Science Blog - Think. It's not illegal yet.

Yellowstone Supervolcano: Only Lukewarm?

The geysers of Yellowstone National Park owe their eistence to the "Yellowstone hotspot"--a region of molten rock buried deep beneath Yellowstone, geologists have found. But how hot is this "hotspot," and what's causing it?read more...

~ published: Wednesday at 15:23 ~ permalink

Army personnel show increased risk for migraine

Two new studies show that migraine headaches are very common among U.S. military personnel, yet the condition is frequently underdiagnosed. The studies examine the incidence among soldiers within 10 days of returning from a 1-year combat tour in Iraq, as ...

~ published: Wednesday at 12:28 ~ permalink

Lizard pushups mark territory

What does Jack LaLanne have in common with a Jamaican lizard? Like the ageless fitness guru, the lizards greet each new day with vigorous push-ups.read more...

~ published: Wednesday at 12:02 ~ permalink

Collision of galaxy clusters captured by astronomers

Two UC Santa Barbara astronomers are part of a team that has made a stunning discovery using the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, it was announced today by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.read more...

~ published: Wednesday at 12:01 ~ permalink

Trying to satisfy too many agendas slows school reform

Despite investments, community goodwill and some good ideas, a vexing question remains in the age of school reform: Why has so much hope and effort led to disappointment?read more...

~ published: Wednesday at 12:00 ~ permalink

Mars Rover climbing out of crater

NASA's Mars Exploration rover Opportunity is heading back out to the Red Planet's surrounding plains nearly a year after descending into a large Martian crater to examine exposed ancient rock layers.read more...

~ published: Wednesday at 11:11 ~ permalink

Black raspberries slow cancer by altering hundreds of genes

New research strongly suggests that a mix of preventative agents, such as those found in concentrated black raspberries, may more effectively inhibit cancer development than single agents aimed at shutting down a particular gene.read more...

~ published: Wednesday at 10:34 ~ permalink

Framing Technique Can Be Used As a Public Relations Strategy in Cases of Sexual Assault

In Spring 2006, when three White Duke University lacrosse players were charged with raping a Black female student from nearby North Carolina Central University, Duke University officials framed the crisis in terms of institutional reputation rather than t...

~ published: Wednesday at 10:33 ~ permalink

U.S. loves them opioids

Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center have found that in a given week, over 10 million Americans are taking opioids, and more than 4 million are taking them regularly (at least five days per week, for at least four weeks).read mor...

~ published: Wednesday at 10:25 ~ permalink

NASA Mars lander digs deeper

The next sample of Martian soil being grabbed for analysis is coming from a trench about three times deeper than any other trench NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has dug.read more...

~ published: Tuesday at 16:48 ~ permalink

Masculinity study: Honor, self-reliance trump sexual prowess

Contrary to stereotypes about sexual performance and masculinity, men interviewed in a large international study reported that being seen as honorable, self-reliant and respected was more important to their idea of masculinity than being seen as attractiv...

~ published: Tuesday at 14:52 ~ permalink

Study points to potential new use for Viagra

A “basic science” breakthrough by Queen’s researchers into regulating a single enzyme may lead to new drug therapies that will help prevent heart attacks and strokes.read more...

~ published: Tuesday at 12:01 ~ permalink

Why do eyelids sag with age? UCLA study answers mystery

Many theories have sought to explain what causes the baggy lower eyelids that come with aging, but UCLA researchers have now found that fat expansion in the eye socket is the primary culprit.read more...

~ published: Tuesday at 11:41 ~ permalink

'Perfect pitch' in humans far more prevalent than expected

Researchers at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences have developed a unique test for perfect pitch, and have found surprising results.read more...

~ published: Tuesday at 08:07 ~ permalink

Caesarean babies more likely to develop diabetes

Babies delivered by Caesarean section have a 20 per cent higher risk than normal deliveries of developing the most common type of diabetes in childhood, according to a study led by Queen's University Belfast.read more...

~ published: Tuesday at 08:06 ~ permalink

Fingerprint analysis technique could be used to identify bombmakers

University of Leicester experts have held discussions with military personnel in Afghanistan following the discovery of new technology to identify fingerprints on metal.read more...

