cave War

Scientists using a clever sort of bone analysis have determined that early modern humans were throwing weapons during the early paleolithic, and neandertals were not. It's always better to be the spear thrower than the spear catcher.

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
Say Hello to My Little Friend

The pygmy tarsier, long thought to have gone extinct in the 1920s, well, isn't. My anthropology adviser back in college said tarsiers in general were amazing jumpers, so fast they were almost impossible to follow. I'm not completely sure they can be kept in captivity.

Posted by scott at 10:13 AM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2008
November 17, 2008
Gutting the GUT

A team of scientists seem to have proven it will be impossible to experimentally verify the possibility that at one point, far in the distant past, all the forces that make our universe tick were once one. I'm just about done with Warped Passages, by Lisa Randall, which discusses this exact situation. It seems that there is definitely a problem verifying any theory which relies on Planck-scale forces. However, if the universe contains more dimensions than the four we perceive, and they act in the way that modelers (string theory and otherwise) think they do, then it's quite possible we'll be able to concoct experiments to test unification that won't require obscene amounts of energy to work.

Hey, man, don't look at me. My head explodes every time I read a chapter of that thing. I sorta like it. :)

Posted by scott at 11:12 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2008
I Wonder Where They Put the Worm?

Mexican (natch) scientists have developed a method of making diamonds out of tequila. As expected, the diamonds produced aren't something that will go in a ring, but they do seem to represent a new, cheaper method of generating industrial diamond. Considering the number of uses already figured out for the stuff, this should be welcomed.

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2008
As Long as I Get to Throw a Snowball at Al Gore

Mike J. gets a white, creamy no-prize covered in chocolate syrup for bringing us news that at least some scientists think the next ice age may be soon and it may be quite long indeed. Boy, all those people who bought Nevada scrubland betting it'll one day be beachfront are gonna be pissed!

Posted by scott at 05:20 PM eMail this entry!
Tug-o-War

Two scientists have come up with a novel theory of brain development that makes autism and schizophrenia two sides of the same coin. Even if proven wrong, the predictions the theory makes should provide much more insight into how the brain develops, and how it breaks down.

Posted by scott at 11:14 AM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2008
I KEEL YOU!!!

Scientists have created genetically engineered "assassin" T-cells which seem to be better able to tackle HIV. Engineering "supercells" to fight "superbugs" would seem to me to introduce a real risk of cancer, but my knowledge about such things wouldn't fill a sheet of paper. In other words, waddoIknow?

Posted by scott at 12:20 PM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2008
The "NOM" That Changed History

Scientists have uncovered even more evidence that all plants which have ever lived have one common ancestor:

The bacterium was probably intended as prey but instead it became incorporated into its attacker’s body – turning it into the ancestor of every tree, flowering plant and seaweed on Earth. The encounter meant life on the planet could evolve from bacterial slime into the more complex forms we see today. “That single event transformed the evolution of life on Earth,” said Paul Falkowski, professor of biogeochemistry and bio-physics at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “The descendants of that tiny organism transformed our atmosphere, filling it with the oxygen needed for animals and, eventually, humans to evolve.”

On such small things a world can turn.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2008
"Spotting" Rainfall

One group of scientists are now reporting the discovery of very strong evidence that sunspot activity affects rainfall on Earth. To what extent, the article does not say. Note the omission of (to me, at any rate) the rather obvious issue that global rainfall very strongly affects global climate and therefore sunspots do in fact affect climate change. Reminds me a lot of those medieval chroniclers in Europe neglecting to mention a supernova everyone else saw because it contradicted the core teachings of the church to which they belonged.

The more things change...

Posted by scott at 02:11 PM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2008
Warm Up Wonders

Making the rounds: at least some of the stuff you learned about exercising when you were a kid is wrong. Specifically, "static stretching", the standing stretches done as a part of exercise warm-up, actually weaken the muscle instead of strengthening it.

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2008
Oxyclean: Is There Anything it Can't Do?

That chick who killed her partner in their garage with a phillips screw driver used the wrong bleach:

There are two types of bleach found in household cleaning products. Chlorine-based bleaches are known to make bloodstains invisible, but applying chemicals such as luminol or phenolphthalein will still reveal the presence of haemoglobin - crucial for identifying blood - even after up to 10 washes. In contrast, oxygen bleach, which contains an oxidising agent such as hydrogen peroxide, erases all trace of haemoglobin. Its effect seems to have been untested until now.

It seems to me cleanup isn't the biggest problem... it's that 150+ lbs of dead body that needs to be got rid of that seems the main stumbling block.

Well, that and, you know, killing is wrong and stuff.

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2008
Ancient Bug

The first fossil from the mysterious Ediacarn period has been described. This is the final period before the Cambrian explosion, who's fauna is far better known because of formations like the Burgess shale. It's been known for some time something was wandering around the ocean floor during the Ediacaran, because tracks have been found. This is the first time (as far as I know) we've found a complete fossil of one of the critters that might have been doing the walking.

Posted by scott at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2008
Hand Bugs

Well, if this study of the bacteria found on human hands is accurate, I've got interesting news and f'd up news:

Interesting: women have a more diverse set of bugs living on their hands

F'd up: It appears washing one's hands doesn't do much to change said diversity.

Let's shake on it!

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2008
Chicken Little is Hungry

Another day, another "giant swath of humanity's going to DIE Unless We Do Something About Climate Change NOW!!!" report. Unspoken is the glaring assumption that, when presented with a commodity with a decreasing supply and a rising price, human beings do not change their behavior. That assumption forms one of the deepest foundations of progressives and liberals of all stripes, which is why they never question it and why they always end up bitten on the ass by it.

Which is, in essence, another way of stating the old axiom: "Republicans disagree with Democrats because the former think the latter are wrong. Democrats disagree with Republicans because the former think the latter are stupid."

Which is why, even when they win, they lose.

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2008
But Where are the Plumbers?

It would seem that, like certain 20th century politicians, chimpanzees keep an "enemies list" in their head. Yeah, it's a kind of "sky is blue, water is wet" sort of observation, but it does rule out that chimpanzees don't keep track of who is nice to them and who is mean.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2008
Green Timing

It seems the Earth turned green later than previously thought. Exactly how they figured this out is just a little beyond me. Never go from reading about quantum physics to reading about the Archaean period in less than 5 minutes. Your brain will thank you.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2008
Science Fiction Medicine

Scientists have developed a device that allows a surgeon to operate on a beating heart. It works by using scanners and computers to move the operating platform exactly in time with the beating heart, providing the surgeon with a stable working area.

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2008
Super Paper

Jeff gets a light but strong no-prize for bringing us the latest development in nano-tech production. It's still not a production-grade material, but they seem to have high hopes of getting there within a year.

Posted by scott at 02:50 PM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2008
Cascade Failure

It looks like Hubble is experiencing even more problems. When a race car manages to break something new every time it's used, that's usually a sign it's time to get a new race car. Unfortunately I'm not sure the sentimental politics surrounding everyone's nearly 20 year old space telescope will allow the obvious conclusion to be drawn.

Oh well, it could be worse. We could've spent all that money and taken all that risk and then it could've failed.

Posted by scott at 02:10 PM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2008
Tomb Time

The tomb of the person who's life inspired the movie Gladiator has been found. It seems it had the good fortune to be buried under river floods, and seems to be fairly complete.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2008
Closing the Loop

An environmental sciences company has announced they've developed a system that economically turns CO2 into hydrocarbons. Announcing you can do something and actually doing it are, of course, two different things. It'd be nice to find out this wasn't some sort of vaporware, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Posted by scott at 09:15 AM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2008
Accidental Age

A team of scientists at Stanford have discovered that, at least in some organisms, aging is driven by genetics, not by "rust". If it's a gene getting turned on that causes us to grow old, it's possible to figure out a way to turn it off.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2008
Great. Something Else to Break

Engineers at the University of Tokyo have created a system that renders objects in a car that would cause blind spots invisible. Back in my old sim days, this was called cheating. Of course, since it's the real world, "cheating for safety" actually works. Not too sure about the giant hat you have to wear to get it to work. Then again, this is only a prototype.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2008
Giving 'em a Hand

Scientists have long known that organic chemistry is made possible on Earth by the quirk that the molecules required are all "handed", in this case, left, on this planet. Yet nobody knew why, or why that particular direction. Until now.

Don't look at me. I barely got out of high school Chemistry with a C-. I just thought the whole concept was neat.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2008
Birth of an Ocean

It's official... the great rift valley will one day soon become a brand-new ocean. The region that gave birth to humanity will eventually be submerged and lost to time. Seems appropriate, somehow.

Posted by scott at 04:45 PM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2008
Skin Vision

An Israeli scientist is claiming people can see with their skin. Unfortunately, exactly how this is supposed to work is not explained in the article.

Posted by scott at 07:24 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2008
Old Virus

Scientists have determined the AIDS virus is probably 100 years old. I can remember when Time reported the entire epidemic could be traced to a single male flight attendant in, as I recall, 1979. Sorta puts the kibosh to that one, eh?

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2008
M-Drive

A British scientist claims to have invented a drive system that has no moving parts and only needs electricity to work. It started out sounding like snake oil, but eventually at least seemed possible. Requiring superconducting materials to make the concept work on a scale big enough to power a car would, to me, seem like a deal breaker. It's not like you can buy the stuff out of a JC Whitney catalog, ya know?

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2008
Great Find...

... lousy location:

Archaeologists are racing against the little time left to salvage a fortune in coins and items from a 500-year-old Portuguese shipwreck found recently off Namibia's rough southern coast.

You know, the place where they shoot people over diamonds? Indiana Jones, indeed.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2008
Point & Shoot

Scientists are finding that many of the perceptual problems caused by zero-g have a physiological basis:

Humans orientate in 3D by using otoliths, small crystals of calcium carbonate and protein that shift on hairs in the inner ear. Forces acting on these grains as a person moves mean they can sense acceleration and gravitational pull.

Who knew?

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2008
September 18, 2008
U-Brew Plastic

Scientists have created a strain of bacteria which excretes an important ingredient in many plastics. While not quite to the point of pooping out a soda bottle, it definitely seems to represent yet another step away from oil reliance. A good thing!

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2008
I Wonder if There are Teeny-Tiny Cows Too?
Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2008
Superstitious Genes

It would seem there's a reason people tend to believe in things like astrology and "the power of threes." To me, it looks like the old, "probability of something happening vs. the consequences of it happening" axiom in play. If being superstitious makes you less likely to get killed, then superstition will be selected for.

In other words, a smug assertion that rustling grass is caused by the wind will not impress the natives when a lion jumps out and eats you.

Posted by scott at 12:22 PM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2008
We're All Still Here

As with all previous apocalyptic predictions, the world keeps stubbornly refusing to end. Black hole: NOT YOURS.

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2008
Forest Find

Mark gets an ancient upside-down no-prize for bringing us an update on those gigantic fossilized forests found in the coal mines in the border area between the states of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. As noted in the article, fossilized forests aren't particularly remarkable. Fossilized forests the size of a large city are.

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2008
Not So Junky After All

Researchers seem to have discovered evidence that at least some changes in the human species have been caused by so-called "junk" DNA. I've read rumblings that junk DNA, well, might not be, a few times before, but this is the first article that seems (to me anyway) to provide direct evidence for it..

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
Mammoth Find

Mark gets a trunk-shaped no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a rare mammoth fossil in France. The species, Mammuthus trogontherii, also known as the steppe mammoth, is thought to represent a transitional type between an even earlier creature called a southern mammoth and the more familiar wooly sort.

Posted by scott at 10:57 AM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2008
First The Prarie Dogs, And Now The Ferrets! Not The Ferrets!

"The deadly disease sylvatic plague was discovered in May in a huge prairie dog town in the Conata Basin. The black-tailed prairie dog is the main prey of ferrets, and the disease quickly killed up to a third of the area's 290 ferrets along with prairie dogs."

Check It Out!

Posted by Ellen at 09:57 PM eMail this entry!
Romans Being Blamed For HIV

"According to genetic research published on Wednesday, when Julius Caesar made his first exploratory visit to our shores in 55BC he triggered a chain of events which may have lowered our resistance to the virus which leads to Aids."

"The theory is that as the Roman Empire spread so did an unknown illness that killed those carrying a gene that would one day give their descendants resistance to the virus."

"As a result, today's inhabitants of nations once conquered by the Romans tend to lack the gene and so are more susceptible to HIV."

Interesting...

Posted by Ellen at 09:20 PM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2008
Gaming BPD

I've always been a bit chary about even accepting the existence of borderline personality disorder. It always seemed to me to be a band-aid to cover up people who were just monstrous pains in the ass. I'm sure you'll all be as shocked as I was to find out I was wrong. Scientific and repeatable study FTW!

Posted by scott at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2008
Rain Forest Re-Set

It seems the "ancient, pristine, and untouched" landscape of the Amazon is anything but. It's becoming increasingly clear that native Americans altered the western hemisphere nearly as much, if not equally so, as their Eurasian counterparts altered the eastern one. White explorers failed to see it because native populations were scythed away by disease long before Europeans penetrated the interior of the far more populous central and southern parts of this half of the world.

Put that in your "man as scourge of the pristine parts of the planet" pipe and smoke it!

Posted by scott at 12:24 PM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2008
The Sick Seabed

Ever wonder why there were so few critters running around at the bottom of the ocean, even though there's plenty to eat down there?

Ok, you're not playing this game correctly. Now nod and say, "Why yes, Scott, I have wondered that several times."

Well, you may not have wondered about the question, but I'll wager you'll wonder at the answer:

Danovaro's team collected dozens of samples of sediment from sites around the world. Everywhere they looked the top centimetre of sediment contained large quantities of viruses. The average gram of sediment contained 1 billion viruses, which is the equivalent of 8 trillion viruses per square metre of ocean floor.

I wonder if perhaps the development of the nucleus, which distinguishes prokaryotes from eukaryotes, was driven by the need to escape from what presumably is this most ancient of arms races?

Posted by scott at 04:14 PM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2008
NeanderTech

A recent study has made the claim that neandertal stone toolkits actually weren't any less efficient than those created by their contemporary Homo sapien competitors. The "dumb neandertal" conventional wisdom takes another hit.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
Insert "Life of Brian" Reference Here

Mark gets a no-prize with a characteristic lisp for bringing us news of more developments surrounding that Roman bath complex discussed in a previous article. This time, they've found a giant head of Marcus Aurelius. The find has caused them to rethink what was going on inside that bath house when it collapsed. Now, instead of theorizing that the statues were there in preparation for their destruction for quicklime, it's thought they were part of the decoration of the place, and were lost outright when it collapsed.

Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2008
It's Dangerous to Go Alone. Here, Take This

Ron gets a no-prize that would normally stay attached for bringing us one of the more extreme examples of sexual dimorphism and mating behavior, aka the Blanket Squid:

If a male does chance across a female, it uses all its resources in an attempt to mate, "as he's unlikely to encounter another one," said Tregenza. A male blanket octopus fills a modified tentacle with sperm, tears it off, presents it to its prospective mates, and then drifts off to certain death.

OUCH!!!

Posted by scott at 02:20 PM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2008
Indentify U

Ron gets a no-prize that'll be impossible to mistake for any other for bringing us news that full genome sequencing just got a lot cheaper. If this keeps up, people will be able to get sequenced just for the f- of it some day. Although I think Ron will most likely be the first one in line.

Posted by scott at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
But are They Free if They're 30 Minutes Late?

An Australian PhD candidate has created a method of making solar cells requiring common materials and a pizza oven. The article doesn't mention the efficiency of the panels she produces, which is unfortunate because that's what's really holding solar tech back. If it's at or beyond what the more expensive processes can provide, well, there's another shovel of dirt on dirty power's grave.

Posted by scott at 01:34 PM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2008
Yeah, Right

Men who want to live longer apparently need to get more wives. I have my hands full with just the one.

Posted by scott at 03:36 PM eMail this entry!
Warp Speed!

Today's "It's is easy if you can turn the entire mass of Jupiter into energy" faster-than-light travel strategy is brought to you by the Telegraph online.

Just how long this might take may depend on your view of man's handling of energy over time. If water wheels or even fire counts as man's first successful effort at controlling outside energy, it took thousands or even tens of thousands of years for us to make much progress increasing that amount. However, if you start the clock at steam, it only took about a century to go from controlling the equivalent of a few dozen horses to controlling the equivalent of several million*. If we take that sort of progression and project it forward, maybe converting 2000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilograms of matter into energy isn't completely out of the reach of the near future.

Via Instapundit.

----
* Or whatever the hell the aggregate shaft horsepower is from a nuclear reactor's power plant.

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2008
Head Find

Mark gets an ancient and strangely beautiful no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a giant statue head in the remains of a Roman bath house. It would seem later residents were breaking up these statues to burn them for cement when an earthquake buried everything. A loss for one age is a gain for another, I suppose.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2008
Maybe We Should Call it, "Paleolithic Chef"?

A group of scientists have revealed a theory which says cooking is what allowed our ancestors to develop efficient brains. The thinking (as it were) goes that after long use, the evolution strategy of getting bigger and bigger brains had run up against physical limitations related to birth. In other words, human heads just couldn't get any bigger and still have women able to walk around. However, by processing our food externally using tools and fire, we greatly reduced the amount of energy required for digestion, freeing it up to be used to power faster metabolic processes in our already quite large brains. In a funny sort of way, it really did amount to "we are what we eat."

Or, perhaps, what we ate allowed us to become what we are.

Posted by scott at 10:45 AM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2008
Mystery Woman

One of the more entertaining aspects of science is when something shows up that has no right to be there:

Scientists are baffled after carbon dating showed the skull, a woman's which was found near [New Zealand's] capital, Wellington, dates back from 1742 – decades before Cook's Pacific expedition arrived in 1769.

I'd like to know the precise dating technique used. Back when I was studying such things, radio carbon dates usually had margins of error much larger than 20 years.

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2008
Dem Bones

Ah, for a ticket to London:

A new London exhibition gives visitors a chance to see for themselves the traces left by disease and diet on 26 skeletons recovered from beneath London.

I bet the slide show is interesting. Unfortunately I can't get the @#$#$@ player to work. Ah well.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2008
Crossing the Goal Line?

Further trials appear to be needed, but it would seem someone has finally come up with an effective treatment for Alzheimer's. It's not known at this time if the drug can reverse damage, but it does seem to halt the progression of the disease. A good thing!

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2008
A Different Sort of Pot

By mapping distinctive geologic features known as "mud pots", scientists have discovered the San Andreas fault extends much further south than previously thought. Fortunately the new extension does not seem to be seismically active. Because we all know California doesn't need a better excuse to fall into the sea, eh?

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2008
I Have Seen the Face of Godzilla...

... and it is strangely mushroom-shaped. It would seem to me that, if this fungus really is using the energy given off by ionizing radiation, it might even end up a candidate for biological shielding? What a strange thought!

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2008
Dino Find

A Japanese/Chinese science team has announced the discovery of a nearly-complete juvenile Tarbosaurus. Related to the better-known T. Rex, the fossil itself lacks only the next bones and the end of the tail. It's thought the creature died around the age of 5, making it a valuable addition to the study of dinosaur development.

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2008
Old Asian

Mark gets a no-prize in an unexpected place for bringing us news of evidence that a hominid once thought to be exclusive to Asia, well, wasn't. The field is in the late stages of an oversplitting period, so what I learned of as "Homo erectus found in Asia" is currently considered a "separate hominid species found solely in Asia not related to anything else." Will this fossil of an "Asian-only" hominid found in Germany herald the return of the "clumpers?" We'll just have to wait and watch.

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2008
Pickin' it Apart

I knew it was only a matter of time before someone thought to put a giant squid dissection on-line. Haven't you been expecting one?

Posted by scott at 09:25 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2008
Chicken Little in the Bathroom

So now it would seem we can even chalk up kidney stones to global warming. I always thought the bedrock of science was a firm understanding of cause and effect. It seems I was wrong.

Posted by scott at 11:34 AM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2008
But What about the Sharks?

By using only off-the-shelf hardware, Raytheon intends to field and test a working laser defense system by November. This is not like the other laser projects you've heard about lately... this system is solid-state. No nasty chemicals to handle or run out of at an embarrassing time. It's being pitched as a point-defense system against small targets like mortar shells and (presumably) rockets.

If it works as advertised, I would imagine the Israeli government will want to buy them by the dozen. Were it me, I'd then paint a big ROCKET TARGETS: NOT YOURS every 100 yards or so on the Pali side of that wall they're building. Hasta la vista, baby.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2008
Color Me Dino

By examining their fossils with a scanning electron microscope, it just might be possible to determine the color of feathered dinosaurs. And, it stands to reason, just about anything else with feathers on it. Apparently the technique might even work with marine fossils. Do we even have any fossilized marine critter skin?

Posted by scott at 02:49 PM eMail this entry!
Rare Bugs

Fans of the lobster in all its varied forms should find this collection of rare and unique lobsters worth a look. They still creep me out, but I know I'm in a minority in that respect.

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2008
Ear to the Ground

While it's still very unclear just when exactly language evolved in humans, it would seem our ears, at least, were preparing for it for a very long time. The finding is interesting, but definitely seems to have a chicken-or-egg problem in my opinion. Do our ears have a unique sensitivity to maximize our ability to understand language, or are human speech sounds concentrated in that range because that's where our ears are maximally sensitive?

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2008
Loopy Lupa

It would appear what is thought of as the oldest bronze statue of Rome's founding she-wolf may be nowhere near as ancient as previously believed. The evidence does seem a bit weak, at least from what's related in the article. You know, in my expert opinion and all that.

Posted by scott at 02:41 PM eMail this entry!
Clean up on AisleThree

Problem: Invasive seaweed species are choking off environmentally important (and tourist-drawing) coral reefs.

Solution: Hoover 'em up.

No, really!

Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
July 10, 2008
Four Footed Find

Scientists are reporting the discovery of a fossil tetrapod older than anything found to-date. While the animal probably is not a direct ancestor of every living four-legged creature today, the fossil does provide insight into just how, and perhaps why, a certain group of creatures transitioned from sea to land.

Put that in your "no transitional fossils ever found" pipe and smoke it.

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2008
Just Don't Open that Bag!

Problem: how do you quantify the amount of methane given off by your typical cow?

Solution: Plastics.

Every time I think the global warming crowd has hopped over the wall of rationality and into the green, well-padded fields of hysteria, they go and jump a little higher.

Posted by scott at 02:44 PM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2008
That'll be One Toothy Kid

A group of Brazilian scientists claim to have developed a technique which creates human sperm cells from tooth cells. Their idea is to help infertile men by allowing stem cells created from other, more common cell types to be turned into sperm cells. The research is apparently far from well documented, so it's unclear whether the technique has any real clinical applications.

Smile!

Posted by scott at 01:33 PM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2008
New Shooz

New evidence has been uncovered that seems to date the habitual wearing of shoes back to at least 40,000 years ago. Just what that evidence is, the article doesn't really say. Just about the only thing it can be is some sort of skeletal change in the foot which is characteristic of wearing a shoe.

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2008
Now Those are Some Smooth Balls

The metric standards police are taking another crack at re-defining the kilogram. Sometimes I wonder if our inability to unify gravity and quantum physics may be somehow linked to our inability to precisely define a unit of measurement for what gravity most directly affects.

Rrm... ah... sort of thing, eh?

Posted by scott at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
Doin' it to Death

Scientists have discovered a species of chameleon who's life cycle is more like an insect's than a vertebrate's:

Over four years, [Kris Karsten at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, US] and his colleagues marked 400 chameleons and followed seven with radio tags to study their growth patterns, lifespans and behaviour. They discovered that juveniles hatch in synchrony in early November, grow into adults within just seven weeks, mate, and all die without exception by April, just before the harsh dry season settles in.

Just when you thought nature couldn't get any weirder...

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2008
Still No Cure for... Oh, Wait!

Scientists who have developed an innovative cancer treatment have now moved to human clinical trials. By using a specific sort of white blood cell, called a granulocyte, taken from healthy young mice and transferring them to mice with cancer, researchers were apparently able to affect a 100% cure rate. Whether or not the technique will work with humans is another matter, but previous lab-based tests seem to be promising. A cure in our time? Probably not, but it definitely sounds like a new weapon is about to be brought to bear on the problem.

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2008
Paging Algernon, White Courtesy Phone Please

Scientists have discovered a drug which is already on the market for a completely unrelated treatment may be useful in reversing certain forms of autism. Scientists realized that since rapamycin, a medication doctors prescribe to patients who have had transplants to prevent their bodies from rejecting the new organs, works on the same gene affected by tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare genetic disorder that causes brain tumors, seizures, learning disabilities, skin lesions and kidney tumors, it might be a useful treatment for that disease. Sure enough, in mice at least, affected subjects exhibited a complete turnaround in less than three days.

A human trial is already underway in England, although no word on the results of that are in the article.

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2008
Sea of Time

By using a technique called "time reversal", scientists have created devices that can transmit data under water many times faster than existing technologies allow. However, at 20kb per second, I don't think it's going to worry our current broad band providers very much.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
June 24, 2008
When Reality Attacks

Whodathunkit? Free-ranging "organic" pigs end up with lots more nasties inside them than farm-raised pigs given antibiotics. If a more obvious conclusion could've been drawn, I don't know what it might be. Then again, this is the environmentalist movement we're talking about here. It's much more important to stick it to the kulaks and prols every way we can than to let things like facts and reason cloud our judgment, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2008
Burnable Bug Poop

It would seem the race for biologically-generated oil has another contestant. This is, what, the third company we've linked that's doing this? Suddenly this is changing from a pipe dream to a "matter of time" sort of thing. If it puts Hajji and his Merry Band of Detonating Dervishes that much closer to a bread line, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 07:12 AM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2008
Feets Don't Fail Me Now

British engineers are considering deploying "micro generators" in tube stations. The result? Power big enough to light 6500 light bulbs. Something tells me, however, that the tech is a lot more expensive than they're letting on. What good does powering 6500 light bulbs do if it required 30 years to pay off the investment?

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2008
RoboTongue

Scientists have developed a "tongue display" to help people with balance problems stay up and those bound to wheel chairs avoid pressure sores. The idea is to use small electrical pulses on the tongue to substitute for lost sensations in the affected areas. The device would appear to be very small, easy to learn, and (one would hope) affordable. What will they think of next?

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
Conducting Supers

Remember that new superconducting material we linked up awhile ago? It's still providing surprises:

[Frank Hunte, a postdoctoral associate at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's Applied Superconductivity Center] and his colleagues thought the world-record [45-tesla Hybrid] magnet would be more than sufficient to test the field tolerance limits of the new material. They thought wrong: The iron oxyarsenide kept superconducting all the way up to 45 tesla, far past the point at which other superconductors become normal conductors.

Magnetic resistance is one of the three elusive requirements for making large-scale use of superconductors practical. Will this new material provide the other two as well?

Posted by scott at 07:58 AM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2008
Toothy Hearts

A company has announced the development of a heart stent coated with a substance found in tooth enamel. The hope is the new device will offer superior protection and fewer side effects when compared to metal-only stents. If it keeps the ticker tickin', I guess it's allright with me.

Posted by scott at 01:32 PM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2008
Speaking of Archeology...

Zahi Hawass & co. are at it again, this time announcing the discovery of an ancient city in the Sinai peninsula. Thought to be about 3500 years old, it represents the most ancient citadel found in that area to-date.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
Stonehenge Update

That new excavation project of Stonehenge we've occasionally linked articles on has produced what appears to be a definitive summary of their findings. According to the report, it would seem the place was a ceremonial burial ground for perhaps a single family for something like 30 generations. Then, about 3500 years ago, it was abandoned and eventually forgotten. To provide a different time fix for just how ancient this place is, consider that when this place was abandoned after five centuries of use, the pyramids were just being built. Even more tantalizing are remains that seem to indicate the site was in use more than 10,000 years ago.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2008
Flapjack Follies

Ron gets a no-prize that's burnt on one side for bringing us news of the development of a bacteria-based computer which can solve the classic "pancake problem". As with most bio-based computer designs I've read about lately, they've got it solving extremely simple problems right now. It would seem that, while this technique has a lot of promise, practical applications are still in the "after I retire" time frame.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2008
Deep Life

If one scientist's theories prove correct, the largest biomass in the world may not be in the oceans, but under them. Perhaps 111 million years old to boot. Stephen Gould once said evidence seems to indicate that as soon as life could exist on Earth, it did. It now seems increasingly likely that, barring something that destroys the planet outright, it always will.

Heck something like that may even be able to tolerate the Sun's future expansion into a red giant.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2008
Hail Theesar!

Mark gets an ancient no-prize with a special oak leaf cluster (for providing a great title to this post) for bringing us news of the discovery of the most ancient bust of Julius Ceasar found to-date. I've always thought it's remarkable that we have a very good idea what a particular set of elites looked like between about 500 BC and 300 AD, and have no idea what anyone else really looked like on either side of that window for thousands of years. I do not doubt I would recognize any of the Julio-Claudians were they to walk down a street.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2008
Lego Brain: Not Yours

Looks like some doctors are getting a little frisky with the ol' fMRIs. Any time someone says "brain structure" and "political party" in the same sentence, I get damned suspicious.

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2008
Robo Boat

I'll see your fancy flying robots and raise you a fancy floating robot. Hopefully they'll have some telemetry devices on their shiny robotic sailing vessel, otherwise if it fails to cross the Atlantic all by itself they may never know for sure what happened.

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2008
Duck Duck Duck Genome!

Annie gets a weirdly intriguing no-prize for bringing us the results of a recent genetic survey of everyone's favorite egg-laying mammal, the platypus. As the article notes, it would seem they're just as weird on the inside as they are on the outside.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2008
Beaten to Death

Scientists seem to have found a link between early childhood abuse and adult suicide. The finding may not be as "duh" as you think. The link is physiological, which means it can be tested for and potentially treated.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
Beak Bash

Ron gets a really weird looking no-prize for bringing us the story of Beauty, a bald eagle with most of the top of its beak gone, presumably due to a gunshot. Her caretakers are going to try to build an artificial upper beak so she can eat and drink more normally.

Posted by scott at 11:34 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2008
Hungry Hungry Squiddy

Ron gets a no-prize the size of a small car for bringing us the latest on that colossal squid dissection. It would appear the thing got caught because it was hungry. The downfall of many of us, I would guess.

Posted by scott at 03:33 PM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2008
Maybe You're Not What You Eat

A team lead by a University of Arkansas* professor have found strong evidence that "Liem’s Paradox" applies to hominids just as much as fish. Oh don't worry, I didn't know what it was either. Go read, you'll get it.

Egypt studies, hominid research... boy, the anth department at my alma mater is sure a helluva lot more interesting than it was when I was an undergrad. I guess getting a billion dollar endowment from three or four of the richest people in the country will do that for ya!

----
* Go Hogs Thankyouverymuch!

Posted by scott at 07:06 PM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2008
Finding Grandpa

DNA from a recently uncovered corpsicle shows a direct link between the victim and 17 living descendants. Which wouldn't be all that remarkable, except the "victim" was a native American who lived several hundred years ago. Ain't DNA testing grand?

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
Squid Update
Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2008
Colossal Cut-Up

Ron gets a no-prize on the end of a hook for bringing us news of an upcoming colossal squid dissection. You remember the one they caught a few years ago? Yeah, it's that one. And it's going to be covered by the Discovery channel, so it'll be coming soon to a TV screen near, well, us anyway. Woot!

Posted by scott at 03:44 PM eMail this entry!
Breakfast Boys

UK researchers would appear to have found a link between what a woman eats for breakfast and what sex her unborn child will become. It would seem breakfast cereal consumption increases the chance a woman will have a boy. I'm not sure if this explains anything, but it's an interesting thought.

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2008
Human Split

A new genetic study seems to indicate humanity experienced a profound population split about 100,000 years ago. The findings have implications not only for population studies but also for cultural development, as the timing of the "reunification" seems to match the era when human culture exploded in diversity.

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
Brewed Fuel

Scientists at the University of Texas have created a microbe which produces a type of cellulose which is much cheaper to turn into biofuel than the type produced by plants. Of all the new processes announced this year, this one definitely seems the most promising. It would seem to change the problem of biofuel creation from one of expensive enzymes and complex processing to one of simple brewing. Could this be the first step in "microbrew" fuel stations? Well, we can always hope!

Posted by scott at 10:12 AM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2008
Superlens

Scientists have announced the invention of a microelectronic "super lens" capable of beating the diffraction limit by a factor of ten. Unlike far more exotic examples, this device is simple to produce, and has potential uses as varied as microprocessor creation and wireless power transmission.

Posted by scott at 03:14 PM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2008
Wake Up! Time to Die!

Scientists have discovered that providing certain kinds of bacteria the right combination of nutrients defeats one of their important antibiotic resistances. Bacteria which can go dormant for long periods of time often avoid antibiotics entirely. Using the discovered technique, scientists were able to destroy 99% of these bugs by first giving them just enough food to "wake up" (but not reproduce), and then immediately nuking them with antibiotics. It's not clear if this technique will be useful outside a lab, but it does provide a new line of research.

Posted by scott at 02:17 PM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2008
At Least it Wasn't Egg Noodles

The headline says it all: Terracotta army has egg on its face. It would appear the paints used on the famous Chinese terracotta army were egg-based, which made them far more durable than ancient water-based colors.

When you see things like this, don't gasp in wonder. Gasp at the waste. Yes, it's amazing, but in a very real sense these emperors and kings were spending bread money to put men on the moon. Except the Apollo program never came close to a majority share of this country's budget. The ancient world was so poor follies such as mountains of stone pointing nowhere, and clay pot armies buried for no reason, almost certainly were.

Little wonder no ancient society ever survived them.

Posted by scott at 07:27 PM eMail this entry!
Old Man of the Woods

The oldest living tree yet found has been discovered on a windswept plain in Sweden. At 9500 years old, it most likely represents one of the first trees to ever take root in that area, since before then the place was covered with glaciers.

Posted by scott at 12:21 PM eMail this entry!
April 19, 2008
Hobbit Feet

It would seem the Flores 'hobbit' walked more like a clown than a regular person. The more they examine these things, the stranger they seem to get.

Posted by scott at 09:14 AM eMail this entry!
April 18, 2008
Has to be Better than 'Superbad'

Scientists have developed a new class of superconducting materials which could help explain how other, similar, materials really work. The new types appear to superconduct around 55K, which is far below the record holding 134K that so-called "cuprate" materials can achieve. However, it's hoped these new materials will provide insight on what makes the older ones tick, which until now has been quite a mystery.

Posted by scott at 02:10 PM eMail this entry!
More Than Just Kissing Cousins

Scientists have announced the discovery of some interesting genetic patterns between ourselves and our closest living cousins, the chimps and bonobos. While the discovery that some bonobo and chimp genes are more closely related to us than they are to each other is all well and good, if I read this book correctly, it doesn't necessarily mean interbreeding. I can't recall the details just from memory, but there are definitely simple inheritance patterns which could lead to such a thing without needing a bunch of semi-sentient primates boinking each other every chance they get. Sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2008
Neanderthal Speak

Using reconstructions based on recent fossil finds, scientists claim to have created a model of what a Neanderthal human would've sounded like when they spoke. If the model is correct (no guarantees there), it appears they could in fact form words but their sound range was limited, making their language less nuanced than that of modern humans.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2008
Stonehenge Breakthrough

Pat gets an ancient and mysterious no-prize for bringing us news that the recently-begun excavation around Stonehenge is already producing results. You'd think as many times as this thing has been investigated over the centuries, it'd be picked clean by now. Never underestimate the persistence of human trash!

Posted by scott at 01:59 PM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2008
Nature's First Bedding?

Scientists claim to have found definitive evidence of when sexual reproduction developed on Earth. Target date: 565 million years ago. No word on when the first cigarette was smoked, nor first snores heard.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2008
Bug Scan

By using a special sort of x-ray machine, scientists have developed the ability to image insects trapped in opaque amber. Even better, they're able to create models of their finds using 3D "printers."

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2008
~ It's a Hard Knock Life / for Us ~

A new study shows that life in ancient Egypt was nowhere near as fun as it seemed, at least for the common people. My old undergrad adviser Jerry Rose was co-author of the study. Go Hogs!

Posted by scott at 01:42 PM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2008
Flexi Chip

Scientists have announced a new technique which allows the creation of flexible silicon chips. It's hoped these new items will be useful in a whole raft of applications which previously could not use electronics due to form factor issues.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2008
Clone Cure

Scientists have used therapeutic cloning techniques to cure mice of Parkinson's disease. While interesting as a proof of concept, it's unclear if the research could be applied to people, economically or otherwise.

Posted by scott at 01:15 PM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2008
"Gorging" on Disaster

It would seem those who predicted that the Three Gorges Dam would be courting disaster may have been right. I think. I can only get the first page of the article, but that bit does seem interesting.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2008
BuckyGas

A group of scientists are claiming to have discovered a means of storing hydrogen using buckminsterfullerene, better known as "bucky balls." The soccer-ball-like molecules appear to be able to strong enough to hold a hydrogen at a density approaching that of the depths of Jupiter. At least, that's what the press release says. If it actually pans out (and that's a big damned if), we may some day be able to power hybrids using something that will vaguely resemble plastic sand.

I'm pretty sure it would Be Bad to hit a bag full of that stuff with a hammer. But wtf do I know?

Posted by scott at 05:24 PM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2008
Dino Find

Pat gets an amazingly well-preserved no-prize for bringing us this look at only the forth "mummified" dinosaur ever found. I think the earliest mummy dinosaur ever discovered is on display at the American Natural History Museum in New York, and it was pretty darned amazing. This one seems to be even better preserved.

Posted by scott at 05:38 PM eMail this entry!
I Shall Call it, Micro-cool

Scientists have invented a tiny cooling fan with no moving parts. Calling something that doesn't move a "fan" seems a bit of a contradiction, but if it can give me a laptop that doesn't require a big ol' external fan to be comfortable to use, as my current one does, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 08:15 AM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2008
Well, that's Different

Scientists have discovered that the common sand dollar larvae clone themselves when confronted with threatening predators. There is a price: cloned larvae do not grow to be as big as non-clones. I wonder what happens if both survive?

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2008
Hobbit Hopping

Anthropologists have found another island very recently inhabited by very small humans. This time it would seem folks are in agreement that it's some form of dwarfism. I think.

Posted by scott at 02:09 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2008
Ancient Days

Mark gets an ancient and beautiful no-prize for bringing us news that August's house on Palatine hill has been re-opened to the public. Yet another thing to put on my sightseeing list.

Posted by scott at 03:33 PM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2008
Shocking Traffic

Researchers in Japan have come up with experiments which seem to confirm the "shock wave" theory of traffic jams. Which may explain why my commute takes 20 minutes longer than it should for no damned apparent reason, but unfortunately it doesn't help much with those homicidal urges I get in the middle of them.

Life's funny that way, I guess.

Posted by scott at 02:18 PM eMail this entry!
Buggy Snow

Scientists are reporting a connection between the life cycle of bacteria and, of all things, snow flake creation. It's even hypothesized this process could strongly influence rain and snowfall patterns. Busy little bugs!

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2008
Monster of the Deep

Scientists have announced the discovery of the largest marine reptile ever found. The specimen is a whopping 20% bigger than the next largest discovery, and appears to be some sort of pliosaur.

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2008
petard.Owner = them; Hoist(petard);

Mike J. gets a no prize he can stare at whilst being burned at the stake for bringing us even more evidence that climate change is something that can be conclusively proven in both directions. Think about this one the next time some Democrat watermelon greenie proposes economy-strangling regulations in the name of the environment.

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
February 25, 2008
Rainquake

It would appear it's much harder to trigger an earthquake via rainfall than was previously thought. Turns out such events are heavily influenced by the type of geography on which the rain falls.

Why the media haven't been trumpeting "RAINFALL HAS POTENTIAL TO DEVASTATE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA" headlines all this time I'll never know.

Posted by scott at 12:58 PM eMail this entry!
February 23, 2008
Drumming Arks

At least one man claims to have finally solved the mystery of the Ark of the Covenant. The evidence seems rather tenuous to me, but wtf do I know? Time to put the upcoming History Channel special on the ol' Tivo to-do list!

Posted by scott at 09:24 AM eMail this entry!
Rapturous Circle

Six pages of well-written, "Moses-puzzled-but-bringing-down-the-tablets-anyway" science writing, and what do slashdotters lock onto? A single sentence that mentions Jedi Knights. Ah well, if it gets you to read the article, I suppose it was worth it.

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2008
Stem Cell Adance
Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2008
I've Always Known Mine Were Much More 'Idiot' Than 'Savant'

It would seem animals really aren't a kind of autistic savant. Just what they are is, obviously, still a point of contention. The ones around my house seem to mostly be stomachs with variously shaped clothing on. The cats even come with a convenient "reverse" button, which they press often and with abandon, much to the detriment of our carpet.

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2008
A Horned Something-or-Other

Scientists have discovered a new fossil which provides more evidence that Madagascar and South America were once connected in the distant past. The real puzzler for me is that, since this thing is supposed to be related to the modern horned lizard, why the BBC reporter never once mentioned the creature is actually a reptile, not an amphibian.

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2008
Paging Jerry Lee Lewis, White Courtesy Phone Please

It appears that weak flames behave differently in space than they do on Earth. "Paging Ric Romero," you say? Well, it turns out the reasons are more subtle, and less well understood, than you'd think.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2008
Talk About Your Weather Delays...

Ron gets a damned cold no-prize for bringing us the latest discoveries regarding the migration of humans from Asia to America. Turns out, at least according to this research, the people in question may have had to wait up to 5,000 years before they were able to complete the passage.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2008
Bat Bones

Scientists have discovered new evidence that bats first developed flight, then the echolocation system common to all extant species. The fossil evidence dates back 53 million years, and seems to show all bat species alive at that time were already proficient fliers. Perhaps they developed flight during the age of the dinosaurs?

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2008
Think of it as a Teeny-Tiny Cup

Scientists have announced the ability to create three-dimensional structures using DNA as the constructor. The article touts it as a 'Holy Grail' for nanotech. I'll have to take their word for it. Now, bring on the stuff!

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2008
Jump, Jive, & Glide

Problem: "it’s hard to measure things about an animal that moves around at night, lives 30 metres up a tree, and can glide 100 metres away from you in an arbitrary direction in 10 seconds."

Solution: Wii remotes.

Is there anything it can't do?

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2008
Mining Words

A new study seems to indicate children learn language through a process very similar to computer data mining. It's hoped the findings will point toward more effective techniques for teaching languages to children and adults. Considering the horrific time I had learning German in college, anything that provides a different technique would be welcome, to me at least.

Posted by scott at 01:28 PM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2008
I'm My Own Grandpa, and So is He

Scientists have combined the genetic information of three people to create a single embryo. The idea is to help women with mitocondrial DNA diseases by using that specific sort of genetic material from another, unaffected, woman. There's a huge creep-out factor in this for me, but if it leads to healthy kids, and it's not being done using my tax dollars, well, I wouldn't agree to legislation that stopped it.

I think.

Posted by scott at 03:26 PM eMail this entry!
~ Skylab is Falling Down on Us, Hurrah, Hurrah ~

Desperate to drum up some sort of interest in what is clearly a government conspiracy to rain spy satellite bits down on us, the New York Times is reduced to interviewing guys who like to watch said satellites zip across the sky.

My dad's place is dark enough at night to see these things as they go by. I'll admit it's pretty interesting, at least looking up from a pool raft whilst holding a beer. They're fast enough I can't imagine tracking them with a telescope, but who knows?

Pat gets a no-prize John Belushi once used as a prop on Weekend Update (oh go look it up) for bringing us news of one of the more unique hobbies in the sky watching field.

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2008
Paging Vanilla Ice, White Courtesy Phone Please

Some scientists are proposing that the origin of life may not lie in soupy puddles, or squishy clay, but instead may reside inside the most unlikely of things, ice. The basis of the theory is a process called "eutectic freezing," which causes certain sorts of chemical reactions, in particular certain sorts that give rise to organic molecules, to actually increase as temperature decreases.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2008
Cracking Water

Mike J gets a no-prize of the purest green for bringing us news of new developments related to fuel cells. This time, it's not about making the cells themselves more powerful or efficient, but rather it's about a fundamentally different (and, according to the inventors) cheaper way of creating what powers the fuel cell... namely, hydrogen.

If it moves us closer to strangling radical Islam's primary source of funding, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2008
Bone Song

Scientists studying mass graves of the time have made some interesting discoveries about Black Death victims of the middle ages. One of the best-kept secrets of historic archeology is the almost complete neglect of human remains. An enormous amount of information can be gleaned from skeletal analysis: demographics, diet and disease, migration patterns, even a surprising amount of life history. Yet time and again you'll find no mention whatever of such examinations. As an undergraduate, I and a few of my fellow anthropology majors took some classical studies courses. Time and again we were surprised that some of the best-known archeology sites were known to have substantial human remains which had never been studied. It would seem that, twenty years later, nothing much has changed. The thesis potential alone is staggering, let alone what contributions could be made to general knowledge.

I guess it just takes getting someone to open up the bone boxes.

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2008
Soft Sound

Scientists have found evidence that the Earth's center may be "softer" than current theories predict. Sometimes it's hard for me to keep in mind that the bits of the planet I'm most familiar with represent something akin to wet paper wrapped around an orange.

Posted by scott at 01:24 PM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2008
Big Rat

Ron gets a gigantic hamster-wheel no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a 2,000 lb. ancient rodent. Well, those saber-toothed cats had to eat something, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 12:16 PM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2008
Tree Pruning

A group of geneticist are making the claim that one whole branch of the "tree of life" should be pruned. Since I'm (obviously) not a geneticist, I'll have to defer to the peer reviewers and the *shudder* reporters on this one. Ancient biology fascinates me, but the details tend to make my head 'asplode.

Posted by scott at 02:31 PM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2008
Coffee: Not Yours

Scientists are reporting two cups of coffee a day can double a woman's risk of miscarriage. No booze, no cigs, no coffee... no wonder pregnant women are so cranky.

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
Like a Boil on the Earth's Butt

It's pretty hard to worry about global warming melting the Antarctic ice sheet when Antarctica is busily trying to melt it via more direct means. A "sub-glacial" volcano is just another reason why screwing around with glaciers is bad.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2008
Paging Dave Matthews, White Courtesy Phone Please

While I'd seen a few previous examples of "concrete-cast ant colonies," it took this video to show me one in-situ. It's amazing how far the tiniest of critters can get if they work hard enough, long enough.

Posted by scott at 07:14 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2008
Grandpa = Me; Label1.Text = Whois(Grandpa);

Ron gets a no-prize that'll clone itself for spare parts for bringing us news that scientists have created apparently viable embryos from adult skin cells. It's unclear if the embryos would've been able to be brought to term, since nobody wanted to try. Regardless, it would definitely seem we are getting much closer to being able to create perfect replacement parts.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2008
Syphilitic Science

Genetic research seems to have settled once-and-for-all where syphilis originated.

That syphilis originated in the Americas and was transported to Europe by early Spanish explorers was conventional wisdom at least as far back as the mid-80s, when I learned about it in college. Of course, as with any social science, there's nothing so conventional that some powerful anthropologist can't challenge, so there was always this grinding background of "did not / did too / did not / did too" in the various journals of the time.

Now that an independent line of research has confirmed the prediction, you'd think all these old coots would sit down and shut up about it. No way Jose! The only reliable way to get an entrenched academic to change their opinion is to let the Grim Reaper escort them off the stage. Otherwise there's nothing quite as pleasing to them as arguing with the tide (and, of course, ruining the occasional grad student's career in the process).

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2008
Because I'd Rather be Stinky Than Dead

Scientists are reporting garlic is an effective tool to combat arsenic poisoning. A solution in search of a problem, you think? Tell that to the millions of Bangladeshi and Indian residents whose water supplies are full of the stuff. Tasty!

Posted by scott at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2008
AIDS List

Ron gets a no-prize could put Rent completely out of business for bringing us news of new developments in AIDS research. If it leads to new treatments it's great, but I bet the grad students who had to test every single thing one at a time probably weren't having much fun.

Posted by scott at 04:53 PM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2008
Skinning a Dino
Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2008
Wheelchair B Gone

Scientists are for the first time reporting evidence that the central nervous system can re-route functionality around spinal injuries. The findings are already pointing the way toward new therapies for paralysis victims. Too late for Reeves, but I wonder if the publicity and funding he brought had anything to do with advancing this discovery?

Posted by scott at 01:04 PM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2008
Closing the Loop

Scientists are working on technologies which promise to use everyone's favorite "poisonous gas that is not actually a poison" to create fuel. Scrubbing CO2 from the atmosphere and then jiggering with it until it becomes gasoline sure as heck sounds like a neat idea, but the "ten to fifteen years" to a deployable technology tends to translate to "after I retire" in science-speak. In other words, in my experience the phrase is a red-flag indicating they know they have a great idea, but have clue zero as to how it can be made to work cheaply. Of course, with demand rising as various third-world countries beaver their way forward to the first world, cheap may end up being a relative thing.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2008
Gene Trace

Scientists have traced a rare genetic defect that greatly increases the risk of colon cancer to perhaps a single married couple who immigrated to the US some time around 1630. Two populations, one in Utah and one in New York, have been discovered to possess this defect, but it's possible others have yet to be discovered. While the defect seems quite rare, it increases the risk of cancer from 1 in 25 to a whopping 2 out of 3. If a test can be developed, it would at least eliminate that indication (or provide an early warning sign for extra vigilance.)

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2007
A Snake, for the Rest of Us

It's like Roto-rooter, for your heart. A surgical instrument that works inside your arteries, leading to bypass operations without the tremendous trauma. We're living in science fiction, I tell ya.

Posted by scott at 09:10 AM eMail this entry!
December 25, 2007
Speciation Start

Scientists are reporting on the discovery of no fewer than six genetically exclusive populations of giraffe. To me it would seem they're seeing the very start of a speciation event, but what do I know?

Posted by scott at 10:18 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2007
Minding the Difference

Scientists have discovered yet another way we differ radically from our closest living relatives. This time up, menopause. Seems both chimp and human females lose their reproductive abilities at around age 40, but the chimp drop off is caused by, well, chimps dropping off. Those which manage to survive are actually more successful at raising the kids than the younger ones, and are preferred by male chimps perhaps because of this. The long post-reproductive survival period seems to be one of the most biologically distinguishing things about us.

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2007
Something Everyone's Desk Needs

Scientists are reporting the development of a "desktop" synchrotron. I'm pretty sure this is a Good Thing, but my head 'asploded about half way through the article. "Ugh. Scientist say is good. That good enough for Thag."

Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2007
External Memory

Slashdot linked up news of the development of a camera system which appears to help folks with minor dementia remember things. The camera is worn by the person in question, and it takes a special stabilized photograph of the person's surroundings every 30 seconds. The pictures can then be uploaded to a playback device, which the person can use to review what they did that day. Studies are showing this seems to significantly improve recall in test patients.

Personally, I think it'd be pretty useful in bars too. At least then you'd know the exact sequence that lead to your losing an arm in a "coyote" encounter.

Posted by scott at 12:21 PM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2007
Reminds me of Very Tiny Six Pack Holders

Scientists have discovered that "scrambled" polymers are effective at killing drug-resistant bacteria. The discovery was unintentional... while trying to design effective polymers to exploit bacterial weaknesses, scientists found the "control" of random polymers did much better than anything they were designing. Ain't experimental protocols grand?

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December 04, 2007
Not That Kind of Throne, the Real Kind

Scientists have uncovered a rare ancient wooden throne at Herculanium. It's exact purpose is unclear, but it represents the first time such a significant piece of ceremonial furniture has been found.

Posted by scott at 02:19 PM eMail this entry!
Stem Cell TANSTAAFL

Big surprise the MSM forgot to mention the recent stem cell breakthrough was not without its problems:

Now the Kyoto team, led by biologist Shinya Yamanaka, reports that it can reprogram adult skin cells in both mice and humans into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells without c-Myc. Further, in a mouse model, when the cells are incorporated into an embryo, the adult animal faces a dramatically lower risk of developing cancer. But there's a catch: "We found that the omission of [c-Myc] resulted in fewer numbers of iPS cell colonies," Yamanaka told ScientificAmerican.com via e-mail. "The process also takes longer. However, most of resulting iPS cells are very good."

And, as they say, "that's not all, folks!" Still, it would seem progress of a sort, although it definitely looks like we're quite a long way from being able to grow organs in a jar.

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2007
Probably Won't Go Well with Chianti

Ron gets a no-prize that deserves to be punished for bringing us news of the development of an artificial liver which functions for weeks instead of days. This allows drug companies to test new compounds for toxicity in a more reliable, repeatable, and less expensive ways. Which leads to mo' betta' drugs, at least in theory.

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But Does He Have a Condo-Made-a-Stone-a?

The Washington Post today carried news of the discovery of that most rare of fossils, a mummified dinosaur. As noted in the article, this is quite different from your garden variety virgin sacrifice in the Andes mountains. It's a completely mineralized creature, perhaps even down to the internal organs.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2007
More [Tiny] Brainsss

Scientists have figured out how to create "zombie cockroaches" by injecting them with a specific wasp venom. The wasp uses the venom to create a kind of "self-propelled food item" for their larva back at the nest. Scientists think the discovery could be useful in developing a number of medicines.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2007
Out of Asia

A new genetic study seems to indicate that all Native American populations are descended from one group of people in Asia who either all left about 12,000 years ago, or left in stages starting at that time. The "multi-pulse" alternative matches up with theories based on linguistics.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
November 26, 2007
Romanov Remains Rediscovered

It would appear the last two "missing" Romanovs have been found. By amateur sleuths, no less. Unfortunately the ending isn't a happy one... as widely expected, the Bolsheviks killed all of the Czar's family. They just didn't bury them all in the same place.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2007
But Do They Display in 1080p?

Scientists have discovered a new method by which life may have gotten its start on Earth. Scientists have found that liquid crystal phases of tiny DNA strands create conditions favorable for spontaneous organization, which perpetuates and expands that favorable environment, causing, as it were, the music to go round and round again.

I learned long ago that evolution is not about how life got started, but rather how it progressed after it began. "Abiogenesis" was the word I learned which described the field of life creation. It would seem a new step in this world has been made.

Posted by scott at 07:39 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2007
Planetary X-Ray

By re-tasking a new neutrino detector being built at the South Pole, scientists hope to take snapshots of the Earth's core. It would seem to work on the same principle as an x-ray on a human body, but it uses neutrinos colliding with the Earth's core instead.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2007
That's a Big Bug

Scientists are reporting the discovery of the largest sea scorpion ever found. Nearly 10 feet long! These critters appear to have been a very successful apex predator, and relatives are suspected to have lead the way onto land.

Posted by scott at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2007
Of Course, Now We'll Need Fake Vampires

Scientists have announced significant progress toward creating a blood transfusion substitute. None of them seem to be anywhere near a marketable product, but it's interesting to hear they're moving forward. Can SmartBloodtm be far behind?

Posted by scott at 05:40 PM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2007
Like Beer for Chocolate
Posted by scott at 01:40 PM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2007
That's a Mighty Small Beer in There

Scientists in the US and Finland have developed microscopic microwaves and refrigerators, respectively. Both devices should make things like "chemlabs on a chip" more effective and more affordable. Reading the article, I was reminded of an Arthur Clarke quote, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Dory, White Courtesy Phone Please

Australian scientists claim to have successfully decoded several kinds of humpbacked whale sounds. Unsurprisingly, the most common appear to be pick-up lines trotted out by single males and scolding sounds from mothers to children. The more things change...

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2007
Neptune's Grave

Ron gets a no-prize covered in harbor mud for bringing us this story about an "aquatic Pompeii." Due to unique circumstances, an ancient port near modern Pisa contains the remains of dozens of extremely well-preserved ancient ships. Most include their original cargoes, some even their original crews. The story of how they came to be there is nearly as interesting as how they're being pulled out.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2007
Hot n' Cold

Scientists are testing whether or not the chemical which makes peppers hot could be used as a kind of anesthesia. Capsaicin not only blows your head off in a chili pepper, it also numbs nerves. It's hoped this could lead to new treatments for post-operative pain.

Posted by scott at 01:31 PM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2007
Olivia Calls Them, "Loss-a-Rapters"

Scientists have discovered the first evidence that Velociraptor-like dinosaurs really did hunt in packs. It also appears they really did carry that vicious-looking claw upright to protect its sharpness. Bonus: actual Velociraptors were turkey-sized. Having seen an actual turkey up close this weekend, I can definitely say I would not want to be around a pack of 5 or 6 hungry ones. Turkeys may not be the biggest birds in the world, but they're absolutely not what I'd call small.

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2007
It's Probably Just as Well I Didn't Watch the Video

Scientists have discovered new insights into the spiny anteater's mating behavior. I bet the graduate assistants on that project were wondering what they'd done in a previous life to deserve that assignment.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2007
Purple Cavern

purplecave.jpg
Posted by Ellen at 07:51 PM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2007
Universal Stick'um

Ron gets a no-prize that goes well with "chowdah" for bringing us news of a most unusual adhesive:

[S]cientists have developed a coating that mimics the tenacious adhesion of a mussel. The coating could improve biosensors, medical devices, marine and medical anti-fouling coatings, purify water contaminated with heavy metals, and advance manufacturing methods for flexible displays.

The secret ingredient? Dopamine, of all things. Turns out it's not just for brain chemistry!

Posted by scott at 03:31 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2007
Dating Modern

Scientists have pushed back the date for the evolution of modern humans to 164,000 years ago. By using various new techniques, they also have located the five most likely spots to search for evidence of the earliest of humans. Turns out Africa wasn't a particularly nice place to live around that time, and so only a very few places were even capable of supporting humans.

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2007
Dino "Dukei"

Mark gets a thunderous no-prize with a name that'll make Beavis and Butthead giggle constantly for bringing us news of the discovery of yet another giant Patagonian dinosaur. This one's very well preserved, and was so damned large it seems to have created a major fossil deposit just by blocking up the river currents where it died.

Posted by scott at 02:32 PM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2007
Buzz Off

While not as Warner Brothers-worth as a mouse, the discovery that African elephants haul ass at the sound of a bee swarm is still amusing. And useful, since everyone's favorite pachyderm is responsible for huge crop losses in a region of the world that can afford such things the least.

Something tells me simply buzzing loudly at that charging female won't do you much good, so FYI.

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2007
Take That, CSI

Turns out that, at least in one case, stem cell therapy has given a man two different DNA signatures. Hopefully neither of them have done anything bad lately, eh?

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2007
Just Don't Open the Lid

Scientists have created a prototype battery charger that uses bacteria and mulch to create electricity. While the current model is very large and doesn't generate all that much juice, the people behind the project expect to make substantial improvements as they bring the system to production. A green cellphone charger. Whodathunkit?

Posted by scott at 01:27 PM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2007
Big Duck

The most robust duck-billed dinosaur ever has been announced. Called Gryposaurus monumentensis, it's thought to be the largest creature in the 75 million year old ecosystem it once inhabited.

That's one helluva nutcracker!

Posted by scott at 05:13 PM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2007
The New Diabeetus?

Scientists are reporting evidence that Alzheimer's disease may actually be a kind of diabetes. Insulin uptake is critical in memory formation, so a disease that makes neurons resistant to insulin would cause critical problems. It's hoped the research could lead the way toward more viable treatments using existing diabetes drugs.

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2007
Mammoth Find

It would appear woolly mammoth hair contains the purest fossil DNA of all. While definitely just a first step, it would seem these geneticists have finally found the path that legitimately could lead to the resurrection of at least one dead species.

Welcome to the 21st century. Please buckle your seats and keep hands and feet inside the ride at all times.

Posted by scott at 06:33 PM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2007
Visible Frogs

Japanese scientists have announced the creation of a frog with transparent skin. It's hoped the creatures will be useful for basic disease research as well as dissection-less anatomy studies.

But are they crunchy?!?

Posted by scott at 02:34 PM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2007
Rock Find

A group of scientists are claiming to have discovered the quarry site which supplied the materials for King Herod's second temple. There's no absolutely direct evidence, but it seems to be a monster site dating from around 20 BC. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, etc.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2007
Infinite Branches

It would appear the idea of bazillions of parallel universes as an explanation for quantum weirdness is gaining some traction. The article is light to the point of nonexistence on details, so I have no idea how to judge this proposal. I do know that mathematics != physics, so perhaps the discovery is pointing the way toward testable hypotheses?

Posted by scott at 03:15 PM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2007
Walk Like a Drunken Spider

Scientists have developed a new "tripedal" robot. By swinging its body and a single of its three legs between the other two, the robot is able to move quickly and efficiently into difficult places. While not exactly suitable as a cargo carrier, its designers claim it to be ideal as a way of placing remote sensors in dangerous places.

Posted by scott at 03:44 PM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2007
Hobbit Update

New evidence seems to support the idea that the "Flores Hobbits" actually are a different species of humanity. This time, they're looking at wrist bones, which simply aren't affected by the various maladies which other scientists claim account for the deformities witnessed in the fossil skulls found so far.

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2007
Coffin ID

Remember, a few years ago, when they found that iron coffin in downtown DC? It would seem they've identified the occupant. I guess we can all only hope to be interesting enough that, after a century or so, someone will be interested enough to figure out who the hell we are.

Or, rather, were.

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2007
FrankenSalmon

Actual headline: Salmon spawn trout. While genetically re-engineering common salmon to spawn rare trout sounds like a good use of resources, it also sounds a bit creepy. But hey, if it keeps Japan in tuna, I guess it's all good.

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2007
Ancient Tracker

By using specific genetic markers, one scientist has managed to reconstruct a rough map of ancient Phoenicia. It's (just) possible the research may be useful to heal the country that now sits on the Phoenician's homeland. Then again, it may do the opposite. When the scorpion is swept away in the flood, far too often it makes its sad reply in Arabic.

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2007
Like a Great Glowing Sponge

Russian scientists are claiming to have discovered a mineral which absorbs radiation from liquid nuclear waste. It's from a Russian news site (although the article is in English), so we all know how immediately reliable that's going to be. In other words, cool if it's true, but I'm not holding my breath.

Posted by scott at 07:35 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2007
Robe Relic Repudiation

Scientists have determined at least one robe thought to be worn by St. Francis probably wasn't. However, a surprisingly large number of other things claimed to have been worn by him probably were. At least now pilgrims will know which shrine to visit.

Posted by scott at 12:23 PM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2007
Tiger Bites

A new study seems to indicate Tasmanian Tigers died out because they were outcompeted by Dingos. It seems the tiger's skull construction restricted it to smaller prey items, which allowed the Dingo all the room it needed to drive them out of their niche.

Posted by scott at 12:54 PM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2007
Revive, Revalve

Scientists have announced a technique which can grow heart valves from adult stem cells. This removes the problem of rejection and could replace the more common mechanical systems which now help people with defective heart valves.

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2007
Filter Feeder

Also from the Post today, an in-depth look at recent discoveries regarding the world's largest living fish, the whale shark. I would've thought all they'd need to do some anatomy work would be a net and a boat, but apparently it took the two adult males who recently died in Atlanta to provide scientists with the material they needed to get a good look at what makes this gentle giant tick.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2007
Transfer Sequence

Scientists have discovered that bacterial parasites can deposit their genome into the genome of their host species. The presence of this sort of, well, I'm not even sure it's an attack, but at any rate this sort of thing is quite likely to be much more widespread than what's been discovered so far. All those samples geneticists have been tossing away as contaminated may in fact represent a part of the animal's genetic makeup.

Just when you thought biology couldn't get any weirder...

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2007
Alzheimer's Breakthrough

Slashdot linked up this heartening announcement regarding Alzheimer's research:

Genetically engineered cells implanted in mice have cleared away toxic plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The animals were sickened with a human gene that caused them to develop, at an accelerated rate, the disease that robs millions of elderly people of their memories. After receiving the doctored cells, the brain-muddling plaques melted away. If this works in humans, old age could be a much happier time of life.

If it works in humans (and that's a big "if"), it would seem we've finally stumbled onto a treatment, if not a cure.

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2007
Ancient Orchid

By using pollen preserved in ancient amber and some clever genetic tests, scientists have determined that orchids evolved much earlier than previously thought.

Posted by scott at 03:03 PM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2007
Physical Anthropology Trifecta Now in Play

Ron gets an ancient and mysterious no-prize for bringing us this new development in paleoanthropological research. Scientists studying a cave in Mount Carmel, Israel, have found evidence of sophisticated human behaviors which has been dated to approximately 200,000 years ago.

This is an extremely early date for such behaviors, so the findings would appear to be more ammunition for those who argue modern human behavior emerged with modern human anatomy. Until quite recently, it was thought that while modern anatomy evolved about 200,000 years ago, findings seemed to indicate modern behavior only arose about 35,000 years ago, with no good explanation for the gap. It's beginning to appear that, in this case at least, absence of evidence really wasn't evidence of absence.

Posted by scott at 02:12 PM eMail this entry!
Re-Dating the Split

New fossil finds seem to indicate the hominid-chimpanzee split took place much earlier than previously thought. Two things to note: the pittance of remains that are at the center of examination. At one point our ancestors were so thin on the ground a few teeth and a broken jaw is all that's left of them.

The other is much more important: fossil evidence that seems to decisively prove there are problems with using genetics to date events in the evolution of humans at least, perhaps others as well. The 6 mya date of the chimp/human split has always been controversial with anthropologists, since conventional wisdom at the time (the early to mid 80s, as I recall) said such a major evolutionary event would've happened much earlier. However, the geneticists had science and repeatability on their side... every time the tests were run, they came out with the same number, and so the conclusion was gradually accepted.

Fossil evidence that directly refutes this cornerstone of genetic paleoanthropology is earth-shaking indeed. However, in spite of what supporters say, it will be many years indeed before this finding becomes widely accepted. A few bits of mineralized bone have indeed overturned long-held beliefs before, but they don't do it often and they never do it quickly. It may yet turn out some mistake has been made which will allow the genetics-based date to stand.

Interesting times!

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2007
See the Dino. See the Dino Run. Run Dino, Run

Using new models, scientists have determined that predatory dinosaurs were pretty fast critters. The fastest, Compsognathus, was estimated to top 40 mph. Even good ol' T. Rex could scoot around at a respectable 18 mph.

Counter-model that proves they all poked around at 5 mph in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2007
Eat Your Heart Out

Ron gets a hungry-hungry no-prize for bringing us this new study of how many snake species respond to famine conditions. Turns out that, like many animals, they start digesting bits of themselves, up to and including heart muscle.

As a bonus, the article also includes a video link to a quick discussion of Ellen's favorite monster tortoise, the Aldabra, covering the four which currently live at the National Zoo.

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2007
Isn't That a Charming Idea

Scientists have determined long-term memory is not some sort of permanent storage, but seems instead to be a fragile construct that must be constantly maintained. The implications are that an extremely effective "memory eraser" could be created.

People aren't mice, so this might not work at all in humans. But if it does, I think it'll definitely rank right up there with nuclear power and bioengineering as a technology to be extremely careful with.

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
ElectroLife

Making the rounds: it appears that it may be possible for life to evolve from inorganic space dust. I'd like to know what sort of predictions their work is generating, because the base idea is pretty damned neat. Wouldn't want it all to be based on a house of cards, know-wha'I-mean?

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2007
186,000 Miles Per Second: Not Just a Good Idea, it's the Law

German scientists are claiming they've transmitted information faster than the speed of light. Yup, you guessed it, quantum tunneling strikes again. I had a feeling that, since (I think) quantum mechanics doesn't specifically forbid transmitting information this way, someone some day would figure out how, general relativity bedamned. If this holds up, and there's definitely no guarantee of that, it could change everything.

You see, one possible reason why it's so quiet out there is we're not listening to the right channels. This could lead to us turning on the radio.

Posted by scott at 02:21 PM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2007
A Shot for Every Little Ill

Scientists have announced the creation of a DNA vaccine that seems to help those who suffer from MS. The treatment is still in the very early stages, but if it proves successful it could allow the creation of DNA vaccines to treat a variety of autoimmune related disorders.

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2007
Soopa Squirrel

California squirrels appear to have Mr. Rattlesnake's number:

California ground squirrels have learned to intimidate rattlesnakes by heating their tails and shaking them aggressively.

We knew Cali squirrels were weird looking (they got stripes, who knew?), but we had no idea they were such bad-asses. Venom immunity to boot!

Posted by scott at 03:15 PM eMail this entry!
Figuring it Out

Two different teams of scientists have announced the discovery of exactly how a certain class of antidepressants work. Unfortunately they disagree on whether or not this really means anything for humans. However, the finding does point the way toward new experiments, perhaps eventually leading to more effective treatments.

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2007
A Disease Cure, for the Rest of Us

Those out there worrying that we're creating a legion of "superbug" diseases that will eventually render all our antibiotics worthless should find this comforting:

In the 1930s, a war was on. A new treatment for bacterial infections - antibiotics - was seeking to assert its supremacy over another fledgling therapy - a bacteria-devouring virus called a bacteriophage.

Developed by Stalinist Soviet Russia, no less. While not as broad-spectrum as antibiotics, these bacteria-eating viruses can be re-tooled for each new variant. Or so they say, at any rate. Ain't science grand?

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
Bone. It's the Other Endocrine Organ

Scientists have determined the skeletal system plays a much larger role in controlling body chemistry than was previously believed. Specifically, it has been found that the hormone that controls bone production also has a role in controlling obesity and glucose tolerance, which is a major factor in diabetes. It's hoped the findings will produce more effective treatments to combat those diseases.

Posted by scott at 11:27 AM eMail this entry!
August 09, 2007
So Just Who is My Uncle Anyway?

Making the rounds: Scientists have discovered evidence that Homo habilis and Homo erectus lived side-by side for perhaps as long as half a million years. If the evidence holds, it will neatly eliminate H. habilis as the earliest of our ancestors, and trigger a hunt for the "true" common ancestor, which may have lived 2-3 million years ago.

However, none of this is set in stone (as it were), and there's a chance the interpretation may be overturned. What's not widely understood is our ancient ancestors were quite rare on the savannah, and their fossils even more so. Most of these interpretations are based on extremely fragmentary and sparse evidence, sometimes (as seems to be the case here) just a few individuals represented by just teeth or jaws.

It's therefore doubtful if this find will settle any debates. However, it does seem to point the way to new avenues of research, which is always a good thing.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2007
I Shall Call Him, "Multi-Ape"

New Scientist is featuring a report on an intriguing fossil ape find. The creature, Hispanopithecus laietanus, seems to have been uniquely adapted for both swinging around in trees and walking on all fours. It's unclear if the ape was a dead end, or is related to one or more existing ape species.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2007
Out, Damned Spots!

Researchers have identified the root cause of Rosacea, an inflammatory skin condition that affects millions of people. It's hoped this new result will allow the development of new, more effective treatments.

Posted by scott at 02:37 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Aladdin, White Courtesy Phone Please

Scientists are proposing ways to levitate things using quantum interactions. Three different ways, no less. Unfortunately, one of the methods requires a lot of exotic (expensive) materials, and the other two haven't been tested at all. Still, it's a start!

