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Do mites really live on my face?
This is the question everyone eventually asks themselves. The answer is no. They live all over your body in the follicles of your hair. But, the situation is much more complicated than that, and in fact there is a lot we don’t know about these mites. But, there is a scientist who may be willing…
Ants and carnivorous plants conspire for mutualistic feeding
An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to research published May 22 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Mathias Scharmann and colleagues from the University of Cambridge and the University Brunei Darussalam. read more
Captive-bred wallabies may carry antibiotic resistant bacteria into wild populations
Endangered brush-tail rock wallabies raised in captive breeding programs carry antibiotic resistance genes in their gut bacteria and may be able to transmit these genes into wild populations, according to research published May 22 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Michelle Power and colleagues from Macquarie University in New South Wales, Australia. read more
“Why should men have all the fun?” The seafaring ladies of physical oceanography
There are definitely a lot of research cruise videos out there. But this one caught my eye because, HEY, it focuses on physical oceanography! You learn about the Agulhas current, expensive st is thrown into the ocean and you get to meet a bunch of female physical oceanographers! It’s a little long but definitely worth... Show More Summary
New cave-dwelling arachnids discovered in Brazil
Two new species of cave-dwelling short-tailed whipscorpions have been discovered in northeastern Brazil, and are described in research published May 22 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Adalberto Santos, from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and colleagues. read more
Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3-D printed device that restored his breathing
Ann Arbor, Mich. – Every day, their baby stopped breathing, his collapsed bronchus blocking the crucial flow of air to his lungs. April and Bryan Gionfriddo watched helplessly, just praying that somehow the dire predictions weren't true. "Quite...Show More Summary
Fetch, boy! Study shows homes with dogs have more types of bacteria
New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Colorado shows that households with dogs are home to more types of bacteria – including bacteria that are rarely found in households that do not have dogs. The finding is part of a larger study to improve our understanding of the microscopic life forms that live in our homes. read more
Swine flu pandemic of 2009 more deadly for younger adults, UCI study finds
Irvine, Calif. – As the world prepares for what may be the next pandemic strain of influenza virus, in the H7N9 bird flu, a new UC Irvine study reveals that the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic was deadliest for people under the age of 65, while those 65 and over had greater immunity due to previous exposure to similar viruses. read more
Pinpointing how nature's benefits link to human well-being
What people take from nature – water, food, timber, inspiration, relaxation – are so abundant, it seems self-evident. Until you try to quantitatively understand how and to what extent they contribute to humans. In today's world, where...Show More Summary
Scientists develop worm EEG to test the effects of drugs
Scientists from the University of Southampton have developed a device which records the brain activity of worms to help test the effects of drugs. NeuroChip is a microfluidic electrophysiological device, which can trap the microscopic worm Caenorhadbitis elegans and record the activity of discrete neural circuits in its 'brain' - a worm equivalent of the EEG. read more
NLST: CT detects twice as many lung cancers as X-ray at initial screening exam
National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) investigators also conclude that the 20 percent reduction in lung cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) versus chest X-ray (CXR) screening previously reported in the NLST primary paper is achievable at experienced screening centers in the United States. read more
NASA's SDO observes mid-level solar flare
The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare on the morning of May 22, 2013. The flare peaked at 9:38 a.m. EDT and was classified as an M7. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. In the past, they have caused brief radio blackouts at the poles. read more
'Boys will be boys' in US, but not in Asia
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study shows there is a gender gap when it comes to behavior and self-control in American young children – one that does not appear to exist in children in Asia. In the United States, girls had higher levels of self-regulation than boys. Show More Summary
Is mrps-5 the Longevity Gene?
Mitochondria are the cell’s workhorse, transforming the calories we eat into useable energy. They have also been the subject of lots of scrutiny over longevity, since lifespan is intimately tied up with metabolism. Now a new study reports...Show More Summary
Slowing the aging process -- only with antibiotics
Scientists reveal the mechanism responsible for aging hidden deep within mitochondria -- and dramatically slow it down in worms by administering antibiotics to the young.
Thinking 'big' may not be best approach to saving large-river fish
MADISON, Wis. — Large-river specialist fishes — from giant species like paddlefish and blue catfish, to tiny crystal darters and silver chub — are in danger, but researchers say there is greater hope to save them if major tributaries identified in a University of Wisconsin-Madison study become a focus of conservation efforts. read more
Universities as Leftist Seminaries
'Seminary,' like 'seminar,' is etymologically related to 'semen,' seed. seminary (n.) mid-15c., "plot where plants are raised from seeds," from Latin seminarium "plant nursery," figuratively, "breeding ground," from seminarius "of seed," from semen (genitive seminis) "seed" (see semen). Meaning "school...
Top 10 new species of 2012
An amazing glow-in-the-dark cockroach, a harp-shaped carnivorous sponge and the smallest vertebrate on Earth are just three of the newly discovered top 10 species selected by a global committee of taxonomists.
Science behind the billion dollar brain hype
If you want to hear me talk about what the US and Europe’s billion dollar brain projects are trying to achieve, I’m on the latest BBC All in the Mind discussing the science behind the quite considerable hype. I discuss these latest brain initiatives alongside presenter Claudia Hammond and distinguished neuroscientist Donald Stein – who […]
Making chaos visible: As chaos celebrates its 50th birthday, biophysicist Christian Herbst develops a new method to visualize it
Exactly 50 years after the US-American meteorologist Edward Lorenz discovered chaos (remember the "butterfly effect?") the topic is still as fascinating as ever. A new visualization technique helps to make chaos visible to the naked eye. Show More Summary
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