Science News

Interesting scientific facts for young HS students?

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:37:06 +0000

I have created and just released an iPad study package with the intention to generate interest and fun in studying science for young high school students (first year).
I believe there would be a vast amount of interesting and fun facts you guys have, so if you have some time please take a look at our webpage, where you can find a link to my facebook page. Check it out and please add an interesting true fact! link removed

Thanks for your time.
Prof. Eggtop

A Quest to Solve One of Math's Great Puzzles

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:08:32 +0000

We recently interviewed a mathematician who is attempting to solve the Riemann hypothesis using quasicrystals. We thought that anyone mathematically inclined may be interested in taking a look: >link removed<

Let us know what you think!

3D-Printing Rocking Chemistry Labware

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:15:41 +0000

With all the hype, it's refreshing to see 3D-Printing's application to the "hard-sciences". A research team from University of Glasgow has used arudimentary 3d-printer to create their own customized labware --what they call 'reactionware' I can imagine this taking off in Academica, and maybe even in the industrial sector.

Check out the full article at Glasgow-3D-Printer.

Computer Simulations to Biological Molecules

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:52:48 +0000

Hello you all !

We would like to invite you to watch our recent video published in the JPC letters, http://www.youtube.c...h?v=vgZ8Z_827xo [attachment=3521:image10.png]

This Perspective discusses how the relentless growth in computational power has seen increasing applications of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to the study of membrane proteins in realistic membrane environments,
which include explicit membrane lipids, water, and ions.

In the case of voltage-gated cation channels, recent computational works have focused on ion conduction and gating mechanisms, along with their regulation by agonist/antagonist ligands.

This Perspective highlights recent advances in probing the structure and function of potassium channels and offers a perspective on the challenges likely to arise in making analogous progress in characterizing sodium channels.

Thank you in advance,

Cristiano Amaral
Ph.D. student at Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil.

Synthetic XNA evolves like DNA

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:06:49 +0000

From Ed Yong:

"... Pinheiro ended up with enzymes that could copy information between XNA and DNA, with an accuracy of 95 per cent or more. With more work, it should be possible to cut DNA out of the loop altogether, so that XNAs can be directly built from XNAs. If this is possible, Szostak adds, �In the longer run, it may be possible to design and build new forms of life that are based on one or more of these non-natural genetic polymers." ..."

Synthetic XNA molecules can evolve and store genetic information, just like DNA

More Info

Synthetic heredity molecules emulate DNA
Polymers perform non-DNA evolution
Synthetic Genetic Polymers Capable of Heredity and Evolution
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

new X-Ray like vision?

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:44:24 +0000

A new technology: A peeping Tom and voyeur's dream come true? Superman vision from a cell-phone? Wanna see my favorite pics on my cell? Also seemingly future medical applications along with countless other conceivable and more socially acceptable, wonderful applications?

http://www.utdallas....ageCenterColumn

NSA New Security Center

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:30:43 +0000

The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)!

My economics teacher likes to think that he knows copious amounts of fine details when it comes to computing. He keeps going on about the NSA having one of only two terahertz computers in the world. This doesn't exactly mean much of anything, as far as I'm aware there still isn't at present a terahertz transistor to design a chip on.

So I decided to do a little research and it seems that the current standard in national security is the petaflop. Recent articles suggest however, that in fact there is currently a work in progress toward an exaflop security center, and this has generated some buzz. The fact that the NSA might be listening in on every phone call in the world is now at a peak of concern for those it matters to; like my teacher. I guess it would seem that he had at the very least one thing correct. Although, I doubt the NSA will be knocking at my door anytime soon for the crap that comes out of my mouth regular basis--but then again!

Comet Garradd Departs

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:45:45 +0000

An outbound comet that provided a nice show for skywatchers late last year is the target of an ongoing investigation by NASA's Swift satellite. Formally designated C/2009 P1 (Garradd), the unusually dust-rich comet provides a novel opportunity to characterize how cometary activity changes at ever greater distance from the sun.A comet is a clump of frozen gases mixed with dust. These "dirty snowballs" cast off gas and dust whenever they venture near the sun. What powers this activity is frozen water transforming from solid ice to gas, a process called sublimation. Jets powered by ice sublimation release dust, which reflects sunlight and brightens the comet. Typically, a comet's water content remains frozen until it comes within about three times Earth's distance to the sun, or 3 astronomical units (AU), so astronomers regard this as the solar system's "snow line."

"Comet Garradd was producing lots of dust and gas well before it reached the snow line, which tells us that the activity was powered by something other than water ice," said Dennis Bodewits, an assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland, College Park, and the study's lead investigator. "We plan to use Swift's unique capabilities to monitor Garradd as it moves beyond the snow line, where few comets are studied."

Comets are known to contain other frozen gases, such as carbon monoxide and dioxide (CO and CO₂), which sublimate at colder temperatures and much farther from the sun. These are two of the leading candidates for driving cometary activity beyond the snow line, but phase transitions between different forms of water ice also may come into play.

