Sunday March 21, 2010
You're Surrounded:
Proteins Surrounding Genes Mean We're Unique
by Simon Magus
Human individuality may not be determined by our genes but the proteins surrounding them.
These protein sequences known as transcription factors vary from person to person and may influence our appearance as well as our disposition towards certain diseases.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 01:57 AM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Saturday March 20, 2010
Tagging Along:
Printable RFID Tags Could Supplant Bar Codes
by Simon Magus
Researchers have developed a new technique that allows RFID tags to be printed on rolls of plastic.
By reducing the cost of manuacture, it could pave the way for RFID tags to supplant bar codes.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 10:51 AM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Sunday March 14, 2010
Ladies Last:
Men's Names Still Come First
by Simon Magus
Putting male names before female names in writing is considered to be a remnant of sexist thinking from the 16th century.
But researchers have analysed the web and discovered that the practice is alive and well today.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 09:33 PM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Monday March 08, 2010
It's Not Easy Being Green:
US Consumers Won't Pay More for Organic Wine
by Simon Magus
California winemakers are struggling to get good prices from the sale of wine made with organic grapes.
While the wine is usually of high quality, a new study shows that slapping an eco-label on the bottle turns off consumers and drives down prices.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 09:41 AM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Saturday March 06, 2010
Signs of Life?:
Living Organisms Could Emerge from Organic Molecules in Nebula
by Simon Magus
Potentially life-creating organic molecules have been observed in the Orion Nebula by the orbital Herschel Space Observatory.
An onboard detector called the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) captured light from the immense cloud of dust and gas to determine the chemical makeup of the molecules within.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 03:41 PM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Monday March 01, 2010
Invaders from Outer Space:
A Quarter of Milky Way Star Clusters Originated Elsewhere
by Simon Magus
A new study has shown that up to one quarter of the star clusters in the Milky Way 'invaded' from other galaxies.
Researcher have also concluded that there may be as many as six dwarf galaxies yet to be discovered within the Milky Way -- rather than the two currently confirmed.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 12:29 PM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Friday February 26, 2010
Knowing Me, Knowing You:
Other People May Know Us Better Than Ourselves
by Sir Thomas More
Many psychologists and others have long considered that the individual is the best judge of their own traits.
But a new study shows that while me may be good at assessing internalised traits such as anxiety, other people may be better at judging manifest behaviours like extroversion.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 04:05 PM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Tuesday February 23, 2010
The Root of All Evil:
'Rootkits' Pose Threat to Smartphone Security
by Simon Magus
Computer science researchers have showed that smartphones are vulnerable to a security exploit already used to compromise millions of desktop computers.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 09:18 AM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Sunday February 21, 2010
Not with a Bang, But a Whimper:
Artificial Life is One Step Closer
by Simon Magus
Artificial life has come one step closer with the development of nucleic acids that replicate and exhibit Darwinian evolution -- but without any proteins or other cellular components.
These simple nucleic acids can act as catalysts and continue the process indefinitely.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 03:48 PM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Monday February 15, 2010
Power Dressing:
Nanofibres Generate Electricity While You Walk
by Simon Magus
Engineers at the University of California in Berkeley have developed nanofibres that can be woven into clothing and generate electricity though mechanical stress, stretches and twists.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 12:20 PM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Saturday February 13, 2010
Walk, Don't Run:
Humans Built for Walking not Running
by Simon Magus
Humans, other higher primates, and bears are amongst the few animals that step first on the heel when walking, and then roll onto the ball of the foot and toes.
Researchers have now proved the advantage -- compared with heel-first walking, it takes 53 per cent more energy to walk on the balls of your feet, and 83 per cent more energy to walk on your toes.
Posted in: Science by bubblejam at 09:04 PM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
Monday February 08, 2010
No Hope for Dope:
Cannabis Ineffective as Treatment for Alzheimer's
by Sir Thomas More
Researchers investigating cannabis as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease have concluded that there is no beneficial effect on the condition.
Although previous animal studies have shown growth of new brain cells after administration of cannabinoids, the new study shows that there may even be detrimental effects.
Posted in: Chemicals :: Health by bubblejam at 11:12 AM | Comments (0) | Email This Entry
