Planet:Science

Wine drinkers tend to buy healthier food than beer drinkers, according to a Danish study published Tuesday on the website of a weekly medical review.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

Mathematicians have finally laid to rest the legendary mystery surrounding an elusive group of numerical expressions known as the "mock theta functions." Number theorists have struggled to understand the functions ever since the great Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan first alluded to them in a letter written on his deathbed, in 1920.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

Relatively cheap gas prices, a record high stock market and low unemployment all contributed to a rise in Floridians` consumer confidence by two points to 91 in February, four points higher than at the same time a year ago, University of Florida economists report.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

As scientists search for alternatives to fossil fuel, producing chemical energy from wood fiber has become something of a Holy Grail — but termites have been working this alchemy for millions of years.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

People who smoke have a greater risk of becoming infected with tuberculosis (TB) and of having that infection turn into active TB disease, according to an analysis by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

ESA's Mars Express and Venus Express missions, to explore our nearest neighbour planets Mars and Venus respectively, will continue to operate until early-May 2009. The decision was unanimously taken by ESA's Science Programme Committee last Friday.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

MIT researchers have developed a technique to encourage the survival and growth of adult stem cells, a step that could help realize the therapeutic potential of such cells.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

New information about a link between the growth of blood vessels critical to the spread of cancer and the copper in our bodies has been discovered by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago, using a beamline at the Advanced Photon Source.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

The sugar-containing nectar secreted by plants and consumed by pollinators shares a number of similarities to fitness drinks, including ingredients such as amino acids and vitamins. In addition to these components, nectar can also contain secondary metabolites such as the alkaloid nicotine and other toxic compounds.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

Deep red tomatoes get their rich color from lycopene, a disease-fighting antioxidant. A new study, however, suggests that a special variety of orange-colored tomatoes provide a different form of lycopene, one that our bodies may more readily use.

February 27, 2007 08:56 PM

(AP) -- California's $3 billion stem cell agency withstood another challenge to its constitutionality when a state appeals court rejected claims by abortion foes and anti-tax advocates that the agency's managers had conflicts of interest.

February 27, 2007 08:53 PM

(AP) -- Random House, Inc. has made online excerpts available from books by Toni Morrison, Calvin Trillin and thousands of others as publishers continue their push to sell more books through the Internet.

February 27, 2007 08:51 PM

(AP) -- To head off the worst of climate change, governments must pour tens of billions of dollars more than they are into clean-energy research and enforce sharp rollbacks in fossil-fuel emissions, an expert scientific panel reported to the United Nations on Tuesday.

February 27, 2007 08:49 PM

(AP) -- Federal health advisers recommended Tuesday that the government approve the first bird flu vaccine as a stopgap measure, despite evidence it wouldn't protect most people.

February 27, 2007 08:48 PM

(AP) -- The European Union's top fisheries official on Tuesday pressed for stronger protections for the overfished bluefin tuna, an increasingly rare delicacy in high-end restaurants around the world.

February 27, 2007 08:48 PM

(AP) -- The Valentine's Day breakup of two North Carolina college students that featured singers, hundreds of spectators and a profanity-laced tirade was a hoax after all.

February 27, 2007 08:46 PM

I am a science and nature writer based in Arizona, U.S. I'm currently writing nature and health magazine articles and conducting research for a book. I'm looking for scientist/researcher "teams" in which a husband and wife work together. I am researching it for a possible book-length work, and would like to touch upon husband/wife teams historically as well as several today. Are there any collaborations like this among you -- in which it's more than one partner supporting the other; it's a life passion for you both? I'm making sure to include historic examples like mathematicians Julia Bowman and Raphael Robinson, and the Curie family of course; so cite other noteworthy examples as well, but I'd really like to know what it's like for scientist couples today. Thanks for your time. Feel free to reply here or e-mail me at [email protected].