Posted by scott at 12:02 PM eMail this entry!
Design Patterns on the Brain

It would seem that, in mice at least, it's not a structural difference that make males and females behave differently. It's merely a "wrapper" on the base class:

The enormous difference between male and female sexual behaviour may be explained, in animals at least, by a tiny organ in the nose rather than by any gender difference in brain circuitry.
...
"In the big picture, it suggests that the female brain has a perfectly functional male behaviour circuit" which is repressed by signals from the vomeronasal organ, Professor Dulac says.

Seen from the perspective of developmental biology, "the finding is very satisfactory", she says.

"It means you only have to build one brain in a species and that the one brain is built, more or less, the same in the male and female."

Never heard of such a thing in humans, so I don't know if this has any implication at all for us.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2007
Crossbreed Skull

Scientists have announced the discovery of a human skull with an anatomical feature thought only to be found on Neanderthals. It's my understanding that several genetic studies have shown no trace of Neanderthal genes in modern human populations, or visa-versa. This doesn't mean our ancestors didn't interbreed, but it does seem to indicate such experiments went nowhere.

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2007
Fake Bone

By using an exotic mix of nanocomposites, scientists have created a new sort of artificial bone. The article doesn't mention any therapeutic applications for the stuff. Instead, it appears it will be useful in exploring why natural bone tissue varies in its composition depending on where in the body it is used.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2007
The Endless Wire

Scientists are reporting the development of a new treatment for people with severe brain injuries. By using electrodes planted in specific places deep within the brain, scientists have been able to substantially improve the conditions of life for "minimally conscious" patients. So far the treatment is still very much in the trial stage, but if further tests prove successful it could offer hope for an improved life for those injured in this way.

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2007
Counting Brains

Scientists are reporting the discovery of a specific section of the brain which appears to be responsible for sums and integration. It seems we're hard-wired to be able to make a guess at how many M&Ms are in the jar.

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2007
World of Warcraft, Studies of Science

Sociologists are finally coming to realize that giant, sprawling virtual worlds are ideal models to examine social interaction. Because, well, that's exactly what they are. The fact that it's taken years for them to stumble onto the idea speaks volumes about how long information takes to percolate up to the highest ivory towers.

Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!
Recall Gene
Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2007
Well, at Least it's not on a Stick

Forget test-tube babies (shows my age... how long ago was that term even current?) Now we may end up with wombs on a chip. No, really! By protecting and managing the earliest stages of fertilization, scientists hope to increase the success rate of IVF.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2007
Fizzy Lava

Scientists are reporting new evidence that certain types of volcanoes have lava that "fizzes" to the surface. By using new infrared detection techniques, scientists were able to determine the lava formed in the Stromboli (no, really!) volcano in Italy formed much deeper than previously thought, leading to speculation that cracks in the volcano's floor was allowing lava to bubble up. Sounds more like a lava lamp to me, but who knows?

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2007
~ Walk Like a Hominid ~

At least some scientists are claiming walking upright was a response to pressures that put a premium on energy conservation. According to this group of anthropologists, walking upright is a whopping 75% more efficient than the quadrupedal locomotion chimpanzees use. This would of course be rather useful in the rapidly changing environment of Pliocene Africa, where treks for food may have meant the difference between survival and starvation.

Posted by scott at 12:54 PM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2007
Chameleon Paper

Yet another new technology promises to replace expensive LCDs with simpler and cheaper materials. This time it's plastic-coated bits of rust suspended in solution. The plastics repulse through electrostatics, and the rust allows magnetic fields to control them. The particles then arrange themselves into some bizzarre sort of squishy crystal, which can then be "tuned" to reflect different colors. The (potential) result? A cheap, colorful display that actually works better in direct sunlight than current technologies.

Looks interesting, but I won't be holding my breath waiting for a screen based on this stuff to appear.

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2007
And the Robot Goes, "Walk Walk Walk"

Introducing Runbot, the learning robot that walks. Unlike much larger projects like Honda's Asimo, Runbot's goal is to create a decentralized system that offloads most of the effort of walking to local control loops, leaving the "brain" of the system needed only to learn new methods of walking on different terrain. Don't miss the amusing "not-quite-a-chicken-but-close" video of Runbot slowly learning to walk up an incline.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
Jurassic Throwdown

Ron gets a no-prize that'll be here Saturday Saturday Saturday!!! for bringing us this summary of a fossil review recently published about the Galve region of Northeast Spain. The specimens include horned sharks and the dinosaurs who loved to eat them, as well as crocodile-like critters the size of a bus.

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2007
Pain Poison

As the son of a mom with severe arthritis, the discovery of new potential pain treatments is always of interest. That it's all based on some bizarre sea snail venom just makes it even more interesting.

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2007
Testament Triangulation

British Museum scholars have announced the deciphering of a cuneiform table which mentions someone previously only known from the Bible. Independent textual confirmation of Biblical characters is, understandably, quite rare*, so the find is being treated with quite a bit of fanfare.

----
* It was a tiny little country constantly getting run over by its neighbors. It got cleaned out completely at least twice. Were it not for the spectacularly unlikely sequence of events that lead to an itinerant peasant's movement taking over the world, it's possible we'd be as familiar with Jews as we are with Sikhs, and for the same reasons.

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2007
Mammoth Find

A remarkably well-preserved infant mammoth has been discovered in Siberia. Apparently the only thing missing is the tail. Even the trunk and eyes are intact. It's just possible this will be the specimen that provides the DNA required to re-create the species. Certainly it's a lot better looking than the previous "remarkably intact" mammoth, which to me looked like a huge ball of mud with hair sticking out.

Posted by scott at 12:35 PM eMail this entry!
July 10, 2007
July 05, 2007
A Display, for the Rest of Us

New Scientist is carrying news of the development of a new kind of display technology. By using new thermally activated materials, scientists have created a system that controls its image via heat, instead of light or electric switches. It's claimed the material is much cheaper to manufacture than the stuff LCD screens are made of, and it's flexible to boot. No word on when we might see actual displays made with this technology, but if it pans out previous experience would suggest somewhere in the 5 year range.

Just in time to replace the set we're getting ready to buy, I suppose.

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2007
Monster Bergs

Seafloor evidence seems to indicate icebergs more than half a mile in total height once roamed the North Atlantic. These completely dwarf the ones we see nowadays; even the iceberg that sank Titanic was thought to "only" be about 100 feet tall.

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
Negative Time?

Making the rounds: a recent theoretical development seems to imply it will be possible to explore what the universe was like before the big bang. I seem to recall Stephen Hawking postulating something similar years ago, no idea if this is even vaguely related.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2007
Fat Mouse, Thin Mouse

The Post is reporting scientists have discovered biological switches which allow stress to promote obesity. In mice, of course, which means the research may not result in any success in humans. If it does, it could lead to safer, more effective treatments for obesity.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2007
Mummy Find

It appears the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's earliest and most powerful female pharaoh, has been found. Actually, found more than 100 years ago, but only now positively identified. We think. Well, that's what the Discovery Channel press release seems to say. Now to wait for the documentary.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2007
Siberia Go Boom

Scientists claim to have discovered the impact crater caused by the Tunguska incident. If you need to look that one up, you haven't been hanging out with us all that long. I WANT TO BELIEVE.

Posted by scott at 06:44 PM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2007
I'll bet the Feathers Were Yellow

Making the rounds: paleontologists have discovered a gigantic bird-like dinosaur in Mongolia. Thought to have lived just before the extinction of the dinosaurs, Gigantoraptor erlianensis (at least this specimen of it) was 26 feet long and about 12 feet tall at the shoulder. In spite of its bird-like construction, its one-and-a-half ton weight most likely precluded flying.

Posted by scott at 01:28 PM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2007
But Can It Has Mah Buckket?

A new project to track walruses on the move is still returning data. While only one of the original eight tags is functioning, that final one is returning valuable data on where, and how fast, walruses can move around. The findings will hopefully be able to prove if the current Inuit hunting quotas are sustainable.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2007
Captain Obvious in the Crib

While every parent knows having a kid completely changes your attitude toward them, it's interesting to know there's a good chance this is hard-wired. In humans, at any rate, I wouldn't be surprised at all to find some sort of post-birth hormonal function that makes people also forget what it's like to have children. This would certainly explain certain behaviors in people I would normally consider more rational.

But hey, that's just me.

Posted by scott at 03:33 PM eMail this entry!
Material, Heal Thy Self

Scientists have developed a "self healing" material which can repair itself many times. While still a lab concept, if it sees production the material could have many uses, especially in aerospace.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2007
Downtown Find

While a single skeleton and a broken pot may not sound like much of a discovery, when it's in downtown London, and the items are from the Dark Ages, it most definitely is. The body is most likely from around 410 AD, and the pot not quite a century later. This places both items squarely in the middle of London's "lost centuries," potentially guiding the way to other finds.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
Poured Pyramids

A newly announced theory has the Pyramids in Egypt being constructed not from cut stone, but cast. The people behind the discovery claim that if the technique can be teased out, it could create a revolution in the construction industry.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2007
Tree Walkers

A new report claims that bipedalism was the primary means of locomotion in very early apes, and that knuckle walking was a later development. While the idea that our ancestors were bipedal long before they struck out onto the savanna has been around for some time, the idea that we've always been bipedal is quite novel. As noted in the article, more research is needed to confirm this theory.

Posted by scott at 12:46 PM eMail this entry!
Teepee Done Blowed Up

Ron gets a no-prize with a grudge against Indians for bringing us news of a new theory that attempts to explain why most of the large mammals of the western hemisphere died out 13,000 years ago. Scientists claim to have discovered evidence of a very large extraterrestrial object impacting the earth at about this time, which they claim caused a massive ice cap covering most of North America to melt. The massive cold water runoff this created shifted major ocean currents, triggering the well-documented Younger Dryas cooling event, whose thousand-year effect offed the big mammals. Ta-da!

The theory is, of course, controversial, with the primary objection being the lack of a big hole somewhere to crawl around in.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2007
Electrotherapy

Scientists have developed a technique involving electrical fields to treat brain cancer that doubled the survival rate in clinical trials. By using "intermediate frequencies," scientists are able to turn off brain tumor cells, causing them to die instead of reproduce. Since healthy brain cells are famous for their near inability to divide, and use different electrical properties to boot, they're not affected by the treatment. The result? No observable side effects.

Considering the legendary suffering of those going through chemo, radiation, and surgical therapies, it's very much a Good Thing.

Posted by scott at 02:31 PM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2007
Give 'em a [Fishy] Hand!

Scientists have discovered the genes for fin formation in fish are far more similar to land animal genes for limb formation than previously thought. Previous studies of this sort relied on zebrafish as test subjects, but by using the more primitive paddlefish scientists found many of the zebrafish's differences were the result of further evolution, not a fundamental difference.

Posted by scott at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2007
Eating Biology

Scientists have found that tailoring diets to the biology of their bodies resulted in better weight loss success. Specifically, people who naturally produced high levels of insulin fared better on a low-glycaemic load diet (which, if I'm reading it correctly, is effectively the Atkins diet), while those who didn't had better results from a more conventional low-fat diet. The causes of this are currently unknown, but the findings would seem to point the way toward more effective weight loss strategies.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2007
The Dry and the Dead

A new study claims the reason why Neanderthals hung on so long in Spain was related to the weather. A new climate model seems to indicate the Iberian peninsula turned into a very arid place about 40,000 years ago, and stayed that way for at least 1000 years. The thinking goes this caused modern humans to stop their encroachment into this area, allowing the indigenous Neanderthals to survive longer than their relatives did in other places.

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
Down in the Depths

Ron gets a submarine no-prize for bringing us news about recent biological surveys of the Southern Ocean, the body of water that surrounds Antarctica. Contrary to earlier assumptions, the area is extremely rich and diverse, with dozens of species never before seen and found nowhere else.

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2007
Dawn Ape Dunce

Looks like our very earliest ancestors weren't really all that bright. Not particularly surprising, since basically all the evidence points to large brains coming very late to the hominid evolutionary game. Mmm... Brainss...

For perspective, the dinosaurs crapped out about 65 mya, and the earliest homina-homina-hominid found so far lived around 4.2 mya.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 02:23 PM eMail this entry!
Got Grill?

Ron gets a no-prize Flava Flave would envy for bringing us news of the discovery of a Roman-era dental decoration. Gold wire holding in the owners own teeth, no less.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2007
Testosterone: Is There Anything it Can't Do?

New research has revealed that men who applied a gel containing a small dose of testosterone to their skin received substantial protection from the disease. The case study is very small, so more trials will be needed to confirm the effect. However, if proven, the study's authors claim the treatment should work equally well for women.

Posted by scott at 03:38 PM eMail this entry!
Man, Listen to the Texture of These Walls

Ron gets a no-prize he definitely won't get past customs for bringing us news of mushroom-based home insulation. No, really!

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2007
Your Grant Money at Work

Ron gets a no-prize with a horn in its ear for bringing us news of a report about what noises, exactly, the dinosaurs may have made and heard. The conclusion that they probably made big boomy noises, similar to very large mammals, seems pretty damned obvious to me, but hell as long as it keeps them busy...

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2007
Bright Cars

Austrian scientists are claiming regular cars fitted with special telemetric devices are at least as, and sometimes more, efficient than hybrid vehicles. By actively predicting traffic patterns and co-ordinating breaking and acceleration events, these scientists achieved as much as a 33% improvement in mileage for otherwise normal cars.

If it helps stop congestion and makes the highways safer, I'm all for it. But you go first.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2007
Tomb Find

An Israeli archeology team has announced the discovery of king Herod's tomb. Just exactly what makes them think it is the Roman-era's most notorious Jewish leader is unclear, but certainly the described size is some indication. The site was looted in ancient times, most likely during the rebellion or the subsequent sack of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The modern excavation effort seems to have been going on for some 35 years, a typical length of time for such a large site.

Posted by scott at 01:30 PM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2007
We Have the Technology

Ron gets a no-prize that'll run in slow motion for bringing us news of the development of a brand new bionic hand. The project was created by DARPA as part of their "Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009" program. The new hand uses healthy nerves to both control the hand as well as allow feedback like a sense of touch for the user. The prototype has been demonstrated as allowing amputees the ability to perform fine motor skill activities such as picking up a drinking cup without crushing it, and moving checkers around a board. The hope is when the device reaches production it will provide relief for the hundreds of amputees generated by the Iraq war (as well as, one would presume, others).

Posted by scott at 10:55 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2007
Reverse Ressurection

Scientists have discovered it's not the lack of oxygen that kills, it's the sudden resumption of oxygen that does it. By controlling oxygen re-introduction (called "reperfusion"), doctors in one limited study changed the survival rate of cardiac arrest victims from 15 percent to 80 percent. It's quite a fascinating article.

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2007
Hadron Hang-Ups

The Large Hadron Collider has suffered another setback. This time, one of the eight superconducting magnets failed "with a bang" in testing earlier this year. The fix, consisting of the installation of reinforcing structures to help contain pressures they are subject to, could set the project back weeks if not months.

So if you were worried about the LHC creating black holes that suck down the whole world, well, you're gonna have to wait awhile.

Due to a lack of skilled trumpeters, the End of the World has been postponed six weeks. We apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
Old Wood

Slashdot linked up news of the discovery of a fossilized forest some four square miles in area. It now forms the roof of an active coal mine in Illinois. Scientists have determined it to be a rain forest that was flooded and buried in an earthquake some 300 million years ago. Because of its age, it's likely this represents one of the earliest rain forests ever to have evolved.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2007
Well that's a Pleasant Thought

The latest surgical innovation? Performing operations via your mouth. The thought of having defective bits of me pulled out through my mouth gives me the skeevees something fierce, but if it makes the job less painful and reduces the risk of infection, I guess it's a good thing.

But if it happens to you, make sure you brush your teeth before you leave the hospital, ok?

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2007
Wal Mart: Lowest Prices, Best Fossils. Wait, what?

A rare camel fossil has been discovered under a Wal Mart parking lot in Mesa Arizona. It was found at the bottom of a hole dug for a citrus tree. All parties involved have already agreed to donate the find to the local university.

Posted by scott at 08:51 AM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2007
Plumbing the Depths

The Archimedes Palimpsest has revealed yet another hidden work in its pages. This time, it appears to be an ancient commentary on Aristotle's Categories, "one of the foundations of Western studies of logic."

It's very exciting, in an admittedly nerdy and bookish sort of way, to think these new techniques could unearth writings considered lost forever by generations of scholars.

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2007
White Matters

Scientists have made new discoveries about how "white matter" found in the brains of schizophrenia sufferers relate to the disease:

[The report] provides evidence that alterations in myelin [the lipid layers that sheath and insulate nerve fibers and are the main constituent of white matter] can cause defects in neurons and the central nervous system in general that are related to neuropsychiatric disease," says the study's senior author Gabriel Corfas, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital Boston.

The hope is the discovery will point the way toward earlier detection and newer, more effective treatments.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2007
Purple Earth

Scientists are speculating the very early Earth may have been tinted purple, not green. It only got green when the photosynthesizing critters poisoned the purple retinal-using ones with all their poo oxygen. Right now it's nothing more than an hypothesis, but an interesting one nonetheless.

Posted by scott at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2007
A "No Nonsense" Drug

Scientists have developed a new drug which, in mice, helps treat certain kinds of diseases like cystic fibrosis. The drug works by helping cells avoid "nonsense" stop points in their messenger RNA, thereby preventing the malformed proteins that cause these kinds of genetic diseases. The treatment appears to affect only certain types of these diseases, but since those types tend to be found in specific population groups, the opportunity for therapy is still very real.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2007
The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul?

Mark gets a no-prize that the hippies will ignore while they shiver for bringing us the Straight Dope on global dimming. Yep, you heard that right, dimming.

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
April 18, 2007
s2 = x2 + y2 + z2 - t2 - u2 - v2

So goes the universe, if this mathematician's hypothesis proves correct. Unlike string theory, this one seems to use comparatively straightforward mathematics and makes predictions which should be testable by the upcoming Large Hadron Collider. I think. Remember folks, I can't even manage to play a mathematician on TV.

Posted by Ellen at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2007
Spooky Plants

Robert H. gets a no-prize that's far more sophisticated than anyone else imagined for bringing us news that plant photosynthesis may in fact represent the oldest instantiation of a quantum computer. The money quote:

"We always thought of it as hopping through the system, the same way that you or I might run through a maze of bushes," Engel explains. "But, instead of coming to an intersection and going left or right, it can actually go in both directions at once and explore many different paths most efficiently."

Just when you'd thought nature had run out of surprises!

Posted by scott at 04:01 PM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2007
Cluck Cluck, Mother F-er

Scientists have managed to extract protien from 68 million-year-old T-rex fossils, and now think their closest living relative may be chickens. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Posted by scott at 08:58 AM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2007
Screen Cement

Scientists have developed a kind of cement that's both nearly transparent and electrically conductive. It's clear enough to be used in place of rare (and sometimes toxic) elements normally used to create things like LCD screens, while at the same time being cheaper and safer than those elements. Can you hear another LCD price drop in the future? I thought you could.

Posted by scott at 10:53 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2007
Deep Fat Server

Server too hot? Dip it in oil!

While the criticism in the article pointing out that purpose-designed fluids for cooling electronic components has existed for years is well taken, I can't help but think using garden-variety machine oils would be less expensive. Getting people to buy into the whole "dip your server in oil" paradigm would seem to me a far harder trick.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
High-Rez Pharoh

Ron gets an ancient but detailed no-prize for bringing us news of new attempts to help tourists experience Egypt's ancient tomb complexes while protecting the sites from wear and tear. I'd like to see the camera and technique used to make very high resolution full-size images of tomb paintings. From the article, it sounds like a variant of the HDR stuff I play with.

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
April 10, 2007
Shampoo Streamer

Introducing the Kay effect, which (in this example) causes a jet of shampoo to spontaneously arc away from a thin, fast downpour of the same stuff. Not sure how useful it is, but it definitely looks neat.

Posted by scott at 01:10 PM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2007
Henge Bling

Ron gets an ancient but oh-so-stylish no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of clothing ornamentation used by the same people who built Stonehenge. The object itself is a diamond-shaped lump of jet with enigmatic carvings that essentially duplicate those of a gold object found near Stonehenge some years ago. From the article, the scientist seems to be implying the two items were used together, even though they were found far apart from each other.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2007
A Little of This, a Little of That

Ron gets two completely unrelated no-prizes for bringing us news of the development of a drug dispensing tooth and the discovery of a nearly complete pliocene whale fossil in Italy. Well, at least they're both science-y.

Posted by Ellen at 07:18 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2007
But Can it Play, "Black No. 1"?

Scientists have developed a cheap and effective way of converting blood of any type to O. The trick involves a special enzyme that removes the sugar molecules that characterize the other blood types. While techniques like this have been developed before, this is the first to use a non-exotic process that can be done at room temperature.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2007
Green Gold, Pondscum Tea

One day algae could be our main source of fuel. The potential yields are so great they're predicting profitability in the next 3 years and talking openly about competing with fossil fuels in 5-10 years.

I, for one, welcome our green single-celled overlords!

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2007
Mammal Tree

Making the rounds: Results from a new study seem to indicate that mammalian evolution did not experience "explosions" of diversity after mass extinction events. While some species did diversify after, for example, the famous K-T event, for whatever reason they did not survive. It seems all (or perhaps nearly all) current mammal species evolved much earlier, and simply survived each catastrophe.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2007
Sort of like "Semi-pregnant"

Doctors have announced the discovery of a third sort of twin birth. Termed "semi-identical," it's thought they form when two fused sperm fertilize a single egg. This type of twin had been hypothesized by biologists before, but no proof of their existence had been found until now.

Posted by scott at 12:35 PM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2007
To Crush Their T-Cells, Drive Them Before You, and Hear the Lamentation of Their Nuclei

So, I would imagine, says Conan the bacterium, a critter that can withstand ionizing radiation thousands of times beyond what would quickly kill a human. The secret? Not DNA, as previously thought, but rather the number of manganese ions in its repair protein sequences. The discovery has implications in the methods used to prevent radiation sickness in, for example, space travelers.

Posted by scott at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2007
I Guess Halloween Chattering Teeth...

...are not good enough!

The controversy has raged over whether the device, which has fish-like teeth that attach to the head and shaft of the penis, is a medieval device built on a hatred of men or whether it is an easy-to-use invention that could free millions of South African women from fear of rape.

NO! MEANS NO! OK?

Editor: No Ellen, You can't have one.

Posted by Ellen at 10:16 PM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2007
Back Off!

Seems like some caterpillars use warning noises instead of warning colors to alert predators that they're nowhere near as tasty as they look. I wonder if that could be leveraged into some sort of widget to shoo birds away from garden plants?

Posted by scott at 10:49 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2007
Awakenings

Yet another drug has been found that promises significant and sudden improvement in quality of life for brain damaged people. This time it's a drug originally developed to fight insomnia. The findings seem to be very preliminary (they seem to only have evidence for it working on a single individual), but any progress is a good thing, I suppose.

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2007
Protien Wisdom

Scientists have discovered a protein that triggers tanning and fights cancer. The two functions are apparently related, albeit through what seems to be a series of complex chemical reactions. It's hoped the discovery could some day lead to both cancer treatments and tanning products.

"It's a floor cleaner and a desert topping!"

Posted by scott at 02:12 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2007
~ Rain Drops Keep Rattlin' My House ~

I guess it's just as well it never rains in California. Thunderstorms lead (eventually) to earthquakes. Whodathunkit?

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2007
Warm Mars

Mike J. gets a no-prize that may one day have to face the Spanish Environmentalist Inquisition for bringing us evidence that global warming may be caused by solar phenomena. If Mars ends up warming and cooling in time with the Earth, that'll pretty much seal the deal on what, exactly, is causing the problem. This particular scientist's views are, not surprisingly, controversial, seemingly dismissed out of hand by many. Then again, as many global warming proponents are fond of pointing out, just because a scientist is out of the main stream doesn't mean he's wrong.

I'm not sure what our loopy Marxist "Earth First"-ers will froth about after that, but I'm sure they'll figure out something.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2007
Always a Good Thing

Well, unless you're the pope or something: scientists have developed a new spermicide that kills 100% of sperm at only 4% the concentration levels of current products. It works, if I'm reading the article right, by simply telling the swimmers to die, as apposed to 'asploding them the way the current stuff does, preventing irritation and potential infections.

Posted by scott at 02:11 PM eMail this entry!
Ok, that's an Image I Didn't Need

It would seem the Earth has several "open sores" on the ocean floor where the mantle is not covered by crust. Scientists have no idea why this happens, and so are heading out to study.

Our planet has shingles. Great.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2007
Paging Electric Light Orchestra, White Courtesy Phone Please

Ron gets a no-prize that hums an amazingly addictive ditty from the 70s for bringing us news of a microbe that turns soft soil into stone. As long as they can control the little monsters and prevent them from turning the whole world into granite, I'm all for it. Although I would think it interesting to see what would happen if the San Francisco bay area sank into the ground due to liquefaction, something tells me the current residents would not feel the same way.

Posted by scott at 10:46 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2007
Root and Branch

Scientists have discovered a fossil that links three major groups of animals together. The rather fuzzy-looking Orthrozanclus reburrus, a Cambrian-era creature probably not much more than an inch long, appears to sit at the base of a group which eventually lead to molluscs (such as clams and squid), annelids (segmented worms), and brachiopods (some other damned clamshell-looking thing). Suck it, you "can't-find-any-transitional-fossil" creationist wacks!

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
The Ocean Under Our Feet

Scientists have found evidence of a vast deposit of water under a continental plate. Estimates place the size of this water-soaked rock formation located underneath East Asia as roughly equivalent to the Arctic ocean. Its existence verifies a number of geological theories, from how continents move to why seismic readings in the Beijing region (which lies above the center of the area) are quite different from other, similar places.

Posted by scott at 10:43 AM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2007
The Bones of the Ancestors

Scientists have discovered the remains of what may be the earliest known ancestors of Pacific island residents. Their condition (without heads) as well as their makeup (no children between 1 and 16) show these people had some interesting ideas about life after death.

Posted by scott at 11:31 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2007
Biodiesel Blowout

Looks like researchers have made a significant breakthrough in biodiesel refinement. If I'm reading it right (no promises), it appears to provide a very significant improvement to the refining process, something like 90%. Anything that drops the cost of a fuel is fine by me, as it takes us one step closer to canceling Achmed and His Merry Band of Mayhem Making Men's checking account.

Via Daffodil Lane.

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2007
Demon from the Depths

Making the rounds: New Zealand fishermen have caught the largest colossal squid ever seen. Thankfully, the fishermen went to great lengths to recover the specimen intact, so this should be a real boon to scientists and people who like freaky-large sea creatures (Ellen).

Posted by scott at 07:54 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2007
33rd Sign of the Apocalypse

Good things actually can come from New Jersey. Oh be quiet, I know NJ produces a lot more than one extremely promising new method of detecting and treating autism. It's just sometimes hard to see them past all the gum-smacking chicks with big hair, jewelry, and makeup* sunning themselves on the Jersey shore.

-----
* Aka, "Ellen."

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
Faces of Futures Past

While the text of this article on the history of artistic representation of our hominid ancestors is pretty basic, I found the pictures to be extremely interesting. The book in which they're found is due out later this year, and appears to be based around a new exhibit at New York's natural history museum. As if I really needed an excuse to visit the place again.

Posted by scott at 12:36 PM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2007
Spicy History

Looks like chilli peppers may be one of the oldest spices ever used in the western hemisphere. No word on how long it took them to figure out chips, salsa, and beer.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
And the Planet Goes, "Hmmmmmmm"

Looks like ocean waves may be responsible for the Earth's "Hum." I guess they must've forgotten the words or something.

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2007
Kissing Freud

Contrary to what everyone's favorite Austrian believed, at least some studies are beginning to find we really aren't all secretly lusting after our family members.

Oh, and the first one to make a crack about Arkansas, the South, etc. is going to get a boot the head, capice?

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2007
And the Squid Goes, "Flash Flash Flash"

Disco Sid, meet Disco Squid. Bonus points to BBCnews for including video and a nifty yardstick comparison between various leviathans of the deep. For me the real question is, will Ellen's squiddy allegiance change to Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni now that it has de-throned her previous favorite Archetuthis as the biggest monster of the deep?

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2007
OH NOES! Octopus!
Posted by Ellen at 07:58 PM eMail this entry!
Wait, Wait... that Virus Needs to Move Out of the Picture
Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2007
That's an Image I Didn't Need

"By some estimates, only one out of every 10 cells in the body is human." We're not people, we're just billions of cells, all traveling in the same direction.

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2007
Ulcer Migration

It appears that the bacteria which causes ulcers has been with us as long as we've been around. Which begs the question, if Helicobacter has been with humans since we were all whacking each other over the head with rocks on the African plain, why are ulcers considered a modern phenomenon?

Personally, I blame Haliburton.

Posted by scott at 02:51 PM eMail this entry!
Makes My Head Hurt to Think About it

I remember recently news that scientists had done weird things like slow light to a near stop, and transmit it from one place to another, but when I tried to understand what all that meant my head rapidly 'asploded. This article does a better job of explaining what's going on and what it means. First time through, I still felt my head crack a bit. Second time, I think I got it. Since you're all much smarter than we are, I'm sure you won't have any trouble at all.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2007
Get Some Cash for Your Trash

Well, maybe not cash, but certainly a "biorefinery" that turns organic garbage into fuel for an electrical generator should be useful. At the size of "a small moving van", I'm not sure I'd call it all that portable, but I suppose as long as you can mount wheels on it, you can at least roll it where it needs to be.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2007
Butterfly Balls

In the, "no-wait, it-gets-weirder" science file, we have the discovery that a bacteria that kills the male members of a butterfly species makes the females more promiscuous. The result? What few males manage to survive are mugged by hordes of horny butterfly sluts, and are forced to mate so many times their sperm production drops.

Well, ok, they didn't actually say, "hordes of horny butterfly sluts," but it would've been a lot funnier if they had.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2007
A Legionnaire in the Woodpile?

Science, meet legend. Legend, science. Nice to think DNA tests can be used not only for garden-variety crime investigations, but also to test whether a legendary "lost legion" actually did manage to make its way to China more than two thousand years ago.

Posted by scott at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2007
Earth Shaking

B.C. put on alert for huge quake.

Update your earthquake insurance!

Posted by Ellen at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2007
Somehow "Ceramic Barium Titanate and Tin are a Girl's Best Friend" Just Doesn't have the Same Ring

Scientists have created a material that's stiffer than diamond. Stiffer only in a very narrow temperature range, that is. Nobody's quite sure what it'll be good for, but something tells me there are a lot of people trying to figure that out.

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2007
Flyn' Flu's Fickle Finger

Looks like all that effort to reconstruct the 1918 flu is really paying off. Bah. Last time around it killed off mostly 20-somethings. Since I'm just about ready to stomp the big 4-0 into the ground, I'm well out of range. Suck it, kiddos!

Coherence has never been my strong suit. Try the veal!

Posted by scott at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2007
Terror Timing and Tracking

Apparently the largest predatory bird that ever lived died out much earlier than previously thought. So much earlier that its extinction could not have been caused by humans. Even stranger, the species managed to migrate from South to North America before the two continents were connected. Scientists have no idea how.

Personally, I blame Karl Rove.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
Body Farm Boss Book

Fans of forensic anthropology in the peanut gallery (and I mean, come on, who's not a fan?) should find this "Glen and Helen Show" podcast interview with Bill Bass and John Jefferson of interest. Long-time readers will most likely remember that Bill Bass is the inventor of the University of Tennessee "body farm."

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
January 30, 2007
Weer On Ur Plane

Buildin' Ur Henge:

Archaeologists say they have found a huge ancient settlement used by the people who built Stonehenge.

Excavations at Durrington Walls, near the legendary Salisbury Plain monument, uncovered remains of ancient houses.

People seem to have occupied the sites seasonally, using them for ritual feasting and funeral ceremonies.

Mark gets an ancient and mysterious no-prize for letting us know about the discovery and giving us the opportunity to post yet another "Weer in Ur" link. Woot!

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
More Hobbit Updates

Slashdot linked up a new development in the "Flores Hobbit" discoveries. A team investigating ancient climate change in the region last year discovered a second chamber below the known cave where the strange human remains were found. A cursory exploration of the sinkhole revealed a very large number of bones and other debris, some with obvious butcher marks. It's hoped that hobbit remains are mixed in with the rest, and that these better-preserved bones may yield viable DNA samples. If those can be found, many scientists seem confident the mystery of these creatures will be definitively solved.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2007
20 Things You Didn't Know About... Obesity

Obesity ranks second among preventable causes of death. Tobacco use is number one.

Read the entire here.

Scott and I watched a show last night about people that ate 33,000 calories in a day. Quite depressing.

Posted by Ellen at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2007
String Test

Will string theory ever be testable? According to this it will be, and soon. The theory is so complex only a handful of people seem to be able to even approximate the equations necessary to understand it, so I'll politely withhold judgment on whether the efforts at experimentation are workable. But it is nice to see that they're trying.

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
Junk Food Junk Science

It appears that the Super Size Me diet is not as destructive as it was portrayed on film. MSNBC (of all places) ran Super Size Me a few weeks ago and we caught it on Tivo. What nobody ever mentioned (that I heard about anyway) was that film creator and principal star Morgan Spurlock was far more than just a regular Joe out to prove something. As I recall, the first weigh in they determined he had something like 11% body fat, which puts him way into the "athletic" range. Also never mentioned was his girlfriend was a vegan, which means he was most likely eating an extremely different diet before he started the project.

Once I got my head around those two data points, the whole film turned from "an example of corporate evil run amok in America" adventure into a "well what the hell did you expect to happen, moron?" sort of experience. Any time you make a radical change in diet you're going to go through all sorts of unpleasant side-effects until your body adjusts. Especially if you're an extremely athletic person eating what would presumably be a very low fat, low calorie diet.

There does seem to be a bit of good coming out of the whole project though. According to the article, the variety of results that happened when a more scientific approach was used could lead to new ways to treat obesity.

Posted by scott at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2007
A Brit in the Woodpile?

West Africa and North East England are closer than people once thought. While the idea that the black man who introduced a specific and rare Y chromosome into a single English family line came from a Roman legion is romantic, I think the hypothesis that he came from a 17th century slave market far more likely. Then again, a single English family keeping a single surname and living in the same spot for more than six centuries is pretty spectacular to me, so I suppose anything is possible.

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
I put a curse on that plane that it's gonna explode, burn on fire and fall into the sea!

Fark linked up news of the discovery of the oldest known Semitic text found to-date. Discovered on the sarcophagus of an Egyptian king about a century ago, the entire inscription baffled Egyptologists until, in 2002, one e-mailed it to Richard Steiner, a professor of Semitic languages at Yeshiva University in New York. He discovered the reason for the inscription's inscrutability was that it was an interpolation of both Semitic and Egyptian.

It's thought that the text, which turns out to be a magic curse meant to ward off evil spirits and snakes, is perhaps 4500 years old, making it at least a century older than any other previously found Semitic texts. This puts its creation right at the time the pyramids at Giza were being constructed.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2007
Depressing Density

It appears at least some antidepressants cause an increase in bone fractures. As if depression weren't bad enough!

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
And the Microwave goes, "Zap!"

Aviation Week's latest cover story covers a new method of enhancing high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons. The secret? Using lasers to amplify the signal, with results that boost it by a factor of 10. Then innovation, currently under development by BAE labs, promises to create practical HPM weaponry which can then be used to confuse, disable, or even destroy electronics at a useful distance.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2007
Alzheimer's Update

New Scientist is reporting scientists have confirmed that abnormalities in the way the brain protein amyloid is processed plays a role in Alzheimer's disease. Exactly what sort of role was unclear to me. I think the discovery confirms these abnormalities are what cause the disease, but the article seems carefully written to avoid that exact claim. Regardless, the discovery would definitely seem to point to new avenues for treatment.

Posted by scott at 12:44 PM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2007
Speaking of Bugs...

Slashdot linked up news that a flat-out cure for everyone's latest scary disease, bird flu, may have been discovered. Discovered, it should be added, in what would seem to be the most unlikely of places: the gut of an Icelandic cod.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not this research is confirmed. The snake-oil-like additional claims to the efficacy of the enzyme penzin for other maladies makes me suspicious. Still, if it manages to take another bell away from the twirling Chicken Littles in their bellfries, I'll call it a good thing.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
Bug Update

Turns out that reconstructed 1918 flu virus is actually useful. Although news that they're infecting monkeys with it just to see what it does is a bit worrisome. Then again, Ellen used to work at a place with high-level quarantine studies, and they all took that stuff very seriously.

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 16, 2007
Small Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh My!

While the basic assertion that predators are always smaller than prey because they can't be bigger than what they eat seems pretty obvious on the face of it, the creation of a formula for predicting just how big a predator can get seems quite novel. Still, the evidence seems to back up the assertion that, due to the risks and energy expenditure involved, mammalian predators simply can't get bigger than about 2200 lbs. The dinosaurs may have had a similar limitation, perhaps providing insight into how their metabolisms worked.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2007
The Face of an Angel

Italian scientists have created a new reconstruction of the face of Renaissance poet Dante. The result? Apparently he looks pretty much like any other regular guy. With a big nose. They based their reconstruction from detailed notes and a cast made when the skull was examined in the 1920s.

Personally, I think it would be fascinating to find out what any of these famous European figures looked like. Kings, queens, and other famous people from perhaps the early 9th century on have undisturbed graves scattered all through Europe. Maybe when MRI or some similar technology becomes powerful enough and mobile enough, we'll get a look inside some of these tombs.

Or not. I'm pretty iconoclastic about respecting the remains of someone who's been dead for centuries, but other people can (do) disagree. It's not like they're going anywhere... eventually when a tech is developed that'll do the job discreetly I can't imagine not taking a peek.

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2007
Paging Edvard Munch, White Courtesy Phone Please

Carrie gets a weirdly spooky no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a cache of ancient Andes Indian mummies. While the "featured mummy" certainly looks scared, such interpretations can be misleading. More likely is the coincidence of burial position (fetal-position burials are quite common around the world) and post-burial movement of the mummy itself.

Nevertheless, it is damned creepy.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2007
Tiny People

ABCnews.com is carrying this article briefly describing one of the rarest forms of dwarfism found in humans: primordial. Primordial dwarfs are very tiny, but otherwise normally proportioned.

We saw a Discovery Health documentary on these folks (I think both the people in the article were in the film), and they're quite astonishing. Very very small people with distinctive faces and pixie voices, but otherwise quite normal. As you'd expect from this sort of genetic defect, they're subject to all sorts of fatally nasty health problems, and very few to date have survived to adulthood.

Posted by scott at 01:40 PM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2007
Radiation-free Fusion?

One of the bigger hurdles to practical fusion power is that current configurations generate a lot of nasty radiation that (as I understand it) literally eats away at the containment chambers of the reactors. As we all know, super-hot plasma getting loose is, well, bad, so research continues. Now, it would appear, someone claims to have figured out a new way that eliminates the radiation problem entirely.

Fusion is the archetypical "should be here in 25 years" technology. It'd be neat if 25 years collapsed to just 5. I wonder if this is the same Bussard who came up with the Bussard ramjet concept?

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2007
Bellwether Weather

So what really did cause the Maya to collapse? This group of scientists think it was the weather. By using a new technique to determine monsoon cycles over the past 16,000 years, scientists have found remarkable agreement between dates when monsoon rains were very poor and the decline and eventual collapse of two great prehistoric civilizations... the Maya and the Chinese Tang dynasty. As I recall, there actually are pretty good archaeological records which address climate change in these areas at these times. It'll be interesting to find out if they agree as well.

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2006
At Least This Won't Puke on the Carpet

Slashdot linked up news that everyone's favorite robotic baby seal has won a national design award. Take that, you ungrateful wretched cats!

Posted by Ellen at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2006
Glad They can't Run This Bull Anymore

New Scientist is reporting on the discovery of the largest dinosaur yet found in Europe. Discovered near Riodeva in Spain, the specimen is thought to be about 150 million years old, and represents a previously-unknown species of giant plant eaters, now called Turiasaurus. The find is complete enough to allow accurate bio-mechanical modeling of it and other "super giant" dinosaurs (Brontosauruses will be the most recognizable to most folks), allowing them to perhaps figure out how they managed to move and feed themselves with such a gigantic and strange body plan.

Posted by scott at 01:34 PM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2006
Paging Captain Spaulding, White Courtesy Phone Please

See, I'm calling conspiracy. I mean, if they've found a two-headed reptile, it must've been in some weird, decrepit, road-side attraction museum, right?

Why yes, actually, I did forget to take my meds today. Why do you ask?

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2006
Soggy Sniffer

New Scientist is carrying this report summarizing the discovery of mammals which can sniff under water. By using high-speed camera work along with some carefully designed experiments, scientists have been able to determine that at least two kinds of semi-aquatic mammals, the star-nosed mole and the water shrew, are able to track scents underwater by rapidly inhaling and exhaling small bubbles. The site includes a creepy but fascinating video of one of these critters in action.

Posted by scott at 01:39 PM eMail this entry!
December 19, 2006
Hot Fish

BBCnews is carrying this report on the discovery of yet another new species of "extreme fish". These critters live, as you'd expect, at the bottom of the ocean near thermal vents. The interesting part is they seem to enjoy skipping across pools of molten sulfur at temperatures of up to 350 degrees.

Posted by scott at 01:42 PM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2006
An Actual Cure?

Slashdot linked up news of a fundamentally new way of treating diabetes, so effective scientists are openly talking about it leading to a cure. The secret? By treating diabetic mice to counteract malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas, scientists were able to bring full function back, often with just a single treatment. At this point there have been no studies to see if this treatment will work as well with humans. Trials to test are expected to start next year.

The discovery has implications for a whole host of chronic disorders, such as asthma and Crohn's disease.

(We're in NY for the weekend, hence the extremely light posting.)

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2006
The Snip that Saves a Life?

From the "where the hell did that come from" department, we have the announcement that circumcision somehow provides substantial protection against AIDS. Substantial protection even, something like 50%. Apparently the evidence was so striking the experimenters called it off early and told their "control" group about the results.

Just when you thought medical science couldn't get any weirder...

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
Turtle Time!

While a bit rah-rah in tone, this paean to everyone's favorite shelled critter is nonetheless informative and fun. Om's probably quadrupled in size since we got him, and shows no signs of slowing down. Leopard tortoises are not known for extreme longevity (as I recall, they average about 25 years), but he'll most likely be around long enough to serve as a ring bearer at my daughter's wedding.

The mind boggles.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2006
Quantum Nose

Slashdot linked up news that a controversial theory about how the sense of smell works has received some support. The central hypothesis, that smell works not on a chemical but instead on a quantum-mechanics basis, has been proven to be possible. This does not mean it's true, just that, from a physics perspective, there's nothing so far to say it isn't.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
Top Ten Time

National Geographic is carrying their top ten list of stories from 2006. Some of them made me think it was all a big parody post (Noah's ark?), but apparently it's legit. Bring on the lists!

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2006
And the Human Goes, "Evolve Evolve Evolve"

Making the rounds: Scientists have discovered a remarkable case of very recent evolutionary change in the human species. This time it's the relationship of lactose tolerance and the domestication of cattle. Scientists are finding a direct correlation between the two in several different populations. The mechanisms that provide this are different in different populations, but the result is still the same.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2006
Anthropological Throwdown

The latest hypothesis to make the rounds about why the Neandertals went extinct, that their women were spending too much time hunting, has made it to the New York Times and Instapundit. However, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin—Madison John Hawks doesn't think there's much hunt in this dog. Read on for a wild ride through the more "science-y" section of my favorite scientific field. This is the kind of thing I lived and breathed for the better part of eight years. Great stuff!

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 03:07 PM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2006
Of Course it Would be a Snake

Fark linked up news of the discovery of the oldest evidence for ritual in human history. At 70,000 years old and in Africa, it seems to be yet more evidence disproving the theory that while modern humans evolved in Africa some 120,000 years ago, modern culture evolved elsewhere much later. It would not surprise me in the least that the further we go toward southern Africa and the harder we look the closer the appearance of both will become.

Posted by scott at 02:11 PM eMail this entry!
Ancient Clockwork Update

Slashdot linked up news that the people researching the Antikythera Mechanism have published their work. The device appears to have been, as expected, a mechanical computer used to calculate astronomical information, particularly the phases of the moon and planetary motion. Devices of comparable complexity would not be seen again for more than a thousand years.

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2006
Bubble Boat

Slashdot linked up this New Scientist article detailing new efforts at reducing the friction experienced by ship hulls on water. Currently three technologies seem to be front-runners: microbubbles, polymer coatings, and bubble "pockets". Considering 90% of world cargo travels by ship, the savings of even a modest decrease could be enormous.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
November 27, 2006
Devils in the Deep Blue Sea

New Scientist is carrying this report (which includes video and pictures) of an ocean expedition exploring the methane seeps off New Zealand. By first mapping and then diving on these areas where methane or hydrogen sulphide gas escape from stores deep underneath the seabed, scientists discovered a plethora of previously unknown species. Unlike the communities around the better-known deep sea "chimneys" in places like the Atlantic, these sorts of communities rely on cold temperature processes to create energy.

All alone in the night...

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
Monster Mummy

Ron gets a well-preserved no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of another "mummified" dinosaur. While not the first discovered (I can recall reading about a similar specimen when I was a kid in the 70s), this will be the first found after the discovery of soft tissue in other fossil specimens. Presumably this will alter the way curators preserve the find, to increase the chances of finding similar stuff with this fossil.

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2006
The Next Step to a Cure?

Slashdot linked up news that scientists have developed a protocol to reverse type 1 diabetes in mice. They were also able to restore islet functionality with the treatment. Too late by twenty years for my grandma (even though she wasn't a mouse), but still it's nice to see significant progress is being made.

Posted by scott at 01:59 PM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2006
Quilt People

Pat gets a crazy-quilt no-prize for bringing us news that humans appear to be far more genetically variable than previously thought. The implications for the evolution of our species were not covered in the article, which primarily examined how the discovery affects research in genetic diseases. On that front, it's a bit of "good news, bad news"... while the discovery seems to make clear that genetic disorders are more complex than was once imagined, it also provides new avenues for treatment studies.

Posted by scott at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2006
Time to Get a Shovel

Joshua gets a no-prize turned to stone for bringing us news of the amateur discovery of an important fish fossil. It's nice to see some folks are quite willing to voluntarily hand over such an interesting find. As I understand it, the market for such items is quite strong, at least in the US.

Posted by scott at 10:53 AM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2006
Ancient Sorrow

The Washington Post today carried news of the discovery of 30,000 year old infant burials. While several adult burials from this time period have been found, until now nothing had been found to indicate our ancient ancestors buried their infant dead with the same care. Scientists weren't sure if this was because infant burials were much more fragile, or if they just weren't burying their kids.

Which to me is a pretty dumb thing to say. Caring for the young is a hallmark of mammals, let alone half-crazed naked apes who can cook up a half dozen theories about life after death during breakfast. Infant skeletons are amazingly fragile things... the skulls feel like thick eggshell and half of it is made of cartilage. It's a wonder even relatively modern infant burials leave anything behind.

Still, it is a confirmation that we've been mourning our dead for a very long time indeed.

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2006
Heart Parts

Scientists have figured out a way to create heart valves from stem cells harvested from amniotic fluid. The immediate application is for infants born with severe heart problems, but the technique holds promise for the creation of "homegrown" solutions to heart defects that are safer and more durable than existing methods.

Posted by scott at 12:30 PM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2006
More Neanderthal Gene News

BBCnews is carrying this report chronicling the latest progress on Neanderthal DNA research. By using a different sequencing technique, scientists have partially reconstructed significant portions of nuclear DNA. This promises to provide much more information about the species than the previously sequenced Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA. However, unlike the recent suggestions of evidence for gene exchange from Neanderthals to modern humans, this team finds no such evidence in their studies. In fact, quite the opposite, as this preliminary findings seem to be pointing toward a human to Neanderthal exchange.

Posted by scott at 02:21 PM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2006
Caveman Brains

Did the Neanderthals provide the required genetic material to make us smart? An interesting hypothesis, but every other genetic study done has indicated the exact opposite, that no intermixing ever occurred. If the evidence is reproducible, it will be a startling contradiction of existing theories.

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2006
Good to See that Journalism Degree Paid Off

And from the Capt. Obvious headline department, we have Silent plane would cut airport noise. The article itself details a new effort to create a proof-of-concept vehicle that would demonstrate all sorts of technologies to make commercial aircraft quieter.

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
Fighting a Microscopic Fire with Microscopic Fire

A US experiment using a modified AIDS virus to fight the "regular" AIDS virus has returned better-than-expected results. The therapy still has years of testing to do, but the initial findings certainly seem hopeful.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2006
Scurvy Skull

The Washington Post today carried this article describing the discovery of the earliest-known physical evidence of autopsy by (and on) Europeans. Ironically, the remains themselves were found in the New World, an area that's now part of a national park in Maine.

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2006
Spare Parts News

It would appear that the next "force-grown" human organ may be the liver. The article wasn't clear to me about whether or not such organs would require immunosuppressant drugs to deal with rejection issues. Even so, having such an important organ seemingly well on its way to being created at will for transplant is still an amazing development.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
The Night of the Living Dead Viruses

Slashdot linked up news that scientists have reincarnated a "viral fossil". In the process the French scientists (rightly) created a stir amongst their colleagues over just how to get approval to do such work and how it is handled when the research is done.

Tinkering with viruses. Nah, nothing can go wrong there.

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2006
SIDS update

Pat gets a bouncing baby no-prize for bringing us news of developments in SIDS research. Scientists claim to have finally found a detectable brain abnormality that seems directly related to SIDS deaths. The abnormality occurs in the brain stem, and seems to be related to an alert mechanism which causes an infant to breath more quickly or even wake up if CO2 levels increase past a certain point. Children with the abnormality seem to have a broken "alarm system", and hence are vulnerable. It is hoped the research will lead to tests and treatments, eventually abolishing one of the most mysterious (and therefore tragic) causes of infant death.

Posted by scott at 03:56 PM eMail this entry!
A Pill, for the Rest of Us

It appears that, after perhaps decades of trying, a male chemical contraceptive is on its way. Now if they'd only find vaccines for all those nasty bugs that've come about since the 1980s...

Posted by scott at 01:28 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2006
~ How Much is that Elephant in the Window? ~

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing a research project involving Indian elephants and a mirror. By placing a solidly elephant-proof mirror in their enclosure, scientists recorded convincing behavior that indicates the elephants were quite aware they were seeing themselves. This puts them in a rarified league occupied by humans, apes, and (perhaps) dolphins.

The on-line article includes a great video with excerpts of the observed behavior.

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2006
It's a Kung-Fu World

Perhaps soon everyone will look, and sound, like a badly sync'd chop-sake movie:

A "Tower of Babel" device that gives the illusion of being bilingual is being developed by US scientists.

Users simply have to silently mouth a word in their own language for it to be translated and read out in another.

At 80% accuracy with a 200 word vocabulary, I'd call it progress but hardly anything I'd want a soldier to use to say, "is that a bomb in your car or are you just glad to see me?"

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
Bad Assed Big Bird

The largest "Terror Bird" fossil yet found has been unearthed in Argentina. Standing perhaps 15 feet tall with a skull more than two feet long, this rare fossil includes sub-skeletal remains (feet), which will allow a detailed examination of how mobile it really was. These were the top predators of what would become South America after the dinosaurs were killed off.

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2006
River Reverse

Looks like the Mississippi isn't the only river to have flowed backward at some point in its history:

The world's largest river, the Amazon, once flowed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific - the opposite of its present direction, a study shows.

Sedimentary rocks in the central part of South America contain ancient mineral grains that must have come from the eastern part of the continent.

Geologist Russell Mapes says this must mean that about 145-65 million years ago, the Amazon flowed east to west.

The thing is, during that time period I don't think there was a land mass even vaguely resembling what we now know as South America. The fact that a river has run more or less continuously in roughly the same place through such profound changes is to me more remarkable than which way it happened to be flowing at any particular time.

Posted by scott at 12:46 PM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2006
Great White Update

The Washington Post today carried this update on ongoing research on a captive great white shark. By using what was learned two years ago with a previous captive great white, scientists at the Monterey Bay aquarium have kept a new, male great white healthy and (presumably) happy since September. There appear to be no plans to keep the fish permanently, although the article did not mention just how long their visitor will be resident.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2006
More Brave Tales

So where did Odysseus live? Prevailing opinion has been what is now known as Ithaki, but recently someone wrote a whole book which hypothesised it to be somewhere else, and now they're testing that hypothesis:

Most people think the modern-day Ionian island of Ithaki is the location.

But geologists are this week sinking a borehole on nearby Kefalonia in an attempt to test whether its western peninsula of Paliki is the real site.

It really brings home how old these stories are, that entire chunks of geography can change so radically you have to dig boreholes just to see the difference.

Posted by scott at 03:37 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2006
Steel Circulation

According to this Scientific American article, recycled steel may end up being a more significant iron "mine" than the ones that punch holes in the ground. By using statistical data from a variety of sources, these scientists claim to have quantified the US's use of steel from new and recycled sources. The results show there already is substantial recycling from scrap going on, but the data also show a significant amount of loss over time. The researchers hope their work will point the way toward more effective recycling methods, as well as provide a guide for just how much of the stuff developing countries will need as they grow, and perhaps even when their needs will level off.

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2006
Parkinson's News

New Scientist is carrying this update on developments in treatments for Parkinson's syndrome. By using an engineered virus, researchers were able to use gene treatments to help otherwise unresponsive patients to experience significant gains in mobility and motor control. The results are preliminary, early, and utilized (what seems to be to be) a small number of patients. But progress is progress, and this sure looks like it.

Using an engineered virus. We really are living science fiction.

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2006
Neandertal News

New Scientist is carrying this update on new developments in Neandertal DNA research. For the first time scientists have been able to analyze nuclear DNA samples, and have used the richer data set to determine that Neandertals and humans shared a common ancestor about 400,000 years ago. There appears to be no evidence of Neandertals contributing to human DNA, at least in the data examined so far.

Posted by scott at 01:15 PM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2006
Parking Lot Treasures

A necropolis described as "a miniature Pompeii" has been unveiled at the Vatican. Discovered during the contstruction of a parking lot, the site contains the remains of many well-preserved tombs from the time of Augustus to that of Constantine (a period of about 300 years). The tombs are of middle-class people for the most part, "somebodies" who weren't famous in their own right but knew or worked for people who were. The site is now open to public viewing.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2006
Your Dog Wants His Mommy

By using aniseed-laced food for the mother and a cotton ball soaked in the same stuff for the newborn pup, scientists have determined that dogs learn to smell in the womb (second story.) They really are born to sniff your crotch!

Posted by scott at 07:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2006
That's One Big Committee

That's mister camel to you, bub:

Swiss researchers have discovered the 100,000-year-old remains of a previously unknown giant camel species in central Syria.
...
"Can you imagine? The camel's shoulders stood three metres (yards) high and it was around four metres tall, as big as a giraffe or an elephant. Nobody knew that such a species had existed."

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2006
IgNobels

Making the rounds: the 2006 IgNobel prizes have been rewarded. This time they feature things like discovery mosquitoes like smelly feet, and the development of teen-only sounds.

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2006
Spooky Teleportation News

Slashdot linked up news of a breakthrough in the field of quantum teleportation. This time scientists were able to use the effect with both light and matter, and a lot more matter than previous experiments. I think. I got about half way through the article, and my head 'asploded.

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2006
Can't be Any Worse than the Beltway at Rush Hour

New Scientist is carrying this report summarizing the next stage in the DARPA "Grand Challenge" series. This time, the robot vehicles will be racing around a simulated urban environment, complete with sidewalks, scenery, and other moving vehicles. The first run is scheduled for November of next year. Considering the amusing mayhem that resulted on the first running of the last grand challenge, on open roads in the desert southwest, the opportunities for mechanized chaos this time around should provide plenty of footage for the highlight reel.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2006
Dino Lunch

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing the re-evaluation of fossils once thought to provide evidence of dinosaur cannibalism. The very well-preserved fossils, part of a large find made in 1947, included evidence of the creatures's last meal, which was thought to be smaller members of its own species, Coelophysis (pronounced SEE-lo-FYE-sis). However, a new, closer examination has revealed this not to be the case. How this whole re-examination got started is nearly as interesting as its findings... Sterling Nesbitt, the PhD student at Columbia University who led the research, was idly examining a decorative bronze cast of the fossil hung on a station wall while waiting on a subway when he noticed something subtly wrong with the specimen.

Who says subway art is useless?

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2006
Just Don't Slip

Making the rounds: French surgeons are set to perform the first zero-g operation on Wednesday. Unfortunately that appears to be all they've said so far. No word on what the procedure will be.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2006
Nanotech News

Pat gets the tiniest of no-prizes for bringing us this update on new developments in nanotechnology. It looks like that, after years of promises, actual devices we can use are finally going to make their way to the market.

That's the ultimate strength of a diversified economy. When one sector falls, another is nearly always right behind it to take its place. The trick is figuring out which one of those waves to surf.

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2006
Lucy's Child

The Washington Post today carried this report summarizing the recent discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of a juvenile Australopithicene africanus. Electronic scanning of the teeth has revealed the child to be female, about three years old at the time of death. It's thought she may have been caught in a flash flood of some sort. While technically not the child of the famous fossil "Lucy", she is from the same species. The find is in excellent condition and should provide many answers about how the children of our earliest ancestors lived.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2006
Think of it as a Tricorder, with Fins

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing the creation of a most peculiar sort of pollution detector. By housing bluegill fish in small tanks equipped with special sensors and filled with water from various areas, scientists are able to detect various impurities with remarkable success. The fish are "cycled" every few months, none the worse for wear, and replaced by a new set which then continue the testing.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2006
Boing-y Boing-y Boing-y

The Japanese continue their progress in robotics, this time creating a robot that can hop. By the looks of it, that's pretty much all it can do right now, but a proof of concept system often looks like that. Sorta looks like a giant plastic turkey leg to me. Just the thing for a giant nerdy sci-fi Renaissance fair, eh?

Did I mention the four hours of Sponge Bob?

Posted by scott at 10:43 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2006
Neandertal Nadir

BBCnews is carrying this report on the discovery of what could possibly have been the last place Neandertals ever lived. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal deposits indicates Neandertals were living in a cave complex in Gibraltar perhaps as recently as 24,000 years ago. The date is several thousand years later than the commonly held time when Neandertals disappeared.

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2006
I Think They Should Call it a "Hazardkin"

Scientific American is carrying this summary of the development of a paper towel which can detect hazardous chemicals simply by wiping it on a surface. Scientists used nanofibers to trap antibodies in the material, which react with biohazards by changing color.

The system is still in the early stages of development, but if brought to market promises to create a whole new class of hypocondriac phobias. Just think, now you can know just how nasty that toilet seat is!

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2006
Virus Babies

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing a remarkable discovery about "viral stowaways" and their role in mammalian embryo development:

New research in live sheep has demonstrated for the first time that they help embryos change shape, implant themselves in the womb and grow a placenta. The same almost certainly happens in other mammals, including humans, they say.

The mind boggles.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2006
Mind the Gaps

BBCnews is carrying this summary of recent research in to the history of human occupation of the British isles. Scientists have extended the time of first settlement back a whopping 200,000 years, but have also found evidence of spans of time when absolutely no humans lived there at all.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
You are in a Room. There are Many Exits.

Wired is carrying this article detailing what seems to be the "next big thing" in architecture, "smart buildings" which radically adapt themselves to changing situations:

At the Office for Robotic Architectural Media & The Bureau for Responsive Architecture, Tristan d'Estree Sterk is working on shape-changing "building envelopes" using "actuated tensegrity" structures -- a system of rods and wires manipulated by pneumatic "muscles" that serve as the building's skeleton, forming the framework of all its walls.

Without exception, all of the "avante guard" buildings I've ever been in have had one or more essentially unfixable problems directly related to their loopy designs. Roofs that always leak, switches that never work, wiring that sparks entertainingly at unexpected times and HVAC systems that blow cold on freezing days and hot on steamy ones, all and more seem to be fixtures of multi-award-winning buildings. Now you're telling me they're going to build a structure that can collapse itself. On purpose.

Yeah, ok. You go in there, have fun, I'll stand outside and take pictures. Hopefully when it starts raining the worst it will do is leak.

Posted by scott at 09:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2006
Being Human

New Scientist is featuring this nifty "instant expert" special report on human evolution. It contains a nice, concise explanation of how human evolution is viewed today. It also includes hyperlinks to a whole bunch of relevant articles that NS has run over the years about specific topics in each section. All in all, a very good summary.

Don't just sit there, learn something!

Posted by scott at 02:16 PM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2006
Paging Little Red Riding Hood, White Courtesy Phone Please

After an absence of more than 100 years, wolves are beginning to return to Germany. It's always a little jarring to me when I hear about rural areas of Europe. The impression I get from news reports and films is a country filled with cities and people, with quaint suburbs on the ends. Big surprise that such an impression is wrong. Funny how everyone else seems to think our media representations are always right, no?

Posted by scott at 03:16 PM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2006
Mummy Find

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing the discovery of a new Scythian burial. This marks the first discovery of such a thing on the Mongolian side of the Altai mountains, the Scythian's ancient homeland. The burial was undisturbed (until the archeologists found it at any rate), and in very good condition.

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
August 25, 2006
Goodbye BMI?

Everyone's favorite "rule-of-thumb" diet measurement may be on its way out. Which is just as well, since even before I read this article I realized it didn't work very well. Me, I judge how I'm doing by how my clothes fit. Too baggy, eat some chips. Too tight, put them away.

But that's just me.

Posted by scott at 10:12 AM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2006
~ 'Cause They're a Family / Oh Yes a Family ~

New Scientist is carrying this story detailing the discovery of a very rare society-focused spider species:

The spiders live in nests that house up to several thousand individuals which hunt by hanging threads from low lying leaves. They then hide upside down, beneath the leaves waiting for prey.

When an insect flies into the strands a group of spiders drop down and throw sticky webbing over it. To finish off the ambush they inject venom with their tiny jaws.

The fact that they seem to only live in a small chunk of Ecudoran rain forest is just fine by me. Creepy!

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2006
Hobbit Update

Joshua gets his second no-prize of the day for bringing us the latest developments in research on the Flores "hobbit people". This time the team of scientists who think the hobbit is just a microcephalic Homo sapien make their stand, producing all the evidence they think they need to prove their point. The reaction is what you'd expect... a complete refutation by the other side.

As far as I know, it's been awhile since physical anth has gone through a journal-driven scrum quite this intense. It's sort of like watching gladiators fight, stuck in a vat of molasses. Should be interesting!

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2006
But Do They Worship Allah?

Slashdot linked up this Aljazeera article (no, really!) detailing new research which purports to prove that dolphins are nowhere near as smart as we think they are:

Dolphins may have big brains, but a South African-based scientist says laboratory rats and even goldfish can outwit them.

Paul Manger of Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand says the super-sized brains of dolphins are a function of being warm-blooded in a cold water environment and not a sign of intelligence.

Sort of like cats, but with fins.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2006
Sea Spiders

No, really, sea spiders:

Weird spider-like creatures that live at the bottom of the ocean and use a 'straw' to suck on their prey are baffling scientists.

These sea spiders, some of which are blind, are defying scientific classification.

Marine zoologist Dr Claudia Arango of the Australian Museum in Sydney agrees they are arthropods, but which type?

Article includes cReEpY pictures of the little monsters.

Posted by scott at 10:57 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2006
Personally, I'm Liking Gretel

Fark linked up news of the discovery of an ancient murder victim:

A crime that has remained undetected for 1,500 years has been uncovered by an archaeological team working at the village of Sedgeford, in Norfolk.

A human skeleton was found hidden in what would have been a Roman corn drier, and experts believe the person was deliberately put inside.
...
On-site human remains expert Zannah Baldry said the body appeared to have been pushed into the oven and then set alight.

Hansel's lawyers refused to comment on the recent discovery.

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2006
Drug Trial Mystery

New Scientist is carrying this report summarizing the findings of the team which investigated the well-publicised drug trial that nearly killed its first six subjects. Far from solving things, the findings simply increase the mystery surrounding what, exactly, happened. It definitely doesn't look like a case of people messing up. Then again, it usually doesn't, at least at first.

Posted by scott at 01:27 PM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2006
3D Breakthrough

Slashdot linked up news of a revolutionary new method of looking at fossils. By using a particle accelerator, scientists are now able to create extremely high resolution 3D images of even the most minute fossils, in a completely non-destructive way. This represents a sea change in the way these fossils are analyzed, and is already providing breakthrough discoveries in the earliest stages of multicellular life.

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2006
Darwin's Own Rewind Button

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing a group of scientist's efforts at creating ancient genes by "reversing" exiting modern ones. It's hoped the technique could eventually lead to innovative new methods of gene therapy.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
More Tomb Time

Slashdot linked up news of yet another potentially unexplored tomb found in the Valley of the Kings. The information came from the same survey that discovered KV63, which turned out to be a cache of burial supplies. In the article and in the comments, it's been noted that this is just a potential tomb. The place is supposed to be littered with burial shafts dug and then abandoned for reasons both obvious and obscure.

Still, should be worth a look.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2006
Can Skynet be Far Behind?

Ron gets a very brainy no-prize for bringing us this Discovery Channel article detailing the creation of yet another "simulated brain". This time, scientists are using microprocessors linked together to create neuron-like functions. The primary innovation seems to be the removal of a clock... normal microprocessors need them, neurons don't. By creating microprocessors that don't, the scientists are hoping for a much more accurate model. Ultimately, it's hoped the device will allow a much more detailed look at how brains function.

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2006
Scanning the Past

BBCnews is carrying this update on the scanning of the Archimedes palimpsest:

Until now, the pages have remained obscured by paintings and texts laid down on top of the original writings.

Using a non-destructive technique known as X-ray fluorescence, the researchers are able to peer through these later additions to read the underlying text.

I seem to recall a Nova special on this book detailing the discovery of the technique, but not any of the text. Looks like they're progressing at the rate of a page or two a day (maybe less). But any progress on the writings of someone as important as Archimedes is fine by me!

Posted by scott at 02:16 PM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2006
The Trick is to Use Very Tiny Baseball Bats

New Scientist is reporting on the creation of "zombie" bacteria to create more effective and durable vaccines.

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2006
Wormy the Detector

New Scientist is carrying this report summarizing the development of a rather unique detection device. By gentically engineering nematode worms, scientists have created critters which can sense the presence of various sorts of chemicals. A sort of squirmy sniffer, if you will. The hope is to create more sensitive tests which can be run in less restrictive conditions.

Posted by scott at 12:44 PM eMail this entry!
New "Big Boy" Found

Fark linked up news that yet another giant sauropod has been found in South America:

Most impressive is a back vertebra that measures 3.48 feet (1.06 meters) tall and 5.51 feet (1.68 meters) wide, according to Fernando Novas. The paleontologist announced the find at the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences in Buenos Aires on July 21.

One of Olivia's first words was "dinosaur" (told you we were nerds!), so I'm sure she'd be fascinated by this thing. Now that she's a bit older, I think we'll probably take her down to the Natural History museum on the mall. Well, not now... it's like an Amazon jungle exhibit in downtown DC this time of year, and you can't swing a cat without hitting a tourist. Maybe November

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2006
Down in a Hole

Pat gets a no-prize with a bucket and rope attached for bringing us news of a new discovery in Jamestown VA. This time, it's an abandoned well in an "overlooked corner" of the park. When a well like this ran dry, it was used as a dump until it was forgotten or filled in. Dumps, as you may know, are perfect archeological sites, hence the excitement.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2006
Deja Vu Dissected

Slashdot linked up this BBCnews report on new research into the "Deja Vu" effect. By hypnotising research subjects and presenting them with specific objects and suggestions, researchers claim to have dissociated the part of the brain that recognizes things as familiar from the part that perceives them. The effect was reported by many subjects as feeling very much like deja vu.

Like nearly everyone else, I have something like that happen to me on occasion, but to me it feels like I've seen something before in a dream. The feeling is strong enough that sometimes I think I should log my dreams, if only to prove to myself that's really not what's happening. However, since none of these "flashback" have been of, say, the final scoreboard of the next superbowl or the race results of the next Kentucky Derby, the need hasn't been particularly pressing.

Posted by scott at 09:24 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2006
Bog Book

Making the rounds: A 1200 year-old book of psalms has been found by a construction worker in Ireland. "Dumb luck" doesn't even begin to describe the fortuitous circumstances behind the discovery, but it would appear the item is now well on its way to permanent preservation. It's also nice to read about co-operative land owner. Back when I worked for an archeology firm*, you were lucky if people would let you on their land at all.

----
* It's actually a reasonably active business. Any big public works project requires environmental impact studies, and archeology is always a part of that. It doesn't pay all that well, but smart and efficient people can pay the bills with it.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2006
Planetary Plumber's Crack

Also from BBCnews (yeah, I know, 3rd one, sue me), the birth of what could be a new ocean in Africa:

The largest tear in the Earth's crust seen in decades, if not centuries, could carve out a new ocean in Africa, according to satellite data.

Geologists say a crack that opened up last year may eventually reach the Red Sea, isolating much of Ethiopia and Eritrea from the rest of Africa.

Something tells me it'd take more than a big bucket of spackle to fix that crack.

Posted by scott at 03:28 PM eMail this entry!
Speaking of Tut's Glass

Pat gets a no-prize scattered to hell and gone for bringing us news of the discovery of an impact crater which could be the source for the previously linked King Tut's glass. Still no word on how old they think it all is. You'd think they'd include that as something important.

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
Starglass

Fark linked up this sort of "article and TV preview" of a new BBC documentary detailing the unraveling of yet another mystery surrounding Tutankhamun:

In 1996 in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Italian mineralogist Vincenzo de Michele spotted an unusual yellow-green gem in the middle of one of Tutankhamun's necklaces.

The jewel was tested and found to be glass, but intriguingly it is older than the earliest Egyptian civilisation.

Hopefully Discovery Channel will get to run this one over here.

Posted by scott at 09:50 AM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2006
Putting a "Nic" into Cancer

New Scientist is carrying this article describing a new development in how nicotine promotes cancer growth. While the effect has been known for some time, only now are scientists starting to figure out how it works, and what causes it. It's hoped the research will point the way to new and more effective cancer treatments.

Smoke up, Johnny!

Posted by scott at 09:39 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2006
Maybe They Should Call it "Saflinsulin"

Slashdot linked up news of a new way to make human insulin, this time from oil made by genetically altered safflower plants. The company in question, SemBioSys of Calgary Canada, claims the process will significantly increase supplies (and thereby decrease prices) for this important human hormone.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
Pterodelta

Fark linked up this Live Science summary of new developments regarding the wing shape of an ancient reptile. By using aerodynamic studies, these scientists believe the creature, 225 million year old Sharovipteryx mirabilis, used a "double delta" configuration with the primary flight surfaces attached to the rear legs. This makes it unique in the fossil record. The find also could have implication in the evolution of the pterasours, the other great flying reptile family.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2006
Germanic Genesis

BBCnews is carrying this report detailing new findings about the genetic makeup of modern Britons:

Scientists believe a small population of migrants from Germany, Holland and Denmark established a segregated society when they arrived in England.

