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Our microbes, ourselves

In terms of diversity and sheer numbers, the microbes occupying the human gut easily dwarf the billions of people inhabiting the Earth. Numbering in the tens of trillions and representing many thousands of distinct genetic families, this microbiome, as it's called, helps the body perform a variety of regulatory and digestive functions, many still poorly understood. read more
Science Blog Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:37:08 +0000

Scientists agree human-induced global warming is real

While the harsh winter pounding many areas of North America and Europe seemingly contradicts the fact that global warming continues unabated, a new survey finds consensus among scientists about the reality of climate change and its likely cause. read more
Science Blog Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:27:53 +0000

Motor skill learning may be enhanced by mild brain stimulation

People who received a mild electrical current to a motor control area of the brain were significantly better able to learn and perform a complex motor task than those in control groups. read more
Science Blog Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:14:55 +0000

Using the greenhouse effect to reduce CO2 production

Looking at the most likely ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, I am struck that low-tech innovations, such as wind turbines and (the yet unproven) sequestration of CO2 from coal-burning plants, seem to be offering faster and better solutions than high-tech ones, like solar cells and improved nuclear reactors. Now in New Scientist, I found an intriguing, if a bit quirky article describing how a combination of heat from greenhouses and hot-air balloons can be used to generate substantial amounts of electricity. read more
Science Blog Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:05:36 +0000

Modeling Genomic Erosion

Even though scientists have successfully sequenced the human genome, they still lack a clear picture of exactly how coding and non-coding DNA sequences function together, or how genomes evolve over time. read more
Science Blog Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:00:19 +0000

Next-generation lunar rover to help fete Obama's inauguration

Tomorrow's inaugural parade in Washington, D.C., will offer space buffs a glimpse into the future: NASA's next-generation moon vehicle, the Lunar Electric Rover (LER), will roll down Pennsylvania Avenue to honor the incoming prez. [More]
Scientific American Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:23:00 EST

New study resolves mystery of how massive stars form

Theorists have long wondered how massive stars--up to 120 times the mass of the Sun--can form without blowing away the clouds of gas and dust that feed their growth. But the problem turns out to be less mysterious than it once seemed. read more
Science Blog Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:50:28 +0000

Why domestic animals changed coat

You notice it in your everyday life, the bewildering diversity in coat colour among our pigs, dogs and other domestic animals. read more
Science Blog Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:38:56 +0000

Can Your Brain Force You to Do Something You Don't Want to Do?

I have been reading Jerome Kagan's compelling recent book on emotion. I stumbled on one particular line: read more
Science Blog Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Obama's inauguration: tech and enviro impact

Chomping at the bit to Twitter, text and make cell-phone calls from tomorrow's inauguration? You might want to limit your expectations: telecom providers say they're expecting record wireless and Internet traffic in the nation's capital, and are asking mobile users to wait until after the big event to start tweeting and calling, lest their messages get delayed and their calls met by busy signals. [More]
Scientific American Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:15:00 EST

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