Nurture affects Nature

Research at the University of Chicago Medical Center reveals that social isolation can increase tumor growth. That is, a negative social environment can alter gene expression.

The research is a step forward in chemoprevention and may have implications for chronic diseases like central obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, etc.

Studying Nature to Improve Anti-Virus Software

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a much more aggressive form of anti-virus software which mimic's ants!

The new software, unlike traditional software, traverses computer networks looking for threats. When detected, an army of ants swarm the threat and draw human's attention. The concept, called “swarm intelligence,” will transform cyber security because it adapts readily to changing threats, just like ants do.

“Our idea is to deploy 3,000 different types of digital ants, each looking for evidence of a threat ... As they move about the network, they leave digital trails modeled after the scent trails ants in nature use to guide other ants. Each time a digital ant identifies some evidence, it is programmed to leave behind a stronger scent. Stronger scent trails attract more ants, producing the swarm that marks a potential computer infection.”

Not All Bad

A comet hitting Earth does more than bring death and destruction - at least that is what researchers at the SETI Institute are trying to prove. Comets could promote certain necessary chemical steps for the origin of life - particularly how comet collisions might have influenced biology's molecular chirality (handed-ness).

Most amino acids, the building blocks of life, exist in 'left-handed' and 'right-handed' forms. Life makes and uses only 'left-handed' amino acids. Comets could have not only helped form, but also bring a massive supply of amino acids to earth to begin the process of life. Comets also carry water with them.

Don't Spare the Rod, Ruin the Child

Research at the University of New Hampshire involving hundreds of American children suggests that spanking is inversely related IQ scores - i.e. the more a child was spanked the lower their IQ. Results held even after "accounting for parental education, income, cognitive stimulation by parents and other factors that could affect children's mental abilities."

Researchers noted the experience is traumatic, can adversely affect the brain and cause children to have more stressful responses in difficult situations - meaning their cognitive abilities are inhibited.

Man Hunter

Researchers have concluded that the extinct Haast's eagle was a predator and not a mere scavenger as previously thought.

Living in New Zealand's mountains, the largest eagle in history weighed ~40 pounds and had a 3m wingspan. The haast's eagle was capable of hunting large grounded birds and small humans. The findings reinforce Maori folk tales - the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand - which tell of large birds swooping down and carrying away children.

See a reanimation of how a haast's eagle would attack a human.

Salt-Water as Fuel

In a search to cure cancer, engineer John Kanzius chanced upon what may be the single most important step to solving our energy needs - discovering how to use salt water as engine fuel.

Through the manipulation of radio waves, Kanzius was able to burn the oxygen and hydrogen from salt water, generating heat registering as high as 1,300C! Further research could help create an engine which uses one of the world's most abundant, and underutilized, materials.

See the video.

Tickling Rats

Researchers chanced upon rats playing and noticed what appeared to be laughter. Using a frequency converter, scientists were able to bring the noises to a level audible to human ears. To test if the noise really was laughter, the rats were tickled. Sure enough, the rats generated the same sounds as before when playing amongst themselves.

In addition, the rats began to enjoy the researchers company and follow the hand if it had tickled them.

See the video.

Amino Acid Essential for Life found in Comet

NASA scientists believe they have discovered glycine, which organisms use to make proteins, in a comet.

The discovery, the first of its kind, supports the notion that life's building blocks came from, and are prevalent, in space. More important, it helps further the argument that extraterrestrial life is a reality.

Arts and Cops

NYC's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is introducing a method to improve police officers vision - through, well, art.

The class first began as a 3-hour "Art of Perception" presentation to help medical students improve their visual acuity. After realizing that police are often put in situations requiring split-second decision making based on body language and environmental cues.

Because everything in a painting has some significance, the art class helps police officers refine an eye already trained to pick up on hidden clues and also to scrutinize their surroundings - something that has not always been done in the past and has led to huge delays in solving certain cases.

Cheap Fertilizer

Urine has a high nitrogen content, and wood ash is rich in calcium and magnesium. All of these nutrients are needed for vegetable growth.

Therefore, according to National Geographic, ash mixed with urine yields ~4 times more tomatoes than otherwise. Also, the fertilized tomatoes had significantly higher levels of magnesium, key for bone, muscle, and heart health.

The only thing the fertilizer did not do is improve taste - tomatoes were as tasty with or without fertilizer.

Fight Science: Ninja Strike

Ninja's are known for stealth attacks and an advanced weaponry skill set. Their strikes (both punches and kicks) are not as powerful as other martial arts strikes, but they are equally devastating.