The researchers think the incomers changed the local gene pool by using their economic advantage to out-breed the native population.

While the article doesn't mention it, I was immediately struck by the similarities of this argument to that of what may have caused the Neandertals' extinction. If you've got a long enough period of time, even a slight advantage accumulates into a significant difference.

Posted by scott at 12:24 PM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2006
The Island Rule

The island rule is used to help explain certain common evolutionary traits seen in competely separated environments. Two of the most common traits are dwarfism and gigantism. Now, we've got a scientist who's found a way to compare this with different ocean going populations - some separated from everything, some not.

The odd thing about this theory is that it's counterintuitive - if you started big an go to an area with less resources, you get smaller. If you started small and end up in the same area, you get big.

If you get to page two, you'll notice that there's another scientist disputing her claims - which will likely lead to a lovely little geek fight, complete with Star Trek references...

Posted by ron at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2006
Cue Cranberries music

Well, reanimation of a dog clinically dead for three hours has just happened. Seems that it has something to do with a very cold saline solution, electricity, and annoying animal rights activists.

Now, before I get jumped on for being a horrible person for supporting this, they apparently did comply with appropriate standards. Secondarily, this may allow human doctors, EMT's, and the like to actually save human lives by keeping them in suspended animation until they can get them into an ER.

Rejected headlines include

Paging Dr. Frankestein - please pick up the white courtesy phone.

Hmm reanimate a large carnivore. What possible good could come from this?

Cheesy 80's horror flick sues scientist for stealing their idea

Edit - via Fark

Posted by ron at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
One step closer to my mecha

Scientists have managed to implant a device that allows a paralyzed man's brain activity to move a robotic arm and play computer games. In terms of proving technology, this is just amazing. Who knows what refinement will bring.

Maybe it'll finally end up being that interface that will let me move the mecha just like it was my own body. Morning commute, my ass!

Posted by ron at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2006
HA!! Brown tide!!!

Well, it's not what you think. It's actually simlar to the red tide. Wait. That's not helping things. Okay - it's a nasty little plankton that manages to kill everything in it's path. Apparently, it's not as bad as it could have been as the commercial farming industry, but no one's saying for certain what the actual impact was.

Posted by ron at 04:38 PM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2006
Can Turtles Live Forever?

Congdon made a startling discovery: The oldest female Blanding's Turtles— more than 50 years old— had more egg clutches than younger ones, as well as more eggs per clutch. Not only that, they died at a lower rate too. "What did I do wrong?" Congdon remembers thinking to himself. "Did I make a mistake? Did I analyze it incorrectly?" He knew that adult turtles kept growing throughout their lives, and so he wondered whether the true variable might be body size rather than age. Once he ran the numbers again, controlling for body size, he was astonished to find that he got nearly identical results.

Long article, but it's interesting.

Posted by Ellen at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2006
Paging Steve Austin, White Courtesy Phone Please

BBCnews is carrying this report detailing new developments in prothesis research. By studying the way deer antler grows through skin without causing infection, scientists have developed a way to attach artificial limbs directly to the bones that will support them. This allows for a far better fitting, more effective replacement to be used. The technique has already been successfully used on fingers and toes, and scientists hope to begin trials on large limbs in the near future.

Posted by scott at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
Heart Repair 101

Slashdot linked up this Science Daily article detailing new discoveries about the role bone marrow stem cells play in repairing a human heart:

While it has long been known that bone marrow cells have the ability to clear the dead tissue after a heart attack, what has not been known until now is the critically important role of bone marrow adult stem cells in repairing a damaged heart, restoring its function and enhancing the growth of new blood vessels.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2006
Who Built The Ark?

A team of Texas archaeologists believe they may have located the remains of Noah's Ark in Iran's Elburz mountain range.

Didn't they try to crack this case years ago?

Posted by Ellen at 05:26 PM eMail this entry!
They hoped for Tut's mom, but tomb has no mummy

Archaeologists hoped the first tomb discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 80 years would hold the mummy of King Tut's mother. They opened the last of eight sarcophagi Wednesday, revealing no mummies but finding something almost as valuable: embalming materials and ancient woven flowers.

Check it Out!

Posted by Ellen at 05:18 PM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2006
Charlotte's [Ancient] Web

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing the discovery of the oldest fossilized spiderweb found to-date. Located in a chunk of fossilized amber found in Spain, the web is not complete but is intact enough to convince scientists it was a classic "orb" web. The find also includes some of the web's victims, all of whom met their demise some 110 million years ago.

Posted by scott at 12:29 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2006
Bead Bashing

Pat gets a very ancient no-prize for bringing us news of yet another "back-dating" of the development of human culture:

Archaeologists have discovered that 100,000-year-old shells found in Israel and Algeria were decorative beads. This suggests that modern human forms of behaviour, such as language, developed earlier than previously thought.

It's beginning to look more and more likely that the emergence of "modern" behaviors will in fact coincide with the emergence of modern anatomy. This is actually a Good Thing, because one of the great mysteries of human evolution was why it took around 160,000 years after the anatomy changed for modern culture to suddenly explode onto the scene.

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
Word of (Fish) Mouth

Fark linked up this interesting article describing how fish select their cleaners:

The researchers set up an experiment where client fish could observe two cleaners, one dutifully munching away at another client's parasites and another swimming freely near another client.

Taking the cleaner fishes' past performances into account, the clients chose the cooperative, hard-working fish significantly more often than the loafer.

So maybe our goldfish really aren't (yet more) self-propelled eating machines coming up with clever ways to widdle in our house. They may be smart self-propelled eating machines coming up with clever ways to widdle in our house.

Posted by scott at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2006
Bird Find

Been meaning to link this one up, but kept forgetting: scientists in China have discovered a large group of well-preserved fossil birds from the middle Cretaceous period. When combined with earlier bird finds from a different branch of the family tree, it appears to imply that birds split into two main types very early on, one adapted to land, the other to water. Later, perhaps due to the K-T impact, the land branch died out and the water branch moved back to land.

Posted by scott at 01:07 PM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2006
~ And No-one Can Talk to a Horse of Course ~

Ron gets a no-prize that'll whinny at him and beg for apples for bringing us news of a rather novel attempt at translation software:

The Equine Vocalization Project is compiling a database of horse talk and behavior in an attempt to correlate nuances in their whinnies with differences in their stress levels.

The information could help shed light on the communication styles of other equines, such as donkeys and zebras, and even improve how veterinarians, behaviorists, breeders or other animal handlers relate to horses.

According to The Economist, the whole field of translation software is very hot right now. Scientists seem very optimistic that within a decade devices that won't even need to be programmed will be able to accurately translate human languages just by listening to them. Pointing it at animals is merely the next step.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2006
Alzheimer News

Slashdot linked up this Forbes.com article detailing new developments in the effort to create a vaccine for Alzheimer's. By using techniques similar to those being used for Huntington's disease (discussed here), scientists in Japan have developed a vaccine which has proven very effective in mice. Clinical trials in primates are under way, and if things go well there and in subsequent human trials a drug could be brought to market in perhaps 7 years or so.

However, it's a big jump from mice to men, so scientists are still extremely cautious. The article also notes there are many other efforts underway to treat/cure/prevent the disease using a variety of different techniques.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2006
A Breed Apart

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing the latest attempt at retrieving DNA information from human fossils. Scientists were able to retrieve DNA from a 100,000 year-old Neandertal fossil, the oldest human DNA recovered to-date. The findings reveal Neandertals were more diverse earlier in their history, suggesting fluctuations in the population perhaps caused by disease or environmental change.

In other words, if I'm reading this right, one interpretation is that Neandertals suffered from some sort of disease or environmental change which caused a significant decrease in their numbers. They may have already been on their way out when we showed up.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2006
Tiny Dinos

I saw an announcement about the discovery of "miniature" dinosaurs in the Post on Wednesday, but didn't really understand the significance until I read this article about the same topic:

When unusually small dinosaur fossils were found in a quarry on the northern edge of the Harz Mountains in 1998, it was initially assumed that these were the remains of a group of young dinosaurs. This was a fallacy, as the Bonn palaeontologist, Dr. Martin Sander, recently discovered.

"Unusually small" in this case still means something as big as most cars, but when you're talking dinosaurs, that's definitely on the tiny side.

Interesting fact: According to Predatory Dinosaurs of the World, there are no dinosaurs (at least that we've found) smaller than a chicken. It seems mammals took over all the small land-based niches, and dinos took everything else.

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
From Such Humble Beginnings...

Ron gets a no-prize shaped like a dirt pile for bringing us news of the discovery of the oldest fossils yet found. They're only impressive when you realize how old they are:

Odd-shaped mounds of dirt in Australia turn out to be fossils of the oldest life on Earth, created by billions of microbes more than three billion years ago, scientists say in a new report.

The discovery not only helps scientists who study ancient life on Earth, but also those who are looking for signs of life on Mars.

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2006
Paging Jerry Lee Lewis, White Courtesy Phone Please

Slashdot linked up news that scientists have successfully created ball lightning in the laboratory. This time apparently much larger balls for much longer periods of time than other previous attempts.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2006
Huntington's Help

New Scientist is carrying this article on what could be a new treatment for at least some forms of Huntington's disease. However, I thought "meets its match" was a bit of a sensational headline when I read this, buried deep in the article:

So far the experiments have only been carried out in cultured cells, and Davidson, who is collaborating with Sirna Therapeutics, a firm based in San Francisco, US, warns that it may be several years before the therapy is ready for testing in people. “We need to be careful and do good science, but we’re very optimistic,” she says.

The RNAi process apparently is also showing signs of being useful in the fight against Alzheimer's.

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2006
Belly Full o' Bugs

The Washington Post yesterday carried this report on recent discoveries about what really makes our bodies tick:

In fact, it's time to stop thinking of yourself as a single living thing at all, say the scientists behind the new work. Better to see yourself as a "super-organism," they say: a hybrid creature consisting of about 10 percent human cells and 90 percent bacterial cells.

Sure, sure. Nature comes up with hundreds of different kinds of bacteria to do "noble" things like help you digest food and manufacture vitamins, but not a single one to do something useful like trickle ethanol into the bloodstream on demand. Priorties people! Ya gotta work on those priorities!

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2006
Big Rock, Fall from Sky

Pat gets a no-prize in the shape of an angry god's fist for bringing us news of the latest candidate for the cause of the Permian extinction:

An apparent crater as big as Ohio has been found in Antarctica. Scientists think it was carved by a space rock that caused the greatest mass extinction on Earth, 250 million years ago.

The crater, buried beneath a half-mile of ice and discovered by some serious airborne and satellite sleuthing, is more than twice as big as the one involved in the demise of the dinosaurs.

Even the scientists who discovered it think more evidence needs to be gathered, but so far this seems to be a much stronger candidate than any previous discovery.

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2006
Hobbit Update

The Washington Post today carried this article summarizing new discoveries about the Flores "hobbit people". This time, scientists claim to have discovered much older tools which closely resemble those found with the skeletal remains discovered last year. This is supposed to strengthen the claim that a) the hobbits made the tools and b) they've been on the island a long time.

Predictably, the usual suspects are completely unconvinced. They note the artifact's provenance (where it was found and what that means) is confused if not ruined outright, and so the tool find proves nothing.

More as it develops...

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
May 31, 2006
Ozone + Cholesterol = DED

Looks like that whole "fresh air and sunshine" crap may have something to it:

Numerous studies have linked heart disease and air pollution, particularly smog. Smog--a toxic brew of chemicals and molecules such as ozone--seems to exacerbate heart disease, leading to an increase in heart attacks and fatalities. But researchers have yet to discover the pathway by which smog impacts the cardiovascular system. Now a new study shows how ozone's byproducts in the body can harden arteries and cause heart disease.

Can't wait to see what sort of goofy gadgets this news brings out.

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2006
Heart Smarts

Slashdot linked up this New Scientist article which details a new discovery about the heart that could enable a whole new series of treatments for heart disease and injury:

A team of US researchers has discovered the “home” of stem cells in the heart, lending credence to the idea that the heart has the capacity to repair itself. The finding raises the possibility that these cardiac stem cells could one day be manipulated to rebuild tissues damaged by heart disease – still the leading cause of death in the US and UK.

Maybe one day they really will be able to give you a pill that helps you grow a new organ. Or at least repair one. Living science fiction!

Posted by scott at 10:45 AM eMail this entry!
May 25, 2006
Clone your Bone

Ron gets a stiff wooden no-prize for bringing us news of the creation of a functional artificial penis. Right now the technique is a proof-of-concept done using rabbits, but scientists are hopeful it can be applied to humans relatively easily. The ultimate goal is to create effective treatments for erectile disfunction caused by things like diabetes and infections. It's also quite possible the technique will lead to the ability to create other kinds of tissues like organ and nerve.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2006
The Twin Diet

Scientific American is carrying this article summarizing claims that the reason multiple births are on the rise is not related to in vitro techniques, but something else entirely:

Using data obtained from mothers by way of questionnaire, physician Gary Steinman of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and his colleagues compared the number of twin births from moms who consumed meat and/or milk and those who consumed no animal products at all. They found that the omnivores and vegetarians were five times more likely to have fraternal twins than the vegans.

That's right folks... it's what you eat, not who you are. The scientists think it's related to growth hormones used in agriculture. Personally, I'd like to see more studies to confirm this link before we all start doing Chicken Little impersonations and banning things left and right.

For once.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
It's the Anti-Veg

Slashdot linked up this BBCnews article detailing the discovery of a new potential treatment for patients in a "persistant vegitative state." By using a drug originally meant to combat insomnia, at least three people were temporarily "revived" to the point they could interact with family members and hold simple conversations. It's thought the drug somehow activates dormant areas of the brain, allowing them to compensate for other injured areas.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2006
Hobbit Update

BBCnews is carrying this article providing some updates on the Flores "hobbits". It would appear scientists are still hotly debating whether these strange creatures are a genuinely new species of hominid, or simply the remains of deformed moderns.

Since the pace of these debates is the classic journal-based trot of "is not", "is so", "is not", resolution will probably not come for many years.

Posted by scott at 01:22 PM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2006
Well I'll be a Monkey's Uncle

No, really:

Humans' evolutionary split from their closest relatives, chimpanzees, may have been more complicated, taken longer and probably occurred more recently than previously thought, scientists said on Wednesday.
...
The process of separation may have taken about 4 million years and there could have been some inter-breeding before the final break.

Has to do with X chromosome changes, and the estimated age of those changes. Weird!

Posted by scott at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2006
Maya Mysteries

Pat gets a no-prize with a maize god on it for bringing us this NYT piece on the discovery of what could be an entire new "epoch" of Mayan civilization:

The intriguing finds, including art masterpieces and the earliest known Maya writing, are overturning old ideas of the Preclassic period. It was not a kind of dark age, as once thought, of a culture that emerged and bloomed in Classic times, at places like the spectacular royal ruin at Palenque beginning about A.D. 250 and extending to its mysterious collapse around 900.

Unfortunately there's not enough writing for them to even begin trying to decipher it, but it's hoped other digs in nearby sites will reveal more examples with which to work.

Posted by scott at 08:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2006
Magnetic Flip Time

Slashdot linked up this New Scientist article detailing new evidence for an upcoming magnetic field "flip":

By sifting through ships’ logs recorded by Cook and other mariners dating back to 1590, researchers have greatly extended the period over which the behaviour of the magnetic field can be studied. The data show that the current decline in Earth's magnetism was virtually negligible before 1860, but has accelerated since then.

The trend seems to indicate a total flip in perhaps 2000 years or so. During that time, the Northern lights will be visible across the whole planet and solar radiation will be "much more intense" at the surface. So ya better stock up on sunscreen, ya hear?

Personally, I blame Condi Rice.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2006
Feed the Trees

So maybe we're not to blame after all:

New findings suggest that an ongoing, epic whodunit may actually be a whatdunit. That is, climate change, not humans, may be what killed off Ice Age mammoths, horses, and other large animals in North America.
...
The upstart forests [which grew as a result of climate change] transferred the landscape's nutrients to the treetops, out of the reach of large mammals. Elks and bison, it seems, adapted better to the new landscape than mammoths and horses.

15,000 BC or no, I blame Karl Rove.

Posted by scott at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2006
Who You Callin' Uncivilized?

Terry Jones of Monty Python fame appears to have a new book coming out, and The Times Online has an interesting excerpt:

The unique feature of Rome was not its arts or its science or its philosophical culture, not its attachment to law. The unique feature of Rome was that it had the world’s first professional army. Normal societies consisted of farmers, hunters, craftsmen and traders. When they needed to fight they relied not on training or on standardised weapons, but on psyching themselves up to acts of individual heroism.

Seen through the eyes of people who possessed trained soldiers to fight for them, they were easily portrayed as simple savages. But that was far from the truth.

See Ellen! My ancestors weren't just a bunch of naked loons who painted themselves blue and danced around like maniacs! We had culture.

Posted by scott at 10:18 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2006
Something Tells Me the Exhaust from This Won't Smell Like French Fries

Peak oil? What peak oil?

A New Zealand company has successfully turned sewage into modern-day gold.

Marlborough-based Aquaflow Bionomic yesterday announced it had produced its first sample of bio-diesel fuel from algae in sewage ponds.

Not much of a sample, but you have to start somewhere. Now, if everyone cracked down on those "greedy" oil companies and made sure they never made too much profit (while ignoring any losses), how far do you think something like this would've gotten?

Ah why do I even bother. Most of you still tell stories about 100-mpg carburetors and think the only reason we don't have solar energy is because you can't put a meter on the Sun. Foil hats on the left as you leave, please.

Posted by scott at 01:39 PM eMail this entry!
But Does it Make that "BEEP BEEP BEEP" Noise?

Slashdot linked up news that scientists have figured out how to make light so fast it travels in reverse. I tried to read the article, but half way through my head asploded. Those with harder noggins (i.e. Ron, Joshua, Pat, Tat, &c.) will have to give it a read and see if it makes more sense to them.

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2006
Plankton Predictor

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing the discovery that plankton "blooms" seem to precede most major earthquakes. The discovery could lead to important advances in earthquake prediction in costal areas.

Posted by scott at 12:34 PM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2006
Name that Dolphin

Slashdot linked up news that dolphins apparently call each other by name:

Bottlenose dolphins can call each other by name when they whistle, making them the only animals besides humans known to recognize such identity information, scientists reported on Monday.

Since Dolphins are also famous for being so horny the crack of dawn isn't safe (another thing they share with humans), I imagine the conversations are along the lines of "fish and f*ck". Sort of like an angler's tournament, but with fins.

Posted by scott at 04:36 PM eMail this entry!
Supermouse

Slashdot linked up this Science Daily article detailing the discovery that immune system cells taken from a breed of highly cancer-resistant mice have been shown to combat cancers in "normal" mice. The research is hoped to eventually lead to a new method of cancer treatment in humans.

Posted by scott at 09:15 AM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2006
Jelly Gun

New Scientist is reporting scientists have for the first time filmed a jelly fish's stinger in action. It moves with the speed and force of a bullet, using an elaborate "spring-and-trap-door" mechanism so small and fast it required a special camera to film it.

Posted by scott at 01:39 PM eMail this entry!
One Step Closer to Anime Reality

First, gigantic self-propelled robot elephants, now this:

Robotic "tentacles" that can grasp and grapple with a wide variety of objects have been developed by US researchers.

Most robots rely on mechanical gripping jaws that have difficulty grabbing large or irregularly shaped objects. Replacing these with tentacle-like manipulators could make robots more nimble and flexible, say the scientists.

Includes video!

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2006
A World without Time

Anything that claims to de-bunk Noam Chomsky is at least worth a look:

More than 25 years ago, Professor Everett, then a missionary and now an ethnologist at the University of Manchester, decided to try to teach members of the obscure Pirahã tribe how to count. He would not succeed. Instead, he found a world without numbers, without time, one where people appeared to hum and whistle rather than speak.

This isolated tribe of some 350 people in tiny villages in the depths of the Brazilian jungle could turn our understanding of language on its head and disprove the main work of one of the world's most celebrated intellectuals, Noam Chomsky.

Cultural anthropology, like pretty much all "classic" fields of scientific academia, is as much about political bloodsport as it is real research. A bomb this big thrown this hard will reverberate for quite some time before the dust settles and we really learn anything. The fact that this guy's been studying the Pirahã for, what, thirty years and only now seems to be reaching the popular press speaks volumes about how long a new idea has to fight in the knife-scraped alleyways of academic journals to see the light of day.

Eventually they do, although it typically takes a really sharp journalist or TV producer to popularize things to the point that non-professionals start to take notice.

Posted by scott at 03:13 PM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2006
It's A Boy!

AN ANCIENT riddle of the sands has been solved by modern hospital technology. The mummified remains of King Tutankhamun have been found to be, let us say, intact.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 08:33 PM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2006
Trek Tech Talk

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing a new advancement in cloaking technology. Yeah, you heard me, cloaking technology. Turns out it might be possible to create a gizmo that makes things invisible, using a "superlens" made out of newly discovered materials. So far the scientists are only talking about making a bit of dust invisible but hey, you gotta start somewhere.

Will women's locker rooms ever be the same again?

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2006
Pyramid Power

Making the rounds: Scientists have discovered what could be an ancient pyramid far larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza. The really interesting part is where it's located:

Researchers in Bosnia on Wednesday unearthed the first solid evidence that an ancient pyramid lies hidden beneath a massive hill — a series of geometrically cut stone slabs that could form part of the structure's sloping surface.

So far I haven't found any word on who might've built them, or when. Maybe when the Discovery documentary comes out they'll have it all figured out.

Posted by scott at 09:10 AM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2006
Personally, I do this all the Time

(Self medicate, that is...)

It would appear domistication hasn't bred out all the smarts of your garden variety sheep:

In anecdotal reports, primates have been observed engaging in self-medication by selecting a specific plant when something has made them ill. Now biologists at Utah State University, Logan, have run experiments that show sheep choosing the right drug to cure an illness.

Seems like a "well DUH!!!" sort of experiment to me, but you never can tell what goofy result will lead you down a whole new path of discovery. Follow that sheep!

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2006
Deep Dino

Slashdot linked up news of the "world's deepest" dinosaur:

While most nations excavate their skeletons using a toothbrush, the Norwegians found one using a drill. The somewhat rough uncovering of Norway's first dinosaur happened in the North Sea, at an entire 2256 metres below the seabed. It had been there for nearly 200 million years, ever since the time the North Sea wasn't a sea at all, but an enormous alluvial plane.

Which brings up a rather interesting point about paleontology. We don't necessarily find, say, dinos mostly in the North American west and hominids in east-central Africa because that's where they lived. We sometimes find them there because that's where the geologic deposits laid down when they lived are exposed to the surface.

In other words, critter A may be rare in the fossil record because critter A was rare. But it may also be that critter A is rare in the fossil record because, while you couldn't swing a dead trilobite without hitting one in swampy marsh A, the only place you can actually dig around in is the remains of swampy marsh C, where they were relatively rare.

In some cases this is not a big hairy deal. Rocks from, say, the Jurassic are eroding out in several different places all over the planet, so it's possible to get a decent sense of populations densities for the various dinos we've discovered so far.

Not so, unfortunately, for other time periods. The one I most remember from college was the Miocene, important to us anthropology undergrads because that's when apes evolved. Miocene apes are quite rare in the fossil record. This might be because there just weren't all that many of them. However, the only deposits accessible which have ever had any Miocene apes in them are eroding out of the Himalayas, an area which isn't particularly close to the Euro-African forests in which they are presumed to have evolved.

So, were they genuinely rare, or are we just not able to look in the right place? Could there be thousands of undiscovered fossils, perfectly preserved, thousands of feet underground, all over the planet?

Probably. Got a shovel?

Posted by scott at 02:32 PM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2006
Evolving the First "R"

So do we teach ourselves to read, or did we evolve the ability to read? This intriguing question recently received a new look courtesy of some French neurologists:

More than a century ago, a French neurologist suggested that a specific region of the brain processes the visual images of words. Without it, he postulated, people cannot read except by laboriously recognizing letter after letter, rather than whole words. Yet humans have only been able to read for several thousand years--perhaps not enough time for such a trait to evolve, some scientists have argued. New research, however, supports the idea that reading does rely on a localized set of neurons.

While the discovery seems to confirm a certain area of the brain is critical for reading comprehension, just exactly how that region evolved is still not clear.

Posted by scott at 03:07 PM eMail this entry!
The Big [Antarctic] Chill

BBCnews is carrying this report on new discoveries about the date when Antarctica started to change from a temperate forested region to a frozen wasteland:

The gateway between the Atlantic and Pacific at the bottom of the globe opened up 41 million years ago, according to a study of old fish teeth.

The research in Science pushes back the date of the forging of Drake Passage to twice as long ago as once thought.

Kinda fun to think about what would happen if we undertook some sort of megaproject to close the thing back up and turn the continent back to forests again. It'd almost be worth it just to watch all the greenies's heads explode.

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2006
Super Rock

Pat gets a hard & heavy no-prize for bringing us a very... solid... discovery:

t's not quite the center of the Earth, but scientists have drilled nearly a mile into the planet's ocean crust, retrieving samples from the pristine layer of igneous rock for the first time.

Scientists onboard the drilling ship JOIDES Resolution in the Pacific Ocean, about 500 miles west of Costa Rica, bored into the planet's crust and recovered black rocks called gabbro from intact crust.

They also recovered a complete stratigraphic sequence for that section of ocea floor. The discovery should lead the way to a greater understanding of a variety of geological processes.

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2006
~ Just remember the Antarctic River Valley / And the penguin who loved you so true ~

Slashdot linked up news that those famously isolated antarctic lakes may not be all that isolated after all:

In a Letter to Nature [scientists] report that rivers the size of the Thames have been discovered which are moving water hundreds of miles under the ice. The finding challenges the widely held assumption that the lakes evolved in isolated conditions for several millions years and thus may support microbial life that has evolved 'independently'.

Somewhere out there I'm sure a guy with a kayak has just had a dream.

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
Bring Out Your Dead!

LOS ANGELES -- A woman from the Country Club Park area contracted a case of bubonic plague, the first human case in Los Angeles County since 1984, county health officials said Tuesday.

Read entire itchy, flea-infested goodness here.

Posted by Ellen at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
April 18, 2006
Stomp and Chomp

Pat gets a bellowing no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a new dinosaur predator. This one's bigger than ol' T. rex, although perhaps a bit lighter in build. The interesting bit is, it would seem these may have hunted in packs:

The discovery, along with other recent ones in Canada, Mongolia and the United States, appeared to support an emerging interpretation of the hunting behavior of predatory dinosaurs. Instead of being solitary hunters, as once thought, they may have operated in groups.
Posted by scott at 04:01 PM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2006
Practical Science

All of the benefits, none of the nasty side-effects. Sort of like a fundamental Miller Light:

Synthehol is a science-fictional substitute for alcohol that appears on the Star Trek:The Next Generation television series. It allows drinkers to experience all of the enjoyable, intoxicating effects of alcohol without unpleasant side-effects like hangovers.

And cirrhosis and perhaps other deadly by-products. Aside from the "what-could-possibly-go-wrong" suspicion that acommpanies any propeller-head getting busy with mind-altering chemicals, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2006
Gap Filler

Also from BBCnews, this article detailing the discovery of another new proto-hominid fossil:

Fossil hunters have found remains of a probable direct ancestor of humans that lived more than four million years ago.

The specimens of this ancient creature are helping bridge a long gap during a crucial phase of human evolution.

This one actually includes a smattering of post-cranial remains, which are damned rare in hominid fossil finds. It seems we have a fairly complete sequence going back to within a million years of the homind-chimp split, a time well before savannah took over central Africa.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
April 10, 2006
Well, that'd be One Way to Solve the Immigration Problem

From certain parts of South America at any rate:

Geologists have uncovered a whole herd of supervolcanoes hidden in the remote Argentina-Bolivia-Chile highlands. One that's been getting a closer look by Argentine geologists may have matched or exceeded the explosive fury and pyroclastic volume of the Yellowstone eruptions.

Ron gets a potentially earth-shattering no-prize for bringing us the latest in the fascinating realm of super volcanoes.

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
Zapping the Pounds Away

Fark linked up this article detailing the invention of a "fat laser":

A technique developed by American scientists could lead to fat-related conditions, including arterial heart disease, being melted away by high-intensity beams
...
A team of researchers have used a machine called a free-electron laser (FEL), which can produce very specific beams, to heat and break down fat without damaging other body tissue.

Having heart disease on both sides of my family, anything that helps prevent clogged arteries is just fine by me.

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2006
Nano Bone

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing a new discovery in stem cell research. By creating a substrate with a special nano-scale pattern, and nothing else, scientists were able to get bone marrow stem cells to transform into bone cells themselves. The hope is this discovery could lead to new techniques in the creation of various kinds of surgical implants.

No more parts by Mattel, no more funny looks from the TSA before you get on a plane. Sounds like a plan to me!

Posted by scott at 01:15 PM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2006
Fish Find

New Scientist is carrying this report summarizing the discovery of a remarkable new fossil. After years of searching, scientists have discovered the first complete creature from the time when animals were making the transition from water to land. Includes picture!

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
April 04, 2006
Roach Republic

Slashdot linked up this Discovery New article detailing new discoveries in insect behavior. It would appear cockroaches, and perhaps other higher-order creatures, make group decisions via a simple sort of democracy. No, really!

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2006
Healthy Hogs

Pork, it's the other healthy meat:

In 2004 scientists created mice that transformed unhealthy omega-6 fatty acids into beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. They did this by transplanting a gene from the roundworm C. elegans into mice, thus raising the possibility of genetically engineering livestock with higher levels of the good fat. Now a team of researchers has realized that vision, creating several healthy pigs with meat rich in omega-3s.

The ultimate goal appears to be creating people who have more healthy fat in them than the current "stock" variety. Pass the pork chop!

Posted by scott at 12:37 PM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2006
Green Bang

New Scientist is carrying this article describing new progress in the quest for a "greener" explosive. Today's explosives all use lead-based primers, which are toxic enough to cause people who regularly work around them to have measurably elevated levels of the substance in their bloodstream. By using a chemical called nitrotetrazole, scientists have created what could potentially be a non-toxic substitute which may even be safer to store than existing explosives.

While it's almost certainly not cheaper per pound, when you factor in all the hidden costs of safety and health, it'll probably end up being less expensive in the long run. See! Sometimes environmentalism and economics can co-exist!

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2006
Old Cousins

Pat gets an ancient no-prize for bringing us news of another significant hominid fossil disovery in the Afar:

The hominid cranium — found in two pieces and believed to be between 500,000 and 250,000 years old — "comes from a very significant period and is very close to the appearance of the anatomically modern human," said Sileshi Semaw, director of the Gona Paleoanthropological Research Project in Ethiopia.

Normally "cranium" implies just the dome of the skull, but the article goes on to imply they also have bits of the face as well.

Posted by scott at 01:08 PM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2006
Granite Growth

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing a novel idea explaining the existence of continents. According to the theory, life itself created them, because photosynthetic organisms changed the way rocks weathered on the ancient Earth, allowing granite to form and then "float" to the surface, forming the continents. The idea is innovative but so far is not well-supported with evidence. Time to start chipping rocks.

Posted by scott at 09:59 AM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2006
More Tales of Brave Ulysses

Fark linked up this article detailing the discovery of an ancient sarcophagus with some unique decoration:

Nicosia, Cyprus - A 2,500-year-old stone coffin with well-preserved color illustrations from Homer's epics has been discovered in western Cyprus, archaeologists said Monday.

For triangulation, 500 BC is around the time of the Persian wars, early in the "classical" period (as I understand it).

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2006
Bone Ice

Wired is carrying this article detailing a new advance in materials science. By using the physics of ice formation, scientists have managed to duplicate super-strong natural materials such as bone and mollusc shell. It is hoped the technology can be used to create better artificial bone implants, which to-date have been too weak and brittle for many useful applications.

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2006
Chili Time

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing new research in prostate cancer treatment. By using concentrated capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers taste "hot", scientists were able to trigger "programmed cell death" in human prostate cancer cells implanted in mice. The research provides potential pathways for developing new treatments in post-operative cancer patients to ensure cancer does not return.

Don't start rushing out to buy jalapenoes just yet though... according to the article, "A 200-pound (90-kilogram) person would have to eat about 10 fresh habañera peppers – one of the hottest chillies around – per week to consume an amount of capsaicin equivalent to the levels received by Koeffler’s mice."

Ouch!

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2006
Noah's Nikon?

Space.com is carrying this update on efforts to resolve the "Ararat anomaly:

Images taken by aircraft, intelligence-gathering satellites and commercial remote-sensing spacecraft are fueling an intensive study of the intriguing oddity. But whether the anomaly is some geological quirk of nature, playful shadows, a human-made structure of some sort, or simply nothing at all—that remains to be seen.

The effort to find out is being spearheaded by an associate professor in paralegal studies at the University of Richmond's School of Continuing Studies in Virginia, who seems, from quotes in the article at least, to be reasonably rational. Then again, questing for more than a decade to figure out if a somewhat distinctive collection of rocks is something else tends to make me wonder.

Maybe that's where the aliens are hiding?

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2006
Squirrel-Shaped Rat?

Making the rounds: scientists have discovered a species of rat belonging to a mammalian family thought long extinct. While such "methusela" species have been found before, they're quite rare among mammals. Apparently the locals have been eating them for years.

Posted by scott at 01:15 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2006
Ships Ahoy!

National Geographic is carrying news of the discovery of the oldest ocean-going vessels found to-date. Estimated to be about 4,000 years old, these Egyptian vessels resembled scaled up versions of Nile riverboats. They were built in pieces and then hauled across the desert to be assembled at a temporary Red Sea port. It's thought they made voyages as long as 1000 miles, but most likely followed coasts instead of striking out over open water.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2006
The Abominable Snow Crab

No, really, the abominable snow crab:

Marine biologists have discovered a crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster or crab covered in what looks like silky fur.

A US-led team found the animal last year in waters 2,300m (7,540ft) deep at a site 1,500km (900 miles) south of Easter Island, an expert has claimed.
...
The "Yeti Crab", as it has been dubbed, is white and 15cm (5.9in) long, according to Michel Segonzac of the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer).

Coming to a Red Lobster near you!

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
~ Turn and Face the Strange / Ch-ch-changes ~

Slashdot linked up this NYTimes article detailing a new discovery in human evolution:

Providing the strongest evidence yet that humans are still evolving, researchers have detected some 700 regions of the human genome where genes appear to have been reshaped by natural selection, a principal force of evolution, within the last 5,000 to 15,000 years.

While new to these researchers and the NYT, we were discussing such adaptations in my physical anthropology undergrad classes back in the late '80s. The funnest one to talk about, which is not actually discussed in the article, is tooth evolution.

Our meat-and-berry eating ancestors actually started to lose a whole unneeded tooth, which is why wisdom teeth come in irregularly and sometimes not at all. However agriculture, with its stone-ground staples, required a massive buildup of tooth enamel*. The two responses to this problem we studied were shovel-shaped incisors (as I recall, exclusively found with native Americans) and Carabelli's cusp, found only in European populations. Both add valuable surface area to teeth, letting them be used longer in chewing.

So, next time you're chewing gum flatten it out and bite down with your incisors. If you see any "wings" (think a staple set on its side) on the ends, you most likely have an Indian somewhere in your ancestry. If you feel a funny nub or spike-like projection on the inside of your upper second molar, you may also have a German, Brit, or Czech in the woodpile as well.

Ain't science fun?

----
* Because there was no way to keep bits of stone from being included into whatever was being ground, products made from milling acted like, well, grinding stones on teeth. It's not uncommon to find skeletons from agricultural societies with teeth ground all the way down into the dentin. Significant erosion, as I recall, could ocurr as early as the mid-20s. Considering the pain from a small cavity, it is left as an exercise for the reader to imagine the feeling of a mouth full of teeth with their tops completely worn off.

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2006
Quad Walk

Pat and Joshua share a no-prize for bringing us, at almost the same time, news of the discovery of "quadrupedal" humans:

The discovery of a Turkish family that walks on all fours could aid research into the evolution of humans.
...
The siblings, the subject of a new BBC documentary to be aired on March 17, suffer from a genetic abnormality that may prevent them from walking upright.

Instead, they use their palms like heels with their fingers sticking up from the ground.

I'm a wee bit suspicious of the whole thing... humans are rigged up pretty strongly for bipedalism, making us worse than useless at knuckle-walking, let alone pure quadrapedalism. Then again, if it does check out, it would be very interesting to see what sort of modifications they do have to their skeletons. While they seem rigid, over very long periods of time bone can be extremely plastic, allowing substantial modification in detail to most parts of the body.

"Substantial", but not that substantial. Very curious...

Posted by scott at 12:55 PM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2006
Paging Peter Gabriel, White Courtesy Phone Please

Slashdot linked up an article that describes the potential discovery of an honest-to-god ET life-form:

There is a small bottle containing a red fluid on a shelf in Sheffield University's microbiology laboratory. The liquid looks cloudy and uninteresting. Yet, if one group of scientists is correct, the phial contains the first samples of extraterrestrial life isolated by researchers.

Independent research has confirmed whatever was in the rain, it wasn't terrestrial dust. Hardly anyone at this time seems to accept that the phial is filled with tiny bug-eyed monsters, but with samples available it seems only a matter of time until some firm conclusion is reached.

To think all this time all those chicken littles could've been right after all...

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2006
Death's Own Blanket

Pat gets a no-prize buried in ash for bringing us news of the discovery of an entire village buried in volcanic ash:

The remains of a village and its inhabitants, destroyed by a volcano nearly 200 years ago, have been uncovered under 10 feet of volcanic ash on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa.
...
Radar images from below the surface at the site indicate that an entire village, including a central palace, is there...

Well, one can at least hope it was quick.

Posted by scott at 01:27 PM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2006
Ape Altruism Reveals Rewards

New Scientist is carrying this update on two new studies of chimp behavior that reveal co-operation and altruism may have origins very far in our distant past. One experiment requires the chimps to co-operate in retrieving food out of reach to just one, while the other studies how juvenile chimps helped lab workers even when there was no expectation of a reward.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2006
Patching Depression

New Scientist today carried news of the first approved drug patch for treatment of depression. Best news is people who use the particular drug in small doses will now no longer have dietary restrictions. Hopefully we'll see more of these in the future.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2006
~ Knock Three Times ~

Slashdot linked up this interesting innovation in lock technology. By using "knock codes" generated by a special keyring device placed against a door, this company has eliminated the need for a keyhole in the lock, potentially making it stronger and far more resistant to picking.

Humans being what they are, to me it sounds more like a great opportunity to lose ALL your keys at once.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2006
Magic Motion

Just when you thought engineering couldn't get more fantastic, they come up with stuff like surgical tools that move along with a beating heart:

Surgeons may soon be able to operate on a beating heart. Motion compensation software that synchronises the movement of robotic surgical tools with that of the heart will make it possible to operate without stopping or even slowing the heart down. The software, developed by George Mylonas at Imperial College London (ICL), has been designed for use with a type of surgical robot called da Vinci to perform procedures such as arterial bypass surgery.

A-f'ing-mazing.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2006
That's Mister Chicken Little to You, Bub

Ron gets a surprisingly toothy no-prize for bringing us news of a rather unexpected development in chicken research:

Chickens born with a mutated gene associated with tooth development were coaxed by researchers into growing functioning teeth, according to a paper published in this week's Current Biology.

Chomp!!!

Posted by scott at 12:44 PM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2006
This Is Why...

Your veterinary office says it's important to deworm your pet twice per year! You end up with stuff like this.

Ascaris worms are also found in household pets that tend to go outside.

Posted by Ellen at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2006
Counting Games

BBCnews linked up this report detailing a new discovery in infant cognative development. By using video tape and speakers, scientists were able to determine that infants as young as 7 months were able to correlate the number of people they saw with the number of voices they could hear. This information, the scientists say, has implications for early childhood teaching, as well as how all non-verbal animals represent numbers.

Posted by scott at 12:16 PM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2006
Monster

Pity poor T. Rex. What was once the biggest, meanest critter to ever walk the earth was reduced to second place with the discovery of Gigantosaurus. Now, it's even worse:

The biggest, and possibly the baddest predatory dinosaur of them all was not the fabled Tyrannosaurus rex, or even its slightly larger rival Gigantosaurus, but a long-jawed, sail-backed creature called Spinosaurus.

An examination of some newly obtained fossils shows that Spinosaurus stretched an impressive 17 metres from nose to tail, dwarfing its meat-eating relatives. As well as being longer than its rivals, Spinosaurus also had stronger arms with which to catch its prey, unlike the puny-armed T. rex and its ilk.

Of course, they're basing this conclusion on some very fragmentary evidence, so it remains to be seen if new discoveries support it. If they ever make them, that is.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2006
More Tomb Time

Pat gets a dusty old no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of an intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Not much is known right now (seems they're waiting for a formal announcement tomorrow), but from the article it would seem this is not another Tut-style discovery.

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2006
Don't Mess with Grandpa

Because if he's anything like his kids:

The forefather of the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex has been discovered, scientists report.

The 160 million-year-old fossil is the oldest tyrannosaur ever found.

Hell he's even wearing a goofy hat. If they find a tiny motorbike anywhere nearby I'm going to get seriously freaked out.

Posted by scott at 01:59 PM eMail this entry!
If This Would Work on Litterboxes, it'd Be Gold

Slashdot linked up news that engineers are working on a self-cleaning and self-sterilizing bathroom. They're using the same stuff that is used to create self-cleaning windows, but coating things like commodes with it instead of glass. The main stumbling block? Getting the reaction to work using regular indoor lighting instead of sunlight. Assuming they can get around that, expect to see products in the next 3-5 years.

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2006
Diver Down

In yet another entry in the "it is! It isn't! It is! It isn't" saga of global warming, we have this New Scientist article:

Antarctic krill appear to feed at the surface of the ocean and “parachute” down to deep waters more often than previously thought, a new study reveals, suggesting they take a bigger bite out of the carbon that contributes to global warming.

They're small, but there are a lot of them, so the carbon they're... umm... "depositing" comes out to (according to the article) about the same amount that 35 million cars emit in a year. Busy little critters, I'll give them that.

Posted by scott at 10:24 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2006
Simulating Stradivarius

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing new efforts at duplicating what are widely considered to be the finest violins ever made. By using computer modeling and analysis, a Swedish team thinks they can create a replica Stradivarius violin that is indistinguishable from the original. Since nobody's quite sure how Stradivarius did what he did, it's possible they might succeed.

Then again, considering that music appreciation is sometimes as much about politics and perception as it is about science and craft, there's a very good chance they won't.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2006
Clay: The Play-dough of Life?

New Scientist is carrying this report on a new theory about what caused the early Earth's atmosphere to gain so much oxygen. The secret? Clay. Apparently the stuff traps organic matter that would normally fix-out oxygen and bury it in the crust, thereby allowing an increase.

I think. Even other scientists aren't sure about this. Never stopped me before though!

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2006
It's now Official

Blogging is for the birds:

Got your own blog yet? If not you'd better hurry up if you don't want to be beaten to it by a flock of pigeons. Later this year 20 of the birds will take to the skies above San Jose, California, each carrying a GPS receiver, air pollution sensors and a basic cellphone. They will measure levels of pollutants they encounter, and beam back their findings as text messages to a blog in real time.

Jumped the shark? Oh hell, how about flown the coop?

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2006
Study busts pregnant and happy myth

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Pregnant women who stop taking antidepressants run a high risk of slipping back into depression, a study found, busting the myth that the surge of hormones during pregnancy keeps mothers-to-be happy and glowing.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 08:38 AM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2006
The Waistline Virus?

Scientific American is carrying this article summarizing recent discoveries in how viruses can cause obesity. Yep, viruses.

Hey, if someone told me twenty years ago that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria, I wouldn't have believed them either. Ya just never know...

Posted by scott at 01:59 PM eMail this entry!
But Can They Carry Coconuts?

While not exactly pigs, snails flying are still rather interesting:

Somehow, the animal kingdom's least-likely island-hopping creatures — land snails — have managed to jump from Europe to the Azores, then leap 6,000 miles of snail-dissolving ocean to the isolated Tristan da Cunha island group, deep in the South Atlantic.
...
There have been wind tunnel studies of how far juvenile snails from Greek Islands can blow in the wind. It has been calculated that small snails can be blown more than 10 miles.

"In the Pacific we have even tinier snails," said [University of Hawaii snail researcher Robert Cowie]. "What's more, most of them live in trees, where they could conceivably be caught on a freed leaf during a hurricane and carried for thousands of miles.

Whodathunkit?

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2006
Super squid surfaces in Antarctic

"We'd like to give this animal the name colossal squid in order to have a common name for it as opposed to just the scientific name," said Kat Bolstad, research associate at Auckland University of Technology.

"We feel that colossal conveys both the size and the aggressiveness of the animal.

"This animal, armed as it is with the hooks and the beak that it has, not only is colossal in size but is going to be a phenomenal predator and something you are not going to want to meet in the water."

Read article here.

Posted by Ellen at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2006
George "Jet"-son

Remember that whole "where is George?" site? You know, the one where you enter the serial number of a dollar bill and find out where it's been? Turns out it's actually useful for something:

Dirk Brockmann and colleagues used an online project called www.wheresgeorge.com (George Washington's image is on the $1 bill) to track the movements of dollar bills by serial number. Visitors to the site enter the serial number of banknotes in their possession and can see where else the note may have been.

The team tracked 464,670 dollar bills across the US using 1,033,095 individual reports. The fact the notes are carried by people suggests it is a good way of modelling other things that people may carry, including disease.

Mine are very easy to track, describing the shortest possible path from my wallet to Ellen's purse. Unless she wants to give me some lunch money, that is.

Posted by scott at 02:40 PM eMail this entry!
Cemetery Study

Fark linked up this article detailing the discovery of a large medieval cemetary found in central England. With more than 1300 bodies to study, the find should yield a great deal of information about how these people really lived.

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2006
Crazy Rats

New Scientist is carrying this report discussing new discoveries related to toxoplasmosis, cats, rats, and human schizophrenia:

Antipsychotic drugs can limit the behavioural abnormalities associated with a parasitic infection called toxoplasmosis in some rats – the condition causes them to become “suicidally” attracted to cats. The findings provide insight into a possible cause of schizophrenia, say the researchers behind the new study.

While the article's author does throw in a reference to everyone's favorite cat-blamer E. Fuller Torrey, the authors of the study take pains to point out in no way are they trying to implicate toxo infections as a cause of schizophrenia. From the article, it would appear more likely that the toxo parasite perhaps does something that manipulates at least some of the same brain areas, causing a disease which is quite similar. A subtle difference, but quite important for future research.

Plus the whole concept of a parasite that tricks its host into becoming attracted to a specific kind of predator just to complete its life cycle is just amazing. Sounds like something out of a Star Trek episode.

Posted by scott at 12:12 PM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2006
Bambi, Bambi / Quite so Handy / How do Your Antlers Grow?

In the "don't laugh at goofy research, you never know where it may lead" category, we have scientists trying to figure out why deer antlers grow. Sound stupid? Let's re-phrase it: scientists are trying to figure out how to re-grow body parts, and the deer is the only mammal in the world that does it once a year for its entire life.

Not so stupid now, eh?

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
Levitation Time

Me, I think I'll let someone else take the first ride or three:

The world's first elevators controlled by magnetic levitation will debut as early as 2008, a Tokyo-based company said Tuesday.

Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp. will employ so-called maglev technology -- capable of suspending objects in mid-air through the combination of magnetic attraction and repulsion -- to control the lifts, it said in a statement.

Regular mechanical elevators have several different safety interlocks to prevent a fall. I'm quite interested in what sort of failsafe mechanisms are installed on this system, which on the face of it requires electricity to work at all.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2006
King's Chromosomes Create Kahn Commonality

Fark linked up this MSNBC article detailing a new genetic study which links as many as one in twelve Irish men with a single fifth-century Irish king. An Irish king, it should be noted, who up until now was thought to be essentially nothing but a legend.

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
A Push-up Per Day...

... helps keep the crazies at bay:

Regular exercise may reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly by as much as 40%, according to a new study. And the effect is even more pronounced for those who are more frail, say the researchers.

The US team, at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, studied a group of 1740 people aged 65 or over, all of whom began the study with good cognitive function.

So don't just sit there, exercise! :)

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2006
Hyperspace Potential

New Scientist (via The Scotsman) is reporting the government seems to be working with scientists to create something that sounds like it belongs in an SF novel:

The hypothetical device, which has been outlined in principle but is based on a controversial theory about the fabric of the universe, could potentially allow a spacecraft to travel to Mars in three hours and journey to a star 11 light years away in just 80 days, according to a report in today's New Scientist magazine.

The theoretical engine works by creating an intense magnetic field that, according to ideas first developed by the late scientist Burkhard Heim in the 1950s, would produce a gravitational field and result in thrust for a spacecraft.

Also, if a large enough magnetic field was created, the craft would slip into a different dimension, where the speed of light is faster, allowing incredible speeds to be reached. Switching off the magnetic field would result in the engine reappearing in our current dimension.

"If it sounds to good to be true," etc., so I'm not holding my breath on this one. Still, even if it doesn't pan out, I've finally found a loopy use for my tax dollars that I actually support!

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 01:20 PM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2006
Superlens

Slashdot linked up news of an advance in the creation of a "superlens", an optical device which promises to resolve objects as small as a single nanometer. The trick (as I understood it, just before my head exploded) is to create something that will refract light in a negative direction.

*BANG*

See, did it again. Science is cool, but sometimes can be painful.

Posted by scott at 09:22 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2006
Bronze Booty

Fark (of all places) linked up news of a major bronze-age tool find in the UK. "More than" 4,000 years old puts them right at the time of the Stonehenge builders who, as I recall, are believed to have built that place around 4,500 BCE. This is not to say that's who these people were, but they probably knew them.

Posted by scott at 01:49 PM eMail this entry!
Walking Unification

Slashdot linked up announcement of a new "unified" theory of biological locomotion:

The researchers show that so-called "constructal theory" can explain basic characteristics of locomotion for every creature -- how fast they get from one place to another and how rapidly and forcefully they step, flap or paddle in relation to their mass. Constructal theory is a powerful analytical approach to describing movement, or flows, in nature.

While the article doesn't mention it, to me it also strongly implies that, contrary to other speculation, any E.T.s we managed to stumble across probably will resemble some sort of existing terrestrial critter.

I personally vote for the "hot chick painted green" variety myself. *Oink oink.*

Posted by scott at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2006
Mystery Science, well, Science

Slashdot linked up this New Scientist collection of 13 things that "do not make sense". I'd heard of about half of them, but the others were pretty cool.

One note on the Ohio State "wow" signal: according to a SETI astronomer I heard at a convention in Nashville in 1994 (can't recall the guy's name), more than twenty years after the signal was recorded it was realized that Jerry Ehman had made a mistake when he noted down the location of the signal. All these years they'd been looking for it in the wrong spot. Of course, when they looked in the corrected area, no signal there either.

Posted by scott at 02:16 PM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2005
Paging Doctor Leonard McCoy, White Courtesy Phone Please

New Scientist has news that we're just that much closer to Star Trek-like detection systems:

Micro-gyroscopes comprise a chip with a vibrating disc the size of a sand grain mounted at its centre. The vibrations are highly sensitive to acceleration, so the chips can be used to detect motion in rockets, aircraft and anti-lock braking systems in cars.

But now Calum McNeil and his colleagues at the University of Newcastle in the UK have created a gyroscopic disc less than 0.1 millimetres across that can be used to "weigh" proteins, which allows it to identify particular proteins produced by cancer cells. The disc targets the kind of protein that binds to a DNA coating on a cross on the disc's surface.

Every time I think, "what will they think of next?", they go and do so, and it's never what I expect. Ain't markets grand?

Posted by scott at 12:54 PM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2005
Gene Color

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing what, exactly, caused certain sections of humanity to evolve white skin. While the natural forces behind the selection have been understood for some time*, the specific cause was unknown until now. Considering the energy expended over it throughout history, it's a little ironic that the change itself is very, very small.

-----
* Bones need vitamin D to form properly. In pre-industrial societies, vitamin D comes almost exclusively from the sun via an interaction between (as I recall) ultraviolet light and fatty tissues near the skin. Even a mild form of ricketts (bone deformation due to lack of vitamin D) will render a woman incapable of surviving childbirth.

Dark skin filters much of the vitamin D-producing ultraviolet sunlight light out, which is not a problem in the tropics, but becomes a big deal in the further north you go. Hence a powerful positive selection pressure for light skin.

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2005
Pacifier Plus

Or, as Olivia would put it, "Binky Binky":

Pacifiers aren't just for soothing colicky babies anymore. A new study has found that use of a pacifier during sleep reduced the chances of a baby suffering from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by 90 percent. Furthermore, pacifiers eliminated the increased risk associated with babies who slept on their stomach or in soft bedding--factors that have been shown to increase the risk of SIDS as much as 10-fold.

90% is definitely nothing to sneeze at!

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2005
Like We Need Something Else to Worry About

Slashdot linked up news that scientists are finding a correlation between common childhood diseases like colds and flu and children's cancer. What the article buried was that it appears to only be an 8% increase, and that only if you have genetic factors which we're not completely sure how to test for.

Frantic parents flipping out at sniffles in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2005
Birth of an Ocean

BBCnews is carrying this report on a birthday of a very special sort:

The team watched an 8m rift develop in the ground in just three weeks in the Afar desert region last September.

It is one small step in a long-term split that is tearing the east of the country from the rest of Africa and should eventually create a huge sea.

Afar is not just the potential birthplace of a sea. All of the oldest hominid remains come from the area, so in a funny way it's where we were born as well.

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2005
On the Move

Slashdot linked up news that the Earth's magnetic pole is moving and accelerating. At the rate it's going, it could be in Siberia in the next 50 years, causing the northern lights to move away from Alaska.

The sound you're hearing are enviro-weenies's heads exploding, trying to figure out how to pin the blame on the Bush administration.

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2005
Arriving: Cancer Flight 101

Slashdot linked up this fascinating summary of a new development in cancer research:

Scientists have discovered how cancer spreads from a primary site to other places in the body in a finding that could open doors for new ways of treating and preventing advanced disease.

Instead of a cell just breaking off from a tumor and traveling through the bloodstream to another organ where it forms a secondary tumour, or metastasis, researchers in the United States have shown that the cancer sends out envoys to prepare the new site.

The level of sophistication in this technique is to me staggering, considering that these are single-celled organisms we're talking about. All this time I thought it was viruses which were the clever evildoers in the microscopic jungle...

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2005
Lead Leftover Leaves Ludwig Lifeless

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing new developments in research on the death of Beethoven. By using a sophisticated new x-ray technique, scientists have determined that he was killed by lead poisoning. Precisely where the lead came from is not clear... perhaps lead-lined wine glasses or even as part of the medicines he was taking for his many other ailments. Since deafness is not normally associated with lead poisoning, it's thought his most famous handicap was actually caused by something else, also unknown.

Lead lined wine glasses. It's a wonder anyone survived those times.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2005
Permian Poison

BBCnews is carrying this summary of new developments in research on the great Permian extinction, which saw the demise of perhaps four-fifths* of the Earth's species. According to the article, the latest candidate is poison gas, released in gargantuan quantities during the largest outpouring of lava ever discovered.

----
* The article says "two-thirds of reptile and amphibian families", but I've heard/seen/read much higher estimates elsewhere.

Posted by scott at 02:54 PM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2005
Footprints in the Sand

BBCnews is reporting what was initially thought to be a stunning discovery of early man's move to the Americas may end up being just a bunch of chipped rock:

Impressions in volcanic ash hailed as footprints made by the earliest known human settlers in the Americas may not be what they seem, Nature journal says.

If confirmed, the 40,000-year-old marks would have debunked accepted theories of human migration into the Americas.

But the ash has now been dated to 1.3 million years ago - more than a million years before modern humans evolved.

There's a chance they might be hominid (H. erectus was wandering around Eurasia at this time), but the smart money is on some sort of mistaken identity.

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
Digging David

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing an archeological dig that might have found King David's palace:

Down the slope from the Old City's Dung Gate, rows of thick stone walls, shards of pottery and other remains of an expansive ancient building are being exhumed from a dusty pit.

The site is on a narrow terrace at the edge of the Kidron Valley, which sheers away from the Old City walls, in a cliffside area the Bible describes as the seat of the kings of ancient Israel.

What is taking shape in the rocky earth, marked by centuries of conquest and development, is as contested as the neighborhood of Arabs and Jews encircling the excavation. But the Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar believes the evidence she has uncovered during months of excavation and biblical comparison points to an extraordinary discovery.

What has actually been discovered, mainly some walls and pottery sherds, reads to me like pretty slim evidence, but it's good to see there are still parts of the ancient city still available for digging. As with all thriving modern cities with roots deep in the past, the vast majority of Jerusalem's archeological potential is buried under people's houses and businesses.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
November 26, 2005
And The Obvious Award Goes To...

Children who are overweight face more than future health problems. They appear to have broken bones and joint problems more often during childhood than kids of normal weight, research suggests.

Read article here.

Posted by Ellen at 07:09 PM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2005
Bugsound

BBCnews is carrying this report on what should be a fascinating new series from naturalist David Attenborough:

"In the past, in order to get close to something, you had to pour light on it; so much so you were at risk of frying the thing - and you certainly inhibited natural behaviour," Sir David said.

"We've now got such sensitive electronic cameras that we don't need that amount of light, and we've also got tiny, tiny lenses; so we can get up close and tight, and then you see mind-blowing things."

Since Discovery tends to get these shows after their UK premiere, here's to hoping it arrives sooner rather than later!

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2005
Radio Quake

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing new developments in earthquake prediction. Scientists have started observing ultra-low-frequency radio emissions coming from earthquake-prone regions just prior to large (greater than magnitude 5.5) earthquakes. It's hoped a technique can be created with this data that will finally allow reliable predictions of these disastrous events.

Posted by scott at 09:44 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2005
Ancient War, Ancient Crime

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing the discovery of an intreuging archeological find:

Whoever they were, the invaders made short work of the enormous palace in the Mayan lowlands, ignoring half-built ramparts to corral nearly three dozen members of the royal household, systematically murder them with spears and axes, then dismember the corpses and dump the pieces into a ceremonial cistern.

Then the killers left, never to return, according to new research being reported today. Cancuen, a thriving trade hub at the headwaters of the Rio Pasion, was reclaimed by the jungle. The ritual massacre of its leaders around A.D. 800 is perhaps a key puzzle piece in the decline and ultimate collapse of Mayan civilization in what is now Central America.

A nice look at just how much information you can get digging through trash and looking at bones.

Posted by scott at 08:54 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2005
Ancient Beer Bash

The Washington Post today carried this article summarizing the discovery of an ancient, and really weird, party held in what is now Peru:

About 1,000 years ago, an ancient tribe abandoned a settlement atop a mountain in what is now southern Peru, ceremonially destroying the outpost that may have been one of the continent's earliest diplomatic posts.
...
The outpost wasn't destroyed in battle, Moseley said, noting that a battle would have caused more damage to structures. What the researchers found was buildings with roofs that had been burned and ceramic vessels used at feasts that had been ritually smashed _ ending at the brewery which was destroyed last.

Smashing up a brewery... say it ain't so!

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2005
A "Giant" Discovery

Pat gets a no-prize dented by a sling bullet for bringing us news of a discovery of literally Biblical proportions:

Archaeologists digging at the purported biblical home of Goliath have unearthed a shard of pottery bearing an inscription of the Philistine's name, a find they claimed lends historical credence to the Bible's tale of David's battle with the giant.

While not definitive proof that the pottery actually belonged to the legendary giant, it does prove that the name was in use at the time.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2005
Great Ape

Fark linked up this summary of new discoveries regarding Gigantopithecus blackii, a now-extinct ape thought to have been as much as 10 feet tall at the shoulder. Recent research into the admittedly meagre remains have shown they didn't die out until about 100,000 years ago, well into the time humans had settled in their home range of south Asia.

Posted by scott at 10:55 AM eMail this entry!
~ Now I Know My Aleph-Beth-Gimel's ~

Pat gets a no-prize that sings a little song for bringing us this NYTimes article detailing the discovery of the earliest Hebrew "abecedary", a listing of the alphabet in its traditional order. Dating to the 10th century BC, it shows a system that is still transitioning from Phoenician but is still recognizably Hebrew. While I'm not well-versed enough in linguistics to tell if the quote "All successive alphabets in the ancient world, including the Greek one, derive from this ancestor at Tel Zayit" is hyberbole or truth, this inscription would definitely be near the base of all western alphabets, if not actually at it.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2005
Birdie Birdie in the Sky

Sometimes it's enough to make you believe in a higher being:

Former Department of Conservation (DOC) officer Geordie Murman – now a professional fisherman – was eating his dinner when the opportunity of a lifetime dropped in his lap.

A small seabird thought to be extinct – a New Zealand storm petrel (Oceanites maorianus) – flew inside his boat anchored off Little Barrier Island on Friday night.

Coincidence? Oh who knows. Well, ok, I know, and so do you.

That's what faith is all about. :)

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2005
Old Tile

The Washington Post this morning carried this article detailing a new archeological discovery inside an Israeli prison. Thought to be one of the oldest places of Christian worship (it was too early to be called a church) yet found, the 3rd century site includes a spectacular floor mosaic made up of early-Christian imagery.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2005
XXX Fossils

This was no one-night stand. Scientists in India say they have discovered two fossils fused together in sexual union for 65 million years.

Read entire article here.

No-Prize to my Mom for the link!

Posted by Ellen at 09:30 PM eMail this entry!
Old Clock

BBCnews linked up this report on the discovery of an ancient Chinese observatory. Thought to be about 4100 years old, it "consists of a semicircular platform 40 metres (130 feet) in diameter, surrounded by 13 pillars which were are believed to have been used to mark the movement of the sun through the seasons."

Fans of Stonehenge should find all of this familiar. Convergence doesn't just happen in biological evolution ya know.

Posted by scott at 02:56 PM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2005
Chinese Tree

BBCnews is reporting on the remarkable discovery of a unique family tree:

Research into an unusually high prevalence of a particular set of genes in China has suggested that 1.5 million Chinese men are direct descendants of Giocangga, the grandfather of the founder of the [seventeenth-century] Qing dynasty.

Giocangga's extraordinary number of descendants, concentrated mainly in north-east China and Mongolia, are thought to be a result of the many wives and concubines his offspring took.

It was as if thousands of Mormons suddenly cried out in terror...

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2005
Borg Benefit

New Scientist is reporting that scientists think they may be very close to a workable malaria vaccine. The research seems to be primarly underwritten by the Gates foundation. If successful, this would represent an enormous step forward for people living in tropical regions.

Posted by scott at 01:34 PM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2005
Mail Patterns

New Scientist is featuring this report on research into how we write e-mail which may have larger implications for the evolution of life itself. Whodathunkit?

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2005
Of Course Only a Woman Could Publish This

Because men know we're not allowed to diagnose this particular malady:

For the first time, scientists have pinpointed an area of the brain involved in a woman's menstrual cycle. The research, reported online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows contrasts in activity over the course of a month and provides a baseline for understanding the emotional and behavioral changes that 75 percent of all women report experiencing before, during and after their period.

If it means I'm less likely to live with a maniac for half the rest of my life, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2005
Fish Finder

New Scientist is carrying this report detailing a new method of identifying (and thereby tracking) whale sharks. By using the same software astronomers use to identify star patterns, scientists are able to quickly identify individual sharks without requiring laborious and error-prone manual comparisons.

Posted by scott at 12:02 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2005
Just When Scotty Left the Building

Someone goes and develops transparent aluminum:

Engineers here are testing a new kind of transparent armor -- stronger and lighter than traditional materials -- that could stop armor-piercing weapons from penetrating vehicle windows.

The Air Force Research Laboratory's materials and manufacturing directorate is testing aluminum oxynitride -- ALONtm -- as a replacement for the traditional multi-layered glass transparencies now used in existing ground and air armored vehicles.

Like all wonder-materials developed by/for the military, the stuff is five times as expensive to make as anything else. However, it's still very much a prototype process, so it's expected the cost will go down somewhat over time. Since they can't make really big sheets of the stuff yet, it would appear we may end up going back to the old "framed window" look of aircraft from the 30s and 40s.

If it keeps Hajji's bullet away, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 09:59 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2005
Stem Cell Studies

New Scientist is carrying this report on developments in stem cell research. Two groups of scientists have created different ways to generate stem cells that do not involve the destruction of an embryo. I'm pretty sure the techniques will do nothing to resolve the political debate, at least for evangelists (on both sides), but it does demonstrate progress on what could end up being one of the most important biotech developments of our lifetime.

Posted by scott at 10:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2005
Old Bird

The Washington Post today carried this report summarizing the oldest South American raptor-type dinosaur yet found:

The newly discovered fossil, of a rooster-size carnivore known as a dromaeosaur, lived 95 million years ago and is the oldest raptor ever found in the southern continents. Its discovery may signal that dromaeosaurs are much older than previously thought.

The find also has implications for the evolution of flight in birds.

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2005
Paleo-Ramen

Well, probably not ramen, but this BBCnews report summarizes the discovery of what are definitely the oldest noodles ever found:

The 50cm-long, yellow strands were found in a pot that had probably been buried during a catastrophic flood.

Radiocarbon dating of the material taken from the Lajia archaeological site on the Yellow River indicates the food was about 4,000 years old.

Until now the earliest mention (in China at any rate) of noodles has been dated to between 25 and 200 AD, so this pushes the date back considerably.

For comparison, the Pyramids were "just" 500 years old when these noodles were made.

Posted by scott at 02:45 PM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2005
Hobbit Update

The Flores "hobbit people" are back in the news, with this New Scientist article detailing the latest finds. Remarkably, evidence seems to be moving away from a Homo species as originator and toward an Australopithecus common ancestor.

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2005
Should've Called it "Kick Mosquito Here" Gene

New Scientist today linked up a rather novel technique for sexing mosquitos:

A genetically engineered mosquito with glowing gonads could become a new weapon in the battle against malaria.

Researchers at Imperial College London created the mosquito by attaching a gene for fluorescence found in jellyfish to a gene expressed only in a male mosquito’s sexual organs. The technique makes it relatively simple to distinguish males from females, something that has previously hindered malaria-eradication strategies.

Anything that makes it easier to eradicate those blood sucking monsters is fine by me.

Well, actually, yes, I did grow up in the middle of acres of rice fields. Why do you ask?

Posted by scott at 12:40 PM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2005
And the Shark Goes, "Swim, Swim"

ABCnews is carrying this story about a remarkable discovery in great white shark research. By using new tracking technology, scientists followed the movements of a great white named "Nicole" over a 12,000 mile journey from Africa to Austrialia. They also tracked a group of salmon sharks moving from Alaska to Hawaii. The finds have implications not only in the study of the sharks and how to develop conservation plans for them, but the way the sharks traveled could also help certain kinds of medical research.

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
Critter Computer

New Scientist is carrying this story on a new technique that could lead to fantastically complex computers built out of self-replicating single-celled algaes called diatoms. "Skynet unavailable for comment."

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2005
Test Tube Terror

Fark linked up news that scientists have re-created the 1918 flu virus. Because recreating a virus that killed more people than WWI may at first seem rather imprudent, CNN helpfully included this comforting information:

The public health risk of resurrecting the virus is minimal, U.S. health officials said. People around the world developed immunity to the deadly 1918 virus after the pandemic, and a certain degree of immunity is believed to persist today.

In other words, as the Fark headline almost correctly noted: remember 28 days from [now], you have to shoot the zombies in the head to kill them.

It helps that existing antivirals also work on good ol' 1918. The hope is that this research will lead to deeper insights into the related and potentially far more dangerous Asian avian flu virus.

Posted by scott at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2005
House Hunting, Ancient Greek-Style

Pat gets a no-prize she can use to fire arrows through twelve axeheads (oh go look it up) for bringing us news of a new candidate for Odysseus's home of Ithaca:

Although the western Greek island of Ithaki is generally accepted as the Homeric site, scholars have long been troubled by a mismatch between its location and geography and those of the Ithaca described by Ancient Greece's greatest poet.

Robert Bittlestone, a management consultant, said Thursday that the peninsula of Paliki on the Ionian island of Cephallonia, near Ithaki, was the most likely location for Odysseus' homeland. He said geological and historic evidence suggested Paliki used to form a separate island before earthquakes and landslides filled in a narrow sea channel dividing it from Cephallonia.

The theory makes several (for once) testable predictions that should go a long way toward determining if this new candidate really could have been Ithaca, or if other more traditional sites still hold sway over the claim.

Posted by scott at 08:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2005
Politics and Archeology

While not exactly the seal of King David, this is still nonetheless interesting:

Archaeologists have revealed they have found a Jewish seal from the period of the First Temple, according to Professor Gabi Barkay. The seal was discovered in debris which was taken from the Temple Mount six years ago and is the first time a Jewish artifact from the First Temple has been found, he added.

This being Jerusalem, the article can't help but go on to mention the political shennanigans that surround any attempt to dig in the Temple precincts.

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2005
Paging Squidward, White Courtesy Phone Please

Making the rounds: After decades of trying, a live giant squid has finally been photographed. In 3600 feet of water no less. Creepy!

Posted by scott at 10:14 AM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2005
Twin Find

New Scientist is featuring this article summarizing the discovery of what's thought to be a 27,000 year old burial of two human infants. Located on a hillside overlooking the Danube in Austria, the remains are part of a much larger ice-age settlement site.

Posted by scott at 03:02 PM eMail this entry!
The Home of Brave Ulysses?

Has the tomb of Odysseus been found? The Madera (CA) Tribune seems to think so:

The tomb of Odysseus has been found, and the location of his legendary capital city of Ithaca discovered here on this large island across a one-mile channel from the bone-dry islet that modern maps call Ithaca.

This could be the most important archeological discovery of the last 40 years, a find that may eventually equal the German archeologist Heinrich Schliemann’s 19th Century dig at Troy. But the quirky people and politics involved in this achievement have delayed by several years the process of reporting the find to the world.

Yet visitors to Kefalonia, an octopus-shaped island off the west coast of Greece, can see the evidence for themselves at virtually no cost.

The reason nobody else has heard of it? Well, according to the article, it's all about the greatest Greek invention of them all... politics.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2005
Evolving Force

The Washington Post today ran this nice article providing a sort of "executive summary" of evolutionary theory. Definitely a must-read for those needing a few more arrows in their quiver for fighting intelligent design.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
Shark Searchin'

BBCnews is carrying this report on new developments in whale shark research. By using advanced radio tags, researchers from Belize have made startling discoveries about the world's largest living fish, and hope the information will allow them to create a tourist operation that does not harm the fish themselves.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2005
Snarge

Each day, the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory receives about a dozen packages from around the country, each containing tissue swabs from bird/plane collisions.

