Tag Archives: genetics

Science Doesn’t Sleep (9.2.08)

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Touchdown! The Tigers Win the Game!
He’s excited because he’s getting smarter.
Creative Commons License photo credit: foundphotoslj

So here’s what went down after you logged off.

Crew aboard the International Space Station had a bit of excitement over the long weekend (on top of the presumably high levels created by living in space) – as they had to fire the station’s thrusters in a “debris avoidance maneuver.” This is a fancy way of saying they were about to be hit with space trash.

Not really a “team player?” No worries – even watching sports improves brain function.

The Rodney Dangerfield of the solar system: Astronomer Heidi Hammel wants you to know why the Icy Giants deserve more respect.

Even geniuses make mistakes: Einstein made at least 23 of them.

He was only 18 when he died, but King Tut may already have been a father – of twins.

Rap + Physics = awesome. A rap video about the science behind CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has been viewed over 600,000 times. It’s no dramatic hamster – but for a video about science, that’s pretty solid.

Meltdown: The Houston Chronicle weighed in on climate change today – what are your thoughts?

Science Doesn’t Sleep (7.29.08)

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a13det70HC81
Creative Commons License photo credit: Andrew Seidl

So here’s what went down after you logged off.

It’s NASA‘s 50th anniversary – Wired salutes the agency with images of their most incredible extraterrestrial vehicles, while others ponder its future.

The Oil & Gas Investor blog has a great post on rising public interest in the energy industry – and their visit to our Wiess Energy Hall yesterday.

Scientists have discovered a new species of “predatory bagworm” (someone needs a new nickname) with a very unique habit.

China is taking extreme steps to clear its air before the Olympics – so, how are the athletes preparing to race, hurdle, dive and cycle in what seems to be incredibly persistent smog?

Researchers predict that by 2030, 9 out of 10 American adults will be overweight or obese.

Aging is not inevitable. It’s the result of specific genetic instructions - instructions that we may one day know how to turn off.

Glenn Martin has invented the “world’s first practical jetpack.” That’s right – jetpack. He’s unveiling it at EEA AirVenture, a gigantic annual air show – but you can see video of a test here.

Science Doesn’t Sleep (7.8.08)

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from-airplane-greenland-12
Creative Commons License photo credit: william.ward

So here’s what went down after you logged off.

Are melting glaciers causing sea levels to rise? A team from Utrecht University says no. A team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute is exploring that issue this month – check back here for updates from Chris Linder.

And you thought the Sun was harsh – “O” stars in the Rosetta Nebula “can be a hundred times the size and over a thousand times brighter” – and they destroy planets.  

Despite the fact that scientists have traditionally been wary of Wikipedia – which relies on the “wisdom of crowds” – a new Gene Wiki is being developed to “describe the relationship and functions of all human genes.”

Ancient river camps show humans in Paris almost 10,000 years ago.

Researchers have developed a way to trick kidney cancer cells into killing themselves.  

The Chronicle has a new space blog – Cosmo.Sphere - written by a UT astronomer, a NASA vehicle systems engineer and a long-time amateur astronomer.

Science Doesn’t Sleep (7.2.08)

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Before Machu Picchu
Creative Commons License photo credit: icelight

So here’s what went down since you logged off.

It survived the ravages of nature for hundreds of years…but the footprints of tourists might be too much. UNESCO is considering whether to make Machu Picchu an endangered world heritage site.

SmartEnergyViews – a new blog devoted to energy efficiency. (Thanks, ScienceBuzz)

The Earth’s magnetic field is changing - fast. This indicates “the possibility of an upcoming reversal of the geomagnetic field.”

McCain vs. Obama, MAOA vs. 5HTT. Whether or not you vote may be influenced by your genetic makeup.