Posted by Michael Bradbury in Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Computer Science, Diseases, Engineering, Math, SciClips, The Brain on 11 26th, 2008 | No Comments
Six Degrees of Internet Black Holes
Hidden Metric Space, courtesy of CAIDA, San Diego Supercomputer Center, UC San Diego.
Scientists are worried that the Internet is becoming a clogged superhighway, complete with bottlenecks where information seems to disappear.
These electronic misfires are called Internet black holes. And, they seem...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Anthropology, Biology, Endangered Species, New Species, SciClips on 11 25th, 2008 | No Comments
Trailing Tarsiers
Pygmy Tarsier, Sept. 2008, courtesy of Sharon Gursky-Doyen, Texas A&M.
They look like the animated robots, called Furbys, from the 1990s. And, they could be mistaken for the fictional gremlins.
But pygmy tarsiers are real. And, much to the surprise of many scientists, they are not extinct.
They...
Space Station Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Space agencies are marking 10 years since the first stage of the International Space Station was put into orbit. In 1998 it was hailed as a sign of hope for humanity and an orbiting scientific city in the sky.
But has it lived up to the expectations and when will the real science begin?
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Politics and Science, President Obama Science Policy, SciClips on 11 21st, 2008 | No Comments
Obama Makes Science People a Priority
Word Cloud, courtesy of Science Debate 2008, based on 14 questions about science and technology.
President-elect Barack Obama indicated his support for science before he was elected President. He reaffirmed it by making science a central theme in his victory speech.
And, as his transition team indicates,...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Artificial Intelligence, Astronomy, Climate, Genomics, SciClips, SciLebs on 11 20th, 2008 | No Comments
Hollywood Gets Science
As the line between fact and fiction blurs in television and film productions, Hollywood is turning to the National Academies of Science for a much-needed dose of reality.
A new initiative, called the Science & Entertainment Exchange was announced yesterday and will match creative screenwriters...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Climate, Environment, Global Warming, Video on 11 19th, 2008 | No Comments
Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the Rise
Greenhouse gas emissions in the world’s 40 leading industrialised nations rose more than 2% between 2000 and 2006, even though cuts had been promised, according to a UN climate change agency report.
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Biology, Endangered Species, Video on 11 18th, 2008 | No Comments
Scientists Wait as Last Galapagos Turtle Eggs Develop
Hopes are fading that Lonesome George, a giant Galapagos tortoise, will become a father. George was thought to have managed to fertilize as many as 11 eggs. But now scientists say the eggs are in danger of not hatching.
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Artificial Intelligence, Backyard Science, Biofuels, Biology, Dinosaurs, Diseases, Engineering, Environment, Food and Nutrition, Genetics, Genomics, Geoengineering, Global Warming, Health and Medicine, Marine Science, Nanotechnology, SciClips, Space, Wave Power on 11 17th, 2008 | No Comments
One Celled Solutions
Model of a phage attacking a microbe, courtesy of Ohio State University
Science is facing some big questions, like how will we capture excess atmospheric carbon dioxide or how will we overcome antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections?
But, a one-celled organism that lives in the sea may have the...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in New Discoveries, Politics and Science, SciClips, Video on 11 14th, 2008 | No Comments
Model Forensics Solves Kennedy Assassination Mystery
President and Mrs. Kennedy arrive in Dallas, 1963. Courtesy of Free Stock Photos
3-D computer models, complicated math analyses and even full simulations of crime scenes are all being used in the latest forensic science. And, now these high-tech tools are helping to solve old mysteries.
Now new forensics...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Adaptation and Extinction, Animals, Marine Science, SciClips, Video on 11 13th, 2008 | No Comments
Supreme Court Overturns Navy Sonar Rule
Beached sperm whale, courtesy of New Zealand Herald, photo by Richard Robinson
The jury is still out on whether the Navy’s use of sonar is hurting whales or other marine mammals. But a 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday lifted part of a moratorium on using sonar in military testing...
Cars and Planes of the Future try Buckypaper
Watch the video Future Planes, Cars May Be Made of ‘Buckypaper’.
It’s called ‘buckypaper’ and looks a lot like ordinary carbon paper, but don’t be fooled by the cute name or flimsy appearance.
It could revolutionize the way everything from airplanes to TVs are made....
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Climate, Global Warming, Physics and Chemistry, SciClips on 11 11th, 2008 | No Comments
Hole in the Ozone Recovery
2008 ozone hole maximum, September 12, courtesy of NASA
There is a big hole in the plan to re-cover the planet with ultra violet ray-blocking ozone–global warming.
The greenhouse gas build up currently underway could be a lot worse if it were not for the accidental destruction of the protective...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Health and Medicine, SciClips, The Brain on 11 10th, 2008 | No Comments
Surfing the Brain Waves
Functional MRI brain scans shows reading (left) and Web searching (right), courtesy of UCLA.
Reading has often been seen as the best medicine for keeping a mind alert. Now the digital age is giving the Internet a shot at becoming a way to prevent or slow down the effects of aging on the brain.
New...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Food and Nutrition, Health and Medicine, SciClips on 11 7th, 2008 | No Comments
Chocolate Bug
Cacao Fruit Opened, courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison, photo by Susan Mahr
There is a sweet little insect that is dong the world a big favor. The tiny midge is a gnat-like fly that is solely responsible for the world’s chocolate supply. Without this pollinator the cacao fruit would...
Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biology, Computer Science, Environment, Genetics, Global Warming, Health and Medicine, Physics and Chemistry, SciClips, SciLebs on 11 6th, 2008 | No Comments
Science Fiction Author Crichton Dies
Michael Crichton, courtesy of Harvard University, photo by Jon Chase
After a very private battle with cancer best-selling author Michael Crichton died in Los Angeles. The man who made a career of making scientists perpetually angry could not outwit a devastating disease.
He opened the minds of hundreds...
