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Severe acid reflux: Stomach wraps effective in short to medium termStomach wrap operations may be more effective than acid suppression tablets in the treatment of severe acid reflux, according to a new review. The study shows a more pronounced improvement in symptoms shortly after surgery than with drug treatment.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 12:00 pm Jaws -- 4 million BC: How an extinct shark attacked its preyPalaeontologists have discovered evidence of how an extinct shark attacked its prey, reconstructing a killing that took place 4 million years ago.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 12:00 pm Depression: Antidepressants beneficial in physically ill patientsAntidepressants are effective against depression in patients suffering from physical illnesses, according to a new systematic review in the UK. The researchers found the drugs were more effective than placebos at treating depression in these patients.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 12:00 pm Russian lunar rover found: 37-year-old space mystery solvedA Canadian researcher has helped solve a 37-year-old space mystery using lunar images released by NASA and maps from an atlas of the moon.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 12:00 pm NASA's chopper crash test a smash hitThe second crash test of a small lightweight helicopter at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., was a smashing success, literally -- just as engineers had predicted.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 12:00 pm Blocking cancer in its path: New cellular defect discoveredResearchers have discovered that a key cellular defect that disturbs the production of proteins in human cells can lead to cancer susceptibility. The scientists also found that a new generation of inhibitory drugs offers promise in correcting this defect.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 12:00 pm Potential new drug for type 2 diabetesAn experimental oral drug has lowered blood sugar levels and inflammation in mice with Type 2 diabetes, suggesting that the medication could someday be added to the arsenal of drugs used by millions of Americans with this disease, according to new research.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am Brain abnormalities identified that result from prenatal methamphetamine exposureChildren whose mothers abused methamphetamine (meth) during pregnancy show brain abnormalities that may be more severe than that of children exposed to alcohol prenatally, according to a new study. While researchers have long known that drug abuse during pregnancy can alter fetal brain development, this finding shows the potential impact of meth. Identifying vulnerable brain structures may help predict particular learning and behavioral problems in meth-exposed children.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am New study finds 70 percent of able-bodied hockey players have abnormal hip and pelvis MRIsSeventy percent of healthy professional and collegiate hockey players had abnormal hip and pelvis MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), even though they had no symptoms of injury, according to a new study. The study's surprising findings could serve as a warning for surgeons to not depend excessively on imaging when diagnosing patients.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am Frogs, foam and fuel: Solar energy converted to sugarsIn natural photosynthesis, plants take in solar energy and carbon dioxide and then convert it to oxygen and sugars. The oxygen is released to the air and the sugars are dispersed throughout the plant -- like that sweet corn we look for in the summer. Unfortunately, the allocation of light energy into products we use is not as efficient as we would like. Now engineering researchers are doing something about that.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am The nation's weather (AP)AP - Most of the U.S. should see another day of mild weather Wednesday as a large ridge of high pressure continues to build over the middle of the country and stretch over most of the East Coast.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 17 Mar 2010 | 3:40 am Ads 'exaggerated climate change'Two government press adverts aimed at raising awareness of climate change are banned for overstating the risks.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 17 Mar 2010 | 3:05 am China investigating child lead poisoning cases (AP)AP - Chinese officials said Wednesday they are investigating heightened lead levels among hundreds of children in Hunan province thought to be linked to local smelters — one of many cases underscoring the toll pollution is taking on the health of rural Chinese.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 11:31 pm Bolivia summit to seek global climate change referendum (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 8:54 pm New Smartphone App Helps Shoppers Make Greener Food Choices (LiveScience.com)LiveScience.com - A new smartphone application aims to help eco-conscious consumers make greener choices at the grocery store.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 8:05 pm Africans 'take blame for climate'Many Africans blame themselves for climate change despite relatively low emissions from the continent, a survey of 1,000 people suggests.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 16 Mar 2010 | 7:35 pm Jaws Circa 4 Million B.C.Bite marks on a now-extinct dolphin reveal that it was killed by an enormous shark that bit, shook and bled its victim to death 4 million years ago, according to a study in the latest issue of the journal Palaeontology. ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 7:20 pm Feminine faces appeal most to women in healthy countriesA country's disease rates influence women's preference for masculine or feminine-looking faces, claim psychologists Women who live in healthier countries prefer more feminine-looking men, compared with women living in regions where life-threatening diseases are rife, psychologists say. Their research suggests masculine men have the greatest appeal for women who live in areas where a strong genetic make-up is critical for survival. A study of women in 30 countries found they were more likely to choose a masculine-looking partner if their country scored low on a health index based on World Health Organisation mortality figures. By contrast, in countries where people have a longer lifespan, women favoured more feminine-looking men, even though they might not have the healthiest genes available. The research challenges the long-held belief that beauty is largely determined by culture. "When women are choosing a mate, they're weighing up two different things. On the one hand a really attractive, high genetic quality mate will give them very healthy offspring. On the other, there is getting "investment" from a mate – one who'll be a good dad," said Lisa DeBruine, who led the study at Aberdeen University in the UK. "Men who are really attractive tend to be able to pursue whatever mating strategy is best for them," she added. "They are more likely to prefer short-term relationships. More feminine men tend to be better providers." DeBruine's team used a computer to create average male and female faces by merging photographs. The computer then used these to work out how the features of a masculine face differ from a feminine face. The most obvious differences are the larger jaws and deeper brows of more masculine men. Next, DeBruine recruited 4,794 heterosexual Caucasian women from around the world to take part in the online experiment. Each of the women was asked to look at 20 pairs of male faces and indicate which was the more attractive of the two. In each case, one of the pair was digitally manipulated to make it 50% more feminine than the original, while the other in the pair was made 50% more masculine. When DeBruine compared the women's answers with the health index score for their country, she saw a strong preference for more masculine faces in less healthy areas. Women in Mexico, one of the least healthy countries in the study, preferred masculinised faces 54% of the time, compared with only 32% of the time for women in Sweden, which is one of the healthiest countries in the world. In Britain, women preferred the more masculine faces 43% of the time. The study is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "Certain environmental factors shift the balance when a woman is choosing a mate, and health is one of those. If a woman lives in an environment where there are lots of pathogens and disease, they are more likely to trade off a good investment in favour of better health for their children," DeBruine said. "In places where health is less of an issue, women are not so willing to do that." guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:05 pm We depend on a diversity of speciesGeorge Monbiot (All these common English species we've driven them towards extinction, 16 March) rightly draws attention to yet more reports about loss of species. But he doesn't highlight the urgent importance of such losses. The human race is where it is because of the extraordinary range of living species on the planet that are all involved in providing our ecosystem services – ie climate regulation, purification of water and air, decomposition, recycling and many others – and upon which we are all totally dependent. Of course it is possible lose a few charmingly named plants and insects – and even some unnamed but equally important microbes – and not notice anything amiss. But each loss means yet another deterioration in the resilience of the living world to survive. This is crucial in an era when even greater resilience is needed to deal with climate change and destabilisation. Professor Martin Wolfe Eye, Suffolk • Your article (More than two extinct species a year, 11 March) highlights the alarming loss of England's wildlife heritage. This should sound a call for more action to conserve and restore the wealth of species which add colour and vitality to life. We need to redouble our efforts to stop extinction and prevent more of England's wildlife from slipping over the edge. This means we need to: complete the protected area network, particularly at sea; reduce human impacts, such as damaging airport, barrage and infrastructure developments; reduce the impact of non-native species; and increase funding for both targeted species management projects and restoring wildlife habitats at a landscape scale. In 2010 – the International Year of Biodiversity – it is clear the loss of wildlife continues not just in England, but across Europe too, and we need an ambitious EU 2020 target for biodiversity conservation Dr Mark Avery Director of conservation, RSPB guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:05 pm Science is the engine of growthI read with interest your leader about National Science and Engineering Week (Festivities and the aversion of famine, 15 March). Support for scientific and medical research has never been higher, according to a report issued last week by the Wellcome Trust. Virtually all (95%) of respondents to the survey thought that medical research should be supported and encouraged, even if a lot of public money would need to be invested. The report also challenges the myth that young people in particular are turned off by science, with 81% expressing an interest and 44% considering science as a career. Science and innovation will be crucial to helping revitalise the British economy. It is up to the scientific community as well as government to ensure that the public is kept informed and engaged – and most of all, enthused – about the issues facing scientists today. Derek Bell Head of education, Wellcome Trust • The future prosperity of Britain will require a much more diverse economic base. We need more high-added value businesses and industries to manufacture and maintain wealth-creating products, infrastructure and services fit for the future. Such innovative enterprises will rely on our engineering expertise, building on our strengths in science and technology to address the challenges of climate change, boosting GDP and underpinning social progress. The engineering profession is committed to playing its part through a newly formed alliance of professional organisations – Engineering the Future – with a combined membership of over 450,000 engineers. We will deploy our engineering expertise in business and academia to help deliver a transformation in the nation's industrial base that will capitalise on the value of UK science and engineering research, bringing huge economic changes and benefits. It is essential that politicians understand that engineering is key to creating this new, broader economic base. The UK needs the government to consult Engineering the Future on policy so that our infrastructure and economy are all prepared for the challenges of the 21st century. John Browne President, Royal Academy of Engineering, Anthony Cleaver Chairman, Engineering UK, Professor Kel Fidler Chairman, Engineering Council, Professor Paul Jowitt President, Institution of Civil Engineers, Keith Millard President, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Ian Shott President, Institution of Chemical Engineers, Professor