 3 July 2008
Species Extinction Threat Vastly Underestimated
Extinction risks for populations of endangered species are likely being underestimated by as much as 100-fold because of a mathematical "misdiagnosis," suggests a new study...
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2 July 2008
Political Participation Flagged In Genes
A new study from the University of California, San Diego, shows that genes influence participation in elections and a wide range of political activities...
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1 July 2008
Lab-Created Giant Atom Goes Classical
Physicists have built a giant millimeter-sized atom whose sole electron orbits it in a classical manner as envisaged by Niels Bohr when he suggested a planetary orbit analogy for how atoms and electrons might behave...
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30 June 2008
Cancer Eradicating Treatment Goes To Human Trial
Scientists are about to embark on a human trial to test whether a new cancer treatment that involves the transfusion of specific white blood cells will be as effective at eradicating cancer in humans as it has proven to be in mice...
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28 June 2008
The Humor Hypothesis
A new book examines the mechanism and function of humor, identifying the reason humor is common to all human societies, its fundamental role in the evolution of homo sapiens and its continuing importance in the cognitive development of children...
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27 June 2008
Novel Molecule Shows Intriguing Quantum Behavior
Purdue University researchers have created a hybrid molecule whose quantum state can be intentionally manipulated with an externally applied electrical field - a required step in the construction of a quantum computer...
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26 June 2008
Brain Wired For Adventure
Scientists have identified a key region of the brain which encourages us to be adventurous. Located in a primitive area of the brain, it is activated when we choose unfamiliar options, suggesting an evolutionary advantage for trying the unknown...
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25 June 2008
Researchers Demo Neural Implant That "Learns"
The neural implants used to control prosthetic limbs have traditionally been relatively crude affairs, relying on an inflexible pattern of signals from the brain to activate a robotic limb in a preordained manner. Now, however, University of Florida researchers have devised a way for neuronal devices to evolve with the brain as it learns...
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24 June 2008
Neanderthals' Last Hurrah Surprisingly Sophisticated
An archaeological excavation in southern England is providing scientists with a poignant and surprising glimpse into the last days of a group of Neanderthals on the verge of extinction...
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23 June 2008
Grief Linked To Brain Pleasure Centers
University of California scientists say that long-term grief (also known as complicated grief) can activate neurons in the reward centers of the brain in a way more usually associated with addiction...
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