Science in Seconds

2010-03-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

The day you've all been waiting for is finally here!

That's right, after months of promises, Science in Seconds is moving.

http://www.scienceinseconds.com/

So click the link and follow us as we continue to bring you the same great science news, and help you move one step closer towards knowing everything.

Only now... there's video.

The Temporary Corpse

2010-03-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

Death seems like such a downer. But want to know how to make your stay in the Afterlife a temporary one?

Visit http://www.scienceinseconds.com/blog.php?id=225 to find out.

The Rat Laugh Pack

2010-03-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

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It doesn't surprise me to learn that monkeys have a sense of humour. They'll steal your camera in the game parks and love to play with toys. Primates have an obvious comical side to them that cannot be denied. It also doesn't surprise me that dogs understand what is funny - think about the last time you watched your dog chase his tail....that is funny, no matter which way you look at it.

But rats!....I draw the line at rats. My very un-scientific observations about funny dogs and chimps mostly rely on the fact that they are cute. But scientists much more sophisticated than me say that rats can laugh. (Or have an evil-cackle...depending on your opinion on rats.)

To find out more, visit: http://www.scienceinseconds.com/blog.php?id=179

--Torah Kachur

Octocreeps

2010-03-06T12:29:00.001-08:00

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Growing up in a landlocked prairie city, large undersea creatures have always made me…uncomfortable. Especially the octopus, which, as a child, I thought of as a big, squishy spider that would look you in the eye before swallowing you whole. Now, more and more scientific evidence is bringing their cunning, savvy, and intelligent nature to light.

The most recent example is a small species of octopus in the Caribbean that disguises itself as a flounder when swimming....

To find out more, visit: http://www.scienceinseconds.com/blog.php?id=161

~Rheanna Sand

A Question of Captivity

2010-03-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

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Tragedy struck Seaworld Orlando recently when Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year old trainer with over a decade of experience, was killed by a 5.4 tonne orca named Tillikum. And as with all incidents involving animals kept in zoos and aquaria, this tragedy has become a rallying call for those who believe that animals should not be kept in captivity.

But amidst the calls of "Free Tilly!" and the radical demands that the whale be stoned to death, it's important to remember a few facts before taking rash action.

Zoos and Aquaria (and yes, as an AZA accredited institution, Seaworld can be included in this mix) serve two primary purposes. The first and most obvious is for entertainment and education. The reason people come to zoos is not to see exploitation and cruelty, but to see, interact with, and learn about animals. The second purpose is to engage in conservation and rescue efforts, and in fact these two purposes even complement each other. By getting people actively interested in the well being of animals, you increase the likelihood that they'll want to help them. It's hard to care about the plight of the snow leopard if you've never seen one before in your life.

Which brings us back to Tilly. While zoos in general may have a positive effect, what should be done with an animal who is clearly having difficulty in his current situation?

Most of the recommendations I've heard are both inane and irrational. Tilly can't be released to the wild, since having been in captivity for 28 years means he wouldn't know how to survive. Destroying him for something he didn't know he was doing seems pointless (many believe he grabbed onto his trainer's ponytail believing it to be a toy and simply started "playing.") And taking him out of the shows would be a punishment, plain and simple. The shows are called "enrichment" by the trainers for a reason; they're just as important for the health of the animal as the visitors.

The trainers know how careful they have to be around Tilly. And as hard as it is to believe, this incident doesn't make them care for him any less. Maybe in the future PETA will try to look at things from a few different angles before reverting to their talking points... but I doubt it.

- Brit Trogen

Let's get dirty

2010-03-01T04:06:00.000-08:00

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We all did it as kids.... Admit it... we all dared our younger siblings to eat dirt. And, with enough double-dog-dares...they usually did.

But now, even toddlers are learning that the word 'dirty' applies to escalator railings, sink handles and door knobs. Helicopter-parents are telling their children not to touch this, or that, don't put that in your mouth, wash your hands...

When they should be saying "Eat Dirt...please"

Dirt and germs are good for you. Exposure to bacteria early in life is essential to developing a strong immune system. Keeping a sterile environment for you or your children is probably doing you way worse, than good.

Your immune system has a memory, the more germs it is exposed to early in life allow it to 'remember' these pathogens...

To find out more, visit: http://www.scienceinseconds.com/blog.php?id=168

--Torah Kachur

Be Prepared

2010-02-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

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Another massive earthquake has shaken the Americas, this time in the South. Chile was struck overnight with an intense 8.8 magnitude quake in the Pacific Ocean near the port of Concepcion.

To put it into scale, this quake is a thousand times more powerful than the one to hit Haiti in January. A thousand times stronger than one that killed an estimated 230 000 people. And yet the death toll in Chile has reached only 147 people so far. What made the difference?

In a word: preparedness. Being situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Chile calls itself a "seismic country" and has developed an effective network of seismic experts, emergency responders, and citizens who are well educated on earthquakes.

Apparently this area was due for a big one, as the Nazca tectonic plate has been sliding under the South American plate at a rate of 80mm per year. This makes for a very seismically active region, but the last major quake to hit this area was in 1835, famously witnessed by Charles Darwin during his travels on the Beagle. French and Chilean seismologists knew this one was coming, and say it fills in a major "seismic gap" they had observed in the record.

In both quakes, buildings collapsed, infrastructure was damaged, and lives were disrupted. But in Port-au-Prince, a city of about a million people, one in every five people died. In Concepcion, one in every 1700. That is the difference preparedness can make - preparedness that cannot happen under the continual exploitation experienced by the people of Haiti.

~Rheanna Sand

Death of the Sexy App?

2010-02-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

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They said it best in Avenue Q: the internet is for porn.

The stats are all there if you'd care to look for them... Internet pornography is a $2.5 billion industry in the U.S. alone. 25% of search engine requests are sex-related. And according to Neilson Online, one quarter of employees visit internet porn sites during working hours. (I guess "hard at work" just took on a whole new meaning)

But the dark underbelly of internet activity has recently been pushed into, then back out of, then back into the limelight. First by the growing popularity of sex-related apps to surface on the iPhone, then by their apparent expulsion from the App store, and now by the rumours of an "Explicit" section, created solely for their dirty, dirty selves.

It's a lot of back and forth from Jobs and Co. But for a company that essentially turns the internet into a handheld device, it was inevitable. And the conflict is simple: just like that one naive lady-puppet from the broadway show who was oblivious to all the World Wide Wanking going on, Apple's female clientele were apparently both alarmed and disturbed by the growing trend of busty babes making appearances on their phones (and the phones of their young children.)

It's always amusing to watch technology clash with our basic human needs, and in a way, you can blame evolution. Our minds evolved in stages—the more primitive regions responsible for sexual impulses often overpowering the more recently evolved logic centers. But luckily, this classic Battle of the Sexes appears to have been peacefully resolved, at least for now.