Christopher Snowden President, Institution of Engineering and Technology • Your editorial was a bit unfair in referring to the Edinburgh International Science Festival as a "slightly later funfair". In 1989 The Edinburgh Science Festival was the world's first, and National Science Week was its direct descendant. Now, there are science festivals established worldwide. In celebrating our scientists, we also celebrate creativity and debate the social impact of science and technology, meaning that everyone visiting the festival also participates, sharing knowledge, and how it can be applied for the common good. Dr Ian Wall Edinburgh • The government has recently called for some of Britain's largest companies to recruit more women on to their boards and achieve greater diversity. As director of the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology, I feel there is a significant need to highlight the importance of this call across the science, engineering and technology sectors (SET), where women make up just 9% of total directorships of FTSE 100 companies. This is much less than the 12.5% of women among non-SET directors. There is a powerful business case for encouraging gender diversity: research shows that where organisations have an influential female presence on the executive committee, and more than two women on the board, they outperform their competitors in terms of return on equity, operating profit and stock price growth. The UKRC is committed to improving the participation and position of SET across industry and academia where there are skills shortages. Annette Williams Director, UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:05 pm Gliding ants use their legs as ruddersTree-dwelling tropical ants escape from predators by gliding to safety, using their legs to steer Tropical ants that nest in the forest canopy but launch themselves into the air when predators arrive can glide back to their trees using their back legs as rudders, scientists have found. The arboreal ants, Cephalotes atratus, build elaborate nests in the trunks and branches of tall trees, but are sometimes dislodged by strong winds and tropical downpours, or jump to safety when lizards and birds approach. Rather than fall directly to the ground, the ants flip their bodies in mid-air and glide backwards, usually to the tree from which they fell, while peering between their legs to see where they are going. Their elongated hind legs are used to adjust their trajectory and latch onto the tree when they land, scientists say. Researchers used video to study the centimetre-long ants in flight after dropping them from treetops at a field station run by the US Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama canal. The ants' acrobatic behaviour was confirmed in the laboratory using a high-speed video camera to observe their mid-air manoeuvres. "For these ants, to fall out of the forest canopy, either into leaf litter or water, would be a really big problem because they'd wind up being eaten," said Stephen Yanoviak at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, who led the study. "By gliding, they can steer their way back to a tree, climb back up and go home." If gliding ants become agitated, for example if they are attacked by a predator, they release an alarm pheromone that makes neighbouring ants leap to safety. To find out how gliding ants steer, Yanoviak collected some of the insects and painted them white with nail polish to make them easier to see. He then climbed up to the forest canopy, plucked a leg or two off each, and compared how well they glided when released. "If you take the rear legs off the ants, they can still glide back to the tree, but they're not nearly as good at it," Yanoviak said. In tests, a control group of intact ants landed on a tree trunk more than 90% of the time. When their hindlegs were removed, however, they made it back to the tree roughly 40% of the time. Removing the ants' midlegs reduced their success to less than 70% "Trying to understand how something as small as an ant is able to control its fall is interesting and relevant to understanding how these behaviours, and insect flight in general, evolved," said Yanoviak, whose study is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:05 pm Video: Gliding ants can steer back to their home tree trunkResearch suggests that a species of ant has developed a gliding technique to return to the safety of their tree Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:00 pm As National Health Worsens, Women Prefer More Manly FacesWomen in the least healthy nations are more likely to choose men with masculine faces, which is a sign of health.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 5:59 pm Are the Universe's secrets hiding on a chip?Topological insulator could help to test quantum field theory.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/news/rss/today/~4/ANjGJ5I5_vQ" height="1" width="1"/>Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 16 Mar 2010 | 5:27 pm Dominant Female Mongoose Bully to the MaxTo benefit their young, dominant female banded mongooses kick pregnant subordinate females out of their living groups.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 5:00 pm New Smartphone App Helps Shoppers Make Greener Food ChoicesA new smartphone application aims to help eco-conscious consumers make greener choices at the grocery store.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 4:54 pm Red in Jupiter’s Spot Not What Astronomers Thought
The best thermal images of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot yet captured have revealed surprising weather and temperature variation within the solar system’s most famous storm. The darkest red part of the spot turns out to be a warm patch inside the otherwise cold storm. The temperature variation is slight: “Warm” in this case translates to -250 degrees Fahrenheit while cold is an even frostier -256 degrees F. But even that difference is enough to create intriguing internal dynamics. “This is our first detailed look inside the biggest storm of the solar system,” said Jet Propulsion Laboratory astronomer Glenn Orton, who led the new study to be published in Icarus. “We once thought the Great Red Spot was a plain old oval without much structure, but these new results show that it is, in fact, extremely complicated.” The Red Spot has persisted since at least the late 17th century, when astronomers first saw it. If you’d seen it back then, though, you might have been “tempted to call it the great red sausage,” Orton said. “It’s shrinking slowly.” Still, it’s the solar system’s longest-lived and largest storm system, wider than three Earths.