The lab's scientists have dubbed this bloody goo "snarge," and it is usually all that is left when bird meets plane. Scientists are analyzing snarge DNA to track airplane bird strikes, with the hope of decreasing hazardous collisions.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 01:10 PM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2005
DNA Development

BBCnews is carrying this report on new techniques that could allow scientists to extract much higher quality DNA samples from much older fossils. It is hoped this will allow scientists to recover chromosomal DNA from, for example, fossilized human remains to get a better fix on when various Homo species separated from each other.

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2005
"Hobbit" Update

Fans of Homo floresiensis, the so-called "hobbit" of Flores island, should find this update of interest. Seems a few more scientists have come forward claiming the find is merely a microcephalic but otherwise fully modern human. Unfortunately for these "debunkers", other fossils of the same species were found that would seem to seriously undercut this deformed human hypothesis. And the beat goes on...

Posted by scott at 04:22 PM eMail this entry!
Tooth Time

Pat gets a no-prize in the shape of a hand axe for bringing us news of a new development in Neandertal research. By examining a broader range of modern human teeth, scientists have contradicted previous findings that Neandertals matured at a faster rate than modern humans. Instead, it would seem they matured at essentially the same rate as we do. While it doesn't exactly solve the "where'd they get off to anyway?" mystery, it does at least remove one factor from the equation.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2005
But are They Crunchy?

The decline in frogs and other amphibious species has been used as a warning of imminent environmental collapse for at least the past twenty-five years. What often gets lost in the propaganda is that scientists to this day aren't really sure what's causing it. Now a new group has come up with a startling suggestion:

A disease threatening amphibians worldwide may have spread because of the use of frogs in pregnancy tests.

The theory is being debated at a summit in Washington DC where scientists hope to produce an action plan to conserve frogs, toads and salamanders.

Just when you thought science couldn't get any weirder...

Posted by scott at 09:47 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2005
OOPS!

NEWARK, N.J. - Three mice infected with the bacteria responsible for bubonic plague apparently disappeared from a laboratory about two weeks ago, and authorities launched a search though health experts said there was scant public risk.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 04:47 PM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2005
Like a Chicken Eating a Buzz Saw

That's what I think the illustration accompanying this BBCnews article on pterosaurs looks like. Turns out recent discoveries are indicatiing they may have been even bigger than the biggest fossils we've found so far. Recently discovered "Pterosaur trackways", whatever those are, seem to indicate these critters could end up with wingspans of over 60 feet!

Posted by scott at 03:58 PM eMail this entry!
Brain Growth

Slashdot linked up news that some scientists are claiming to have discovered evidence that our brains are still evolving:

Two genes involved in determining the size of the human brain have undergone substantial evolution in the last 60,000 years, researchers say, suggesting that the brain is still undergoing rapid evolution.

The discovery adds further weight to the view that human evolution is still a work in progress, since previous instances of recent genetic change have come to light in genes that defend against disease and confer the ability to digest milk in adulthood.

The claim appears to already have set off a storm of controversy, and pretty much everyone seems to be admitting this is just one of several different interpretations of the data. The truth is, nobody's completely sure just what these genes actually do.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
And the Landscape goes, "Bulge Bulge Bulge"

Ron gets a no-prize that could take out Oregon for bringing us news of a rather startling development in the beaver state:

A recent survey of a bulge that covers about 100 square miles near the South Sister indicates the area is still growing, suggesting it could be another volcano in the making or a major shift of molten rock under the center of the Cascade Range.

Recent eruptions at nearby Mount St. Helens in Washington state have rekindled interest in the annual Sisters survey and its findings.

It would seem the consensus is if this thing blows it'll just spew a little ash and rock. I still don't want to be anywhere near it if I don't have to be.

Posted by scott at 09:00 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2005
Reeling in the Y's

The Washington Post yesterday carried this in-depth look at recent discoveries regarding the Y chromosome. By comparing the human Y with its chimpanzee cousin, scientists have discovered that far from being well on its way to evaporating into oblivion, the human Y has barely changed at all in at least 6 million years. This in spite of the fact that the Y chromosome can't "fact check" itself the way X chromosomes can. Let's hear it for the boy!

Posted by scott at 09:14 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2005
Miracle Mice

Slashdot linked up news of mice that can regenerate just about any damaged tissue:

"We have experimented with amputating or damaging several different organs, such as the heart, toes, tail and ears, and just watched them regrow," [research leader, Ellen Heber-Katz, professor of immunology at the Wistar Institute] said.

"It is quite remarkable. The only organ that did not grow back was the brain. "

Sucks to be that mouse, but remarkable for just about everyone else. The gene combinations that create this effect are "almost certain" to exist in humans. Of course, finding them and then activating them without creating horror-movie side effects are different things. But you have to start somewhere.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2005
Ancient Cousin

New Scientist today is reporting on the earliest-known chimpanzee fossils yet found. While human ancestors lived in the comparatively fossil-friendly savannah, the east African rain forests chimps have lived in were not thought to be able to produce fossils. This find in the Eastern Rift Valley shows not only that chimp ancestors had a far wider and more diverse range of habitat than previously thought, but that they also existed in close proximity to our own ancestors.

Posted by scott at 03:15 PM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2005
Crystalline

Diamonds are the hardest substance known to man, right? Not anymore:

Physicists in Germany have created a material that is harder than diamond. Natalia Dubrovinskaia and colleagues at the University of Bayreuth made the new material by subjecting carbon-60 molecules to immense pressures. The new form of carbon, which is known as aggregated diamond nanorods, is expected to have many industrial applications (App. Phys. Lett. 87 083106).

They've already patented the process and are looking for funding to proceed. Slashdot linked this one up as well (I found it on Instapundit) and the first uses people were coming up with was tool coatings for things like saw blades and grinders. No word on whether this will be the material we can make a space elevator out of, but we're definitely getting close to it.

And no, it's not diamond. The structure is completely different. No word on whether or not it sparkles though.

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2005
Tree Gas

Scientific American linked up this summary of new research into how trees work with carbon dioxide. According to the article, it would appear they don't grow any faster in a CO2-rich environment than they do in a more "normal" one. The study is not without problems though, since the affects of CO2 may take longer to manifest, or they may have been manifest in the root system, which the experiment did not examine.

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
Bee Power

New Scientist is carrying this report on how power company land management is affecting bee populations across the country. By changing the way they manage the narrow but very long right-of-ways high-tension power lines use, power companies have inadvertently created havens that shelter many different sorts of bees, some of them quite rare. While only a few power companies have changed their practices, these results could provide a powerful (ha!) public relations tool to combat the whole "power lines cause cancer" silliness.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2005
Spinning the Core

Slashdot linked up news that scientists have found even more proof that the Earth's core spins faster than the rest of the planet:

Confirming assertions first made in 1996, a team of geophysicists are presenting data in the journal Science today showing that the earth's inner core, a ball of solid iron larger than the moon, spins faster than the rest of the planet. Over a period of 700 to 1,200 years, the inner core appears to make one full extra spin.

Also includes the startling assertion that the core has "wood-grain-like layering."

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2005
Old Head

Fark (with a suitably giggly headline) linked up news of a remarkable hominid fossil find:

Archaelogists say they have found a 1.8 million-year-old Homo erectus skull in Georgia, the oldest such skull to be found in Europe. According to David Lortkipanidze, director of the Georgian National Museum, the skull was found August 6 and excavated on August 21 in Dmanisi, about 85 km southwest of Tblisi.

According to the article, this makes the find a full one million years older than any previous H. erectus skull found in Europe, and is indeed within a few hundred thousand years of the oldest H. erectus finds anywhere. If further testing holds this result up, the implications for hominid migration theories will be profound.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2005
Lego People

Looks like one more step to growing your own replacement parts has been made:

Scientists say they have made a significant step towards making human lungs for transplantation.

The UK team at Imperial College London took human embryonic stem cells and encouraged them to grow into cells found in adult lungs.

These lung cells are the type needed to allow oxygen to cross into the blood.

Eventually, it may be possible to make them from other stem cell sources such as bone marrow, the team told Tissue Engineering.

It's often said the discoveries of one century come to dominate the next. The ones I can see so far are buckminsterfullerene (carbon nanotubes) and stem cells. I think it's really exciting to try and pick out what might be next.

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
No Football There

Pat gets an ancient no-prize for bringing us this article about the Citadel, the most ancient city you've never heard of:

Resting on a layer cake of civilizations that have come and gone for an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 years, the Citadel looms over the apartment blocks of this otherwise rather gray metropolis in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The settlement rivals Jericho and a handful of other famous towns for the title of the oldest continuously inhabited site in the world. The difference is that few people have heard of the Citadel outside Iraq. And political turmoil has prevented a full study of its archaeological treasures.

Of course, one of the problems of being an inhabited ancient site is that digging becomes problematic. Not everyone wants to have their basement excavated, donchaknow.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2005
TB History

Looks like tuberculosis may have been a human affliction for far longer than previously thought:

Molecular analysis suggests that the East African samples and the commoner strains are all descended from a more ancient bacterial species that emerged in Africa as long as three million years ago.

Of course, being descended from and being made ill from are two different things. Considering that TB is a disease that leaves major indicators of its presence in bones, I find it a bit surprising we haven't found any evidence of it in the fossil record. Then again, considering how rare post-cranial human fossils are, it's quite possible our sample size isn't big enough to find anything.

Posted by scott at 02:58 PM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2005
Miracle Fabric

In the latest "living science fiction" installment, we have nanotube fabric, which now apparently can be manufactured in bulk:

The flexible, transparent sheets can conduct electricity and emit light or heat when a voltage is applied, leading their creators to propose that our car windows and the canopies of military aircraft could contain nearly invisible antennae, electrical heaters for defrost, or informative optical displays.

These sheets, which are presently several meters long but could potentially be much larger, might also be useful in everything from flexible computer screens that could be rolled into a sack, to light bulb-like devices providing uniform lighting, to strong sails that could be propelled in space by sunlight.

The stuff is so new and capable, they literally have no idea how many different uses it will have. Now that they can produce it comparatively cheaply, we may all get to find out soon.

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2005
Treasure Trove

Pat gets a golden no-prize for bringing us news of a treasure trove that's older than Troy's gold:

The golden ornaments, estimated to be between 4,100 and 4,200 years old, have been unearthed gradually during the past year from an ancient tomb near the central village of Dabene, about 75 miles east of the capital, Sofia, said Vasil Nikolov, an academic consultant on the excavations.

"This treasure is a bit older than Schliemann's finds in Troy, and contains much more golden ornaments," Nikolov said.

Indiana Jones would be proud...

Posted by scott at 09:13 AM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2005
Critter Conundrum

BBCnews is carrying this story on the discovery of a strange fossil critter that is proving rather resistant to classification into existing phyla. Called Vetustodermis planus, this 2-4 inch long beastie lived 525 million years ago, in the heart of the Cambrian period.

While currently classified as a mollusc, the creature really doesn't have the full set of tell-tales that would allow it to easily fit there. Readers of Jay Gould's Wonderful Life will be nodding their head, since one of WL's key premises was that the Cambrian period saw the rise and fall of several phyla that no longer exist. However, further research has cast severe doubt on this hypothesis, and most of the examples Gould used were later fit into existing phyla. Other biologists, of course, disagree.

Which means we've strayed into the esoterica of scientific politics, where giants stomp and roar at each other over things that make the rest of us go, "wha?" So let's just all sit back and wonder at the remains of a critter who lived at a time when complex life forms were the new "in" thing, and the only things living lapped at the shores of silent, desolate continents of sand and stone.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Steve Irwin, White Courtesy Phone Please

Making the rounds: Research is showing crocodile blood has the potential to create powerful antibiotics and even antiviral medicines. Seems to be effective against the resistant strains of just about everything they've tested it against as well. Hey, when you're bashing around in the swamp, it's not like there's a croc ambulance waiting nearby with iodine and bandages!

Posted by scott at 10:23 AM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2005
Give 'em a Hand

Fark linked up news that scientists have determined chimps tend to be left-handed. While seemingly the epitome of "don't you have a real job?" science, the discovery actually has implications in the evolutionary split between hominids and chimps, as well as the evolution of language.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2005
Insert Hairy Palms Joke Here

Of course it would take a bunch of scientists to determine once and for all what women have known about men for centuries:

The new study by US psychologists found that people shown erotic or gory images frequently fail to process images they see immediately afterwards. And the researchers say some personality types appear to be affected more than others by the phenomenon, known as “emotion-induced blindness”.

Which of course gives technocrats and moralists a chance for drive-by-preaching:

The Brake spokeswoman says companies should think about the consequences of placing emotionally charged billboards at dangerous road junctions: “We should be concerned if drivers are experiencing split-second breaks in concentration, which could result in an accident or death on the roads.”

See! See! They know what is good for you! If you don't listen you'll get in a car accident!

So, umm... wear clean underwear... sort of thing...

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2005
A Spritz a Day Keeps the Alzheimer's Away

New Scientist is reporting on a promising new development in Alzheimer's treatment that involves, of all things, nose sprays to induce controlled brain inflamation. Sounds pretty scary to me, but not as scary as dying very slowly from brain rot.

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 09, 2005
Like a Neon Sign, for Skeeters

New Scientist is carrying this report on a new discovery about how malaria spreads. It would seem the microbes attract mosquitos when they are ready to spread:

“Mosquitoes aren’t just a syringe, sucking up the parasite and injecting it into people at random, as scientists previously thought,” says Jacob Koella from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, who carried out the study in Kenya.

Koella surrounded a chamber of uninfected Anopheles mosquitoes, which can carry the malarial parasite, with three tents. In one tent he placed a child infected with the transmissible stage of malaria, in the next a child in the non-transmissible stage, and in the third an uninfected child.

He then wafted the odours from the children towards the mosquitoes using a fan. Twice as many mosquitoes targeted the child in the transmissible stage of malaria than each of the other two.

A rather harrowing way of gathering data, but you gotta learn somehow. It's hoped the finding will provide insight into new ways of combating the disease, which remains one of the deadliest killers on the planet.

Posted by scott at 01:04 PM eMail this entry!
Church Find

Pat gets a very ascetic no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of an ancient Christian church:

The remains of an ancient church and monks' retreats that date back to the early years of monasticism have been discovered in a Coptic Christian monastery in the Red Sea area, officials said Saturday.
...
[St. Anthony's] monastery, which is in the desert west of the Red Sea, was founded by disciples of St. Anthony, a hermit who died in A.D. 356 and is regarded as the father of Christian monasticism. A colony of hermits settled around him and he led them in a community.

I actually thought Anthony was earlier than that, but I probably just wasn't paying attention in my antiquities class that day. As a triangulation, the forth century saw the legalization of Christianity, the re-location of the Roman imperial capital from Rome to Constantinople, the infamous "sack of Rome" (the first time the ancient city had fallen in more than seven centuries) and the eventual division of the empire itself into East and West.

It was a time of a brief restoration followed by steep declines in the stability and viability of the empire. It also represented a watershed moment in Western history as an entire people gradually moved from their ancient traditional gods to the great mystery religions of Christianity, Mithraism, and the cult of Isis. It was, in short, the century that saw the flame of the ancients begin to gutter and die, while the briefest flickers of a new age (medievalism) were first seen.

Posted by scott at 10:23 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2005
Snowball Earth

One of the more startling recent discoveries about Earth's history is that some 2.3 billion years ago the entire planet was covered in ice, more than a mile thick at the equator. While the discovery has not been (to my knowledge) disputed, nobody could figure out why. Now, a group of California Institute of Technology students and scientists think they've found the reason:

Several graduate students, along with supervising professor Joe Kirschvink, have released a paper presenting their explanation of what caused "Snowball Earth," a periodic deep freeze of Earth's atmosphere that has been theorized for years. The Caltech team argues that 2.3 billion years ago, cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, gained the ability to break down water, which in turn released a flood of oxygen into the atmosphere.

That oxygen reacted with the atmospheric methane, which insulated the Earth at the time, and broke it down. While the oxygen-methane reaction created the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, the protective nature of the barrier cracked.

As always, the findings are already being debated, but it's good to see new discoveries and theories being made about one of the most curious episodes in our planet's history.

Posted by scott at 12:29 PM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2005
Maybe This Should be "Sniff Me a River"?

Some Italian scientists got the novel idea of testing the river Po for cocaine residue as a method of determining elicit drug use. Boy, were they surprised at what they found:

The equivalent of about 4 kilograms of cocaine flowed in the river each day, say the researchers from Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, and the University of Insubria in Varese.

The analysis indicates that at least 40,000 packets of the drug are snorted each day – 80 times more than the official estimate of just 15,000 doses taken per month by people living in the area. If the study’s estimates are true, a staggering $150 million in street value of cocaine is dealt each year in the valley, say the researchers.

The mind boggles...

Posted by scott at 01:01 PM eMail this entry!
Hominid Steps

The Laetoli footprints, for the past forty years an icon of humanity's evolution, are back in the news. After experiments and fossil reconstructions, two scientists are calling into doubt the conclusion that these footprints were made by Australopithecus afarensis, the hominid species to which the famous "Lucy" fossil belongs. Just who might have made them instead they leave an open question.

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2005
I Wonder How Many Nails It'll Pick Up at Once?

Pat gets a very attractive no-prize for bringing us news of the most powerful magnet yet created:

This definitely ain't no refrigerator magnet. The new super magnet at The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory weighs more than 15 tons and has a magnetic field 420,000 times that of the Earth's — strong enough to pull a metal object out of a person's hand and send it flying — if people were allowed to get close enough.

The laboratory — one of only nine high magnetic field labs in the world — unveiled the new magnet, 13 years in development, on Thursday.

Apparently the biggest innovation isn't its strength, but the size of its field. The device seems (from the article) primarily targetted at various forms of magnetic imaging.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2005
Inner Space

So how do you tell what's going on in the center of the Earth? Geologists have traditionally been limited to seismic studies, which definitely have their limitations. Now, however, it appears there's a new way to peer into the "down below". By using an exotic detector buried deep underground, a group of scientists have detected neutrinos, special sub-atomic particles, generated by the decay of radioactive materials in the Earth's core. Each "geoneutrino" carries a signature of its chemical origin, providing unique insights into the core's composition. While current detectors aren't sensitive enough to provide a lot of data, it's hoped now that the general concept has been proven that other, more sensitive devices can be created to provide more detailed observations.

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
Old Babies

Pat gets a well-preserved no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of the oldest dinosaur embryo found to-date. At 190 million years old, it's almost double the age of the typical embryo find. The fossil was actually excavated nearly thirty years ago, but it's apparently taken this long to chip away the surrounding rock to expose the dinosaur inside. The findings provide some startling insights into how early plant-eating dinosaurs lived, reproduced, and evolved.

Posted by scott at 08:09 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2005
Thracian Discovery

BBCnews is carrying this summary of the discovery of a treasure-filled tomb in Bulgaria at least 2400 years old. The remains are probably that of a Thracian king who died suddenly, and young.

If I'm remembering my history right (no promises there), that puts him right around the time of the of the Peloponnesian war (which I managed to spell correctly the first time when I did a google search!) I.e. the Parthenon was sparkling-new when this guy was around, and, while the Roman Republic existed, the city itself was just a collection of brick houses on a hilly bit of ground next to a river.

The pyramids were about 2000 years old at that point.

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
Here Comes the Sun

Slashdot linked up this nifty solar-powered lighting device that could be coming soon to an office near you. And when I say solar powered, I'm not talking about a panel providing electricity. The system uses fiber optics to transmit actual sunlight into a building, although some models are planned to include electric lights to supplement the natural light.

Office lighting has never made much of a difference either way to me, but there are probably half a dozen folks with interior (non-window) offices here who go to great lengths to create a more "natural" light in their workspace. Usually the effect is pretty cave-like, so there might actually be a very large market for this sort of device.

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2005
Basking Brains

BBCnews is carrying this report on new discoveries about the behavior of the second-largest fish in the world... the basking shark. Turns out they're a lot brighter than was originally thought, but then again so is their pray, plankton. An interesting look at an animal about which next to nothing is currently known.

Posted by scott at 03:28 PM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2005
Speaking of Cranks...

Fark (of course) yesterday linked up news of one of the earliest representations of a phallus yet discovered:

A sculpted and polished phallus found in a German cave is among the earliest representations of male sexuality ever uncovered, researchers say.

The 20cm-long, 3cm-wide stone object, which is dated to be about 28,000 years old, was buried in the famous Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura.

It was apparently used to nap flint, so it's either got heavy religious connotations or represents the workings of a really bored tool maker.

Posted by scott at 10:49 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2005
More Digging Dinosaurs

Pat gets a no-prize taken straight from the dig for bringing us news of the discovery a new sauropod dinosaur species. Found on private land near the Little Snowy Mountains in central Montana, the fossil specimen is about twice as old as those typically found in the area, and includes an intact skull, very rare with these dinosaurs. The find should help refine the range of these critters, as well as provide insight into their evolution.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2005
Munching Evolution

Ron gets a carniverous no-prize for bringing us news of the discovery of a snail-eating caterpillar:

The five new species of snail-eating Hyposmocoma caterpillars belong to a rather exclusive dinner club among insects, said Rubinoff. Out of at least 150,000 known species of moths and butterflies in the world, there are only about 200 species that are not vegetarians — just 0.13 percent.

The story of the discovery itself is pretty amusing too... apparently the biologist who found them literally didn't believe it until he'd seen several "feedings" witnessed by others.

Posted by scott at 02:38 PM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2005
Bone Dance

Scientific American is carrying this brief report on new findings regarding how bones hold themselves together. By using new imaging techniques, scientists have managed to take pictures of the structures that "glue" bone filaments while simultaneously allowing them to flex in response to stress. The findings are hoped to lead to new therapies for bone fracture and age-related loss.

Posted by scott at 01:15 PM eMail this entry!
Keepin' Cool

While this Slashdot-linked article about two high school students inventing a "new" sort of automotive air conditioner is interesting and very optimistic, according to the 'dot collective, it leaves a major caveat out. Essentially, peltier coolers (the chips they used to create the effect) are currently extremely inefficient, far less so than conventional compressor-driven systems.

Still, comparing an established and highly refined system to something that was almost literally ginned up in a garage doesn't seem exactly fair. Certainly Ricoh, a very large and serious HVAC manufacturer, is taking it seriously. Who knows... maybe they're sitting on some sort of process that makes these things far more efficiently?

Call it "a cool [ha!] wait-and-see" idea.

Posted by scott at 09:22 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2005
But Will it Fetch a Beer?

House getting too complicated? Gadget frenzy left you with more buttons than four hands worth of fingers could push? Wouldn't know a manual from a hole in the ground even if it walked up and bit you on the butt? Have we got a gizmo for you:

A new tabletop robot will soon help consumers remotely control all of their home electronic equipment, from the Internet to MP3 players.

Philips, known mostly for electronics and audio components, has developed a tabletop robot meant to serve as an intermediary device between the user and an array of electronic gadgets.

Which of course begs the question, if you're too dumb to use all the gizmos in your house, how could you possibly be smart enough to program a robot to do it for you?

Ron gets a mechanized no prize for bringing us a look at yet another entry in the "useless expensive coat hanger" category.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2005
Mirror Mirror

The behavioralists, primatologists, and psych majors in the audience (hey, it's possible... intellectuals like fart jokes too ya know) should find this summary of a new primate study of interest:

Whether or not an animal can recognize itself in the mirror has long been used by scientists as a means of self-awareness. Apes pass the test, but monkeys have been thought to perceive a stranger in their reflection. The results of a new study suggest that what monkeys see is not so simple: although they don't recognize themselves, they also treat their mirror twins differently than they do real animals.

Is it just me, or does the first sentence of the article make no sense? Cor, look at me getting all "grammar police" and stuff...

Posted by scott at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2005
Lose Tusks, will Travel

Problem: While big, burly tusks make you real popular with the ladies, it also makes you really popular with naked apes with boomsticks.

Solution: Drop the tusks. Since you're the only male around, it won't much matter what the chicks think:

The tusk-free gene, which is found in between two and five percent of male Asian elephants, has increased to between five percent and 10 percent in elephants in China, according to Zhang Li, an associate professor of zoology at Beijing Normal University.

Apparently controversial even in China, the finding will need more testing before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
Layer Cake

The Washington Post today carried this extensive story on excavations at Butrint, a city in modern Albania that was once a major crossroads of the Mediterranean:

The scope of Butrint's past excites archaeologists of many periods. It was "Troy in miniature" in Virgil's "The Aeneid"; legend says the city was founded by Trojan exiles, but that belief is not supported by archaeological evidence.

Remains apparently run from 750 BC right through the medieval period. The city was eventually abandoned in the 15th century, so preservation is quite good. As with any really huge archeology site, it's going to be the work of centuries to completely excavate the site.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2005
He's a [Chicken] Sex Machine

Sometimes scientists are so clever it's scary:

The research team decided to test the consequences of sperm-free mountings [of chickens by roosters] on a female’s propensity for promiscuity. Using cleverly designed harnesses, which prevent cocks from depositing semen into a females’ reproductive tract, the team was able to create two distinct groups - hens that had been mounted, but received no sperm, and hens who had successful, sperm-transferring copulations.

The point? To examine a remarkable male strategy to keep the hens faithful. It would appear they are far less likely to "stray" to another male's territory as long as they're "getting some" every day.

Posted by scott at 09:06 AM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2005
Horse Trails

So how did horses evolve? What was once thought a "done-deal" question in the field of biology (and a benchmark proof of evolution itself) has now received a bit of a shakeup, according to this BBCnews article:

As the Great Ice Age came to an end, some 11,000 years ago, North America was thought to be home to as many as 50 species and subspecies of horse.

But studies of ancient DNA tell a rather different story, suggesting the horses belonged to just two species.

Even the movement and timing of the species is now being revised. DNA rocks!

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2005
Old Feet

Conventional wisdom held for at least a century that the very earliest humans to set foot in North America did so about ten thousand years ago. Starting in the 1970s, discoveries in South America and along the west coast of North America began unraveling this theory, pushing the "first inhabitants" further and further back. However, these were "pushbacks" measured in the thousands of years. Now a new discovery has the potential to push that date into the very distant past:

Human footprints discovered beside an ancient Mexican lake have been dated to 40,000 years ago. If the finding survives the controversy it is bound to stir up, it means that humans must have moved into the New World at least 30,000 years earlier than previously thought.

The footprints were found in a fossilized volcanic deposit, which is especially fortuitous. Volcanoes spew out all sorts of nifty radioactive compounds that decay at regular rates over various time periods. Using these and other available dating resources should allow a firm triangulation. In other words, there will be controversy over this, but if the team did their job correctly they should have a very big gun indeed to use against potential critics.

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2005
Battle of the (Ant) Sexes

New Scientist is carrying this story about a bizarre discovery in the ant world:

The ant Wasmannia auropunctata, which is native to Central and South America but has spread into the US and beyond, has opted for a unique stand-off in the battle of the sexes. Both queens and males reproduce by making genetically identical copies of themselves - so males and females seem to have entirely separate gene pools.

Darned clever, those bugs.

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2005
The Ultimate Baby Insomnia?

New Scientist is carrying this report on a remarkable discovery about dolphins and killer whales... both newborns and their mothers don't sleep at all for at least the first month after birth. Stranger still, tests showed the animals did not seem to be stressed at all by this activity. Considering some mammals will die if deprived sleep (and most human parents slowly lose their marbles over a newborn's inability to sleep any real length of time), this unexpected adaptation is quite mysterious indeed.

Posted by scott at 03:45 PM eMail this entry!
Nanobikes

Yeah, it's just a press release, but even the idea of a sub-2 pound bicycle frame is pretty cool:

BMC, the leading Swiss high-end bicycle brand, has developed for the number 1 Pro Tour Team Phonak a new secret weapon for the Tour de France.

Last year, BMC had already introduced the revolutionary "Time Machine" during the Tour de France, which set the new standard for time trial bikes. This year, we can present another revolutionary bike the BMC "Pro Machine". The "Pro Machine is the first bicycle frame in the world which is made entirely using the revolutionary Easton CNT-Nanotechnology.

Remember: to increase speed, add lightness.

Posted by scott at 09:27 AM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2005
Culture, and Fish

The Washington Post today featured an article detailing what may be the first observed instance of culture in marine mammals. Dolphins, to be specific. Scientists have observed the females of one group of Australian dolphins wearing sea sponges as a kind of shield while they forage for food. The behavior is learned, passed down from mother to (almost exclusively) daughter, and does not appear to be genetically based. This does not, of course, preclude controversy, with other scientists remaining unconvinced that this really is a form of culturally-based behavior.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2005
Buried Treasure-Dinosaur Style!

Seventy-seven million years ago—nearing the end of the age of dinosaurs, although they still had 12 million years to go—a young duck-billed hadrosaur lay down to die just over the horizon from the vast inland sea that covered much of central North Americ

Read entire article here.

A very fossilized No-Prize to Scott!

Posted by Ellen at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2005
Run Away!!

Ron brings us this interesting article on tornados.

But the new study of Oklahoma's legendary May 3, 1999 tornado challenges the tenet that taking flight is foolishness. In that storm, people cowering at home were more likely to die than those fleeing in vehicles, according to the analysis newly published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Posted by Ellen at 05:38 PM eMail this entry!
Cocoon

Against long odds, the baby Susan was carrying when she was stricken appears to be thriving after nearly 21 weeks of gestation, Torres says. If she can stay alive another month, and the cancer stays away from her uterus, the baby could be delivered and have a chance of surviving, he says. The couple has a 2-year-old son, Peter.

"I hate seeing her on those darned machines," Torres says, "and I hate using her as a husk, a carrying case, because she herself is worth so much more. But Susan really wanted this baby. And she's a very - how should I put this? - a willful lady. That's probably why she's made it this far."

What would you do?
Posted by Ellen at 04:32 PM eMail this entry!
Crab Anyone?

And to think people eat these from the bay.

When Johnson called scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, they were just as amazed at the crab, which they call a "bilateral gynandromorph" because its gender is literally split down the middle.
Posted by Ellen at 04:09 PM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2005
~ Sunny Days / Keepin' the / Prostate Away ~

(Why yes, I have a two year old, why do you ask?)

While scientists have noticed correlations between prostate cancer and things like men living in northern latitudes or having dark skin, only recently has a study been completed that tries to find a strong correlation between prostate cancer and exposure to sunshine. Their findings indicate it's probably vitamin D that reduces the risk, and the reduction in risk can be as much as 50%.

Makes me feel even better about my afternoon bike rides!

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2005
Time to Get Ellen a Vitamin D Drip

Heard this on the radio this morning on the way to work: calcium and vitamin D seem to significantly reduce the effects of PMS.

It was as if millions of husbands suddenly cried out in joy, and then were suddenly silent.

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2005
Heart Guard

Pat gets a healthy thumping no-prize for bringing us this story of a new heart drug that's intended for a single race:

In 1997, a new heart failure treatment called BiDil appeared dead on arrival. The Food and Drug Administration rejected the drug, saying that studies supporting it were inconclusive.

Then, proponents of BiDil refocused their strategy. This Thursday, eight years after the drug was rejected for use in the general public, an F.D.A. panel will consider whether BiDil should become the first drug intended for one racial group, in this case, African-Americans.

I do agree race can sometimes be a very vague definition, but (they claim) the data is sound. Of course, any time you enter Americas Great Cultural Minefield, explosions are inevitable. Only time will tell if this helps anyone, regardless of skin color.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
Cross Wired

One of the more startling things I learned in basic biology when I was in grade school was that our brains are cross-wired to our bodies. You know, left side of the brain controls the right side of body, & visa-versa. Worse, nobody could really explain why this was. Well, today in the Washington Post there's an article about a group of scientists who think they've figured it out. Turns out it has to do with basic optics and the evolution of limbs as locomotion.

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2005
Best. Headline. Evar.

Per Fark, no altering required: Giant Balls of 'Snot' Explain Ocean Mystery. Actually, a fascinating discovery that may help explain just how so many critters can live in what would otherwise be the greatest desert on the planet... the deep ocean floor.

Posted by scott at 06:22 PM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2005
Evolved Intelligence?

Can intelligence be enhanced genetically? Has it been enhanced in certain existing groups of people? Slashdot linked up this intriguing article about a new report that hypothesises a firm "yes" to both questions. The population under consideration? Ashkenazi Jews.

An interesting proposal, but one that doesn't seem to have received much in the way of testing so far.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
CHOMP!

A rape victim once wished for teeth "where it mattered". Now a device has been designed to "bite" a rapist's penis. The patented device looks and is worn like a tampon, but it is hollow and attaches itself with tiny hooks to a man's penis during penetration.

In the event of rape, the device folds itself around the rapist's penis, attaching to the skin with microscopic hooks. It is only when the rapist withdraws that he will realise the device is clamped around his penis.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:21 AM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2005
Captain Nemo, I Presume

Fark linked up this interesting account of the discovery of what could turn out to be the inspiration for Captain Nemo's Nautilus:

She was built in 1864 by a visionary craftsman, Julius Kroehl, for the Union forces during the American Civil War. But the boat, called Explorer, was never used in the conflict and was subsequently taken to Panama where she was used to harvest pearls.

She was ideal for this purpose because of a unique lock-out system, identical to the one in the Nautilus from Verne’s book, published in 1870.

Of course, no direct evidence exists for a connection, but the parallels are pretty interesting. As with its near-contemporary Hunley, this sub's crew perished on-board, only instead of trying to sink ships they were harvesting pearls.

Posted by scott at 11:57 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2005
The Flip of a Switch?

While this report about scientists finding a single gene that controls the sexual orientation of fruit flies is quite interesting, I think they perhaps overstate their case a bit. People are far more complex than flies, and if it really was this simple then it would at least seem to make bisexuality (which, according to Kinsey and later researchers, is far more common) impossible.

Then again, there's the less-oft discussed counter-argument... if sexual orientation wasn't at least largely genetic, would men and women really be willing to put up with each other?

Posted by scott at 12:02 PM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2005
Sexing Fossils

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing how scientists have managed to determine the sex of at least one Tyrannosaurus rex fossil. Their technique? Turns out a T. rex in the middle of egg laying season has the same sort of extra bone growth that a chicken does. While interesting in and of itself, the find also helps confirm the very close relationship between dinosaurs and birds.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2005
Like Learning to Tie Your Shoes

Slashdot linked up news of a self-wiring computer. By using special chips called Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), the idea is that people can create software that will cause the computer to physically change itself to become more efficient in processing certain tasks. The goal is a smaller, faster system than would otherwise be possible with more common generalized circuits.

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
Barrow Burial

Fark linked up this nifty, if rather macabre, story about a recent Bronze Age burial find in Germany:

Archaeologists have discovered the skeletons of a lord and his retainers in a burial mound at Germany's most celebrated Bronze Age site.

Archaeologist Olaf Schroeder said the intact, 4 200-year-old mound was one of at least eight "barrows" within view of the ancient holy site that yielded the 3 600-year-old Nebra celestial disc, a bronze and gold depiction of the heavens, in 1999.
...
"In the middle lay the lord, but his upper body and legs were missing. There was a precious bronze knife and a bronze needle next to him, and the remains of his court lay in a circle round him. The skulls were deformed. These people had died violently."

Wagner would be proud.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
May 31, 2005
They're the Arkansas State Bird Donchaknow

When my brother and I were little we slept in the same room, and it was remarkable that during the summer he would be covered in mosquito bites, while I would have almost none. Now we may finally have an answer as to why that happened:

Mosquitoes do exhibit blood-sucking preferences, say the experts. "One in 10 people are highly attractive to mosquitoes," reports Jerry Butler, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Florida. Incidentally, it's not dinner they're sucking out of you. Female mosquitoes -- males do not bite people -- need human blood to develop fertile eggs. And apparently, not just anyone's.

Growing up in the heart of rice country meant everyone had to deal with mosquitoes. Summer life simply stopped at sundown, and only a fool would leave a light on in their garage or on their porch. I still remember how we marveled at how our uncle's family in Kansas had a house with windows without screens, and how we could walk up to a street lamp there and not get sucked dry by millions of the tiny demons.

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
Have at You!

For proof that guys have been fighting over chicks for a long time, we have this New Scientist article detailing an interesting discovery about certain trilobites. By studying the distinctive "headgear" found on certain species, scientists have determined that the placement and shape of said gear is nearly identical to that of certain modern beetles, who use it to fight for access to females.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2005
Constant Craving

Are cravings in fact caused by your body's need for some obscure nutrient? Apparently not:

Food craving, defined as an intense desire to eat a specific foodstuff, is a common occurrence across all cultures and societies. These yearnings, and those associated with nonfoodstuffs such as pagophagia (the practice of consuming ice) and geophagia (literally earth-eating), are not linked to any obvious nutrient insufficiency. In some individuals food cravings and dietary restriction may be related; however, these observations are inconsistent with the majority of published studies.

The article goes on, in classic Scientific American style*, to try and explain what might cause cravings. The usual suspects-- hormones, psychoses, cultural traditions, etc., are discussed, but it would seem no single source has been found to-date.

----
* A sort of "nerdy-scientist-wanting-to-be-popular-but-not-talk-down-to-the-plebes" tone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Since SA nearly always publishes stuff from the primary source, the "I performed experiment A to determine..." and "our studies in clinical trials have shown..." can be a little disconcerting as well.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
X-Ray Tech

Jeff gets a no-prize covered in invisible ink for bringing us news of a new development in the quest to unlock the secrets of ancient books:

A particle accelerator is being used to reveal the long-lost writings of the Greek mathematician Archimedes, work hidden for centuries after a Christian monk wrote over it in the Middle Ages.
...
The so-called Archimedes Palimpsest includes the only copy of the treatise "Method of Mechanical Theorems," in which Archimedes explains how he used mechanical means to develop his mathematical theorems. It is also the only source in the original Greek for the treatise "On Floating Bodies," in which Archimedes deals with the physics of flotation and gravity.

In this age of 3c copies it's hard to imagine holding the only existing copy of anything, let alone something as important as this sort of book. Yet for thousands of years this was commonplace, unremarkable. Little wonder the development of the printing press is considered one of the milestones of human achievement.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2005
Ooo... Ron's not Gonna Like This One

Wanna win at sports? Wear a red jersey:

Competitive athletes are always seeking ways to improve their performance. The results of a new study indicate that they need only look in their closets. A paper published today in Nature suggests that athletes wearing red uniforms experience a slight advantage over those decked out in other colors.

Of course, the Redskins's uniform is mostly red, and look how much good it's done them lately. Still, it should be good for a smirk or two come football season, as our local blue-and-silver fanatics (Ron isn't the only one) will have one more thing to angst over if their season starts swirling down the toilet again.

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2005
Neanderthal News

The Post this morning carried this report on a new set of fossils "rekindling" the debate over what, exactly, happened to the Neanderthals in Europe. For whatever reason, they died out approximately 30,000 years ago, and the fossils in question have been firmly dated at exactly that time. What makes them interesting is their apparently strange mix of early-modern and Neatherthal features. Could these be evidence of interbreeding? Or perhaps their appearance was influenced by diet or behaivor?* The answer, as usual, is not particularly clear.

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* A diet that requires a lot of heavy-duty chewing will result in a much "heavier" face (brow ridges, receding chins, occipital protrubrances, etc.) while the opposite results in a comparatively "gracile" appearance. Likewise, a life of heavy lifting and hard work will produce a skeleton noticeably more robust than what would be found in a more sedentary population.

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2005
Shiny Stones

BBCnews is carrying this article on the discovery of the oldest known use of diamond in history. By examining highly polished paleolithic jade axes found in China, scientists have determined the only material capable of creating such a smooth surface was not quartz as originally thought, but diamond. Even then, modern techniques are not capable of achieving the finish found on these objects. At 4500 before present (bp), they are a full two thousand years older than the previous known use of diamond, in India around 500 B.C.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
A Special Kind of Decorative Plate

Meant to get to this yesterday but forgot: new research seems to indicate the back plates on Stegosaurs were not protective, but purely decorative. Same thing with Anklysaurs and Ceratopsians. It's amazing how far our knowledge of dinosaurs has come in the past thirty years. One of my most cherished childhood books was about dinosaurs, and that piece of 70s memorabilia was dominated by the "cold blooded, slow moving, stupid, swamp dweller" mindset that had held sway for the previous century.

Let's hope the next 30 years are just as productive!

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2005
Stranding Sun

Ron gets a no-prize that pings for bringing us news of a surprising development in the quest to understand whale strandings. It would seem there's a very strong correlation between these events and sunspot activity, going back as far as we have records (more than two centuries).

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2005
Shake Shake Shake...

An underwater quake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale has rocked the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering panic but causing no damage, officials say.

Indonesia's meteorological and geophysical agency said a tsunami was unlikely because the tremor was too far from the earth's surface.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 04:58 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2005
Migration Mania

Also from Discovery Channel, news that our early-modern ancestors seem to have left Africa far earlier than was previously thought:

The first modern humans to leave East Africa and populate Asia may have not traveled through the Middle East, as the traditional model suggests, but along a southern coastal route, a pair of new genetic studies conclude.

At least as amazing, to me anyway, is the strong evidence for groups of people living in the same places in Asia for more than 50,000 years. And you thought your family's roots went deep.

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
Bang!

Ron gets a catapult-shaped no-prize for bringing us news of the world's fastest plant. You heard me, fastest plant. Hey man, don't look at me, I just link the things up.

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2005
Whirlygig

Real or not, a "centerfugal cannon" is certainly an interesting proposition:

The gun consists of a mounted circular chamber that spins the metal ball bearings to high speed. A release mechanism on one side spits the balls out one behind the other, a handful at a time.

Sounds sorta like a tennis ball launcher. Only, like, more evil.

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2005
Nina?!?

While it's cool and all that they've done a CGI reconstruction of King Tut's face, the fact is he bears a startling resemblance to my sister-in-law (wait for the pictures on the left to start cycling).

Ok, it's not an exact duplicate, but damned if he couldn't be her long lost brother. Wieeeerrddd.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2005
Jurassic [Missing] Link?

The Post today carried this detailed article about a potential "missing link" fossil between plant-eating dinosaurs known as therizinosaurs and meat-eating raptors:

The long-tailed dinosaur ate plants but still had the body of a meat-eater. It was a made-to-order victim for any passing marauder, except for its powerful, ropy arms and the four-inch talons on the ends of its forepaws.

Fark linked up a similar article which has better pictures.

Posted by scott at 04:04 PM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2005
Uncle Nelson, I Presume

BBCnews is carrying a report on a new fossil find that illuminates an important part of fish evolution:

The animals lived in a time when Africa was in an ice age, and before any animals had colonised the land. According to the team, they lived in a shallow sea fed by melt waters from receding ice-sheets.

Interesting in one respect because, until now, fish evolution was thought to have ocurred elsewhere. Interesting in another because, at this point in history, one of these fossil fish (either in Africa or elsewhere) eventually lead to us.

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2005
Debunking Design

Yesterday Slashdot linked up this detailed refutation of intelligent design. Very well done, but essentially re-states what we've said here before. To wit: intelligent design is not science, hence it has no business in a science classroom.

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2005
Finding a Way

Problem: Unreasonable greenies have convinced the socialist propeller-heads in your government to render illegal your trillion-dollar century-old energy infrastructure in a decade to "prevent global warming."

Ultimate objective: force the capitalist pigs to beggar themselves trying to switch from cheap fossil fuels to expensive and impractical "renewable" energy sources, thereby forcing the social revolution predicted by their betters for some 150 years.

Actual solution: upgrade the energy source:

The latest advocates [of "zero-emission" power plants that burn coal or gas but release no carbon dioxide] are former fans of renewable energy at the European Union, who say the strategy will be "essential" if the EU is to meet targets for limiting the emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2. This month, at a conference in Brussels, Europe's new commissioner for energy, Andris Piebalgs, said the EU could cut CO2 emissions while continuing to burn its native coal and lignite. And still stay economically competitive.

Will it work? If Kyoto holds, it almost certainly will... the imperatives in that treaty pretty much require success. The amusing thing to see is if the greenies and their socialist brethren let it work. Any close reading of a green manifesto will reveal their objective is not a clean environment, but rather the radical dislocation of western capitalism by attacking its infrastructure in an attempt to foment a classic proletariat revolution.

The beauty of capitalism is its successful ability to innovate around virtually any obstacle, when it is allowed to do so. If nothing else the success of such an initiative should provide a nice filter to separate those who simply care about a clean environment from those who care about the intellectual purity of that environment. The trick now is to make sure the latter don't lock the former out of government policy-making.

Of course, none of it makes any difference over here, since we managed not to sign the blasted thing. I think it would be excellent if Europe mangles its heavy industry for a generation developing cleaner fuels while we cheer from the sidelines and then buy their technology when it's completely de-bugged. It'd be a nice payback for, and an ironic reversal of, the 1970s.

Posted by scott at 01:10 PM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2005
Pygmy or Hobbit?

Kompas daily reported yesterday that the pygmy community had been found during an April 18-24 expedition in the village of Rampapasa, about 1km from the village of Liang Bua, where the species called Homo floresiensis was found.

The newspaper quoted Koeshardjono, a biologist who discovered the pygmy village, saying 77 families had been found there.

Teuku Jacob, a professor at Gadjah Mada University, who led the human anthropology research team, said 80 per cent of the Rampapasa villagers were small, with most male adults under 145cm and female adults about 135cm.

Read the entire story.

Posted by Ellen at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2005
'es not Bleedin Demised!

Ron gets a no-prize he can drill holes with for bringing us news of the discovery of living specimens belonging to a woodpecker species thought to be extinct:

The ivory-billed woodpecker, long feared extinct, has been seen in a remote part of Arkansas 60 years after the last confirmed U.S. sighting, ornithologists said Thursday.

Includes this nice bon mot: ''This is huge. Just huge,'' said Frank Gill, senior ornithologist at the Audubon Society. ''It is kind of like finding Elvis.''

Well, we all gotta get excited about something.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2005
WANTED: Very Small Executioner Hoods

BBCnews is carrying this report detailing a rather startling method of predation recently found in a species of ant:

A fierce species of Amazonian ant has been seen building elaborate traps on which hapless prey are stretched like medieval torture victims, before being slowly hacked to pieces.
...
There is no limit to the ants' ambition and they will attempt to catch any mammoth of the insect world - so long as it has slender legs.

Color me glad I have big feet!

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2005
Because the Mind is a Terrible Thing

First radio-controlled rats, now mind reading machines:

It is possible to read someone’s mind by remotely measuring their brain activity, researchers have shown. The technique can even extract information from subjects that they are not aware of themselves.

So far, it has only been used to identify visual patterns a subject can see or has chosen to focus on. But the researchers speculate the approach might be extended to probe a person’s awareness, focus of attention, memory and movement intention. In the meantime, it could help doctors work out if patients apparently in a coma are actually conscious.

Further reading seems to indicate they're actually a long way from reading minds. In fact, this sounds quite similar to a primate biology experiment I read about back in high school, but as I recall that required the injection of special chemicals to allow a scanner to read the patterns.

So I wouldn't expect mind reading devices to show up any time soon, but it is nice to know they're working on comparatively objective methods of judging consciousness.

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2005
Remote Rats

New Scientist is reporting on a startling new development in a DARPA-funded research project that seems to have created remoted controlled rats:

The rodents are directed using a series of brain implants, which can be operated wirelessly from a distance of several hundred metres. Now, for the first time, the researchers behind the project have demonstrated the ability to control the rodents' movements before activating their “sniffer dog” instincts.

The objective is a much smaller (and cheaper) bomb and drug sniffer. Foil hat "this is what the Republicans are gonna do to all of us! Run for your lives!" responses in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2005
Tomb Time

The Egyptologists in the audience should find this news about an ancient Egyptian burial find interesting. And when you put the words "ancient" and "Egypt" together, you know you're really saying something:

Archaeologists digging in a 5,600-year-old funeral site in southern Egypt unearthed seven corpses believed to date to the era, as well as an intact figure of a cow's head carved from flint.

The American-Egyptian excavation team made the discoveries in what they described as the largest funerary complex ever found that dates to the elusive five millenia-old Predynastic era, Egypt's Supreme Council of antiquities said Wednesday.

Yup, this stuff is nearly a thousand years older than the pyramids. Say it with me folks... cooool...

Posted by scott at 02:18 PM eMail this entry!
Stink Bomb Science

Hibernating astronauts are a staple of science fiction. Now it appears they're one step closer to reality, and you won't believe the cause:

Suspended animation has been deliberately induced in a species of mouse which does not naturally hibernate. It is the first time such a feat has been achieved, say the procedure’s pioneers.
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The mice were induced to fall into their deep sleep after being exposed to hydrogen sulphide - the gas which gives rotten eggs and stink bombs their characteristic foul odour. The animals later revived in ordinary air.

And all this time Ellen's been complaining about me farting under the covers. I'm helping you sleep!

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2005
Core Find

Ron gets a cast-iron no-prize for bringing us news of recent discoveries about the Earth's core:

New evidence of a solid iron inner core to the planet comes from a digital broadband seismic array in Germany that is located in a lucky enough position to have captured a faint, but telltale, seismic signal. The signal was sent through the Earth from a particularly clear sort of earthquake deep in the crust on the other side of the planet.

Reminds me of someone whacking a bell or something. Geology is cool!

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2005
186,000 Miles Per Second. It's Not Just a Good Idea, It's the Law.

So, has the speed of light, one of the bedrock constants in physics, changed over the life of the universe? Maybe, maybe not, but they sure are looking hard to check:

A new study of distant galaxies is adding a fresh perspective to the debate over whether a fundamental physical constant has actually changed over time. The work suggests the number has not varied in the last 7 billion years, but more observations are still needed to settle the issue.

Essentially, one study found it had changed, but subsequent studies have not. This is a new technique to look at the problem, but they're just starting out and their "resolution" isn't as good as the previous experiments, at least for now.

No, I don't know what good it does us to know this either. But then again, that's what people said about guys screwing around with static electricity back in the 18th century, and look where that's go us.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 17, 2005
Tails from the Trash Heap

From slashdot: scientists have made a breakthrough in scanning technologies that could potentially increase the number of classical works by as much as 20%:

The original papyrus documents, discovered in an ancient rubbish dump in central Egypt, are often meaningless to the naked eye - decayed, worm-eaten and blackened by the passage of time. But scientists using the new photographic technique, developed from satellite imaging, are bringing the original writing back into view. Academics have hailed it as a development which could lead to a 20 per cent increase in the number of great Greek and Roman works in existence. Some are even predicting a "second Renaissance".

Cool!

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2005
An "Eggciting" Find

New Scientist is reporting in this article on the first discovery of fossilized eggs inside the dinosaur about the lay them. Consisting of a pelvis and part of a leg from an oviraptor, the find provides the first strong evidence of how dinosaurs laid their eggs. Article includes two cool pictures of the find!

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2005
Open the Refrigerator Door, Hal

Japan's obsession with robotics really seems to be paying off now, as this New Scientist article demonstrates:

A ROBOT suit has been developed that could help older people or those with disabilities to walk or lift heavy objects.

Dubbed HAL, or hybrid assistive limb, the latest versions of the suit will be unveiled this June at the 2005 World Expo in Aichi, Japan, which opened last month. A commercial product is slated for release by the end of the year.

Will robotics be "the next Internet?" If so, I think it'll be the first time in modern history an entire field of research, engineering, and production was brought to term with a non-western country in the lead. And good for them too!

Bionic grammas... whodathunkit?

Via Site-Essential.

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2005
Mapping the Changes

This New Scientist article describes what must be the most ambitious gene mapping project to-date. Scientists plan on taking genetic samples from at least 100,000 people from all over the world in an attempt to use genetic markers to track human migrations over the past 10,000 to 15,000 years. Anyone can participate by purchasing a $100 sampling kit (most of the money will go toward funding the project).

The study itself will only use male DNA to create the map, because women just stop and ask for directions.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2005
God's Own Microwave?

Slashdot linked up the latest in "can't-see-it-coming" apocalypses, gamma ray bursts:

In the latest issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists argue that a gamma ray burst, the most powerful explosion that occurs in the universe, was responsible for the Ordovican mass extinction in which 60% of all marine invertebrates died.

Unfortunately the article doesn't reveal what sort of evidence these scientists are relying on. Unlike BFRs* falling from the sky, gamma rays don't leave trace evidence of exotic minerals scattered all over the planet. Even better, since they travel at the speed of light there's no way to detect a gamma ray burst on the way. This may change if we ever figure out where the dratted things come from (right now we have no idea), but until then if it's gonna get us, it's gonna get us.

Ain't the universe grand?

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* Big Fu--- rrm... Fat Rocks. Yeah, fat.

Posted by scott at 01:49 PM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2005
Three Words: Robotic Camel Jockey

No, really: robotic camel jockies:

The United Arab Emirates says it will use robots as jockeys for camel races from next season.

The move comes after widespread international criticism of the use of young children to ride camels during the long and often hazardous races.

I'd include a line from one of Olivia's Portugese children's shows, which has that camel song in it. However, since I'd just mangle the spelling I'll let Ellen add it in the comments later today.

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2005
Toothless Old Geezer

How long have we be putting up with crazy old relatives in our families? New evidence suggests a very long time indeed:

A nearly two-million-year-old fossil find in the Republic of Georgia may be evidence of the first signs of early human compassion, scientists say. According to a report published today in the journal Nature, the remains are from an individual who spent the last years of his life with only one tooth. This shortcoming may have left him dependent on the kindness of others in order to find sufficient sustenance.

The article goes on to note that this is the oldest example of "severe masticatory impairment" (scientist-speak for "not a tooth in his head") yet found. At 1.7 MYA, this isn't even a Homo sapien, but more likely whatever they happen to be calling (what I learned as) Homo erectus this week.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2005
More Hominid News

In the latest issue of Nature scientists are presenting strong evidence that "Tomai", a fossil skull discovered in 2002 (and first covered by us here) is in fact a hominid. The Washington Post's article is here and MSNBC's is here. Since they're both working from the same press release (or attended the same news conference), the text is similar, but MSNBC has the photos WaPo doesn't see fit to run in its online edition.

At 7 million years old, this puts us right on the edge of the split between chimps and humans. If we ever find that common ancestor, I'm lobbying for the name "chumanzee".

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2005
Kill Me Again

While it has been clear for some time the Permian mass extinction was by far the largest such event to be experienced by the Earth, the sequence of events surrounding it have still remained a mystery. By studying "organic fossils" found in rocks at Meishan in southern China, scientists are now beginning to believe there were actually several events in sequence, not just a single cataclysm. An interesting study about a time before dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
April 04, 2005
First Transparent Aluminum, Now This

Also from New Scientist: a report on the latest thing in material science, metallic glass. It's got the strength of a metal but the "springy-ness" of a liquid, and is now starting to be made cheaply in large quantities. What's it good for? So far the applications include medical devices, scalpel blades, and tennis rackets, but after decades of slow development the field is unfolding very rapidly. From what's in the article, pretty much anything that's made of cast metal could benefit from the stuff. Maybe my next bicycle will be made out of it?

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
That's Señior ET to You, Bub

Could important clues to extraterrestrial life be hiding away in an obscure lake in Mexico? NASA researchers think so:

The network of 170 cactus-ringed lagoons around the town of Cuatro Cienegas have intrigued evolutionary biologists for decades because their fish, snail and turtle species rival the Galapagos Islands in their uniqueness.

Scientists from NASA's Astrobiology Institute have begun studying the lakes' ancient formations called stromatolites -- rock structures formed by layers of algae that trap silt. Conditions within the stromatolites are similar to those that prevailed on Earth for more than 2 billion years before the dinosaurs evolved.

Since the conditions in these lakes closely resemble the primitive Earth, it's thought they could provide insights into what conditions to look for on other planets.

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
Magic Science

Problem: Type I diabetics have immune systems that destroy their own insulin-producing cells. Existing treatments require nasty drugs to keep this reaction under control, and stem cell treatment (while promising) doesn't really get around this problem.

Solution: Get the patient's own white blood cells to produce insulin. No, really:

Tantalising experiments that seem to have made human blood cells start producing insulin have raised the prospect of a new treatment for diabetes. Although the treatment has only been tried in mice so far, it might mean people can be cured with implants of their own cells.

As noted, the technique is in the preliminary stages, and stuff that works in mice has failed in humans before. Still, it's a new hope from a very strange angle.

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
April 01, 2005
Just Trust Me On This One

Ron gets an upstanding no-prize for bringing us news of new research in just how our brains act when we trust someone:

Turns out those emotions are nestled in the same area as the most powerful springtime feeling of all -- love.

Reporting in the April 1 issue of Science, the researchers used a simplified investment game to probe the workings of the human mind.

Because of where these centers are located, the research actually has important implications for the treatment of various neurological disorders.

Posted by scott at 12:16 PM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2005
Monkey See / Monkey Do / Monkey Sign an Autograph for You

I think we may have mentioned the study before, but at any rate ABCnews is taking an in-depth look at indications that our fascination for celebrity may actually be hard-wired into us, and shared by our distant cousins:

Dr. Michael Platt, a neurobiologist at Duke University Medical Center, led an experiment with 12 adult male rhesus macaque monkeys that he says may help explain the fascination with celebrities like socialite Paris Hilton.

Platt conducted the experiment by offering thirsty monkeys a choice: their favorite drink, in this case Juicy Juice cherry juice, or the opportunity to look at computer images of the dominant, "celebrity" monkey of their pack.

Despite their thirst, they chose to look at the pictures.

Even better, male monkeys would pay to see pictures of female's hindquarters. See ladies? We've been pigs for a long time.

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
Giving the Mind a Hand

While the international desk over at BBC news may be suspect, their science desk seems to be plugging right along, this time bringing us news of a remarkable development in cybernetic research:

Matthew Nagle, 25, was left paralysed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair after a knife attack in 2001.

The pioneering surgery at New England Sinai Hospital, Massachusetts, last summer means he can now control everyday objects by thought alone.

The brain chip reads his mind and sends the thoughts to a computer to decipher.

And yes, before you ask, it would definitely appear he's able to get himself a beer with this system. If it couldn't do that, it wouldn't be worth having!

Posted by scott at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2005
Scale Magic

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing the development of a new type of scale capable of measuring "zeptograms" (10-21g). It's done using a vibrating blade of silicon carbide only 100 nanometers long.

The device already has potential uses in biomedical and environmental research. If researchers can make it even more sensitive, the device has the potential to diagnose diseases very early by identifying single marker molecules in a drop of blood.

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2005
Tsunami Summary

BBCnews is carrying this article providing a very interesting point-by-point summary of last year's tsunami disaster. Scary stuff!

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2005
Blood and Bone

On the front page of the Post today: scientists have discovered soft tissue remains inside a T-Rex fossil. Apparently it was just dumb luck... they had to cut apart a femur fossil to get it to fit in a helicopter, and there the stuff was. They're playing down the "Jurassic Park DNA" angle right now, because it's not clear at all if DNA itself has survived. But it would appear that nearly everything else did. Even more interesting, they think there's probably more of this stuff inside bones already collected, simply because nobody had ever thought to look.

Soft tissue remains after 70 million years. Whodathunkit?

Update: This MSNBC article covers the same ground but includes the pictures that were found in the Post's print edition.

Posted by scott at 08:15 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2005
Well, Would You Look for a Shipwreck in a Cave?

The Egyptologists in the audience should find this New Scientist article interesting:

The first remains of ancient Egyptian seagoing ships ever to be recovered have been found in two caves on Egypt's Red Sea coast, according to a team at Boston University in the US.

There's a decent chance these are remains of some of the ships sent out by Queen Hatshepsut on a famous expedition to the mysterious land of "Punt", thought to be modern Yemen. If true, it would be the first hard evidence that trade across the Red Sea was ocurring during this time period.

Of course, as with everything involving 3500 year old relics, it's not completely certain.

Just for reference, when these boats were built, some thirty five centuries ago, the pyramids were already a thousand years old.

Posted by scott at 02:16 PM eMail this entry!
Swiss Army Plants

Washington Post today carried this article summarizing a remarkable discovery in plant genetics. It seems that plants can "fix" their genes with copies from ancestors long gone:

The newly discovered phenomenon, which resembles the caching of early versions of a computer document for viewing later, allows plants to archive copies of genes from generations ago, long assumed to be lost forever.

Great. I can't remember where I put my car keys this morning, but my house plant can call up the genetic code of its ancestors. Sometimes life just don't seem fair.

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2005
Couldn't Smell any Worse than Patchouli

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing the discovery of a Bronze Age perfume "factory". The site includes an olive press, copper smelting works, and a winery. By examining traces found on buried pottery, scientists have reconstituted 12 different perfumes. It's thought that ancient Crete (Minoans) was the primary customer, and that the earthquake that destroyed the factory actually played a key role in preserving its artifacts.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2005
And the Number Shall Be 13

Slashdot linked up this nifty New Scientist feature article detailing 13 "things that do not make sense"... items that scientists know about but cannot explain. A great look at the edges of knowledge from a variety of fields, from homeopathy to cosmology and more!

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
Black Hole Sun

One of the more interesting predictions of M-theory (the successor to various string theories) is that, at high enough energies, microscopic black holes can be created. Their presence in the correct experiments would represent a powerful and early experimental confirmation of this startling theory, which holds the promise of unifying gravity and quantum mechanics.

The trick, of course, is to generate high enough energies. Current predictions imply only the upcoming Large Hadron Collider in Europe would be powerful enough to even approach the energies needed. However, it appears that someone may have beaten them to the punch:

A fireball created in a US particle accelerator has the characteristics of a black hole, a physicist has said.

It was generated at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in New York, US, which smashes beams of gold nuclei together at near light speeds.

If true, this would be very interesting, as it could mean M-theory is both right in concept but wrong in detail. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 07:06 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2005
Maybe It'll Finally Explain Johnny Depp?

Found in the Post this morning: scientists have mapped nearly all of the human X chromosome. This one is much larger than the Y, which is why it took so much longer. The completion of this project has important implications for various sorts of genetic research, and hopefully why my wife gets "twitterpated" every time the titular actor grins at the screen.

Except for Ed Wood. She never looked the same again at him after that flick. Hee!

Posted by scott at 01:42 PM eMail this entry!
Motor Oil Madness

Ron gets a slick no-prize for bringing us this Discovery Channel article on recent discoveries regarding motor oil. While a seemingly pedestrian substance, motor oil is in fact a very sophisticated cocktail of petrolium products, detergents, and additives. So sophisticated in fact until recently nobody completely understood how some of the additives actually worked. Now, with a better understanding of said functioning, it is hoped scientists can come up with better, less polluting lubricants to create more "green" oils.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2005
Coming soon: the fat-free hot dog

WHAT!?

It is the new holy grail in the crusade against Britain's bulging waistlines - a low-calorie, vitamin-enriched hot dog that can prevent cancer and reduce cholesterol, and yet tastes exactly like the real thing.

Kinda takes the fun out of eating a hot dog.

Posted by Ellen at 05:26 PM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2005
Alzheimers News

One of the biggest problems with Alzheimers is the inability to directly diagnose the disease. The only sure way is autopsy, which is understandably a sub-optimal situation when you're trying to determine if treatment is needed.

However, according to this New Scientist article, such drastic measures may no longer be needed:

Takaomi Saido at the Riken Brain Science Institute in Wako, Japan, and his colleagues, have developed a new, non-toxic tracer that attaches itself to the amyloid plaques in the brain and can be detected by regular MRI scanners. The tracer is made from a form of fluorine that is a common additive in drinking water, and a form of hydrogen, which is known to bind to amyloid.

The technique is immediately useful in primary research, which uses special mice to examine disease progress and treatment effectiveness. The tracer works in human tissue, although no trials involving living humans have been initiated.

By detecting the disease before symptoms are exhibited and monitoring its progression after treatment, this technique should have profound implications in the fight against this tragic disease.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2005
I Only Hope it Wasn't a Rental

Looks like the tradition of being buried with your car has a long and storied history:

Decorated with jewellery and finely wrought harness and chariot gear, the 2,400-year-old grave is thought to have been a rallying-point for Britain's tribes 500 years later when the Romans moved north. Some 300 young cattle from all over the country were brought to Ferrybridge to feed an assembly running into thousands not far from where a Little Chef now stands.

No, not Aurthur, he was about eight centuries later. This guy did whatever he did just a little before Alexander started rampaging around Asia. Amazingly, the pyramids were already 2,000 years old at that point.

Posted by scott at 07:48 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2005
Tut Tut Tut...

A three-dimensional X-ray scan of Tutankhamun's mummy found no evidence to support theories he was murdered but failed to solve the 3,000-year-old mystery of how the young Egyptian pharaoh died.

Read entire article here.

With pictures!

Posted by Ellen at 08:50 PM eMail this entry!
The Hobbit's Head

Well, just what is the "Flores Hobbit" anyway? Is the dwarf hominid simply a microcephalic human? Is it a really short Homo erectus? Is it something else entirely? Carl Zimmer listened in on a press conference last week and got some answers. In short (as it were): no, definitely not microcephalic, possibly Homo erectus, and, most tantalizing of all, yes, possibly something else entirely.

It's also very good to hear the fossils are not going to get squirreled away by some politically motivated scientist, but are instead being actively studied by the anthropology community.

Via Silflay.

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
Bathysphere Bacteria

Ron gets a no-prize that works well under pressure for bringing us news of a most curious strain of deep-sea bacteria:

By sequencing the genome of the deep-sea bacteria Photobacterium profundum, strain SS9, a team of Italian and U.S. researchers have opened a window into how it survives in what is arguably the most bizarre, least understood and yet most common habitat on the planet — the near-freezing ocean bottoms two-and-a-half miles under the waves where the water pressure is 15,000-pounds-per-square-inch.

The adaptations it exhibits are striking to say the least.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2005
"Arming" Robots

While not particularly inspiring, this New Scientist report about a 17-year-old girl beating a robotic arm in an arm-wrestling contest does provide insight into how far the field of polymer muscles has come. Could actual bionic limbs be around the corner?

Posted by scott at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2005
Science Fiction, Science Fact

This Rednova article on the latest attempt by unimaginative Christians to shield themselves from reality tells me there's still a basic problem out there. To wit: many of you just don't seem to know what science is. So, being the resourceful folks we are, AMCGLTD is, as always, here to help:

How to Spot Science in 3 Easy Steps:

  1. Can the proposition be proven wrong? This is critical, and never emphasised enough. The theory that "the switch on the wall turns on the light over our heads" is science, since if throwing the switch opens the garage door, it has been proven wrong. The theory that "the switch on the wall sends a message to God" is not science, because it cannot be proven wrong*.
  2. Does the proposition make predictions about something you don't already know? This builds on statement 1, and is also critical and under-emphasised. The theory "Ellen is stronger than Superman" is science, because it predicts she can bend steel. The theory "Olivia is throwing a tantrum because she is spoiled rotten" is not science, because it doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know.
  3. Does the proposition suggest tests? This builds on step 2, because now we're trying to test the prediction made there. The theory "my bathtub drain has clogged up because an alien from the planet Zorg-9 crawled in and got stuck" is actually science, since a plumber can be summoned to test the prediction of a Zorgian stuck in the drain. The theory "water flows down the drain because God wills it" is not science, because it provides no way to test God's will.

It really is that simple. To be considered science a proposition must pass all three of these criteria. They are not optional. If it cannot be proven wrong, if it cannot make predictions, if does not suggest tests, then It. Is. Not. Science. It therefore cannot be taught in a science class. As far as I can tell, intelligent design cannot be proven wrong, makes no predictions to which we don't already know the answer, and provides no ability to test anything about it. Therefore, intelligent design is not science and has no business even being mentioned in a science class.

This is not to say faith is wrong, far from it. Just that faith is not science.

-----
* By people grounded in reality at any rate. There are some folks, I have corresponded with them so I know they exist, who will say "I know the message was sent because I have faith." When confronted with such a person, resist the urge to call the men with butterfly nets and instead snap back professinally "but that, my friend, is not science."

Posted by scott at 03:15 PM eMail this entry!
Face Time

Imagine walking through a crowded room, full of strangers glaring at you for no known reason. Even the most self-confident person would be intimidated. Well, new research seems to indicate that's exactly how autistic children feel all the time. By showing children pictures of different faces while scanning their brains with an MRI system, scientists discovered that while children in the control group responded negatively to hostile faces but normally to smiling ones, autistic children responded negatively to all faces shown to them. The study also indicates this is not caused by damage or malformation, but rather a lower level of activity in the fusiform region of the amigdala, the part of the brain responsible for facial recognition. These new insights could eventually lead to new treatments for this oftentimes devastating disease.

Posted by scott at 12:20 PM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2005
More "Hobbit Hominid" News

While I saw it in the Washington Post, this New Scientist article covers the same press conference without requiring registration:

Analysis of the diminutive cranium of Homo floresiensis - a tiny hobbit-like human that lived in Indonesia just 13,000 years ago - confirms it as a unique species and reveals remarkably advanced features for such a small brain.
...
This adds weight to the theory that H. floresiensis may have possessed an intelligence and tool-building ability traditionally associated with much larger-brained humans. The charred bones of animals were also found in the caves on Flores. "It may well be that the population was hunting, making tools and using fire," says Falk. "I'm conservative by nature but in light of these features we find nothing to contradict this speculation."

Scientific American did a big write-up on this in their last print issue. It looks as if many of the objections raised there (microcephaly in particular) are being answered. It would also seem the fear that the Indonesian scientist who had taken ultimate possession of the fossils would hide them away forever is turning out to be unfounded.

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2005
An Invisibility Cloak for Really Tiny People

Slashdot linked up a new technique for making things "invisible" to electromagnetic radiation. The article plays up the "cloak of invisibility" angle, right up to the point where the scientists point out for their technique to work it requires objects to be smaller than the (single!) wavelength of light you're trying to "shield" against.

However, the technique should have far broader applications against lower frequencies like those found in radar. Which makes me wonder... about fifteen years ago Aviation Week & Space Technology reported the gold tinting seen on many aircraft canopies and windows was actually a stealth technology. This technique uses gold and silver as its primary materials. Could civilian scientists have independently stumbled onto how that sort of thing actually works?

Yeah, probably not. But things like that have happened before!

Posted by scott at 10:17 AM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2005
String Leaks

Does the expanding and accelerating universe require a mysterious "dark energy" force, accounting for perhaps 70% of the mass-energy budget of the universe, to work? Not according to New York University physicist Georgi Dvali. His theory, presented earlier this month at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, explains the observations not with some sort of neo-aether, but instead with a modification of gravity itself.

Instead of gravity acting on objects with a predictable and consistent force, Dvali postulates that over vast intergalactic distances gravity "leaks" out of the observed universe:

"The gravitons behave like sound in a metal sheet," says Dvali. "Hitting the sheet with a hammer creates a sound wave that travels along its surface. But the sound propagation is not exactly two-dimensional as part of the energy is lost into the surrounding air. Near the hammer, the loss of energy is small, but further away, it's more significant."

