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.
- FriendFeed’s house of fun - May 23, 2008 → FriendFeed just added “rooms” to its system and the bbgm blog highlights the bio room in this post.
- JACS Beta - May 22, 2008 → More chemical information news from Am Chem Soc, JACS beta is the ACS’s equivalent of Google Labs for testing new online applications and such. Shame they didn’t call it JACS Labs to be honest, much more fitting for a chemical org, surely?
- Predictive web - May 22, 2008 → Chemspider has added the nmrdb.org web service to its system so that users can now predict the NMR spectrum directly from any chemical structure record view on the site. If only such things had been available during my university days…
- A picture of Google Health - May 20, 2008 → Google Health is now live, you can import your online personal health records, add personal details, immunizations, medication, etc, find a doctor, and more. But, would you trust them with your life?
- Seeing Alzheimer’s amyloids - May 19, 2008 → The proteinaceous fibrils associated with the debilitating and ultimately fatal brain condition known as Alheimer’s disease, reveal themselves at last to electron microscopy as strangely eerie butterfly-like motifs.
- Invisibility cloak snag - May 19, 2008 → It would make a fascinating yarn, a material that could be woven to make an invisibility cloak, a la Harry Potter, but although theoretically possible a new snag to the stitching together of such a metamaterial has been found, it could unravel the whole weft…
- Earth 2.0 - May 16, 2008 → We are getting close to the day when we shall spot an Earth-like planet orbiting another star, according to astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA)
- Meningitis defeated - May 15, 2008 → British researchers say they have developed a powerful vaccine against meningitis B, which has already produced a strong immune responses in 150 infants on whom the vaccine was tested.
- Google for solar energy - May 14, 2008 → Google.ord, the goody-two-shoes wing of Google is pumping $10m into solar energy via an investment in BrightSource Energy and eSolar thermal solar energy startups.
- Are you scared of Phobos - May 14, 2008 → New research suggests that the Martian moon, Phobos, which is spiralling towards the red planet at a rate of 200 mm a year, could disintegrate and leave Mars with Saturnian rings.
- Global warming switches off tectonics - May 13, 2008 → Apparently, if global temperatures rise sufficiently, the heated atmosphere could lock the continents in position, freezing plate tectonics and preventing earthquake activity. Unfortunately, this seemingly positive side effect of global warming will only happen if the temperature rises by around 100 degrees, and by that point, earthquakes will be the least of our worries. The research could explain the very different “geology” of the planet Venus, however.
- Mediaevel social networking - May 13, 2008 → The mediaevel equivalent of a social network site, or more honestly, a link database, has been created based on mediaevel records from south west France. The link map covers the period 1260 and 1340 and shows the connections between peasants who farmed the region.
- Is your meat green? - May 8, 2008 → Not if you eat organic meat it’s not. At least that’s according to a report from the BBC that suggests organic meat production with its requirements for more open space and food for livestock is some 45% greater than non-organic, particularly with respect to indoor poultry.
- Maize mod boost yields - May 8, 2008 → It’s a decade since European farmers started growing insect-resistant GM maize. Now, an analysis of economic and environmental impact shows that yields and profits are up while insecticide use is down.
- I like big butts… - May 8, 2008 → …so the “song” goes and apparently so does your body. A little excess fat on the buttocks may be no bad thing. Body fat found under the skin - and particularly on the buttocks - may help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a report from the BBC.
- Galactic black hole went on 18th century feeding frenzy - May 7, 2008 → The giant black hole at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy went on a huge feeding frenzy and explains why it is such a gentle giant today. X-ray echoes of the feasting remain in the region of Sagittarius A*
- Supersize bacteria - May 7, 2008 → This Cornell U news release is about a newly discovered bacterium that’s as big as a grain of salt, that’s pretty big considering E coli is a thousand times smaller. But, you have to be familiar with Shaquille O’Neal to get Cornell’s overstretched allusion.
- Sounding out Congo Red - May 6, 2008 → Ultrasound could drain colour from Congo Red dye
- Superheavy, probably not - May 2, 2008 → Earlier this week I linked to an arxiv preprint and blog post that highlighted the supposed discovery of a superheavy element-122. As is the way with science, the skeptics are out in force and refuting the claims. Until the work is reproduced, we won’t have to change the Periodic Table.
- Climate running hot and cold - May 2, 2008 → Apparently, one of earth’s natural cooling cycles is counteracting global warming, has done for at least a decade and could continue to do so for at least fifteen years. So, this warming trend we’ve been told about…is that based on readings from a different type of thermometer or something?
- Gray is the new green - May 2, 2008 → Artificial wetlands and roof-top reedbeds could clean up domestic grey water sufficiently for safe re-use in flushing loos, keeping graveyards verdant, and even improving your golf.
- Science reputation - May 2, 2008 → The UK has been left looking like an “unreliable” and “incompetent” partner for international science, according to a parliamentary committee. And all for the sake of 80 million quid (about $160m)
- Dreaming of accountancy - May 2, 2008 → NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson grew up never dreaming of being an accountant…but from the age of 8 wanted the thrill of being an astronaut. Read Mike Payne’s interview with “an engaging and inspiring guy”.
- Chemicals, drugs T-shirts and hoodies - May 1, 2008 → Pity they spell diazepam incorrectly but they do have theobromine (for chocoholics)
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