Now if you'll excuse me, that Chippendales App won't launch itself.

- Brit Trogen

GMAs - Genetically Modified Athletes

2010-02-22T05:19:00.000-08:00

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The celebration of sport and achievement is a common link for all mankind. Watching athletes at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics push the limits of the human body is astonishing and inspiring. Maybe this week I'll get off the couch.

But, as in any major sports arena - the question is often asked - how much of this is real?

To find out more, visit: http://www.scienceinseconds.com/blog.php?id=146

--Torah Kachur

Skeleton Science

2010-02-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

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In a sport measured to a hundredth of a second, every aspect of equipment design is important. Careening down a frozen track at 130km/h with nothing but a helmet and your own body strength to protect you, as Olympic skeleton athletes do, causes you to pay attention to detail.

This is why Canadian skeleton rider Jeff Pain spoke out against what he perceives as illegal modifications to the sled runners by the German team. He claimed there are magnetic fields in the runner posts, and implied that these fields confer a competitive advantage to the rider.

The idea is that two fields interact to absorb vibrations. Think of bringing two repelling magnets together: it almost feels the same as a hydraulic mechanism, like a shock absorber. So if the rider feels fewer shocks, the ride is smoother. More strength and attention can be devoted to better lines, and ultimately, faster runs.

And, according to FIBT rules, "all types of treatment are forbidden, including those which cause only a local variation of physical characteristics" with an explanation further down that "physical" includes terms like "electromagnetic."

A magnetic field IS an electromagnetic field, so its clear that using magnets in the runners would constitute an illegal modification. But the German team vehemently denied these allegations, and previous inspections during World Cup rounds have never found anything illegal in their sleds. Plus, they finished 7th, 10th, and 13th in the Men's final last night, with Canadian Jon Montgomery stealing gold in a dramatic finish.

I'm guessing in this case, Jeff Pain doesn't mind letting it go.

~Rheanna Sand

The Ultimate Sacrifice

2010-02-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

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Imagine what it would be like to live a totally selfless life... You'd never ignore a homeless person on the street. You'd never refuse to help a friend move so you could secretly watch Big Bang. And you'd definitely never go out in public knowing full well that you were showing all the symptoms of swine flu.

But would you walk out into a deserted field to die at the first sign of a sniffle?

A species of ant called Temnothorax unifasciatus may be the most altruistic species on the planet, putting all of your meager attempts at charity to shame. Because when any member of this ant species becomes infected with a deadly fungus, they immediately abandon their nest and walk away, facing death alone in order to protect their relatives.

It's the first time such a behavior has been recorded in a social insect like ants, though it's been seen before in species like elephants and cats. Humans certainly don't have it's equivalent. We seem to be more of the "if I'm going down, I'm taking you all down with me," mind set. And it took researchers quite a while to prove that it was in fact a conscious choice on the part of the ants, and not the result of a "zombie fungus" that was forcing them to do it.

Of course, there's a clear evolutionary advantage to altruism. Even though the individual performing it may not personally profit by increased offspring, the advantage will be conferred onto their close relatives, who share some of their genetic makeup. And in cases like this, it's very clear that if the diseased ants didn't take it upon themselves to leave, the entire nest would be in danger of infection.

But in an age where we humans can spend months arguing over who will or will not be paying for what medical procedure in the laughably named "health care" debate, it's nice to see real world proof that selflessness can work. At least for ants.

- Brit Trogen

Love Hangover

2010-02-15T04:29:00.000-08:00

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Satisfied?

Did everyone have a successful Valentine's Day? Replete with chocolate, swooning, snuggling and ummm.. other stuff?

How about today? Did you wake up next to the same farting, snoring, hairy creature of a few days ago?Welcome to the Love Hangover.

February 15th is the day that we start to think "what is all this love business?" Too bad it is just simple chemistry. That spark of the first date = endorphins and adrenaline. The swoon of the first kiss = probably just an overactive sense of smell. And that tender feeling after the whole bedroom thing is over = oxytocin.

Oxytocin is a chemical most famous for inducing labour. But I can't say I'm surprised to find that childbirth is induced by something also used for creating interpersonal attachments. Both often painful. The hormone stimulates a very tiny area of the brain associated with reward. But this area of the brain is also associated with stress and anxiety. Again, I'm not surprised.

I don't mean to knock love or the inkling of it. Love is incredible, its fascinating and demanding and rewarding and difficult all at the same time. But it is also a physiological response. There is something at the biological level that connects you to your partner, there is a scientific basis for the butterflies in your tummy and the sharp intake of breath at the sight of him or her.

We will probably never understand the love of poets and writers at the scientific level. But we may very well start to explain it.

--Torah Kachur

Year of the Tiger

2010-02-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

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On Sunday, the Chinese calendar moves from the year of the Ox into the year of the Tiger, meaning both a celebration of, and a threat to this majestic big cat species.

First for some good news: in Sumatra, strategically placed video cameras have captured the first film evidence of the wild Sumatran tiger. A mother and two, year-old cubs can be seen on the tape sniffing the camera as they curiously walk by.

Another recent finding reported in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution looked at the ancestral relationships between the five major big cats: jaguars, leopards, snow leopards, lions and tigers. It was known that these five groups have been evolving separately from little cats for a long time, but it was not known what the genetic relationships were within the big cats.

As it turns out, the tiger and snow leopard are sister species, meaning they split off as a separate group early on. The other three, lions, jaguars, and leopards, have been evolving separately as a group as well.

What this means is the tiger is more ancient and unique than we thought. Which is kind of a shame…considering the already devastating thirst in Asian countries for tiger body parts. Skins are sold as luxury items for homes or clothing. Teeth are revered as jewellery, and tiger penises are dried and ground up for men to take, so they can be more virile.

But personally, I can't think of anything more unluxurious, or an act more ugly, or more impotent than poaching or farming these awesome creatures. Let's hope celebrating the year of the tiger can shed some light on this problem rather than exacerbating it.

~Rheanna Sand

Snow and "Global Warming"

2010-02-11T09:28:00.000-08:00

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Massive snowfall always leads to three things. Nationwide cancellation of air travel, spontaneous snow ball fighting, and inevitably, the drudging up of the old question: "whatever happened to global warming?"

Climate change deniers love snow. It's like Christmas in February. Because it gives them a chance to take the "global warming" misnomer literally, and put the onus on scientists to explain the fluffy white flakes out of existence. Luckily for scientists, such an onus is unnecessary. Because despite what the wingnuts may believe, increased snowfall is exactly what is to be expected if climate change is really taking effect... At least for a while.

Because aside from the fact that no single weather event can be blamed solely on climate change, extreme weather on either end of the spectrum is only going to get more frequent as our planet warms. This is because warmer global temperatures overall result in higher ocean temperatures. Hotter oceans lead to increased evaporation. And more evaporation leads to higher levels of moisture in the air, which lead to—you guessed it—increased precipitation.