The result? A universe that becomes "self-accelerating" over time, just as we observe now.

The mechanism that "springs the leak"? The extra dimensions predicted in string theory, which postulate as many as seven extra dimensions to the better-known four of conventional spacetime. In fact, the test results predicted by Dvali's theory could end up being an important confirmation of string theory, which to-date has proven stubbornly resistant to such real-world tinkering.

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
Hot Eye for the Fish Fry?

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing new research into how fish eyes work. By studying such diverse ocean fish as tuna and swordfish, scientists have determined an entire class of fish have developed the ability to keep their eye temperatures much higher than the surrounding water. This gives them the ability to see movement at much greater depths than fish without the adaptation. While interesting in and of itself, it's hoped the research will also lead to more efficient long-line lures that will attract the correct fish without causing harm to "undesired" catches of things like sea turtles.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2005
Stem Cell Boobs!

INSTEAD of silicone implants or tissue taken from elsewhere in the patient's body, plastic surgeons might soon be using tissue grown from patients' own stem cells.

Read entire article here.

Very cool!

Posted by Ellen at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2005
Roamin' Raptors

"Raptor" dinosaurs, once thought to only have roamed Asia and North America, have now been found in Argentina. While not as advanced as its moviestar cousin Velociraptor, Neuquenraptor argentinus was definitely related. Sometimes I wish I could see dinosaurs roaming around. Then I read about these things, and I'm glad they're not here anymore.

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2005
Behold the Cave of Caerbannog!

So, just how long ago did Bugs's earliest ancestor live? A recent find in the Mongolian desert seems to indicate about 55 million years past. While the discovery of a "first bunny" may seem a bit esoteric, according to the article it actually has important implications for dating the rise of placental mammals.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2005
A Box o' Science?

While the "James Ossuary Box" was effectively proven a forgery last year, the question of who created the thing was still left to solve. Now, according to this WaPo article (free reg, blah blah) , they have an answer:

The first group of experts heralded it as one of archaeology's greatest discoveries, a burial box inscribed with the earliest reference to Jesus ever found. But after a closer look, another group of specialists debunked the find as an elaborate hoax.

Now Israeli authorities have indicted the box's owner as a serial forger. But far from putting the case of the "James Ossuary" to rest, the indictment has further polarized opposing sides in an increasingly vitriolic dispute.

Posted by scott at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2005
Growin' Yer Own

New Scientist is carrying this summary of a new development in stem cell research:

Silicon breast implants could be replaced by tissue grown from a person's own stem cells within a decade, suggests new research.
...
Implants grown from stem cells could provide a safer alternative to silicon or saline implants, which can rupture and also interfere with breast cancer detection. They could also be aesthetically superior, keeping their shape and size for longer than artificial inserts, which typically shrink by 40% to 60% over many years, through spreading.

The spam potential is just, well, staggering.

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2005
Hominid News

Sometimes the most important fossils are the ones you find in a drawer:

A new analysis of human remains first discovered in 1967 suggests that they are in fact much older than previously believed. The results, published today in the journal Nature, push back the emergence of our species by nearly 35,000 years.

In other words, to about 195,000 years ago. This apparently dovetails nicely with genetic research, which suggests a similar date.

Posted by scott at 12:14 PM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2005
The Perfect Storm

Twin cyclones battered three south Pacific nations and weather experts warned they could combine into one giant, destructive storm center that would create havoc in the region.

Samoa and neighboring American Samoa were forecast to feel the full force of the cyclone within four to six hours, possibly intensifying to a Category 4/5 storm -- making it a "super cyclone" producing sustained winds over 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour and 15 meter (50-foot) waves, APCEDI said.

Read entire article here.

You know all those wacky mOONbats are trying to figure out how to blame the Republicans on this one.

Posted by Ellen at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2005
Tsunami Tumble

New Scientist is carrying this article that details new findings about the Cretaceous-era asteroid impact that is widely believed to have killed off the dinosaurs. By examining geologic deposits in the La Popa basin in northeast Mexico, scientists believe they've found evidence for a tsunami perhaps 80 feet tall that pushed water some 150 miles inland. The resulting catastrophic jumble is thought to explain why some Cretaceous fossils can be found in stratigraphy that is dated in other ways as far too young or old to have been affected by the impact.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2005
Washed Clean

Fark linked up this admittedly thin silver lining to the recent tsunami disaster:

The 30-feet waves, which reshaped the Bay of Bengal and swept more than 16,000 Indians to their deaths, shifted thousands of tons of sand to unearth the pair of elaborately carved stone lions near the 7th-century Dravidian Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram.

Indian archaeologists believe these granite beasts once guarded a small port city under the Pallava dynasty, which ruled much of southern India from 100BC to AD800. The six-foot high lion statues, each hewn from a single piece of granite, are breathtakingly lifelike. One great stone cat sits up alert while the other is poised to pounce.

Sounds like an H.P. Lovecraft novel, right down to the giant disaster and the marooned fisherman.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2005
Birth, Life, and Death

New Scientist is carrying this report summarizing some interesting findings about female longevity and childbirth. By studying the medical records of four generations of Finns born between 1745 and 1903, scientists have determined the age of the mother when children were born had a significant affect on her life expectancy. No corresponding relationship was found with fathers.

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2005
Gaia Clouds

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing new research about coral reefs and weather. Scientists have found that coral reefs may actually be able to create their own clouds when the temperature gets too hot. While even they say the research is very preliminary, this could be the first test case for the "Gaia theory", which postulates that life itself alters the Earth's climate to ensure suitable conditions.

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2005
'Mermaid' baby facing surgery

LIMA, Peru (AP) -- A Peruvian medical team is preparing for pioneering surgery to separate the fused legs of a 9-month-old girl born with a rare condition known as sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome."

Milagros Cerron, who has fused legs but separated feet, is one of very few people in the world with the condition, doctors say.

Modern medicine is an amazing thing.

With pix.

Posted by Ellen at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2005
"Flaking" History

Ron gets a stone-chipped no-prize for bringing us this Discovery On-Line article about recent hominid finds in Britain:

A recent excavation of 400,000-year-old stone tools in Britain suggests that two groups of early humans could have competed with each other for food and turf.

They can tell this because two distinct kinds of tools have now been found in Britain from around this time period. One is the well-known Acheulean stone axe culture most commonly associated with Neandertals, while the other is a (to me at least) more obscure Clactonian culture. It's possible these may even represent completely different species of human, which would be ground-breaking news for Britain, which current theory holds was never occupied by more than a single species at any one time.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2005
Bird Brains Revised

It turns out that bird brains are a lot more complex than previously thought:

Birds are not stupid and their brains are not primitive so it is about time the scientific world gave them full credit, experts said on Monday.

An international group of avian experts took on the slow-moving world of scientific nomenclature, calling for a new map of the avian brain that reflects its true structure.

As they fly gracefully across the sky, it's hard to deny some sort of smarts are involved. Of course, when they crash headlong into a window, it's hard to overestimate it.

Then again, people walk into glass doors all the damned time. It would seem that nature did not wire any of us for large walls that can be seen through.

Posted by scott at 03:22 PM eMail this entry!
Monster Crab, Monster Nose

BBCnews is carrying this update on our favorite land-based horror, the robber crab. Turns out this crustacean, which is descended from ocean-going species, evolved a "nose" that re-invented key elements of a distant ancestor... insects. It's now considered to be one of the most striking cases of convergent evolution ever found.

As long as they stay on those islands, I'm fascinated. If one starts trying to steal my sandwich, I'm getting a gun.

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2005
Monkeynomics

Slashdot linked up this summary of a rather interesting monkey behavior study:

A new study found that male monkeys will give up their juice rewards in order to ogle pictures of female monkey's bottoms. The way the experiment was set up, the act is akin to paying for the images, the researchers say.

The rhesus macaque monkeys also splurged on photos of top-dog counterparts, the high-ranking primates. Maybe that's like you or me buying People magazine.

While the article plays up the "monkeys pay for porn too" angle, I thought it was at least as interesting that they seemed to have an innate sense of economic costs and benefits. Monkeys were willing to "pay" more for what they really wanted, but were also willing to "buy" less desirable objects if they received more "money" (juice) to do so.

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2005
No Wonder Ellen is so Healthy

My "foot-twitches-so-hard-it-shakes-the-car" wife will be happy to learn she's actually got a healthy habit:

Overweight people have a tendency to sit, while lean ones have trouble holding still and spend two hours more a day on their feet, pacing around and fidgeting, according to researchers whose findings were published on Friday.

Which also proves children work from a different metabolic table, otherwise Olivia would be the thinnest child on the planet.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
Insert NWA Joke Here

Ron gets a strangely attractive no-prize for bringing us the latest in human pheromone research:

A scent exuded by young women as a subconscious sex attractant has been synthesized for post-menopausal women, who are finding it is luring men in droves, the British weekly New Scientist reported.

Of course, providing this sort of thing for women is sort of like giving a shark sharper teeth. I'll be a lot more interested when they get one that works in the opposite direction.

Oink oink!

Posted by scott at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2005
Turin Time

BBCnews is carrying this summary of a development in the "is not/is too/is not/is too" controversy over the dating of the Shroud of Turin. Now a scientist is claiming the sample taken in 1988, which dated the shroud to the 13th or 14th centuries AD and therefore a fake, was actually taken from a re-woven section of the cloth not representative of the whole.

I've watched several documentaries on the thing, and one of the most damming pieces of evidence aside from the radiocarbon date is the face itself. Were it to be an actual death shroud, the face would look far more distorted, "cheekier", than it is as the 3-dimensional reality was imprinted on the 2-dimensional cloth.

Anyone who believes the Bible is the literal word of God already knows the thing is a fake, as John clearly records Jesus's wounds as being on his hands, not his wrists.

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2005
Fairness Starts at the End of a Banana?

BBCnews is carrying this article studying "fairness" responses in chimpanzees. The research results strongly imply that our own sense of fairness is an evolved response, and has probably been with primates since at least the monkey-ape split some thirty million years ago.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2005
Kissing Cousins

New Scientist is carrying this summary of new DNA research related to the human genome. By studying the relative differences between human and chimp DNA, and then comparing that result with a similar comparison between mice and rats, scientists have made a very interesting discovery. It would seem that the common ancestor of chimps and humans went through an "evolutionary bottleneck", when perhaps as few as 10,000 individuals existed at one point. This has made us comparatively more susceptible to genetic-based diseases (like cancer) when compared to other species which did not go through such an event.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2005
Speaking of Enviro-Weenies

It's as if millions of hippies cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced:

Scientists have traditionally viewed the relative stability of the Earth's climate since the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago as being due to natural causes, but there is evidence that changes in solar radiation and greenhouse gas concentrations should have driven the Earth towards glacial conditions over the last few thousand years.

What stopped it has been the activity of humans, both ancient and modern, argue the scientists.

As noted on another less puppy-friendly blog, this hypothesis has been floating around in Sci-Fi circles at least for quite some time. Nice to see some advanced climate modeling providing positive tests. See Joshua*... when ya reads sci-fi, ya learns things!

At least these climate models are simply trying to account for existing conditions, instead of trying to give chicken-littles a warm n' fuzzy by predicting future (and obviously tragic) ones. The former being, of course, far less sexy than the latter as it does not allow a small group of noisy luddites with unfortunate patchouli fetishes to impose their will on the rest of us.

-----
* Personal friend and multiple no-prize winner Joshua has a bit of an aversion to our favorite literary genre**. Apparently, though, he's signed up for a college class that will be giving him SF books to read as assignments. Why the boy refuses to believe in karma is beyond me...

** His fingers don't char, but I could've sworn I heard a faintly hissed "It burnss usss!!!" when he recently picked up what I'm currently reading. Maybe the paper wasn't acid free?

Posted by scott at 10:59 AM eMail this entry!
"Mapping" the Difference

At first I thought this article on why women seem to be such bad map readers was a joke. I mean, come on, the lead scientist's name is "Jung"? But then I read this (emphasis added):

Research has also found that in childhood, girls' vocabulary develops more quickly and that in later life women can speak 20,000 to 25,000 words a day compared to a man's 7000 to 10,000.

Judging by how much (and how fast) my wife talks on the phone, this may be an underestimate.

Sexist pig? Why yes, and thank you!

Posted by scott at 08:15 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2005
Gladiator Smack-Down?

Scotsman.com provides a detailed summary of a New Scientist article (original excerpt here) that describes some new research into the history of Roman gladiators:

To amuse the crowds around the arena the gladiators would display broad fighting skills rather than fight for their lives, argues archaeologist Steve Tuck of the University of Miami. "Gladiatorial combat is seen as being related to killing and shedding blood," he says. "But I think that what we are seeing is an entertaining martial art that was spectator-oriented."

I think they're over-simplifying it a bit, because earlier literature (Seutonius, etc.) refers to older gladiator contests as being fights to the death. However, it's quite likely that as the sport evolved and became more and more popular, deadly endings became less and less common, especially among "superstars."

But I think it would be a mistake to come to the conclusion these were simply WWE matches on an outdoor sand-floored ring, or that gladiator death was not possible. The chariot races were probably the only sport more popular than gladiator contests (often the chariot teams formed the nucleus of powerful political parties), and were probably at least as expensive. Yet ancient historians often chronicle how dangerous and bloody that sport was right up until the Christians closed it down in the sixth century AD.

Modern historians have for quite some time known gladiator combats gradually became less deadly over time. The primary innovation this particular archeologist seems to have brought to the table is a set of theories as to how and why this trend ocurred.

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
"Die Back" Cause Discovered?

Washington Post today is carrying this article summarizing some new developments about the great Permian extinction event. Thought to have destroyed 70% of all land species and perhaps 90% of all ocean species, the causes of this 250 million-year-old event have always been a hotly contested mystery. Now, some scientists are pointing a finger at massive global warming caused by gigantic amounts of volcanic activity coming from huge fissures in the earth known as the "Siberian Traps."

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2005
Hominid News

Fark (of all places) linked up news of a new hominid fossil find. This time it's 4.5 million year old Ardipithecus ramidus, thought to be the first hominid species to arise after the chimpanzee-human split. The bad news: not much more than teeth, toes, and fingers. The good news: it's still enough to show they were fully bipedal at the time.

Posted by scott at 04:03 PM eMail this entry!
I Knew that Little Yellow Rat was No Damned Good

Ron gets a no-prize in a red-and-white ball for bringing us news of the very interesting gene with a really goofy name:

Drugs to shut down the newly identified gene, which the researchers named POKEMON (for POK Erythroid Myeloid Ontogenic factor), could treat a wide spectrum of cancers, Pandolfi added, because other cancer-causing genes appear to lose their power when this key gene is switched off.

Who says scientists don't have a sense of humor? Ok, judging by this, I'll have to concede it's not much of one, but still...

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2005
Golden Treasures

Washington Post this morning carried this article detailing new artifacts found in the ruins of Nero's "Golden House". Built in Rome after the great fire in 64 AD, it was actually a gigantic complex of buildings and gardens centered in the heart of the city. While well attested and described in the various ancient books we have from the period, generations immediately after Nero essentially erased the place from the city's map. Still, in their haste to destroy all traces of the last Julio-Claudian, they ended up preserving more than they demolished, and we moderns seem to be the beneficiaries.

The site is enormous, and could take a century to excavate. Still, it provides a very interesting look at one of the most puzzling emperors in history.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2005
Death Diets

New studies out pretty much confirm what we've always suspected: if it tastes good, it's probably going to kill you. Eat red meat, get cancer. Eat all the damned fruits and veggies you can, still get cancer.

Or, as the T-shirt says: Eat well, exercise regularly, die anyway.

Posted by scott at 02:40 PM eMail this entry!
-.-. . .-.. - --- -.-. . .-..

Slashdot linked up news that scientists have discovered the cells in our body use a sort of biological "Morse Code" to communicate with each other. The finding has profound implications in drug research, especially that regarding supressing the messaging molecules. According to this research, such an approach could actually be counterproductive.

Posted by scott at 07:29 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2005
Turning the [Evolutionary] Tables

New fossil discoveries from China are yet again turning evolutionary history on its head. This time they've discovered large (~ 1 meter long) mammals living in the Jurassic that were actually preying on dinosaurs. The dating pushes back the time large mammals were thought to exist by a full 65 million years. The two types, Repenomamus giganticus and Repenomamus robustus, were members of a poorly understood group of mammals, the tricodonts, which may have died out even before the dinosaurs. Quite a step up from squeaking mouse-things scrabbling in the bush, eh?

Posted by scott at 02:17 PM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2005
Down a Well

Carrie gets a well-shaken no-prize for bringing us news of just how far the affects of the recent tsunami-inducing earthquake reached:

The South Asian earthquake that spawned deadly tsunami waves also shifted water levels by at least 3 feet in a geologically sensitive Virginia well some 9,600 miles away from the epicenter, researchers say.

While I have no way to confirm it, after several beers a person who worked on the Titan missle system as it was coming on line in the early sixties had a similar tale to tell. Seems the shock from the Alaskan earthquake of 1964 was severe enough to crash the gyroscopes in all the Air Force's missiles. No gyros meant no way to target the missles, which meant there was no real way to aim them. It took a few days to recover, but during that time the nation's land-based ICBM force was essentially grounded. At the height of the cold war, this was no small thing.

Posted by scott at 10:51 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2005
Ectopia Cordis

Charli Southern has defied the odds by surviving despite being born with her heart outside her chest, it is reported.

She was born seven weeks premature with a very rare condition called ectopia cordis where the chest fails to close properly over part of the heart.

Doctors rated Charli's chances of survival at two million to one, but so far she has confounded medical opinion.

But she is making a good recovery following two major operations, and it is hoped she will lead a normal life.

Read entire article here. With picture!
Posted by Ellen at 08:56 PM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2005
When Ya Just Gotta Go

Ron gets a very regular no-prize for bringing us myth busting, metamucil style:

Conventional wisdom about constipation is often only folklore, with no basis in fact, a new German report claims.

Actually a rather interesting report, considering.

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
~ When the Eagle Smashes / Into the Dove ~

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing new DNA discoveries about the apex predator of prehistoric New Zealand, the Haas Eagle. It turns out this gigantic bird, nearly 40% larger than the largest eagle in existence today, is most closely related to one of the smallest eagles now found in Australia.

The relationship is much closer than scientists originally thought, with the two sharing a common ancestor perhaps just 1 million years ago. Nobody'd ever encountered a species that changed this much this fast, so the biological implications alone are deeply interesting.

These big raptors fed on the biggest birds of them all, the giant Moa. Both were driven to extinction shortly after the arrival of people, about 700 years ago.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2005
It's Just Not Cricket

Scientific American is carrying this article summarizing new findings about longevity and nutrition in, of all things, crickets. It was found that while well-fed female field crickets lived longer than their "starved" sisters, the exact opposite was the case in males. The difference? Well-fed males used all their energy to attract even more females, to the point it killed them faster.

Which just shows there sometimes really isn't all that much difference in the various species of the animal kingdom, be they human or cricket.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2004
Whoa

Making the rounds, via various sources: some areas of SE Asia may have moved as much as ten yards as a result of the recent earthquakes. Yeah, you can walk ten yards in ten seconds. But can you move a thousands-of-tons-of-earth island that quickly? Didn't think so.

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
Standard Time

Scientific American is carrying this interesting article which details just how accurate "accurate time" can be:

The best reported uncertainty [of a cesium atomic fountain clock] at the time of this writing is about 6 x 10-16 for the NIST-F1 fountain standard ... Put another way, if the frequency standard could be operated indefinitely as a clock it would neither gain nor lose more than a second in 50 million years compared to a perfect clock.

Something tells me one of these cesium gizmos will be more expensive than those Breitling watches I was fascinated with a few months ago. But not as stylish!

I need to get out more...

Posted by scott at 09:12 AM eMail this entry!
December 24, 2004
A Bug's Life

Ron gets a chitinous no-prize for bringing us news (and pictures) of the new "world's largest cockroach". Disappointing only in that they didn't actually say how big the gigantic cockroach actually is.

True story, related to me by a former boss: "Back in Mississippi when I was a kid, we had a giant maple tree in the front lawn. We loved to play and climb it, but eventually it got infested with Palmetto bugs [which are essentially roaches the size of your palm -- Scott], which rapidly spread to our house. We tried to ignore the problem at first by calling an exterminator to fix the house. He did what he could, but it turned out not to work very well.

One summer night, my sister's leg kept itching while she slept. She scratched and scratched at it, but it did no good. So she finally woke up a little and really scratched it. It was only when she pulled up a bug leg the size of her pinkie finger that she realized what was... once... climbing up her leg. We got rid of the tree shortly after, but my sister wasn't right for the rest of the summer."

If this thing is bigger than a palmetto bug, I can only say I'm glad it's in Borneo!

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2004
Ancient Sprawl

Washington Post is carrying this summary of recent archeological discoveries in costal Peru. Scientists have found strong evidence of a sophisticated civilization nearly as old as that of the Egyptians. Weirdly, their technology seems to have consisted of nothing more complex than stone tools, even though they appear to have had well-developed trade relations with smaller costal communities.

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2004
Whale Weirdness

New Scientist is carrying this report on what must be one of the weirder marine biology stories of the year:

A lone whale with a voice unlike any other has been wandering the Pacific for the past 12 years.

Marine biologist Mary Ann Daher of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, US, and her colleagues used signals recorded by the US navy’s submarine-tracking hydrophones to trace the movements of whales in the north Pacific.

Sounds like a Discovery Channel special in the making.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2004
Broca and Wernicke and Geschwind, oh My!

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing some new discoveries about brain structures and language. By studying people with a new type of scanner, scientists have confirmed the involvment of a third area of the brain in language processing. Called "Geschwind's territory", it joins the better-known Broca and Wernicke areas long understood to be involved in language.

At least as interesting is the fact that lower primates also share this construction. The primary differences seem to be related to the strength and type of connections in humans.

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2004
Darwin's Snake

BBCnews is carrying this report on how selection pressures have, in the span of 70 years, lead to significant changes in two species of snakes:

The toads (Bufo marinus) were only introduced in the 1930s [to Australia] but have already overwhelmed the local wildlife in Queensland with their rapid reproduction and toxic flesh, which kills many predators foolish enough to make them a meal.

But for two species of snake, at least, natural selection has produced a defence: the snakes have developed relatively smaller heads and longer bodies.

But of course, evolution is just a theory. Nobody's ever actually seen a species change over time, right?

Next...

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2004
Nanotube News

Space.com is carrying this summary of a new technique for manufacturing everyone's favorite molecular test-tube. By injecting water into the initial formation process, Japanese scientists are able to produce very pure nanotubes without follow-on purification techniques required by other processes. This means larger yield at a lower price, which is good for everyone. It's thought the process could be used to make commercial products in 5-10 years.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
"Capping" Control

Ron gets a no-prize with a funny hat on it for bringing us this Discovery Channel article on a new development in thought-controlled interfaces. By using new sensors and construction techniques, scientists have constructed a "Brain-Computer Interface" that doesn't suffer from the noise problems of previous attempts at this technology. It's hoped that this technology will provide people with spinal injuries significant gains in mobility.

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2004
Well, at Least This Chick is Supposed to have Tentacles

Ron gets a squishy no-prize for bringing us this story of a rather unique sort of mothering experience:

It was a May-December romance that really had legs: Young Aurora, a female giant octopus and her aging cephalopod suitor J-1 were thrown together for a blind date seven months ago by aquarists who hoped the two would mate.

I've always found it really weird that such big critters live for such a short time (5-7 years, tops).

Posted by scott at 02:13 PM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2004
Amazons R Us?

A recent examination of the bones of a Persian warrior burial have revealed a startling fact:

DNA tests on the 2,000-year-old bones of a sword-wielding Iranian warrior have revealed the broad-framed skeleton belonged to [a] woman, an archaeologist working in the northwestern city of Tabriz said on Saturday.

A little strange that they had to resort to DNA, but I guess that depends on the condition of the skeleton itself. Sexing is a breeze if you have the pelvis (I don't care how "big boned" she is, the female human pelvis is quite distinctive), and you can get pretty close with just a few other key bones. However, it's also possible they just didn't have the pelvis, or the bones were in really bad shape. Then DNA testing would be the only way to be sure.

Logic would tend to indicate to me that they probably didn't have the pelvis, but had a pretty darned good idea this was a woman. The test was needed to clinch it, since the conclusion is so unexpected.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2004
Top o' the World

Pat gets a frigid no-prize for bringing us this NYT summary of the first arctic expedition to retrieve deep-water core samples. The science is already a bonanza, since nobody's ever seen any sort of geological sampling from this area before. What's more surprising is that very same geology seems to indicate a very high potential for oil reserves.

Now, what was that again about peak oil and Hubbert's prediction?

Posted by scott at 03:56 PM eMail this entry!
~ Bit by Bit, Putting it Together ~

BBCnews is carrying this report on a new DNA research project. By combining the common DNA found in disparate mammal species, scientists have constructed what they think is the DNA sequence of the first mammalian ancestor, a creature that lived about 75 million years ago.

While interesting, such "unionizing" has problems even beyond those mentioned in the article. What they got was not the DNA sequence of our common ancestor, but a sequence which we and that ancestor share. In other words yes, as the article mentions you can find out that the first car had wheels, an engine, and a windshield by looking at modern automobiles. However, surveying a sample of new cars and using them to create an "average" windshield, engine, wheels, etc. will not in fact yield a Model-T*.

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* Yes, yes, I know, I know. The Model-T wasn't the very first "car" as such. However, it's the very first old car most people are familiar with, and besides you can't get two automotive historians to agree on what actually is the first car even if you put them in a sack and tossed them in a river. You should get out more.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2004
Pleistocene Knock-Outs

Scientific American is carrying this article detailing new developments in the causes of the great megafauna extinctions of the late pleistocene. By using DNA studies of ancient bison fossils scientists have found indications of decreasing diversity starting as early as 37,000 years ago. This is a much earlier than the arrival of large numbers of humans in the same environment, which would seem to put a dent in the "we killed them all" hypothesis.

Posted by scott at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Montgomery Scott, White Courtesy Phone Please

Apparently transparent aluminum isn't actually science fiction:

Scientists in the US have developed a novel technique to make bulk quantities of glass from alumina for the first time. Anatoly Rosenflanz and colleagues at 3M in Minnesota used a "flame-spray" technique to alloy alumina (aluminium oxide) with rare-earth metal oxides to produce strong glass with good optical properties.

Not exactly like having an engine block you can see through, but interesting nonetheless.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2004
Well Somebody's Got to Talk About it

Ron gets a sparkling porcelain no-prize for bringing us news of the World Toilet Summit. The conference aims to improve world hygene (and therefore world health) by exchanging ideas, technology, and design about how to get cleaner, safer, more user-friendly toilets out into the world.

Posted by scott at 02:42 PM eMail this entry!
November 27, 2004
Stonehenge East?

Russian scientists recently announced the discovery of a monument in central Russia remarkably similar in form and function to England's Stonehenge. Like Stonehenge, this new site was a circular structure composed of columns with a central platform in the middle. It also served as a celestial calculator, allowing accurate measurments of things like the summer and winter solstice. It was even built around the same time.

However, the Russians are not claiming the builders had anything to do with each other. Instead, the monument represents a kind of cultural "convergence"... two disparate peoples coming to a similar solution to a similar problem.

Posted by scott at 07:50 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2004
I Like "Fish Event Horizon" Myself

Fark (of all places) linked up this New Scientist article summarizing some new archeological findings about an interesting change in medieval fishing habits:

James Barrett and colleagues at the University of York looked at fish bones, dating from AD 600 to AD 1600, recovered from a range of archaeological sites across Britain. To their surprise, they discovered a sudden and dramatic change in the intensity of fishing and the type of fish deposited at the sites in just a 50-year period, around AD 1000.

While the article tries to connect this strange development with modern over-fishing problems, I didn't really see the connection.

Posted by scott at 07:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2004
Paging Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, White Courtesy Phone Please

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing a recent achievement in the use of nanotubes. Scientists in the UK are now reporting the ability to use these atom-scale "test tubes" to force molecules into long, straight chains. In the particular case mentioned in the article, this resulted in the creation of a high-quality fullerene polymer, but the principle should work with most any molecule. The immediate practical applications are thought to be the creation of very-high-quality polymers at far cheaper prices than has previously been possible.

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2004
Time to Convert Some Atheists

Behold the Power of Chocolate:

An ingredient in chocolate may actually be a more effective cough medicine than traditional remedies, a new study suggests.

And not only that, the UK-based research showed that the cocoa-derived compound had none of the side effects associated with standard drug treatments for persistent coughs.

Turns out the compound theobromine does a better job of cough supression than even codine, the standard "against which others are measured". Next up: figuring out the proper dose for a desired effect. As someone who just lost a round with Olivia's "germ-fu", anything that helps me stop burning through my tongue with cough drops is a Very Good Thing.

Posted by scott at 03:51 PM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2004
Ancient Ape

It's been a banner week for human origins news, with this WaPo article and this CNN.com article capping a great week of discovery. Both summarize the discovery of one of the oldest, and most complete, ape fossils found to-date. Thought to be about 13 million years old, the remains express most of the fundamental anatomical features that make apes different from monkeys and earlier primates. While scientists think older species of apes probably existed, this find's completeness is what makes it so unique and important.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2004
We are the Knights who Say... Global Warming

Ron gets a no-prize that heats up periodically for no reason for bringing us this intriguing climate study using French grape harvest records going back some six hundred years. The verdict? The present "super-unique warm climate" is neither. At least three times in those past six centuries, one span lasting some fifty years, southern France has experienced warm periods very similar to what we're all experiencing today.

To me, this is just more evidence of what I've believed for a long time... global climate is amazingly complex, and the Earth-Sun system staggeringly large. Compared to what this system can do to itself, via volcanism, sunspots, even orbital perturbations and impacts, we are but gnats banging on the glass.

Posted by scott at 06:30 PM eMail this entry!
Insert "Sir Mix-a-Lot" Joke Here

This NYTimes article summarizes new research in hominid locomotion and how it influenced our evolution. It would seem that the unique requirements of long-distance running profoundly shaped our physiology, and perhaps gave us the decisive edge needed to evolve large brains.

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
~ 'Cos I Got [Human] Pac Man Fever ~

New Scientist is carrying this story about a new application of a concept called "augmented reality". Instead of completely replacing the "world", as happens in virtual reality, augmented reality instead imposes virtual stuff on what is otherwise the real world. While the subject of the article is the creation of a life-sized human-powered version of the classic arcade game "Pac Man", there are more pratical applications. The article specifically mentions medical and military use; Aviation Week has also mentioned the technology in relation to making civil aviation simpler, safer, and easier.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
A Long Time Ago, at a Campsite Far, Far Away

In the Post this morning and at CNN: an Archeologist is claiming to have found evidence of human occupation of North America about 50,000 years ago. This would shatter all previous estimates, which generally start at around 13,000 years ago. However, the findings are definitely not without controversy, and what little detail that is available in the popular press makes it sound like the "artifacts" could simply be the remnants of natural wildfires.

Posted by scott at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2004
Odds and Evens

Scientific American is reporting on the discovery of a new type of superconductor:

Researchers have found the clearest evidence yet for a superconducting state that differs from its mirror image. Lead scientist Ying Liu of Penn State University says the results, which come after six years of effort, are “definitive proof” that strontium ruthenate, or SRO, exhibits “odd-parity” superconductivity, sometimes called spin-triplet superconductivity. But not everyone is convinced yet. The results are published in the current issue of Science.

Unfortunately the article does not explain just what, exactly, the practical significance of this "odd-parity" superconductor is, so for now it would seem to be a simple curiosity. However, in science "simple curiosities" seldom stay that way for long.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
Zoom! Hypersonic Edition

Making the rounds: NASA successfully completed its Hyper-X program yesterday, with the successful Mach 10 flight of the last X-43A. It was mounted on a Pegasus rocket and then dropped from a B-52. When the rocket reached 110,000 feet, the X-43A craft separated and continued powered flight using its scramjet engine. This milestone represents a significant advance in propulsion technology, as previous scramjet flights had never made it past Mach 5.

For reference, escape velocity (required to get into Earth orbit) is around Mach 33 at sea level, and around mach 25 at very high altitude. I think. Air pressure and temperature are critical to this measurement, and math makes my head hurt.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2004
Tossing Trash

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing a new way of analyzing ancient settlement patterns that lead to a surprising conclusion. One of the hallmarks of permanent human settlement is some sort of rudimentary method of getting rid of garbage. Even tossing stuff into the street counts, and leaves a distinctive pattern.

By studying the trash patterns at Wadi Hammeh 27, traditionally considered the oldest permanent settlement ever found, two Australian researchers have concluded it wasn't in fact a permanent settlement. Instead, it seems to represent a semi-permanent camp used seasonally by the hunter-gatherers that inhabited the region. This effectively resets the date for "first permanently settled humans" from 12,000 years ago to around 9,200 years ago, which is also when evidence of agriculture starts showing up.

Posted by scott at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2004
Brings a Whole New Meaning to "Boom Box"

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing the development of a new technology that could be used to sterilize food without requiring pasteurization (which affects flavor). By using intense flashes of ultraviolet light and shockwaves of up to 1000 atmospheres in pressure, scientists are able to create microscopic air bubbles in food that, somehow, smash harmful bacteria to bits.

Several things puzzle me about this:

  • I jump when the microwave beeps, lord knows what a roughly 1000 bar shockwave would sound like.
  • While it may not affect the flavor, it sure seems like it would affect the texture. I can only imagine the mess something this violent would make out of a tomato, for example.
  • They're still not at a practical level compared to other much cheaper methods of sterilization.
  • Sounds like it generates enough heat to cook whatever you're working with. We already have microwaves, thanks.

The ability to confine forces like this in a box and not outright destroy all organic matter sounds pretty nifty, so who knows what other uses it might have?

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2004
Paging Patrick Duffy, White Courtesy Phone Please

In the "here it is! No, here it is! No, here it is!" category, we have yet another potential site for Atlantis:

An American researcher on the trail of the lost city of Atlantis has discovered evidence of man-made structures submerged in the sea between Cyprus and Syria, a member of his team said Saturday.

Definitely a "believe-it-when-I-see-it" sort of thing. Personally I like the Black Sea flood scenario as the source of all these deluge stories. But whaddoIknow?

Via Daffodil Lane.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2004
Science That You Don't Want To Know About!

If you are offended by the male reproductive system. Don't click the link.

"And they say, 'Well, you'll have cheese [if you're not circumcised].' I like it! It's my cheese! Give it to me!" Howard Stern on his radio show, 4/11/00

Curious yet?

Posted by Ellen at 07:28 PM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2004
And the Dino Goes, "Chomp Chomp"

According to this Reuters report, T. Rex liked ribs almost as much as Ellen does:

Tyrannosaurus rex scraped the meat from the ribs of its prey in much the same way a human might gnaw on a serving of barbecued ribs, a meeting of geologists was told on Tuesday.

This is not to say T. Rex preferred ribs, those are simply the bones they've found bite marks on. The action of the chomps is pretty interesting though. Probably tasted like chicken.

No, really, Dinosaurs are bird relatives... damned things are even built like giant chickens. With, you know, foot long teeth, sort of thing. BoK!

Posted by scott at 03:30 PM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2004
Right Hand of Light III

Pat gets another no-prize for letting us know of continuing developments regarding the "Flores Hobbits". This article indicates at least some anthropologists are proposing H. sapiens as the ancestor of these little people, instead of H. erectus as was originally proposed. More importantly, the debate seems to indicate the scientific community sees the finds as legitimate, and not a hoax at all. Includes an interesting picture of one of the finds.

Posted by scott at 06:29 PM eMail this entry!
Definitely Science. Definitely Science.

Slashdot linked up this article about Kim Peek, the real-life inspiration for the movie Rain Man. Kim is considered a "mega savant", because he has genious capabilities in several academic fields but can't dress himself or find the silverware drawer*. It seems his abilities are actually increasing in his special fields, so scientists are doing a set of MRI scans to see what, if any, changes in his brain may be visible.

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* No, Ellen, Kim is not my long lost brother. I know perfectly well where the silverware drawer is. I think.

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2004
[Ancient] Avon Calling

BBCnews is carrying this article discussing a nifty find at a recent UK excavation:

The fashion conscious women of Roman Britain used a tin-based foundation to get a pale and appealing look.

The evidence comes from a sealed pot of ointment found at an archaeological dig in Southwark, south London, last year.

I could have sworn we covered this when it first broke last year, but I couldn't find anything digging through the archives. Of course, as big as this place is now that doesn't mean too much. At any rate, a really interesting find!

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2004
Antarctic Forest Discovered

Ron gets a petrified no-prize for bringing us this Discovery Channel On-line article detailing the discovery of three ancient anarctic forests. Dated to about 260 million years ago, these Permian stands of trees are very early examples of a deciduous species now long extinct.

What I find puzzling is, if I'm remembering my continental drift stuff correctly (no promises there), Antarctica may not have been at the south pole around 250 million years ago, which would seem to make the find rather less important for understanding ancient polar climates.

Posted by scott at 03:31 PM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2004
Like a [Scientific] Pie in the Face

The intro paragraph (understandably) says it all:

There is one individual who, above all others, has plumbed the effects of custard. René A de Wijk is based at the Wageningen centre for food sciences in the Netherlands. De Wijk is enjoying a stunning burst of productivity, having published more than 10 custard-centric research reports during the past four years. Each is a substantial contribution to our understanding of, and relationship with, custard.

I know, I know, "as long as the science is good..." yadda yadda yadda. Doesn't mean I can't make fun of it!

Posted by scott at 01:49 PM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2004
Still Doesn't Mean I'm Gonna Eat One

Scientific American is carrying this article detailing a new discovery in animal toxin research. Scientists have known for a long time that certain birds and frogs in New Guinea and the Amazon rain forests secrete special poisons from their skin to ward off predators and parasites, but when raised in captivity these animals showed no trace of any such poison. Finally, scientists have discovered (through the help of local villagers) a small beetle that seems to be the ultimate origin of the neurotoxin. During the research, they also discovered other species of beetles that secrete similar but previously unknown varieties of the toxin.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2004
Mozart Mystery

ABC news is carrying this report about a new effort to find out if Mozart's skull is really, well, Mozart's skull:

DNA tests could soon solve a century-old mystery whether a skull held by the International Mozarteum Foundation is that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Archaeologists have opened a grave in Salzburg thought to contain the remains of Mozart's father and other relatives. Experts plan to compare the remains' genetic material with the foundation's skull to determine if it belonged to the famed Austrian composer.

Apparently the skull came to the foundation through a rather poorly documented path that included a few grave robbers. I don't blame to society for wanting to know if what they have once belonged to Mozart.

Posted by scott at 12:55 PM eMail this entry!
Pancake Science

"Scientist wastes money studying bubbles in syrup." Easy call, right? Wrong:

The behavior of air bubbles in ordinary breakfast syrup demonstrates how scientists might be able to make vanishingly thin tubes and fibers for biomedical and other applications.

The beauty of science is that even the most trivial of pursuits can end up with amazing consequences. As long as the science is good, never criticise the subject.

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2004
Bulletproof Music

New Scientist is carrying this article about a revolutionary new coating that makes CDs, DVDs, and even LCD screens nearly impervious to scratches and stains:

Two separate layers of fine silica particles prevent scratches, and fluorine-containing resins in each layer repel ink marks. To deposit the first layer of the new coating, a mix of silica microparticles 50 micrometres across and a solution of a fluorine-containing resin are spread on by spin-coating the surface at 8000 rpm.

No word on how much more expensive this will make, say, blank DVDs. They'll have to be careful, because if the cost is much higher than regular blanks they just won't sell. Should be an easy "get" for LCD screens and commercial CD/DVD manufacture. The former's high cost makes a coating much more desirable, and the music and movie cartels will ensure the cost of the latter are quickly passed on to the consumer.

I'm a slob when it comes to CDs, and have ruined quite a few just because I don't put them up. It'll be cool to get a set that I don't need to put up.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2004
Just Don't Put it in Your Hair

Fark linked up news about what may just be the first genuine "female viagra":

Though Viagra and a few other drugs are approved for erectile dysfunction, there are no approved medications to specifically treat lack of arousal in women, called female sexual arousal disorder. But a new study shows that a topical gel called Alista may be just what the doctor ordered.

Well hey, why not?

Posted by scott at 12:04 PM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2004
OOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

A British firm has announced plans to develop breast implants using a synthetic biomaterial which it claims will make them safer and feel more natural.

Scottish-based AorTech said on Friday they were preparing to begin clinical trials of their "next generation" Elast-Eon implants following a recent meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 09:04 PM eMail this entry!
October 28, 2004
Stardust Memories

Yahoo is carrying this Reuters report summarizing an interesting find by some German scientists:

Star dust found deep beneath the Pacific Ocean has led German scientists to speculate that a supernova explosion 3 million years ago might possibly have helped bring about human evolution.

Unfortunately the article gets a point critically wrong while attempting to shore up its "supernova as evolution machine" premise. Hominids were fully bipedal long before the forests receded; this was actually one of the fundamental surprises Lucy presented us with more than thirty years ago. Not sure if this gaffe is the journalist's fault or the fault of the press release he or she was working from.

However, the recession of the gigantic transcontinental forests from Africa was extremely important in hominid evolution. Until that time, apes were a relatively successful genus, with perhaps as many as twenty or thirty species spread from southern Africa to at least northern India. When the forests started to depart, these species could chose only three paths: follow the forests, strike out onto the burgeoning savannah, or die.

Most picked the third option. Three of the four remaining species chose to follow the forests, while one succeeded in adapting to the harsh savannah environment. We are, ultimately, a spectacularly successful offshoot of an otherwise dead genera. It's interesting to find out just what, exactly, may have pulled the trigger.

Posted by scott at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2004
SunFish

I remeber seeing one of these in Long Island when we used to go there every summer. We all thought it was a shark fin until we were told what is really was.

See live pixes here.

Read washed up article here.

Posted by Ellen at 02:32 PM eMail this entry!
Well, at Least We Now Know Where the Shire Really Was

It was an island in Indonesia:

Scientists have discovered a new and tiny species of human that lived in Indonesia at the same time our own ancestors were colonising the world.

The new species - dubbed "the Hobbit" due to its small size - lived on Flores island until at least 12,000 years ago.

An utterly fascinating description of a hominid that lived far, far beyond what was previously thought of our ancient cousins. So far beyond, it would appear they became part of another culture's memory:

Current speculation is that they're descendents of H. erectus, the first hominid to leave Africa about a million or so years before we did. Even more intriguing is the fact that Flores' inhabitants have incredibly detailed legends about the existence of little people on the island they call Ebu Gogo.

The islanders describe Ebu Gogo as being about one metre tall, hairy and prone to "murmuring" to each other in some form of language. They were also able to repeat what islanders said to them in a parrot-like fashion.

So not only do we seem to have non-fossilized hominid remains of a different species (allowing DNA testing), but potentially a detailed description of their culture. This is utterly unexpected and completely amazing. Weirder still, there is a small but definitely non-zero chance that these guys are still out there, wandering around in the jungles of Indonesia. If true, it would be an unprecedented discovery of monumental importance. Just spectacular.

Watch this space for further developments.

Update: New Scientist has this story on the find, with different pictures and other details.

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2004
Bionic Brains

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing new developments in prosthetic brain implants. Scientists have now created a microchip that correctly imitates the hippocampus when implanted in living rat brain tissue samples. The ultimate goal is to be able to replace this critical section of the brain when it is damaged or destroyed by illness or injury.

Most interesting to me was how the thing was developed:

In previous work, Berger’s team had recorded exactly what biological signals were being produced in the central part of the hippocampal circuit and had made a mathematical model to mimic its activity. They then programmed the model onto a microchip, roughly 2 millimetres square

This is very similar to how the original IBM PC clones were developed. Engineers would feed the original IBM BIOS chips a signal, read what came out, and then create from scratch (and without looking at the IBM chips) a "clone" that did the exact same thing. Strange how biology and technology can sometimes coincide.

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2004
Franken-Airplane

Ron gets a brainy no-prize for bringing us this Discovery Channel article about an innovative new brain research project that allows a custom-grown matrix of rat brain cells to control an airplane simulator. It sounds like they've managed to get it to act as an autopilot, which is pretty good considering the control wires run into a petri dish.

Having robots with actual living brains is kinda creepy. Then again, having a robot go fetch me a beer is kinda cool. Which do you think is gonna win out?

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2004
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Space.com is carrying this article on how Segway is helping robotics researchers tackle advanced projects. By using a stripped-down version of Segway's people-mover, scientists are able to concentrate on, well, "everything else", like terrain avoidance, AI programming, even modeling the human brain.

I've always wondered why this hasn't been done before. It would seem to be a pretty good idea to just come up with something that walks-rides-drives and handles all of that functionality, and then set another computer on top of that to steer.

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
The Next Polyester?

Slashdot linked up this PhysOrg article detailing the creation of the very first "nano-fabric":

The team led by Professor Andre Geim at The University of Manchester, has succeeded in extracting individual planes of carbon atoms from graphite crystals ... The resulting atomic sheet is stable, highly flexible and strong and remarkably conductive. The nanofabric belongs to the family of fullerene molecules, which were discovered during the last two decades, but is the first two-dimensional fullerene.

Yup, a sheet of fabric exactly one atom thick. There are immediate applications in computers and other eletronics, and who knows what else could be on the horizon. The article mentions this stuff has essentially the same properties as nanotubes, and they're talking about making a space elevator out of those. Right now they're only working with sheets a few microns across, but there's no phsycial limit to how big a sheet can be. It's just a matter of figuring out how to do it.

Posted by scott at 09:05 AM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2004
"Frames" of Reference

Making the rounds today: Scientists claim to have proven one of the smaller effects predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity. By carefully measuring the movement of two satellites over an 11-year period, Ignazio Ciufolini of the University of Lecce in Italy and Erricos Pavlis of the University of Maryland in Baltimore County confirmed to within a claimed 1% of error the effect called "frame dragging". Essentially, this effect is caused by large celestial masses "dragging" space-time along as they rotate. While the effect should cause noticeable weirdness around supermassive objects like neutron stars and black holes, the Earth's mass is so comparatively small that the effect is extremely difficult to detect. It's hoped that an upcoming NASA space probe specifically designed to study the effect will provide much more accurate data.

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2004
Turbines to Speed

Yet more proof we are living science fiction: laptops powered by miniature jet engines:

By spinning a tiny magnet above a mesh of interleaved coils etched into a wafer, David Arnold and Mark Allen of the Georgia Institute of Technology, US, have built the first silicon-compatible device capable of converting mechanical energy - produced by a rotating microturbine - into usable amounts of electrical energy.

No word on how much, if any, noise the thing produces, but it sounds like the entire contraption is smaller than a penny, so it can't be all that much. It's still definitely a laboratory gizmo at this stage, but it's progressing nicely. At 10 times the power capacity of batteries, the potential (and potential profit) is huge. A-freaking-mazing.

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2004
There's an [Ancient] Fungus Among Us

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing a new discovery in microbiology. By following a careful procedure, scientists were able to revive a fungus found in an Indian Ocean floor core sample. The depth that the fungus was found indicate it was more than 180,000 years old, perhaps as old as 430,000 years. This makes it the oldest known fungi that will grow in a nutrient medium.

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
~ They Fly Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease ~

Sarah G. gets a breezy no-prize for bringing this older Guardian story about what some European researchers discovered sticking to the back of their air-scoop sampler:

On Mediterranean shores, there's always something in the air. Romance, perhaps? Well, research shows that sometimes it's just marijuana pollen wafting in from Africa. And sometimes, it's snails.

Amazing what you can figure out just by using what is essentially a simplified giant nose.

Posted by scott at 08:51 AM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2004
All Your Air are Belong to Us

New Scientist is carrying this report detailing yet another discovery that shows just how complex climate modeling really is:

Industry has dramatically cut its emissions of pollutants, called volatile organic compounds. But those cuts have been more than offset by the amount of VOCs churned out by trees.

VOCs are an interesting angle, as for the most part car emissions are about NOx's (oxides of nitrogen), and other, different stuff. If I'm reading the article correctly, the stuff the trees belch out turns into NOx's, so it may be the same thing.

Regardless, this was a bit of data not even thought of by the people modeling the effects of ozone on the atmosphere. It should lead most people to conclude climate modeling is still only a few steps beyond the "wave-a-dead-chicken" stage. But, since environmentalism seems for the most part to have replaced Marxism as the religion of choice for the non-religious, I expect it'll just lead to another round of bloodletting.

More's the pity.

Posted by scott at 02:12 PM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2004
When Quality Control Attacks

Remember the Genesis probe? The deep space gizmo that splatted so spectacularly in the Nevada desert? Engineers think they've found the reason, and it's not dead batteries:

Sensors to detect deceleration on NASA's Genesis space capsule were installed correctly but had been designed upside down, resulting in the failure to deploy the capsule’s parachutes. The design flaw is the prime suspect for why the capsule, carrying precious solar wind ions, crashed in Utah on 8 September, according to a NASA investigation board.

That's right, folks. They weren't installed upside down, they were designed upside down. This is one of those errors that makes project managers go bananas, because there are usually at least half a dozen full-stop checks that are meant to catch things like this.

And it's not just government work either. My dad bought a new truck years ago and noticed the paint on the hood was cracked and crazed. On a lark he filled out the survey card that came with the truck with a lot of "very dissatisifed" selections. Lo and behold, the manager of the plant the truck was produced came out a few weeks later. Turns out he wanted to take the hood back and hang it in front of the plant door, because in order for it to arrive that way it had to have made it through no fewer than seven quality control inspections.

Like the guy says, the more you complicate the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2004
Fierce Feathers

BBCnews is carrying another report about a dinosaur fossil discovery in China (they must be having a conference over there or something). This time the subject is T. rex, or rather an ancestor of T. rex. Paleontologists have discovered the earliest known ancestor to the great predator, a creature that lived some 60 million years earlier. Called Dilong paradoxus, it was about seven feet long. The weirdest thing about the creature is it was covered in hair-like feathers. Yup, T. rex's earliest ancestor was, well, fuzzy.

How embarassing...

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2004
~ The Dragon Sleeps Tonight ~

BBCnews is carrying this brief article and picture of the first dinosaur fossil found in which the subject is in a bird-like sleeping pose. Found in China, the fossil has been named "Mei long", which not coincidentally means "sleeping dragon".

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2004
Slipping Cancer a "MYC"-y

New Scientist is running this article detailing a new research finding regarding cancer in mice. By controlling the expression of a certain kind of hormone, called "MYC" (pronounced "mick"), scientists were able to cause cancerous liver cells to revert to normal liver cells. Humans do not have the sort of hormone switch the scientists used in mice, so the therapy has no direct application. It does, however, indicate that research into MYC supression in humans could yield positive results.

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2004
Black Sea News

Fark linked up this summary of Bob Ballard's recent Black Sea expidition. They were returning to what seemed to be the site of an ancient homestead, now under some 300 feet of water. The hope was that this site would provide evidence (or evidence to the contrary) of a recently formed theory that the Black Sea flooded very quickly and much more recently than previously thought, creating the legend of Noah's flood. Unfortunately, the site is contaminated with later material, although nobody's completely sure how. Still, it seems to have been a very productive mission.

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2004
Well, at Least Now I Know Why I Want to Strangle Them

To me at least, there's very little more annoying than someone nearby yammering on a cellphone. Gets under my skin and just screams "I'm an inconsiderate, rude shmuck." But I wasn't completely sure why I felt that way, until now:

You might imagine that it's simply a question of being riled by loud voices spouting inane drivel about people we've never heard of. But that's not the whole story, say Andrew Monk and his colleagues at the University of York, UK.

We also feel an innate need to listen when we can only hear one side of a conversation, the researchers say. Even if it's no louder than a regular two-way exchange, the fact that we can only hear half means that we instinctively tune in, almost as if we're expecting to join in to complete the conversation.

Unfortunately they don't include the really useful information, like how to cook up a cell jammer or an EMP gun that'll just fry the thing outright. No, can't do that, illegal and all that stuff. Stupid terrorists, ruining everyone else's fun.

I guess it's all for the best, really. I mean, if people were able to fry cell phones at will, Amber might lose hers without even knowing about it. Which could lead to, you know, unfortunate consequences if she were to lock herself inside her car or something.

Posted by scott at 02:17 PM eMail this entry!
Stem Cell Medicine

Quite a few places today are carrying news that scientists have discovered a new wrinkle in stem cell therapy:

Instead of replacing the defective cells [in research rodents], embryonic stem (ES) cells released chemical signals that caused the defective heart tissue to grow properly.

There's lots of potential for new treatments, not only in birth defects but also in things like cancer and degenerative diseases. However, the technique is far from any sort of human clinical trials.

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2004
... and Hear the Lamentations of Their Women

Trolling LiveJournals today I discovered that archeologists think they may be closing in on Ghengis Kahn's tomb:

Archaeologists have unearthed the site of Genghis Khan's palace and believe the long-sought grave of the 13th century Mongolian warrior is somewhere nearby, the head of the excavation team says.

It would appear the Mongolians don't particularly want anyone to find the tomb, as several earlier efforts have been called off due to both official and unofficial hostility.

Posted by scott at 04:09 PM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2004
You're So "Vein"

The nurses in the audience should be interested in this nifty new tech:

It looks like a ghoulish Halloween trick. Yet the device, which projects a creepy green video image of a patient’s veins onto their skin, is about to go on trial in a US hospital. The idea is that it will help staff to pinpoint a suitable vein for an injection or a drip.

Hey, anything that keeps me from getting stuck more than once. Although, if mom's experiences are any indication, I'm sure her "baby docs" would still manage to kill someone with this.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2004
Leech Learnin

Fark (of course) linked up this Courier Post article detailing what could be the discovery of a lifetime:

Bill Ott thought he found a little black snake.

He had no idea the creature wriggling in his hands might be an undiscovered species.

Turns out it's a weird terrestrial leech, not quite a foot long. They're not sure if it's a new species or not. We were surprised by an 8-inch long preying mantis in Ellen's garden last weekend, so I'm just happy this thing is in New Jersey.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
The Smoking Louse

Washington Post today carried this article (free reg, blah blah lazy bastards blah blah) detailing an innovative technique that's making a big splash in human origins research. By doing genetic studies on parasites exclusive to humans, scientists are finding they are able to pick out what seem to be startling conclusions about our evolution, ones that are not, and sometimes cannot be, found in the fossil record.

In particular, the article discusses how one team did a study on the genetics of the human head louse. While the conclusions are by no means final, their study discovered indications that modern humans were in actual contact with H. erectus, a far older, more archaic form of human, as they (the moderns) migrated into Asia. Until now, erectus was thought to have died out before early moderns ever got near them. If this study holds up, it would seem that conclusion is mistaken.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2004
Great White in Fish Bowl

They finally got a Great White Shark doing well in a tank.

Posted by Ellen at 06:13 PM eMail this entry!
Silvery Scribblings Solved

NYTimes last week carried this detailed look (free reg you lazy barstards) at new developoments regarding two artifacts which purport to carry the oldest biblical references ever found. Discovered in a tomb in 1979, these two silver objects dated to the late seventh or early sixth centuries BCE had what appeared to be faint and very fragmented Hebrew inscriptions taken from what is now known as the Book of Numbers.

The inscriptions were so faint there was actually a lot of argument as to just how old they really were. However, by using advanced imaging systems, some of which were provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, scientists were able to make much clearer pictures of the artifacts. The texts became far easier to read, and much more could be read, so the dating of the artifacts appears to be settled.

Assuming it actually is settled, these two pieces of silver would represent a biblical quotation written down just before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
Rattle & Hum

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing new research into the very low frequency background "hum" that's emitted by the Earth. According to these scientists, it's all the fault of the oceans.

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2004
Burping the Baby

pat...pat...pat...

VANCOUVER, Washington (CNN) -- A small volcanic tremor shook Mount St. Helens early Sunday, less than a day after the volcano spewed a cloud of steam and scientists warned that a dangerous eruption was imminent.

The tremor Sunday was milder than the previous day's gas eruption, which prompted geologists to raise the volcano alert to Level 3, indicating an eruption could occur within 24 hours.

pat...pat...pat...

Read entire volcanic gassiness problem here.

Posted by Ellen at 05:58 PM eMail this entry!
China Men Going Synthetic

About 200,000 of the deer penises, complete with testicles, are sent to China from New Zealand each year.

"For a long time men believed that the larger the pizzle, the stronger their own would be," says Murray Hamer, Oriental trade manager for the Alpine Deer Group, based in Wanaka.

But the market, mainly in the north of China, is gradually reducing. "The belief in the sexual vigour of pizzles is slowly dying out. Modern Chinese men believe they don't work. They have turned to the Chinese version of Viagra and are getting results."

Read entire deer happiness article here.
Posted by Ellen at 05:51 PM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2004
Mt. St. Helens Update

VANCOUVER, Washington (CNN) -- An observatory three miles from the base of Mount St. Helens was evacuated Saturday as scientists warned that the volcano could erupt again, and with more force than previously expected.

"There is a 50 percent chance or greater that there is going to be an eruption and a good chance that it will involve magma," said Tom Pierson with the U.S. Geological Survey. "We're watching it very closely."

Read entire article here.

Make sure you watch this on TV too! Journalists as Volcano bait to follow!

Posted by Ellen at 06:31 PM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2004
I'd Like to Thank God, My Mom, My Wife, and that Invisible Gorilla Over There

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing the recent "Ig Nobel" prizes. Created to honor science that first makes you laugh, then makes you think, this year's winners include "The Invisible Ape", "The 'food on the floor' Test", and "Country Music Suicides".

Posted by scott at 10:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2004
Nuclear Power: It's not Just for Submarines Anymore

Also from slashdot, this IEEE article about a new breed of batteries. Powered by the decay of radioactive isotopes instead of simple chemical reactions, these batteries hold the promise of powering electronic devices for months or even years at a time. Now, calm down a second. The decay particles the things use are comparatively low-energy stuff, easily stopped by skin or even plastic. Interestingly, one of the methods of generating power involves a mechanical process.

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2004
I Wonder if the Indian Chicks Flashed their Boobies on this Lake Shore?

Fark linked up this Denver Post article that details how scientists finally puzzled out the purpose and use of a mysterious set of centuries-old earthworks:

The people of this high desert, without benefit of metals, wheels or written language, maintained at least four massive waterworks from A.D. 750 to 1180 to survive the devastating droughts of the Four Corners region. The last of these works studied, a large mound dubbed Box Elder Reservoir, wasn't discovered until a 2002 wildfire burned off a dense, high carpet of sagebrush.

Includes the very weird phrase "water impoundment". Makes it sound like someone was trying to jack cases of Perrier.

Posted by scott at 07:55 PM eMail this entry!
~ I Compute to the Finish / Cos I Eats Me Spinach ~

Ron gets a healthy green no-prize for bringing us the latest development in power generation for electronics:

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have used spinach to harness a plant's ability to convert sunlight into energy for the first time, creating a device that may one day power laptops, mobile phones and more.

We're still ten or more years away from having to water our laptops to keep them going, but it's a start.

Posted by scott at 12:15 PM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2004
Have Neck, Will Travel

Jeff gets a sneaky no-prize for bringing us news of a new aquatic reptile discovery:

Scientists have discovered what may have been one of the first stealth hunters, a long-necked swimming dinosaur that could sneak up on prey and attack without warning.

I wonder about the "dinosaur" designation. From everything I've read, all the giant water reptiles weren't actually dinosaurs, but were instead from a different family. Maybe I'm just not listening well enough?

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2004
Hominid News

Washington Post today is carrying this article detailing a new fossil find in remote north-east Romania. The article is pretty heavy on the "Jesus you have to go down a deep scary cave" stuff and kinda light on the real details, but it would seem that the find consists of at least skull and mandible fragments from three individuals. All three show a very interesting melange of early-modern human and Neandertal traits, providing more evidence that, early on at least, Neandertals and humans interbred.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2004
"Sign" of the Times

Is language innate, or is it learned? Scientists have been debating the point for as long as we've thought to ask the question. This BBCnews article discusses a find that could help bring us closer to an answer:

A new sign language created over the last 30 years by deaf children in Nicaragua has given experts a unique insight into how languages evolve.

Apparently deaf people in Nicaragua were very isolated until around 1981, when a vocational school for the deaf was opened. The children attending developed their own sign language, without instruction from any adult or outside agency. Like other forms of language, this "new" system holds many things in common with regular languages, notably the ability to break concepts down into "chunks", and then reassemble them into sentences that can convey other meanings.

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2004
The Perfect Addition to a Real Doll?

Liz gets a... well, a no-prize for bringing us news of an intriguing new substance used for medical research:

In Kevin Dyches' mind, the future is yellow. Dyna-Tek Industries, a company Kevin and his wife, Sandra, bought five years ago, has developed synthetic urine for the research industry.

The potential for the fetish industry is, of course, an obvious bonus.

Yeah, sometimes I even skeeve myself out.

Posted by scott at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
Lost-No-More

Slashdot linked up this interesting bit of news about a theme park in Florida (no, not that one) using RFID tags embedded in wrist bands to help you keep track of your group as it roams the park:

Visitors can locate other members of their group by using touch-screen kiosks throughout the park that are linked to the system, called SafeTzone's Real-Time Locating System.

The dot-heads are predictably up in arms about "big brother", but personally I think it's a pretty neat idea. Ellen has always had the ability to teleport across a store when my back is turned, and I'm sure Olivia will inherit this talent. Avoiding the spot-by-spot search would be very nice.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2004
Dino Day Care

New Scientist is carrying this article that summarizes information about an important new dinosaur fossil find. Located in the Liaoning province in China, it is a collection of at least 34 juvenile and one adult Psittacosaurus dinosaurs. These were not individuals who happen to be thrown together during a flood, but instead appear to have been buried alive in a single incident. The find provides the strongest evidence to date that dinosaurs cared for their young, and even provides insight into just how they cared for them as well.

The article includes a nifty picture of the find!

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2004
Ancient Mariner

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing the discovery of the remains of a sailor from an ill-fated 1652 expidition from Oliver Cromwell's navy. Originally sent to put down a rebellious Scottish clan, the fleet ran into a storm that sank half of the force. Some 350 years later, archeologists and physical anthropologists have found the wreck and examined the luckless sailor's remains within it. Turns out he was about 20, 5'2", had the upper body of a trapeeze artist and a lower body with rickets-bowed legs and injuries consistent with someone doing a lot of jumping around.

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2004
Wave Runner

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing an innovative new development in ship design. In an effort to reduce disruptive wave patterns in crowded harbors and sea lanes, Taiwanese scientists have designed a unique "wavy" hull shape that promises to reduce such turbulence by nearly a third. Even better, the hull generates less drag, and therefore ships using it should be cheaper to operate. Sometimes everyone wins!

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2004
The Ultimate Fly Catcher

Ron gets a bug-zapping no-prize for bringing us this report of a new robot with a distinctive power supply:

A British-built robot generates its own power by gobbling flies, but it has a stinky downside — it needs human sewage as bait to catch the insects and then digest them.

Which means you definitely won't be using it to vacuum your house, but I think it might make a nifty addition to, say, a campsite.

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2004
Two-Headed Baby Born

Photos show an apparently normal torso with two separate heads cramped together on the shoulders.

Medical officials said tests have revealed the baby has two functioning brains, each one controlling its respective side of the body.

In addition, the single torso is said to contain two hearts and two spinal cords.

Article with picture.

Amazing and heart-breaking at the same time.

Posted by Ellen at 07:18 PM eMail this entry!
Pahtooooey!!

A beachcomber strolling on a Mendocino County beach found a human head three weeks after a fatal shark attack that killed sports fishing advocate Randall Fry.

Mendocino County authorities on Tuesday said the head belonged to Fry.

Fry, who was wearing a wetsuit, was diving head first in about 15 feet of water when the shark swiftly moved in and attacked.

The shark apparently ripped Fry's head and neck from his body, a move sharks usually reserve for marine mammals.

Read the entire follow-up here.

Posted by Ellen at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2004
Volcano Burp

ROME (Reuters) - A new fissure yawned open on the southeastern side of Sicily's Mount Etna volcano on Tuesday, oozing out enough lava to cross a city block, researchers said.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 03:48 PM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2004
I Shall Call it, "Kermit"

Sarah G. gets a distinctive no-prize for bringing us news of a particularly weird aquarium find:

A new species of "furry" shark which hops like a frog has been discovered in a German aquarium.

A picture of the beastie is here. Looks like some sort of nurse shark to me, but whaddoIknow?

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2004
Tiny Tech

Slashdot linked up this tech journal article detailing recently patented processes for building 3-D "nanostructures". By using innovative laser techniques, scientists are able get these materials to self-assemble atom by atom. By removing both impurities and imperfections, the results are far superior to anything that could be created with conventional processes. The article specifically mentions copper that's as strong as steel, as well as new kinds of computer circuits that could allow the construction of a 10 terabit memory chips.

Because these processes are highly automated and involve fewer steps than previous techniques, the materials they produce are much cheaper. Cheap enough, in fact, that some companies appear to already be using them, and products incorporating the materials are expected to be commercially available in as little as 5 years.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2004
SIDS News

New Scientist is also carrying this article detailing a new development in research to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrom (SIDS). A decade-long study just concluded in Britain, and it seems the presence of a certain kind of protien in maternal blood could be a very strong indicator of SIDS risk.

Posted by scott at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
Tomb Time

Joshua gets a no-prize covered in heiroglyphics for bringing us news of yet another new tomb discovery on the pyramid plateau:

Egypt’s antiquities chief on Thursday revealed a 2,500-year-old hidden tomb under the shadow of one of Giza’s three giant pyramids, containing 400 pinkie-finger-sized statues and six coffin-sized niches carved into granite rock.

That would be none other than everyone's favorite Egyptologist, Zahi Hawass. I think the freakiest thing of all is that this tomb was created around the time of Herodotus, the Jewish Captivity, and the great Persian wars, and even then the pyramids were a thousand years old.

Hey-yaaaa-HUP!

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
Walk Like an Ape...rrr... gyptian?

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing new discoveries about early hominid locomotion. Two new fossil finds, Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Orrorin tugenensis, date from the critical 6-10 mya period when hominids and chimpanzees went their separate ways. By electronically scanning the Orrorin specimen, scientists have found strong evidence that hominids started walking upright very shortly after the split.

I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps walking upright was the reason for the split. Either way, bipedal locomotion has now been pushed so far back that the old "walking upright to use tools" hypothesis is now quite dead. In truth, we don't have a good reason why some of our ancestors ended up walking on two feet while others didn't.

Update: this MSNBC article also includes a nifty computer scan picture of the fossil bit in question.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2004
ET Phoning Home?

Slashdot linked up this New Scientist article that details a rather startling development with the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) program:

This radio signal, now seen on three separate occasions, is an enigma. It could be generated by a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon. Or it could be something much more mundane, maybe an artefact of the telescope itself.

But it also happens to be the best candidate yet for a contact by intelligent aliens in the nearly six-year history of the SETI@home project, which uses programs running as screensavers on millions of personal computers worldwide to sift through signals picked up by the Arecibo telescope.

Warning: Slashdot linked it up, so approximately a billion geeks are busily trying to read it. Be patient, or try again tomorrow.

Nobody's calling it yet... there are some discrepencies in the data that are at least as puzzling as the signal itself. But it's a damned sight better than "all quiet on the intergalactic front."

Update: BBCnews finds the scientists saying "signal? What signal?"

"It's all hype and noise," said its chief scientist, Dr Dan Wertheimer. "We have nothing that is unusual. It's all out of proportion."

Of course they'd say that! They've obviously been co-opted by the government! Don't you realize the Republicans will stop at nothing?!?

Ahem... sorry about that... channeling Michael Moore again...

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
Disparate Developments of Dyslexia Discovered

BBCnews is carrying this article discussing new findings on the origins of dyslexia. By studying Chinese children, NIMH researcheres have discovered that the location of written-word processing in the brain is actually culturally determined, depending on whether or not the written language is alphabetic or symbolic. Since the two different kinds of processing take place in two different regions of the brain, it is difficult to conclude that dyslexia (which apparently also affects "symbolic" readers like the Chinese) has a single cause. This discovery has the potential of opening up new avenues of both research and treatment of the disease.

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2004
Mummy "Unwrapped"

New Scientist is carrying this article and pictures of a new technique used to "unwrap" mummies: electronic imaging. By using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), scientists were able to construct a high-fidelity 3-D image, which was then used to create a nylon and plasticine model. The technique has the obvious advantage of perfectly preserving the mummy, instead of totally destroying it as was previously required.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2004
Gadget, meet Gizmo

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing new efforts to revolutionize our kitchens. From containers that tell us when the food inside will go bad to devices that will replace cupboards, dishwashers, glasses, and plates, they have it all. Will we actually see any of it? Who knows? Is it cool? Definitely.

Posted by scott at 03:00 PM eMail this entry!
Asian Technocrats to World - Sky to Fall by 2025

Another day, another technocratic prediction of apocalypse:

The world is on the verge of a water crisis as people fight over ever dwindling supplies, experts told the Stockholm Water Symposium.

Ok, one more time... as long as there are no price controls, and no technocratic oversight, then the gradual (and it will be gradual) reduction in water supply will automatically result in a gradual increase in price. This increase will cause farmers to a) become more efficient in their water use, b) grow different crops that require less water or c) do something else other than farming. Water use will go down, the price will then go down (because it's being used more efficiently), and eventually there will be a net increase in the amount of available water. This is the inevitable consequence of using free markets to control the distribution of scarce resources with alternative uses.

So, if it's been proven (and proven, and proven, and proven) that free markets modulate the use of scarce resources with alternative uses, and that they make shortages essentially impossible, what's the real problem?

"Nobody knows where the tube wells are or who owns them. There is no way anyone can control what happens to them," says Tushaar Shah, head of the International Water Management Institute's groundwater station, based in Gujarat. "When the balloon bursts, untold anarchy will be the lot of rural India," he says. [emphasis added]

Ah-ha! Here we have the crux of the matter... Someone needs to be in charge! I should be in charge! Nobody's in charge! It's a disaster! It will lead to chaos! Put me in charge to prevent the crisis I am predicting! It's a crisis of control. Starting around 1992, the Indian government began freeing up their markets, taking control away from unaccountable beauracrats and placing it in the hands of those who are directly responsible (and accountable) for the use of all these resources... the people themselves. Of course a social crisis will result when we trust common people to be responsible for things that directly affect their lives. Right?

So I'll make a wager, if anyone's willing to take it. As long as the Indian government does not impose price controls, I predict that in 10 years India's water supply will not be in crisis, will not be causing widespread food shortages, and will not be creating instability in the government. In fact, I'd put a side bet out that the price of water in India will actually be lower at the end of 10 years.

Any takers?

Posted by scott at 09:25 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2004
Even More Quantum News

Always read the comments, wherein I found this nice summary of how quantum teleportation works, and how it makes "macro" teleportation possible, at least on a theoretical level. As with all things quantum, "nice" is a relative term... if this stuff doesn't make your head hurt just a little you're probably not reading it closely enough.