~ published: Tuesday at 08:06 ~ permalink

How to get a college roommate you can live with

Anxious college freshmen can relax. No matter who will be sharing their dorm room, they have the power to make the relationship better, University of Michigan research suggests.read more...

~ published: Monday at 17:15 ~ permalink

A new biopesticide for the organic food boom

With the boom in consumption of organic foods creating a pressing need for natural insecticides and herbicides that can be used on crops certified as "organic," biopesticide pioneer Pam G. Marrone, Ph.D., is reporting development of a new "...

~ published: Monday at 12:25 ~ permalink

Earthquakes a bigger threat to New York than previously thought

A study by a group of prominent seismologists suggests that a pattern of subtle but active faults makes the risk of earthquakes to the New York City area substantially greater than formerly believed.read more...

~ published: Monday at 11:24 ~ permalink

New hope for stroke patients

If a stroke patient doesn't get treatment within approximately the first three hours of symptoms, there's not much doctors can do to limit damage to the brain. But now researchers report a technique that potentially could restore functions to patients wee...

~ published: Monday at 10:44 ~ permalink

New hope for stroke patients

If a stroke patient doesn't get treatment within approximately the first three hours of symptoms, there's not much doctors can do to limit damage to the brain. But now researchers report a technique that potentially could restore functions to patients wee...

~ published: Monday at 10:44 ~ permalink

System thwarts Internet eavesdropping

he growth of shared Wi-Fi and other wireless computer networks has increased the risk of eavesdropping on Internet communications, but researchers have devised a low-cost system that can thwart these "Man-in-the-Middle" (MitM) attacks.read more...

~ published: Monday at 10:18 ~ permalink

System thwarts Internet eavesdropping

he growth of shared Wi-Fi and other wireless computer networks has increased the risk of eavesdropping on Internet communications, but researchers have devised a low-cost system that can thwart these "Man-in-the-Middle" (MitM) attacks.read more...

~ published: Monday at 10:18 ~ permalink

Why wind turbines can mean death for bats

Power-generating wind turbines have long been recognized as a potentially life-threatening hazard for birds. But at most wind facilities, bats actually die in much greater numbers. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology, a Cell Press journal, on Au...

~ published: Monday at 10:17 ~ permalink

Why wind turbines can mean death for bats

Power-generating wind turbines have long been recognized as a potentially life-threatening hazard for birds. But at most wind facilities, bats actually die in much greater numbers. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology, a Cell Press journal, on Au...

~ published: Monday at 10:17 ~ permalink

Anti-Cancer Flower Power

Could a substance from the jasmine flower hold the key to an effective new therapy to treat cancer?read more...

~ published: Monday at 09:30 ~ permalink

Anti-Cancer Flower Power

Could a substance from the jasmine flower hold the key to an effective new therapy to treat cancer?read more...

~ published: Monday at 09:30 ~ permalink

Future for clean energy lies in 'big bang' of evolution

Amid mounting agreement that future clean, "carbon-neutral", energy will rely on efficient conversion of the sun's light energy into fuels and electric power, attention is focusing on one of the most ancient groups of organism, the cyanobacteria...

~ published: Monday at 08:13 ~ permalink

Future for clean energy lies in 'big bang' of evolution

Amid mounting agreement that future clean, "carbon-neutral", energy will rely on efficient conversion of the sun's light energy into fuels and electric power, attention is focusing on one of the most ancient groups of organism, the cyanobacteria...

~ published: Monday at 08:13 ~ permalink

Arsenic exposure may be associated with type 2 diabetes

In a study involving a representative sample of U.S. adults, higher levels of arsenic in the urine appear to be associated with increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the August 20 issue of JAMA.read more...

~ published: Monday at 06:45 ~ permalink

Arsenic exposure may be associated with type 2 diabetes

In a study involving a representative sample of U.S. adults, higher levels of arsenic in the urine appear to be associated with increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the August 20 issue of JAMA.read more...

~ published: Monday at 06:45 ~ permalink

Shipwrecks on coral reefs harbor unwanted species

Shipwrecks on coral reefs may increase invasion of unwanted species, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study. These unwanted species can completely overtake the reef and eliminate all the native coral, dramatically decreasing the diversity of m...

