Toronto native Marcelo da Luz has set a new world distance record by zig-zagging across Canada in his solar-powered car. 11|28|08 |
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The goal of the Harvard IIC's "Astronomical Medicine" (AM) project is to extend the state of the art of complex data understanding in two very different fields, astronomy and medical imaging, using a broad-based approach to data exploration and analysis. 12|5|08 |
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Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 11|21|08 |
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Call it a fluke, a mystery, a miracle. Or call it the biggest problem in physics. Short of invoking a benevolent creator, many physicists see only one possible explanation: Our universe may be but one of perhaps infinitely many universes in an inconceivably vast multi verse. Most of those universes are barren, but some, like ours, have conditions suitable for life. 11|24|08 |
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The AATE is not a perpetual motion machine. The science behind the AATE technology is Vortex Mechanics based on the Tornado Implosion Vortex principle. The unique design of the engine creates a tornado within the engine chamber andthe natural force of nature sustains and powers the rotation. 11|21|08 |
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is a non-profit organization dedicated to reshaping cities, towns and villages for long term health of human and natural systems. 11|21|08 |
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Oxford researchers have discovered strange new data about the Earth's core that's offering fresh insights into alternative energy resources. 11|13|08 |
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A new imaging method that offers an unprecedented view of complex neural structures could help explain the workings of the brain. 11|9|08 |
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Scientists have demonstrated what is being called the "ultimate miniaturization of computer memory," storing data for nearly 2 seconds in the nucleus of an atom. This is a key step in the development of quantum computers, according to the National Science Foundation. 11|13|08 |
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Hydrogen is often considered as an energy carrier. Wind farms or solar arrays produce electricity to extract hydrogen from water. The hydrogen gas is carried to a point of use, where it burns cleanly. But the US company BlackLight Power claims the possibility to extract from hydrogen 100 times the energy of ordinary combustion. A prototype is said to produce 50k Watt of heat power on demand. This claim has now been scrutinized and confirmed by a US university. Is hydrogen not only an energy carrier, but also an energy source? 11|9|08 |
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Researchers have created a new material that overcomes two of the major obstacles to solar power: it absorbs all the energy contained in sunlight. 11|1|08 |
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The secret lives of invisible magnetic fields are revealed as chaotic ever-changing geometries. All action takes place around NASA's Space Sciences Laboratories, UC Berkeley, to recordings of space scientists describing their discoveries. Actual VLF audio recordings control the evolution of the fields as they delve into our inaudible surroundings, revealing recurrent ‘whistlers' produced by fleeting electrons . Are we observing a series of scientific experiments, the universe in flux, or a documentary of a fictional world? 11|1|08 |
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An architect by the name of Edward Nightingale wrote a paper claiming to have cracked the code of the Giza Complex. 11|1|08 |
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The first ecosystem ever found having only a single biological species has been discovered 2.8 kilometers (1.74 miles) beneath the surface of the earth in a gold mine near Johannesburg, South Africa. There the rod-shaped bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator exists in complete isolation, total darkness, a lack of oxygen, and 60-degree-Celsius heat (140 degrees Fahrenheit). 10|24|08 |
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Tiny green diatoms create the illusion of a fernlike forest as they attach to their marine-invertebrate hosts. The image earned first place in the photography category of the 2008 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge. 10|9|08 |
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What would happen if women were taught to enjoy birth rather than endure it? This the question posed by a unique new documentary film Orgasmic Birth. 10|6|08 |
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Tune in for the all new Astrobiology Rap, written by Jonathan. 10|6|08 |
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If human memory were truly digital, it would have just received an upgrade from something like the capacity of a floppy disk to that of a flash drive. A new study found the brain can remember a lot more than previously believed. 9|24|08 |
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Scientists have for the first time recorded individual brain cells in the act of summoning a spontaneous memory, revealing not only where a remembered experience is registered but also, in part, how the brain is able to recreate it. 9|17|08 |
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Only 68 molecular building blocks are used to construct the four fundamental components of cells – nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins, glycans and lipids, suggesting a new integrative approach to understanding the biological mechanisms of health and disease. 9|12|08 |
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A team of US scientists shows that our solar system is special, contrary to the accepted theory that it is an average planetary system. 9|17|08 |
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Experienced Zen meditators can clear their minds of distractions more quickly than novices, according to a new brain imaging study. 9|9|08 |