And until the planet has heated to the point that it never drops below zero degrees Celsius—at which point snow will become a distant memory—these events can all be expected to cause extremely heavy snowfall in the winter.

The scientists are explaining all of this, of course. And patiently too, I might add. But that won't stop them from having to do it again the next time it snows in New York. Which will probably be in about five minutes.

- Brit Trogen

The Abyss

2010-02-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

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The ocean scares me...just a little. There is so much stuff about it we just don't know and so many deadly creatures from man-o-wars to Great White sharks.

But all of the creatures that you think of in the ocean - sharks, coral, whales, dolphins - they all exist in the upper reaches of the big blue seas. There exists an entire world, an entire universe at the depths of the ocean that we know nothing about.

No light, incredible pressure, frigid temperatures in some places, boiling in others - all of the elements we consider essential for life are not wanted or needed at the depths of the ocean. Species that live 4000 meters down survive by something called chemosynthesis - where they get energy from chemicals, not sunlight, to make organic molecules. Bacteria we know nothing about live down there and fuel the entire ecosystem starting at hydrothermal vents that spew boiling water and sulfur into the ocean.

The fish that live down there are so ugly you wish you didn't know they existed. They have useless eyes but mouths that will eat anything. Giant squid and oysters inhabit the deepest reaches of the oceans. And some crazy creatures like the recently filmed oarfish. Most organisms are shrimp-like creatures that feast on all the dead fish that slowly float to the bottom.

Our planet is over 65% water and life evolved in the oceans - which means that the most biodiversity on the planet exists in the watery realm. But, so little of our time has focused on the deep blue that we can't even pretend to understand the effects of fishing, whaling and climate change without first looking more than just a few meters beyond our snorkel gear.

--Torah Kachur

Man Off The Moon

2010-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

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George W. Bush's boy-like vision of putting more astronauts on the moon by 2020 was crushed this week with an announcement from the Obama administration that the Constellation program is being canceled.

The program was to use existing technology to put humans back in moon boots and, presumably, make moon-landing conspiracy theorists shut the hell up, once and for all. But, apparently, spending billions of dollars and thousands of hours to do something you've already done is "faux pas" for well-functioning government agencies like NASA.

So, when looking at funding requests last week, the Obama administration examined the over-budget, behind schedule, lacking in innovation project, and cut it. Not without criticism, of course: the cut will mean lost jobs at Alabama's Marshall Space Flight Center, and Republican representatives are not shy to use this as political fodder, calling it the "death march for the future of US space flight."

This hyperbolic statement completely ignores the $6 billion funding boost promised to NASA over the next five years. It also ignores the progress made in sending robots off to do our exploration for us, without the risks of radiation, dehydration, muscle atrophy, and cabin fever.

I mean, look how long the Mars rovers lasted - they are both over 2000 Martian days over warranty. And have you seen the new R2 robots from GM? Let's face it...us pitiful humans are on the way out of this space race we started a mere 53 years ago.

~Rheanna Sand

Rise of the 100-Year Olds

2010-02-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

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By 2050, the world population of 100-year olds is projected to reach 6 million people, forever changing our conception of what it means to be "middle aged," and making the senior's discount at Denny's a serious liability.

It's actually kind of thrilling if you think about it. There are over 340,000 centenarians living today, and if demographers are correct, they will be one of the fastest growing age groups in coming years, increasing 20 times faster than the general population.

The reasons are simple: medical advances leading to better treatments of heart disease and stroke (the leading causes of death in humans), and improved diet and lifestyle are the primary reasons our life-spans are seeing such a stretch. But there's also been a dramatic shift in attitude among doctors, encouraging them to aggressively treat illnesses in the elderly that they may not have in the past.

But in all of these encouraging facts, one thing stands out. If you're going to live to be 100, Japan is the place to do it. Aside from the fact that the Japanese treat their elderly with special dignity and respect, they have created an incredibly advanced robotics industry to cater to their elderly population — everything from robo-maids to robo-dogs and cats. And they'll be needing it too; by mid-century Japan is expected to have 627,000 centenarians, which is about 1% of their total population.

One hundred years. It really takes the pressure off, doesn't it?

- Brit Trogen

The Silk Road to Biosynthesis

2010-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

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Mother Nature has thought of everything. Bacteria that can eat oil. Bees that make honey incredibly resistant to any type of infection. And the strongest fiber on the planet - spider's silk.

Spider's silk is five times stronger than steel, lighter than nylon and stretchier than elastic. It's also recyclable, durable and free. All of these properties make it one of the most sought-after biomaterials in the world. So far, all attempts to make it in a chemistry lab have failed miserably while spiders across the globe happily weave their webs.

The quest for spider's silk for human use sounds pretty straightforward - get a whole bunch of spiders and collect their webs everyday. Sounds great, until you try to actually keep spiders at any reasonable density....they have a frequent tendency to eat eachothers heads off. Making spider-keeping kind of unsustainable.

Spiders - 1 : Humans - 0

Another option - get 70 people to climb a bunch of telephone poles in Malaysia for four years, collect golden orb spiders and 'milk' them of their silk. Obviously sound economic practice. All to get 2.6 pounds of silk that was used to make a textile now on display at the American Natural History Museum. There has to be a better way.

How about clone the gene for silk and make transgenic goats secrete spider silk into their milk?

Clearly the next step.

That has also been done, with limited success. The main problem is the unbelievable complexity of the glands that spiders use to make silk. They secrete silk from combinations of 6 different glands as a liquid form, then use another set of organs to apply pressure to rearrange the proteins into a long, continuous fiber.

The uses of man-made spider silk are staggering, if we can ever find a way to harvest it - surgical thread, synthetic bones, millimeter-thick parachutes - anything with nylon, kevlar or steel can be made smaller and stronger.

Nature has evolved something humans have never even dreamed of. At some point, we will start to look at the world around us for natural solutions to our dilemmas.

--Torah Kachur

Meet George Jetson

2010-01-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

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Messy people, rejoice! Your salvation is near... The Korea Institute of Science and Technology has revealed what could be the future of home cleaning; a humanoid robot maid with rotating arms and legs, six fingers, and an eternally pleasant disposition.

Or, in other words, Rosie without the attitude. "Mahru-Z" is a 1.3 meter, 55 kg robot assistant capable of tasks surpassing any of its (his? her? It looks like a boy, so I'm going with that) robot predecessors.

He can pick up dirty clothes, put them in the washing machine and turn it on. Put fruit in a bowl and place it on the dinner table. Turn on microwave ovens and toasters (presumably only when there's something inside them.) And pick up numerous other objects like sandwiches and cups, recognizing when a task needs to be done, and performing it by remote control through interaction with a computer server.

