Astronomers have captured rare video of a meteor falling to Earth. The physics and astronomy department has a network of all-sky cameras in Southern Ontario that scan the sky monitoring for meteors. On March 5, 2008 cameras captured a video of a large fireball.
A powerful plant toxin, ricin, widely feared for its bioterrorism potential, may one day be tamed using findings about how the toxin attacks cells. Biotechnology researchers discovered that ricin tricks a cell into turning off a natural defense mechanism that destroys foreign proteins. The discovery allows scientists to explore ways to disarm ricin, and may also help them combat food poisoning episodes such as those caused by bacteria-tainted produce and ground meat.
Scientists have identified which variations of a specific gene determine a patient's initial response to treatment with the blood-thinning (anticoagulant) drug warfarin. Researchers found that the gene VKORC1 plays a major role in determining a patient's initial sensitivity to warfarin treatment -- when dosage amounts are most critical to prevent clotting problems in patients.
Just picture the scene: you're at a cocktail party, talking to someone you would like to get to know better but the background noise is making it hard to concentrate. Luckily, humans are very gifted at listening to someone speaking while many other people are talking loudly at the same time. This so-called cocktail-party-phenomenon is based on the ability of the human auditory system to decompose the acoustic world into discrete objects of perception. Now researchers have a better understanding of how this occurs. Different speakers have different temporal fine structure in their voiced speech and such signals are represented in different areas of the auditory cortex according to this different time structure. This provides a new solution for the cocktail party problem whereby people are able to hear and understand their conversation partner at a party in spite of considerable background noise.
Whether you are a habitual list maker, or you prefer to keep your tasks in your head, everyone pursues their goals in this ever changing, chaotic environment. We are often aware of our conscious decisions that bring us closer to reaching our goals, however to what extent can we count on our unconscious processes to pilot us toward our destined future?
Scientists have discovered an Antarctic fish species that adopts a winter survival strategy similar to hibernation. The Antarctic 'cod' Notothenia coriiceps effectively 'puts itself on ice' to survive the long Antarctic winter.
A new gadget can identify weaknesses in structures ranging from massive bridge construction to the tiniest elements of nanotechnology no larger than a speck of dust on a pinhead. The deformation prediction instrument uses the technology of optical interferometry to make precise measurements that identify weak spots in a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and other products.
Autophagy is a process by which a cell degrades its own components. In tumor cells, this mechanism is frequently initiated by anti-cancer therapy. It is not known why the cells respond by activating the catabolic process of autophagy. Researchers have now been able to show that blocking of autophagy makes cancer cells more sensitive to radiation therapy.
Cavities or not, your teeth could be in more trouble than you know because of a silent and destructive phenomenon called dental erosion. Scientists have found that the incidence of dental erosion, which is the steady loss of the teeth's protective enamel, is on the rise in the United States.
What makes you suddenly dart into the bakery when you spy chocolate-frosted donuts in the window, though you certainly hadn't planned on indulging? As you lick the frosting off your fingers, don't blame a lack of self-control. New research reveals how hunger works in the brain and the way neurons pull your strings to lunge for the sweet fried dough. The research demonstrates how our brain decides what to pay attention to in a world full of stimuli -- not just sweets.
Ben Goldacre: All trials should be registered before they start, no trial should be passed by any ethics committee without a firm commitment to publish. No exceptions, because bad data costs lives Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 8 Mar 2008 | 12:03 am
The largest, most complex spacecraft Europe has built is being readied for its maiden flight from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 8 Mar 2008 | 12:03 am
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who do not drink alcohol may finally have a reason to start -- a study published on Friday shows non-drinkers who begin taking the occasional tipple live longer and are less likely to develop heart disease.
Europe is set to launch the Automated Transfer Vehicle - the biggest, most complex spacecraft in its history. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 7 Mar 2008 | 9:28 pm
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Meteorologists on Friday predicted near-perfect weather in Florida for next week's launch of the space shuttle Endeavour to carry the first part of an elaborate Japanese laboratory to the International Space Station.
Rebels who seized control of DR Congo's Gorilla Sector say rangers will be executed if they enter the area. Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 7 Mar 2008 | 6:06 pm
Twenty-tonne automated transfer vehicle is largest, most complex spacecraft Europe has ever built Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Mar 2008 | 2:47 pm