February 27, 2007 08:22 PM

I've heard often that it is impossible to prove or disprove the existence of God in any way. While this may be true simply because we have a hard time proving anything either way, we can show that God does not exist to a high degree of certainty. Many of the examples and explanations I offer borrow heavily from George Smiths The Case Against God and Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion. Firstly, I would like to examine, and then refute, the nature of God. God is usually defined as having these three major attributes, they are his "nature." 1. *_Omnipotence_*-God is all powerful. He can do anything, and there are no obstacles to his will. He can do all. 2. *_Omniscience_*-God knows everything. Past, present, and future. He can see you when you're sleeping and knows "every hair on your head." 3. *_Omnibenevolence_*-God is all good. He is the most perfect and morally just being in existence. He does no evil.

• _Omnipotence_*

In a nutshell, Omnipotence is power without limitation. To quote modern Christian dogma, "nothing is impossible with God." Unfortunately for the big guy, Omnipotence creates some serious problems. By being all powerful, can God create a square circle? Can God make a computer turn into a fruit bat and do the macarrana? If not, he is not all powerful. A square circle does not exist because, by its very nature, it is a logical contradiction. If God cannot create such a contradiction, he is a contradiction because he denies his own nature, just like a square circle, and just like a square circle, he does not exist. And if he can do the impossible, he himself is logically impossible, and therefore, does not exist. A theist may counter this proof of God's nonexistence by saying that God is not truly omnipotent, he is only omnipotent in the sense that he can do anything we can imagine. He can, for instance, make a computer turn into a fruit bat. But God would still be asking a computer to deny its nature and do something that is not scientifically possible. And if God can defy science, then an rational thought about the world around us in pointless. But an omnipotent being defies logic even past that. If a being is truly omnipotent, there can be no obstacles to his power. He can make anything happen at any time, without anything being able to stop him. If God's will is sufficient to make anything happen at any time, God does not need a means to accomplish anything because the use of means to meet an end shows that the user of the means has limited power. If God uses any means, such as an angel to deliver his word, he is not omnipotent, and therefore, does not exist as he is known to us. Which means that God cannot act, because acting in any way would require the usage of means to accomplish his will. If God acts, he cannot be omnipotent, and does not exist. Looking farther into the nature of God, we can see that he has no purpose, because the possession of purpose implies unfulfilled desires or goals. If God has unfulfilled desires, he is not omnipotent, and does not exist. So now, if we visualize God, we must see a being who has an unfounded power to do anything, who does not employ means, does not act, and has no purpose. _*Omniscience*_ The Christian God is said to be omniscient, he has knowledge without limits. He sees and hears everything. He knows everything that has ever happened and ever will. The first issue that contradicts Christian dogma outside of Calvinism (what a horrible outlook on life!) is the evaporation of free will. According to modern Christianity, we have the choice to do what we wish. But if God knows the future with infallible certainty, the future has already been decided, we we do not posses free will. I'm certainly not going to waste time on predestination, it has to be one of the most ludicrous philosophies I have ever heard of. Another problem with omniscience is that it contradicts omnipotence. If God knows the future with complete certainty, he cannot change it. If he can, then he does not know the future with utmost certainty, and he is not omniscient. This raises another problem, if God knows the future, does he posses free will? If he knows his future actions, how are they free? And if God does not make his own choices, he is not omnipotent, etc. Also, for knowledge to be possessed by any entity, that knowledge must be obtained through observation. And if knowledge is obtained by God, he must not have had the knowledge at some point, which would mean his is not omniscient. So, for God to possess knowledge that was not obtained or observed, he does not possess knowledge in any sense of the word, and omniscience loses all meaning. _*Omnibenevolence*_ The notion that God is all-good creates some serious issues for the Christian. For one thing, the God of the Bible is one of the most morally corrupt and detestable characters in all of fiction. He ordered the killings of thousands and personally killed thousands, including innocent children. The "word of God" found in the Bible is tainted with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocents who were recorded as murdered by the God of the Hebrews and of the Bible. Many modern theologians argue that the God of the Old Testament is different, he changed for The New Testament. Unfortunately, the God of the New Testament can be considered much worse then the old one. At least the old God punished sinners and innocents by killing them, the new, just God sentences them to agony and suffering for all eternity. It is very difficult for the modern Christian to explain Jesus' message and the idea of a merciful God that those who insult God's might will burn in torturous flame forever. And this view of the evil God is enhanced by the attributes of omnipotence and omniscience.* Because God knows the future, he knows exactly what we are to do in our lives, so he creates multitudes of people who have no purpose but to burn in hell. * Also, why would God create hell, unless he finds pleasure in watching his creations suffer? There is no reason for a hell for an omnipotent God. The problems of Omnibenevolence extend into the philosophical. For God to be all good, we assume that he never commits evil. We also assume that, because he is omnipotent, he has the ability to commit evil, but always chooses good. So, why is there evil in God's creation? If God knows that there is evil, can prevent it, and chooses not to, he is not omnibenevolent. If you observed a little old lady being beaten, and had the ability to prevent it, wouldn't you? If so, you are morally above God. Ignoring that fact, most Christians proclaim that God did not create evil, but gave us a choice. We brought evil into the world. But this contradicts God's omnipotence. If God is omnipotent, his will is fulfilled without conflict, nothing can stop it. So, if God is omnipotent, we must assume that he wants evil in the world, and any evil that exists is exactly what he wants. And if God knows all, we have to assume that he created evil men with full knowledge of what they would do, and that he desired for those atrocities to occur. The Christian may argue that these evil events are for the greater good. Unfortunately, this in no way reduces the moral incorrectness of these actions. Just because God may save the child that walked into the road by wrecking and killing the driver of the car that would have hit him does not mean that killing that driver is ok. It is still wrong. The same can be applied to natural disasters. Why does God inflict these tragedies? The Christian may argue that they are merely part of his plan to make things better, but, like the murder of the driver, that does not make the thousands of lives taken by God in a disaster "a ok." If the three main attributes of God are so obviously in contradiction with each other and with Christian dogma, the God of Christianity can be made to dissipate in a puff of logic.