What makes Mahru-Z unique from previous robots is his autonomy. He can "see" three dimensional objects with visual sensors, and navigate rooms with total independence. So his greatest potential isn't only in the domestic domain. It's also in situations that are too dangerous for humans, like operating machinery in space, or on the moon.

So when can you buy this Jetson-esque robo-butler? Well unfortunately, they're nowhere near the mass production stage. But really, this is probably for the best. Because truth be told, we all know deep down that Mahru's [bring fruit to table] command is just one glitch away from [bring sharp knife to owner's head].

For now, it's probably best to stick with the Roomba.

- Brit Trogen

Flipper, PhD

2010-01-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

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The word "person" has always been synonymous with "human." But if one group of scientists is successful in their quest to grant the status of "non-human personhood" to dolphins, that link might finally be severed. The reason for this sudden status shift? Dolphins have officially been declared the world's second most intelligent creature after humans, finally booting chimps into third once and for all.

Of course, we've always known dolphins were smart. Who hasn't seen Flipper save the day, time and again, with his goofy grin and Kookaburra-like call? (In fact, they actually did use a Kookaburra.) But dolphins are now believed to be so intelligent that the scientists claim we humans have a moral imperative to stop treating them like circus acts, shark bait, and hotdog filler.

Among the more compelling evidence for this are studies proving that dolphins can recognize and inspect themselves in the mirror, engage in group problem solving, learn rudimentary symbol-based language, cooperate with military precision to round up fish, and pass on complex behaviors amongst groups. In one case, a wild dolphin kept in captivity for three weeks was taught to "tail-walk," and after she was released scientists were astonished to see the trick spreading among wild dolphins, who had learnt it from the former captive.

The fact that dolphins have distinct personalities, the ability to think about the future, a sense of self and culture, and complex communication all seem like good reasons not to treat them like garbage. But more importantly, shouldn't it be our "moral imperative" as the most intelligent life form to treat all life with respect and decency?

To do otherwise seems, for lack of a better word, inhuman.

- Brit Trogen

Teleportation is here...or there

2010-01-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

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One of the coolest concepts ever in Star Trek was the idea of teleportation. And, as with most things Star Trek does - it is slowly coming true.

For the first time, scientists have teleported material across space...okay, only about a meter...but still!

Teleportation means the transportation of matter through space in a non-matter state. In other words, transmission of information only... also know as - really effing cool. From a physics perspective, its complicated, REALLY complicated - this transmitted information has to be first read and understood, transmitted and then recreated at the destination. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that we can never accurately measure the state of an atom or the precise location of any of its subatomic particles like electrons. So, if we can't figure out where particles are in space, how can we recreate their locations?

It comes down to a principle called entanglement, essentially we can't know the state of one atom and its particles but we can predict the state of two particles so long as they interact. Then, with ridiculously complicated mathematical formulae like the one shown here, physicists are able to predict the position of atoms and particles in space.

If we can know the physical properties of atoms in space, then we can transmit that information using quantum mechanics where information is transmitted as qubits.

Confused? You aren't the only one. One of the leading theoretical physicists Richard Feynman says "I think it is safe to say, no one understands quantum mechanics". So don't feel bad, you are not alone.

--Torah Kachur

Unnatural Disaster

2010-01-16T01:25:00.000-08:00

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There was a perfect, deadly storm of circumstance in the Caribbean this week. Some reports are estimating the dead from the Haitian earthquake to reach 200,000. It’s the most devastating loss of life since the Sumatran tsunami of 2004. The kind of loss that pulls you, even for a moment, to that place.

The perfect storm was a collision of three unfortunate facts. Firstly, the earthquake measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, similar in strength to the San Francisco quake that shut down the World Series in 1989.

Secondly, the event occurred at a depth of only 9km, meaning there wasn't much earth to absorb the shock of massive, shifting tectonic plates. The last, most brutal front: it hit under the capital city, Port-au-Prince, a city in shambles from centuries of economic abuse from European colonizers and North American-backed coups.

A city without building codes, with dwellings constructed level by level, as needed, without any rebar or other enforced structural support. Hillside communities are now pancaked to the ground by the worst earthquake to hit there in 240 years. Ironically, the many who were living in cardboard boxes are probably among the more well-off at this moment in Haitian history.

ABC News has some dramatic before and after photos, and Life has some of the latest photos from the battered island nation. See this blog post from the Daily Beast to find ways you can help, or visit the Canadian Red Cross site here.

And let's hope this tragedy can illuminate the mistreatment of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere at the hands of our own nation, and many others that now come so nobly as rescuers.

~Rheanna Sand

Six Minutes to Midnight

2010-01-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

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This morning at 10am, for the twentieth time since its creation, the Doomsday Clock changed position.

This isn't another one of those crazy conspiracies maintained by tinfoil hat-wearing loonies, but a symbolic prediction made by the directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, meant to predict how far humankind is from "catastrophic destruction," or midnight.

The Doomsday Clock was originally set up in 1947 as an analogy to indicate our closeness to the threat of nuclear war, but has since been expanded to include relevant issues like climate change and other technologies and developments that could potentially produce irrevocable harm (read: crazy evil robots). And the last time it was moved was in 2007, when North Korea and Iran were playing around with nukes, and the clock slipped forwards two minutes from 11:53 to 11:55.

Which brings me to this morning. The clock has now moved backwards one minute, bringing us to 11:54. Now, granted, this isn't a significant improvement. But in the grand scheme of things it makes me ask: What exactly have we fixed?

According to the atomic scientists, the move is due to "worldwide cooperation to reduce nuclear arsenals and pledges to limit climate-changing gas emissions," which in laymen's terms comes down to talk... and more talk. But while talking about our problems is swell, I don't think anyone should be pretending that it's good enough to do any tangible good to our planet.

Don't kid yourselves, atomic scientists. Talk is cheap.

- Brit Trogen

Coming soon to a couch near you

2010-01-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

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The new buzz word in technology this year is "Three Dee".

3D is amazing, just ask the James Cameron and the incredible success of Avatar with $242 million dollars in box office sales so far.

With all the consumer electronics shows happening in January, it is clear that a 3 dimensional experience is coming soon.... to a couch near you. 3D home televisions will be hitting the market this year from all the major players in entertainment - Sony, Panasonic and Samsung - all ready for the new 3D channels waiting to hit the airways.

The most common form of 3D technology is stereoscopic - where two cameras catch all the action at the same distance of your pupils. Then, when the video is rendered, both video images are displayed in the same frame.

This type of technology requires the viewer to wear glasses so that the two video inputs can be received at the same time. So, if two color channels are separated by a bit of a distance, and you wear those cereal box glasses, you can make this image look 3D.

This technology is coming so be ready and start getting excited. 3D TV's, computer monitors and web sites will be in your home as soon as you can afford the price tag.

