Posted by Michael Bradbury in Bioethics, Biology, Diseases, Endangered Species, Global Warming, Podcast, SciClips on 06 29th, 2007 | 2 Comments
Bad Buzz
What’s killing all the honey bees? No one knows for sure. But a lot of different people are pointing at more than one culprit. Colony Collapse Disorder is the newly-minted term for bees abandoning their hives when they go out to pollinate fruit and vegetable crops . Even the Secretary of Agriculture...
Changing Jupiter
March 25, 2007 and June 5, 2007
The Hubble Telescope is sending exciting pictures from Jupiter, showing amazing transformation in a short time. From March to June 2007, the telescope witnessed a huge change in the equatorial cloud formations.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Marine Science, Podcast, SciClips on 06 27th, 2007 | No Comments
Breathless Fish
Dr. Jason Podrabsky
Call it the couch potato fish. The South American killifish spends most of its life holding its breath, waiting for it to rain.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biology, Biotechnology, Diseases, Health and Medicine, Plants, Podcast, SciClips on 06 26th, 2007 | No Comments
Cancer Killers
Lapacho bark
Naturopathic cures to major diseases could be struggling for survival under the Amazon canopy or pushing away predators in the Caribbean. Research teams are scouring the globe for plants and animals that will protect us from cancer and other illnesses.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biochemistry, Books, Marine Science, Nanotechnology, Podcast, SciClips on 06 25th, 2007 | No Comments
Nano Bucks
Dr. Robert Tanguay
Zebrafish embryo
Will particles smaller than a virus or many chemical compounds hurt people, animals or the environment? That is the unanswered question of nanotechnology and one of the biggest fears. Government agencies are starting to fund scientists looking at this question...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biology, Marine Science, Oceanography, Podcast, SciClips on 06 22nd, 2007 | No Comments
Polar Puzzle
illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole
Scientists are about to embark on a research mission to the Gakkel Ridge–one of the most remote seafloor locations in the world. It lies under the Arctic Ocean to the north of Greenland. Any animals that live there have been isolated from other species...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Climate, Environment, Global Warming, Podcast, SciClips on 06 21st, 2007 | No Comments
Carbon Cycle
courtesy of UCAR
What goes up must come down. That’s the way carbon dioxide works. Some goes up into the atmosphere where it stays for years. Some goes into the ocean and some more is absorbed by trees and plants. New research shows the missing carbon sink.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Climate, Environment, Podcast, SciClips, Weird Weather on 06 20th, 2007 | No Comments
Torrential Tool
Dr. Corene Matyas
Hurricane prediction has become more sophisticated in the last ten years, as radar data collection has improved. But until now, no one was looking beyond the storm’s initial landfall. Devastating bands of rain inland can cause as much damage as wind and storm surge on the coast....
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biofuels, Biology, Energy, Geology, Podcast, SciClips on 06 19th, 2007 | No Comments
Popular Targets
Some trees are better for scientific study than others. One of the most popular is the poplar—a fast-growing, commonly modified species. But there is a dark side to being poplar.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Engineering, New Inventions, Podcast, SciClips on 06 18th, 2007 | 2 Comments
Concrete Canoe
Captain Dave Blodgett leads Descendant to victory
Civil engineering students from University of Wisconsin–Madison paddled their way to a fifth consecutive win at the 20th National Concrete Canoe Competititon. 22 teams built water worthy boats. They don’t just float. They race.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biology, Diseases, Health and Medicine, Podcast, SciClips on 06 15th, 2007 | No Comments
Memory Collapse
Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurological disorders may start off as little chemical changes within brain cells. New research has found a link between one of the physiological hallmarks of some brain illnesses and stress.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Health and Medicine, Physiology, Podcast, Psychology, SciClips, economics on 06 14th, 2007 | No Comments
Tax Minded
William Harbaugh, Ulrich Mayr, and Dan Burghart
When the tax man comes calling most people do not feel a sense of satisfaction or pleasure. But new research from Oregon may have found the part of the brain that enjoys giving money away—especially if it’s voluntary.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Environment, Geology, Podcast, SciClips on 06 13th, 2007 | No Comments
Water Boom
courtesy of www.digitalphotos.net
The bottled water business is booming–up to $100 billion a year. But, some think the cost may outweigh the benefits.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Environment, Geology, Global Warming, Podcast, SciClips on 06 12th, 2007 | No Comments
Kilimanjaro Conundrum
courtesy of Omar Basawad
Al Gore may have misspoken in An Inconvenient Truth when he said global warming was causing the snows of Kilimanjaro to disappear. Science is saying something else.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Diseases, Health and Medicine, Podcast, SciClips on 06 12th, 2007 | No Comments
Autistic Additive
Do childhood vaccines increase a risk for autism? A federal case is examining the evidence and some controversial science. But the lawyers just need “fifty percent and a feather.”
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Engineering, Environment, Global Warming, Math, Podcast, SciClips on 06 8th, 2007 | No Comments
Port Math
Port congestion is becoming a problem and with nowhere to build cranes might hold the answer.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biochemistry, Diseases, Health and Medicine, Podcast, Politics and Science, SciClips on 06 7th, 2007 | No Comments
Stem Sell
The medical use of embryonic stem cells is a considerable source of controversy. But the practice might be more easily sold to the public now that a team of scientists has figured out how to turn adult cells into stem cells. It works in mice. Now science just has to prove it works in humans.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Marine Science, Podcast, SciClips on 06 6th, 2007 | 1 Comment
Dumbo Octopus
courtesy of MBARI ©1999
Some of the strangest creatures on Earth are being discovered at eye-popping depths. Thanks to better remote sea probes and underwater vehicles the mysteries of the deep are coming to light. One of the strangest creatures yet is called the dumbo octopus.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Marine Science, Oceanography, Podcast, SciClips on 06 5th, 2007 | No Comments
Hitchhiking Penguins
courtesy of Dee Boersma
Oh those happy feet can travel. Penguins have been spotted in waters off Washington, British Columbia and even Alaska. But how do they get so far from their Southern Hemisphere home? A University of Washington penguin biologist has the answer.
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Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biochemistry, Consumer Safety, Health and Medicine, Podcast, SciClips on 06 4th, 2007 | No Comments
Grill Pill
courtesy of The Beef Checkoff
When meat is cooked it develops carcinogenic properties. But new research shows a simple trick for reducing these cancer causing agents with items in the average kitchen cupboard.
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Earthrace Ends
photo by Lance Wordsworth
A world record attempt at being the first biodiesel powered motor boat to circumnavigate the globe has been thwarted. The 50-day Earthrace journey came to an abrupt halt on the shores of Spain this week. It would have been the first boat to attempt such a feat fueled by...
