2008 June - REALscience

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Climate, Global Warming, Video on 06 30th, 2008 | No Comments

North Pole Could Be Ice Free This Year

The fabled Northwest Passage shipping lane could open up by the end of the summer, if continued Arctic melting doesn’t change course. Scientists have been suggesting the perennial sea ice that seals the Arctic Ocean year round could melt in the next 50-100 years. But it seems the rapid warming...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Backyard Science, Climate, Video on 06 27th, 2008 | No Comments

Plant Creep

Plants seem pretty well rooted in the ground where they are planted. But new botanical research is showing that global warming is pushing plants, trees and forests to higher elevations. A long-term study just revealed a major altitude migration among European trees and plants. Backyard green thumbs...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biology, Environment, Video on 06 26th, 2008 | No Comments

Odor Eaters

It’s going to get harder to stop and smell the roses, according to University of Virginia scientists. Air pollution is suffocating flowers around the world, reducing the distance a flower’s fragrance can travel. This has wide ranging effects, including making it harder for bees to find...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biology, Diseases, Endangered Species, Health and Medicine, Video on 06 25th, 2008 | No Comments

Hearty Apes

Captive great apes are developing high blood pressure and heart problems, two distinct human diseases. In an effort to figure out why plant biologists have stumbled on a plant that could hold promise for both the apes and for humans.

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Engineering, Environment, Video, Wind on 06 24th, 2008 | No Comments

Dynamic Engineering

Click here to see video. http://ishare.rediff.com/video/news-politics/dynamic-architecture-by-david-fisher/360062 Architect Dr. David Fisher unveiled his latest creation this week — a new revolving residential tower. Each floor will rotate, creating the first rotating skyscraper. And, it will...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Astronomy, Video on 06 23rd, 2008 | No Comments

NASA Finds Ice on Mars (Maybe?)

Watch CBS Videos Online NASA scientists watch a bright white substance which is either ice or salt disappear, likely turning from a solid to a gas. Salt has not been known to do that so astronomers are pretty sure they have struck ice. More tests are needed to confirm the discovery.

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biology, Video on 06 20th, 2008 | No Comments

That’s Where the Bees Are

Colony Collapse Disorder is melting the honey bee population across the nation. But one family found some buzzing squatters in a honey-soaked wall of their rental house.

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biology, Dinosaurs, Genetics, Marine Science, Oceanography, SciClips on 06 19th, 2008 | No Comments

Simplifying Evolution

Amphioxus (top), Evolution of Man (bottom) What’s the difference between a human and a prehistoric fish-like worm? Well, scientists are just beginning to answer that question. It will likely take them years to figure it all out. But new research is already uncovering how genes evolve to perform...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biology, Diseases, Genetics, Health and Medicine, Math, SciClips on 06 18th, 2008 | No Comments

Natural Beauty

Spirals on a Conch Shell Sometimes the world seems too complex to be natural. But scientist continually prove that nature is both complicated and natural. From a butterfly’s wings to the perfect spirals of a seashell, it’s all just patterns. Now new research is showing how cells migrate–also...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biology, Endangered Species, SciClips on 06 17th, 2008 | No Comments

Panda Pandemonium

Woolong Nature Preserve Pandas, courtesy of Panda International The 7.9 earthquake that rocked China last month has shaken the giant panda population, too. It’s too early to tell the range of destruction but early estimates indicate widespread damage to the only wild panda habitat left. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_5751', {src:...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biofuels, Energy, Engineering, Environment, SciClips on 06 16th, 2008 | No Comments

Hogging Biofuels

Pig Manure Biofuel Producers Well, just as gas prices become surreal and corn-based ethanol is threatening grocery bills, there is a new energy looming on the horizon. This one stinks and won’t be filling any gas tanks anytime soon. Pig manure biofuel could be a $1 billion business (down the...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Backyard Science, Physics and Chemistry, Science of..., Video on 06 13th, 2008 | No Comments

Science of…Fizz

Diet Coke + Mentos = Physics of Fizz [kml_flashembed movie=" At last, a science-based reason to show the famous Diet Coke-Mentos geyser video from YouTube! A group of college Sophomores in North Carolina decided to study the physics of this pop culture experiment. And, their work is published in the...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Astrobiology, Astronomy, Geology on 06 12th, 2008 | No Comments

Cosmic Rock Star

Dr. Donald Brownlee, photo by Mary Levin Donald Brownlee is a rock star in every sense of the word. The University of Washington astronomer has been studying cosmic dust for 40 years. He is a leading expert on comets and recently led a team studying particles captured beyond the orbit of Mars. Now,...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Global Warming, Video on 06 10th, 2008 | No Comments

Smog Drone

High above a hot, dry lake bed in the California desert, researchers are using sophisticated, unmanned aircraft to learn about how air pollution is also contributing to global warming.

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, Marine Science, SciClips on 06 6th, 2008 | No Comments

Robofish on The Move

Dr. Kristi Morgansen sends commands to her robofish, courtesy of University of Washington A group of University of Washington engineers have built a school of fish. The underwater robots look like fish, act like fish and thanks to some clever programming, move like fish. pp_flashembed( 'powerpress_player_5755', {src:...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biology, Health and Medicine, Podcast on 06 5th, 2008 | 4 Comments

The Beauty of E. coli

New York Times science writer and author, Carl Zimmer shows how important bacteria can be. That little bug that makes people sick from undercooked meat is an elegant and very useful little creature. In his new book, Microcosm, Zimmer explains how E. coli has been aiding science for a hundred years....

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biology on 06 4th, 2008 | 7 Comments

On Creationists, Blogs and Science Debates

Paul Z Myers, evolutionary developmental biologist Outspoken blogger and evolutionary biologist PZ Myers spoke in front of a packed house of science writers, scientists and curious onlookers at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle on Monday night. He told the story of getting kicked out of a movie...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in SciClips on 06 2nd, 2008 | No Comments

World Science Fest Takes NY by Ion Storm

Alan Alda, Bunsen Honeydew and Brian Greene, courtesy of World Science Festival, photo by: Chris Lee Science took center stage in New York during the first World Science Festival. Thousands learned about basic and theoretical sciences while being entertained by worldclass minds. Organizers will be...

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