And I'm sorry, but if a transporter works by tearing the original "me" down to my constituent sub-atomic particles in order to create an exact duplicate "me" out of different sub-atomic particles somewhere else, I'm walking.

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
Quantum Computer News

Slashdot linked up news that scientists have managed to link five photons together and use their quantum states to transmit information:

A key step is being able to entangle five particles, which would make it possible to check computations for errors and teleport quantum information within and between computers.

Error checking has always been known as a critical block to quantum computing, because errors are utterly unavoidable on that scale. That they seem to have overcome this obstacle indicates real progress indeed.

I can remember when quantum computing was thought to be a pipe dream. Too many insurmountable problems, it was thought. Now the problems seem to be falling one by one, and people really are starting to think about what an actual computer based on these principles would look like.

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2004
Rain Headed OUR Way!

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (AP) -- Tropical Storm Gaston blasted the South Carolina coast with rain and near-hurricane strength wind early Sunday, flooding roads and knocking out power to at least 75,000 homes.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2004
Jaw of Steel

New Scientist is carrying this report about how German scientists are using innovative lattice-building and adult stem-cell techniques to create sophisticated bone replacements. The first example was a man who'd lost his jaw to cancer, now able to eat normal food again.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2004
Dating Disaster

While the headline of this Telegraph article ("Neanderthal Man 'never walked in northern Europe'") seems a bit of a non-sequitor, the text is still quite interesting:

Historians of the Stone Age fear that they will have to rip up their theories about Neanderthal Man after doubt has been cast on the carbon dating of skeletons by a leading German anthropologist.

It seems that a flamboyant German anthropologist got a bit, well, creative in his dating techniques:

Another apparent misdating involved an allegedly prehistoric skull discovered near Paderborn in 1976 and considered the oldest human remain ever found in the region. Prof von Zieten dated the skull at 27,400 years old. The latest research, however, indicates that it belonged to an elderly man who died around 1750.

Can you say "Piltdown man"? I knew you could...

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2004
Talking Up Numbers

Politics is boring. Science is cool:

Language may shape human thought – suggests a counting study in a Brazilian tribe whose language does not define numbers above two.

Hunter-gatherers from the Pirahã tribe, whose language only contains words for the numbers one and two, were unable to reliably tell the difference between four objects placed in a row and five in the same configuration, revealed the study.

All of humanity was probably like this until the advent of agriculture, when it started to really matter how many was in a "many".

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2004
"Spooky" Teleportation

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing a new experiement in "quantum teleportation". For the first time, scientists were able to use the effect to transmit information across a great distance in "real-world" conditions. Go read the article. If it doesn't make your head hurt, you're not paying attention.

This is "the next big thing" folks. When it was first proven you could transmit information using this technique Scientific American editorialized that computers would "experience a signficant discontinuity in peformance increase", which is geek speak for "they'll go from being fast to being really f-ing fast". Should such systems become a reality (so far nothing says they can't), it will almost certainly be possible to have the computing power of one of those CGI "render farms" stuffed into something the size of an iPod. With room to spare.

Via Daffodil Lane.

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2004
Paging Indiana Jones, White Courtesy Phone Please

Kerry Carrie (gah! Never post and code at the same time) gets a vine-covered no-prize for bringing us news of a new "lost city" discovery in Peru:

The stone city, made up of five citadels at 9,186 feet above sea level, stretches over around 39 square miles and contains walls covered in carvings and figure paintings, exploration leader Sean Savoy told Reuters.

Apparently it was created by the "Chachapoyas" culture, which is thought to have been conquered by the Incas before the Spanish arrived.

Posted by scott at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2004
Deep Plants

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing the discovery of plant material in recent Antartctic ice cores. Found more than two miles down, scientists think the material could be several million years old.

Sometimes science is just so damned cool.

Posted by scott at 09:23 AM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2004
Insert Silver Platter Joke Here

Jeff gets a no-prize in a cave for bringing us this summary of a new archeological find in Israel:

Archaeologists said Monday they have found a cave where they believe John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples - a huge cistern with 28 steps leading to an underground pool of water.

Which is a little misleading, because not all the archeologists working on the site think the evidence indicates such a conclusion. Certainly what is presented in the article is pretty circumstantial.

Hints in Luke's two books (the Gospel and Acts) seem to indicate that John's movement was both separate from and competitive with Jesus's, and that John's movement continued for some time after Jesus's crucifixion. But hints are all we have at the moment about a man and a movement that had a murky but no less unusual relationship with Jesus and the early church. If this find provides more than that, potentially much more, it could still be very important, even if John himself never set foot in the place.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
Cicada Science

Washington Post (free reg, blah blah) today carried this article wrapping up the various science programs that have kicked off now that "Brood X" has come (as it were) and gone. Includes lots of interesting bits of information about everyone's favorite "thunk-splat" bug.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2004
Critterz

Deep ocean stuff always fascinates me. They're so very weeiirrrddd. How weird? Take a look at these things. Better descriptions of some of them are here.

Posted by scott at 01:24 PM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2004
One Step Closer to Every Married Man's Nightmare

That being a pill that makes us do stuff:

Scientists in the United States have found a way of turning lazy monkeys into workaholics using gene therapy.

Just like bad politics sometimes has good results, sometimes good science has bad results. Bad scientists! Bad!

Now go get me a beer.

Posted by scott at 03:45 PM eMail this entry!
And Ellen's Parents Think Nina's a Pain

WaPo (free reg, blah blah) today carried this article detailing new findings about how the most famous dinosaur predator of all grew up. By examining "growth rings" in the bones of several fossil specimens, scientists have determined that T. Rex under went a tremendous growth spurt between 13 and 17 years of age. It's so characteristic and so large they're calling it "super puberty". The findings have implications for both biology and behavior, because before the growth spurt T. Rex's were probably very fast and agile, whereas afterward they're huge and strong.

Posted by scott at 08:09 AM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2004
Counting Critters

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing what's been found so far during the Norwegian-led section of the expedition called the Census of Marine Life (CoML). They've found all sorts of interesting things in the mid-Atlantic area, including a weird not-quite-angler fish, as well as a red squid that might represent a new species. With pictures!

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2004
Bird Brain, Dino Head

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing new discoveries about Archeopterix, the earliest well-known ancient bird.

By running a fossil in the London Natural History Museum's collection through a CAT scan, scientists have determined its brain was much more like modern birds than had been previously thought. This has interesting implications for both bird and dinosaur evolution.

Posted by scott at 01:30 PM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2004
Speaking of Lying in the Sun...

New Scientist is carrying this story summarizing a new theory about why our earliest fishy ancestors hauled themselves up on land. It suggests that it was all about solar energy. The reasoning goes that simply by lying in the tropical Devonian sun (some 365 million years ago) these creatures could double their metabolic rate, essentially for free. This would in turn make them far more effective predators, and up the ladder they (we, us) went.

Posted by scott at 03:22 PM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2004
Study: Flu in Pregnancy Linked to Schizophrenia

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A bout of the flu during the first half of pregnancy may damage the fetal brain and raises the risk of children developing schizophrenia later in life, researchers said on Monday.

"These findings represent the strongest evidence thus far that prenatal exposure to influenza plays a role in schizophrenia," said the study's lead author, Ezra Susser of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. In previous studies establishing a connection between flu in pregnant mothers and schizophrenia in their children, the link was seen in the second and third trimesters, the study said.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
Drug Sniffer Dog Dies of Overdose

LONDON (Reuters) - A police sniffer dog died of a suspected overdose while out hunting for drugs, British police said on Monday.

Todd, a 7-year-old Springer spaniel, had been looking for drugs in a field and car in Preston, northern England, when his handler noticed he was looking unwell.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 07:59 PM eMail this entry!
Quantum Summary

Behold the power of Wikipedia, which recently featured this excellent summary of quantum mechanics. If you've ever wondered what the excitement was all about, and what exactly a damned cat had to do with it, that's the place to start.

Now I need to go soak my head...

Posted by scott at 12:28 PM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2004
Hormone Courage

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing a new discovery related to the mechanisms that turn mammalian mothers into ferocious defenders of their young. It would seem the mechanism works through suppression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which is key in the "fight or flight" hormonal reaction. It's hoped further research will lead to more effective medications for treating psychiatric disorders like depression and panic disorder.

Posted by scott at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2004
Alaska Volcano Stirs From 12-Year Slumber

ANCHORAGE (AP) - Mount Spurr is showing some life these days, 12 years after the volcano last erupted. The Alaska Volcano Observatory this week raised its official level of concern to yellow, signifying an eruption is possible in the next few weeks.

The series of earthquakes don't necessarily presage an eruption of Spurr, according to scientists. The volcano was last significantly active in 1992 and, in an August explosion that year, spread a thin layer of ash over Anchorage.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 05:33 PM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2004
Dark Energy and Neutrinos

Thanks to New Scientist for carrying this article detailing a possible link between dark energy and neutrinos.

For all of you who've been ignoring all of Scott's posts on this subject, dark energy is a something that scientists have resorted to in order to explain their mathematical models of the creation of the universe, the expansion of the universe, and why normal scientists are completely unable to attract mates. Unfortunately, it's damn difficult to prove it's existence. If these researchers are successful, they'll be able to explain why neutrinos switch types and potentially by default, dark energy.

Oh, what a happy day that'll be, if you're a physicist.

Posted by ron at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2004
Space Pajamas Fight Infant Death

No, I'm not making that title up. It's the actual title of a Wired article about new technology that helps monitor babies in their sleep.

While aimed at helping to prevent SIDS by alerting parents when certain risk factors are present (heartbeat and/or breathing abnormalities), it doesn't actually prevent the disease - it just alerts you that there might be a problem.

Posted by ron at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2004
35MYA wouldn't have been a good time to be in Virgina

It seems that roughly 35 million years ago, we had a barrage of asteroids.

One crater is in Chesapeake Bay off the Maryland coast. The other, called the Popigai crater, is in north-central Siberia. Estimates of their age suggest they were created a mere 10,000 years apart.

The first article details some of the facts about the overall effect, while the article in the quote has a rough outline of the Chesapeake Bay crater - seems that most of the area around there would have gone bye-bye...

Posted by ron at 06:36 PM eMail this entry!
What's It Feel Like to Be Struck by Lightning, and How Can You Avoid It?

Experts believe lightning kills up to 100 Americans each year, and summer is the deadliest season, with up to 50,000 strikes each day in the United States.

"The last thing I remember was an extremely bright light which lit up everything around me," Pendergast said.

Survivors often complain about loss of memory and chronic pain in the part of the body where they were struck. Some health problems don't show up until weeks or even months later.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2004
Smoking 'stunts penis growth'

THE Swedish organization A Non Smoking Generation has covered Stockholm in posters claiming that smoking stunts penis growth and that cigarette filters are filled with mouse excrements, along with other lies aimed at getting kids to stop smoking.

"Our lies are so exaggerated that we hope they will make people stop and think, and then come to our website to find the truth," she added.

Read entire silliness here.

*Did I mention that you can buy pipes and an assortment of weaponry in dollar stores here in Arkansas!?*

Posted by Ellen at 05:19 PM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2004
Satellites and rogue waves

Space.com is carrying an article on using satellites to map rogue wave* activity. This appears to be significant because it's the first time that synthetic aperature radio from satellites has been used to look for these waves.

It appears that these waves are much more common than originally thought and they could be the cause of many of the unexplained ship sinkings out there. The article is also nifty as it spends some time explaining how rogue waves form.

Rogue waves are unusually large waves that occur typically out of the blue. Most are in the 80-100ft in height range, from what I can gather. Bad luck for you if you're kayaking into one...

Posted by ron at 07:17 PM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2004
Quantum Superfluidity

New Scientist is carrying this summary of a recent development in the study of "superfluids". Previously this exotic form of matter was only thought possible when using bosons with integer spins. However, a pair of Austrian scientists have managed to create a superfluid using fermions, which have half-integer spins.

What I'm proud of is that I actually have some idea what they're talking about. Not much of an idea, but better than clueless. Woot!

Posted by scott at 04:01 PM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2004
Bright Light = Achoo?

Slashdot did a poll that introduced me to a condition known as the "photic sneeze reflex", a real affliction that causes people to suddenly sneeze when exposed to bright light. Apparently nobody really knows what causes it, but it affects between one-sixth to one-quarter of all people.

Maybe that's why I sneeze my head off sometimes. Never even thought to look for a pattern.

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2004
Mothers: 1, Genes: 0

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing a new study in Rhesus monkeys that seems to confirm the results of a similar study in humans: mothering trumps genes. Careful study has revealed that children are much more likely to be aggressive and antisocial if they have a "short" version of a specific gene. However, both studies have now confirmed that the gene only "expresses" itself when the infant is reared in an abusive home.

So be sure to call your mom and thank her... she's the only one who kept you from growing into a homicidal maniac!

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2004
Solving A "Great" Death Mystery

Washington Post today ran this article about new developments in that perennial favorite of classical-death myseries: what, exactly, killed Alexander the Great? Tradition held he was poisoned, but for perhaps the past century the leading theory has been some sort of infection. Recently, the leading candidate was typhus, but now a rare West Nile virus derivative has been proposed.

Posted by scott at 08:05 AM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2004
Color Coding

Finally I have a scientific explanation for how women can tell the difference between the 8 billion shades of red available at the nail polish counter: they can see that part of the color spectrum better than men can:

The increased [genetic] variation enhances the ability to discriminate between colors in the red-orange spectrum, particularly among females, because they have two copies of the X chromosome

I wonder if this also somehow explains how women just know that you're wearing brown socks with your blue suit?

Posted by scott at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2004
Paging Harry Potter, White Courtesy Phone Please

New Scientist is carrying this report about new developments in airport security devices. Seems the next generation will be devices that use "terahertz" radio frequencies to pick out the tell-tale signatures of weapons and explosives. Their shape? A wand. Magical!

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
Better Beer

Fark linked up this New Scientist article that describes a new innovation in beer brewing. By creating super-fine filters using technology originally created for DAT*, beer can be filtered much more quickly and efficiently. It worked so well in prototype that the researchers started up their own brewery!

----
* Digital audio tape. It was a technology created in the late 80s to bring CD-quality sound to the recording world. Unfortunately the recording industry sued, sued, and sued again, screaming that unfettered pirating would bring about apocalypse (to recording executives at least). The tech died for audio, but lived a very long life in the data world, where the tapes and their drives were used as backup technology.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2004
Monkey See, Monkey Grab

New Scientist is carrying this extremely interesting new development in brain research:

Brain implants have been used to "read the minds" of monkeys to predict what they are about to do and even how enthusiastic they are about doing it.

It is the first time such high level cognitive brain signals have been decoded and could ultimately lead to more natural thought-activated prosthetic devices for people with paralysis, says Richard Andersen project leader at the California Institute of Technology, in Pasadena, US.

Of course, the foil hat brigade will be far more interested in the other obvious "use" such a technology could be used for. Because you know most people are all about having electrodes implanted in their brains just so the government can find out what they're looking at.

Posted by scott at 10:56 AM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2004
Cave Man, Handy Man

Washington Post today ran this article (free reg, blah blah) detailing some new developments in early-modern human research. Turns out that the human remains at Vogelherd, a German cave site that provided one of the strongest links between early-modern humans and the Aurignacian culture, were only a few thousand years old. Hence, no strong link. This finding opens up the possibility that it was neandertals who created this artwork, perhaps even the entire Aurignacian complex itself.

If it can be proven, it would be a ground-shaking discovery. Until this time, one of the primary differences between early modern humans and neandertals seemed to be cultural.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2004
The Grandmother Hypothesis

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing a new study on hominid fossils. By doing a survey of dental fossils, a pair of scientists has found evidence of an explosion of people surviving into old age may have been fundamental to the success of our species, and perhaps the failure of other hominids.

The use of teeth is clever, and has a reason. Hominids, up until about fifteen thousand years ago, were quite rare and therefore their fossils are few and far between. Much of the hominid fossil record is only teeth, because teeth are the most likely things to fossilize. In fact, teeth are probably the only hominid fossils common enough over a long enough period of time to make a statistical analysis like this meaningful.

Just goes to show there's no such thing as "old, useless" evidence.

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2004
H. erectus Update

CNN is carrying this more elaborate story on the new hominid fossil find we featured earlier this week. This time includes pictures, and notes that there's strong evidence that this ancestor, at least, started its road to "fossildom" by first becoming something else's lunch.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2004
Hominid News

New Scientist is carrying this summary of a recent hominid find in east Africa. While the article is a little light on specfics, anthropologists seem to have discovered a new Homo erectus skull. Since erectus is so poorly represented in the fossil record, any find is important. This one is unusual because it's much smaller than previous finds (about 30%). Predictably, calls have gone up to call it a new species, but thankfully at least some people are fighting this attempt.

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2004
I'm Sure They Were Polite Hippos

Sherri gets a waterlogged no-prize for bringing us this news of hippo fossils found in the UK:

The bones of seven-tonne hippos half as big again as today's descendants have been found [in East Anglia] alongside those of horses, hyenas, deer, primitive mammoths, rodents and plants giving an unprecedented insight into the distant past.

Crazy to think, but the UK was, 700,000 years ago, more like the African savannah than anything else today, and it had wildlife to match.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2004
You Damned Sneaky Ape

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing recent findings about the relationship between large brains and certain types of primate behavior. Turns out, larger brains confer the ability to be a sneaky bastard, which is advantageous in a complex social network such as the ones that nearly all primates live in. Includes this amusing example:

Byrne [one of the authors of the study] has himself observed a young baboon dodging a reprimand from its mother by suddenly standing to attention and scanning the horizon, conning the entire troop into panicking about a possible rival group nearby. "We were rather shocked that baboons could do anything quite as subtle as that," he says.

Seems like primate children are alike no matter what species they belong to, no?

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2004
Going Up, Pt 2

Slashdot linked up this AP story about new developments with the space elevator project. This time it's an interview with the head of the project, which has already been given $500,000 for basic research. His take: 15 years from start to finish, 10 billion dollars. Sounds like a lot until you compare it to the cost of the ISS.

Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2004
Indian Giving

Fark linked up this ABCnews article detailing the story of a rancher who kept an ancient Indian settlement both secret and perfectly preserved for the past 50 years. Archeologists didn't even realize the importance of the find until two years ago, and now they're so busy cataloging what's in the open to actually do any digging. The rancher, now 74, forced a promise out of the state that they would take steps to protect the property before he took a buyout and retired.

It's just possible they'll be able to pull it off, but pot hunters, the bane of all amerind archeology, are a resourceful bunch. Like the old man, now that they're public I have a sinking feeling the finds won't stay "un-looted" much longer.

Posted by scott at 07:59 PM eMail this entry!
Genghis Kahn: Barbarian, Emperor, Grandfather

Discovery Channel online is carrying this summary of research that claims to have made a remarkable discovery:

Genghis Khan left a legacy shared by 16 million people alive today, according to a book by a Oxford geneticist who identified the Mongol emperor as the most successful alpha male in human history.

They did this by tracing an unusual Y chromosomal "fingerprint" discovered during a generalized genetic survey of Central Asia. Eventually the trail of evidence lead right back to the only Mongol village in existence with a heavy preponderance of this trait and an oral tradition of being the birthplace of the Great Kahn.

Circumstantial, but still very interesting.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
June 24, 2004
Popeye's Child?

Lots of people are linking up this NY Times piece detailing the case of a German boy with a peculiar genetic mutation:

The baby, it turned out in the first such documented case in a human, had a double dose of a genetic mutation that causes immense strength in mice and cattle. Drugs are under development that, investigators hope, will use the same principle to help people whose muscles are wasting from muscular dystrophy or other illnesses. Experts say the little boy, now 4½ and still very strong, offers human evidence for the theory behind such drug

The scientists seem to think treatments based on this finding may be available in as little as five to ten years.

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2004
Neolithic Captain Crunch

Scientific American is carrying this article detailing new findings about man's use of grains as a staple food source. By studying a site in Israel called Ohalo II, archeologists have determined humans were using grains as a significant part of their diet about 25,000 years ago, nearly twice the age as was previously thought.

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2004
Musical Manuscripts

Nature recently featured this article detailing a new set of studies that claim musical notes in a song are statistically very similar to words in a book. The article mentions this helps explain why most people have such a hard time understanding atonal music. However, I also think this could provide some insight as to why prodigies seem to always concentrate in language, music, and mathematics.

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
Train Train Go Away

Instapundit led us to this Telegraph piece that summarizes new research on the efficiency of trains as a form of mass transit. Turns out their nowhere near as friendly to the environment as we think.

While this is for the UK, the US will probably be even worse, as our ancient regulations require far heavier trains and cars, especially for passenger service. However, considering Amtrak only stays in business with massive government subsidies, don't expect any changes soon.

I expect enviroweenies roaring disapproval at a scientific attack on one of their pet beliefs within a day at most.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2004
Nanocar

Slashdot linked up this Detroit News article that details how the auto industry is adapting nanotechnologies to build better cars. Turns out GM is already using nanotech in a limited way for pedestrian things like bed liners, but this is only the beginning. Windshields that don't crack, paints that won't scratch, suspensions that adapt themselves to the road, all and more are within reach.

I still think that my great-grandchildren will build their dream homes by picking a pattern out of a book, buying a 55-gallon drum of liquid, a 10-pound sack of "dust", and a dumpster full of specially-formulated dirt. Dump the sack in the drum, stir for ten minutes, then dump the drum on the dirt. A week later, and there's your house, ready to move in. All that's left is to clean up the dust, mummified corpses of a million machines.

Posted by scott at 07:03 PM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2004
But Will it Play Halo 2?

Slashdot linked up this article detailing new developments in the effort to create a "quantum computer". By using the deeply weird effects quantum mechanics makes possible, scientists believe one day CPUs can become hundreds of times more powerful while at the same time getting smaller and using less power.

Right now they're still in the "can it be done?" stage, but progress is most definitely being made.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2004
A Geek's Dream Come True

Fark linked up this Mail and Gaurdian article detailing the ultimate fantasy garment made real... a cloak of invisibility.

Well, not quite, but apparently damned close. By using special tiny reflective beads, cameras, and projectors that form an image on the front of the material that mimics whatever is behind it. The concept itself has been around since at least the early 80s (I remember reading about it in Omni), but it would seem only now has technology caught up with concept.

Still a long way from making every junior high school girl's locker room unsafe, but it does prove the concept is valid.

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2004
Bowflex for the Ancients

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing the potential discovery of "compound machine" use by humans far earlier than previously thought, in China:

Distinctive spiral patterns carved into a small jade ring show that China was using complex machines more than 2500 years ago, says a Harvard graduate student in physics
...
"I said I bet you could do it with a modified bow drill, and she [Jenny So, an art historian at the Chinese University of Hong Kong] looked at me as if I had two heads," [Peter] Lu told New Scientist.

The evidence is circumstantial, but still very interesting.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
Four Legged Thinker

Washington Post this morning carried this article on a new study on just how much language, exactly, a dog can pick up:

A series of careful studies concluded that the energetic German house dog has a stunningly large vocabulary of about 200 words and can even do something scientists thought only humans could do: figure out by the process of elimination that a sound he has never heard before must be the name of a toy he has never seen before.

Right now they're not sure if all dogs can do this, or if they've stumbled across some sort of doggy Einstein. What the paper based on the study does mostly is establish protocols and procedures that could allow behaviorists elsewhere to try and repeat their results.

Cats still just ignore us.

Posted by scott at 07:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2004
Core Time

Fark linked up this BBCnews article detailing the latest findings from the longest ice core yet retrieved. Coming from an area called "Dome C" in east Antartica, it traces climate changes back nearly 800,000 years. Among the more interesting findings are that the Earth has been mostly a cold place, with interglacial "warming" periods lasting approximately 10,000 years. The current warming phase we're in right now is about that old, but scientists note that does not necessarily mean we're heading into an ice age. It has been discovered conditions now are very similar to an interglacial period 400,000 years ago, and that one lasted nearly thirty thousand years.

It's hoped that further data will help create more accurate climate models, which can then be used to more accurately predict long-term weather trends, like the effects of global warming.

Posted by scott at 08:02 AM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2004
I Spy with My Fly Eye

One of the particuarly dear pet arguments of Christians who think evolution is "just a theory", one no more or less valid than that of, say, creationism*, is that "speciation has never been observed." While demonstrably invalid for quite some time, this BBCnews article provides yet another nail for that coffin:

Scientists at the University of Arizona may have witnessed the birth of a new species.

Fruit flies, this time. Of course, the typical creationist reaction is to drop back 5 and punt with the reply, "well, nobody's seen any big species diverge." We're not here to convince these people, we're here to provide the rest of you ammunition to make them a little less smug in their arguments.

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* Which is, of course, flat wrong. Evolution is a scientific theory because it can be proven wrong. Creationism can't, so it isn't. Period. See, that was easy wasn't it?

Posted by scott at 10:45 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2004
~ Way Down, Below the Ocean ~

Slashdot linked up this BBCnews article summarizing a new development in the search for Atlantis:

Dr Rainer Kuehne thinks the "island" of Atlantis simply referred to a region of the southern Spanish coast destroyed by a flood between 800 BC and 500 BC.

Includes some hard-to-interpret pictures. The proposal is intreguing, but until someone sticks a shovel in the ground there it's little more than that. Unfortunately (and suspiciously coincidental), the site resides inside a national park, so getting permission to dig could be problematic.

Posted by scott at 12:58 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2004
Grand Challenge II

They haven't updated their website yet, but according to Slashdot, the DARPA Grand Challenge, 2005 is already heating up with several schools announcing their projects. Apparently the first one was not only innovative, but extremely amusing. Cars driving in circles, running into trees, even a motorcycle just sort of falling over. Definitely gotta set the TiVo for this one.

Posted by scott at 09:01 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2004
~ Tiny Fossils, In the Ocean ~

New Scientist is carrying this summary of recent fossil finds concerning the development of all complex multicellular life. By examining microscopic fossils found in Chinese deposits laid down just after the last "snowball earth" episode, scientists have found evidence that microscopic creatures first developed complex, bilaterally symmetrical bodies, then grew in size.

Posted by scott at 03:22 PM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2004
The Bones of the Ancients

This Gaurdian article discusses new efforts at trying to identify people found in the Mycenean graves of ancient Greece. Heinrich Schliemann, who found them more than a century ago, decided he had seen the face of Agamemnon himself, but it eventually turned out the graves were perhaps five hundred years too old. It's hoped that by using new DNA technology on the physical remains it can be determined if these people were related, or represented soldiers, or perhaps something else.

I remember going over all this stuff years ago back in college. The classics course I was taking was evenly split between anthropology majors and classics majors (no, none of us were interested in getting a real job). All the material we were using was based exclusively on historical documents and archeological findings. All us anth majors wanted to know about the physical remains, and we were staggered to find that nobody had ever done anything with them. It would seem that, fifteen years later, someone finally is.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
Virus Bomb

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing new developments in using viruses to treat cancer. By subtly altering a specific gene, Australian scientists were able to create a virus that was immediately spotted and stopped by healthy cells but was accepted by cancer cells. The resulting multiplication of the virus destroyed the cancer cells and then spread to others, resulting in dramatic reductions in tumor size and spread. Clinical trials in humans are expected in 2005.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2004
I Guess We Should Call it, "Rubio Goldbergisto"

New Scientist is carrying this summary of a very new sort of clothes iron:

A human-shaped dummy that irons shirts by pumping itself up with hot air has been created by researchers in Spain. It is the first machine designed for the home that can take on this tedious chore.

My gadget-crazy mom constantly accuses me of looking like I slept in my clothes. I expect to see one of these things on my doorstep any day now.

Posted by scott at 12:51 PM eMail this entry!
May 28, 2004
Dinosaurs go Boom

Fark linked up this Wired article detailing a new theory about the extinction of the dinosaurs. By examining new geological evidence, a group of scientists believes most of the dinosaurs were probably killed off in a matter of hours, not months or years as previously though:

Using estimates based on existing research, the five researchers calculated that the energy released by the asteroid strike was equivalent to that in 100 million megatons of TNT. The force of the impact would have thrown debris high into the air, much of it burning up while still in the atmosphere, the report said. This, in turn, would have turned the Earth into a giant broiler oven.

Yup, 100 million megatons. In computerspeak, assuming I didn't drop a decimal, that's 100 tera tons (as in terabytes). For comparison, the largest open-air nuclear device ever detonated was 60 megatons.

So, assuming further observations back up these predictions, it would seem the difference between survival and extinction was mostly determined by how well you could duck.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2004
But What About Lycanthropy?

Space.com is carrying this story summarizing recent findings about epilepsy and the full moon. By analyzing more than 700 siezures recorded at the Tampa, FL General Hospital, doctors were able to conclusively rule out any gravitational influence from lunar phases.

Werewolves, on the other hand...

Posted by scott at 01:24 PM eMail this entry!
May 25, 2004
The Downward (Evolutionary) Spiral

Christian Science Monitor is carrying this report detailing new developments in the study of evolutionary biology:

Mounting evidence suggests that by harvesting only the biggest fish - or biggest mammals, for that matter - mankind is unwittingly forcing many species to evolve rapidly. This process, called "contemporary evolution," isn't taking place over centuries. It's on a fast track that can happen within a few decades.

They cite such diverse examples as cod and sheep. Further, unlike simple overfishing or over-hunting, this sort of thing has much longer-term effects. You don't just grow populations back if their genes have altered how they grow.

The findings suggest new, alternative ways of wildlife management, such as making efforts to more naturally mimic "regular" predation. While this is comparatively simple to do with land animals (and seems to be working in Europe already), fisheries face more challenges to reach a balance.

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
For Fizzle My Hrizzle

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing a new discovery in genetic research. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have identified a gene called, I kid you not, "frizzle 6", that seems to control hair patterns in mice. While this at first seems to fall under the, "still no cure for cancer" category, these genes are also implicated in things like spinal neuron growth and blood vessel development. Just because it starts out obscure doesn't mean it'll stay that way.

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2004
Bird Biplanes?

NewScientist is carrying this summary of a new theory on bird evolution. A group of scientists is now putting forward the hypothesis that birds actually started out with four wings for gliding, which later developed into the two-wing flapping model we're all familiar with today. The description made my eyes cross trying to imagine a bi-planed bird, but in actuality they're thinking the "extra" wings covered the rear legs. They've got some fossil evidence, but not a lot, as bird fossils are quite rare. More will need to be discovered for confirmation, but it is definitely an interesting idea.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
How Old is that Doggy in the Window?

The Washington Post today carried this interesting article about new genetic research into the history of dog breeds. Turns out a lot of breeds thought to be ancient are really very new, while others you wouldn't think to be all that old go back very far indeed.

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2004
Berg beheading: No way, say medical experts

What do YOU think?

American businessman Nicholas Berg's body was found on May 8 near a Baghdad overpass; a video of his supposed decapitation death by knife appeared on an alleged al-Qaeda-linked website (www.al-ansar.biz) on May 11. But according to what both a leading surgical authority and a noted forensic death expert separately told Asia Times Online, the video depicting the decapitation appears to have been staged.

Questions of when the video's footage was taken, and the time elapsed between the shooting of the video's segments, were raised by both experts, reflecting a portion of the broader and ongoing video controversy. Nordby, speaking to Asia Times Online from Washington state, noted: "We don't know how much time wasn't filmed," adding that "there's no way of knowing whether ... footage is contemporaneous with the footage that follows".

And Berg is seen on the beheading videotape in what appears to be US military prison-issue clothing, sitting in what appears to be a US military-type white chair, virtually identical to those photographed as used at Abu Ghraib prison. However, the taking of hostages has occurred in the region, and beheadings are not unheard of.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2004
Splints 'Splained

Scientific American has this interesting article explaining just what, exactly, "shin splints" are. When Ellen and I were walking to get exercise, I'd get shin pain so bad it would affect the way I walked. It would seem I was actually suffering from "exertional compartment syndrome". Now I bike, so it doesn't much matter.

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2004
Nano Mystery

New Scientist is carrying this report summarizing new findings regarding a biological construct I'd never heard of... "nanobacteria". Smaller than most viruses, they were first described by a Finnish group in 1998. The evidence was heavily criticised and then largely discredited on later examinations, and the consensus for a long time was that the particles didn't exist, or were perhaps some form of bizzare chemical crystallization not seen before.

However, a new group of scientists from the Mayo clinic have come back to the subject, and not only have they replicated the Finnish results, they've also produced more experimental evidence that seems to imply nanobacteria does in fact exist. However, this would appear to be a very hotly debated issue in microbiology, and it would seem the Mayo people have a lot of convincing to do.

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2004
Ancient Massacre?

BBCnews is carrying this summary of recent findings concerning Sima de los Huesos (the pit of bones), in Atapuerca, near the town of Burgos Spain. The find contained the remains of 23 individuals, considered to be Homo heidlebergensis (what used to be called late Homo erectus), about 350,000 years old. So far the demographics of just who's in the pit seem to indicate a massacre, or perhaps a plague of some sort.

Posted by scott at 10:59 AM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2004
Lemur Smarts

Duke University is reporting Lemurs are a lot smarter than they were originally given credit for:

Until now, primatologists believed lemurs to be primitive, ancient offshoots of the primate family tree, with far less intelligence than their more sophisticated cousins, monkeys, apes and humans. But at the Duke University Primate Center, with the gentle touch of his nose to a computer screen, the ringtail lemur called Aristides is teaching psychologist Elizabeth Brannon a startling scientific lesson -- that lemurs are, indeed, intelligent creatures.

However, unlike Monkeys or other "higher" primates, Lemurs need motivation. "Will work for food" is apparently their motto.

Also highly instructive in a "meta" sort of way is this Reuters report, which is essentially a rehash taken directly from the press release. Which is, of course, how something like 80% of all news is "reported".

Posted by scott at 10:56 AM eMail this entry!
New Tech, Old Site

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing a new expidition exploring a pyramid at Mexico's Teotihuacan. By using, get this, muon particle detection gear, it is hoped scientists can determine if there are any large, undiscovered voids inside. These voids would, if large enough, be a strong indication that the kings that built the pyramid are still buried somewhere inside.

I always find it amazing we use extreme high tech to explore the remains of people who didn't even know about the wheel. Historical bookends, if you will.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2004
Library Found

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing a recent archeological dig that is now thought to be the Library of Alexandria. No books of course (the main library was destroyed by fire, not Christians), but several very large lecture halls. Sites like this are typically huge, so who knows, they may yet find some scrolls after all.

Posted by scott at 01:47 PM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2004
All They Need Now is a Teeny-Tiny Mad Scientist

Space.com is carrying this article summarizing a new development in nanotube technology. By using new techniques, scientists are able to create nano "test tubes" able to hold an extremely small (on the order of atoms) amount of material. The scientists were also able to alter the makeup of the tubes themselves, allowing them to do all sorts of weird semi-magical things.

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
Permian Impact News

Today the Washington Post is carrying this article providing more details about the discovery of an impact crater that may have caused the great Permian extenction event approximately 2.5 billion years ago:

The researchers said that geological evidence suggests that an object about six miles in diameter crashed at the shoreline of what is now Australia's northwestern coast, creating climate changes and other natural catastrophes that wiped out 90 percent of marine species and 70 percent of land species.

As with the Cretaceous event, the other leading cause is a sudden, massive, increase in volcanism at about the same time. I guess geologists just haven't come up with a mechanism for how impacts can actually cause massive eruptions, but the ocurrance of two similar events seems more than just a coincidence to me.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2004
Chicklets...Chiquitas...No..Cicadas!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first cicada of the season sat on the doorstep like a mutant bumblebee, with red eyes and yellow legs.

But, apparently alarmed by the appearance of a human, it tumbled off the shallow step, landing helplessly on its back. Its yellow legs wiggled frantically to no effect.

"Brood X is likely to be the largest insect emergence on Earth," said Keith Clay, a cicada expert at Indiana University at Bloomington.

Starting this week, across much of the eastern United States, from Georgia north to southern New York and as far west as Illinois, the cicadas will emerge from their 17 years of sucking on tree roots underground to engage in a two-week orgy of calling, mating, laying eggs and then dying.

And things that eat cicadas, from fish and birds to dogs, will gorge on them in a mad frenzy.

Read entire article here. I have yet to see a Cicada.

Posted by Ellen at 06:23 PM eMail this entry!
Pretty Little Ape Machine

New Scientist is carrying this summary of one scientist's hypothesis that at least some changes toward "handsomeness" in hominids were driven by females choosing better-looking mates over time.

While this may well be true, the evidence she seems to rely on, the size of canines and width of facial features, are heavily influenced by dietary factors as well as any purported sexual competition. It's equally possible that females chose mates who would help them raise increasingly more dependant children instead of fighting with other males for reproductive rights. There is such a strong correlation between sexual dimorphism (the size difference between the sexes of any primate) and male competition that it's one of the few anatomical indicators of behavior. The more males fight over females, the larger they become, and visa-versa.

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2004
Ancient Pipes

Yahoo is carrying this summary of a recent archeological find in Ireland:

Archaeologists are dancing with delight after discovering a set of musical pipes believed to have been used 4,000 years ago by pre-historic man in Ireland -- likely making them the world's oldest wooden instruments according to experts.

Ellen would make a crack about bagpipes, but those are Scottish.

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2004
Doggy Doppleganger

Washington Post today carried this tidbit about a scientist who tried to determine if we really do resemble our pets, and if so why:

The researchers photographed 45 dogs and their owners at three dog parks and gathered information about the breeds and how long owners and pets had been together. They then asked 28 students to try to match the people to the pooches.

The results suggest not that we grow to look like each other, but rather humans on some subconscious level choose animals that resemble themselves.

Bah. I have cats. As long as it doesn't puke, pee, or crap on something I own, I'm happy with it.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2004
Half Undressed for Eternity

BBCnews has this nifty report on the discovery of the very first fossil arthropod caught in mid-molt. Found in the famous Burgess Shale (in NW Canada), the 505 million year old fossil provides the first direct proof that molting has been a growth strategy for these creatures almost since they evolved. Arthropods are represented today by crustaceans, spiders, and insects.

Posted by scott at 05:46 PM eMail this entry!
Ancient Buzzing

Scientific American is carrying this article summarizing new findings in the history of hummingbirds. Turns out there were species inhabiting Europe some 30 million years ago. Why they died out there is still unclear.

Posted by scott at 11:12 AM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2004
Squid Sex

Ron gets a sqishy no-prize for bringing us the latest news on Ellen's favorite sea-beastie, the Giant Squid:

The giant squid is not especially choosy when it comes to sex and will mate blindly without checking if the object of its affections is male or female, a German researcher said Tuesday.

And they haven't even ruled out giant Giant Squid orgies yet! I wonder what Ron Jermey's porno CD would sound like at 3000 feet?

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
Now They Need Teeny-Tiny Nikes

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing what appears to be the very first bipedal nano-technology robot:

A microscopic biped with legs just 10 nanometres long and fashioned from fragments of DNA has taken its first steps.

The details of how they do it and how it works are amazing. Biochemistry is cool.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
Shoetech

Slashdot linked up this NY Times article summarizing the latest in footwear technology... electronic sneakers. Adidas has embedded microchips, motors, and a battery supply into its latest running shoe. The idea is for the computer to subtly alter the characteristics of the sole in response to running conditions.

I seem to recall a few years ago they did a study on which shoe was the most efficient for running. No surprise bare feet beat them all by a wide margin.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2004
Maya News

Washington Post today carried this more elaborate description of recent discoveries concerning the Mayan civilization:

Archaeologists working in a remote stretch of Guatemala's northeastern Peten wilderness said yesterday they have unearthed evidence that the ancient Maya may have developed sophisticated rituals and institutions hundreds of years earlier than previously thought.

New satellite imaging, more stable governments, and the increased availability of helicopters have all combined to discover and explore these ancient sites that have sat hidden by jungle for hundreds, even thousands of years.

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2004
Neandertal News

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing new findings regarding the rate at which Neandertals matured. By examining the way various hominid teeth were formed, a group of scientists have come to the conclusion that Neandertals reached maturity faster than any other group of hominids before or since. They think it was related to high infant mortality, but many anthropologists think more work needs to be done to firm up this conclusion.

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2004
Popeye the Sailor in the Lab

NewScientist is carrying this article detailing a new procedure that could eventually be used to cure certain forms of blindness. By adding light-absorbing pigments found in spinach to nerve cells in the retina, neural impulses can be trasmitted through the optic nerves to the brain. The procedure is not without controversy, and is still only a lab experiment.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2004
DOOOOOMMM!!

A trio of active volcanoes in the center of New Zealand's North Island -- Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu and Tongariro -- form the southern tip of the "Rim of Fire," an arc of active volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean.

A simmering acidic crater lake on Mount Ruapehu, belching steam and gas that smells like rotten eggs, has been the site of more eruptions than any other crater lake in the world.

Scientists studying the lake say higher levels signal a greater chance of a mudflow, and warn that a disastrous mudslide could flow down the mountain some time between November this year and next March.

Read entire article here.

*eViL GrIn* I wonder if these people are going to hell? *eViL GrIn*

Posted by Ellen at 09:32 PM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2004
Ancient Firestarter

NewScientist is carrying this article detailing what could be the oldest evidence of human use of fire found to date. Discovered on the banks of the Jordan river, the site dates to approximately 790,000 years ago, which would put it squarely in the time period of Homo erectus (shaddup Kris). The finding of man-made fire is, of course, contested.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2004
The Mummies Return

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing the discovery of another big Egyptian mummy cache, this time just south of Cairo. Believed to have been in use from about 660 BC to about 30 BC, it contains at least 50 mummies in a remarkable state of preservation. Everyone's favorite Egyptologist Zahi Hawas is, of course, prominently featured.

Posted by scott at 11:23 AM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2004
Fossil Fire

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing the discovery of the earliest wildfire yet known. It happened about 440 million years ago, when plants weren't much more than an inch or two high and the Earth's atmosphere contained 3% less oxygen than it does now. Very cool.

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2004
Ancient Whalers

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing the discovery of new evidence that man was hunting whales perhaps as far back as 6000 years ago. Recently discovered rock art in a South Korean archeology site seems to clearly show men in boats harpooning whales. Nearby sites have extensive cetacean bone deposits, showing they were an important part of the local diet.

Posted by scott at 01:31 PM eMail this entry!
Bathtub Ocean

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing a somewhat bizzare new finding about ocean levels. Turns out they tend to be higher along the ocean's shores than in the middle. Well, by a few milimeters anyway. The exact implications of this are not completely clear, as it's not certain if this is a one-time phenomenon scientists just happen to have seen, or if it is the result of some long-term trend (i.e. global warming).

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
An Ill Wind

Today the Washington Post carried this article detailing a new theory as to what caused the loss of the CSS Hunley, the man-powered Confederate submarine. Turns out the weather may have played a much larger role than was previously thought.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2004
The Original Italian Race Car

Slashdot linked up this Gaurdian article detailing the latest efforts to build Leonardo DaVinci's "self-propelled transportation device." Previous attempts had failed due to a misinterpretation of the design, but by examining other related documents the correct drive mechanism was finally figured out.

What ended up being created was a roughly square vechicle about 5 feet to a side. It's propelled by springs and gears, which are tensioned by rolling the wheels backward (sounds like a car toy I had in grade school). It only turns to the right, and was even designed to be activated remotely. Despite its toy-like powerplant, the full scale version is so powerful the builders are afraid to test it.

Posted by scott at 10:20 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2004
A Drug Lab that Moos?

Scientific American is carrying this article summarizing recent European efforts to breed cows that can produce cancer treatment drugs in their milk. Considering the Euro's perceived xenophobia about genetic engineering, I'm surprised this got very far. Hopefully it'll go a lot further.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2004
Vinyl Science

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing a new invention that will allow recordings stored on very old or very rare analog records to be recovered without touching the surface of the disk. Using technology originally developed for a gigantic particle accelerator, scientists are able to scan the surface of a disk with incredible precision, feed the results into a virtual "record player", and then record the output. It even removes all the scratches and pops. Story includes sample recordings.

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
April 17, 2004
Facing the Hunley

The Washington Post ran this story today about recent developments in the USS Hunley salvage/excavation operation. All eight of the crew have now been identified (and buried), and casts of their skulls have been used to create representations of what they looked like. Apparently, very little actually is known about the crew, aside from perhaps the captain. Unfortunately, the on-line article only has a picture of one of the crew. The print article had all eight.

Posted by scott at 07:37 PM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2004
Ancient Snack

BBCnews is carrying this article describing a new fossil find that proves that predators ate trilobites in ancient Cambrian seas. While the conclusion seems kind of obvious, it is a rare example of a fossil providing evidence of behavior instead of biology.

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2004
Fat Filler Fixes Fractures

New Scientist is carrying this summary of the first case of cells being purified from fat to heal an injury in a living animal. By harvesting a special kind of fat cell, and then laying it over a special lattice containing a certain enzyme, scientists were able to heal very large skull fractures (in mice) much faster than any other existing technique.

Posted by scott at 07:26 AM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2004
But Does it Make them Walk in Slow Motion?

Today's Washington Post (free reg, blah blah) carried this article detailing innovations in prosthetic leg design. A Canadian firm has carefully worked out the unique challenges of making a moving artificial leg, creating a powered device that not only allows natural walking, but climbing and walking on rocky terrain.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2004
Trike Toy to Transform Traffic Terror?

BBCnews linked up what some people think will be the car of the future. Well, Europe's future anyway. First we have ICBM engines approved by the EPA, now we find a car designed by people who probably don't drive to work. I wonder if we'll get another story to make a "moronic soulless bureaucracy in motion" trifecta?

Of course, considering the success of the SMART cars, who knows, this may have a chance. Certainly if it can be painted red some loony Italian will want to race it.

Posted by scott at 12:15 PM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2004
Maggots May Misidentify Murder

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing the findings of an Austrailian scientist studying the use of insect larva as a method of assessing time of death. Turns out the technique is probably not as clockwork-like as was previously thought.

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2004
Fish Fossil Find Shows Foot Forensics

Scientific American is featuring this article summarizing a recent ancient fossil find:

A report published today in the journal Science describes the fossil, which represents an intermediate stage in the evolution of fish fins into vertebrate limbs.

Turns out the "fin-to-limb" transition seems to have happened earlier than previously thought, and was perhaps a response to aquatic conditions instead of a direct adaptation to land.

Posted by scott at 10:56 AM eMail this entry!
April 01, 2004
Deluvian Dino Death?

BBCNews is carrying this article summarizing a recent study concerning how asteroid impacts seem to combine with massive basalt flows to trigger mass extinctions. Evidence seems to be growing against one or the other being powerful enough to cause such an event, but both together seem to do nicely.

To me, the fact that a mass extinction tends to be accompanied by both a huge impact and a basalt outflow would indicate the two were related somehow. Yet these geologists seem particularly concerned not to draw the obvious causal conclusion. I guess it's because I'm not much of a geologist.

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2004
The Sum of all Bats

Scientific American is carrying this article summarizing new discoveries concerning how bats navigate in the dark in the presence of accoustically complex objects like trees and bushes. Turns out they probably do a statistical summary to construct a mental model of the terrain and use that to keep from running into trees. Personally I really would've liked to see just how these experiments were done. Messing with someone's head is always the highlight of cognitive experiments.

Posted by scott at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2004
Fusion Coming Out of the Cold?

Jeff gets a no-prize in a cup of water for bringing us this NY Times piece about the Energy Department taking a second look at cold fusion:

Despite being pushed to the fringes of physics, cold fusion has continued to be worked on by a small group of scientists, and they say their figures unambiguously verify the original report, that energy can be generated simply by running an electrical current through a jar of water.

It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of this. From the little I've read, I'd be leaning more toward some bizzare chemical process than fusion itself. But you never know!

Posted by scott at 08:10 AM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2004
Walking 15 Minutes a Day Won't Prevent Obesity

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Walking briskly for 15 minutes each day is not sufficient to burn off the extra calories in the diet, new research reports.

Reporting in the American Journal of Public Health, the researchers found that if every single adult walked briskly for 15 minutes each day, the total amount of extra energy expended each day would average out to significantly less than the extra amount each average person eats.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 08:36 PM eMail this entry!
Jaw Shrinks, Brain Grows?

Jeff gets a jaw-shaped no-prize for bringing us this interesting summary of a new genetic finding in human origins research. A group of biologists and, of all things, a team of plastic surgeons have discovered a single mutation related to jaw size that may have been what kicked the genus Homo down the road to, well, us.

Unfortunately the article is long on sensationalism and very short on cogent details, so some of it doesn't make much sense. Still, a very interesting finding, hopefully BBCnews or NewScientist will put up a more detailed article soon. But you heard it here first! :)

Update: Yup, New Scientist has a much better summary. AP had better quotes (Wolpoff and Lovejoy are two of the top scientists in the field), but kudos to NS for actually explaining the damned thing.

Posted by scott at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
"Rock" Art

BBCnews is carrying this summary of the recent re-discovery of what could be the very first confirmed concert venue. Found in southern India, the Kupgal Hill site contains rocks with special depressions in them that when struck ring out distinctive notes. Dating to paleolithic times, it is thought the rocks and their accompanying artwork were used in shamanistic rituals.

Posted by scott at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2004
The Quest for Fire

BBCnews is carrying this summary of recent paleoanthropological findings concerning hominds and fire use. Using a new type of scanner, they have found evidence that 1.5 million-year-old fossils of burned bones seem to have gotten that way through the hot fire of a hearth, not the lower-temperature fire of a savannah wildfire. This represents a signficant "back dating" of fire use, which until now only seemed to go back about 250,000 years or so.

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2004
Quarky Universe

New Scientist is carrying this summary of the manufacture of a new exotic subatomic particle. Called a "pentaquark" for its composition, it and its previously created (in 1993) brother have all sorts of bizzare qualities, not the least of which a much-higher-than-predicted stability.

Physics is one of the reasons I'm really sorry I suck at math. In college I once had two physics-major friends sit me down and explain the equations behind general relativity. It was amazing... all the stuff that'd confused me, that didn't make sense, was so obviously explained by just a few lines of math.

Then I got up, and lost it all.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
Now That's Vintage

Today the Washington Post carried this quick report summarizing the findings of a lab trying to figure out what, exactly, the "wine" in King Tutankhamen's tomb might have been. By taking scrapings from various jugs and jars, they determined King Tut drank red.

Posted by scott at 07:59 AM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2004
Baby has eight organ transplants

A seven-month-old girl is recovering after undergoing a record eight organ transplants in the United States.

In a 12-hour operation, Italian Alessia Di Matteo received a new liver, stomach, pancreas, small and large intestine, spleen and two kidneys.

Read entire story here.

With picture.

Posted by Ellen at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2004
Dust Bowl Drama

Scientific American is carrying this article summarizing a new report on what caused the great "Dust Bowl" droughts in the 1930s. According to the report, it would seem an unusual combination of ocean surface currents and temperatures (in both the Atlantic and the Pacific) are to blame.

Posted by scott at 09:10 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2004
Tooth Tracking

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing a new technique physical anthropologists have developed to determine geographical origin. By examining a specific oxygen isotope found in teeth, they can determine with remarkable precision where a person lived until they were about 12 years old. Using this data, it's already been determined that Anglo-Saxons did not in fact completely displace native peoples during the early middle ages.

Posted by scott at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2004
More Than 8.7M Cosmetic Plastic Surgeries in 2003, Up 32 Pct. Over 2002; For 12th Year, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Reports Statistics

The number of surgical procedures grew by five percent, while minimally invasive procedures jumped 41 percent over 2002. This past year's growth may be attributed to the attention plastic surgery received from the entertainment industry, which spotlighted plastic surgery and perhaps, created a larger interest from the public.

The overall top five surgical cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2003 were nose reshaping (356,554), liposuction (320,022), breast augmentation (254,140), eyelid surgery (246,633), and facelift (128,667). Women made up 82 percent of those who had cosmetic plastic surgery. Women chose liposuction most often in 2003, followed by breast augmentation, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and facelift. The men's top five cosmetic plastic surgery procedures for 2003 were nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, liposuction, hair transplantation for male-pattern baldness and facelift.

Read entire article here.

I personally have nothing against plastic surgery. I plan to have it next year. I do have a problem with doctors who can't tell their patients NO after 10 nose jobs and 4 chin and cheek implants, or the doctors who give women 60FFF boobs. Basically the ones that are going for the impossible or ridiculous. But hey, if makes you feel better, have at it. It's your money. Just don't go too far.

Posted by Ellen at 04:01 PM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2004
The 10% Solution

Scientific American is carrying this article debunking the commonly-held belief that most people only use 10% of their available brain power. I dunno man... if this guy commuted to work on the D.C. beltway like we do, he might have a different opinion!

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
Buggy Update

New Scientist is carrying this update on the DARPA Grand Challenge, the road race that challenges contestants to build an autonomous vehicle to traverse a large amount of desert in a (relatively) small amount of time. Looks like 16 vehicles made it past the "qualifying" round, which generated this choice quote:

The golf-cart-sized vehicle entered by Virginia Technology University was one of the teams that completed the obstacle course - at the third attempt. A relieved Charles Reinholtz told New Scientist "It's always a little bit of a surprise when the vehicle does exactly what you expect it to - there are so many things that can go wrong."

A software developer after my own heart! Still no word if anyone used bits of Mars rover software. Sounds unlikely though. Probably has to do with the speed difference. The MERs move at rates of a few feet per minute, while the Challenge contestants will have to move at an average speed of about 15 mph.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
Buried Treasure

Fark linked up this story about a guy who discovered one of the largest caches of Roman coins found in England while digging a new fishpond on his property. British antiquity rules are a little complicated, so it's not clear if he'll get to keep it or if the government will sieze it.

Finding cool stuff buried in your back yard is definitely one of the neater things about living in Europe. However, I must admit neat is in the eye of the beholder. My old classics instructor in college said that the antiquity laws in Greece are extremely complex and troublesome. So much so that most of the time when someone digs up a statue when they are, say, re-working their basement, they simply bury it deeper and swear everyone to secrecy.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2004
Be Sure to Turn the Concrete off as You Leave

Slashdot linked up this article detailing the latest in construction materials: "LitraCon", concrete that can transmit light. By combining fiber optic strands with concrete, they've created what is in effect a translucent building material. The pictures remind me vaguely of those paper walls Japanese houses were built out of centuries ago. Only, of course, this is concrete.

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
Eggcelent...

Washington Post (free reg, blah blah) carried this article today summarizing recent discoveries in mammalian biology:

Now Harvard researchers have come to the radical conclusion that female mice produce a constant stream of new egg cells as adults -- challenging a central dogma of reproductive biology and raising the heretical possibility that women, too, clandestinely produce fresh eggs for at least the first half of life.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2004
Gene Gray [Matter]

We're all about the science today. Slashdot linked up this Discover article summarizing the findings of a scientist who claims to have discovered the precise gene that gives humans big brains. Turns out there are precisely fifteen mutations on this gene that differentiate it from what you find in chimpanzees. How it works is, of course, not clear.

Again, it's important to understand these mutations didn't happen in a vacuum. Our ancestors happened to have access to a protien-rich resource that lent itself well to a tool-using tree climber (scavenging leopard kills and anything else the heyenas couldn't get to). The dietary change was probably at least as important as the genetic one, as without the former the latter was useless. Likewise, without the latter the former was merely the behavior of jibbering chimp-things with an (oftentimes terminal) adrenaline addiction.

Update: Don't miss this older National Geographic article detailing developments about the very earliest primates. It's beginning to look like they may have walked (well, scurried and squeaked) with the dinosaurs.

Posted by scott at 02:17 PM eMail this entry!
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Jeff gets a roving no-prize for bringing us news of DARPA's latest technology challenge:

On Saturday, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Pentagon's few-holds-barred research and development arm, will award $1 million to the first team whose robotic vehicle can cover a rugged desert course from Barstow, Calif., to Primm, Nev., in less than 10 hours.

The vehicles cannot be controlled remotely. They've got to navigate all by themselves.

There are apparently lots of people who think nobody will make it at all the first time out, in which case it seems they'll do it again in 2 years. The Mars Rovers are certainly smart enough to do this sort of thing, but they're nowhere near fast enough. The software they use is, however, public domain. I wonder if any of the contestants are using it?

Posted by scott at 12:16 PM eMail this entry!
Hominid News

Scientific American is carrying this somewhat technical summary of recent fossil discoveries in Ethiopia's Middle Awash region. Some scientists are arguing that a handful of fossil teeth provides evidence of a much more diverse set of hominids during the late Miocene than was previously thought.

Ok, "real people" explanation: apes evolved during the Miocene epoch (a nice overall summary is here). Somewhere between 5 and 10 million years ago (mya) a set of apes evolved fully bipedal locomotion, for reasons that are still unclear*. When climate change destroyed the gigantic Euro-African forests that apes evolved in, some of these bipedal forms (species) struck out onto the savannah to make a living.

Exactly how many species made it out is also unclear and the subject of a growing debate. Regardless, the various species created what seem to be only two strategies for survival: scavenging and grazing. Both strategies were quite successful at first. The grazers grew larger and larger over time, eventually ending up with a species currently known as Paranthropus bosei (I learned it back when it was Australopithecus bosei), a creature with a huge bony crest on its skull and molars more than an inch long.

The scavengers also became more specialized, growing taller and more lightly built (compared to the grazers). The protein content of their diet was presumably what allowed the development of ever larger brains, gradually changing a scavenging model to one of hunting.

At this point, about 1.5-2 mya, there were at least two, perhaps as many as four, different families of erect walking apes on the savannahs of Africa. Homo (us), and Paranthrapus (the huge grazers) are the ones I learned about. Again, for reasons poorly understood, the grazer forms died out at around this time while the hunter forms exploded (perhaps several times) out of Africa and into the Eurasian landmass. They eventually turned into, well, us.

So what these scientists are arguing about is just how many species of erect walking ape there actually were before the forests receded, and which one evolved into us. The big problem is the complete lack of fossils covering this period. They're arguing over six teeth because six teeth is just about all that's been found in Africa from around this time (6-10 mya). However, the discovery is in and of itself a very promising sign, because until recently as far as anyone knew there were no places to find Hominid fossils from this time period. The Awash region is an extremely remote and primitive area, and dangerous to boot with various rebel and bandit clans roaming it at will. Future discoveries will be hard won, but hopefully will come anyway.

Posted by scott at 09:46 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2004
Biggie Small

Presenting Powers of 10, a nifty little java movie that moves from the extremely large universe to the extremely small quark in, as you'd guess, powers of 10. The fun thing about such a procession is it doesn't take near as long as you'd think.

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
Lensman

New Scientist has this article up about new developments in lens technology. Using two different fluids and some electric current, scientists at Phillips Electronics have created a lens with no moving parts. Initial purpose will be for things like DVD writers and phone cameras.

Unfortunately they can't create lenses larger than 1 cm in diameter, so those of us who are "big glass" photography fans (people who like big zooms and telephotos) are still stuck with mega-buck monsters we can only dream about.

Posted by scott at 09:59 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2004
I Wonder What Color it Would Be?

Found this Science Daily article detailing a recent material discovery that allows "magnetism at near-optical frequencies." No, I don't have any idea what it means, or what it would look like, or even IF it would be some sort of visible effect. However, it does apparently have important implications for various sorts of medical and security imaging. I think.

Posted by scott at 01:22 PM eMail this entry!
Imagine Two Very Tiny Banjos...

Washington Post carried this article on new AIDS research developments (free reg, blah blah) today. It seems they've finally figured out how AIDS is so effective at spreading once it is actually inside a cell, on an enzymatic level. This suggests a whole new avenue of treatment that can be explored.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2004
Bionic Brains

Washington Post carried this story about the development of brain implants to help cope with some brain disorders. They're being very careful in how they test and develop these systems, but the results are very promising for treating a range of ailments such as Parkinsons and OCD.

Posted by scott at 11:26 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2004
Steaming Fires

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing how an engine meant to power boats has turned out to be an extremely effective firefighting tool.

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2004
MuscleBots

Found this Space Daily article detailing the latest in nano machines: muscle-powered robots. The first working example is apparently half the width of a human hair and is powered by the pulsing of some heart muscle. This represents a real breakthrough in how nanomachines are powered. Previous systems required electricity, while these simply need some glucose.

I fully believe that by the time my great-grandchildren are ready to buy a house, what they'll actually do is buy a plot of land, a mound of specially formulated dirt, a barrel of fluid and a bag of sand. The sand [micromachines] would be poured into the barrel [full of micromachine fuel], stirred up [activating the machines], and the barrel then poured on top of the dirt [full of the basic elements of all the construction materials]. A few days later in place of the dirt pile there would be a fully functioning house (perhaps right down to the electrics and HVAC).

Magic? Maybe. But even the most magic things start from tiny beginnings.

Posted by scott at 12:27 PM eMail this entry!
Anti-AIDS?

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing a new discovery in AIDS research. Seems that a virus so harmless it doesn't even have an interesting name (GBV-C) somehow provides substantial protection from HIV infection turning into full-blown AIDS. Nobody knows precisely how or why. It also represents the first proven case of a viral infection adversely affecting another one.

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2004
New Fusion

Seems like there are new and important breakthroughs in fusion research:

Rusi Taleyarkhan is the principal investigator and a professor of nuclear engineering at Purdue. In effect, the research team is producing nuclear emissions in a simple desktop apparatus. The discovery allows, for the first time in history, the ability to use a simple mechanical force to initiate conditions comparable to the interiors of stars.

It's not cold fusion, but it sure sounds (har!) surreal. Here's to hoping it turns into something we can power our homes with some day!

Posted by scott at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2004
Chicken Little a Myth?

Fark linked up this IOL article detailing recent findings about the Chicxulub crater, thought to be the "smoking gun" providing direct evidence of an impact killing off the dinosaurs. Unfortunately it would seem Chicxulub crater is 300,000 years too old to be the direct cause, so now scientists are looking to see if perhaps a whole host of items, including several major impacts, may have been the culprit.

Posted by scott at 07:59 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2004
Thunder Lizard Indeed

BBCnews is reporting the discovery of a new "biggest ever" dinosaur. This one's a lower-Cretaceous (110-130 m.y.a.) herbivor that was about 115 feet long and weighed about 55 tons. It was found in the Teruel province of Spain.

Posted by scott at 03:51 PM eMail this entry!
Scary Smart

The Washington Post today featured this article on "Hyperlexia", a learning disorder that is apparently the exact opposite of dislexia. The main focus of the article was on a child named Alex:

By the time he was a year old, Alex Rosen of Bethesda would spend time at birthday parties thumbing through magazines while other children played with toys. By the time he was 3, if his mother's finger skipped a line as she was reading a story, he would place her finger on the correct point in the text. By the time he started school, he was reading like a 12-year-old.

Olivia still enjoys gnawing on books more than looking at them, so I think we've missed this one. However, I hold out no hope that it means she won't have twice the smarts required to get daddy to do whatever she wants.

Posted by scott at 11:00 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2004
Tick-Tock

BBCnews is carrying this summary of a recent development in physics. Scientists have developed a timing technique that allows them to record events in 100 "attosecond" intervals. What's an attosecond?

[If] 100 attoseconds is stretched so that it lasts one second, one second would last 300 million years on the same scale.

The development is expected to allow new sorts of quantum experiements to become possible. They're already taking pictures of electrons leaving an atom.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2004
But Where's the Teeny-Tiny Diver?

Scientific American is featuring this article detailing new techniques for electron microscopy. In order to work, such microscopes require specimens to be in a near vacuum. This, of course, is not optimal for viewing things with a lot of water in them, like cells. What these scientists have done is create a membrane barrier that is invisible to the electron beam yet protects specimens from the effect of the vacuum. This should lead to much better observations of things like cells.

Posted by scott at 01:54 PM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2004
Love Formula #9

Nature is carrying this article detailing a new psychological study that has created a mathematical formula for predicting the success of a marriage. They claim a nearly 100% success rate so far, and are now starting to use the insights to develop new marriage counseling techniques.

Posted by scott at 10:21 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2004
Bring Out Your Dead

The Washington Post is featuring this article detailing the latest scientific craze in Italy... the exhumation and study of ancient historical figures. The only one I'd personally heard of was Plutarch (and the Medicis), but that's just because I'm not all that up on non-papal medieval Italian history.

I've often wondered just what, exactly, was in the ancient tombs of, for example, Westminster. I'm sure UK readers will raise their eyebrows at a Yank being interested in their historic skeletons, but it should be pointed out that until 1776, they were ours too.

Posted by scott at 08:02 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2004
Brain Find

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing new findings from a group of anthropologists. By taking brain casts from Australopithecene skulls, they have found indications that hominid brains were evolving toward a human model much earlier than previously thought.

Posted by scott at 02:19 PM eMail this entry!
A Viking We Will Go...

Fark linked up this CNN article detailing the archeological find of what could be the earliest Viking boat burial in England. Right now they've only found a few artifacts, but those lead them to believe much more could be buried at the site.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2004
Black Hole Seen Ripping Star Apart

PASADENA, Calif. - Two space observatories have provided the first strong evidence of a supermassive black hole stretching, tearing apart and partially gobbling up a star flung into reach of its enormous gravity, astronomers said Wednesday.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:32 PM eMail this entry!
Should We Call It "Beeyoch" Syndrome?

New Scientist is carrying this article on the findings of a new study concerning female attitudes, competitiveness, and reproduction:

Women judge the attractiveness other women more harshly when at their most fertile, suggests a new study. The phenomenon could be a strategy to devalue potential rivals, says the psychologist behind the work - being bitchy about others could help a woman win the attention of a desirable man.

Actual conversation in our house:

[The scene: watching cheesy reality TV show "The Surreal Life", a drunken single female "cast member" starts groping a married sober male "cast member" at a party. Guy gently but firmly pushes away said female.]

Me: "Wow, his wife must be really tolerant."

Ellen: "Why do you say that?"

Me: "If that'd been me, with cameras around..."

Ellen: [Arched eyebrows, spine slowly straightens, head comes around toward me like the Terminator locking on.]

Me: "I'd have to say 'no, no, really, you have to stop, because if you don't you're gonna die. My wife knows people. She'll make my life miserable, but you'll just disappear one day. Go over and play with Ron Jeremy, it's safer.'"

Ellen: [smirks, mutters, nods]

I may be a pain in the ass, but apparently I'm Ellen's pain in the ass. Other women tresspass at their peril.

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2004
Diamond Update

New Scientist has a much better description of that monster "diamond" we covered last weekend:

[T]he crystal, which has been likened to a diamond, is in fact unlike any known on Earth. The pressure inside the white dwarf is a million million times the pressure that produces diamonds. This pressure strips electrons from the atoms, leaving the nuclei to form a crystal lattice surrounded by a sea of electrons.

This stuff is so exotic because it is so dense. I wonder if you were to somehow scoop or break a chunk off and carry it away, would stay this super weird kind of matter or "devolve" into something more common? Would it spring back to a much greater volume like a balled up piece of paper, or would it stay collapsed like a crushed can?

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2004
To Hoax, or not to Hoax?

Washington Post carried this article detailing the latest controversies over the "Vinland Map". This map, discovered in 1954 and supposedly created in the sixteenth century, purports to be the earliest representation of the new world. Or is it? It was declared a hoax shortly after its discovery, but the controversy continues.

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2004
Hard Heads, Soft Hearts?

CNN is carrying this summary of a new theory attempting to explain why Homo erectus (shaddup Kris) had such a thick skull. Their conclusion? They were whacking each other over the head to impress chicks.

Which basically means nothing has changed in 2.5 million years.

Posted by scott at 03:44 PM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2004
Dark Matter a Myth?

Slashdot linked up this Economist article detailing some problems with the existence of "dark matter". Personally I've always thought it sounded like a kludge... "we have niggling problems with our cosmology theories that could be explained by a) problems with our cosmology theories or b) a completely different sort of matter never seen anywhere else ever before. After careful observation, we're choosing option B."

Of course, dark matter theory has made some predictions that seem to have been proven, so it's definitely not a done deal. More as we find it out!

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2004
Dinosaur Dimensions

Scientific American is carrying this article detailing a new theory that attempts to explain why predatory dinosaurs grew so enormous during the Cretatious. Turns out it was probably a combination of factors, including huge land masses, an explosion in available plant life (and hence plant-eating dinosaurs to feed on), and a lack of competition from tother large predators. No surprise, the theory is controversial but so far has passed several tests.

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2004
Girl Buried After Removal of Second Head

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - An infant girl born with a second head bled to death after complex surgery to remove her partially formed twin, her parents and doctors said. The family buried Rebeca in a private funeral.

The girl lost a lot of blood in the operation, which apparently caused her to suffer a heart attack, said Dr. Jorge Lazareff, the lead surgeon. Friends and family donated almost 4 gallons of blood for surgeons to use during Rebeca's operation.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 04:54 PM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2004
Two-headed baby dies after surgery

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- An infant girl died Saturday after surgery to remove a second head, her mother said.

Read entire article here.

Very sad

Posted by Ellen at 01:54 PM eMail this entry!
Ocean Farts?

New Scientist is featuring this article detailing recent discoveries about hydrogen sulfide eruptions off the coast of Namibia, Africa. Turns out their much larger than previously thought, and has been blamed for killing a billion fish with one eruption.

Sorta reminds me of when Mt. Pinatubo erupted back in the 90s. Scientists (as I recall) discovered that one eruption dumped more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere than what man had generated in the past century.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2004
Two-headed baby has surgery

An operation to remove a second head from a baby girl - and make medical history - has begun.

The operation, performed by an 18-strong Los Angeles team, started just after noon (1600 GMT) in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic.

Seven-week-old Rebeca Martinez has the head of an undeveloped conjoined twin fused to the top of her skull.

Her second head has a partially-developed brain, ears, eyes and lips, and if it continues to grow would prevent Rebeca's brain from developing.

Read entire story here.

With picture

Posted by Ellen at 06:37 PM eMail this entry!
Bird Brains, Road Ways

Jeff gets a feathered no-prize for bringing us this reuters article detailing a recent discovery about how pigeons navigate. Turns out, on short trips at least, they follow the roads, right down to intersections and traffic circles.

My grandad was famous for following highways and rail road tracks to find his way back and forth in his old Cessna. I guess we've found a likely reincarnation candidate for him!

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2004
Spanish Flu Mystery Solved?

Also from BBCnews, this report on recent discoveries concerning the flu virus that caused the great pandemic of 1918. Scientists now believe it "jumped" from birds to humans, probably somewhere in Asia.

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2004
Guzzling Beer Helps Rats Stay Cancer-Free

Drinking beer or eating certain components found in the beverage seems to protect against colon cancer in rats, new research shows. Whether this holds true in humans, however, remains to be determined.

Read entire article here.

God help me if this is true in people! There will be a keg of beer under one of my counters with a permanant tap comming out of it. Scott is the only person I know that when he comes in from a bike ride, drinks a beer.

Posted by Ellen at 04:19 PM eMail this entry!
Doctors Hope to Aid Dominican Baby with Rare Defect

MIAMI (Reuters) - An international team of doctors hopes to operate in the Dominican Republic next month to remove an undeveloped second head from a baby girl born with one of the world's rarest birth defects, caused when a conjoined twin fails to develop in the womb.

