Next Stop: The Fourth Dimension, With Large Hadron Collider Experiments

How did the universe come to be? What is it made of? What is mass? Can science prove that there are other dimensions? We may have answers soon. On September 10, 2008, the new CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is scheduled to turn on. The first high-energy collisions are expected to take place in October 2008. Scientists are calling it the largest experiment in the world.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 3:00 pm

Stem Cell Transplantation Benefits Mice With Childhood Motor Neuron Disease

The motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the second most common genetic disorder leading to death in childhood. There is currently no cure for SMA, but some clinicians and researchers consider stem cell transplantation as a potential therapeutic strategy. And now, work using a mouse model of SMA suggests that spinal cord neural stem cells might be a possible treatment for individuals with SMA.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 3:00 pm

Changes To Embryonic Stem Cells Caused By Down Syndrome Revealed

Scientists investigating the mechanisms of Down syndrome have revealed the earliest developmental changes in embryonic stem cells caused by an extra copy of human chromosome 21 -- the aberrant inheritance of which results in the condition.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 3:00 pm

Changes In Urine Could Lead To BSE Test For Live Animals

Researchers have demonstrated that protein levels in urine samples can indicate both the presence and progress of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy disease in cattle. The scientists hope that their discovery might lead to the development of a urine-based test that could prevent the precautionary slaughter of many animals as now occurs when the disease is detected.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 3:00 pm

Functional Food – Delicious And Healthy

Linseed is said to protect against cancer – but not everybody likes the taste. Researchers have now isolated the valuable components of the flax seeds. Incorporated in bread, cakes or dressings, they support the human organism without leaving an unpleasant aftertaste.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 3:00 pm

Tiny Gold Clusters Are Top-notch Catalysts

Using a pair of scanning transmission electron microscopy instruments for which spherical aberration is corrected, researchers have for the first time achieved state-of-the-art resolution of gold nanocrystals absorbed onto iron oxide surfaces that can catalyzed a variety of reactions, including the oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 3:00 pm

Gossip girl

Sue Nelson has all the BA festival banter in Liverpool
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 1:12 pm

End is nigh

Why are people so fond of predicting the world's end?
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 1:10 pm

Melting Swiss Glacier Yields Neolithic Trove

High in the Swiss Alps, climate change is exposing a long-hidden past.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 8 Sep 2008 | 1:00 pm

Probe completes asteroid fly by

BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Space Agency obtained on Saturday the first images of an asteroid 360 million km (224 million miles) from earth, part of a space mission which scientists hope will help them understand the origins of the planets.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:58 pm

Deadly Ike rakes Cuba, could hit Havana head-on (AP)

AP - Hurricane Ike roared across Cuba on Monday, tearing off roofs and sending waves crashing into buildings, as 900,000 Cubans fled to shelters or higher ground and Havana residents in decaying historic buildings prepared for a direct hit.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:45 pm

ConocoPhillips to pay 9.6 bln dlrs for stake in Origin gas scheme (AFP)

AFP - Oil giant ConocoPhillips will pay up to 9.6 billion dollars (eight billion US) for a half share in a natural gas project owned by Origin Energy in Australia, the companies said Monday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:07 pm

As Easy As 1, 2, 3: Number Sense Correlates With Test Scores

Knowing how precisely a high school freshman can estimate the number of objects in a group gives you a good idea how well he has done in math as far back as kindergarten.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm

Cholesterol Drugs Lower Risk Of Stroke For Elderly, Too

Elderly people who take a cholesterol drug after a stroke or mini-stroke lower their risk of having another stroke just as much as younger people in the same situation, according to new research.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm

Smoke Smudges Mexico City's Air, Chemists Identify Sources

Mexico City once topped lists of places with the worst air pollution in the world. Although efforts to curb emissions have improved the situation, tiny particles called aerosols still clog the air. Now, atmospheric scientists have sorted through the pall that hangs over the city to precisely identify aerosols that make up the haze and chart daily patterns of changes to the mix.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm

New 'Trick' Allows HIV To Overcome A Barrier To Infection

Researchers have discovered a new 'trick' that allows HIV to overtake resting T cells that are normally highly resistant to HIV infection -- the binding of the virus to the surface of those cells sends a signal that breaks down the cells' internal skeleton, a structure that otherwise may present a significant barrier to infection.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm

Comets Disguised as Asteroids

Comets lurking as asteroids can surprise scientists by flaring up.
Source: Livescience.com | 8 Sep 2008 | 11:20 am