A receiver catching a pass so close you can feel it, aliens jumping out of the screen, McDreamy life size in your living room - whatever your motivation, 3D TV is here.

--Torah Kachur

Party Time, Excellent

2010-01-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

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2009 was pretty spectacular for space enthusiasts - the Hubble telescope was fixed and NASA released some stunning images, the 40th anniversary of the Moon Landing passed by, and to celebrate, a group of engineers crashed a module right into it, spewing out all sorts of useful information.

The new year is picking up the pace already. Several new planets have been spotted in distant star systems - including one bigger than Jupiter with a density of styrofoam, a new space telescope, Hershcel, might even overshadow Hubble in the months to come, and data from the moon crash are showing more water than we previously thought, making the Moon even more attractive for colonization.

To underscore this point, Japanese and German scientists have been analyzing high-resolution images of the Moon from the Kaguya spacecraft, and have discovered a cave that could be a perfect candidate for human colonization, as it would provide shelter from the harsh lunar surface. Not to mention a wicked party space (think Matrix Reloaded).

The cave is likely a lava tube - a geological formation fairly common on Earth but never discovered on the Moon before. Kaguya photos showed a circular hole which they believe is a sort of skylight, a collapsed part of the cave roof.

Add to all of this the unveiling of the VSS Enterprise, the first commercial spaceship from Virgin Galactic…and sometimes it truly feels like the dawning of a new age.

~Rheanna Sand

What is Green?

2010-01-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

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A strip of California's Mojave Desert is the latest site of what is shaping up to be a new area of debate in the struggle towards a new "greener" future.

It's the location a company called BrightSource Energy has chosen to set up over 400,000 solar panels, in an effort to harness the sun's energy and help move the nation towards energy independence. It's also the home of two dozen endangered tortoises, the Western burrowing owl, and more than a few stately Bighorn Sheep.

Which raises the question: What is "green?" Which of these options is really helping us protect the environment?

This isn't the first time we've been faced with a conflict of interests in an effort to save the planet from the ravages of human habitation, or ask ourselves WWCPD? (What Would Captain Planet Do?) But the question is getting ever more murky.

Recycling, for example, has been the hippie go-to for decades, and one of the first thing we teach kids about environmental responsibility. But as it turns out, recycling of plastics can actually do more harm than good (though this argument doesn't stand for paper and glass). And wind turbines, another source of renewable energy, are also estimated to cause between 30,000 and 60,000 bird deaths per year, and may also interfere with bird migration patterns.

In the end, there is no simple answer. If it was up to me, I'd leave the fricking tortoises alone and pick a different spot, but they probably have their reasons. And I have no doubt whatsoever that these types of issues are only going to get more common as our past decisions come back to haunt us, and we're left more and more frequently caught between a rock and a sad place.

- Brit Trogen

The Big Blue

2009-12-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

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Why is it that when you hold up a glass of water it appears colourless, but when you look out onto a beautiful Caribbean vista, the water dances in unbelievable shades of blue? Is there something special about the sea that gives the big blue its name?

There is nothing that makes the ocean more blue than drinking water. Its just that there is so much of it that we see its true colour.

So what is the source of that true blue? One idea is that the ocean reflects the blue of the sky. Another is that there are dissolved ions, like copper, that give the water a blue tinge.

The water, in fact, is not reflecting the sky. I bet if you shone a floodlight on a crystal blue lagoon at night, you would still see that aquamarine colour.

And yes, there are many dissolved ions and other particles that may absorb, reflect, and scatter light, but this just causes variation in colour from sea to sea. But this is not the source of the blue.

In its typical unique style, water gets its colour in a way that is unlike most other molecules.

Colour corresponds to the length of light waves. Molecules will tend to absorb some light waves and reflect others. The wavelengths that are not absorbed are the ones we see, and give a substance its colour. Usually light waves interact with the electrons of the atoms, and not the inner nucleus.

Water, however, gets its hue from the vibrations coming from the nucleus of the atoms. The excited vibrations absorb red waves and not blue ones. This is the only known molecule to get its colour in this way.

As if I needed another reason to revere this gorgeous view...

~Rheanna "just about to put my toes in the" Sand

Party Like it's 1999

2009-12-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

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As we near the ten year anniversary of Y2K, it seems fitting that we should once again turn our attention to the disaster that very nearly felled the modern world.

Disaster? You may ask. I don't remember any disaster. In fact, if you're anything like me, you might remember being disappointed that the lights didn't explode come midnight on that fateful New Year's. But in fact, if it weren't for the concerted efforts of thousands of individuals worldwide, Y2K might have been a true apocalypse; planes falling from the sky and all. At least, according to some.

The issue, as you may recall, was thanks to the computer programmers of the 60's and their desire to save computer memory by not including a "19" before the year when inputting a date in a computer program. Of course, they never expected their programs to last more than a few years. But programs that eventually grew out of this system went on to include Microsoft Excel, Javascript, UNIX and C programming... Some of the most influential programs out there (or so I've been told).

To make a long story short, an estimated 300 billion dollars was spent in preparation for Y2K. Money that went towards creating the backup systems that kept the world afloat, both after the clock struck twelve in the year 2000, and some argue, in the aftermath of 9/11 following the prolonged blackout in lower Manhattan.

And while some still believe there was never a threat to begin with, I prefer to see it differently. I like to look at it as a challenge that humankind met head-on and defeated soundly, with rational thinking and preemptive action.

...It is possible for us to do that, right?

- Brit Trogen

Now you see me, now you don't

2009-12-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

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Everyone has bad days, the days you want to be invisible. It may be the walk-of-shame from the night before or an unfortunate breakout. But it happens to the best of us.
Now, invisibility cloaks aren't just for Harry Potter. Don't believe me? Check out these videos.

The new invisibility cloaks that have been developed use one of two strategies to make you disappear:

The first is a bit of a DIY strategy - imagine placing a camera on your back and projecting that image on your front - it will appear to a viewer as if they can see right through you. Apply that to a much bigger scale and an entire garment - and voila...or rather...the opposite of voila.

The other strategy uses the principle that if light bends around an object and is directed to come back together on the other side, it travels so quickly that the viewer can't see what the light bent around. These light bending materials are things called metamaterials that are smaller than the smallest wavelength of light. Finally, a practical application for nanotechnology.

Why develop invisibility cloaks?

Silly, silly question. Why NOT develop invisibility cloaks? Not only does it give D&D players a new sense of personal worth and value, it also will help soldiers, thieves and hermits operate in the world without fear of being caught.

--Torah Kachur

Science v. Politics

2009-12-12T13:45:00.001-08:00

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The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen has reached its midpoint. While the political delegates play their usual high stakes poker game, scientists are playing some games of their own.

