Sunday, June 04, 2006

Science Sunday: Wrap-up of recent advancements in science from EurekAlert!

Theoretical blueprint for invisibility cloak reported:

Using a new design theory, researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering and Imperial College London have developed the blueprint for an invisibility cloak. Once devised, the cloak could have numerous uses, from defense applications to wireless communications, the researchers said.

Brain on chip:

For the first time, scientists at the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich coupled living brain tissue to a chip equivalent to the chips that run computers. The researchers under Peter Fromherz have reported this news in the online edition of the Journal of Neurophysiology (May 10, 2006).


What lies beneath: LSU researchers explore Gulf floor:

LSU researchers Harry Roberts and Bob Carney are combing the most unique continental slope in the world to study some of the most unique animal communities on the planet - all just off the coast of Louisiana.They are studying 14 different sites where oil and gas seep up from the bottom of the Gulf. Along with advancing science, the results of this research could also aid the oil and gas industry.

Revolution in the fight against cancer & viruses:

A recent scientific discovery could herald the introduction of fast, effective treatments for cancer and viruses.

Scientists predict how to detect a fourth dimension of space:

Scientists at Duke and Rutgers universities have developed a mathematical framework they say will enable astronomers to test a new five-dimensional theory of gravity that competes with Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.

Parasitic worms used to fight bowel disease:

At Michigan State University, researcher Linda Mansfield is part of a national team of scientists investigating the role that parasites can play in treating inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, in humans.

World fire maps now available online in near-real time:

For a decade now, ESA satellites have been continuously surveying fires burning across the Earth's surface. Worldwide fire maps based on this data are now available to users online in near real time through ESA's ATSR World Fire Atlas.

New analysis of networks reveals surprise patterns in politics, the web:

A new computer analysis technique developed at the University of Michigan that separates networks into communities yielded some surprises when used on real-world networks like political books, blogs, and metabolic systems.

Finding computer files hidden in plain sight:

Criminals and terrorists are using innocent-looking digital images as a cover to send hidden data. Researchers at the Ames Laboratory's Midwest Forensics Resource Center have developed a method to detect those hidden messages.

Survival of the selfless - scientists find cheats don't always prosper:

Selfishness is not necessarily the best survival trait for microorganisms, according to researchers studying the comparative effectiveness of 'cheating' and 'cooperating' strains of yeast.

Genes discovered that allow gum disease bacterium to invade arteries:

Researchers have identified the genes in gum-disease bacteria that allow them to invade and infect human arterial cells, offering one possible explanation for a perceived connection between gum disease and heart disease.

MIT material puts new spin on electronics:

Researchers at MIT's Francis Bitter Magnet Lab have developed a novel magnetic semiconductor that may greatly increase the computing power and flexibility of future electronic devices while dramatically reducing their power consumption.

RNA interference stops colon cancer spread in mice:

Using one of the newest and most powerful tools of biomedical science, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) researchers have scored a dramatic success in the battle against colorectal cancer. The scientists were the first to use what are known as "small interfering RNAs" to block the spread of human colorectal cancer cells implanted in laboratory mice.

MIT 'seeing machine' offers hope to blind:

An MIT poet has developed a small, relatively inexpensive "seeing machine" that can allow people who are blind, or visually challenged like her, to access the Internet, view the face of a friend, "previsit" unfamiliar buildings and more.

Research highlights how bacteria produce energy:

The world's smallest life forms could be the answer to one of today's biggest problems: providing sustainable, renewable energy for the future. Using a variety of natural food sources, bacteria can be used to create electricity, produce alternative fuels like ethanol and even boost the output of existing oil wells, according to research being presented this week at the 106th General Meeting of the (ASM) American Society for Microbiology in Orlando, Florida.

MIT studies undersea channels for oil recovery:

Work in an MIT lab may help energy companies withdraw millions of additional barrels of oil from beneath the sea floor. Typically, companies recover only 30 percent to 40 percent of the oil in a given reservoir. Since a single reservoir may contain a billion barrels total, increasing that "recovery efficiency" by even a single percentage point would mean a lot of additional oil.

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2 Comments:

Blogger Mark said...

I can't seem to find your email address on your site. I wanted to suggest a post. Is it on here and I missed it?

June 4, 2006 at 3:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Email on the Who?/Why? link on the right panel.

June 5, 2006 at 9:20 AM  

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