Over the past few decades, astronomers had begun to get a handle on the weather patterns around the Great Red Spot, but not inside of it. Previous measurements have indicated that the spot towered over the surrounding cloud cover, much like supercells on Earth. Scientists have also noticed that its color changes considerably, but what drives the changes — or the famous ruddy complexion in general — is unclear. A leading theory was that sulfurous molecules from deep in the Jovian atmosphere were being lofted by the storm, exposing them to ultraviolet radiation that would break them apart. The newly freed sulfur atoms would then change color and lend the area its distinctive tinge. But that might not be the case. This latest work shows a clear correlation between the environmental conditions and color, but doesn’t help the scientists figure out what chemistry is actually at work, Orton said. “This is the first time we can say that there’s an intimate link between environmental conditions — temperature, winds, pressure and composition — and the actual color of the Great Red Spot,” Orton’s collaborator, Leigh Fletcher, an Oxford astronomer added. “Although we can speculate, we still don’t know for sure which chemicals or processes are causing that deep red color, but we do know now that it is related to changes in the environmental conditions right in the heart of the storm.” The new thermal images were captured by the VISIR instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
Images: 1. ESO/NASA/JPL/ESA/L. Fletcher 2. JPL Citation: “Thermal Structure and Composition of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot from High-Resolution Thermal Imaging” in Icarus (forthcoming). WiSci 2.0: Alexis Madrigal’s Twitter, Tumblr, and green tech history research site; Wired Science on Twitter and Facebook.
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 16 Mar 2010 | 4:26 pm New protections set for Twain's jumping frog (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 4:07 pm 'Arrogance' undid climate talksThe "disappointing" outcome of December's UN climate summit was largely down to rich nations not listening, says Lord Stern.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 16 Mar 2010 | 4:04 pm Secrets of Jupiter's Great Red Spot Revealed in New Weather Map (SPACE.com)SPACE.com - New images have revealed an unprecedented look at the swirling winds inside Jupiter's famed Great Red Spot and allowed scientists to build the first-ever detailed weather map of the giant storm's insides.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 3:30 pm Funding for the National Broadband Plan UncertainThe FCC's National Broadband Plan, offers fast and affordable connections to the Internet but faces opposition.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 3:03 pm NASA chief Bolden sees opportunities for industry (Reuters)Reuters - NASA Administrator Charles Bolden defended the U.S. space agency's budget on Tuesday and said its focus on commercial space transportation would provide "incredible opportunities" for U.S. companies.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 2:46 pm NASA chief Bolden sees opportunities for industryWASHINGTON (Reuters) - NASA Administrator Charles Bolden defended the U.S. space agency's budget on Tuesday and said its focus on commercial space transportation would provide "incredible opportunities" for U.S. companies.Source: Reuters: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 2:46 pm Cash crisis looms for vaccine driveRising demand for immunization programmes in developing countries could outstrip funding.Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 16 Mar 2010 | 2:40 pm Sex bias blights drug studiesOmission of females is skewing results.Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 16 Mar 2010 | 2:40 pm China debates university reformAcademics lobby for more autonomy, but fear losing powerful connections with government.Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 16 Mar 2010 | 2:40 pm Capitalizing on Carbon - Pt. 2: Pumping New OilThree ways that carbon can be captured from industry before it escapes into the air. And one way to make that process pay for itself by pumping new oil.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 2:00 pm Methane May Be Building Under Antarctic Ice
BALTIMORE — Microbes living under ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland could be churning out large quantities of the greenhouse gas methane, a new study suggests.
Jemma Wadham, a geochemist at the University of Bristol in England, described the little-known role of methane-making microbes, called methanogens, below ice sheets on March 15 at an American Geophysical Union conference on Antarctic lakes. Her team took samples from one site in Antarctica, the Lower Wright glacier, and one in Greenland, the Russell glacier. Trapped within the ice were high concentrations of methane, Wadham said, as well as methanogens themselves — up to 10 million cells per gram in the Antarctic sample and 100,000 cells per gram in Greenland. That’s comparable to the concentration of methanogens found in deep-ocean sediments, she said. The species of microbes were also similar to those found in other polar environments, such as Arctic peat or tundra.