Read entire article here.

With picture

Posted by Ellen at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2004
Old Bugs

BBCnews is carrying this summary of the discovery of the oldest land animal found to date. A millipede-like creature only 1 cm long, it was discovered in northern Scotland by an amateur collector whose "day job" is a bus driver. The creature has been named in his honor. Hmm... "Crittericus Johnsonii" has a nice ring to it. Time to get out the magnifying glass!

Posted by scott at 01:47 PM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2004
Dieters look for ephedra alternatives

People who think ephedra helped them lose weight are looking to new ingredients with names like guarana, bitter orange and green tea extract to replace the soon-to-be-banned dietary supplement.

"There are a number of, quote-unquote, 'ephedra substitutes' on the market now where even less is known about potential side effects," Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Mark McClellan cautioned in an interview last week.

The ingredient drawing the most attention is bitter orange, which McClellan says the FDA is monitoring closely because it contains synephrine, a stimulant chemically similar to ephedra.

Read entire article here.

I am a big believer in supplements. Always have been. Including Ephedra. One of the main reasons that it's being taken off the market is those morons that take more than the required amount and those that will go out in 100 degree weather to work out. I am currently on a non-ephedra supplement and along with exercise I have lost 18 pounds. Before the supplements, I was not getting any results with diet and exercise alone. Some people they work for, some they don't.

Posted by Ellen at 06:07 AM eMail this entry!
FDA: Tylenol, painkiller misuse can be deadly

The biggest concern: Taking too much of the popular drug acetaminophen can poison the liver.

Duh!

It's not the only over-the-counter drug getting attention: The FDA's campaign also will warn that certain patients are at increased risk of other side effects from different painkillers -- such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen or ketoprofen -- called NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Those side effects include stomach bleeding and kidney problems.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:02 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2004
Not Now Honey, I have a headache...umm...baby!

A morning headache is a common experience for one of every 13 persons, a new survey finds, and these painful awakenings are closely associated with depression and anxiety.

Women are slightly more likely to have chronic morning headaches (8.4 percent vs. 6.7 percent of men) and one of every 11 middle-aged persons, aged 45 to 65, is a persistent sufferer.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:16 PM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2004
A Bridge Over Troubled Trauma

Fark (of all places) linked up this interesting summary of a new experimental technique to help heal spinal cord injuries. Using special polymers, a kind of molecular scaffold is formed across the injury, allowing nerves to bridge the gap more easily.

Posted by scott at 04:19 PM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2004
Ancient "Murder Mystery" Solved?

New Scientist is carrying this interesting summary of the most extensive study yet attempted to figure out just what, exactly, happened to the Neandertals. Their conclusion? It was the cold that did them in, and nearly did in the European human population as well. The conclusions of this study seem to indicate it took the arrival of a completely different population of humans, with advanced technologies and cultural skills posessed by neither the Neandertals nor the existing human populations, before Europe was finally "conquered."

Posted by scott at 12:55 PM eMail this entry!
Ancient Fleet Search

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing upcoming efforts to find King Darius's Persian sea fleet. Destroyed in a violent storm in 492 BC, the fleet could potentially lead to a great many insights into the way Persian soldiers lived and fought.

Interestingly, they don't expect to find any Greek triremes. Apparently they were made without much, if any, ballast, and just plain didn't sink.

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2004
Solid Smoke

Slashdot featured this nifty NY Times article summarizing the characteristics of aerogel, the least-dense solid on earth. All kinds of cool applications, not the least of which is forming the core of the dust collector on the Stardust comet probe.

Update: Always read the comments, wherein we found this cool picture of just how strong, and weird looking, aerogel is. A bunch of other pictures are here.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
January 16, 2004
Monkey Speak

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing new findings by primatologists concerning speach recognition in monkeys. It would seem a primary, and fundamental, difference is not the ability to recognize words, but the ability to figure out sophisticated language rules like recursion.

While interesting, I wonder what the results would be if the experiments were performed on any of our cousins, the apes.

Posted by scott at 08:58 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2004
Study: Even a little exercise fends off weight gain

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Overweight adults who are not on a diet need only a small amount of exercise -- the equivalent of a half-hour of brisk walking per day -- to prevent further weight gain, a study found.

The most noticeable weight loss occurred in those who did the most vigorous exercise -- jogging about 17 miles weekly. They lost an average of nearly eight pounds over eight months, and also shed more than 10 pounds of body fat and gained about 3 pounds of lean body mass on average.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 01:12 PM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2004
Gunfighter's Last Stand?

Nina gets an aces-and-eights no-prize for bringing us news of new developments in the "Billy the Kid identity case". Seems there's still some controversy as to whether or not "the Kid" was actually shot or not.

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2004
"Tyre" Tracks

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing new efforts by scientists to create a quieter car tire. The impetus is yet another nanny-state EU regulation about car noise. Hey, at least it's not your tax dollars at work! Well, if you live outside Europe at any rate.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2004
New diet squeezes in on weight-loss scene

This is the diet I am currently on along with exercise. So far I have lost 15 stubborn baby pounds to date and 3 sizes smaller.

(CNN) -- A new eating-by-numbers method has arrived on the diet scene, and it's not Weight Watchers. Called the South Beach Diet, the plan is poised to overtake the Atkins method as the newest weight-loss rage.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 06:43 PM eMail this entry!
FDA rejects silicone breast implant request

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a manufacturer's application asking to restore silicone breast implants to the market, the firm said in a statement Thursday.

Instead of approving a return to the market, the FDA on Thursday issued new guidelines for Inamed Corp. and other breast implant manufacturers about assessing the safety and effectiveness of the products before they are available to the public.

Last year, an FDA advisory panel voted 9-6 to resume allowing silicone-type implants, but only if biopsies were conducted when an implant is removed to check for any complications. The panel also recommended that an MRI should be considered if it's suspected that an implant has ruptured.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:38 PM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2004
Deep Dives

Also from BBCnews, this detailed article summarizing new efforts to create semi-autonomous remote submarines ("HROVs") for exploring the deepest ocean trenches of the Pacific. While the whole article is quite interesting, I got a giggle from this one:

[The Mid-Atlantic Ridge's] most famous residents may be gigantic tube worms, seen waving to cameras from the porches of their hydrothermal homes.

I just get this picture of a bunch of worms grinning at the scientists, one maybe holding up a sign saying, "Hi mom! Send money!"

Update: An earlier, but related article here gives more historic background and detail on the Marianas trench itself.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2004
Fish or Cut Bait

In the "don't-develop-a-pen-use-a-pencil" science bin we have this BBCnews report on how India is using fish for malaria control. Guppies, even. Seems they have a taste for the skeeter larvae, and in some places have nearly eradicated them.

As someone who was raised in a mosquito-infested river delta, I can only say whatever kills the blasted things must be good.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2004
Reindeer Games Indeed

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing recent findings of a new archeological site in northern Siberia. Turns out people were roaming that area far earlier than previously thought... about 30,000 years ago. There are some indications these people may be related to the Clovis people who ended up settling North America some fifteen thousand years later, but a firm connection has not been made just yet.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2003
Snow Days

So, just what, exactly, makes a snowflake? Glad you asked! :)

Posted by scott at 09:50 AM eMail this entry!
December 30, 2003
Luck Be a Lady

BBCnews is carrying this article detailing one man's research into why lucky people feel lucky and why unlucky ones don't. The results, not surprisingly, are all in their heads. Includes a tip sheet for increasing your own luck, but I wouldn't hit the slot machines right away if I were you.

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2003
Bird Art

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing what could be the earliest representation of a bird ever found. At 30,000 years, this cormorant-like sculpture is tiny but also has amazing detail. With pictures!

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2003
Tiny Things Make My Head Hurt

BBCnews is carrying this new article summarizing experimental proof that the 2nd law of thermodynamics is not, in fact, set in stone. At very, very, very small scales, it can and in fact does reverse itself. This has some unexpected implications for nanotechnology, since these results strongly imply that extremely tiny machines can run backward at random periods for no reason at all.

I'm going to go soak my head now. Quantum mechanics is f'd up.

Posted by scott at 04:30 PM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2003
~ Rubber Dino, You're the One... ~

BBCnews is carrying this summary of recent discoveries made about sauropods, the big "brontosaurid" beasties of the Jurassic. By inputting the data for one of these critters into a floatation simulation originally meant for crocodiles, it was discovered these gargantuan animals would actually float. Well, sort of. It's not clear if they would have been stable.

Not exactly earth-shaking (as it were). These creatures were originally thought to be almost completely aquatic, but that theory fell out of favor when it was realized deep water would prevent them from breathing. Also, more modern fossil finds show the sauropods lived in a variety of places, from shorelines to deserts. Still, it does help explain some weird "tippy-toe" pathways that have been found over the years.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2003
Feed the Tree

Fark, in a remarkable departure from Boobies and Weirdness, linked up this story about one scientist's theories behind the Devonian mass extinction event. This event was before the better-known Permian and Cretaceous events, but still managed to off about 70% of the earth's species at the time. The theory is that land plants, which evolved in the Devonian, created unique land/sea conditions that wrecked the finely balanced ecological conditions of the oceans of that period. In other words, the trees did it.

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
Superbug

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing new discoveries about Geobacter sulfurreducens, a critter that can keep water free of nuclear waste products by eating them. Turns out, it may also form part of an organic battery.

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2003
Grave Goods

BBCnews is running this article summarizing the recent finds of red ochre lining some early-modern human graves in a cave in Israel. The striking thing is these graves are 100,000 years old, doubling the age at which humans seem to have begun to think abstractly.

My grandmother's funeral a few years ago was the first one I attended as an adult. I never will forget the sight of her body in a casket lined with pictures and momentos. For me, it was a deep connection with the past, participating in what will probably turn out to be the oldest, perhaps first, human ritual ever conceived.

The more things change...

Posted by scott at 12:29 PM eMail this entry!
Dust in the Wind

Joshua gets a sandy no-prize for bringing us this article on how utterly weird something as simple as a sand dune can be.

Posted by scott at 09:53 AM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2003
Fossil News

Washington Post is carrying this article summarizing recent fossil finds in Africa. The discoveries are the some of the first dated to a "hole" in Africa's paleontological record between 35 and 8 million years ago. Turns out there was a lot of biodiversity, and a lot of it was really weird.

Posted by scott at 12:14 PM eMail this entry!
Sexual Moronitude

This New Scientist article summarizing a new human behavior experiment goes a long way to explaining why men seem to get in trouble with their significant others all the damned time:

Psychologists in Canada have finally proved what women have long suspected - men really are irrational enough to risk entire kingdoms to catch sight of a beautiful face.

Somehow, though, I don't think an appeal to science will keep me from getting punched next time a short skirt walks by in the metro.

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2003
Dinosaur Crunch

BBCnews reports new developments in the Dinosaur mass-extinction theory in this report. A new study claims to call into question the theory that a massive firestorm swept the planet, or a large part of it, after the Chicxulub impact. However, the conclusions, while interesting, are not definitive.

Posted by scott at 09:25 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2003
Planetary Sonogram

Slashdot featured this story detailing new efforts to study the earth's interior using tremors from earthquakes to make an image similar to that of a sonogram of a mother's womb. The results included the first evidence for "mantle plumes", rising columns of heat that form things like the Hawaiian Islands.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2003
World's Oldest Winky?

It's not often we get to combine penis jokes and fossil news, but this BBCnews story about a recently described fossil allows us to do just that. A remarkably preserved ostracode, a kind of arthropod (think lobster, only weirder), was found with all its soft parts, including its genitalia, preserved.

Don't worry though, the whole thing was only 5mm long. No, you perv, the animal.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2003
Elephant March

Joshua gets a big gray no-prize for bringing this Scientific American article detailing new finds in the evolution of elephants to our attention. Turns out it's a bit more complicated than previously thought.

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
Birthin' Babies

New Scientist has this article detailling a new development in delivery-room technology. Using software originally developed for military radars, it should allow much more precise tracking of a baby's heartbeat during delivery, as well as the strength of the mother's contractions.

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2003
Stone Face

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing a new archeological find that could, maybe, put to rest the question of whether Neandertals created art. A worked stone artifact that seems to have deliberately been modified to look like a face was found in the Loire river valley as part of a Neandertal campsite. However, at 35,000 years old, it's still just possible the artifact was in fact early modern. But it is an interesting find. With picture!

Posted by scott at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2003
Add Another Axiom

Youth may be wasted on the young, but it appears immortality is wasted on a self-propelled nerf ball:

The red sea urchin found in the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean is one of the Earth's longest-living animals.

Posted by scott at 03:10 PM eMail this entry!
Permian News

Space.com is carrying this summary of new discoveries regarding the massive Permian extinction event. Ocurring about 250 million years ago, this extinction resulted in the demise of perhaps 90% of the Earth's species.

Previous theories suggested an extra terrestrial impact as the source, but foundered due to a lack of evidence. Now, evidence is starting to turn up.

Posted by scott at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
Crotchety Cockroaches

New Scientist is carrying this tidbit about cockroach aging. Turns out that, like people, they don't get around very well as they get older. There is, however, a rather unique way to get them moving again:

[scientists] found that the old timers were more likely to escape after they had been decapitated.

Nope, don't see that therapy working very well for gramma.

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2003
Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

New Scientist has this article up detailing the latest efforts at a hypersonic weapon system. The goal is to eventually build an effective weapons platform that can deliver ordinance to any spot on the globe within two hours of launch.

My first thought was "ICBM", but apparently they're looking for an aircraft-style system. My second thought was, "well, why don't they just stop screwing around and call it Aurora?

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2003
Whale News

Joshua gets a belated no-prize for letting us know the Japanese claim to have found an entirely new whale species. Said one of them got killed in a "boat collision". I wonder how harpoon-shaped a boat has to be before it's actually called a harpoon?

Posted by scott at 12:36 PM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2003
Propeller-head, Meet Bat-Boy

Joshua gets to field the no-prize we just batted out to him for bringing this Scientific American article about the science of home runs to our attention. Yeah, I know, "still no cure for cancer", but who says science can't be fun?

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2003
Whistle While You... Talk?

Slashdot featured this CNN article on silbador, the most elaborate "whistle" language in the world. Yup, you whistle instead of talk. 4,000 words no less. Not to be missed: a recorded conversational example that goes:

Hey, Servando!
What?
Look, go tell Julio to bring the castanets.
OK.
Hey, Julio!
What?
Lili says you should go get the kids and have them bring the castanets for the party.
OK.OK.OK.

Pretty nifty!

Posted by scott at 03:41 PM eMail this entry!
Well, Quark You Too!

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing the startling discovery of a new sub-atomic particle that doesn't easily fit into any category described by the current standard model. Officially referred to with the inelegant moniker "X(3872)", it has recently been dubbed the "mystery meson". Nearly as heavy as an entire atom of helium, it does not match any of the expected quark-antiquark constructions for meson particles.

The sub-atomic world makes my head hurt. I think I'll go lie down now...

Posted by scott at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2003
A Horse with No Name?

BBCnews is also carrying this report summarizing new finds regarding megafauna extinction in the Western Hemisphere. By studying horse fossils, scientists have determined climate probably played a much greater role in the extinction of those animals, as well as others like Mammoth and Rhinoceros, than has previously been thought.

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
Granny Always Knows Best

New Scientist posted this new article detailing what may be the first observed instant of a gorilla grandmother teach her daughter how to care for an infant.

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2003
Frankenstein Bugs

I saw it on slashdot, but I'm sure it'll be all over the news tonight. It would seem scientists have figured out how to make viruses:

[A]n important technical bridge towards the creation of such life was crossed Thursday when genomics pioneer Craig Venter announced that his research group created an artificial virus based on a real one in just two weeks' time.

Predictable "oh my God! Pretty soon they'll be making people!!!" hysteria followed. However, what nobody addressed was something I thought of right away: If a lab can make one kind of harmless virus, just how hard would it be to make a harmful virus, like smallpox? I'm not making a judgement here, I'm just wanting to know how, or how not.

And don't give me any of that "what hath man wrought" crap. Science should always be done, never ignored. Sticking your head in the sand and farting "immoral!!!" just because you don't like the implications of a discovery isn't going to prevent someone else from exploiting it. Better to stay ahead of the game and understand the implications so you can better defeat them.

Posted by scott at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2003
Spider News

BBCnews is carrying this summary of a recent fossil find that seems to indicate now-extinct cousins of spiders were spinning webs a good 55 million years before anyone else. With picture!

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2003
Face Off, for Real

BBCnews is carrying a better summary of a report I read about yesterday... plastic surgeons have decided it's possible to transplant whole faces from dead people. The whole point is to give people who's faces have been, say, burned completely off another shot at a normal life.

Just saying "from dead people" conjures up images of grandma's face attached to someone else's body, but nobody seems to have pointed out that a face is not just skin and muscle. It's bone structure, eye color, hair style and color, and a host of other things. In spite of what Hollywood has portrayed, I doubt very much if there'd be any resemblance of the living to the dead.

Still, it is a bit creepy.

Posted by scott at 10:11 AM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2003
Insert Monty Python Joke Here

From the "still-no-cure-for-cancer" category, New Scientist brings us the intriguing news that, well, fish fart for a reason:

Biologists have linked a mysterious, underwater farting sound to bubbles coming out of a herring's anus. No fish had been known to emit sound from its anus nor to be capable of producing such a high-pitched noise.

Your tax dollars at work!

Posted by scott at 09:27 AM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2003
Computer Optics

Joshua gets a mirror coated no-prize for bringing this article detailing one Israeli company's efforts at creating a purely optical computer. Instead of using wires and electrical pulses, the system uses lasers and light pulses. If the work pans out (the article is awfully short on detail), it could represent a "significant discontinuity" in the upward path of computer performance.

Posted by scott at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
Pterosaur News

Jeff gets a really large winged no-prized for bringing this article relating new findings about the flying reptiles known as Pterodactyls, contemporaries (but not an actual member) of the dinosaurs. Turns out their brain structure was quite unique, and lead to insights about their behavior and the evolution of brains in general.

Posted by scott at 01:13 PM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2003
Fish Fly Rice?

BBCnews has three good articles worth a look:

An update on a 10-year fish census that's turned up hundreds of new and spectaularly ugly species. With, of course, pictures.

Branson and Fossett are at it again, this time constructing a plane Fossett will use to fly solo around the world without refueling. Voyager took 9 days to do the job. This new aircraft, called the GlobalFlyer, should complete the same voyage in just over 3.

And finally, an example of the oldest known domesticated rice has been found. A collection of 15,000 year old burned rice grains found in Korea recently push back the time of domestication 3,000 years, and move it out of China (for now).

Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2003
Robin Hood's Grave

BBCnews is featuring this article detailing one man's experimental efforts to find Robin Hood's grave. He contends the traditional site is too far away from the castle where Robin died, and went through a variety of experiments to try and estimate the "true" distance. Weirdly, after searching the records he found evidence of a grave dug up in the 18th century almost exactly where his predictions said Robin's arrow would have landed.

Of course, it's an old old church, could be graves everywhere. And nobody's sure Robin exists. Still, an interesting co-inky-dink.

Posted by scott at 03:17 PM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2003
Island go BOOM!

Pat gets an ash-covered no-prize for bringing this NY Times article (free reg, blah blah) about recent developments in the study of the ancient volcanic explosion that ocurred on Thera, now called Santorini.

For those who don't know, Thera/Santorini (they changed the name, God knows when) is in the Agean sea, off the coast of the Greek mainland. This comparatively small island was nearly obliterated in a massive explosion approximately 3500 years ago. It is widely seen as the real origin of the Atlantis myth, and at first was thought to also have been the cause of the decline of the Minoan civilization. Later dating of the explosion called this into question, but this new data seems to be bringing the two events back in line.

Posted by scott at 09:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2003
An Octopus's Garden

Every once in awhile, buried amongst boobies and asshats and German women throwing televisions, FARK will link up something genuinely cool. Such is this extended Discover magazine article on Octopus. Summarizing the latest behaivioral findings, it covers things like cognition, play, mischeif, and even perhaps tool use:

Researchers and aquarium attendants tell tales of octopuses that have tormented and outwitted them. Some captive octopuses lie in ambush and spit in their keepers' faces. Others dismantle pumps and block drains, causing costly floods, or flex their arms in order to pop locked lids. Some have been caught sneaking from their tanks at night into other exhibits, gobbling up fish, then sneaking back to their tanks, damp trails along walls and floors giving them away.

Very cool article!

Posted by scott at 07:18 PM eMail this entry!
Old Heads

BBCnews is carrying this article about a scientist who claims to have discovered a pair of 200,000 year old sculptures. If true, they would represent the earliest artwork of this sort ever found, and the possibly even the first from a truly non-human species of hominid (Homo Erectus).

However, there are lots of problems with this guy's hypothesis... he doesn't say exactly why he thinks they're so old. Also, it's quite possible these are natural formations, never touched by hands of any sort. Finally, 150,000 years ago is just inside the range of Homo Sapiens, although even then finding something like this in Italy, at a time when H. Sapiens was thought to be exclusively African, would still be a find.

Only careful examination of the artifacts will tell. However, it is interesting to think about.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2003
Stonehenge Secrets

Slashdot linked up this BBCnews story detailing new discoveries made at Stonehenge by using laser scanners on the rock. They eventually hope to scan the entire site.

You know, if they make that available on the internet, and there's no reason why they won't, it would not be terribly difficult to re-create a hyper-accurate replica of the stones using, say, fiberglass, wood, and epoxy.

Insert Spinal Tap joke here...

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2003
Exploding Life

BBCnews has this article detailing new discoveries about the Cambrian explosion. For billions of years, the earth hosted nothing more complex than bacteria and simple algae. Then, in a relatively short space of time, the planet was filled with all sorts of complex life forms, some of which aren't even related to present day families of species. This is the Cambrian explosion, and it is one of the most important but least understood periods in the history of life. New computer models have lead to insight into how, and why, such a thing ocurred.

Posted by scott at 04:48 PM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2003
Ugly, Old, Cool

Jeff gets a purple no-prize for bringing us this CNN report on the discovery of a frog so different it's been given its own family classification. According to the article this particular species is at least 65 million years old, isolated on the Seychelles Archipelago, near Madagascar.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2003
Can 'Barbie Drug' Make You Thinner, Tanner, Sexier?

A new drug that started out as a tanning aid is suddenly being compared to Viagra. But the drug isn't just for men. In fact, many researchers are calling it "The Barbie Drug" because of its effect on appearance. When skin cancer researchers tested a hormone called Melanotan II on a group of men, their hope was to stimulate a natural tan without the sun. However, they stumbled upon some surprising side effects.

Read some more.

Posted by Ellen at 09:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2003
Why Adults with Children Can't Remember Sh*t

Rednova is featuring this article detailing new findings in sleep research. Seems its becoming more apparent that sleep is required for memory to function. This explains a lot in my life...

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2003
Food Shift

This morning the Post carried this article summarizing the findings of a new study that attempted to figure out just when, exactly, people in Britain switched from a fish diet to a meat diet. The answer was both predicted and surprising.

Posted by scott at 10:48 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2003
Sunrays

Jeff gets a solar-powered no-prize for bringing this news about solar panel development to our attention. Apparently, a European firm has figured out a way to make solar cells that are slightly less efficient but orders of magnitude cheaper than what is currently available. If their targets are met, these cells could have a revolutionary effect on solar power generation.

Posted by scott at 12:28 PM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2003
Cattle Price

New Scientist is featuring this article detailing a new hypothesis that attempts to explain when and how patrilineal (you take your father's name, and are part of his family) societies overtook matrilineal (you take your mother's name, and are part of her family) societies. The researcher's explaination? Cattle.

Using some clever linguistic methods and a new mathematical model, the researchers claim it was the domestication of cattle that lead to the patrilineal "takeover", at least in the African societies they studied. Suddenly families had real assets that could outlive an individual, and, because of cultural reasons, it made more sense to leave them to sons instead of daughters.

One caveat: The reporter makes the common mistake of confusing "patrilineal" and "matrilineal" with "male-dominated" and "female-dominated". On the face of it these may seem to go hand-in-hand, but more than a century of anthropological study has proven it just ain't so.

While there are many matrilineal societies, none are actually run by women. Yes, descent is reckoned through the female line, but power resides with the uncles. Further, investigations into various origin-myths that involve female-domination of a culture have found no actual evidence, cultural or archeological, that such societies ever really existed. The uncles have always held power in such societies. It would seem, from the evidence, that only with the rise of industrialization have women been given long-term access to real power.

Of course, any time you stray into such a sociological hallowed ground politics tends to bitch-slap evidence around and call it nasty names. Sociology and anthropology in particular tend to become "elephant graveyards"... places where old radicals wander off to die. I wouldn't be surprised at all if an unfortunate desciple of one of these professors called me on the carpet for my position.

I welcome them, and only ask they provide evidence.

Posted by scott at 10:23 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2003
Chocolate Science

Slashdot linked up this cool article that tells you how to measure the speed of light using only chocolate chips, a microwave, and a ruler. It also finally gives me a good answer as to why microwaves tend to heat so unevenly:

There will be some melted hot spots and some cold solid spots in the chocolate. The distance between the hot spots is half the wavelength of the microwaves, and the frequency of the microwaves will often be printed on the back of the oven.

Of course, in my house the chocolate would never make it to the microwave...

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2003
Going UP

Instapundit linked up this NYTimes piece summarizing a recent conference held near Los Alamos. The topic: space elevators.

For those of you who don't know, the idea is to hang a big (big... asteroid-sized) rock in geosynchronous orbit, then run a tether from a spot on the equator all the way to said rock. Getting into space would then simply be a matter of taking a (long, slow, but comparatively safe) ride.

The problem has always been with the materials... there simply wasn't anything in existence that would be strong and light enough to make the tether.

Enter carbon nanotubes. This new form of carbon, discovered just a decade or so ago, promises fantastically strong yet extremely lightweight fibers, and would make the perfect material for the tether.

According to the article, it would appear now the rest of it is engineering. The first cost estimate is 6-12 billion dollars for a "Wright Brothers"-style first try. Sounds like a lot, is a lot, but compared with, say, the 100 billion dollar space station, maybe not so much.

Posted by scott at 10:45 AM eMail this entry!
Getting Better

If this BBCnews report is to be believed, we're a lot less likely to get blindsided by an asteriod than we have been in the past. In the past 2 years, half of the "top 10" approaches by major objects have been dected before they passed.

Of course, that means the other half wasn't, but it's a damned sight better than previous years.

Posted by scott at 09:47 AM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2003
Stop Jawing at Me

Joshua gets a bone no-prize for bringing this Scientific American article to our attention. It details the discovery of what could be the earliest modern human remains found in Europe. Currently only a jaw bone has been accurately dated (to ~ 35,000 BP), but there are many other remains being examined.

Posted by scott at 03:46 PM eMail this entry!
Old Bones

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing the dating of what has proven to be the oldest cemetery in Britain. Dated to roughly 10,400 to 10,200 years old, it goes right back to the Mesolithic era, and probably represents some of the first people able to live in Britain... the glaciers had only just retreated from the island. In fact, they're not completely sure it was an island at that point. Sea levels may have been low enough to allow a land bridge between Britain and France, letting people walk back and forth freely.

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2003
Counting Cats

BBCnews is featuring this article summarizing one researcher's results with African lions. Turns out they can count, sort of. She screwed with their heads by playing recordings of varying numbers of lions roaring out of loudspeakers. The reaction of the actual lions varied considerably with the number of lions in the recording.

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2003
Hey, I Work in I.T., I'm Hooked Up

Slashdot linked up this NYTimes article on an "electric sports car" capable of sub-4 second 0-60 times. The secret? 6800 laptop batteries. Probably those new 12-cell jobbers.

Posted by scott at 08:47 AM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2003
Guinea Pig From Hell

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 — It would be an exterminator’s worst nightmare: A 1,545-pound rodent with a voracious appetite and big teeth. Resembling a guinea pig grown to the size of a buffalo, the animal lived millions of years ago in a South American swamp and is thought to be history’s biggest rodent, researchers say this week in the journal Science.

See entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:55 PM eMail this entry!
Plant News

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing the latest news in plant paleontology. Turns out ugly little algae-like plants were populating the land much earlier than previously thought... ~ 475 million years ago.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2003
Mysterious Squid Deaths

I love squids! Can't get enough of them!

MADRID (Reuters) -- Scientists are trying to find out what caused two enormous squids, one of them 40 feet long, to wash up dead on Spain's northern coast this week.

See entire story here Very Cool!

Posted by Ellen at 06:12 PM eMail this entry!
And the Car Goes Round and Round

Fark linked up this surprisingly (for fark) technical bit about just how fast, exactly, a car would need to be going to "loop the loop". Turns out it's nowhere near as fast as you'd think, and is more related to the size of the loop than the size of the car. Physics makes my head hurt sometimes.

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2003
Ancient Wars

New Scientist is carrying this summary of the work of one archeologist who claims to have an angle on the origins of warfare, at least in Mexico:

The advent of affluent village life with communities splitting into clans may have heralded the first wars, suggests archeological analysis of ancient Mexico.

While this may sound obvious, it's always good to have proof of the obvious (or at least putative proof at any rate).

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2003
Bright Tiles

Joshua gets a solar-powered no-prize for bringing this Scientific American article about solar panel developments to our attention. It would appear that scientists have finally made a successful "first step" in applying carbon nanotube technology to solar electricity generation.

The biggest problems with current solar panels are a) they're expensive, b) they're not real efficient (15%, as I recall), and c) they're made up of really nasty toxic chemicals and materials. This development could pave the way to solving all these problems.

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
Dye Hard

BBCnews has this post summarizing one man's attempt at discovering just how "senatorial purple" was actually made. It was a trade secret kept so well nobody really knows how they did it. Turns out, it involves a very specialized bacteria.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2003
Smart Fenders for Stupid Drivers

New Scientist has this article on a German team that's developed "smart" body panels for cars. The hope is that by combining sophisticated fiber optics and computers, the car can react by, say, opening the hood, to protect a pedestrian in an accident.

As long as they make it mandatory for cars in Flordia, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
Tunnel Tech

Also from BBCnews, this story about biblical archeologists's success at dating an artifact from biblical times... the Siloam tunnel. Of course, as a paragon of "unbiased" journalism, someone saw fit to throw this in:

But [unnamed scholars] say [the discovery] does not constitute proof that any particular race or community settled in Jerusalem before any other, and shouldn't be used to claim any kind of primacy.

Only in academia will you get something like, "just because an ancient book says it's so, and archeology confirms that, yes, it's so... doesn't make it true!" We ran into this sort of attitude all the time in anthropology... there were some physical anthropologists who wouldn't firmly declare the maker of a stone tool until they found one literally clutched in the cold, dead hand of its maker.

Anti-semitism, or just plain priggish obstinancy? You decide...

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2003
More Iron Age

Pat gets a smoking no-prize for bringing this NY Times article to our attention:

In the quarter century since the discovery of the hydrothermal ("hot water") vents, scientists have found a world's worth of life: hundreds of unfamiliar species, new genera, new families and whole new orders. Together, they constitute major gains in measures of global biologic diversity, and they have gained a name: the dark biosphere.

To think that we all, and I mean "All", evolved from microbes that could survive at 250 degrees F and ate iron is just cool. Sounds like some sort of microscopic comic book idea.

Posted by scott at 10:14 AM eMail this entry!
Speaking of King Arthur...

Also from BBCnews, this article detailing the discovery of a 1500 year old boat in "Langstone Harbour", wherever that is (I've notice this a lot about Britain, that they never actually tell you where, exactly, a spot in their country is. Probably a Whig conspiracy...)

Oh, the Arthur reference? King Arthur, if he lived at all (probably did), probably was around some time between 470 A.D. and 520 A.D., maybe as far out as 560.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2003
Tea in the Sahara?

Joshua gets a sunscreened no-prize for bringing this Scientific American article to our attention:

Recent studies have suggested that tea can protect the heart and battle bad breath. Now researchers report that it may help stave off skin cancer, too. Applied topically, components of black and green tea known as polyphenols inhibit the development of cancer in the skin of mice exposed to ultraviolet light, they say.

Somehow though, I don't think "I was just trying to read what the tea leaves said" would save me from a beating if Ellen caught me staring at a bikini.

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
But will it Glow in the Dark, or Play Music?

New Scientist is featuring this article detailing a new and novel effort at preventing the spread of HIV... the "living condom". Scientists are trying to, well, "train" the, umm... "natural vaginal microbial fauna" (why do I always end up with these stories?) to destroy HIV before it has a chance to infect.

Posted by scott at 09:57 AM eMail this entry!
Another UL Bites the Dust

UL, as in Urban Legend. According to this article some British tax money was spent proving that yes, duck quacks do in fact echo. I'd never heard of this one until very recently, but for the life of me I can't remember where. Some old movie I guess.

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2003
A Fungus Among Us Pt. 2

Washington Post featured this article summarizing a striking new biological finding... "cold" fungi. Turns out there's a lot of microbial life in those supposedly "lifeless" tundras and snowfields, even in the depths of winter. There are significant implications for global warming models (although, as usual, nobody's sure what they are), and industrial biochemical applications.

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2003
Of Course, Babies Just Put Everything in their Mouths

Five second rule! *much*

Ah, a common call in a college dorm, and pretty much everywhere else. Well, now someone's gone and got all scientific about it:

High-school student Jillian Clarke investigated the scientific validity of the "5-second rule" during her apprenticeship in Hans Blaschek's University of Illinois lab this summer. You know the rule: If food falls to the floor and it's in contact with the floor for fewer than 5 seconds, it's safe to pick it up and eat it.

At my house there is no five second rule. Cat hair will stick to teflon in .010 seconds flat. There's nothing quite as appetizing as picking up a piece of bread off the floor with identifiable hair from five different cats all over it. Or discovering the next day that yes, cat hair actually can pass through the human digestive system (i.e., yours) intact.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2003
Bitty Buckets

BBCnews is carrying this report on nanotech researchers' latest effort... the nanobucket. By mixing two special chemicals, a unique molecular honeycomb structure is set up, forming voids that can hold a few hundred atoms each.

What's it good for? Well, even they don't seem to know for sure, but I mean, really, it's cool.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2003
Water Water Everywhere

Well, while the answer doesn't exactly match the question, this New Scientist article does give a nice explanation as to why you get dehydrated when you drink alcohol.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
Fish Brains

BBCnews is carrying this summary of the latest views on fish intelligence. While interesting, I can only wonder that presumably large amounts of tax dollars were spent on what could have been learned by simply asking a local bass fisherman.

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2003
A Fungus Among Us

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing how the levels of a certain kind of fungus in the soil of Madagascar can tell the story of human habitation on the island. As always, not a fun history, but an interesting new technique to figure out how, and when, we moved in to certain areas.

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2003
How a blow to the chest can kill

Even a light blow to the chest - equivalent to being hit by a cricket ball - could cause a fatal heart attack.

However, scientists are now a little closer to understanding what causes these freakish sporting deaths.

An article in New Scientist reveals that a ball must hit the unlucky person at exactly the wrong point in their heartbeat cycle for death to ensue.

Chest protectors worn by sportsmen offer little protection, it is claimed.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 09:19 PM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2003
Doubt Cast Upon Mummy

This would be rather disapointing if true.

CAIRO (Reuters) - The mummy a British Egyptologist says could be the ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, renowned for her beauty, is much more likely to be a man, Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass says.
Posted by Ellen at 06:02 PM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2003
Zeneky!

What happens at a Japanese zoo when a donkey and zebra get it on?

You get a Zeneky!

Posted by Ellen at 07:36 PM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2003
Silk Science

Joshua gets a spun-silk no-prize for bringing this Scientific American article to our attention:

Scientists have long envied the lowly silkworm's ability to spin the strongest natural fiber known to man. Now they are one step closer to understanding just how the creature manages the feat. In a paper published today in the journal Nature, researchers reveal that the key lies in the animal's ability to carefully control the water content in its silk glands. The findings should help improve future artificial silk-making techniques.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2003
Tiny News

Joshua gets his second no-prize of the day for bringing this article about new "micro" motors to our attention:

The motor is about 500 nanometers across, 300 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. While the part that rotates, the rotor, is between 100 and 300 nanometers long, the carbon nanotube shaft to which it is attached is only a few atoms across, perhaps 5-10 nanometers thick.

With pictures!

Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
Earth on End

Also from Space.com, this interesting bit about what Earth-ish planets might be like if they were tilted more or less than the Earth. Turns out it gets hotter the further over you tilt, until you pass about 54 degrees, then it gets colder again. Planets are weird.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
Spongy Update

Joshua gets another spun-glass no-prize for bringing us this update on the discovery of sponges that can make glass fibers finer than any industrial process. This time with pictures of said critters.

Posted by scott at 09:41 AM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2003
Language Death

Yesterday the Post carried this article about the findings of two scientists studying why, exactly, some writing systems die out while others live on. Their conclusion? When writing is seen as something only powerful people do for obscure reasons, a system is not long for this world.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
August 25, 2003
New Dinosaur Species Found In India

COOL!

The dinosaurs were 25-30ft long, had a horn above their skulls, were relatively heavy and walked on two legs.

They preyed on long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs on the Indian subcontinent during the Cretaceous Period at the end of the dinosaur age, 65 million years ago.

Picture included! It looks like a T-Rex on steroids.

Posted by Ellen at 12:12 PM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2003
Well, it May be a Cousin, but I'm Sure not Gonna Kiss it.

BBCnews is reporting the discovery of a new, and very strange, cousin of humans. Well, humans and every other vertebrate that ever lived at least. Turns out a really weird worm-like thing found at the bottom of a Swedish lake is the closest invertebrate relative of humans found to date. No, we didn't evolve from them; it's just that, like all cousins, we share a common ancestor.

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
Spongy Glass

Jeff gets a spun-glass no-prize for bringing this interesting development to our attention:

Scientists say they have identified an ocean sponge living in the darkness of the deep sea that grows thin glass fibers capable of transmitting light at least as well as industrial fiber optic cables used for telecommunication.
Posted by scott at 11:31 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2003
People Its' Whats for Dinner

This is cool!

Archaeologists believe they may have found the site where the Donner Party camped during their fateful journey through the Sierra Nevada more than 150 years ago.

Scientists also said they may have uncovered the first physical evidence that the group engaged in cannibalism to survive the harsh winter of 1846 that trapped them in the mountains 30 miles west of Reno.

Posted by Ellen at 07:55 PM eMail this entry!
RIAA, Eat Your Heart Out

Joshua gets a spinning no-prize for bringing this Scientific American article to our attention:

Scientists are using CD players to do a lot more than just play the latest top-40 hit. A paper published online this week by the journal Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry describes a method of using the machines to detect molecules in solution by monitoring their interactions with a modified CD. The researchers hope the innovation will lead to less expensive medical diagnostic tests.

Sometimes I like my tax dollars at work. :)

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2003
Frankenfurter in the Animal Kingdom

Joshua gets an... um... "well equipped" no-prize for bringing us this update on recent discoveries about hermaphroditic animals.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
Must Resist Urge to Scratch

The Washington Post carried this story about an innovative line of research into the origins of clothing this morning. By comparing the DNA of human head lice, which lay their eggs only on hair, with human body lice, which lay their eggs only in clothing, these scientists claim to have been able to triangulate just when, exactly, we started covering ourselves up. Turns out, if this line of research is accurate, to have only ocurred about 75,000-150,000 years ago.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2003
Elemental News II

Robert H. receives a wordy no-prize for bringing us news of what good ol' one-ten-ium actually got named. It's called darmstadtium. Even more proof scientists choose weird names just to throw people off.

Ok, yeah, yeah, I know, was named after where it was discovered. I still like "Cyril".

Posted by scott at 12:14 PM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2003
Elemental News

According to this Science article, we've got a new element. Unfortunately, I guess we'll have to wait until Monday to find out what, exactly, that element's name is. Personally, I vote for "Cyril" (old Beatles reference).

Posted by scott at 07:14 PM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2003
The New Diamond Age

Armed with inexpensive, mass-produced gems, two startups are launching an assault on the De Beers cartel. Next up: the computing industry.

See entire article here.

Mama Smurff, you should find this article very interesting.

Posted by Ellen at 09:01 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2003
The Next Aicraft Engine?

Slashdot linked up this long but very interesting article about what could potentially power a future generation of airplanes: pulse engines. Vaguely like the motor that powered the V-1 glide bomb of WWII, the design uses supersonic explosions to achieve very high thrust at very great effeciency, all using a much simpler design than current turbofans.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
Seed Porn

BBCnews is carrying this report on the successful germination of one of the world's largest seeds... the Coco de Mer palm tree seed. The fact that it looks a bit, well, naughty, doesn't hurt it's press either.

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2003
Surf Greenland!

Slashdot linked up several articles (this is one of them) detailing a recent study that claims my grandchildren will probably end up with an arctic ocean that is ice-free in the summer.

However, I do think the quote, "the total melting of the ice cap would set free a massive flow of cold water" is somewhat specious. It's not like the thing will snap one morning and transform from solid ice to water. I would imagine the effect would be quite gradual. More interesting will be how, or even if, wind and water currents will change and therefore affect the climate of northern Europe.

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2003
Volcanoes A-Poppin'

Jeff gets a no-prize for bringing this CNN article detailing the discovery of a new Aleutian Islands volcano. Apparently if it erupts one more time it'll become the newest island in the chain.

Posted by scott at 10:17 AM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2003
LASH'ing Out

ABCnews is carrying this report on what could possibly be a future spy platform in the US arsenal... a blimp. Well, a blimp with a really wicked set of sensors anyway.

I'd just pity the poor bastards who had to sit up there for 15+ hour shifts waiting for something interesting to happen. Especially when one of the interesting things that could happen is a SAM launch. Blimps do some things very well, but they don't dodge.

Posted by scott at 03:05 PM eMail this entry!
Otzi News

Turns out Otzi, the European "ice man", gave almost as good as he got:

Blood from one person was found on the back of Otzi's cloak, and blood from two people was found on the same arrow in his quiver. Blood from a fourth person was found on the knife [once clutched in his hand].

Went down swinging, and died with his boots on. Be sure to mark your calendars for the new Discovery special, apparently airing August 24th.

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2003
Bye-Bye Ebola?

While the rest of the media are flipping out about a German actor running for governor, real news, as always, is getting ignored:

Government scientists have developed a new vaccine against the dread Ebola virus that works rapidly after a single injection, an unexpected success that means the nation could soon have a defense against one of the most fearsome weapons in the terrorist arsenal.

See? Sometimes your tax dollars really do work.

Posted by scott at 09:14 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2003
Blood Batteries

Slashdot linked up this article about a new Japanese effort to create devices that can generate power from glucose in a person's blood stream. While it sounds a little creepy at first, if successful the devices could revolutionize the implanted device field. No more recharging insulin pumps!

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2003
Creamy Goodness?

BBCnews is carrying this article on a very interesting archeological discovery:

A Roman pot unearthed at an archaeological dig in London has been opened to reveal cream which is nearly 2,000 years old.

The sealed pot full of ointment, complete with finger marks, was discovered at a Roman temple complex in Southwark, south London.

They have no idea what it might have been used for. With picture!

Posted by scott at 02:18 PM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2003
When Academics Attack

Only a college professor would be surprised at the public reaction of the creation of a futures market for terror attacks:

In the market, investors would have bought contracts that pay out if specific events happen. The contracts could have been complex, such the number of terrorist attacks against US citizens by the end of 2003, if US troops are not removed from Saudi Arabia. Other examples given included the assassination of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat or the overthrow of Jordan's ruling family.

The value determined by the market for these contracts is then a measure of the likelihood of the events happening.

From a purely academic point of view I have to question whether or not this would have been effective. The other futures markets the article cited were fundamentally different, not even tangentally related to violence or destruction.

But I mean, come on. Politicians live for sound bites, and the media thrives on distortion. Just how hard did they think it would be for both to come up with "market of death" when they heard about this thing?

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2003
There Goes the Alien Theory!

Ottawa's Nick Raina may have solved one of the world's greatest mysteries. Brushing aside hundreds of years worth of theories by historians and archeologists, the 69-year-old man claims he can build a Great Pyramid just like the one constructed by the Egyptians, in approximately 2450 BC, using simple hand tools and minimal force.

I wonder what our favorite Egyptologist Zahi Hawass thinks of this ?

Posted by Ellen at 07:30 AM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2003
Tongue Swap Patient Recovering

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- A patient who doctors say is the first-ever recipient of a human tongue transplant was recovering Tuesday and showed no signs of rejecting his new organ, his doctors said.

The patient, a 42-year-old man who suffered from a malignant tumor on his tongue and part of his jaw, underwent a 14-hour operation on Saturday in which doctors amputated his tongue and attached the new one.

See entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2003
Bread Tags-Potential Killers

Apparently you are NOT supposed to eat them.

Typically, people who swallow clips are elderly. The clips tend to snag on the small bowel lining, which causes obstruction or perforation. Because they are plastic, the clips do not show up on x-rays, and the patients are often unaware they have swallowed them.

Why elderly people WANT to or DO swallow these things, I have no idea. Maybe it's a new way to kill themselves off.

Thanks to Joanie for linking the story up on her site! Very cool.

And here I thought the deep mystery behind bread-tags was the color coding for each day of the week.

Posted by Ellen at 11:56 PM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2003
Austria Doctors Perform Tongue Transplant

WEIRD!

I wonder if this guy's taste for certain foods will change?

Posted by Ellen at 06:28 PM eMail this entry!
Immunity You Can Use

New scientist has this article detailing some recent findings on stem cell research. Turns out stem cells from the brain trigger no immune response when implanted into a different host. In rats anyway. Still, interesting implications for transplant research.

Posted by scott at 11:23 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2003
Brings a Whole New Meaning to "Sucking a Tailpipe"

New Scientist has this article summarizing what sounds to me like an awfully propeller-headed way to get a portable source of water:

Parched soldiers could one day drink from the exhaust pipes of their jeeps, trucks and tanks, thanks to a gadget being developed by a British defence lab. It harvests water and then filters it until it is drinkable.

"But officer! I wasn't speeding, I was just thirsty!"

Posted by scott at 09:46 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2003
Beached "blob" mystery solved

They mystery of the beached blob solved!

SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Chilean scientists say their study of a huge blob of flesh found on a Pacific beach about three weeks ago has found it is the carcass of a sperm whale, ending speculation of a giant octopus.
Posted by Ellen at 04:29 PM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2003
Brains Behaving Badly

New Scientist has this report summarizing the results of some new experiments regarding how the brain moves the body. Turns out our brains use prediction to help figure out what sort of force is needed to obtain a certain result. It also appears that our brains tend to underestimate the force needed, and this may be why kids tend to get into shoving matches for no reason at all. It could also open up new avenues of research for schizophrenia.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
July 10, 2003
Stonehenge riddle 'solved.' It's a girl

The mystery of Stonehenge solved?

TORONTO, Canada (Reuters) -- Stonehenge is a massive female fertility symbol, according to Canadian researchers who think they have finally solved the mystery of the ancient monument in southern England.
Posted by Ellen at 09:43 PM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2003
Nano News

Jeff gets an extremely tiny no-prize for bringing us this new Scientific American article on nanotech and human organ development. Looks like we're one step closer to actually making functioning hearts, kidneys, and livers.

Posted by scott at 12:03 PM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2003
Mind Over Matter

Simply the belief that you are drinking alcohol can impair judgement and dent memory, say researchers.

Alcohol placebo study:
Just thinking about it can make you tipsy.
According to Seema Assefi and Maryanne Garry, two psychologists at Victoria University in New Zealand, memory can be affected by an alcohol placebo.

See entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 01:47 PM eMail this entry!
NORFANS news

Slashdot linked up the home site of that sea expidition we've featured a few times this week. Not to be missed: the "creature feature" containing lots and lots of photos of all the weird crap they managed to dredge up on their expidition.

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2003
Men, of Course, Look Elsewhere

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing the findings of a new study on just how women find men attractive:

Researchers at the University of Newcastle, UK, said women had a lot in common with female peahens and mice which also use appearance to size up a male's genetic qualities.

Posted by scott at 10:57 AM eMail this entry!
July 04, 2003
Just Think of it as Holding Together a Really Big Chain

Jeff gets a fossilized no-prize for bringing us this New Scientist story about the discovery of a new missing link. No, not a hominid, a brontosaur.

Posted by scott at 05:50 PM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2003
Blob Follow-Up

Turns out the blob was a giant squid. Very rare for those parts, apparently the first one in more than a century. The things are supposed to reek so badly of amonia your eyebrows fall out. No wonder it didn't smell like a whale...

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2003
More Weird Fish

A follow-up to a previous story about a New Zealand deep-sea expidition. BBCnews has its own follow-up on the trip that includes much better pictures. Be sure not to miss the slide show!

Posted by scott at 04:06 PM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2003
Goggle Vision, for Real

The Washington Post had this story up today about new research into human adaptivity. The test subjects? "Water gypsies" off the coast of Malaysia. Turns out a small group of nomadic asian people have eyes that are physically specialized for improved underwater vision.

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
Just When You Thought the Ocean Couldn't Get Any Weirder

BBCnews is featuring this article on the successful return of a deep-sea expidition near New Zealand. Fang-tooth fish, wonk-eyed squid, and armored shrimp are only a few of the completely weird things they found. With pictures!

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2003
Bits on a Rope

Saki gets a bank-shot no-prize via Carrie for bringing this report on a new Inca discovery. Turns out at least one scientist thinks the Inca may have used a three-dimensional binary language to keep records with. And you thought their calendar was a pain in the ass...

Posted by scott at 01:08 PM eMail this entry!
Sweet Silence

New Scientist is featuring this article on the latest efforts of broadcasters to try and neutralize what is, to me anyway, a prime annoyance of commercial TV: the volume level of the ads. By performing hundreds of tests and using the data to create more sophisticated sound meters, broadcasters hope to better control these levels.

Advertisers screaming about how such technology will bring about the end of civilization as we know it in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2003
More Science Fiction

Just when you thought material science didn't get any wilder, we now have this New Scientist article detailing the latest development in bone reconstruction... printing bone grafts. According to the story, a company has developed a new polymer-based material that's porous enough to promote bone growth while still being strong enough to bear weight. They use a rapid prototyping machine to create computer-designed graphs which can then be implanted into an injured patient. The implications for accident recovery alone are huge.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
June 19, 2003
Iron Man

Carrie gets a no-prize with its boots still on for bringing us this story of the forensic examination of a mysterious cast-iron coffin.

From my own experience I can say the state of preservation actually sounded quite good. Sometimes in the anth lab I worked in during undergrad school I'd be assigned to wash the skeletons found in historic grave sites. There were many, many times I'd pull a foil-wrapped bone-shaped lump from a box, set it in the washing screen, and spray away only to be left at the end with chips.

With these sorts of "emergency" projects (emergency in that there's a limited time in which to do the work) they take all kinds of casts and photographs in addition to the basic writeups and diagrams. Depending on the family's preferences, they also could have taken bone samples for spectrographic analysis. Eventually they'll end up with a very comprehensive profile of who this person was, what they did, sometimes what they ate and many times how they died. Bones of your ancestors indeed.

Posted by scott at 09:59 AM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2003
The Bones of Columbus

DNA testing is taking a crack at yet another historical mystery, this time where, exactly, Christopher Columbus is buried. Turns out two places, one in Spain and the other in Santo Domingo, claim the honor, and one group of Spanish scientists is setting out to figure out who is right. Results in six months apparently.

Posted by scott at 06:32 PM eMail this entry!
Cue Slow-Motion Playback

BBCnews is carrying this summary on the latest developments in electronic enhancements to prosthetics. Still not Steve Austin, but getting better!

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2003
Chicken Little Evolution

BBCnews is carrying this interesting summary of a new theory about what triggered the diversification of mammals. According to at least some scientists, new data appears to implicate a different but still massive cometary impact roughly 10 million years after the one that offed the dinosaurs.

Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2003
Nanoparticle News

New Scientist is featuring this report on the latest development in nanotechnology... the ability to create nanoparticles using, of all things, Geraniums.

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
Let's Play Indians and, well, Indians

The Washington Post is carrying this summary of recent discoveries about an ancient Indian settlement in North Dakota. Turns out it was a lot better fortified than originally thought, implying warfare was more significant than was previously imagined.

They also seemed to have hired some new professors at the U of A anthropology department. I don't recognize that guy's name. Ah, progress...

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2003
X-Ray News

Rednova is carrying this story detailing the first use of an innovative new X-ray scanner. Originally used to scan miners for stolen diamonds, this South African invention now promises to allow emergency room workers to get an entire body X-ray in a fraction of the time and with substantially less radiation exposure for the patient.

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2003
Soggy Memories?

Also from new scientist, this report of a possible confirmation that water "remembers" substances that were once dissolved in it but were subsequently removed. Controversial and more than a little wierd.

Posted by scott at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
AIDS Ancestry

Also from the Post this morning is this piece summarizing recent findings of scientists concerning the history of the AIDS virus. It's pretty widely accepted AIDS came from a mutated version of the more common chimpanzee SIV. Turns out, according to these scientists anyway, the chimpanzee SIV is itself the mutation of two versions of a similar disease found in two specific types of monkey.

Posted by scott at 09:10 AM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2003
Imagine Making a Leisure Suite out of This Stuff

New Scientist is reporting this summary of the latest developments in carbon nanotube technology. Someone has finally figured out how to make really long composite threads of the stuff. This is a big deal folks. The CN-based material is three times stronger than spider silk, which until now was the strongest fiber known. Imagine the impact nylon had starting in the 1940s, and remember nylon was in part a replacement for "regular" silk. This has the potential to be much, much bigger.

This is still a composite, with funky polymers helping to hold it all together. The next big payoff will be if/when they figure out how to spin the nanotubes themselves out to infinite lengths. The strength of the material is predicted to be incredible, and is the material of choice with which to build a space elevator.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2003
Hominid News

BBCnews is reporting this summary of a recent fossile discovery in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Two adults and one child, at 160,000 years old they are easily the oldest modern humans found to date.

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
Radar Love

ABCnews is carrying this article detailing new developments in the weather-radar field. By using "phased array" technology, which has been utilized by the navy for about twenty years now, meterologists are hoping to as much as double the warning time given to people in the path of a tornado.

Which means my dad probably will be able to take pictures of the next one. Or at least, Ellen will expect him to.

Posted by scott at 11:34 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2003
Insert "Denial" Joke Here

Pat gets a tightly-wrapped no-prize in a gold box for bringing us this update about the recent identification of Nefertiti's mummy. Nefertiti, for those who don't know, was King Tutankhamen's mother and the wife of Akhenaten, probably one of the strangest pharoahs ever to rule. He was the one who has all the really weird statues (well, the ones that survive anyway) and tried to single-handedly switch an entire country to monotheism.

Posted by scott at 06:06 PM eMail this entry!
Ex-Humans?

BBCnews is carrying this report on a new genetics study on human origins. According to this scientist, humanity may have faced a serious extinction crisis as little as 70,000 years ago, dropping the population down to as few as 2,000 individuals.

Posted by scott at 10:17 AM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2003
Barging Through

BBCnews is carrying this summary of developments with a recent archeological discovery of an extremely well-preserved Roman barge. It's apparently the very first one found with all of its gear intact. With pictures!

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2003
Super Soldier

Slashdot linked up this CNN article summarizing the latest R&D on weapons technologies for the "next generation" soldier. Some of it sounds very nifty, some of it sounds a little wacky. I certainly wouldn't want to be wearing a uniform made by the lowest bidder with a "remote torniquet activate" feature on it!

Posted by scott at 01:22 PM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2003
Living Science Fiction

BBCnews is featuring this article about a new use for laser scanners and computer cutters... creating exact duplicates of ancient clay tablets.

I think this technology is completely amazing. For a long time in the archeology/anthropology field one of the toughest things was getting a fossile or artifact out to other people for review. The best you could hope for was an expensive, reasonably-but-not-quite accurate cast of the object. Far more common was the less-than-ideal photographs or diagrams. Heated academic debates have gone on for decades simply because people couldn't get a good look at the items.

I think it's only a matter of time before the laser scanners get small and cheap enough to take out into the field. The cutters and carvers will probably never be very portable, but like paper copy machines probably won't need to be.

I find it amazing to think that some day, probably soon, a paleoanthropologist will dig out a skull or jaw or tooth, place it in a scanner, make a transmission, and literally within minutes colleagues on the other side of the world could be looking at a high-fidelity model of what was just pulled out of the ground. What's more, copies of that file could be made and, like the clay tablets in the BBC article, created by anyone with access to the correct machine.

Amazing.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2003
Sightlines

BBCnews brings us this summary of research into an ability almost unique to domestic dogs... the ability to follow the sightline of a human to find an object. Most interesting of all, this appears to be a genetic modification, not just a learned behavior.

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2003
Game Theory Explained. I Think.

Not having seen A Beautiful Mind yet, I'm not sure just how well they explained game theory, the field of research Mr. Nash won a nobel prize for. Knowing Hollywood, they probably didn't explain it very well. Scientific American is hosting this article that tries to summarize this interesting but perplexing field.

I gave it a shot, and I think I get the gist of it now. Math makes my head hurt...

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2003
It's like Fix-a-Flat for Nurses

Since I know at least two of my readers are full-time nurses (well, more than two considering the "silent majority" drug to the computer on every shift my mom works), I figured this New Scientist article on a new type of surgical glove might be interesting. Disinfectant built in, should cut risk of infection by a factor of 15.

Posted by scott at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
I'm not Wasting Time, I'm Improving Myself!

Also from rednova, this article detailing new findings that indicate video games may actually be beneficial:

Playing action-rich video games like car racing and shoot-em-ups can improve visual perception and allow people to focus on many tasks at once. Such training helps them play the game at hand, but it might also give them an edge in real-world situations like driving a car in traffic, experts say.

Posted by scott at 01:20 PM eMail this entry!
May 28, 2003
Kangaroo News

NewScientist is carrying this interesting summary of fossil finds in Australia. Topping the list: a "horned" kangaroo, and giant marsupial lions. With picture!

Posted by scott at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2003
Oldest Book on Display

If you happen to be traveling through Sophia, Bulgaria, be sure not to miss the oldest book known. Hey, you never know. Rick Steves just went through there. Looked like a pretty interesting place.

Posted by scott at 04:37 PM eMail this entry!
Is that a Black Hole in Your Pocket...

Slashdot linked up this interesting article about new developments in the attempt to make a grand unified theory of physics. With new supercolliders coming on line in the next few years, scientists are hoping to create subatomic-scale black holes and see what spews out of them as they evaporate via Hawking radiation.

I can remember when this was first proposed, or perhaps was first taken seriously, perhaps five to seven years ago. Everyone was afraid they'd make a black hole that'd swallow the Earth by accident. The author addresses this concern, but it probably wouldn't matter. There were some physicists who thought that the first nuclear explosion would just keep going and going, but they punched the button anyway (most knew it wouldn't.)

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
CowLick

Canadians discover that the whorls of hair on a cow's face can help determine it's personality.

Now if the Canadians would do some REAL research. ;)

Actually it's a rather interesting read. When I was in tech school we had 2 evil beef cattle that decided the Alpaca must go. So they killed him. Poor Andy.

I hated those beef cattle. They are very smart and will plot against you.

Posted by Ellen at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2003
Alzheimer's News

The Washington Post is carrying this article summarizing a surprising effect of a failed attempt at an Alzheimer vaccine:

An experimental vaccine for Alzheimer's disease, which was quickly pulled from testing last year after it caused serious side effects, has halted and even reversed the brain disease in some who got the shots, according to the first follow-up study of those patients.

The gist of the article is that, while this particular attempt is too dangerous to proceed with, it does seem to indicate scientists are on the right track.

Posted by scott at 01:30 PM eMail this entry!
Stonehenge Developments

Digging around I found this update on a recent archeological find near Stonehenge. Turns out they've found a very rich and interesting burial dating from right at the transition from the stone age to the bronze age. With pictures!

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2003
It's Life Jim, but not as We Know It?

BBCnews is reporting this summary on a new theory about that mars rock with the itty-bitty microbe like things inside it. Their conclusion: well, it may or may not be life, but rocks with very similar features found on earth are usually formed under water.

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2003
A Chimp by Any Other Name?

New Scientist is reporting on one scientist's contention that chimpanzees should be moved to the same genus as humans. His justification? A new genetic comparison that seems to indicate humanity and chimpanzees share 99.4 percent of their genetic material.

Classic press-release reporting, although at least they did get a quote or two from someone who disagrees. There are big problems with trying to move troglodytes (chimps) into hominidae (human-like creatures). First, speciation is not just judged by genetics, but also by morphological data (what it looks like, how it's built). Hominidae have a fundamental morphological difference from chimpanzees... all of our ancestors, back literally as far as we have found so far, were fully bipedal. Chimpanzees are not.

Also, the author of the study seems to be engaging in at least two bits of what seem to be cherry-picking. The less important one is his contention the chimpanzee-human split ocurred only 5-6 million years ago (mya), when (last time I checked) the consensus was still that the split ocurred as long as 10 mya.

More importantly, Dr. Goodman compared only what he termed to be "most important" gene sequences. This seems to skate dangerously close to selective sampling, picking only the data you know agree with your hypothesis and then calling it proved.

So, it's an interesting hypothesis, but (from the evidence given in the New Scientist article at least) one which seems on the face of it seriously, perhaps even fatally, flawed.

Posted by scott at 11:12 AM eMail this entry!
Einstein On Line

Slashdot noted that as of 3 PM yesterday afternoon, much of Albert Einstein's writings are available on-line. It doesn't make me any more likely to understand them, but heck someone out there might (will probably?) find them useful.

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2003
New Civilization Found

BBCnews is reporting this summary on the discovery of a previously unknown pre-Mayan civilization in modern Nicaragua. Looks to be about 2700 years old, small but apparently different from any other culture around it.

Posted by scott at 08:22 AM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2003
Speaking of Anniversaries

In this brief article, Scientific American notes the very first in-vitro baby will turn 25 on July 25th. While brief, the article notes most of the same fears about cloning were expressed about so-called "test tube babies." I remember well when all of that happened, how freaked out all the grownups were. I was just wondering what she'd grow up to be. Now I, well we, know.

Posted by scott at 12:15 PM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2003
Extinctification!

Digging around in the comments on slashdot I found this very nice site that provides an overview of both major and minor mass extinctions that have ocurred throughout history. Also gives nice summaries of the geologic eras.

The critters that ran (and swam) around before the dinosaurs were every bit as weird, perhaps more so. Anyone know of any good books that cover the pre-dinosaur eras?

Posted by scott at 03:17 PM eMail this entry!
Science and Typos

Looks like they're finally going to build that crazy flood protection scheme for Venice you've been seeing on the Discovery channel for the past 10 years:

After nearly four decades of planning and debate, work has finally begun on an innovative scheme to try to protect Italy's island city of Venice from its constant enemy -- flooding.

Of particular interest is this factoid:

Venetians have endured tides and flooding since the city was founded on a collection of marshy islands in the 15th century.

Let's see how long it takes them to correct it (Venice was founded in the 5th century). I'll bet the typo was in the original press release and they just typed it right up there.

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
The New Duct Tape?

New Scientist is carrying this summary on the latest developments in trying to create artificial gecko feet. Well, the sticky part anyway. It's already yielding some promising results.

Posted by scott at 10:14 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2003
The KISS Principle in Ants

BBCnews is featuring this summary of recent findings in the genetic history of army ants. Turns out that they probably did not evolve "several times in many places", as was previously thought, but instead evolved once in the early Cretaceous (~100 million years ago) and then were carried all over the world by continental drift.

KISS= Keep It Simple, Stupid, in case you didn't already know.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2003
Neandertal News

BBCnews is carrying this report summarizing new genetic findings by an Italian group about Neandertals. In a nutshell: while modern man and Cro-Magnon man (a form of early-modern human, ~35,000 years before present (ybp)) show a very strong relation, Neandertals show little if none.

Some notes: while significant, this is not a complete refutation of the interbreeding hypothesis. Usually sequence comparison is done over a narrow selection of the genome instead of the entire thing, so it's possible there are more correlations somewhere else on the DNA tree. Also, the two samples they used were from Europe, where it's widely considered little if any interbreeding took place.

Neandertals ranged widely, as far south as the Levant (Israel-Lebanon-Syria). Archeologically (trash and old tools) and paleontologically (bones), there is evidence that modern humans's interaction with Neandertal varied considerably according to the geography. The closer Neandertals were to Africa, the more likely it seemed they got encorporated into modern human populations. Conversely, the further away they were the more likely a flat replacement was.

So, while interesting, this is far from the last word.

Posted by scott at 08:02 PM eMail this entry!
The Real Battlebots

They don't smash stuff up, and they don't hack things to pieces, but in the prelims for Robocup 2003 the robots do everything independently. Aibos and teeny-tiny R2D2 wannabes compete in classes on a miniature soccer field to see which team is the best. Very cool.

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2003
I Call It, "Cheeto Horse"

BBCnews is featuring this article on the discovery of the world's smallest sea horse species. Average size for Hippocampus denise appears to be right around 12 mm, smaller than most of your fingernails.

Posted by scott at 09:14 AM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2003
That's No Moon... It's a Jellyfish!

Cnn.com is reporting on the discovery of a really freaking large deep-sea jellyfish. We're talking 3 feet across or larger. Bigger than most manhole covers! (shaddup Kris :) ) With Picture!

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
Well, You Just Know Someone's Going to Call it a Sperm Garden

New Scientist is carrying this update on what appears to be successful efforts to create sperm cells from stem cells.

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2003
Still No Cure for Cancer

Jeff get's a number-filled no-prize for sending us this article about a particularly bizzare statistical finding making the rounds today:

A woman who has a boy out of wedlock is much more likely to marry the father than if she has a girl, U.S. economists reported on Monday.

We have a patrilineal culture folks. Sometimes it just shows up in funny ways.

Posted by scott at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2003
Whither Kyoto?

I'm sure this will rip through the blogosphere pretty quickly, but that's never stopped us from chiming in!

Remember the Kyoto treaty? The one Bush backed out of because it was unrealistic, and could hurt our economy? The same one the Euros used to beat the drum of anti-Americanism? Well, guess what:

On present trends, [the EU] appears to stand almost no chance of keeping its [Kyoto protocol] promise.

...

The prominent UK global warming sceptic Professor Philip Stott commented: "One of the most galling things about the whole climate change debate has been European duplicity.

"While lecturing everybody else, especially America, on the morality of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it has been abundantly clear from the start that most European countries didn't have a snowflake in hell's chance of meeting their own Kyoto targets."

So, let me give a knuckle-cracking sigh and let's all just not bring Kyoto up anymore, mmkay?

Posted by scott at 10:59 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2003
Attention K-Bird Shoppers, Blue Flower Special on Lane 8

BBCnews is carrying this summary about discoveries in bird behaivior. Turns out that they can be "steered" toward certain items using the exact same techniques supermarkets use to steer people. Yes, I know, "still no cure for cancer."

Posted by scott at 10:14 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2003
E.T.'s Helix

BBCnews is reporting this summary of a new computer model of DNA that leads them to believe there's a reason our DNA is made up of four base chemicals. It also leads them to conclude that, due to physical and chemical laws, life in the rest of the universe has a pretty good chance of having the same structure.

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2003
Head... Spinning... Universe not Making... Sense...

BBCnews is carrying this summary of a discovery of a new subatomic particle. Apparently given the unpoetic name of "Ds (2317)" (shoulda called it, like, the "schnizzle" particle), it was predicted to exist but has the wrong mass. In physics, depending on how you look at it, this is very bad (your theory is wrong) or very good (your new theory might be right after all).

Posted by scott at 03:15 PM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2003
Penis inna Jar

New Scientist is reporting this development in nerve regeneration for penises. Oh stop giggling.

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
Gilgamesh, Uruk, and Iraq

BBCnews is reporting a German-led expedition has discovered Uruk, the capitol of the empire created by Gilgamesh. They think they've even found Gilgamesh's tomb, underneath the old Euphrates riverbed.

No word whether this work was done before or after the war, but, knowing academic timelines, was almost certainly done before.

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2003
Stem Cell News

New Scientist is carrying this interesting summary of new developments in stem cell research. By using techniques to induce "parthenogenesis" (which the NS people termed "virgin birth"), human egg cells can start creating stem cells without fertilization. This neatly gets around the big ethical problem most luddite conservatives have about stem cell research, as what results from parthenogenesis doesn't survive beyond the blastocite stage and could never be brought to the fetus stage let alone an actual infant.

Posted by scott at 10:13 AM eMail this entry!
Hominid News

BBCnews is carrying this summary of a Nature article detailing a new dating technique for early hominid fossiles. Looks like they're FINALLY able to date the Sterkfontein cave finds, and it turns out they're as old as anything else that's been found. This is a Big Deal.

There are several caves in South Africa that are rich in hominid fossiles. The problem is they're a horrible stratigraphic jumble, making them impossible to date with conventional means. They also didn't have convenient volcanic deposits on or nearby them, preventing older radiocarbon dating techniques from being applied. Hopefully this new technique will pan out. It will answer a lot of mysteries about those cave finds if it does.

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2003
Rice News

AP is carrying this summary of a Chinese discovery about the genome of rice that could eventually be used to substantially increase yields of the plant. While interesting in and of itself, I couldn't help but notice the complete lack of the standard "Frankenstein's monster" fearmongering over gene altered foodstuffs. One can't help but wonder just how differently this article would've been written had these discoveries been made by an American company like Monsanto.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
Diabetes Developments

ABCnews is reporting this summary of developments in diabetes monitoring technology. If things pan out, a diabetic may in the future be able to monitor their glucose via a specially constructed contact lense. No need to stick, just look in the mirror.

Posted by scott at 11:09 AM eMail this entry!
New Stem Cell Source Found

The New Scientist is reporting that baby teeth are turning out to be a potential source of stem cells. It's suspected that these versatile cells play some sort of role in the development of adult teeth, but appear to be useful for a variety of other things. Look out tooth fairy!

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2003
Frogs From HELL!!

I love frogs. Or rather how I pronouce it (so Scott says) as frahg. We sleep with the windows open now and listen to the peepers at night.

Apparently Hawaii is having a small frog issue. Of course, introduced by man since Hawaii has no native reptiles or amphibians of it's own.

Posted by Ellen at 07:37 PM eMail this entry!
Wedding Ring: Anchor Chain or Lifesaver?

The Washington Post carried this summary of a new study that attempted to answer the age-old question "are married people really happier?" In a nutshell: according to this study, most people's happiness is not affected much either way by marriage, at least in the long term.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 18, 2003
Theater Reconstruction

Reuters is reporting this summary of a British attempt to digitally reconstruct the Odeon of Pericles, the world's first indoor theater. The reconstruction indicates that the views from the seats were probably lousy, considering the large number of columns required to hold up the ceiling. Since the Odeon appears to have been used as a rehearsal stage, this may not be all that surprising.