February 27, 2007 07:42 PM

Terra Preta Web Site at; Terra Preta | Intentional use of charcoal in soil (http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node) It has been immensely gratifying to see all the major players join the mail list , Cornell folks, T. Beer of Kings Ford Charcoal, M-Roots guys(fungus), chemical engineers, Dr. Danny Day of G. I. T. , Dr. Antel of U. of H., Several Virginia Tech folks and many others who's back round I don't know have joined. Registration has averaged one or two per day over the last few weeks. ABOUT; Welcome to the Website for the Terra Preta Discussion List: [email protected] This new addition ("Terra Preta") to the suite of bioenergy lists is going to strive to be the primary world web location for technical discussions on a new possible important use for biomass (that is described below). We have chosen the term "Terra Preta" (hereafter TP to save typing) as most of your search hits on these words will return valuable information. The term fits well-enough with the five other biomass-oriented discussion lists (bioenergy, stoves, gasification, bioconversion, anaerobic digestion) – all of which have the world-wide audience that we hope the Portuguese words for “Black Earth” will also connote. However, the topics to be discussed here are also known as "biochar" and "agrichar". Still other names will certainly appear and perhaps cause us to rename this site -which we are starting this day so that there is a convenient single site for dialog of the type found on the other "bioenergylists". I have agreed to be the primary Terra Preta list coordinator at the request of Tom Miles and Ron Larson. Tom has been in this biomass discussion-list business since 1994 (mostly paying for everything out of his own pocket – Thanks Tom). I feel comfortable taking on this task because of the quality of Tom’s work and because the quality of the many list discussions have been apparent to me for many years. Ron and I have communicated a bit on Terra Preta topics for several months. I also agreed to take on this task because of words of encouragement that came out of Ron’s six-seven years as the first Coordinator of the successful “Stoves” list for which Tom has recently been the primary Coordinator. A recent TP paper by Ron from “Solar Today” magazine has been up on the “gasification” website for a few months –and now is as well on the TP web site. Ron reports that the TP topic was under discussion on “stoves” about 4 years ago – because of Ron’s own continuing interest in charcoal-making. One (two?) of my own recent internet letters is also up now on our own TP site– courtesy of Ron and Tom. The third Coordinator is >>>>>> What does “TP” denote? By this term, I mean the intentional placement of charcoal in soil. Surprisingly, it is now becoming apparent that doubling and tripling of soil productivity can result. Surprising also that TP’s invention and proof of productivity improvements dates back several thousand years in Brazil. We hope that soil scientists around the world will contribute to this list with soil answers needed by those others of us interested in a very different aspect of TP soils. That different aspect is that the sequestered charcoal is taking CO2 out of the atmosphere – apparently at a lower cost than any other means of doing so. Hopefully, a large percentage of submissions to this new list will concentrate on TP’s climate benefits (and costs). Lastly, on this list especially we expect to see a lot on production of charcoal – the third main aspect of TP needing your input. We expect some reading this to be skeptical that a fuel that worldwide is more popular than wood should be dumped in the ground at a time when we are hoping biomass can slowly replace our dwindling fossil fuels. Making this case, or disproving it, is the purpose of this discussion list. Let us hear from you. My job, which Tom and Ron say is easy, is to keep us on topic. They have committed to supply me a whole slew of TP questions that they feel are not yet well enough answered. Let us all hear your questions – and answers. Erich Knight, Terra Preta List Coordinator Ron Larson, Associate Coordinator Tom Miles, Bioenergylists Administrator tmiles at trmiles.com Erich J. Knight