For example, a strike to the axillary nerve (found on near the armpit) causes erratic electric signal firing. Pain aside, the punch causes a circuit overload, and the body cannot cope with the electrical impulses being sent throughout it. Along with a flood of calcium and potassium, the body shuts down.

The most famous ninja strike is probably to the vagus nerve (found above the jugular vein). Connected to the brain and heart, a strike to the vagus nerve causes erratic electrical discharges which the brain interprets as stress on the heart. In response, the brain slows heartbeat. Translation: the opponent collapses.

HD Video... of the MOON

Japan's Kaguya lunar probe has taken the closest and clearest video yet of the moon. The video appears like an animation, but it is the real deal.

But wait, there's more: video will continue for the next 2 days until the probe's crash landing.

Eco-friendly ... sort of

Coral reefs have been damaged or are disappearing at an alarming rate - some estimates say as less than 30% of the world's coral is healthy.

To help, the 523 ft. USNS Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg, used during the Cold War, will be sunk off the coast of southern Florida to provide a platform for the development of coral. Coral is vital to the maintenance of a vibrant and diverse marine ecosystem. The warship's development of coral will also help shift tourists who dive from areas where the coral population is much more fragile.

Better Than a Polygraph

A study in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology posits that handwriting tests could be a better detector of lying, compared to that of polygraph sets. Subjects were told to write a true paragraph and a false paragraph. Scientists discovered significant differences between the two statements regarding pressure, stroke duration, stroke length, and height and width of letters.

In the future, maybe a written statement of innocence itself could reveal the guilty party. Neat, huh?

Super Velcro

Engineers have developed a velcro-style material out of steel. The material works just like normal velcro, except it can tolerate high temperature (800° C), tensile loads up to 35 metric tons/m2, and exposure to strong chemicals.

The velcro will be useful in automotive systems (near exhaust pipes where heat and corrosive gases are prevalent), to snap aluminum siding onto homes, or to attach hospital curtains where strong chemicals regularly sterilize fasteners.

The inspiration for this new age velcro? The age old burrs that get stuck in your clothes.

Night Vision Without Goggles

Unlike other deep-sea fish, the dragonfish can perceive red light due to the generation of chlorophyll. Research at Columbia University discovered that chlorophyll administered to the eyes in other animals doubled the animals capacity to see in low night.

The D.O.D is now investing in research to allow for the same in humans to be used on the battlefield.

Ribbit Ribbit

Why do frogs make that noise?? First off, every species has its own call. While unique to each species, every male frog primarily uses it to attract a mate. Females return the call to communicate with the male. Calls can also indicate an ensuing rainstorm, or to defend one's territory.


Listen to some of the various calls.

Back from the Dead

North American wood frogs are giving more weight to the plausibility of human cryogenics. To survive the winter, the frog pumps large amounts of glucose, which serves a purpose similar to antifreeze, into its bloodstream and hibernates. The frog has no heartbeat during this period - it is as close to death as you can get without being dead. The phenomenon is baffling as when compared to humans, who can suffer from diabetes from a doubling of glucose blood levels, the frog easily copes with a 250-fold increase!!

When the temperature rises, the glucose is flushed into the bladder, where it is absorbed into the blood slow enough for the liver to convert it into harmless glycogen (which can be indefinitely stored).

Labs have repeatedly chilled wood frogs to as low as -6 °C and the frog still survives.

Check out the video.

Hybrids Not That Green

If you have a buddy who has been letting you know how much more environmentally conscious he is because of his hybrid, tell him to think again. Hybrids like the Prius uses more rare earth elements (REE) than any object in the world. Neodymium and lanthanum, used in a hybrid's batteries and electric motor's magnets, could become extinct in the near future.

With REE used in fiber-optic telecom cables, military gear, computers, etc. hybrids could create a lot of non-ecofriendly situations.

Solar Roads

Research is being conducted to create solar panels embedded into roads to provide power. Each 'Solar Road' panel can generate ~7.6 kwh of power/day, costing ~$7,000 each. A mile-long stretch of four-lane highway would remove 500 homes from the energy grid.

Aside from helping curb our usage of depleting energy resources, the panels could also be used to create LED road warnings and built-in heating elements to prevent roads from freezing.

Zoomed In

IBM scientists have taken the most close-up picture yet of a molecule - capturing a string of carbon molecules spaced at half a million times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

The breakthrough could help in understanding how charge moves through molecules, which could lead to breakthroughs in building atomic scale computing elements.