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is a fascinating audio-visual walk through mathematics, that takes you gradually up to the fourth dimension. Mathematical vertigo guaranteed! 8|24|08 |
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Hewlett Packard is up to two years away from starting to build a "central nervous system for the Earth", known as CeNSE, lead by Dr. Stan Williams: "The motivation for this work is realising and understanding the planet is sick and the disease is us. As information technology people, we are not going to be the ones who prescribe and administer the cure but we should be the people who provide the information required to do proper diagnosis and treatment." 8|24|08 |
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Astronomers are inviting members of the public to help them make major new discoveries by taking part in a census of one million galaxies. With your help, they have already been able to collect millions of classifications. 8|21|08 |
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Rappin' about CERN's Large Hadron Collider, accurately covering a lot of knowledge related to particle physics and how the LHC works. 8|17|08 |
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Five NASA satellites named after Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, have finally revealed the trigger behind the brilliant auroras that dance across the polar skies. 8|5|08 |
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The small brownish rock was found in September 2004 by a local businessman, 17 miles away from the spot where a UFO supposedly crash landed near Roswell over sixty years ago. 7|24|08 |
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A short, but fascinating two-part test of your perceptual abilities. First you will be shown a 30-second video of six college students divided into two teams. Three students are wearing white T-shirts, while the other three are wearing black. Each team has a basketball which they are passing to members of their team. Your task is to count the number of passes made by the team wearing white T-shirts. 8|8|08 |
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Researchers have made a major advance in inorganic chemistry that could lead to a cheap way to store energy from the sun. In so doing, they have solved one of the key problems in making solar energy a dominant source of electricity. 8|8|08 |
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Some studies suggest that the brains of brighter people use less energy to solve certain problems than those of people with lower aptitudes do. But under certain circumstances, scientists have also observed higher neuronal power consumption in individuals with superior mental capacities. 8|5|08 |
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In a study titled "Sensitivity of the Action Observation Network to Physical and Observational Learning," Dartmouth researchers determined that people can acquire motor skills through the "seeing" as well as the "doing" form of learning. 7|28|08 |
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presents an abundance of information about synesthesia. Visitors can find details about the Vision and Cognition Lab located at Boston University. Finally, the site includes the opportunity for an online participation in two of their web-based experiments. 7|21|08 |
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stands for the International Laboratory for BRAin, Music and Sound Research, and is a research unit affiliated with the University of Montreal, McGill University and the Montreal Neurological Institute. BRAMS is devoted to the study of music cognition with a focus on neuroscience. 7|17|08 |
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According to a major review published by the EU drugs agency, cannabis proves to be less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. "On every comparison of dangerousness we have considered, cannabis is at or near the bottom in comparison with other psychoactive substances," said author Robin Room, in an analysis contained in a 700-page EU report on cannabis. 7|12|08 |
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Bucky had it right. "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." That’s why we’re awarding a USD 100,000 prize each year for comprehensive solutions that radically advance human well-being and ecosystem health. The 2008 prize has been conferred June 23rd in NYC. The 2009 Challenge begins this fall. Stay tuned. 7|1|08 |
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TREC is an initiative of The Club of Rome, the Hamburg Climate Protection Foundation and the National Energy Research Center of Jordan (NERC) in the field of renewable forms of energy. It has developed the DESERTEC Concept for energy, water and climate security in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, promoting cooperation between countries of the sun-belt and the technology belt. Now TREC is making this concept a reality. 6|27|0 |
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The secret lives of invisible magnetic fields are revealed as chaotic ever-changing geometries. All action takes place around NASA's Space Sciences Laboratories, UC Berkeley, to recordings of space scientists describing their discoveries. Actual VLF audio recordings control the evolution of the fields as they delve into our inaudible surroundings, revealing recurrent "whistlers" produced by fleeting electrons. Are we observing a series of scientific experiments, the universe in flux, or a documentary of a fictional world? 6|24|08 |
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Lucy Pringle has been photographing crop formations from the air and on the ground since 1993. When she is impressed by crop patterns while photographing from an airplane, Lucy tries to get into the formations on the ground. That's what she did after photographing the 300-foot-diameter Barbury Castle. She said the interior showed no damage from mechanical devices or trampling, but she was puzzled by broken stalks at the edge of the outer perimeter. 6|21|08 |
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A new study by Princeton University researchers shows for the first time that bacteria don't just react to changes in their surroundings -- they anticipate and prepare for them. The findings challenge the prevailing notion that only organisms with complex nervous systems have this ability. 6|17|08 |