Other researchers have also recently found methanogens in icy settings. Mark Skidmore, a microbiologist at Montana State University in Bozeman, reported at the conference that his team has found methanogens in the Robertson glacier in the Canadian Rockies. “It underscores the importance of subglacial methanogenesis,” Skidmore said. The studies flesh out a picture of Antarctica as a much more dynamic and watery environment than the frozen, static one once envisaged. At least 386 lakes have been identified buried beneath the ice sheet, scientists from the University of Edinburgh reported at the meeting. Plans for major drilling projects are underway for several of them. Images: 1) NASA. 2) Zina Deretsky/NSF. See Also:
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 16 Mar 2010 | 1:39 pm Planet PowerSustainable energy technologies: How they work and where they come from.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 1:00 pm Goodies behaving badly | Julian BagginiDoing good deeds as a way of earning naughtiness points shows ethics has become a form of unenlightened self-interest Being virtuous is wonderful thing, but feeling virtuous is a shortcut to vice. That seems to be the moral of a fascinating piece of research by two Canadian psychologists, which suggests that the greener people are, the more likely they are to lie and cheat. Doing the right thing by the planet earns us credit in our ethical investment accounts that we can then spend by dumping on our fellow human beings. The "halo of green consumerism", it is claimed, is just a license to behave less well in other areas of life. This finding doesn't surprise me. It echoes a report that came out in 2008, which showed that people who were most concerned about the environment were more likely to take long-haul flights. Some of those questioned explicitly said that recycling every last scrap of paper earned them the right to fly, as though you could swap carbon footprints for green air miles. It would be wrong, however, to think there is something particularly hypocritical about environmentalists. The general truth lurking behind these findings is that the feeling of being pure is a moral contaminant. In ethical terms, the best never think that they are the best, and those that believe themselves to be on the side of the angels are often the worst devils. Why should this be so? One reason is that complacency is as dangerous in ethics as it is in any other area of life where we strive for excellence. If we think we are "good people" we might think less about the possibility that we might actually be doing wrong. But if that just seems to be a universal truth of human nature, what of the idea that being in moral credit earns us redeemable naughtiness points? I can imagine what the evolutionary psychologists would say: ethics is rooted in reciprocal altruism – you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. So when you do the right thing, but not to any particular person, we instinctively feel that we have earned some sort of pay back. Since no-one will do that for us, we opt for self-service reciprocation. That may indeed be natural, but that doesn't make it right. And even if it did, there is still a problem that when we allow ourselves to dish out the rewards, we can't trust ourselves to be fair. It's like that old Laurel and Hardy skit where Ollie shares out the money, "one for you, one for me; two for you, one-two for me ..." and so on. He who cuts the cake should never be allowed to choose the first slice. The problem is compounded by the fact that we also tend to over-value the good we do and undervalue the harm. The more you believe that saving the world is the most important thing in it, the more your credit for doing your bit is inflated. Our own moral priorities always, uniquely, earn double points. True virtue, in contrast, doesn't keep tabs, because it is self-effacing. Consider, for instance, how you'd answer the question, are you modest? The truly modest can't answer yes, as that would be immodest. But to answer no would be false. The only honest answer that is not self-defeating is to say, "I don't know: I try to be, but I might not succeed." It's not about false modesty, but maintaining a proper scepticism about our ability to judge our own moral fitness. Proper, because we can see how hardly anyone believes his or herself to be a villain, yet villains there surely are. And it's also so easy to be self-serving in our rationalisations. True virtue would never liken its rewards to points on a loyalty card, not because it is its own reward, but because it is not something we should practice to accrue future benefits. If these latest studies show us anything, it's that we've lost sight of this. It is not to our credit that we see good deeds as ways of earning it. Ethics has gone beyond reciprocal altruism and become unenlightened self-interest. But I'd better stop there: I'm in danger of feeling very, very self-righteous. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 1:00 pm Shark conservation proposal defeated at UN meeting (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 12:54 pm Climate Quick Fix Could Create Toxic Algae Blooms
Pouring iron into oceans may combat global warming by feeding carbon dioxide-gobbling algae, but those algal blooms could become fountains of neurotoxin. According to a small-scale test, iron-enriched waters favor the growth of Pseudonitzschia, an algae that pumps out brain-damaging domoic acid. “The toxin per cell increases, and there’s an increased success against other species,” said oceanographer William Cochlan of San Francisco State University, co-author of the study, published March 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Pseudonitzschia “is out there in the most pristine environments. They produce low levels of toxin, so they’re not harmful. But if you add iron, and these cells proliferate, and produce more toxin per cell, then you have a problem.” Oceanic iron fertilization is one of many proposed, planet-scale engineering solutions to climate change. Others include shrouding Earth in sun-reflecting aerosol particles, manufacturing CO2-absorbing artificial trees, and pumping CO2 into underground reservoirs. Critics say these geoengineering schemes are untested, unpredictable and could have disastrous consequences — if, that is, they even work. Proponents say geoengineering should at least be considered, if only as a last-ditch tactic. Both generally agree that more research is needed.