February 27, 2007 07:42 PM

...To those of you who were in the middle of a conversation in the TP parent thread. I know it's going to be a slight challenge to pick-up new threads and maintain the context of some of the dialogues in which you were engaged, but hope that the benefits of this change far outweigh any such minor costs. However, for those of you it impacts, I wanted to send a quick apology. Sorry.  :blush2:

February 27, 2007 07:40 PM

Philip Small shared this link with us in the TP parent thread, and I wanted to share it here. http://forums.hypography.com/terra-preta/3451-terra-preta-parent-thread-started-all-42.html#post161598 Original article: Kelpie Wilson on Branson's prize | Gristmill: The environmental news blog | Grist (http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/2/22/17152/5926) ---Quote--- There is even a potentially revolutionary technique waiting to be developed that could greatly accelerate carbon storage in soils. The technique is called "Terra Preta," Portuguese for "black earth." It is not new. It was invented by an ancient agricultural civilization in the Amazon that made charcoal and buried it the soil. The charcoal absorbs and holds nutrients from manure and supports beneficial microbes. Some of these fertile soils are more than 1000 years old. You can read more about Terra Preta in 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, by Charles C. Mann. ---End Quote--- Does anyone else have more "popular" news references to TP? If so, please share them here.  :)

February 27, 2007 07:16 PM

A strong thunderstorm with hail passed through NASA's Kennedy Space Center launch complex area about 5 p.m. EST Monday. The remote cameras indicate some damage to the external tank, but a full assessment on the scene is just getting underway due to the pad being closed for fuel loading.

February 27, 2007 07:07 PM

The brain appears to process information more chaotically than has long been assumed. This is demonstrated by a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Bonn. The passing on of information from neuron to neuron does not, they show, occur exclusively at the synapses, i.e. the junctions between the nerve cell extensions. Rather, it seems that the neurons release their chemical messengers along the entire length of these extensions and, in this way, excite the neighbouring cells.

February 27, 2007 06:56 PM

Helma van Rijn has developed a toy that uses a new method for teaching words to autistic children. She developed this toy as part of her graduation project at Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering.

February 27, 2007 06:52 PM

If you're particularly good with puzzles or chess, the reason may be in your genes. A team of scientists, led by psychiatric geneticists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has gathered the most extensive evidence to date that a gene that activates signaling pathways in the brain influences one kind of intelligence. They have confirmed a link between the gene, CHRM2, and performance IQ, which involves a person's ability to organize things logically.