C/2009 P1 was discovered by Gordon J. Garradd at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia, in August 2009. Astronomers say that the comet is "dynamically new," meaning that this is likely its first trip through the inner solar system since it arrived in the Oort cloud, the cometary cold-storage zone located thousands of AU beyond the sun.

Comet Garradd was closest to the sun on Dec. 23, 2011, and passed within 118 million miles (1.27 AU) of Earth on March 5, 2012. The comet remains observable in small telescopes this month as it moves south though the constellations Ursa Major and Lynx.

Although Swift's prime task is to detect and rapidly locate gamma-ray bursts in the distant universe, novel targets of opportunity allow the mission to show off its versatility. One of Swift's instruments, the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) is ideally suited for studying comets.

The instrument includes a prism-like device called a grism, which separates incoming light by its wavelength. While Swift's UVOT cannot detect water directly, the molecule quickly breaks up into hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl (OH) molecules when exposed to ultraviolet sunlight. The UVOT detects light emitted by hydroxyl and other important molecular fragments -- such as cyanide (CN), carbon monosulfide (CS) and diatomic and triatomic carbon (C₂ and C₃, respectively) -- as well as the sunlight reflected off of cometary dust.

"Tracking the comet's water and dust production and watching its chemistry change as it moves deeper into the solar system will help us better understand how comets work and where they formed," said Stefan Immler, a researcher and Swift team member at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Swift last observed the comet on April 1, when it was 1.53 AU away and just past the orbit of Mars. Although detailed results are not yet available, Bodewits estimates that Comet Garradd was shedding about 400 gallons of water each second -- enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in under 30 minutes.

But the water given off by the comet was only about half of the dust mass it produced. Bodewits estimates that each second, Garradd was losing about 7,500 pounds (3.5 metric tons, or about twice the typical mass of a small car) in the form of dust and icy grains.

Thanks to Garradd's brightness and the UVOT's sensitivity and resolution, researchers can monitor the comet when it is beyond the grasp of most ground-based observatories. Plans call for observations at eight different distances from the sun out to about 5.5 AU, which the comet will reach in April 2013.

Note that I am not the author of this paragraph.

secret source codes threaten science?

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:26:46 +0000

Quote

Secret Source Codes Threaten Modern Science
[img]http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Z5.JelXUZ8zWnC6p4xZ8fQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9Zml0O2g9Mjc-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/logo/livescience/livesci_logo_73.jpg[/img]By Jeremy Hsu | LiveScience.com � Thu, Apr 12, 2012

This article claims secret source codes shouldn't be secret, because scientist must be able to share information and check each others work. I think this is nuts! Science has done just fine with no computers at all, and I feel sure the old fashioned way of sharing information is good enough. What do you say?

Monolith like object found on Mars?

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:22:08 +0000

It appears this may have been circulating for some time, but there is an image from the HiRISE camera from NASA that "suggests" the object in the image is alien in nature. To me it could be anything, but is one of the more interesting images I've seen that seem to fool your eyes into seeing (perhaps) something that is not there.

Shikhaev-Anokhin method

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:58:50 +0000

The "Shikhaev-Anokhin method", a mathematical discovery made by academician of the Moscow Aviation Institute, Kirill Shikhaev, was nominated for the Prince of Asturias Awards.

Prince of Asturias Awards are annual prizes including a range of categories, of which "Technical and scientific research" is one of the most prestigious in the world. The authors of �Shikhaev-Anokhin teaching method for solving algebraic and undefined equations by numerical simulation on the basis of single equation solver� were nominated for the prize by the President of the Russian Academy of Engineering, corresponding member of Russian Academy of Sciences, Boris Gusev.

The mathematical works known as "Shikhaev-Anokhin method" were patented as a teaching method for solving algebraic equations by numerical simulation. Nowadays, "real" actions gradually go away from education, and new generations prefer acting "virtually", entrusting computers with calculations and even with their safety. But the demand of human society in "pure mathematicians" has not been cancelled yet.

Years ago Kirill Nikolaevich Shikhaev, with a team of mathematicians, worked over the calculation of flight trajectory to Mars. He participated in creating the main trajectory of launching the first space vehicles into orbit. Later, K.N. Shikhaev became leader of Scientific Research Centre for Control Systems and of Scientific Research Center for Economics and Complex Communication Problems. Under his leadership, Industrial Control System (ICS) was made, which is now responsible for everything from subway trains to military defense systems. Viktor Nikolaevich Anokhin, Shikhaev's student and follower, created a whole line of research in climate safety in urban subway systems. The usual air-conditioners aren't designated for usage in metro as they remove heat and even worsen temperature conditions in tunnels. It is Anokhin, to whom we owe much for coolness in the trains of the "Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya" of Moscow metro.

Now both mathematicians have become participants of His Royal Highness Prince of Asturias Awards programme.

For those interested in the subject, additional information is available here:

http://www.slaviza.r...-equations.html
and here:
http://www.engineera...rii-chisel.html

Flying cars, will it ever truly happen (Terrafugia coming)

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:05:19 +0000

This topic has been on many people's minds for years now. The dream of flying a car off the highway to avoid traffic, then lightly touching down at your destination.