Iron-fertilization research, however, is caught in a catch-22. It’s impossible to know large-scale effects without large-scale testing, but large-scale testing is limited by concerns about the effects. The United Nations has declared a moratorium on oceanic iron-fertilization studies, and the International Maritime Organization has also limited research. But some companies and countries are pushing for restrictions to be lifted. In the case of a joint Indian-German expedition that fertilized 115 square miles of ocean in 2009, the restrictions have already been ignored. The new report falls squarely into the middle of this fight. “There’s an absolute need for remedies involving carbon sequestration, but they have to have a scientific foundation. At this point, iron fertilization doesn’t have that,” said Cochlan. Cochlan’s team, led by University of Western Ontario phytoplankton specialist Charles Trick, added iron to tanks of water taken from the Gulf of Alaska, in an area where earlier researchers had conducted iron fertilization experiments. They found that Pseudonitzschia, a common genus of algae, thrived on the iron. Pseudonitzschia at first accounted for a small fraction of algae and plankton in the water, but soon made up 80 percent of some tank populations. Pseudonitzschia appears to benefit from its ability to produce domoic acid, which binds with iron and can then be reabsorbed by the algae. But unfortunately for other organisms, domoic acid is a potent toxin. Cochlan, who previously studied a massive 2004 Pseudonitzschia bloom off the coasts of British Columbia and Washington, said the ecological consequences of an iron-fertilization-fed bloom could be profound, killing large numbers of animals and creating a steady injection of domoic acid into marine food chains, where it could accumulate in fish consumed by people. In humans, domoic acid produces permanent, short-term memory loss, and can even be fatal. “Eventually, the toxicity subsides when the cells die. But doing a sustained iron enrichment experiment would mean that you’d want to keep these blooms going continuously,” said Cochlan. The researchers warned against drawing absolute conclusions from a small-scale study. But even if preliminary, the findings do suggest that researchers who’ve suggested that Pseudonitzschia could only bloom along coastlines, and not on the open sea, were wrong. Later this month, scientists and policy experts will meet in Asilomar, California to discuss geoengineering risks and regulation. The meeting is organized by the Climate Response Fund, a nonprofit supporter of geoengineering research. Its director is Margaret Leinen, the former chief science officer of Climos, a San Francisco iron-fertilization company founded in 2005. Climos originally planned to sell fertilization-based carbon offsets, but after being criticized for jumping ahead of science has re-purposed itself as a research contractor. “If domoic acid is produced by artificially stimulated ocean iron-fertilization blooms, it is likely produced during natural ones as well,” Climos said in a statement March 15. “We need to understand exactly how deep-ocean phytoplankton respond to iron, be it naturally or artificially supplied, whether and in what situations domoic acid is produced, and how the ecosystem is or is not already adapted to this.” A key difference between natural and artificial iron supply is location, Cochlan said. There have not been any Pseudonitzschia blooms in the open ocean where iron fertilization is being considered. “You’re going to change the base of the food web,” he said. “Going ahead with experiments like these without knowing what’s up the chain is foolhardy.” Image: A 2004 Pseudonitzschia bloom off the Washington coast/NASA See Also:
Citation: “Iron enrichment stimulates toxic diatom production in high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll areas.” By Charles G. Trick, Brian D. Bill, William P. Cochlan, Mark L. Wells, Vera L. Trainer, and LisaD. Pickell. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 107 No. 11, March 16, 2010. Brandon Keim’s Twitter stream and reportorial outtakes; Wired Science on Twitter. Brandon is currently working on a book about ecological tipping points.