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Researchers at BrainCells Inc., a San Diego-based start-up that screens drugs for their brain-growing power, have developed drugs that encourage the growth of new neurons (neurogenesis) in the brain. The drugs could also treat depression without the side effects and failure rate of existing antidepressant medication. Scientists have found that new neurons are born in the adult brain and that increases or decreases of neurons may be involved in many brain diseases, including depression, schizophrenia and stroke. 6|11|08 |
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Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, today announced a new study to quantify the amounts and kinds of information being produced worldwide by businesses and consumers alike. The "How Much Information?" study will be completed by a multi-disciplinary, multi-university faculty team supported by corporate and foundation sponsorship. The program will be undertaken at the Global Information Industry Center (GIIC) at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS), with support from the Jacobs School of Engineering and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. 6|11|08 |
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Can we train ourselves to be compassionate? A new study suggests the answer is yes. Cultivating compassion and kindness through meditation affects brain regions that can make a person more empathetic to other peoples' mental states, say researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research suggests that individuals — from children who may engage in bullying to people prone to recurring depression — and society in general could benefit from such meditative practices. 6|9|08 |
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A tiny chemical "brain" which could one day act as a remote control for swarms of nano-machines has been invented. The molecular device - just two billionths of a metre across - was able to control eight of the microscopic machines simultaneously in a test. 4|9|08 |
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Is organized to create an unbiased outlet for scientific research and critical thinking. Their goal is truth, however they do acknowledge the difficulties in attaining such a lofty destination. They respect tradition only as much as it assists them in their quest and does not hinder the journey toward their chosen goal. 2|7|08 |
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Neuroscientists have long eschewed global questions about brain function, and books reviewing the current state of neuroscience usually allocate only a small section to "higher functions." But with the advent of novel imaging techniques such as positron-emission tomographic scanning and functional magnetic resonance imaging, attitudes have begun to change. It is now feasible to visualize functions of discrete brain regions while subjects are engaged in diverse activities — doing arithmetic, composing songs, writing poetry, or watching pornographic movies. Information about which parts of the brain are activated during various mental activities has supplemented and, in general, confirmed previous insights derived from observations of alterations of thinking and feeling associated with brain lesions, epilepsy, and the use of diverse drugs. 1|17|08 |
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"Gravity," goes the slogan on posters and bumper stickers. "It isn’t just a good idea. It’s the law." And what a law. Unlike, say, traffic or drug laws, you don’t have a choice about obeying gravity or any of the other laws of physics. Jump and you will come back down. Faith or good intentions have nothing to do with it. But what kind of laws are these, anyway, that might be inscribed on a T-shirt but apparently not on any stone tablet that we have ever been able to find? 1|7|08 |
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Scientists at The University of Arizona have added another piece of the puzzle of how the brain processes memory. Bruce McNaughton, a professor of psychology and physiology, and his colleague David Euston have shown that, during sleep, the reactivated memories of real-time experiences are processed within the brain at a higher rate of speed. That rate can be as much as six or seven times faster, and what McNaughton calls "thought speed." 11|28|07 |
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Garrett Lisi is an unlikely individual to be staking a claim for a theory of everything. He has no university affiliation and spends most of the year surfing in Hawaii. In winter, he heads to the mountains near Lake Tahoe, California, to teach snowboarding. Until recently, physics was not much more than a hobby ... 11|19|07 |
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Scientists have used the latest cell-staining techniques to create a colourful "brainbow" of the tissues of the brain. The Harvard University team used a combination of multiple fluorescent proteins to colour brain cells (neurons) up to 90 distinct colours. 11|12|07 |
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When matter gets swallowed by a black hole, it could fall into another universe contained inside the black hole, or get trapped inside a wormhole-like connection to a second black hole, a new study suggests. What's inside a black hole is one of the biggest mysteries in physics. The theory that predicted black holes in the first place – general relativity – says that all the matter inside them gets squashed into a central point of infinite density called a singularity. But then, "things break down mathematically," says Christian Böhmer of University College London, in the UK. "We would like to see the singularity removed." 11|9|07 |
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A mathematical model of the natural origin of our universe is presented. The model is based only on well-established physics. No claim is made that this model uniquely represents exactly how the universe came about. But the viability of a single model serves to refute any assertions that the universe cannot have come about by natural means. 11|1|07 |
