Clipmarks | Science Clips

Neuroscientists Find That Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:29:28 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

Men Are From Mars
Neuroscientists Find That Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of men and women under stress showed neuroscientists how their brains differed in response to stressful situations. In men, increased blood flow to the left orbitofrontal cortex suggested activation of the "fight or flight" response. In women, stress activated the limbic system, which is associated with emotional responses.

There are many books and movies that highlight the psychological differences between men and women -- Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus, for example; but now, neurologists say they have brain images that prove male and female brains do work differently -- at least under stress.

Note: This story and accompanying video were originally produced for the American Institute of Physics series Discoveries and Breakthroughs in Science by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and are protected by copyright law. All rights reserved.

Tags: science

McCain Manipulation

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:12:04 GMT

clipped by: birdie-brain
clipper's remarks: This was about a debate between McCain and Obama. How manipulative is McCain? o.O

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

McCain portrayed Barack Obama as an excessive spender

"[Obama] voted for nearly a billion dollars in pork barrel earmark projects, including, by the way, $3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Illinois. My friends, do we need to spend that kind of money?"

no ordinary overhead projector

the 'overhead projector' he's talking about is the spectacular 'Sky Theater' -- one of the most engrossing, gorgeous venues for displaying visuals about space

The science community is notoriously tight-knit, especially when rallying to a cause, and boy are they are rallying to this one

For McCain to use this as a political zinger is insulting...

Planetariums are Bridges to the Future, and America would be a much better place if all the congressional earmarks went to projects like them

Linking a planetarium to national security may be a bit of a stretch, but the point is clear: McCain probably shouldn't count on the "science vote" this year.

Tags: science, news, barack obama, mccain, politics, debate

McCain Fails to Understand, Sneeringly Misrepresents Sky Theater As "Overhead Projector"

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:10:26 GMT

clipped by: gingembre
clipper's remarks: Andrey Kravtsov continues: "I find it appalling that Sen. McCain would call a science education tool for public (largely children) for
a historic planetarium with millions of visitors a year a wasteful earmark. The planetarium's focus, as stated on their website (http://adlerplanetarium.org) is "on inspiring young people, particularly women and minorities, to pursue careers in science." Is an investment in such public facility at the time when US
competitiveness in math and sciences is a constant source of alarm a waste?"

No, it is not a waste. Senator McCain's failure to understand and/or appreciate the importance of science education is indeed appalling, as is his sneering, sniveling misrepresentation of this equipment as an unnecessary, overpriced "overhead projector".

Clip Source: community.nytimes.com

I am an Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Chicago (the University that today has added yet another Nobel Prize winner in the sciences for the US). I would like to comment on Sen. McCain's statement during the today's debate that Sen. Obama has earmarked "$3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Ill. My friends, do we need to spend that kind of money?"

The way Sen. McCain has phrased it suggests that Sen. Obama approved spending $3 million on an old-fashioned piece of office equipment (overhead projector).

The 3 million is actually for an upgrade of the SkyTheater - a full dome projection system, which is probably the main attraction of the Adler Planetarium and is quite sophisticated and impressive piece of equipment.

I find it appalling that Sen. McCain would call a science education tool for public (largely children) for
a historic planetarium with millions of visitors a year a wasteful earmark.

Tags: 2008 election, science, mccain fails to understand, misrepresents

Cuba's contribution to public health

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:39:13 GMT

clipped by: gingembre
clipper's remarks: If Cuba can do this, why can't the USA and Canada?

Clip Source: story.brazilsun.com

Cuba breaks national record with 200,000 medical students
Brazil Sun
Thursday 9th October, 2008
(IANS)

Cuba broke its record for domestic and foreign students studying medical sciences in the communist island country, with a total of 200,000 this year, the Communist Party daily Granma reported citing public health ministry sources.

Close to 23,000 of the students are foreigners, most of them coming from developing countries, Granma said, claiming that this is a result of the Cuban government's 'traditional policy of internationalistic solidarity.'

Cuba holds its free health system as a flagship government programme. At Cuban universities medical sciences include medicine, stomatology (study of mouth and its diseases), nursing, health technology and health psychology.

Cuba has four medical science institutes, 24 schools of medicine, four of stomatology and four devoted to nursing and technology, Granma said. More than 26,000 people teach medical science courses on the island.

Tags: cuba, medicine

Challenging Dogmatism in Science

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:56:22 GMT

clipped by: Fast T friend
clipper's remarks: David Lorimer in coversation with Dr.Rupert Sheldrake and Dr.Peter Fenwick. Made for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Scientific and Medical Network.

