2009 July - REALscience

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Biology, Diseases, Featured Articles, Health and Medicine, Video on 07 30th, 2009 | No Comments

Harvesting Teeth for Stem Cells

What if those pearly brights could be used for more than eating or charming? Scientists say below the tough white shell of some wisdom and baby teeth is a bounty of adult stem cells.

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, Featured Articles, SciClips on 07 29th, 2009 | No Comments

Science of…Animal Spies

The government has enlisted the help of furry critters and buzzing bugs to further its military mission of surveillance, defense and even weaponization. From carrier pigeons that carried encoded messages during World War II to canine suicide bombers, animals have been conscripted into global conflicts...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Astronomy, Backyard Science, Featured Articles, SciClips, Space, Video on 07 27th, 2009 | 1 Comment

Spotting Jupiter’s New Spot

On July 19, a big chunk of something smacked into Jupiter, causing a black mark on the gas giant’s surface and raising a lot of questions. Fortunately, the newly upgraded Hubble Telescope was in the neighborhood and pointed its powerful lens at the impact site, giving scientists all sorts of exciting...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Featured Articles, Health and Medicine, Politics and Science, SciClips, Science of... on 07 24th, 2009 | 2 Comments

Science of…Health Care Reform

As Congress tackles one of the most important and expensive revamps of the American health care system, some are attacking the science used to measure how effective treatments are. This research–known as comparative effectiveness research–does not attempt to ration health care. And, could...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Astronomy, Featured Articles, Video on 07 21st, 2009 | No Comments

Sun Block of the Century

Watch the video Solar Eclipse 2009 Tell us what you know bout this INCREDIBLE PHENOMENA, ending of the earth!!??. The longest solar eclipse of the century is slated to cross India and China. A total eclipse will be visible across parts of Asia, including India and China. Expected to last over six and...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Around the Americas, Environment, Featured Articles, Global Warming, Marine Science, SciClips on 07 20th, 2009 | No Comments

Science Adventure Aims for Arctic Passage

Whether the 64-foot sailboat Ocean Watch will make it through the fabled Northwest Passage–all indications point to yes, though–remains to be seen. But that’s what what voyages of discovery are all about. Follow the daily updates on the Around the Americas crew log and stay tuned for...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Astronomy, Biology, Featured Articles, Genetics, Politics and Science, SciClips, SciFoo, SciLebs, Video on 07 17th, 2009 | No Comments

Building Something SciFoo Style

Every year the brightest science minds head south in July–somewhat like the swallows to Capistrano. This is more like the string theorists to the world Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. There, they meet in an unconference, trade brilliant notions and form collaborations to address...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Featured Articles, Video on 07 14th, 2009 | No Comments

Cats Purrfect Sending Messages to Owners

Watch the video How your cat’s purr manipulates you. A cat’s purr normally says, “I’m happy.” But a new British study suggests some purrs send cat owners a much different message: “Feed me!” (Source: AP) Karen McComb, a psychologist at the University of Sussex,...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Astronomy, Biology, Diseases, Featured Articles, Geology, Global Warming, Physics and Chemistry, Politics and Science, President Obama Science Policy, SciClips on 07 13th, 2009 | 1 Comment

Bridging the Science and Society Gap

There appears to be a huge disconnect between the public and scientists, as evidenced through a Pew Research Center report that came out last week. Science writer Chris Mooney, the author of Republican War on Science and Stormworld has a new book, titled, Unscientific America, showing just how un-science-focused...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Consumer Safety, Environment, Featured Articles, Food and Nutrition, Health and Medicine, Video on 07 9th, 2009 | No Comments

Bottled Water Goes Under the Microscope

Water, water everywhere but no two types are regulated the same way. It’s a mouthful but a new report suggests that consumers know less about expensive bottled water than they do about what comes out of the tap for free. Now the Government Accounting Office is suggesting better labeling, to differentiate...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Featured Articles, Health and Medicine, Politics and Science, SciClips on 07 8th, 2009 | 1 Comment

Science Champions in our Midst

The Washington state Leadership Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) program turned ten this year, in the midst of a state budget crisis. The legislature slashed its funding considerably. But the Pacific Science Center, which administers the program, honored science advocates across the state. They...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Animals, Around the Americas, Biology, Featured Articles, Global Warming, Marine Science, SciClips on 07 6th, 2009 | No Comments

Attack of the Jellyfish

Scientists are starting to see jellyfish as a symptom of a sick ocean. More and larger jellyfish blooms are crippling fisheries that are already struggling. They are closing beaches and stinging bathers. But they are also moving toward the poles as the world’s oceans warm. New research shows the...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Backyard Science, Featured Articles, SciLebs, Video on 07 3rd, 2009 | No Comments

Science of…the 4th of July

The trash can smoke ring generator is a signature finale in Steve Spangler’s stage show… and was recently featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Everyone always wants to know how to make Steve’s classic giant smoke rings… now you can make them at home with a special Fourth of...

Posted by Michael Bradbury in Featured Articles, Food and Nutrition, Health and Medicine, Physics and Chemistry, Video on 07 2nd, 2009 | No Comments

Food Art Relies on Science

Indulge all of your senses at Chef Homaro Cantu’s Moto, where the international menu is boosted by what the trailblazing chef calls molecular gastronomy — a futuristic method of preparing food that incorporates science and artistry into the culinary experience. Making icecream with liquid...