~ published: Monday at 06:44 ~ permalink

Shipwrecks on coral reefs harbor unwanted species

Shipwrecks on coral reefs may increase invasion of unwanted species, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study. These unwanted species can completely overtake the reef and eliminate all the native coral, dramatically decreasing the diversity of m...

~ published: Monday at 06:44 ~ permalink

Book Review: The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

In his innovative 2006 bestseller, This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, Daniel J. Levitin, a path-breaking McGill University neuroscientist and former world-class music producer, led readers on a trip inside their musical brain.M...

~ published: 08/24 at 10:23 ~ permalink

Book Review: The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

In his innovative 2006 bestseller, This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, Daniel J. Levitin, a path-breaking McGill University neuroscientist and former world-class music producer, led readers on a trip inside their musical brain.M...

~ published: 08/24 at 10:23 ~ permalink

Enjoy a trip into science history: Rivet Spectacles

This is a well-deserved boost to my high school classmate and retired eye-surgeon David Fleishman, who has created the premier website for the collection of images and study of antique spectacles.Read on for details of his latest exhibit: Rivet Spectacles...

~ published: 08/24 at 09:56 ~ permalink

Enjoy a trip into science history: Rivet Spectacles

This is a well-deserved boost to my high school classmate and retired eye-surgeon David Fleishman, who has created the premier website for the collection of images and study of antique spectacles.Read on for details of his latest exhibit: Rivet Spectacles...

~ published: 08/24 at 09:56 ~ permalink

Hubble sees magnetic monster in erupting galaxy

The Hubble Space Telescope has found the answer to a long-standing puzzle by resolving giant but delicate filaments shaped by a strong magnetic field around the active galaxy NGC 1275. It is the most striking example of the influence of these immense tent...

~ published: 08/21 at 16:13 ~ permalink

Hubble sees magnetic monster in erupting galaxy

The Hubble Space Telescope has found the answer to a long-standing puzzle by resolving giant but delicate filaments shaped by a strong magnetic field around the active galaxy NGC 1275. It is the most striking example of the influence of these immense tent...

~ published: 08/21 at 16:13 ~ permalink

Sandia work shows anthrax letters contained non-weaponized pathogen

They have worked for almost seven years in secret. Most people did not know that the work in Ray Goehner’s materials characterization department at Sandia National Laboratories was contributing important information to the FBI’s investigation of lette...

~ published: 08/21 at 15:24 ~ permalink

Sandia work shows anthrax letters contained non-weaponized pathogen

They have worked for almost seven years in secret. Most people did not know that the work in Ray Goehner’s materials characterization department at Sandia National Laboratories was contributing important information to the FBI’s investigation of lette...

~ published: 08/21 at 15:24 ~ permalink

High-tech horticulture: Grow your own home

A bus stop that grows its own foliage as shade? A children’s playground, made entirely from trees? A shelter made from living tree roots that could provide natural protection against earthquakes in California?read more...

~ published: 08/21 at 10:11 ~ permalink

High-tech horticulture: Grow your own home

A bus stop that grows its own foliage as shade? A children’s playground, made entirely from trees? A shelter made from living tree roots that could provide natural protection against earthquakes in California?read more...

~ published: 08/21 at 10:11 ~ permalink

Air-purifying church windows show early nanotechnology

Stained glass windows that are painted with gold purify the air when they are lit up by sunlight, a team of Queensland University of Technology experts have discovered.read more...

~ published: 08/21 at 07:52 ~ permalink

Air-purifying church windows show early nanotechnology

Stained glass windows that are painted with gold purify the air when they are lit up by sunlight, a team of Queensland University of Technology experts have discovered.read more...

~ published: 08/21 at 07:52 ~ permalink

Obesity in elderly a ticking time bomb for health services

Research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England has discovered that obesity in later life does not make a substantial difference to risks of death among older people but that it is a major contributor to increased disabil...

~ published: 08/21 at 07:51 ~ permalink

Obesity in elderly a ticking time bomb for health services

Research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England has discovered that obesity in later life does not make a substantial difference to risks of death among older people but that it is a major contributor to increased disabil...

~ published: 08/21 at 07:51 ~ permalink