Clip Source: video.google.com

[Video]

Tags: consciousness, science, dogma, sheldrake, fenwick

Why nature can't be reduced to mathematical laws

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:04:36 GMT

clipped by: Mohir
clipper's remarks: If so, then even perfect knowledge of the physics at one level would be inadequate for understanding organisation at higher levels. This conjecture has been debated ever since.
Now Mile Gu at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues, claim that it may be possible to prove Anderson's idea. They studied a basic mathematical model called the Ising model, which is often used to study how magnetism arises in iron and other materials from the collective organisation of their atoms.
Using the model, the team focused on whether the pattern that the atoms adopt under various scenarios, such as a state of lowest energy, could be calculated from knowledge of those forces. They found that in some scenarios, the pattern of atoms could not be calculated from knowledge of the forces - even given unlimited computing power. In mathematical terms, the system is considered "formally undecidable".

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

ONE of the grand aims of science is to explain every aspect of nature in terms of simple, fundamental laws - but is this possible? A team of physicists claims to have found a hint that some things simply cannot be computed, and that nature could be more than the sum of its parts.

The idea of reductionism, a key tool in science for centuries, holds that everything in nature can ultimately be understood by gaining knowledge of its constituent parts. The laws of fluid flows, for example, can be derived from the deeper laws of atomic and molecular motion, which in turn follow from quantum physics.

In 1972, physicist Philip Anderson pointed out that there could be a problem with this approach. Anderson suggested that some systems may be more than the sum of their parts. He championed "emergence" - the notion that important kinds of organisation might emerge in systems of many interacting parts, but not follow in any way from the properties of those parts.

Tags: nature, physics, laws, complexity, emergence

Hundreds of New Marine Species Found

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:35:43 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

Oct. 8, 2008 -- Hundreds of new marine species and previously uncharted undersea mountains and canyons have been discovered in the depths of the Southern Ocean, Australian scientists said Wednesday.

A total of 274 species of fish, ancient corals, mollusks, crustaceans and sponges new to science were found in icy waters up to 9,800 feet deep among extinct volcanoes, they said.

Tags: biology, oceans, marine life, science

Don't believe in telepathy? watch this half hour BBC clip

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:51:40 GMT

clipped by: jimbo1000
clipper's remarks: Truly intriguing.

Clip Source: www.bbc.co.uk

THE MATERIAL WORLD

Material World this week comes from the British Association For The Advancement of Science's annual Festival of Science, taking place at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.

However, some subjects have traditionally been off limits; parapsychological claims for phenomena such as telepathy for example. Not any more. Before an audience at this year's Festival Quentin Cooper confronts a panel of scientific heretics and sceptics to assess just how much evidence there is for mind extending beyond the physical brain.


	PROGRAMME INFO

	Thursday 16:30-17:00


	Quentin Cooper reports on developments across the sciences. Each week scientists describe their work, conveying the excitement they feel for their research projects.



	Contact Material World


	LISTEN AGAIN 30 min


	Listen to 7 September

Tags: telepathy, mind beyond the body

Asia trumping US on science R&D

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:40 GMT

clipped by: BobbyRutan

Clip Source: features.csmonitor.com

Asia trumping US on science R&D

Federal funding for research has been falling in real terms. Is the nation’s economic edge at stake?

science-policy specialists in the United States see troubling signs that federal support for research – measured by checks written rather than checks promised – may be weakening.

To those involved in federally funded research, their work represents a kind of intellectual infrastructure that, if allowed to erode, can begin to undermine the country’s economic competitiveness.

The immediate concern is the continuing resolution the president signed Sept. 30. Congress punted final passage of the federal budget to next March. Except for the Defense Department, other federal agencies responsible for performing or funding research must hold spending at or below fiscal year 2008 levels.

The budget’s math “is such that it’s going to be very hard to make any sort of dramatic new investments” in research

with fiscal year 2005, federal spending on research has fallen off

Tags: budget, research, science, economics

Gecko-grip material aims to be the end of glue

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:47:18 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

Clip Source: technology.newscientist.com

Gecko-grip material aims to be the end of glue

19:00 09 October 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Jessica Griggs

A close of up the structures on a gecko's foot, compared with the nanotubes that make up a synthetic mimic that is even stickier than the real thing (Image: Science)

Geckos have long inspired scientists and super-hero fans alike with their ability to scamper up vertical walls and cling to ceilings with a single toe. In recent years, people have attempted to create materials that match those spectacular abilities, in the hope of creating new advanced adhesives, or even car braking systems.

Now US chemists claim to have made one based on nanotubes that it is 10 times stickier than some gecko feet. Even more impressively, like a real gecko foot, it can also be easily unstuck with a tug in the right direction.

The new material was tested for stickiness on surfaces ranging from Teflon to sandpaper.

Tags: science

Alien salad

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:15:19 GMT

clipped by: spikechan42
clipper's remarks: This looks cool

Clip Source: www.toshistation.com

Tags: horror, science fiction, art

Mass Extinction Event On the Horizon?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:40:37 GMT

clipped by: kmcolo
clipper's remarks: Mass Extinction Event On the Horizon? Nope, were in it now. Any scientist studying some aspect of the environment will tell you that humans are having a massive impact and that the Earth's ecosystem will not tolerate this forever.