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Everyone knows that NASA studies space; fewer people know that NASA also studies Earth. Since the agency's creation almost 50 years ago, NASA has been a world leader in space-based studies of our home planet. The mission has always been to explore, to discover, and to understand the world in which we live from the unique vantage point of space, and to share our newly gained perspectives with the public. 10|22|07 |
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analyzes the world's greatest challenges and identifies cost efficient solutions to meeting these challenges. The Center works with multilateral organizations, governments and other entities concerned with mitigating the consequences of the challenges which the world is facing. With the process of prioritization, the center aims to establish a framework in which solutions to problems are prioritized according to efficiency based upon economic and scientific analysis of distinct subjects. 10|15|07 |
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is the UK's premier science and technology photographic awards scheme. As a natural progression from previous competitions, this year will see the widening of the categories to embrace the broader scope of applied science within engineering & technology. This has been reflected in the updated name and logo. 10|10|07 |
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The coincidence last spring of Walter Isaacson's Einstein biography (Einstein: His Life and Universe) hitting the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list, coupled with the publication of The Endless Universe: Beyond The Big Bang by Paul Steinhardt, the Albert Einstein Professor of Science at Princeton University (coauthored with Neil
Turok), created an interesting opportunity for John Brockman to invite Walter Isaacson, Paul Steinhardt, and Columbia University string theorist, best selling author and TV presenter, Brian Greene, to participate in an Edge symposium on Einstein. Instead of reading the text, see the video. 10|3|07 |
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According to a mathematical discovery by Oxford scientists described by one expert as "one of the most important developments in the history of science", parallel universes really do exist. The parallel universe theory, first proposed in 1950 by the US physicist Hugh Everett, helps explain mysteries of quantum mechanics that have baffled scientists for decades, it is claimed. 10|1|07 |
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In the field of high-energy physics, a rapidly rising theory called "Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics" (Lattice QCD) proposes that an invisible, all-pervasive structure exists beneath atomic structure. As a long overdue replacement for the vacuous space-time continuum, we are now poised for a return to the ancient worldview of a musical universe described by Pythagorean harmonic science. 9|12|07 |
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Experts have found a way to trigger an out-of-body experience in volunteers. The experiments, described in the Science journal, offer a scientific explanation for a phenomenon experienced by one in 10 people. 8|29|07 |
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Mother nature can make drugs and other complicated molecules without using any toxic chemicals. Rather than using the somewhat barbaric methods of organic chemistry, research groups of the UC at San Diego and of Harvard Medical Schools stripped down the natural process for producing complicated chemicals. They identified each molecule that living cells use to make sophisticated compounds, and then used them to
produce the products they wanted. 8|17|07
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A unique chlorophyll-producing bacterium has been discovered in the hot springs of Yellowstone Park. 8|11|07 |
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Explore your brain, take part in real-life experiments and test yourself with our games, illusions and brain-benders. 8|9|07 |
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Life as we know it on Earth is not the only kind possible in the universe, scientists reminded NASA in a recently released report. It reviews current research into what life is and what it needs to survive, as well as the way life might differ on other worlds. 7|23|07 |
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The University of Arizona at Tucson announced that it would lease the 16-hectare Biosphere 2 complex for three years to conduct environmental studies. 7|3|07 |
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According to a new study, the brain only chooses to remember memories it thinks are most relevant, and actively suppresses those that are similar but less used, helping to lessen the cognitive load and prevent confusion. 6|11|07 |
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Cannabis smoking can create respiratory problems. Vaporizers heat cannabis to release active cannabinoids, but remain cool enough to avoid the smoke and toxins associated with combustion. Vaporized cannabis should create fewer respiratory symptoms than smoked cannabis. 5|25|07 |
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The objects scientists think are black holes could instead be wormholes leading to other universes, a new study says. If so, it would help resolve a quantum conundrum known as the black hole information paradox, but critics say it would also raise new problems, such as how the wormholes would form in the first place. 5|21|07 |
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New systems may allow people to record everything they see and hear--and even things they cannot sense--and to store all these data in a personal digital archive. (4/7/07) |
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A new study in the journal Neurology is being hailed as unassailable proof that marijuana is a valuable medicine. It is a sad commentary on the state of modern medicine -- and US drug policy -- that we still need "proof" of something that medicine has known for 5,000 years. A report by Lester Greenspoon. (3/28/07)
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