February 27, 2007 06:51 PM

Tobacco dependence is the leading cause of mortality in Canada. Although most smokers express a desire to stop smoking, only a small number are able to succeed. A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH, Canada) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) reveals that nicotine use is highly addictive in primates.

February 27, 2007 06:50 PM

The world's first direct electrical link between nerve cells and photovoltaic nanoparticle films has been achieved by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and the University of Michigan. The development opens the door to applying the unique properties of nanoparticles to a wide variety of light-stimulated nerve-signaling devices — including the possible development of a nanoparticle-based artificial retina.

February 27, 2007 06:45 PM

While history portrays the Vikings as skillful masters of the sea, sailing treacherous routes in the northern Atlantic Ocean during the 10th-13th centuries, just how much knowledge, technology and ability they possessed is debatable. One theory claims that the Vikings could navigate even on cloudy or foggy days using skylight polarization, which would not only require specific atmospheric conditions, but technology beyond anything known in Viking culture.

February 27, 2007 06:32 PM

Professor Sam Braunstein, of the University of York's Department of Computer Science, and Dr Arun Pati, of the Institute of Physics, Sainik School, Bhubaneswar, India, have established that quantum information cannot be 'hidden' in conventional ways, or in Braunstein's words, "quantum information can run but it can't hide."

February 27, 2007 06:16 PM

• Attention:*

Due to the wonderful posts and great contributions in the Terra Preta thread (http://forums.hypography.com/terra-preta/3451-terra-preta.html), the staff at Hypography have decided to create a sub-forum specific to TP in the Earth Sciences primary forum. Our hope is that users will benefit from the data contained in this thread by splitting some of the topics into their own threads.

• Please help us to fertilize this new seed with your ideas, allowing Terra Preta to branch into the beautiful tree it deserves to be! The ground's the limit! * (A little TP humor there :hihi: ).

To do this correctly, we must close the parent thread. All of the data will still be available, and any links that have been shared outside of Hypography will automatically redirect to the new subforum. We hope that, as you create new subtopics (such as making charcoal, the chemistry of TP, personal experiences, and the like) you will include direct links to posts in the parent thread for reference, and even quote them. We want this rich field of data available and accessible to all who may have even the slightest interest, and appreciate your efforts in helping with this. It's your efforts that have motivated us to make this decision. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and ideas with those around you. We are proud that you've done so on Hypography.  :)

• Link to the new sub-forum:* http://forums.hypography.com/terra-preta.html

February 27, 2007 06:14 PM

A spontaneous aggregation of proteins randomly determines which of the two X chromosomes in a woman's cell will remain active, and which one will sta. . .

February 27, 2007 04:47 PM

String theory argues that all matter is composed of string-like shreds in a 10-dimensional hyperspace assembled in various forms. It has won acclaim. . .

February 27, 2007 04:47 PM

Anyone beside me gasp at how ridiculous this question sounds when put it into another context?

February 27, 2007 04:19 PM

"Nanotechnology has the potential to generate enormous health benefits for the more than five billion people living in the developing world," according to Dr. Peter A. Singer, senior scientist at the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health and Professor of Medicine at University of Toronto. "Nanotechnology might provide less-industrialized countries with powerful new tools for diagnosing and treating disease, and might increase the availability of clean water."

February 27, 2007 04:00 PM

Systemic lupus erythomatosus (SLE), often simply called lupus, is a complex autoimmune disease marked by joint pain, skin rashes, extreme fatigue, and depression, among other symptoms. Some studies have described a possible link between SLE`s most severe psychiatric manifestation, psychosis, and a protein autoantibody associated with the central nervous system, anti-ribosomal P.

February 27, 2007 03:55 PM

CIHR-funded study explored the relationship between use of antidepressants and level of alcohol consumption, examining whether using antidepressants affected the link between depression and level of alcohol consumption. The research conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) concluded that women suffering from depression consumed more alcohol than women who did not experience depression, regardless of antidepressant use.