NASA Helping U.S. Air Force Gear Up for 2009 X-51 Flights

NASA tests a new engine to power the X-51 WaveRider's hypersonic flight.
Source: Livescience.com | 8 Sep 2008 | 11:19 am

European science satellite launch is delayed (AFP)

AFP - The launch of a satellite to monitor Earth's gravitational field, scheduled for Wednesday from a base in northern Russia, has been postponed to October 5 because of technical problems, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Monday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 11:08 am

Global forests

Guyana's president on forests' role to curb climate shift
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 10:06 am

Hugging benefits fractious chimps

A new study provides the first evidence that consolation in primates, such as hugging and stroking, can reduce stress levels after a fight.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 10:01 am

Frog find

Uncovering the rare red-eyed stream frog in Costa Rica
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 9:47 am

If you want a date, don't beat about the bush

Telling someone you fancy 'I really like you' could make him or her find you more attractive, research suggests.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 9:08 am

Txt forensics

Forensic science turns its attention to text messages
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 8:45 am

Germany leads 'clean coal' pilot

A small German coal-fired plant will be the first in the world to capture and store its own CO2 emissions.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 8 Sep 2008 | 8:25 am

China counts down to third manned space launch

BEIJING (Reuters) - China, still patting itself on the back after a hugely successful Olympics, will launch a three-man space flight this month, with all systems already in final preparation, state media said on Sunday.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 6:08 am

For Giant Bug, Size Matters (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - Female giant weta crickets are huge. At about 0.7 ounces (20 grams), they're one of the world's heaviest insects. But the males are about half their size. Now scientists know why.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 8 Sep 2008 | 5:06 am

For Giant Bug, Size Matters

Males that are lighter and have longer legs are more successful at mating.
Source: Livescience.com | 8 Sep 2008 | 5:02 am

First-known footage of rare frog filmed in Costa Rica

An incredibly rare frog is filmed for what is thought to be the first time, writes BBC reporter Rebecca Morelle.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:34 pm

Beatles' tunes aid memory recall

Scientists investigate how our memories of Beatles songs help us tap into the long forgotten events in our lives.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:20 pm

Internet TV: Giraffe-like models and Poliakoff's brother

Anna Pickard: 'Are you ready?' asks a man's voice in a half-whisper, as a classy black screen flickers into life on vogue.tv.
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:09 pm

The question: Will the world end on Wednesday when the Large Hadron Collider is switched on?

Jon Henley: The Large Hadron Collider is completely safe and will not be doing anything that has not happened '100,000 times over' in nature since the earth has existed
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:08 pm

Jon Henley talks to psychoanalyst Hanna Segal

Psychoanalyst Hanna Segal talks to Jon Henley about her search for truth, the healing power of art and what her years in practice have taught her about life
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:08 pm

New weekly treatment for type 2 diabetes works better than twice-daily injections, say researchers

Slow-acting version of exenatide is more effective at keeping glucose levels under control
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:08 pm

Naomi Alderman on Spore: the new game based on evolutionary theory

Naomi Alderman: Salesof Spore in the US predicted to soar, which is surprising, considering that the game is based on evolutionary theory
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:06 pm

CERN fires up new atom smasher to near Big Bang (AP)

AP - It has been called an Alice in Wonderland investigation into the makeup of the universe — or dangerous tampering with nature that could spell doomsday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 7 Sep 2008 | 6:52 pm

Study: Credit Cards Cause More Spending

If you're trying to save money, leave your credit cards at home and pack cash only.
Source: Livescience.com | 7 Sep 2008 | 4:49 pm

The final countdown?

Should we be concerned when the world's largest subatomic particle experiment is switched on in Geneva?
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Sep 2008 | 4:12 pm

Algae-dyed Polar Bears Puzzle Japan Zoo Visitors

Three normally white polar bears changed their color after swimming in a pond with algae.
Source: Livescience.com | 7 Sep 2008 | 2:19 pm

Thousands of Australia's koalas felled by land-clearing: WWF (AFP)

AFP - Australian koalas are dying by the thousands as a result of land clearing in the country's northeast, while millions of birds and reptiles are also perishing, conservation group WWF said Sunday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 7 Sep 2008 | 2:17 pm

Leo Hickman on whether the world ends on Wednesday

Leo Hickman: I don't believe we're about to disappear down Cern's black hole. But ... what if?
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Sep 2008 | 12:00 pm