Clip Source: www.sciencefriday.com

Scientists studying many different parts of the planet's ecosystems are warning that Earth may be on the verge of a sixth major mass extinction event. In a series of papers published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers examining biodiversity around the globe paint a gloomy picture for the planet's species. Warning signs include recent mass die-offs of amphibians and declining fisheries.

Over the course of the Earth's history, there have been at least five major extinction events -- the End Ordovician, Late Devonian, End Permian, End Triassic, and End Cretaceous. But are we facing a sixth major extinction period -- and is there anything that can be done about it? In this segment, Ira talks with biologist Paul Ehrlich about what is driving biodiversity loss and what can be done to reverse the trend. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Tags: podcast, science friday, environment, extinction

The Other Humans

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:09:17 GMT

clipped by: thinkingblue
clipper's remarks: For a change of pace from the political arena...

This month's National Geographic has a very interesting article about the other humans who lived upon our planet, The Neanderthals. We know so little about the development of our species. Searching for information on it, will bring you many theories. Most agree though, that the human species, in one form or another have been around for a couple million years... Yet we have so little information on their evolutionary process to modern day man. Reading this very interesting article will make you acknowledge how vulnerable life is. So many species have come and gone and we have barely scratched the surface of realizing their existence. Perhaps we will never learn completely how life formed upon our planet and how we got to where we are today, but there's one fact for sure; Science will endure and will never give up its quest to bring us answers. National Geographic is a good way to keep up with new scientific discovery.

Clip Source: ngm.nationalgeographic.com

Current Issue October 2008
Table of Contents ››

Last of the Neanderthals

Eurasia was theirs alone for 200,000 years.
Then the newcomers arrived.

In March of 1994 some spelunkers exploring an extensive cave system in northern Spain poked their lights into a small side gallery and noticed two human mandibles jutting out of the sandy soil. The cave, called El Sidrón, lay in the midst of a remote upland forest of chestnut and oak trees in the province of Asturias, just south of the Bay of Biscay. Suspecting that the jawbones might date back as far as the Spanish Civil War, when Republican partisans used El Sidrón to hide from Franco's soldiers, the cavers immediately notified the local Guardia Civil.

But when police

inspected

they discovered the remains of a much larger—and, it would turn out, much older—tragedy.

Within days

officials had shoveled out some 140 bones

By the time scientists finished

Spain had its earliest cold case.

Tags: science, neanderthal, humans, education, anthropology

Artist Builds Temple of Science

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:25:58 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

At a time when the gulf between religion and science is growing ever greater, an artist has erected a temple for scientific worship.

Jonathon Keats, designer of the petri dish God, built The Atheon to get people thinking about what a scientific religion (or religious science?) would look and feel like.

Keats' conception of that idea took shape as a two-story building complete with stained-glass windows patterned after cosmic microwave background radiation and a liturgy based on the sounds of the Big Bang. The Atheon opened Sept. 27 at the Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley, California.

But, could science replace religion?

The question has intrigued both rationalists frustrated at the persistence of what they see as superstitious dogma, and religious believers — as well as all-purpose skeptics — unwilling to promote science, with its mixed and messy history, to a position of absolute authority.

Tags: science, art, religion

I'm Going for a PHD in Alchemy

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:22:27 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: This stupidity is common across the country. A majority of the population is so ignorant that they are incapable of separating superstition from science.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

North Carolina School Considering Creationism

In Brunswick County, North Carolina, the local school board — and apparently the entire board, not just one or two fringe members — is convinced that public schools need to teach creationism alongside evolution. It's difficult to underestimate not just how bad of an idea this is, but just how poorly this reflects on the school board itself — an institution ostensibly responsible for ensuring the good education of children.

First and most obviously, this demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of basic science on the part of board members. This might not be so bad if it weren't for the fact that instead of admitting ignorance and deferring to scientists, board members want to abuse their power by having schools promote their religion.

Second, this reveals a complete ignorance about or perhaps disregard of the law because every court that has ever ruled on the matter has ruled against teaching creationism, no matter what the circumstances.

Clipmarks | Science Clips

Neuroscientists Find That Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress

Men Are From Mars Neuroscientists Find That Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress

McCain Manipulation

McCain Fails to Understand, Sneeringly Misrepresents Sky Theater As "Overhead Projector"

Cuba's contribution to public health

Challenging Dogmatism in Science

Why nature can't be reduced to mathematical laws

Hundreds of New Marine Species Found

Don't believe in telepathy? watch this half hour BBC clip

Asia trumping US on science R&D

Gecko-grip material aims to be the end of glue

Gecko-grip material aims to be the end of glue

Alien salad

Mass Extinction Event On the Horizon?

The Other Humans

Last of the Neanderthals

Eurasia was theirs alone for 200,000 years. Then the newcomers arrived.

Artist Builds Temple of Science

I'm Going for a PHD in Alchemy

North Carolina School Considering Creationism

Men Are From Mars
Neuroscientists Find That Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress

Eurasia was theirs alone for 200,000 years.
Then the newcomers arrived.