Science Extra Geeky Bits from David Bradley
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The latest science extra Geeky Bits news from Sciencebase's David Bradley. The most recent 30 days of news snippets, worthies and oddities, as well as other items of interest that didn't make it on to the Sciencebase Science Blog homepage because I was (a) too busy to do a full write-up (b) too lazy to do a full write-up (c) too bored to do a full write-up. Visit the Science Extra Geeky Bits Archive for all items posted during the last year.
- Fish and walnut salad against depression - December 20, 2007 → Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, walnuts, and flaxseed oil could be used to treat depression
- A kiss under the mistletoe is fine - December 19, 2007 → A snog under the mistletoe this Christmas is fine, but don’t whatever you do shake their hand! You never know what you might catch.
- Pinot Noir Grape Sequenced - December 19, 2007 → Just in time for Christmas!
- Is eight cases an epidemic - December 18, 2007 → WHO investigators are heading to north Pakistan to find out whether a cluster of just eight cases of bird flu in humans is due to human to human transmission, or just coincidence
- Ancient compass material, new property - December 18, 2007 → You might think science would know all there was to know about lodestone, the magnetic mineral used by ancient mariners in their compass. But, cool it to close to absolute zero and change the test voltage applied and this electrical insulator becomes a conductor.
- Cellular fat storage - December 18, 2007 → The gene responsible for the proteins involved in storing fat in our body cells has been uncovered and could one day lead to new approaches to treating obesity (other than diet and exercise)
- Joined rail and air - December 17. 2007 → Could a hybrid approach to air and rail transport reduce the environmental impact of airports and improve airline business. Oxford researcher Moshe Givoni believes so
- Upgrade Vista to Windows XP Service Pack 3 - December 17, 2007 → Get a 10% performance boost on XP SP2 and run everything twice as fast as on Vista.
- The Whole World on an iPod - December 14, 2007 → There have been predictions of being able to store all the world’s information on a single device for decades, just as there have been predictions about a paperless office. It’s all bullshit. As soon as we increase our storage capacity someone will come up with a way to make more data: quantum calculations on all 300 million organic molecules anyone?
- Discarded foreskins circumvent moral issues - December 13, 2007 → Could discarded penis parts cure cancer?
- David Bradley: Killer, Lover, Player, Puller - December 12, 2007 → Who is this David Bradley guy anyway? An actor, a tractor, a murderer, a chocolatier, a porn star, a photographer, a professor, or just a geeky science writer?
- Benzene tanker - December 11, 2007 → The crew of a tanker carrying about 40 kilotons of benzene hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Africa is said to be safe. The pirates are demanding $1m ransom.
- Physics funding gap - December 11, 2007 → Could an admin error leave British physicists with an infrastructure and teaching shortfall of GBP 80m (about $170m)? Science Minister squirmed on BBC Radio4 Today and simply wouldn’t answer.
- Longlife Herbal Extract - December 10, 2007 → Hot on the slimy tail of news that hydrogen sulfide (the smell of bad eggs) can extend the life of the nematode worm, comes revelations that a herbal extract from an Arctic plant can extend the life of that other laboratory favourite the fruitfly. Is it just coincidence that these two creatures are now among the most successful lab animals on earth?
- Free Mathematics Software - December 7, 2007 → Free software could improve education in mathematics
- Caffeine Cream Tones Thighs - December 7, 2007 → Does it ‘eck as like! 99 women (not 100, 99) studied by Brazilian team were smeared with caffeine solution and more than 80 percent of them had reduced thigh diameter (doesn’t say how much) and 68% had reduced hips (ditto) and this was after only 30 days. Take it with a pinch of brown sugar.
- Disguising Environmental Harm Eases Only Our Conscience - December 6, 2007 → We can hide behind good intentions, but if we’re not implementing environmental protective and preventative measures then those good intentions stand for nothing
- Santa Claus in Orion - December 5, 2007 → Interstellar X-rays reveal “Santa Claus” in the constellation of Orion
- Creation Museum Review - December 5, 2007 → Imagine, if you will, a load of horseshit. And we’re not talking just your average load of horseshit; no, we’re talking colossal load of horsehit…
- Christmas wrapping adds up - November 4, 2007 → Waste not want not formula for present wrapping - A = 2(ab+ac+bc+c2) - it’s a wrap, with a capital C
- Solar-powered toothbrush - December 4, 2007 → Ultimate tech for green teeth, does away with toothpaste with photochemistry.
- MY computer just called me fat - December 4, 2007 → A new automated computer system makes regular phone calls to couch potatoes inciting them to exercise
- Self-healing Materials - December 3, 2007 → A new catalyst-free, self-healing material system developed by researchers at the University of Illinois offers a far less expensive and far more practical way to repair composite materials used in structural applications ranging from airplane fuselages to wind-farm propeller blades.
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