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 16 Mar 2010 | 12:41 pm Edmund Hey obituaryPaediatrician who did groundbreaking research into the care of newborn babies Edmund Hey, who has died of meningitis aged 75, was a pioneer in the care of newborn babies. He did groundbreaking research into the ways in which babies lose heat, a situation that can severely compromise their survival. Neonatal thermoregulation was the subject of his DPhil from Oxford University, where he graduated in medicine. After clinical training in Oxford, specialising in paediatrics, he was appointed consultant in respiratory paediatrics at Great Ormond Street hospital in London. He moved to Newcastle upon Tyne to become senior lecturer in child health in 1970, based at the Princess Mary maternity hospital. He developed a relatively gentle philosophy of care at a time when others were involved in much more aggressive styles of neonatal practice. He believed in assisting the normal physiological processes of babies, and being responsive to their needs and rhythms. This involved timing nursing care, blood sampling and other interventions to co-ordinate as closely as possible with babies' waking times, and minimising the number of blood tests and X-rays. Ed was also ahead of his time in recognising the importance of regional data collection to evaluate the outcome of maternity services in general, and neonatal care in particular. He had the vision to establish the Northern Region Perinatal Mortality Survey in 1981, a precursor of national data collection whose work continues through the Regional Maternity Survey Office (www.rmso.org.uk). Craftsmanship with words was a talent for which Ed will also be remembered. He would spend hours poring over his own and others' manuscripts to ensure that the meaning was accurately conveyed. Often he would not allow his name as an author, so his bibliography does not do justice to his contributions. Ed supported many doctors whose careers were under threat in civil courts or at the General Medical Council. In retirement, he continued to give such help and was incensed by what he saw as doctors being unfairly treated by overbearing authority. Those whom he aided attest to the great lengths to which he would go in the pursuit of justice. He was born in Harrow, north-west London, and brought up in Tilehurst, near Reading. His father, a keeper of minerals at the Natural History Museum, was a researcher with an inquisitive streak and an obsession with detail – both fully transmitted to Ed. His parents were involved in the scouting movement, which Ed, an only child, thoroughly enjoyed. He continued as a scout leader after he went to Magdalen College, Oxford. He loved music and he played the piano and organ, especially Bach and Mozart. Ornithology and sailing were two of his other passions. He rarely watched TV and did not like the telephone. He preferred to write long handwritten letters. Ed married Sue Lindsay, a nurse whom he met while training in Oxford. As his priority was always his work, Sue and their children did not see as much of him as they would have liked. After retirement he made up for this by becoming a devoted grandfather, and he nursed Sue at home for the 14 months of her rapidly progressive multiple sclerosis until her death in 1999. He is survived by his children, Janet, Ian and Carol. • Edmund Neville Hey, paediatrician, born 1 April 1934; died 6 December 2009 guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 12:27 pm Nigeria says bombing will not stop amnesty program (Reuters)Reuters - Bombing by Nigeria's biggest militant group in its oil delta this week will not derail an amnesty deal meant to restore security to Africa's largest energy industry, government and security sources said on Tuesday.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 12:15 pm Whales Dying in Record Numbers Near ArgentinaSouthern right whales are dying in record numbers along Argentina's Patagonian coast, resulting in the largest die-off of great whales that has ever been documented.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 11:50 am Ancient Statues Found in Egyptian TempleThe temple belonged to Pharaoh Amenhotep III, grandfather of King Tut.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 11:50 am NOAA warns of big floods after fierce winter (Reuters)Reuters - A huge snowpack from a harsh winter will cause extensive flooding this spring in the upper Midwest and in the major corn-growing state of Iowa, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said on Tuesday.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 11:25 am Video Games May Hinder Learning for BoysYoung boys who own video game systems are slower to progress in reading and writing than those who don't own a system, a new study finds.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 11:11 am Spring, and 'a terrible case of déjà vu'National forecasters and emergency managers warned Tuesday that the Upper Midwest faces a second spring of "potentially historic flooding" with the melting of snow and ice from El Niño-driven winter storms. Administrator Jane Lubchenco of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 10:10 am Babies Bounce to the BeatIn an new study, infants engaged in more rhythmic movements, or dancing, when exposed to drumbeats and other rhythmic stimuli than they did to speech.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 10:07 am For Basketball Brackets, No Edge in Picking UpsetsWhen filling out an NCAA bracket, picking the upset won't give you the edge.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 9:44 am Media Too Optimistic about Cancer, Scientists SayThe reality is that cancer still claims many lives.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 9:43 am March Madness: What Makes a Winning CoachBasketball coaches will follow predictable patterns in what they say after the March Madness games.Source: Livescience.com | 16 Mar 2010 | 9:18 am Italian molecular cookery 'ban' condemnedDecree to rein in additives could put more processed foods on restaurant tables.Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 16 Mar 2010 | 9:17 am Supersonic car's lift flaw fixedEngineers designing the world's fastest car believe they now have a solution to stop it flying off the ground.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 16 Mar 2010 | 9:07 am Harsh winter delays spring bloomsIt looks more like January than March as spring flowers bloom much later than expected, say researchers.