The so-called "climategate" scandal has re-ignited a long buried debate over whether climate change data was faked. Over a thousand emails from English climate scientists were hacked, and some reports took certain phrases out of context, implicating that scientists manipulated data. The Associated Press, however, examined every email and concluded no falsification took place.

Not to say the scientists were saints: there were some "generous interpretations" and they did seem blinded by their cause. But this does not, in any way, devalue the immense, internationally recognized body of work supporting a major role for human pollution in global climate disruption. Unfortunately, the journalistic error of "false balance" gives both sides an equal voice.

There is some good news in climate change research, though: UCLA researchers successfully engineered a bacteria that consumes carbon dioxide and produces isobutanol - a viable replacement for fossil fuels. This approach to creating biofuels negates the need for biomass deconstruction - like the wasting of corn to get at the fuel inside. Discoveries like these could have huge ramifications on social issues like food wars and third world poverty.

As Jacob Bronowski said, "no science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power." But perhaps the principles of science, and the discoveries that result, can undercut the ills that corrupted power brings.

~Rheanna Sand

Welcome to the Multiverse

2009-12-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

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One of the things I enjoyed most about Star Trek: The Original Series was the frequency and ease with which Kirk's crew could pass in and out of parallel universes. And even though the alternate planes always looked suspiciously similar to the original ones (with the exception of Mr. Spock's sexy new goatee), the idea was fascinating.

Could there be an infinite array of parallel worlds flanking our own? There are many hypotheses centering around this idea, including the multi-dimensional extension of string theory known as M-theory (a perplexing description of which can be found here).

But my favorite has always been the Many Worlds interpretation most closely described in Star Trek itself (or if you prefer thought experiments, Schrodinger's cat.) Simply put, for every situation in which multiple possible outcomes could occur, different universes exist in which every possible outcome has occurred. For example, if you were to roll a die and it came up 1, according to MWI it showed up as 2 through 6 in five parallel universes.

This is, of course, a bit oversimplified. But the implications are really cool. If you were to walk out into the street and get hit by a bus tomorrow morning, who's to say that alternate universe version of you didn't miss it by a hair?

That said, I'd still recommend you stick to the crosswalks.

- Brit Trogen

Sumo, Heal Thyself

2009-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

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A sumo can take YOU down, no problem. But what takes down a sumo? A bigger sumo!

In the battle of the bulge, researchers have realized this logic. Fat is finally being used to fight fat.

Researchers in Bonn have discovered that so-called "brown fat" deposits are absent or inactive in obese individuals. Brown fat is not your typical fat - it is stocked full of mitochondria, the energy burning centers of the cell. As a result, brown fat cells release huge amounts of heat and chew up other fat reserves in the process.

Activating just 50 grams of brown fat in the body can increase metabolic rates by 20%, and melt fat at the rate of 5 kilograms a year. If these cells can be activated artificially, another therapeutic option would be available to treat severe metabolic disorders.

In related news, food chemists have created a batter for chicken and fish that reduces the amount of fat in the deep-fried meat by 50%. It is made from an appetizing "slurry" of proteins from spare chicken and fish parts that is sprayed on the meat prior to deep-frying.

And if you are a fan of deep frying, a group of Turkish researchers showed that microwaving your french fries before frying reduces the amount of the carcinogen acrylamide up to 60%, and does not affect the quality of the final product. In fact, pre-microwaving the fries reportedly improved their colour, which was described as "more acceptable" than fries cooked in oil alone.

Then again, maybe all you need is a sumo staring you down while you reach for that next bag of chips…

~Rheanna Sand

Death to Cuties?

2009-12-02T23:56:00.000-08:00

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One needs only to visit Australia to be reminded of the absurdity of evolution.

Where else will you find a creature that needs to sleep for eighteen hours every day because it evolved to eat leaves that are almost entirely indigestible, toxic, and virtually calorie free?
Yes, Phascolarctos cinereus, the gentle Koala (in fact a marsupial, not a bear), is living proof that for every ecological niche, no matter how bizarre, there’s an adorable creature waiting to fill it. But sadly, this particular niche –living in a salad bowl with an insanely slow metabolism – is about to go from silly and cute to dead serious.

A recent survey by the Australian Koala Foundation has shown that the koala population has dropped by almost 50% in the past six years, and if current trends continue could put koalas at risk of extinction within thirty years. And with population threats extending from global warming to deforestation to Chlamydia, it seems that a massive and wide reaching conservation program will be needed to save these furry tree huggers.

Now, I know I’m not the only one who’s starting to notice the trends here. First panda bears, now koalas – if all the cute animals die how will WSPA and the WWF suck us in to donating? But more seriously, what is this going to mean for the future of our planet? Here’s hoping the face of climate change just got a whole lot cuter.

- Brit Trogen

Omnipotent Future

2009-11-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

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Stem cells are amazing. They may be controversial, but there is no denying their potential in modern medicine. Even with the US ban on embryonic stem cell research, the breakthroughs have been steady. This is because the other, socially acceptable sources of stem cells - bone marrow and umbilical cord blood - have given researchers plenty of hope for future therapies.

One example is a new finding out of the University of Alberta, which showed that stem cells can help rescue the lungs of premature infant mice. They used adult bone marrow to derive the stem cells, then injected them into the lungs of the baby mice. The mice that had received injections were healthier, lived longer, and showed less damage in their lung tissue.

This technique could make it to clinical trials in humans in the next few years, and potentially eliminate chronic lung disease in prematurely born children. The researchers may also try cord blood-derived stem cells as they may be a better option for human infants.

In fact, cord blood stem cells are now being used to treat over 40 diseases in children, including sickle-cell anemia, cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, and metabolic disorders like Hunter syndrome. This, along with the potential for cord blood stem cells to treat heart disease, stroke, and arthritis in the individual and their family members, is making the harvesting of cord blood a common sense practice.

The future of stem cells truly is...omnipotent.

~Rheanna Sand

LHC - the quiet giant

2009-11-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

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Finally, science can proceed without major fear-mongering and cataclysmic predictions. A year ago, when the Large Hadron Collider started up for the first time, there were dire predictions of the entire planet getting swallowed into a large black hole. There were even groups of individuals trying to sue CERN - the organization that built the LHC.

This past weekend, the LHC started up again. And we are still here.

The Large Hadron Collider (if you have been living under a rock for the past year) is a particle accelerator attempting to collide protons to recreate events that occurred immediately after the Big Bang.

If understanding the origins of the universe, mass and quantum mechanics and dark energy wasn't motivation enough to be interested in the LHC....

It is REALLY big... I'm talking the biggest machine on the planet. It is 12 feet in diameter, 17 kms in circumference and passes through parts of France and Switzerland up to 175m underground.

And the experiment has begun, the protons are circulating as we speak - gearing up for a head-on collision that will give researchers the first glimpse at their long-awaited precious data. You can even pretend to be smart by following the progress online.

