2007 April

Researchers at The University of Warwick and Leicester University have used an artificial snot (nasal mucus) to significantly enhance the performance of electronic noses.
The researchers have coated the sensors used by odour sensing “electronic noses” with a mix of polymers that mimics the action of the mucus in the natural nose. This greatly improves the […]

An interactive “supermap” that portrays the mutations and spread of the avian flu around the globe over time should help researchers and policy makers better understand the virus and anticipate further outbreaks, according to a new study involving University of Colorado at Boulder and Ohio State University researchers.
The research team used data from the known […]

Some of the most important items on your automobile (or motorcycle or bike, for that matter) are the tires. Let’s face it: without ‘em, you won’t be going anywhere, no matter what kind of shape your engine is in. Here are some basics for checking your tires.

Tire pressure. The most important thing to check regularly […]

In 1928, Alexander Fleming opened the door to treating bacterial infections when he stumbled upon the first known antibiotic in a Penicillium mold growing in a discarded experiment.
Nearly eight decades later, chemist Helen Blackwell and her research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have devised a more deliberate method to tackle a newer bacterial conundrum […]

As products made with nanometer-scale materials and devices spread to more industries and markets, there is a growing opportunity and responsibility to leverage nanotechnology to reduce pollution, conserve resources and, ultimately, build a “clean” economy, advises a new report from the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.
A “strong marriage” between nanotechnology and the principles and practices of […]

It is spring, the flowers are in bloom and, darn it, the lawn needs cutting. Some lawns will look better than others, and some will not look good at all. Proper lawn care can be a year round chore, but here are a few hints and tips about making it a little easier, in the […]

In Steve Talbott’s widely anticipated and thought-provoking new book — Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines — the former software engineer and current Senior Researcher at The Nature Institute in Ghent, NY delves into society’s seemingly insatiable lust for and addiction to technology.
Talbott’s timely exploration of our technological […]

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new series of robots that are simple enough for almost anyone to build with off-the-shelf parts, but are sophisticated machines that wirelessly connect to the Internet.
The robots can take many forms, from a three-wheeled model with a mounted camera to a flower loaded with infrared sensors. They can […]

Growing up, I ate a lot of baloney sandwiches. I mean A LOT OF baloney sandwiches. My mom used to buy the baloney at the butcher, where it was sliced the way she wanted it (this was WAY before supermarkets changed the way we bought our food). It was a simple process. You just took […]

We love it when the tech news we watch sparks healthy debate! In this case, Robert Alvarez, author of the report cited here, responds to yesterday’s feedback:
I appreciated the comments of Hal Pawloksi’s daughter, who works at the DOE’s Los Alamos National Laboratory. However, I’m not sure she has read my actual report, versus the […]

PKware Inc. began giving away fully licensed copies of SecureZIP Standard v11 today. The package, which runs on Windows, supports passphrase — and digital signature-based encryption, or both, simultaneously. The application also integrates with popular e-mail clients, such as Microsoft Corp.’s Outlook, to let users encrypt and digitally sign both the message body and any […]

What the world needs in these terrible times is someone we can look up to. Someone who stands for truth, justice, and who knows the difference between right and wrong, and bad from evil. What we need is someone like the subject of today’s Warped site.
The name of the site is Captain Euro, Europe’s Superhero, […]

In response to yesterday’s Why GNEP Can’t Jump To The Future, Hal Pawlowski writes:
Forwarded the article by Robert Alvarez to my daughter who holds a post doc position at Los Alamos Nuclear Labs for comment. FYI she is exploring a career in the nuclear energy field as she feels (as I do) it is the […]

University of Oregon researchers studying mosquitoes have produced the first chromosomal map that shows regions of chromosomes that activate - and are apparently evolving - in animals in response to climate change.
The map will allow researchers to narrow their focus to identify specific genes that control the seasonal development of animals. Such information will help […]

Have you ever tried teaching an old dog new tricks? Or an old hog? How about your friendly neighborhood parrot? No luck with any of them? It’s fun watching animals do funny things. Think I’m wrong, just ask Dave Letterman or Jay Leno. Better yet, just look at today’s Warped site.
The name of the site […]

Congress is now considering whether to approve or zero out the $405 million that President Bush is proposing to spend in fiscal year 2008 on the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) — a program aimed at rendering plutonium inert in nuclear weapons but still useful in nuclear power plants.
Nuclear experts at the National Academy of […]

Polymer glasses are versatile plastics widely used in applications ranging from aircraft windshields to DVDs. Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a theory that predicts how these materials age. The theory also explains why motions at the molecular level can have macroscopic consequences.
“Glasses, including polymer glasses, are essentially frozen liquids,” said Kenneth S. […]

Have you ever wanted to be a writer? To see your works in print, or on the Internet? Having the urge to do it can be one thing. Having the talent, however, can be an obstacle. But if you use today’s Warped site, you can get some good ideas on how to create some interesting […]

The most recent census of mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park — one of only two places in the world where the rare gorillas exist-has found that the population has increased by 6 percent since the last census in 2002, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Max Planck […]

Yale School of Medicine and University of Crete School of Medicine researchers report in Cell April 20 the first evidence of a molecular mechanism that dynamically alters the strength of higher brain network connections.
This discovery may help the development of drug therapies for the cognitive deficits of normal aging, and for cognitive changes in schizophrenia, […]