Posted by scott at 10:23 AM eMail this entry!
Earliest Writing Found

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing a recent archeological discovery that could crank the date for the invention of writing back to about 8,600 years ago, fully 2000 years before the mesopotamians came up with it. As the article notes though, it's still too early to tell if this is writing or "just" decoration. Human languages, even literate ones, can change dramatically in just a century or two (anyone who's tried to read Shakespear without footnotes can attest to this), let alone 5 millenia.

Posted by scott at 08:51 AM eMail this entry!
April 17, 2003
Women and Computers

New Scientist has this interesting report detailing the findings of computer scientists researching how men and women differ in their ability to "navigate" in a virtual 3-d world. Basically, it appears women generally need larger screens, a wider field of view, and a more fluid system of motion before they are able to match men in use of these systems.

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
The Real Atlantis

BBCnews is carrying this summary of a new expedition to the "lost city of atlantis", a mid-atlantic formation of white smokers unlike any other geothermal construction yet found.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2003
Icons & Farts

Two interesting ones from BBCnews this morning:

This article summarizes the discovery of what seems to be the oldest religious icon yet found in the Americas.

And this article details scientific criticism of the "methane" hypothesis of why the ice ages warmed up. Interesting because a few years ago the press foamed for a day or two over the possibility of methane hyrates off the east coast suddenly fizzing to the surface and killing everyone.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2003
New "Observatory" Not Quite Launched

Triggered by a launch delay, the Washington Post has decided to go ahead and publish this nice summary of SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility. As the last of the four "great observatories" launched by NASA in the past twenty years, its job will be to look at the universe in the infra-red spectrum and, well, see what can be seen.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2003
Watch Out Harry Potter

BBCnews is reporting on recent developments in using magnetism to levitate metallic objects. Practical uses? Who knows (they say might be good for separating metals in mining), but when you can make coins float in the air, who cares?

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2003
Soak Up the Sun

BBCnews is carrying this report on recent archeological findings regarding ancient Irish tombs. Personally, finding out their entrances point at the sun during a solstice or equinox goes under the "duh" column for me (most of the UK's contemporaneous sites seem to do the same thing), but what do I know...

Posted by scott at 11:08 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2003
Nanotech News

Found this article from the San Francisco Chronicle summarizing what some nanotech scientists are working towards in military tech. Comes complete with standardized "oh what hath man wrought" gloom-and-doom warnings, but no caveat, so I'll provide one: I've been following these things for, oh, probably fifteen years now. The claims of wizardry have remained the same, and the distinct lack of actual working products has remained a constant. Only the deadline keeps extending.

I support all this work, I really do, not just because it's cool but because it has the potential to put another layer of tech between us and the Bin Laden's of the world. But the gloom and doom is just annoying.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
Diamonds are a Computer's Best Friend

Slashdot linked up this article detailing one physicist's claim that a specially treated diamond can be used as a room temperature superconductor. He might be a crank, this is true, but certainly the implications would be worth investigating.

Posted by scott at 08:41 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2003
Speeding Dinosaurs

The New Scientist has this report on a biomechanical model of large dinosaurs (T. Rex in particular). According to this model, T. Rex could at best have managed a quick walk. However, the large herbivores it chased weren't any faster, so perhaps it was all a tango in slow motion.

Posted by scott at 02:25 PM eMail this entry!
Move Over Architeuthis

My girl's favorite deep see critter, the giant squid, has apparently been eclipsed by the recent discovery of a whole "colossal squid" off the coast of New Zealand. Something that can f- with sperm whales is not something I'm particularly interested in coming across when I'm out fishing. Unless I happen to be in, like, an aircraft carrier or something.

Posted by scott at 08:10 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2003
Human Origins in East Africa

BBCnews is carrying this summary of new genetic findings about our origins. As the "out of Africa" theory has predicted, the oldest populations of modern humans seem to be centered in east Africa. However, there's still a lot of research to be done.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2003
Pole to Pole

The reviews I've read say "Journey to the Core" is fun as long as you don't think at it too much (not nessesarily a bad thing), but the movie certainly has brought out a lot of speculation about what's going on in the middle of our planet. BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing the most recent scientific discoveries.

Posted by scott at 03:07 PM eMail this entry!
Rock or Fossil? Take a Picture!

Slashdot featured this article detailing a new technique scientists have discovered for telling the difference between a type of fossile made by life, and one made by weird natural processes. How? They take a picture and then use a common file compression utility on the digital result. The more the file compresses, the more likely it is to have been created by life.

Posted by scott at 11:11 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2003
Four Handaxes and a Funeral

(Well, ok, one hand-axe, but it made a good headline) BBCnews brings us this report detailing what could be the earliest evidence of funerary rights in ancient humans ever found.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2003
Oldest Salamanders Found

BBCnews is carrying this summary of the discovery of a new fossil bed containing the earliest known examples of salamanders. Before, the earliest "only" went back 65 million years. These new finds go back 100 million more.

Posted by scott at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2003
Catnip Attack!
Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
Beer Science

Ever wonder why the bubbles in a dark beer are a light color? Well, ok, neither did I, but some lager boy in the UK did and got this explanation as to why this happens.

Testing time!

Posted by scott at 08:10 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2003
Alzheimer's News

Another day, another no-prize for Jeff who brings us this article from Science Daily detailing a new discovery in the effort to treat Alzheimer's:

A molecule that naturally degrades a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease appears to reduce the levels of that protein by nearly 50 percent when delivered by gene therapy, researchers at the Salk Institute and UC San Diego have found in collaboration with researchers at the University of Kentucky. The findings appear in the March 15 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
The Power of ... Poo?

Looks like some enterprising Aussies are figuring out how to get electricity out of pig manure. In a nutshell: warm it (ewww), mix it with water, and then collect the methane and burn it. Boy, that's one generator you don't ever want to spring a leak, no?

Posted by scott at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2003
No-Stick Gum

Also from BBCnews, this story on how governments all over the world are facing what is actually becoming a kind of health problem. Bioterror? Nope. Chewing gum.

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2003
Tornado Deaths on the Rise

My father-in-law in Arkansas does not believe me when I tell him that mobile homes, or to be politicaly correct pre-fabricated housing, literally have a bullseye painted on the top of them.

Yeah of course one of my in-laws live in a PFH. BUT it's a hopped up one. I mean, who else has a jacuzzi on the back deck, a swimming pool 15 feet from the back door complete with a fridge with all the alcohol you will possibly need to drink while you float the day away.

I still have not seen a tornado yet while visiting.

Posted by Ellen at 07:34 PM eMail this entry!
Under Our Feet

Read this article in the Post this morning about some new theories on the Earth's core and how it functions. A "maverick" geophysicist is putting forward a theory that the core is a giant natural fission reactor, and is running out of fuel. The prediction follows that should this reactor actually stop, well, mass hysteria would result. While interesting, I think the time frame of "one hundred years to one billion years from now" is just a really fancy way of saying "I don't know".

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2003
The Next "Walking With..." Show

We've watched every single one of the "Walking with" shows the day they've aired on Discovery, even when it meant a six hour marathon busily poking each other to stay away (we tend not to stay up much past 10 around here). As usual, the Brits will get to see it first, but it looks like the next "Walking with" show will be about human evolution. Should provide a nice overview of current thought on human origins.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2003
New Mummies Found

BBCnews is carrying this piece about the discovery of the first mummies every found in the UK. Weirdly, seem to have died fully 600 years before they were buried.

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2003
The DARPA Grand Challenge

Slashdot posted a note about the latest, greatest scientific contest, the DARPA grand challenge. The goal is to get a vehicle to drive autonomously across a 250 mile course in and around Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

I'll bet you a quarter it takes exactly 20 minutes for some liberal left-wing-nut to start crowing about how DARPA is part of the military, and we're all just being sheep manipulated into figuring out how to help the army prosecute "mass genocide". Bullsh*t. Getting a robot car to drive all over the place is just plain cool.

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2003
Vatican Discoveries

Our favorite crazy auntie in the attic leads us to this news about a recent archeological discovery in Vatican City. As noted in the article, the entire mediterranean basin is one enormous archeology site, which makes any kind of large-scale urban renewal challenging to say the least. It becomes a real pain, because many countries simply don't have a place to put all the stuff people find. The stories about families reburying classic statues they dug out of their own basement simply to avoid the red tape has more than a grain of truth to it.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2003
Footprints in the Sand

Also from BBCnews, this report summarizing the discovery of the oldest set of fully human footprints found to date. Made in the ashes of an ancient volcano in Italy, the tracks appear to have been made as people were walking down the slope of the volcano.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
We Can Rebuild Him... We Have the Technology

Also from slashdot, this New Scientist article detailing the development of the world's first "brain prosthesis", an artificial hippocampus. Only now entering preliminary tests, if it works (big if), it could provide a boon to stroke, alzheimers, and injury victims.

Of course all the weenies started jumping up and down about programming. Listen up folks, I saw the effects of alzheimers up close when my grandad dissolved from the disease. If it takes a chip to cure that, sign me up!

Posted by scott at 09:00 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2003
Canadian Fireworks

Just when you thought Canada wasn't weird enough.

Posted by Ellen at 06:49 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2003
Detachable Penis..well a fractured one anyway.

Men, it CAN happen to you!

Posted by Ellen at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2003
Finally, a List of 7 Useful Things
Posted by scott at 01:13 PM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2003
It's a Skin Cream! No! It's a Motor Fuel!

From New Scientist we have this interesting tidbit about a possible diesel fuel replacement... Jojoba oil. No, I didn't know what it was either.

Turns out it's a desert plant whose nuts (ouch!) can yeild half their weight in oil. This oil, more commonly used in cosmetics of all things, apparently is stable at very hight tempratures and gives off a lot of energy when burned. We are America. Our cars run on skin cream. Fear us.

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2003
Well, at Least They Didn't Use My Tax Dollars

But they did use Pam's. A British Columbian scientist has put forward this new theory about the design of stonehenge, claiming it is based on an abtraction of the female anatomy. Interesting in and of itself, but with quotes like:

Thinking how estrogen causes a woman's skin to be smoother than a man's, the observation led Perks to further analyze [Stonehenge] in anatomical terms.

I gotta wonder if perhaps the ol' professor was partaking of recreational herbs at the time.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2003
Cat-Dog Mummy

Just when you thought mummification could not get any weirder.

You THINK you have one thing, but end up with ANOTHER!

Posted by Ellen at 07:14 PM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2003
Somehow I Don't See Wrapping Christmas Lights Around One

BBCnews has this report on a potential technology for use in removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Dubbed "artificial trees", these modified-goalpost-like contraptions, on paper at least, would filter the carbon out of the air as it blew through the filters between its posts. The filters would then be recycled and the carbon stored elsewhere (a large pencil factory?)

All still very, very preliminary, but it does show that the greenhouse gas problem might just be a temporary one, instead of this chicken-little crisis the greenies tend to make it out to be.

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2003
Blogs as Cultural Thermometers?

This New Scientist article summarizes the findings of a Cornell University (New York) computer science professor on "word bursting". He has developed new algorithms which not only count the frequency of words, but their rate of use. The tools could be used to help make searching and sorting more efficient.

Posted by scott at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2003
Becoming Human

This article summarizes a new finding which could explain why, when, and how humans became creative. To wit:

A specific genetic mutation seems to have ocurred in humanity at roughly the same time as an explosion in our creativity as expressed in the style and functionality of tools and the creation of abstract art.

Anthropologists have always known something really unusual happened to our species somewhere between 35,000 and 75,000 years ago. Before this time, which is actually after "modern" humans had developed physically, there were few variations in tool making and essentially no art. After this time, bang, tools started coming in all shapes and sizes, and suddenly people started to decorate them, or just make art for art's sake. The deliniation is as remarkable as it is mysterious.

Is this the "smoking gun" that tipped humanity from being extremely bright chimps into the creature that would eventually walk on the moon? Hard to say at this point, but it certainly is worth persuing.

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2003
WOW! They Just Found This Out??

Is the media this dumb ?

I mean really, who did not know that shit? Let's upset the general public even more today.

Posted by Ellen at 02:06 PM eMail this entry!
Ancient Egyptian Town Discovered
Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2003
Cosmological Constant Proven Real

While everyone is busy thinking about its implications for the end of the universe, the announcement that NASA seems to have confirmed the existence of "dark energy" has, in my admittedly lay opinion, extremely interesting implications for advanced technologies. The existence of, for example, antigravity was always discounted by most physicists because there seemed to be no opposing force. They seem to have just found it...

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2003
Stonehenge's Archer King

Well, we're all about science today at AMCGLTD.

Found this Reuters report about the "Amesbury Archer", a man found in a 4000+ year old grave about three miles away from Stonehenge. It's apparently the earliest, and one of the richest, bronze-age burials in Britain. Turns out, he ain't from around there... isotopes in the enamel of his teeth reveal he was from somewhere in the Alps originally.

Posted by scott at 02:54 PM eMail this entry!
Trojan Discoveries

BBCnews is reporting that Homer was a lot more accurate than previously thought. No, not that Homer, the Homer who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. While the Argive plain today does not at all resemble what's described in the epics, new geologic research has discovered this is due mainly to silt deposits over the intervening 3000 (!) or so years. According to this new research, the plain as it existed during the Bronze age is quite accurately represented by Homer.

The Greeks, and pretty much the Greeks alone, were quite well-known for this. Five centuries later Herodotus would write a much more conscientiously "accurate" history, which for centuries was treated as not much more than an old man telling stories. Yet every time modern scholars have been able to check him, Herodotus is quite accurate. That is, when he himself considers the information accurate. In some places he was working from what people told him, and states very plainly when he thinks his sources are full of horse-hockey.

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
Hook, Line, and Sinker

Latest research says fish are incapable of feeling pain because their brains don't have the widgets required to experience it. While they can express "nociception", responding to a threatening stimulus, this is different and distinct from the perception of pain, according to the report anyway.

They may not be able to feel pain, but if our Oscar is any indication, they can still be evil.

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2003
One Step Closer

Scientists are getting close to cloning a mammoth.

Interesting article.

Posted by Ellen at 07:18 PM eMail this entry!
Hiccup History

BBCnews has this report on the history and function of hiccupping. No, really!

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2003
Nurse, or Nag?

At not quite $8400 US, this new "home care" robot might make for an economical alternative to live-in home care for the elderly if it works as advertised. In my own quite limited experience, there seem to be a lot of elderly people who could do well on their own as long as there was someone around to call for assistance in an emergency. Of course, knowing my family, it'd be turned off in a corner just as soon as I left! :)

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2003
More Finds from Sterkfontein

BBCnews brings us news of a recent find from the venerable Sterkfontein cave complex in South Africa. Sterkfontein is one of the first, best sources of human fossile remains in the world. They even have their own website (warning: very slow).

The biggest problem with Sterkfontein, along with most other of these sorts of cave complexes, is the stratigraphy is a horrific jumble. Things fell into these caves all the time (our ancestors just being a small part of the heap), got stirred around in floods, storms, and cave-ins, and were eventually blasted out of the ground when the site was used as a limestone quarry. Until the latest radiocarbon dating techniques came along, it simply wasn't possible to figure out just how old things were in those caves.

While it's not reported in this story, it is widely believed the reason our ancestors actually ended up in the caves wasn't because they fell in, but rather because leopards tended to drag their kills into the trees which inevitably surround these caves (and perhaps are key to their formation), and, well, bits fall off. We weren't always at the top of the food chain.

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2003
Nightcrawler, Eat Your Heart Out

Quantum Teleportation anyone?

Right now this is mostly just scientists tinkering around with expensive lab equipment, but the concept of transmitting information instantaneously over any distance has amazing implications. Communication is just the most obvious angle.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2003
Spiderwebs

Jeff wins yet another no-prize by bringing us this wire-service report about the discovery of ancient bronze-age road networks in the fertile crescent apparently using, of all things, declassified spy sattelite photos from the 60s and 70s.

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
The Importance of Sampling

While this BBCnews report about how earth-like planets may be much rarer than originally thought at first seems disheartening (well, to those of us who'd rather humanity not be the pinnacle of cosmological evolution), there's a fundamental flaw in the study, that of a "sampling error".

We've only detected weird, "hot Jupiter" systems because that's all we can detect. Or, rather, all we could detect when the paper was written (I think astronomers are getting better at detecting other kinds nowadays). Detection of these sorts of solar systems is performed by watching a star "wobble" over time. A solar system containing a close, massive planet spinning like a circular saw blade around its sun is much easier to detect than a solar system without one. The sun in a "hot Jupiter" system, when compared with one without, wobbles like a weeble in an earthquake.

So, while it is true to say "the planetary systems scientists have found so far are very unlikely to harbor earth-like planets", it does not follow that "earth-like planets are therefore extremely rare in the universe".

It's such an obvious flaw that we must be looking at poor editorial practices on behalf of BBCnews rather than a fundamental problem with the paper itself. As always, absence of evidence does not equate to evidence of absence, and the peer review process surely would've caught this. On the face of it, looks like BBCnews engaged in a bit of press-release-regurgitation, something I didn't expect from them.

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2003
Giant Squid Update

Thanks to a reader (babygurl), we got the link to the picture and article to the giant squid!

Posted by Ellen at 07:30 PM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2003
Never Thought You'd Use a Printer for That

A super #1 no-prize goes to Jeff for bringing us this completely fascinating article about how scientists are working on creating whole organs using inkjet printers. Printers. Like that cheesy thing sitting next to you at your house.

Are they there yet? No, but did you think of using a printer to make a blood vessel? I didn't think so...

While the Midrasas concentrate on the "important" stuff like how to keep the women in line and the proper way to attack the infidel, we're going to be printing out working human organs.

Eat me Osama... eat me.

Posted by scott at 02:23 PM eMail this entry!
But Do They Need Mouthwash?

This just in:
Bugs breathe!
In other news, the sky is blue!

Apparently though, scientists have wondered if bugs really breathe for nearly 2000 years. The solution could lead to different kinds of pesticides, as well as new medical diagnoses using a modified form of the x-ray technique developed to find the answer.

Never underestimate "stupid" science. The only thing that separates you from the 19th century is electricity, and that was figured out by a bunch of weenies getting payed to play around with sparks and "swamp gas" (methane). Learning why birds sing lead to important advances in the understanding of brain function.

History has shown time and again letting weird people tink around with dumb things can lead to enormous payoffs.

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2003
A Real Dragon

Chinese fossil hunters have found a 4 winged dinosaur.

Exerpt from article: The 128-million-year-old animal — called Microraptor gui, in honor of Chinese paleontologist Gu Zhiwei — was about 2 1/2 feet long and had two sets of feathered wings, with one set on its forelimbs and the other on its hind legs.

A really interesting read!

Posted by Ellen at 06:04 PM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2003
Giant Squid Attacks!!

Giant Squid tries to eat boat!

How neat is that!??? The Giant Squid is one of my most favorite sea critters! And one was seen ALIVE!!

Posted by Ellen at 08:37 PM eMail this entry!
Kissing Cousins

What do the aardvark, elephant, hyrax, manatee, elephant shrew, and golden mole all have in common? They're all directly descended from the very first placental mammal. Fascinating stuff.

Posted by scott at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2003
Not Tonight Honey..

Apparently people are too busy to have sex.

Posted by Ellen at 05:21 PM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2003
Post-It Baby

Is it a Post-It Note or is it an embryo?

Scientists unravel the mystery of how and embryo implants itself to the uterine wall.

Posted by Ellen at 04:25 PM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2003
~Birds Run/Over the Rainbow~ ... Run?!?

I heard about this one yesterday on NPR. An American scientist has come up with a new theory about how birds' dinosaur anscestors learned to fly. In a nutshell, they may have at first used their wings as a kind of "traction control" device to help them run up steep, even vertical, inclines.

Posted by scott at 09:23 AM eMail this entry!
January 16, 2003
Bananas on the Way Out?

This has been making the rounds, but it's the first time I've managed to actually read any of the linked articles. According to this BBCnews article, we may not have any bannanas to eat in ten years.

Sounds a bit chicken-little-ish to me, but still...

Posted by scott at 02:00 PM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2003
Well Duh!

How obvious is this story?

Fizzy drinks? Do they mean soda?

Still no cure for cancer.

Posted by Ellen at 04:13 PM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2003
Insert Condom Joke Here

BBCnews is reporting the discovery of a 'trojan' object in Neptune's orbit. A trojan object, in this context, is a planetary body that orbits the sun in roughly the same path as a planet.

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2003
So How Does it Work?

Found this short bit while browsing the slashdot comments on an article covering the same stuff as the Post article we linked to below.

It answers a question it simply never ocurred to me to ask... if nothing can escape a black hole, why does it have gravity? How does that get out?

Posted by scott at 02:34 PM eMail this entry!
Gravity Proves Einstein Right... Again

I read this Washington Post story about the speed of gravity this morning. Essentially, by using a rare conjunction of Jupiter and a distant quasar, scientists were able to confirm a prediction of general relativity that states gravity's effects should propagate at the speed of light. Kewl.

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2003
I Wonder What the Starting Block Looked Like

ABCNews.com is carrying this article about research into why some people are more comfortable in the cold of winter, while others are more comfortable in the heat of summer. One method: sperm races.

Yes, sperm races.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2002
A Vegan Riddle
Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2002
Rare Whale Species Found..dead!

A rare whale species found beached ashore in Japan earlier this year, turns out to be one of the most complete specimins found.

I am surprised they did not eat it.

Posted by Ellen at 07:33 PM eMail this entry!
December 27, 2002
Ellen Probaby Knew What "micturition" Meant, but I Didn't

Want to know why soap expands in the microwave? Why the sky is blue? How to make a potato battery? All these things and many, many more are available at The Mad Scientist Network. Very cool, highly recommended.

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2002
One More Step to Science Fiction

BBCnews is reporting scientists have successfully grown a (mouse) kidney using stem cells. When they finally figure this one out it'll revolutionize many types of medical care. If someone can grow a new heart for you from your own tissues, transplants suddenly become not much more complex than a bypass operation.

Posted by scott at 06:07 PM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2002
~The Bugs Are Raining Down On Us/Hoorah, Hoorah~

What nobody seems to understand about this story is that, if it pans out, we could already be studying E.T.'s. Tiny, microbial ETs, yes, but still...

Posted by scott at 06:10 PM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2002
But Only if You Open the Box...

Happy belated 100th birthday goes out to Quantum Physics. Actually, it was 100 years ago yesterday, but we've been busy with last-minute Christmas shopping and just now got around to it.

Posted by scott at 05:57 PM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2002
Bionic Eyes

BBCnews has more updates on ocular implants to help blind people see.

Posted by scott at 04:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2002
Evolution FAQ

Just in time to give your fundie friends a good drubbing for Christmas (oh, the irony!), I present to you this really nice summary of evolutionary facts. It's a bit wordy at times, but if you find yourself glazing over simply skip down a bit, it gets better.

My favorite:

[Since all Creationists claim to really want is "balanced" treatment,] Let's balance [it] by including the fables, myths, parables, and legends of the Aaragon, Abenaki, Acoma, Ainu, Aleut, Amunge, Ange vin, Anishinabek, Anvik-Shageluk, Apache, Arapaho, Ararapivka, Arikara, Armenian, Arrernte, Ashkenazim, Assiniboine, Athabascan, Athena, Aztec, Babylonian, Balinese, Bannock, Bantu, Basque, Blackfoot, Blood, Bosnian, Breton, Brul, Bundjalung, Burns P aiute, Caddo, Cahuilla, Catalan, Cayuga, Cayuse, Celt, Chehalis, Chelan, Cherokee, Chewella, Cheyenne, Chickasaw, Chinook, Chippewa, Chirachaua, Choctaw, Chukchi, Coeur d'Alene, Columbia River, Colville, Comanche, Congolese, Concow, Coquille, Cow Cre ek, Cowlitz, Cree, Creek, Croat, Crow, Crow Creek, Cumbres, Curonian, Cushite, Cut Head, Da'an, Devon, Dihai-Kutchin, Diyari, Dogon, Duwamish, Egyptian, Elwha, S'Klallam, Eritrean, Eskimo, Esrolvuli, Eta, Even, Evenk, Flathead, Fijian, Fox, Fuegan, G aul, Gooniyandi, Gond, Govi Basin Mongolian, Grand Ronde, Gros Ventre, Haida, Han, Haranding, Havasupai, Hendriki, Heortling, Hidatsa, Hindi, Hmong, HoChunk, Hoh, Hoopa, Hopi, Hunkpapa, Hutu, Ik-kil-lin, Inca, Innu, Intsi Dindjich, Inuit, Iroquois, I sleta, Itchali, Itelemen, It-ka-lya-ruin, Itkpe'lit, Itku'dlin, Jicarilla Apache, Jotvingian, Kaiyuhkhotana, Kalapuya, Kalispel, Kamchandal, Kansa, Karuk, Katshikotin, Kaurna, Kaw, Kazahk, Ketschetnaer, Khanti, Khoi-San, Khymer, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Kirg hiz, Kitchin-Kutchin, Klamath, Knaiakhotana, K'nyaw, Koch-Rajbongshi, Kolshina, Kono, Kootenai, Koyukukhotana, !Kung, Kurd, La Jolla, Lac Courte D' Oreille, Lac Du Flambeau, Laguna, Lake, Lakota, Lao, Latgalian, Leech Lake Chippewa, Lemmi, Lower Brul , Lower Yanktonai, Lowland Lummi, Lummi, Malawi, Makah, Mandan, Maori, Maricopan, Martinez, Mayan, Mazatec, Mednofski, Menominee, Meryam Mir, Mesa Grande, Mescalero Apache, Metlakatla, Miniconjou, Mission, Moallalla, Modoc, Mohawk, Mojave, Morongo, M uckleshoot, Murrinh-Patha, Nadruvian, Nagorno-Karabakh, Na-Kotchpo- tschig-Kouttchin, Nambe, Namib, Natche'-Kutehin, Navajo, Nes Pelem, Neyetse-kutchi, Nez Perce, Ngiyampaa, Nisqualli, Nnatsit-Kutchin, Nomelackie, Nooksack, Norman, Norse, Northern Che yenne, Nyungar, Oglala, Ogorvalte, Ojibway, Okanagon, Okinawan, Olmec, Omaha, Oneida, Onondaga, Ordovices, Orlanthi, Osage, Osetto, O-til'-tin, Otoe, Paakantyi, Paiute, Pala Mission, Papago, Pawnee, Pazyryk, Pechango, Penan, Piegan, Pima, Pitt River, Ponca, Potowatomie, Prussian, Pueblo, Puyallup, Qiang, Quileute, Quinault, Red Cliff Chippewa, Red Lake Chippewa, Redwood, Rincon, Sac, Saisiyat, Sakuddeis, Salish, Salt River, Samish, Samoan, Samogitian, San Carlos Apache, San Idlefonso, San Juan, San Poil, Santa Clara, Sartar, Sauk-Suiattle, Selonian, Semigolian, Seminole, Senecan, Sephardim, Serano, Serb, Shasta, Shawnee, Shiite, Shinnecock, Shoalwater Bay, Shoshone, Sikh, Siletz, Silures, Sinhalese, Sioux, Siskiyou, Sisseton, Siuslaw, Skal vian, S'Klallam, Skokomish, Skyomish, Slovene, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Soboba, Southern Cheyenne, Spokane, Squaxin Island, Steilacoom, Stillaquamish, Stockbridge, Sunni, Suquamish, Swinomish, Tadjik, Takhayuna, Tala, Talastari, Tamil, Tanaina, Taos, T arim, Tasman, Tatar, Tesuque, Tlingit, Toltec, Tpe-ttckie-dhidie-Kouttchin, Tranjik-Kutchin, Truk, Tukkutih-Kutchin, Tulalip, Tungus, Turtle Mountain, Tuscarora, Turk, Turkmen, Tutsi, Ugalakmiut, Uintah, Umatilla, Umatilla, Umpqua, Uncompagre, U-nung 'un, Upper Skagit, Ute, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Viking, Vunta-Kutchin, Wahpeton, Walla Walla, Wasco, Wembawemba, White Mountain Apache, Wichita, Wik-ungkan, Winnebago, Wiradjuri, Wylackie, Xhosa, Yahi, Yakama, Yakima, Yakut, Yanamamo, Yankton Sioux, Yankt onai Sioux, Yellowknife, Yindjibarnd, Youkon Louchioux, Yukaghir, Yukonikhotana, Yullit, Yuma, Zjen-ta-Kouttchin, Zulu, et al., ad infinitum del mundi.

Posted by scott at 10:59 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2002
Aquatic Ape Debunking

Always good to read the comments! Found this nice summary of hard facts that solidly debunk the "aquatic ape" theory, which states at some point in the distant past we had an ancestor which spent most if not all of its time in the water.

Debunking Aquatic Ape Theory (AAT) people in the early 90s is what got me started down the road that eventually lead to this site. I used to rip into AAT people on the usenet group talk.origins constantly, even getting into a heated e-mail debate with a guy in Australia (you can still see part of it here, on a thread started by none other than the late Douglas Adams).

Update: Ok, I found a much better thread on my AAT stuff. In response to this:

If that is your version of history, you are welcome to it. You are the one who will end up a laughing stock . . .

I posted this:

GOODNESS ME, LOOK AT MR "PLEASE DON'T FLAME ME, IT DOESN'T SOLVE ANYTHING AND MAKES ME UPSET" GO AT ME NOW. LETS ALL TAKE A MOMENT AND BOW OUR HEADS IN FORGIVENESS OF A HYPOCRITICAL CULTURAL FART WHO CAN'T GET ENOUGH FUNDING TO GET OUT OF THE BUSH.

I believe this is now called a "fisking", but I'm not completely sure why. Boy was it fun though!

Posted by scott at 04:58 PM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2002
Ball Lightning

Ok, yeah I know..slow day. But ball lightning is pretty neat stuff!

We should have some more 'interesting' articles put up this weekend when we get home.

Posted by Ellen at 04:37 PM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2002
Nasca Update

Nasca, not NASA, you know, the people who made those weird drawings in the desert which can only be seen from the air? Well, starryskies.com has this article detailing some new theories about their purpose.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2002
Like a Bullet Through Butter

BBCnews is carrying this article on what looks to be two events caused by "strange" quarks hitting the earth. Subatomic particles dense enough and fast enough to cause seismometers to register them all over the planet is kinda scary actually. From the article:

One event occurred on 22 October 1993, when, according to the researchers, something entered the Earth off Antarctica and left it south of India 0.73 of a second later.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2002
Star Trek in a Petri Dish

Saw this Washington Post story this morning and it's already beginning to zip around the blogosphere. Of course, everyone was freaking out about "should we?"

Listen up folks. If it can be done, someone is going to do it. This "should we?" debate seems to have originated with the development of the atomic bomb, and it's as naive today as it was sixty years ago. Do you really think it would've made any difference if we'd "banned" all research into nuclear technologies? Do you think that would've stopped Stalin, or Mao, or Britain, or France?

Let the scientists create. It's what they do. If what they're doing seems scary, keep a real close eye on them, but don't tell them to stop. Because they won't. They'll just move on to some other place that won't stop them and keep going.

People make fun of the Catholic church because it banned Copernicus and Galileo, said not only was their doctrine wrong it was so wrong it could corrupt you and so you should never, ever learn about it.

So please, tell me, what makes the congressional ban on, say, stem cell research any damned different?

Posted by scott at 09:14 AM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2002
Hungry Like a... Hyena?

While interesting, this hypothesis of why it took so long for humans to populate North America is still pretty tenuous. Giant killer hyenas as the primary roadblock to western hemispheric expansion definitely has problems. One of the hallmarks of early-modern human occupations of any region is predators simply evaporate.

This is most starkly represented in the Levant (Israel/Lebanon/Syria/Jordan), which was occupied by Neandertals very early. During Neandertal occupation, you had very clear stratigraphy indicating the Neandertals were seasonally sharing living space with the other big predators of the region. As soon as you get signs of early modern humans both the Neandertals and the other big predators just disappear, and there's no seasonal sharing anywhere. And there were predators every bit as nasty roaming the savannah and beyond (cave lions, 6-foot-tall baboons, cave bears, etc.) as there were in the North American region.

Posted by scott at 06:40 PM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2002
The Lotus Effect

Slashdot linked up this article about the "Lotus Effect". Seems the lotus flower's ability to both shed water and clean its petals at the same time is teaching nanotech scientists a thing or two.

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
Stem Cells Heal Hearts

BBCnews is reporting this new research on how stem cells can be used to repair damaged hearts.

(Work will be busy today, trying to get a project out the door. Updates may be slow.)

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2002
NR-1

Slashdot linked up this site concerning a new book release on the NR-1, the world's only nuclear-powered research submarine. You can get some detail on the NR-1 by reading "Blind Man's Bluff" (that's where I first heard about it), but this goes into much greater detail.

"Research" = CIAspeak for "spying" BTW. :)

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2002
Shroud News

Even more evidence the Shroud of Turin is a fake, this time repudiating the people who repudiated the original 1988 study. What the wackos seem not to understand is scientists would love for this thing to be original. First century textiles are quite rare, and a textile used to cover a crucifixion victim, any cruicifixion victim, would be amazingly important.

The problem is, it's fake.

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
Iceman Earliest Contract Vicitm?
Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
And I Thought Atomic Batteries Were Just Cheesy Batman Stuff

Boy was I wrong. This c-net article details new developments in both teeny-tiny fuel cells and the aforementioned "atomic" batteries. Both are meant to provide more power to consumer electronics.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2002
Home is Where the Heart Zaps

While I think having a home difibrilator is a good idea in theory, in practice I feel my wife may be far too tempted to stick the paddle thingys to my feet at night as a way of getting revenge.

Maybe we can use them to keep the cats from crapping on our floor.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2002
Ancient Music

I always wondered what, if anything, survived of ancient music, because it really was a central part of life even back then. Thanks to Lynn Unleashed, who linked up this article, I have a better idea. In a nutshell: a very little bit of music survived, even some instructional books on how to read and perform it, but nobody (until now) has tried very hard to put it all together and reconstruct it. Really interesting stuff.

Posted by scott at 03:33 PM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2002
Ossuary Update

As expected, there's something fishy about the "James" ossuary. The person who wrote the article, who claims to be an expert in ancient enscryptions and writing, makes a pretty convincing case that only the first part of the enscryption ("Jacob son of Joseph") is legit, while the rest is a much later fake.

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2002
Scientists Can Figure Out the Darndest Things

Found this fascinating study about what some anthropologists have discovered about the lifestyles of the ancient Incas just by studying their... well... poops. Howdya like to write that grant proposal? Still, extremely interesting reading.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2002
~ Her Name is Rio/and She Points/for Fish and Clam ~

BBCnews is reporting on the first known study of long-term memory in a non-primate. A sea lion named Rio, to be specific. Turns out yes, they can remember sh*t pretty well, at least if there's fish involved somewhere.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2002
Insert Beavis-and-Butthead Joke Here

Archeologists announced the discovery of a new set of pre-incan ruins under the surface of Lake Titicaca. Turns out the lake's surface was about 65 feet lower back then, and somebody went and built themselves a city on the shore.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2002
The Persistence of Memory

I've always thought my very, very first memory was one in which I recall being in a crib in my grandmother's house. Now research seems to indicate that one, at least, was probably just a bad dream I had later in life.

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2002
Food Science

My brother still tells horror stories about the MRE, the Meal Ready to Eat packages the Army now uses for combat rations. Now they're trying to make "mo betta" ones.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
October 28, 2002
Ancient Storm Cycles

NYTimes (free reg required, blah blah blah) has this article on newly discovered evidence that the east coast of America may experience "storm cycles", millenia-long peaks and valleys of storm intensity. They base their evidence on sedimentary deposits in several northeast US lakes, and the conclusion is we're at the beginning of a new "intense" period, which could lead to floods many times more intense than anything experienced during historic times in this region.

And *gasp* they're not blaming it on global warming. Yet.

No-prize to Pat!

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2002
Zahi's at it Again
Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2002
Wine Drinkers, Rejoice!

Well, I may end up a fat pig for it, but at least my wine habit is less likely to give me cirrhosis.

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
"Silly" Research Yields Real Results

People, some of whom actually run this site, are constantly griping about how dinky and weird some scientific projects are, and what a waste of money they must be. Like spending good grant money to let some guys tinker with a really common kind of lake bacteria, yes? Of course, then they go and figure out how cells defend themselves against certain kinds of viral attacks.

Color me chastised.

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2002
The Mummy's Hand

Professors get the weirdest stuff in the mail. You've seen this guy on TV if you've ever watched Discovery or TLC. He's the balding, nerdy one (as apposed to the "one with glasses and a fedora" or "the one who's enthusiastic and Egyptian").

No-prize to Jeff!

Posted by scott at 09:56 AM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2002
Discovery of Biblical Proportions (really!)

I read about this story about the potential discovery of James's (of "he's the savior and he's my brother") ossuary, then lost the link, then got reminded of it by Jeff, then couldn't find the damned story, and finally found it via K5.

If this turns out to be true, and right now that's a really, really big "if", it's an amazing discovery. James was a hugely important figure in the early church. This is fascinating stuff.

Posted by scott at 03:17 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2002
Finger This!!

Want to REALLY find out how big your 'dork' is? Or rather yet, girls, check your man.

Size Does Matter

Posted by Ellen at 09:23 PM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2002
Big Bird Ain't Always on Sesame Street

Lots of reports out of Alaska about a really big frikken eagle-like bird puttering about. Even if it has "just" an 8 foot wingspan, I'd rather not be fishing somewhere it wanted to be.

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2002
Genetically Engineered... Bluejeans?

Well, now they've figured out how to make blue jean dye from bacteria. "Like making beer". GASP! YOU SHOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING BUT MAKE BEER!

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2002
HIV as Therapy?

I'd read about something like this long, long ago in a science fiction novel (Greg Bear, I think, can't remember the title). I really think that instead of developing fancy nanomachines or creating super vaccines, we'll eventually learn to harness our own immune systems and have them do all the delicate work. They are spectacularly sophisticated and subtle.

Posted by scott at 04:03 PM eMail this entry!
Tummy Cam

I wonder how long it'll take them to stick little motors and wings on one of these things? Can Innerspace or Fantastic Voyage be far behind? Can I get a ride with Raquel?

Posted by scott at 07:59 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2002
Incan Burials & Talking Giraffes

Pat gets a double no-prize for bringing a new Incan archeological discovery and showing us the link to this cool giraffe story we saw on TV a few days ago. Thanks! :)

Posted by scott at 11:28 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2002
Oldest Plaque in London Found

A Roman excavation in London has revealed the oldest inscription of the city's name yet found.

Posted by scott at 09:05 AM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2002
Ghostly Noises

Maybe your haunted house is just kind of rumbly. Of course, if it's rumbling "GET OUT", maybe you aught to test it from a distance!

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2002
Ocular Implants

Steve Austin it ain't, but this new development in microchip implants could help blind folks to read and get around the house. Sounds like a plan to me.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2002
Like a Baseball, Only Bigger

BBcnews has this story on new research into the earth's core is revealing what is perhaps another, "inner" core.

Posted by scott at 01:01 PM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2002
Bear Good, Sneeze Bad

Even though, according to this article, tracking polar bears is easier than it used to be, it still sounds like one of the more... adventurous... ways of making a living.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2002
Chimps not Quite as Similar

A new report, summarized in this ABCnews article, claims that we're "only" 95% chimpanzee, as apposed to the previously believed 98.5%.

Posted by scott at 02:51 PM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2002
Mice Are NO Longer White, Brown Or Black..

They come in green too now!

Scientists are now using jelly fish and mice to come up with new ways of treating or curing baldness with gene therapy. Perhaps even change your hair color without the dye?

See the article here.

Frankie's mom, Gail gets a No-prize in the science catagory!

Posted by Ellen at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2002
Dino Follow-Up

BBCnews has this article on the dinosaur discovery we linked up yesterday that includes pictures of the beastie. I'm used to dinosaurs being scary, impressive, weird, and huge, but this one looks like it should have a pocket protector and horn-rimmed glasses.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
She Canna Take Much More, Cap'n!

Scientists keep working with larger and larger amounts of antimatter. At least, some scientists think they are. Particle physics makes my head hurt.

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2002
Dino... rat?

Another no-prize to Jeff who brings us this article on a new dinosaur find in China. Thanks!

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2002
The Iceman's Last Meal

BBC news has this one on recent findings of what the "iceman" probably ate as his last meal.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
Doomsday Carp

Australia and its various related islands and territories have some of the most dangerous wildlife in the world. Everything out there seems to have one ridiculously strong biotoxin or another, and yet it seems to only take a single outside species to toss it on its ear. Wired has this article on the latest efforts to rid Tasmania of carp.

And since when did carp become edible? This was the recipe I learned for carp from a math teacher:

  • Scale & fillet carp
  • Preheat oven to 550 degrees (F)
  • Place carp on small, flat board
  • Bake for 3 hours
  • Discard carp and eat board
Posted by scott at 11:29 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2002
Itsy-Bitsy Update

Just heard on the radio that it's gonna be tonight when they send the spider robot up the ancient waterspout, on Fox. Set your VCRs!

Posted by scott at 06:49 PM eMail this entry!
Dino Sex

BBCnews has this article about one proposal for why dinosaurs had all those bizzare widgets on their faces and bodies.

What I think about is how impressive the mating rituals must've been. Birds are widely considered to be the last surviving remnant of the dinosaurs, and some of their "dances" are really elaborate. Imagine what an albatross-like ritual must've been like when the actors weighed 20 tons!

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2002
Oldest Winky in the World

See, I didn't even know shellfish had these things. Now it turns out the oldest one we've ever found belongs to one of 'em. Or, rather, belonged.

Posted by scott at 09:41 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2002
Just Whose Fault will it Be?

If we have a kid and it's a boy, as with my dad before me, I already know who will be to blame. This in spite of what some scientists seem to be finding.

Posted by scott at 12:46 PM eMail this entry!
Biological Pacemakers on the Way?

WashingtonPost.com is carrying this story on the early developments of a "biological pacemaker".

Question for Pat: I remember you saying long ago that implanted defibrelators (sp?) were really not that great, causing a lot of pain to whomever had them. Yet nowadays I'm seeing adverts for them all the time on TV. Has the technology changed, or is it just standard DrugCo Inc. propaganda?

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2002
Brain Dead

A rather neat article on how scientists are determining several factors to make sure that a person is brain dead before 'pulling the plug'.

Is this a problem? Are Drs are cutting people off life support too soon? What do you do if someone tells you that your loved one is in a coma that they will NEVER come out of it, and are essentially brain dead. What do you do?

My Southern Mama may have some input on this. She is a RN.

Posted by Ellen at 07:12 PM eMail this entry!
Nuclear Power News

ABCnews is running this peice on new developments in the nuclear reactor industry. There's also another technology out there, which this article doesn't address, using lithium as a coolant. Since fusion still seems to be "thirty years in the future" (where it's been for the past 30 years), fission reactors of one sort or another are still an important source for power generation.

Posted by scott at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
Diamond Days Gone Forever?

BBCnews has this report on new discoveries about when, how, and where diamonds were formed. Their preliminary conclusion: the earth literally doesn't make diamonds like it used to.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2002
Science to Replace Panning?

Well it looks like someone finally came up with something useful for Alfalfa other than feed and the name of a goofy kid long gone (whatever happened to the Little Rascals anyway?)

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2002
Testing the Speed of Gravity

BBC news is running this story on a new experiment to test one of relativity's predictions about gravity. Specifically, if it has a "speed", and if so what that speed might be. I don't know where I got it, but I was under the impression gravity was unique in that its effects propagated instantly across space-time. Ah well, probably why I should stick to anthropology and politics... harder to fact-check those!

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2002
Freeze, or Fry?

Dinos! Get yer pipin' hot dinos!

Also from space.com, this article detailing how a new computer model seems to confirm substantial environmental effects from the fires ignited by the rock what fell apon the dinos. Cue Robert UK... :)

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
"Chunnel" News

The Brits are putting the final touches on the "chunnel" rail system that crosses the English channel. I always thought the chunnel was vaguely ironic. I mean, for something like five or six centuries France and England did their level best to keep each other on the "proper" side of the channel, and then they go and dig a tunnel. My, how times have changed.

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2002
A Practical Tatoo

BBCnews has this story on a new kind of tatoo that would allow diabetics to continuously monitor their blood sugar levels. I've know several diabetics over the years, my grandmother lived with the disease for a very long time. I've always thought one of the real dangers was the inability to continuously monitor blood sugar. As far as I know, diabetes in and of itself isn't what causes all the trouble because it can be controlled. It's the loopy blood sugar extremes that cause the real damage. This could go a long, long way toward solving that problem.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2002
More of the Dinosaur and Temperature Link

This one is from Discovery News

I recently saw a show that stated a theory about how the very large mammals went extinct (virus). I don't know if they would point that theory to the dinosaurs as well.

Posted by Ellen at 04:49 PM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2002
Stephen Hawking on "Stuff"

Here's a good one from Mr. Hawking himself on "strange stuff".

Posted by scott at 06:04 PM eMail this entry!
Yet Another Dinosaur Death Theory!

Here is more of an in-depth article on how temperature change killed the dinosaurs.

Posted by Ellen at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2002
Earth Formation Findings

BBCnews has this report on news about the earth's formation. Apparently it formed a lot faster than was originally thought.

Posted by scott at 11:02 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2002
Chimps and AIDS?

MSNBC has this article about how it just might be possible that chimps suffered through a near-catastrophic encounter with AIDS or a near cousin, and that's why they are immune to the disease. I actually know someone who worked in the same lab that cooked up the cocktail treatments. Any comments Ellen?

Posted by scott at 05:05 PM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2002
Human - Chimp Split News

CNN is running this story on new discoveries about a genetic difference that may have triggered brain growth in our ancestors. Or not. It's certainly a difference, at any rate.

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2002
Sleepy Time

Scientific American has this interesting article on how long people can stay awake.

Posted by scott at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2002
It's Hard Being a Goose

You spend all this money researching a widget to track geese, grab a few of the foul-tempered beasties and attach said widget, then track them as they fly half-way around the world across the most inhospitable areas of the planet, and what happens? Damned thing ends up being supper for an innuit. Oh, the agony...

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2002
From the Archives: Real Science

Ok, this story about how some fundies in GA are getting creationism back in schools leads me to link up my own essay on the subject, Real Science. An excerpt:

I'm here to provide you with a simple set of tools to argue rings around the wacks that will try to impose their particularly cracked view of both science and religion not on you, but on your kids. So listen up people. It's us against them, and right now they're the only ones paying attention.

It's not that creationism is wrong (it is), it's just not science.

Posted by scott at 07:03 PM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2002
Technology to Make Our Lives Easier

Ok, so, would you believe vibrating tampons to cure cramps? *Shrug* If it makes the ladies feel better, it'll make all men's lives easier.

I've always thought guys who are embarassed to buy tampons & such were a little silly. I mean, what, are you gonna use 'em? All it does is prove you have a girlfriend! I'm far more embarassed picking up cosmo/woman's day/McCalls etc. for my wife as her weekly "bathtub reading" present. I get many more strange looks from the checkout people too.

Posted by scott at 02:56 PM eMail this entry!
Big Rock, Fall From Sky

BBCnews.com has this brief overview on evidence of a new giant impact discovery. Report says it's was at least twice the size of the one that killed the dinosaurs. Unfortunately no word on exactly when it was supposed to have happened. Could this have caused the Permian extinction?

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2002
A New Kind of Armor

The guys over in Britain have developed an interesting new kind of armor to make a tank RPG "resistant". Of course, they'll always be able to use those surface-to-air missles against airplanes, right?

"Boffin" sounds like an arctic bird, but I think I know what it means ;).

Posted by scott at 10:49 AM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2002
A New Missing Link

MSNBC has this report on a graduate student who dusted off an old "fish" fossile and found it was not a fish, but neither was it a land animal. Very cool!

Posted by scott at 09:41 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2002
Existential Musings

Even though space.com is hosting this article, it's as much about metaphysics as it is physics. Still, a very interesting read.

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2002
Indiana Jones's... Rabbit?

Jeff sent us this article about a group of rabbits who unearthed a rare 14th century glass window. It doesn't matter who does the digging, as long as it's in the right place!

1st no-prize of the day.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 09, 2002
Microchip Implant

SEE! I told you people to get your dogs chipped! This story is a good example on how they work.

Plus I could not help myself. It was about a Pommeranian. *we used to call our Pom 'pooh bear' too- it was his nickname, but still..WEIRD!* Must be a pommeranian thing.

Posted by Ellen at 12:37 PM eMail this entry!
I *KNEW* 8 Glasses Was Too Much

This article, from the American Journal of Physiology, explains that there's no real scientific evidence for the benefits of drinking 8 8-ounce glasses of water per day, and other "water fitness" myths. Maybe now I can get rid of this big jug on my desk Ellen makes me drink every day.

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
As the Crow... Thinks?

Ellen's favorite bird is pretty damned bright. Now if we can just keep them from crapping on our cars...

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2002
New Study Says Retroviruses Influenced Human Evolution

This news release summarizes the work of a group of geneticists at the University of Georgia. They claim to have discovered evidence of a viral mechanism that may have triggered the split between hominids and chimpanzees.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2002
Galaxy Causing Ice Ages?

Also from bbcnews, this article about a scientist who thinks he's found a correlation between climate changes and our solar system's path through the spiral arms of our galaxy.

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2002
Lions and Crocs and Kangas Oh My!

Found this cool BBCnews article about ancient Australian wildlife. And you thought what they have now is weird....

Update: Yup, sort of a double-post there. One of these days we'll read our own stuff! Ellen's link was to a yahoo article though, found here

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2002
Benefits of Chewing Gum

See!!!! I KNEW there was a good reason to chew gum!

Gum is probably my favorite type of candy aside of M&M's. Now I can tell Scott I can chew it for a GOOD reason other than being and obnoxious NY-er with big hair.

Posted by Ellen at 03:59 PM eMail this entry!
More Giant Squid

Giant Squid are beaching themselves on the SanDiego shore.

WeIrD!~

Posted by Ellen at 03:43 PM eMail this entry!
Yet Another Boomer Attempt to Avoid the Inevitable

Scientific American has this interesting article on research into an anti-aging pill. Conclusion? Boomers will still die. Someday.

But I think we all may end up riding their coattails to immortality.

Posted by scott at 11:30 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2002
Conjoined Twins Ready for Seperation

Conjoined twins ready to undergo surgery for separation at the skull.

Must be an expensive surgery? Who pays this? The parents? Or is this some really neat way for doctors to get some experience with weird shit and they do it for free?

Why would you put 2 small children through this? Did they not see this conjoinment in an ultrasound as little as 12 weeks into the pregnancy?

Yet, this to me is another act of selfishness of the parent. NO, I'm not a parent, but I am practical in the sense when I think I can make a correct decision on when it is fair and not fair to bring a life into this world. It just was not meant to be at that point.

Same goes for some parents out there that want to bring severely deformed or mentally retarded children into the world and attempt to watch them make it on their own. I am talking 'severe' problems. Not some minor mental or physical impairment.

Why would you WANT to make another human go through unneeded bullshit, mental/physical strain and basically YOU taking care of a baby that continues to grow for the rest of your life, but needs the constant care of a small child. Ask yourself " is that fair'? Not just for you, but for that other human YOU made a choice to make it suffer for the rest of its life.

Touchy subject, I know. But until you have seen something suffer, and being able to release it from the suffering. You will NEVER see what I am able to see. Even if I just work with animals. I know when its NOT fair to keep something going when the suffering is so severe that you can't fix the pain, only manage it.

It takes a smart, caring person to understand that.

Posted by Ellen at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
Depression and Anger Linked

Apparently this is a new discovery.

Erm...sounds like someone I know. *laughs to self*

I don't know why this seems like a new thing. I have heard of this link several times in the past. But, a study was done, so I guess in the eyes of science that makes it legit!

Posted by Ellen at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2002
New Evidence for Massive Earth Bombardment

BBCnews.com has this new report on conclusive evidence of a "Late Heavy Bombardment" about 3.7 billion years ago. Big, big rocks smacking the earth every 100 or so years it seems.

I wonder if one of the preconditions for the precambrian explosion was the cessation of bombardment?

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2002
Giant Squid Find

ABCNEWS.com is running this story about a giant squid find. No, they didn't get footage of a live critter, but they think they may have found a new species. Ellen loves these things, but I'm not quite sure why.

Update: Cnn.com's article has pictures.

Posted by scott at 04:50 PM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2002
Bizzare Pterosaur

And on ABCNEWS.COM, we have this cool story about a really weird looking pterosaur recently discovered. Kinda looks like Toucan Sam in a hat.

Posted by scott at 05:17 PM eMail this entry!
World's Oldest Chocolate

Scientists seem to have found that people were drinking chocolate drinks about 1,000 years earlier than previously thought. Mmmm... Chocolate....

Posted by scott at 05:10 PM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2002
Foot Phones!

Well, at least some scientists think now that elephants communicate through their feet. Get smart, eat your heart out! :)

Posted by scott at 04:51 PM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2002
Hominid Skull Follow-Up

BBC News also has this follow-up story on the new hominid find I wrote up a few days ago. What you're seeing here is classic, absolutely classic back-biting that is positively endemic to the field. What will happen now is a series of slow-motion arguments as each side takes pot shots at the other through journal and book publications. The best one of these I ever saw was the Leaky vs. Johansen battle in the mid 80s.

But eventually their bickering will lead to a greater understanding of the truth. It's the process that matters, not the personalities.

Posted by scott at 05:23 PM eMail this entry!
Horse Origins Traced

BBC News is running this interesting story about the origins of the domestic horse. Turns out that, unlike most other big domesticated animals, the horse was domesticated in several different places at once.

Posted by scott at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
July 10, 2002
Snowball Earth

Found this really cool article about the "Snowball Earth" theory. I'm linking it here because the idea is fascinating and still not in very wide circulation at this time. Apologies if you've heard about it before.

One of the things that's puzzled me about this whole global warming schtick is that people don't seem to have a real historic perspective on it. The earth used to be a lot warmer than it is today. And studies have shown that it has gradually cooled to this day.

One of the things that "fixes" carbon out of the atmosphere really well is life. We're all carbon-based. When most of us die we get eaten by something else, which gets eaten by something else, which gets eaten by something else, lather-rinse-repeat. Other times we fall off a cliff, get sucked into a tarpit, fall asleep on a glacier, caught in a flood, or some other spectacularly unpleasant thing that triggers our sudden disappearance and rapid burial.

Instead of making CO2 to warm up the atmosphere, the carbon is pulled out and turned into algae, fish, dinosaurs, Steve Irwin, and other atmospherically useless forms.

It would seem to me that over time this fixing and removal of carbon would gradually decrease the amount of carbon available in the atmosphere. By burning fossile fuels, we're simply releasing the carbon that got removed so long ago.

But what the heck do I know, "I'm an anthropologist Jim, not an environmental wacko". :)

Posted by scott at 12:34 PM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2002
Monitor News

First they raised the Hunley, now they're raising the final interesting bits of the Monitor. It took years of Yankee propaganda in grade school until I found out the Monitor fought the CSS Virginia, not the Merrimack. Bloody carpetbaggers. :)

Posted by scott at 06:10 PM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2002
New Metal Created

MSNBC has this cool article about a new metal alloy that has the strength of steel but is worked like a plastic. Very interesting!

And yes, I recognized immediately that it was a discarding sabot round next to him in the picture. Look closely, and you'll see it resembles an arrow with one of those drive-up-deposit capsules wrapped around it. When fired from a tank, the round "discards" the extra bits, giving it an extra boost, sort of like a skater yanking in their arms in a spin.

When hand-held firearms were first used one of the things they shot were metal arrows designed to pierce the plate armor of knights. Things have come full circle now, because in essence that's all a discarding sabot round is... a metal arrow made out of exotic stuff. And tanks are considered the "cavalry" of any modern army. The more things change...

Posted by scott at 06:01 PM eMail this entry!
New Hominid Fossil Find

MSNBC has this article about a new fossile find in Georgia (the country, not the state) that seems to indicate our anscestors were wandering about the landscape a lot earlier than first suspected.

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2002
Earliest Land Critter Found

I saw this on headline news, but cnn.com has a more elaborate story. Scientists say they've found a fossile of the earliest known land animal. They've got a picture of your great-great-e^15 grandfather right there.

Posted by scott at 06:46 PM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2002
Early Paleocene not as Dead as Once Thought

CNN.com has this cool article about some new discoveries about the early paleocene, the time just after the dinosaurs. Turns out at least some parts of the planet recovered a lot more quickly than was once thought.

I've always thought these "edge" periods to be at least, if not more, interesting than, say, the ice age or the age of dinosaurs. I really think the Discovery channel should do a whole series of shows on, say, the cambrian explosion, when multicellular life sort of suddenly "appears" on the world's stage.

Posted by scott at 09:59 AM eMail this entry!
Science Quickies

MSNBC has this cool article about a bunch of different little weird things scientists are trying to puzzle out. Before you think "geeze, instead of tinking with this why not figure out a way to splat Bin Laden?", remember that electricity, the main thing that separates us from the 19th century, was discovered by a bunch of guys playing around with wires.

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2002
Weird British 'Scientific News'

WeIrD!~ yet, stupid. I swear, these people are dishing this type of news out as if no one has EVER heard of it before. Must be like Hollywood movies in the UK, they have to wait almost a year before a new release to us, becomes a new release to them * so I have heard *

Semen Makes Women Happy. What the hell? No it doesn't. It's NOT chocolate!

This article is OBVIOUSLY new news to them. How dumb can they be??? This idea has been proven how long ago?

The list gets better. How's this one? Smart!

Posted by Ellen at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2002
Down on the Farm

Scott told me about this place. He mentioned that his anthropology teacher at The University of Arkansas is really good friends with Bass.

Neat article, cool idea. I'm all for forensic science. I should mention that the 'farm' is a body farm. No dumb ass, they don't grow shit there, they make it decay.

Think of all the possible situations where a body can decay. Thats what the body farm does. Morbid yes, but its a necessary aspect to forensic science. One of the neatest things it can tell you is how long into decomposition the body is, or rather when the person ceased to exist.

Pretty neat eh? I thought so.

Posted by Ellen at 09:31 PM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2002
10 Reasons Why Men Hesitate To Marry

Interesting article.

10 Reasons why men hesitate to marry.

Posted by Ellen at 05:41 PM eMail this entry!
June 24, 2002
Monkey!

A new species of monkey has been discovered in South America. NO its not one of the natives!

Posted by Ellen at 10:14 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2002
Mystery Mammal Rediscovered After 70 Years

Sometimes I think bigfoot is a bunch of horse-hockey, and then I read this, about a medium-sized predator that's been hanging out in Africa and has only been seen once in seventy years.

But of course, this thing has been seen, and bigfoot hasn't, so I still think bigfoot is horse-hockey.

Posted by scott at 05:13 PM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2002
Oldest Sarcophagus Found

Ubiquitous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass has announced the discovery of the oldest known intact sarcophagus.

I found out yesterday that my college advisor, Dr. Jerry Rose, recently got a big grant to go digging around in Heirakanopolis next year. Dr. Rose was a really great teacher, and gave everyone that took his classes real insight into how bones could show an enormous amount of information about the person that used to own them. He'll probably end up working with Hawass (seems like everyone who goes to Egypt does). Go Dr. Rose!

Posted by scott at 02:19 PM eMail this entry!
The Reactor Under Our Feet

Found this article about some scientists that think the earth's inner core is actually a monstrous breeder reactor putting out millions of megawatts of power per day over the past 4.5 billion years. The theory explains all the wonky things that the earth's magnetic field has done over the years, like shut off and reverse polarity. And the theory's already passed a few experimental tests, so this is looking more and more solid (as it were). Extremely cool.

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2002
Bionic Eye

This is one step closer to becomming a semi cyborg

Ok, OK, so its only an eye implant. But hey, if you didn't see anyting in the first place and now can see somting, it's a good thing.

I need new eyes. Preferably cat eyes, but not from a cat. Somthing like those new contact lenses they have out for eyes now. Yeah, pretty neat!

Posted by Ellen at 05:06 PM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2002
Sea Monsters

I love deep sea stuff. I find it too interesting. On of my favorite critters is the Giant Squid

Scientists think they have discovered a rather large sea creature. Not only is it big and scary! It goes ~Bloop~

They think it most likely is a cephalopod since thats most likely the most exciting noise they can make. ~bloop~

Make sure you read the entire article from top to bottom. You don't want to miss out on any deep sea goodness! Also go ahead and click on the audio icon to hear the ~bloop~!

Posted by Ellen at 06:23 PM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2002
Hunley Update

Here's an update on what's going on with the USS Hunley, from USA Today. Very, very interesting.

Posted by scott at 01:28 PM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2002
Relationship Test

Take the Relationship Test

Find out if you are a total loser in the relationship or if you are the jealous one! Hey, this could be a realtiy check for ya.

Posted by Ellen at 06:23 PM eMail this entry!
One Good Reason for MEN to Exercise

Ok, all U guys out there, want more of this!

Exercise is the answer according to this study. Yeah yeah, how horrible of me to post somthing like this. Not everyone is a body builder. :P

Posted by Ellen at 06:19 PM eMail this entry!
Men Pregnant

Well, it MAKES them look pregnant

You all know a person with one of these, even if they DON'T drink beer!

I know we have been waiting for my grandfather's baby to finish cooking for the past several decades.

Posted by Ellen at 04:26 PM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2002
New Discovery Channel Special

When books aren't enough for this topic, we turn to TV.

It's gotten lots of commericial and hype on the web, maybe it's worth checking out.

Posted by scott at 07:38 PM eMail this entry!
Superstring Explained

This is a quite good summary of superstring theory as it stands now. Wanna know how some folks think the universe ticks? See this article.

Posted by scott at 07:02 PM eMail this entry!
Extinction by Lava

Maybe it wasn't an asteriod after all. Scientists have a new theory

Pretty darned interesting!

Posted by Ellen at 05:30 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2002
Cool Science

I got volunteered as a "rally marshal" at a capitol hill event we're doing today, so there probably won't be any updates. However, I did find this cool site from Scientific American giving awards to the best science-based websites of the year. Very cool. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2002
Mark Your Calendars!

According to NASA, next Monday North Americans will get a "crescent" sunset. Of course, it'll probably rain like hell over here that day. Keep your fingers crossed!

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
May 28, 2002
Save That Tiger!

Here's an interesting article about breakthroughs the Australian Musem has acheived in attempting to clone a Tasmanian Tiger (a really cool marsupial that died out in 1936). Looks like they've still got a long way to go, but they've made significant progress.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2002
Killed by a Great White... Coconut?

NOAA says don't worry, be happy, but don't walk under coconut trees. I particularly liked the note about how shark attacks drop from 12 to 2 pm because people are going to lunch.

Posted by scott at 09:51 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2002
Son Of Hubble

This thing was pitched as a hubble replacement by Aviation Week & Space Technology last summer, but the CNN article seems to imply they've changed the focus. Or the people that wrote this press release were different from the ones that are actually working on the project (AW&ST tends not to report as much from raw press releases as the "mainline" news orgs).

Regardless, it's tres cool. Although, to (sort of) quote Calvin:

"Sometimes I think the surest sign of intelligent life in the universe is the fact that we can't find it"

Posted by scott at 07:50 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2002
New Pyramids

I think Ellen mentioned this to me a day or two ago, but there it is anyway for those who may not have heard. Zahi Hawass is everywhere when it comes to Egyptian archeology. There only seem to be about seven Egyptologists in the English-speaking world, you'll see them all the time on documentaries, but Zahi seems to be in every single one of them as well.

(By contrast, there seem to be about nine Roman historians. I especially like the guy that narrarates in black leather.)

Anyway, if you've ever seen anything on Egypt in the past, say, six or seven years, you've seen this guy. He's got his own web site (which I can't get to right now). A nice brief bio is here. I can't claim to know the man, but I did see him get victimized by network TV once during a live "digging in Egypt" special. He seemed to handle the enthusiastic if clueless talking heads pretty well (I seem to recall it was Maury Povich's bunch, perhaps on Fox?), only getting impatient with them once or twice. He seemed to have boundless energy and tended to talk too quickly and too intelligently for the newsreaders to really follow along.

Everyone knows the pyramids are old, but it takes awhile to get some perspective on what that really means. A quick one: In America, depending on where you're from, an old building is between one and three hundred years old. Most of the rest of the world quietly chuckles at this, but even in places like England an old building is about a thousand years old, and in Italy and Greece old buildings can be as much as twenty five hundred years old.

The pyramids were already more than two thousand five hundred years old when Cleopatra unrolled herself at the feet of Julius Ceasar. To put that event in perspective, Jules and Cleo ran through their little drama some forty years before Jesus made his dramatic entrance.

Heyyy-yaaa-HUP!

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2002
Tornado Facts

Ok, most of you southern people are so used to this shit by now its like another rainy day to you :) BUT, this is still some cool facts about tornados, epecially since we had an F5 hit our area this past week.

Tornados are graded by the Fujita Scale. This is a combination of strength of wind, and damage done to property and surrounding areas. Fujita Scale

If you are the kind of person that likes to be prepared in case of an event like this, check this out. Tornado Safety Tip Brochure

Or, you can just check out this site. Tornado FAQ

Iv'e always wanted to do this! --> Tornado Chasing Yeah, I have the parental inlaws in Arkansas, but I have YET to see a tornado there. So far here in Va, we have been through 3 now. 3 year ago this May, Scott and I were in Jamaica when dozens of tornados touched down in tornado alley. I remember watching Jamaica TV and them showing the broadcast of what was going on. I MISSED IT YET AGAIN! I think its a trend now. Kinda like every time I wash my car it rains. Except this time, it was really dirty and it decided to F5 the next day. So much for my luck.

Posted by Ellen at 06:19 PM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2002
Gotta Love That Hubble

CNBC has much better quality pics of this than the Post did this morning. This thing cost a zillion bucks, but I'd rather spend money for this than to keep Farmer Ted's billion dollar cotton farm in the black.

Always remember the universe is bigger than you think it is.

Posted by scott at 04:12 PM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2002
The First Mammal

From such humble origins, great things can arise.

Our vertebrate progenitor is even less impressive :)

Wacko Update: Quite a few folks on Slashdot are convinced that yesterday's wacko news is a hoax, but I couldn't find conclusive proof. I may have been snookered! :)

Posted by scott at 03:00 PM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2002
Neandertal News

This ABCNEWS article was also covered in the post. Note that the headline says that the guy was killed by the blow, but the article states quite clearly that he survived. Gotta love reporters that don't read their own copy.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2002
Now That's What I Call a Condo

A bunch of researchers have found a 3600 mile long ant "supercolony" in Europe. It's bugs that rule the world, we just screw it up.

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2002
An Interview with Stephen Hawking

David Brin, one of my favorite authors, recently visited with Stephen Hawking and wrote about what happened. NOTE TO FAMILY: If something should happen to me along these lines (auto accident, etc.), be sure to hook me up to one of those gizmos before you pull the plug!

Posted by scott at 01:21 PM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2002
But What About Tom Servo and Crow?

Here's a pretty cool article on cambots filming the deep. Neat.

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2002
For all you Medical Geeks!

Hey Mama!!! I KNOW you will want to check this out. Let me know if you have EVER seen somthing as interesting as THIS!

For all of you that do not know, my southern Mama is a RN in a veteran's hospital. She tends to her vegtable garden during the graveyard shift and sleeps during the day. She may be a vampire for all I know.

:) EnJoY.~ Names have been changed to protect the innocent

Posted by Ellen at 08:28 PM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2002
Wierd Do-It-Yourself Science

Scare the kids, freak the neighbors. I never got to do anything near this cool for my science project. Ah, the wonders of the net. And no, it's not a hoax

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2002
My Brother Would Starve In Space

Here's a tasty one about the possible future of space food. Fetal bovine serum is what is used to grow it. Yummy. *gak*

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2002
Way Cool Clock

Here's a pretty neat way to look at your PC's clock. I wonder if you can upgrade to a pen version? :)

Sent to me by Frieda, my favorite technologically-challenged person (that isn't my mother).

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2002
Robots R Us

First Aibo, now this human- shaped robot. The Japanese are obsessed with robots. Their entertainment industry is filled with images of them, entire TV series are wrapped around them, and of course there's always Mechagodzilla. It doesn't surprise me they're leading in this field.

Any of our readers have an Aibo? Know anyone that does? What're your impressions? It may not be the cuddliest of things, but at least it doesn't yak on your carpet.

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2002
Beige: It's Not Just Your Computer's Color

Turns out the universe is actually beige, not blue. Of course, nowadays computers are coming in all sorts of different colors. But I like my beige box, dammit.

Posted by scott at 03:26 PM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2002
It's Cool. Wonder

NASA managed to contact the farthest distanced, longest-lived probe we've ever sent out. Takes 22 hours to reach it.

Posted by scott at 08:52 PM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2002
Interesting Doohicky

Found this tiny tiny computer storage device. Plug it into a USB port and you've got the equivalent of up to 100 floppies (128 MB). Slick!

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
The Real Big Blue

I've always been fascinated by blue whales. Not sure why, but the biggest of the big is always interesting, and blue whales are the biggest animal that's ever lived. ABCNEWS.com has an interesting write-up about them. Maybe we'll get a Discovery documentary out of it.

Posted by scott at 11:11 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2002
February 22, 2002
Mars News

A slow day at work means a busy day at AMCGltd! Here's an article about water on Mars and here's another one about the latest Mars probe.

Posted by scott at 11:16 AM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2002
Star Trek Just One Step Closer

Just wanted to pass along that scientists have figured out how to capture real antimatter. They've been able to capture anti-particles (ever wonder what a PET scan really is?), but this is the first time they've managed to capture whole anti-atoms. Kewl.

Posted by scott at 08:46 PM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2002
That's One Big Bug!

Here's a writeup about a fossile track of an ancient scorpion-like critter that was about 8 feet long. Yowzah!

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2002
Ball Lightning

I once knew someone who saw ball lightning. He said it bounced through the outside wall, across his room, through two interior walls, and then through the opposite outside wall, only to disappear in the field behind his house. Now they have a new theory about where this wierd stuff comes from. Strange!

Posted by scott at 12:22 PM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2002
Feeling Chilly?

Want to know why? Apparently Scientists have the answer, or at least one answer. Your tax dollars at work :).

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2002
High-Speed Low-Drag (technical)

Bob X Cringley is a techno-pundit with a weekly column at PBS.org. For those technical readers out there (assuming Jeff reads this every once in awhile I know there's at least one), here's an article about how he managed to get a 2.2 Mbps internet connection via wireless networking technologies. Those of you who live in the boonies (you have told slack about our site, haven't you Jeff???) might be interested.

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
Wierd Science

I found this little tidbit of news about "artificial wombs". We're living science fiction folks, this is stuff that I encountered in the Dune books years ago. I thought it was more than a little ironic that some feminist wacks decided that it would mean the "possible end of women". Did they not notice this could, perhaps eventually, replace one of the most onerous and dangerous tasks a woman has to put up with in her life?

Posted by scott at 12:27 PM eMail this entry!