Its low key start-up has lacked any kind of controversy, which is great; but it also meant that the biggest scientific experiment in the history of mankind barely got any media coverage. At some point, we will realize that reporting science for science's sake is of fundamental importance to our lives. Not just the controversy over bullshit predictions like 2012 and spontaneous black holes.

-- Torah Kachur

What up, ozone?

2009-11-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

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Back in the day, when I was first being indoctrinated with liberal, tree-hugging propaganda, one of the first things I remember worrying my little head about was the giant hole in the ozone layer. In my mind, it was like a hole in an astronauts' face mask, sucking the life right out of our atmosphere.

Now I tend to think of it as a bald spot (equally frightening as an adult) - the lack of ozone allows harmful UVB rays to make it to the Earth's surface, giving us all more sunburns, skin cancer, and cataracts.

So, why do we not hear about the health of the ozone layer these days? Is no news good news?

In this case, yes. According to a 2006 report by the World Meteorological Society, the amount of ozone-depleting gases in the atmosphere is - for the first time since we started paying attention to this problem - decreasing.

What led to this tiny ecological success was a concerted effort called the Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, which instructed all participating countries to reduce or eliminate the use of ozone-depleting substances.

As if to reward us for good behaviour, the atmosphere seems to be healing itself, slowly but surely. The amount of ozone hasn't yet begun to climb, and in fact the polar regions are still experiencing large ozone deficits, but we have reached a critical point in the recovery process.

If the Montreal Protocol is implemented globally, we should see an increase in atmospheric ozone by mid-century, and a complete recovery to pre-1980 levels by the end of the century.

Just in time for me to shine up my bald spot.

~Rheanna Sand

Phi: the Golden Ratio

2009-11-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

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One of the most mysterious occurrences in the natural world can be summed up in a single number: 1.6180339887.

Granted, it's not the simplest number out there, and it doesn't spell anything funny when you turn it upside down on your calculator (I tried). Mathematically, it occurs when the ratio of two lengths adhere to the following rule:

And while it might seem like a simple mathematical relationship, this number, also called phi (φ), turns up inexplicably in nature.

It's the ratio of your forearm to your hand. Thorax length to abdomen in bees. Seed spirals in flowers, and length to width for a single groove of a DNA helix. The adjacent spirals in a nautilus shell, and the rings of Saturn, and the physics at work in a black hole.

So how or why does this enigmatic number show up in so many evolutionary and physical forms?

One biological theory is that it's the most perfect representation of beauty. And in fact, this is an idea that artists, architects and plastic surgeons have been using for years. Consider Leondardo's Vetruvian man, often viewed as the perfect representation of the human form. Or the fact that a mask constructed of golden ratio features is believed to make the ideal human face.

For me, the existence of Phi is both creepy, and sort of comforting. It's almost as if we're all connected by this bizarre ratio, from the smallest molecules to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. But in the end, try as we might, it's impossible to find a rational explanation for it.

It is an irrational number, after all.

- Brit Trogen

Manly men don't use plastic

2009-11-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

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Before you strap on that PVC outfit on a Saturday night - you should know:

Some plastics reduce penis size.

Yes, plastics containing chemicals called phthalates have been shown to cause genital defects in animals and even undescended testicles in boys. The problem: phthalates that can mimic the female sex hormone, estrogen, meaning that if pregnant women are exposed to these chemicals it could lead to their sons being less endowed.

If small penis sizes isn't enough, exposure to certain plastics during pregnancy may cause boys to be more 'feminized' where they are less likely to engage in rougher play, or play with cars, trains and guns.

The culprit: Phthlates called DEHP and DBP are both relatively commonly used chemicals to plastinate products. In particular, DEHP is used in PVC, hydraulic fluid and dialysis tubing while DBP is used in some nail polish and some glues and dyes.

For the most part, regulating bodies are doing their part to eliminate the use of these chemicals. Both the European Union and United States have completely banned the use of DBP in nail polishes. DEHP is banned in the EU for use in toys and the US has banned it for use in many forms of packaging.

In general, most people aren't exposed to lots of these types of chemicals - so no need to stop using plastic. But, if you are pregnant are planning on becoming pregnant - it wouldn't hurt to look into some of your more commonly used plastic products. Because, although penis size 'doesn't matter'.... it does.

-- Torah Kachur

Not a Flesh EATR

2009-11-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

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Nothing will ever be as creepy as the writhing, Japanese-made robot child, but the rumors about the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot come pretty close.

EATR looks like your typical battlebot - it's small, has tracks to move around, and one long arm with pincers on the end. But these little guys have something extra - a hybrid external combustion engine that can convert biomass into electrical energy.

"Biomass," of course, meaning any matter than comes from an organism, living or dead. Which is why some media went a little crazy when news of this robot first emerged. They dubbed it the "flesh-eating robot" and claimed it could feed on human bodies.

The companies involved, Cyclone Power Technologies and Robotic Technology Inc., quickly issued a statement reassuring the public that EATR is a VEGETARIAN. In this case, biomass means strictly plant material. EATR would use its robotic arm to forage for leaves, twigs, or wood chips. It could also burn traditional fuels, like gasoline or kerosene, if it had to.

Or maybe douse you in them, set you afire, and feast on your roasted remains...if you watch certain entertainment news channels, that is.

Do not fear the EATR. Commercializing this technology leads us one more step away from our reliance on fossil fuels for generating electricity. And besides, vegetarians rarely have the strength to put up a fight.

~Rheanna Sand

The Apocalypse of 2012

2009-11-11T23:01:00.000-08:00

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According to a conspiracy theory that's coinciding nicely with the release of the big-budget hollywood movie "2012", an ancient Mayan Calendar indicates that the world will come to an end on either Dec. 21 or 23, 2012.

Normally, this wouldn't quite fall into the realm of what rational people call "science." The theory can't even keep straight exactly how the apocalypse will arrive. Some claim a geomagnetic reversal is underway, in which the north and south magnetic poles will flip. Others believe we're going to collide with a planet called "Nibiru" or Planet X, which was allegedly detected by the Sumerians and has been hiding behind the sun for several years, but will soon swoop out and destroy us.

But this weird and intangible theory is somehow gaining popularity, even outside the usual fringe. So much so, in fact, that even NASA has stepped in to debunk it (To summarize, there's no scientific evidence to back up any of the 2012 claims).

So why is this theory so catching? Well for one thing, both the Discovery Channel and the History Channel have been airing programs for the past three years portraying these ideas as scientifically sound.

Now, I understand the need for good ratings; conventional media is undergoing an apocalypse all its own. But when even our "educational" television programs are selling out for the sake of sensationalism, can we really be surprised at the growing mistrust of science by the general public?

Seriously. If you're going to air programs on the approaching doomsday, at least mention that its biggest supporters heard about it from an alien implant in their brain.