As this thread seems to indicate, that is still a ways off, though the company that makes the Terrafugia Transition seems to hope it is sooner than we expect.
http://slashdot.org/submission/2007837/traffic-jam-ahead-no-problem-take-to-the-skies-in-your-terrafugia

For about $279,000 though and sooner than we may think.

I still think the vehicle of the future would take off vertically and land anywhere, not just on dedicated runways. But the whole concept brings up 200 other questions on safety and transportation issues.

Humans of 1 million years ago cooked?

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:03:40 +0000

I thought this article was interesting and thought provoking.

Has anyone else heard about this finding that humans from 1 million years ago may have used fire?
http://slashdot.org/submission/2006745/did-our-ancient-ancestors-cook-1-million-years-ago

Is Space Digital?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:53:22 +0000

I read this interesting article on Scientific American from the RSS feed of my blog.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=is-space-digital

Can any physicist give me a picture of how the results of that experiment is going the change the way we think about what fundamental reality is and what will be the consequences or the new physics and possibilities that is going to emerge if space is indeed found to be digital?

I read the article and the comments and I am not really getting any picture at all and it has confused me even more.

Thanks.

ATOXOPY

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:21:31 +0000

A new word, ATOXOPY, has been coined by a Nigerian Scientist, Ejikeme Nwosu. For meaning and more check out his theory titled Special theory of Toxicity: Toxic properties of electron discovered.

Global Science Connection Survey

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:42:14 +0000

Hi there,

We are currently developing a new project called the Global Science Connection. We would like to know what you think about the goals we have set for ourselves and our new company. Therefore we are searching for people who are willing to fill in our short online survey. It will only take you a few minutes but will provide us with a lot of information about what lives within the science community.

Our survey is located at http://survey.globalscicon.com

Thanks in Advanced.
The Global Science Connection Team.
http://www.GlobalSciCon.com

Great views of Venus and Jupiter

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:33:08 +0000

Great views of Venus and Jupiter a thumb or so apart in the western sky (290 ish 35 elevation) basis London. easily spotted with naked eye. Other side of sky is mars. At one point Uranus and Mercury should have been visible - damn light pollution!!!

Get out and have a look

Fourmi Lab is great for working out where to look

http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yoursky

Will post - very bad - pictures when at my pc on monday

Boycott Elsevier?

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:43:16 +0000

I haven't seen it posted elsewhere - forgive me if it is...

A significant number of scientists have begun to boycott the major scientific publisher Elsevier.
http://thecostofknowledge.com/

The reasons for the boycott:

They charge exorbitantly high prices for subscriptions to individual journals.
In the light of these high prices, the only realistic option for many libraries is to agree to buy very large "bundles", which will include many journals that those libraries do not actually want. Elsevier thus makes huge profits by exploiting the fact that some of their journals are essential.
They support measures such as SOPA, PIPA and the Research Works Act, that aim to restrict the free exchange of information.

This goes hand in hand with the push towards open access publication of science:

http://homepages.cwi.nl/~apt/ps/cacm01.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/opinion/research-bought-then-paid-for.html?_r=1
http://blogs.plos.org/speakingofmedicine/2010/08/25/does-post-publication-peer-review-work/
etc.

Now I see the merits of moving science to free public access. Many of the citizen scientists on this forum simply don't have access to the peer reviewed literature because they can't fork out for numerous journal subscriptions - even though as taxpayers, they are paying for research funded by NSF, NIH, the ARC etc. Scientists like myself are effectively used as a free labor pool for both the writing of articles and the peer review of them by companies like Elsevier. Seems like the journals are getting a free ride all the way and both the academics and the public are copping the raw end of the stick.

But is open source the answer? The quality of peer review in open source journals has been brought into question:
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080702/full/454011a.html

And the cost of publishing in open source is directly incurred by the researcher. If I had of published all of the papers from my PhD in PLoS for example, about 1/4 of my research budget would have gone directly into publishing costs, versus, well - none for submitting to propriety journals. I daresay my funding body prefers one model to the other...
So what do we do? Do we write publishing costs into our grant proposals? If so how does an open sourcer compete with a non-open sourcer who can get the same amount of research done for cheaper?
I'm not sure if there's an easy answer.

230% efficient LED created

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:46:31 +0000

Ultra-efficient LED puts out more power than is pumped in

Even though the amount of thermal energy leeched from its environment is miniscule, I feel that this is a triumph of engineering and a step towards converting some of the waste heat using semiconductor architecture.

Dark Matter is not matter?

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:27:53 +0000

For dark matter to be in fact the gravitational influence that explains the motions of spiral galaxies via gravitational influences therefore exonerating General Relativity and Newtonian gravity it would need to have a specific observable behavior. This dark matter hypothesis now seems to be in serious question based upon this link. Opponents of conventional gravity models have made such predictions since the advent of the dark matter hypothesis, my own model being one of them.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1112486232/hubble-findings-cast-doubt-on-dark-matter-theories/