February 27, 2007 03:52 PM

People are more likely to walk when they live in neighborhoods where there are more four-way intersections and a diverse mixture of businesses, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.

February 27, 2007 03:36 PM

(AP) -- Chinese scientists have succeeded in implanting electrodes in the brain of a pigeon to remotely control the bird's flight, state media said.

February 27, 2007 03:27 PM

Symantec Corp. today announced the availability of its newest product - Norton 360 - All-In-One Security. Norton 360 comprehensive solution combines Symantec's security and PC tune-up technologies with new automated backup and antiphishing features.

February 27, 2007 03:21 PM

Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's largest shipbuilder, said Tuesday it had won an order to build South Korea's first space rocket launch pad.

February 27, 2007 02:51 PM

Frogs that started life as male tadpoles were changed in an experiment into females by estrogen-like pollutants similar to those found in the environment, according to a new study.

February 27, 2007 02:50 PM

The issue of floodplain management in the city of Boulder reflects in microcosm many of the themes that we discuss on this site. Here is...

February 27, 2007 02:19 PM

Not long ago we raised some questions about how well the University of Colorado's commitment to sustainability was actually being reflected in actions. Recent remarks...

February 27, 2007 01:52 PM

Three forms of garlic—including raw garlic and two types of commercial garlic supplements—did not significantly reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol during a six-month trial, according to results published in the February 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine

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February 27, 2007 01:40 PM

Men who regularly take commonly available and widely used pain relievers may have an increased risk of high blood pressure compared with those who do not use these medications, according to a report in the Feb. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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February 27, 2007 01:36 PM

Hi everyone. I like math and Astronomy and a few more things. Just recently ordered a telescope. Planning to attend my first star party once I figure out how to use it. My background is Chemistry and Biology but went straight into information technology out of college. I'm a pretty good programmer and like using Mathematica. I've done a lot of work with non-linear dynamics, emergence, chaos, strange attractors, you know that stuff. What else? Into health and fitness, the biologist in me I suppose. Biochemistry helps I think but the book are really big. Let's see, what else? Suppose I'm into evolution or use to be anyway. Couldn't finish reading "Origin of Species" though: too dry and jam-packed with too much data. Did finish "Passions of the Mind" though. Think I did anyway. Oh yea, interested in brain science too. I forgot that one. Dr. Phil too!

February 27, 2007 01:34 PM

I like this, from GlobalWarmingFacts.info:

Global warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don't need to wait for governments to solve this problem: each one of us can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It's the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.

read more

February 27, 2007 01:30 PM

Mathematicians have finally laid to rest the legendary mystery surrounding an elusive group of numerical expressions known as the "mock theta functions." Number theorists have struggled to understand the functions ever since the great Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan first alluded to them in a letter written on his deathbed, in 1920.

read more

February 27, 2007 01:22 PM

Five years ago, Sharon Schafer Bennett suffered from migraines so severe that the headaches disrupted her life, kept her from seeking a job and interfered with participation in her children's daily activities. Now, thanks to an innovative surgical technique performed by a UT Southwestern Medical Center plastic surgeon who helped pioneer the procedure, the frequency and intensity of Mrs. Bennett's migraines have diminished dramatically – from two to three per week to an occasional one every few months.

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February 27, 2007 01:11 PM

Ever found your brain refusing to respond to the environment? Ever found yourself completely unable to concentrate on the words in the book you've been reading for hours at a strech? Try listening to new, never before heard music (that you don't like all that much) for hours. Your brain wierdly ceases to function properly. You lose the ability to think straight, and though your body's not tired, you desparately crave for some sleep. Ever wondered what the hell goes on? Well, this is the thread for finding it out. First, let's just find the reason for 'mental fatigue'. Rep for the first person to come up with the reason behind mental fatigue. Extra points if you can do it in the terms of the layman's vocabulary.:D (That's what this is all about)

February 27, 2007 01:01 PM