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 16 Mar 2010 | 7:52 am Lost Shakespeare Play: Found?An academic claims that an 18th century play, called "Double Falsehood," was based on a work by William Shakespeare.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 7:03 am Gene test can cut warfarin hospitalizationsATLANTA (Reuters) - Use of genetic screening on heart patients helped cut hospitalizations related to the widely used blood thinner warfarin by nearly a third, according to a large study that marks a step forward in the fledgling field of personalized medicine.Source: Reuters: Science News | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:14 am 'Milestone' for wave energy plansSeven companies are to push forward plans to generate 1.2 gigawatts of electricity from wave and tidal power.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:00 am Accent Speaks Louder Than Race for Finding FriendsChildren prefer to make friends with those whose speech patterns -- rather than skin color -- mimic their own.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 6:00 am Forensic role for hand bacteriaThe bacteria on our hands could be used in forensic identification, in the same way as fingerprints and DNA, say scientists.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 16 Mar 2010 | 5:59 am Glaucoma Starts in the BrainBlindness from glaucoma, which afflicts more than 65 million people worldwide, starts with an injury in the brain, not the eye, new research shows.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 4:29 am Art meets science at Impact exhibitionAnthony Dunne of the Royal College of Art introduces an exhibition exploring the future impact of science on societySource: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 3:38 am Martian Air Blown Away by Solar Super WaveA double-whammy solar super wave is responsible for blowing away air from Mars and keeping its atmosphere thin and frigid.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 16 Mar 2010 | 3:11 am Don't give upMore reason than ever to deal with the climate debacleSource: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 16 Mar 2010 | 3:08 am Why women shun scienceIt's not a lack of ability holding women back in scientific careers but gender-based stereotyping What is to blame for the persistent lack of women in the hard sciences and in technology? The New York Times explores what the writer Katrin Bennhold describes as "Risk and opportunity for women in the 21st century". The article explains that the number of women in the sciences has steadily declined, despite record levels of need in areas such as computer engineering and chemical science. This gender-based career stagnation flies in the face of workforce trends that are placing women in increasing roles of prominence and power across all sectors. With the promise of higher income and innovative work, women are certainly wooed by the idea of scientific and technological careers, yet women lag far behind men in the pursuit of science and tech studies. Research has shown that a variety of factors leads to the under-representation of women in the sciences. In addition to the steep learning curve and unforgiving schedules (which makes it difficult for women with families to rise to the higher ranks of their profession), stereotyping also plays a role, as historical constructions about the aptitude and intelligence of women continue to surface. Bennhold refers to one outdated mode of thinking that is still popular in scientific circles – the idea that the brains of women just aren't wired for hard technology or hard sciences. While this is a myth, it was most recently invoked in 2005 by the former president of Harvard University. The answer to ending the disparities may lie in an unlikely source: the games industry. Gender and game researchers – most notably in the academic collection Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat – point out that women face discouragement at just about every exposure point to video games. This type of "casual discouragement" means that women are not told outright not to play games or participate, but instead receive those messages through socialisation. Girls are encouraged to spend more time on their social skills and gender appropriate activities, while things such as coding and playing with computers work against these norms, placing young women who do enjoy these activities in a bind. Combined with harsh treatment by instructors and peers, fewer role models, and fewer mentors, these factors quietly inform women that the science and tech sector is not a place for them. Many of these problems feed on each other: if women are not acknowledged for the work they accomplish, there are less female role models to show to girls interested in science; if women cannot receive recognition for their accomplishments in the sciences, they may end up changing careers; if instructors and classmates believe the stereotypes about women and the sciences, women will be judged more harshly for mistakes and receive less support, increasing drop-out rates; if less women graduate with degrees in science and technology, less women are available to compete for positions. So what can be done about this? Back in 2007, the website LiveScience created a piece specifically to debunk myths about girls and technology, and focused on changing the curriculum to be more female-friendly. They note:
Outside of reviewing how we grade and evaluate skills, tech-based summer camps, school-based instruction and community outreach from science and technology professionals really goes a long way in ensuring girls will have the opportunity to explore and develop their talents before being discouraged from the field. Parents and educators should vigilantly watch the messages that girls are receiving about their role in the world – after all, the future of science is at stake. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 16 Mar 2010 | 2:30 am
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The team then put scrapings from both sites into bottles and incubated them with water to see which microbes might grow. For the Antarctic samples, Wadham said, “nothing happens for 250 days and then bam! You get tons of methane.” The Greenland samples haven’t been growing for as long and so far don’t show much signs of giving off methane — but perhaps they just need more time, she reported at the meeting.