- Brit Trogen

The Biology of Parenting

2009-11-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

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Good parenting handbooks, Oprah, child psychologists...raising kids isn't easy. Bad parenting and neglect can lead to psychological and emotional consequences for the children of unhealthy households. Now, bad parenting can also affect the genetics of the child.

These genetic changes are not changes in the sequence of DNA; the A's, T's, C's and G's that determine much of who we are. The effects of early stresses in life are changes in the epigenome. The epigenome is how genes are regulated by the proteins that associate and bind to DNA. Epi - means to sit upon - and this level of inheritance is in addition to the sequence of DNA you inherit from your parents. The epigenome is particularily sensitive to environmental changes - toxin exposure, stress and even diet can affect the epigenetics of an individual leading to long-term biological changes.

Research from the Max Planck Institute in Germany found that newborn mice that were stressed during infancy had changes in their gene expression pattern that lasted throughout life. The sequence of DNA didn't change - the epigenetics did.

Infant mice were separated from their mothers for a few hours of the day early on in their lives. This stress made the pups release a chemical that affected the epigenetics of the hormone vasopressin. Its the release of this hormone that led to learning and memory problems later in life for the little mice.

Our DNA can dictate many things about who and what we are, but we are finding that the epigenome is an integral player in our inheritance pattern. And the epigenome merges the environment we create for our kids with their biology. As if we needed another reason to take care of our children.

--Torah Kachur

Hi-Tech Health Care

2009-11-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

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With a speakers list ranging from Deepak Chopra to Steve Wozniak, to Goldie Hawn and David Blaine, the TEDMED 2009 Conference brought together some of the worlds greatest minds to discuss the future of health care technology.

The most interesting innovations didn't come from Hollywood, of course, but from exciting new companies converting research successes into technological marvels.

On the cancer front, the Pink Army Cooperative seeks to destroy breast cancer cells using synthetic, tumour-killing viruses. The viruses will be initially tested on cells taken from a patients' own tumour before being introduced into the body.

Another company, HopeLab, has designed a video game that helps kids respond better to cancer treatments, called Re-Mission. The user plays the role of a nanobot that destroys malignant cells with drugs and radiation.

Wi-Fi gadgets also had a big presence at the conference. The Corventis PiiX monitor sticks to your chest, looks no bigger than a cell phone, but can measure and transmit about a dozen different vital signs at a time. Another device, Zeo, is an alarm clock that records your brain waves as you sleep.

Finally, and most impressively, tissue engineering is moving ahead leaps and bounds. A company called Organogenesis is using sheets of lab-grown tissue to heal difficult wounds like diabetic ulcers. The grafts, shown above, consist of cells grown on a flexible collagen support matrix.

Whole organs are not far off, especially considering the announcement of a potential X-Prize competition dedicated to this end. Perhaps some custom-made hearts and brains are in order for US legislators?

~Rheanna Sand

How to Beat the H1N1

2009-11-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

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What do you get when you combine a newly evolved virus, a shortage of vaccines, and a frenzy of non-stop media coverage? The perfect storm of panic and misinformation that's converged over this year's pandemic-du-jour, the H1N1 flu virus.

And I've got to say, we've run the gamut of pretty much every possible angle on this one. First it was the deadliest virus on earth. Then it turned out it wasn't actually bad at all. Then there was the whole "some people die from it, but we don't know why" slant. And now it turns out there's a fantastic vaccine for it... but we don't have enough to actually give it to anyone but hockey players.

I'll admit, it's been confusing. But through it all, a cohesive picture is beginning to emerge. So here's what we actually know: H1N1 related symptoms are generally mild. As with any flu, some people will die from it, but the vast majority will not (as in 99.9955%). And aside from the vaccine, the best way to beat it is to wash your hands frequently.

But for the people who like to take a more active approach, here's some hot-off-the-press tips that are showing promise.

Number 1: Antioxidants! In additional to the innumerable other benefits of eating antioxidant rich foods (fruit, red wine), it looks like they might also prevent the flu from damaging your lungs.

Number 2: The old flu vaccines. People who've repeatedly gotten the seasonal flu shot over the years are showing some immunity to this one, probably due to the fact that H1N1 is a conglomeration of many different flu strains, some of which have been around for a while.

And finally: coughing in to the crook of your arm. Because failure to do this is proving hazardous to your health in more ways than one.

- Brit Trogen

Nature's Oscar the Grouch

2009-11-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

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Humans are dirty, dirty creatures. We have decided that the Earth is our own personal garbage dump - oil spills, nuclear accidents, landfills, CFC, carbon dioxide....and the list goes on.

But Nature is rebounding - bacteria have evolved mechanisms to detoxify and even live on all of these man-made garbage heaps. Scientists are now realizing the power of the natural metabolisms of bacteria to perform something called bioremediation. This strategy uses naturally occuring bacteria to detoxify chemicals such as PCB's, oil spills and other pollutants.

The types of bacteria you may have heard of: Salmonella, E. coli and others usually eat simple compounds like humans do - sugar, protein etc. Other bacteria can eat and grow on chemicals that are toxic to humans and our environment - which means these little bugs can be used to clean up our messes like the Exxon Valdez spill and the thousands of other oil spills left unreported.

There is not one single bacterium that can provide all of the enzymes to degrade a single molecule of oil. So, for every chemical that needs to be degraded, a specific combination of bacterial species must be used. But, if multiple species contribute an individual step in the breakdown pathway, the pollutant can eventually be degraded into a non-toxic molecule. This process is a natural, safe and effective way to detoxifying our environment.

Bioremediation strategies aren't only limited to oil spills - there are bacteria that can survive on and neutralize radioactive material - providing a potential method to clean up sites like Chernobyl and other nuclear accidents. Another pollutant, toluene, can be digested by a genetically engineered organism called Deinococus radiodurans.

Humans manage to destroy nature pretty much constantly, but Nature has evolved remarkable strategies to recover from all of this harm that humans inflict. We are slowly learning of how to use the power of Nature to right our wrongs.

--Torah Kachur

A Haunting Experiment

2009-10-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

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Just when you think you can scientifically explain paranormal activity, the ghost in the machine messes it all up.

A team of psychological researchers led by Christopher French constructed a scientifically haunted house - but there were no cheesy sound effects and no fake chainsaw-wielding murderers jumping out at you. This haunted house was a canvas tent set up in the front room of a London row house.

In one area, a speaker emitted sound waves below the level of human hearing, called infrasound waves. Such waves have been detected at classically haunted sites, such as Coventry Cathedral. Two other speakers set in different areas of the tent emitted electromagnetic waves of a very particular frequency, also associated with ghostly encounters.

The researchers were hoping that paranormal experiences would be induced in those spaces with speakers and not in the area without speakers, supporting a scientific explanation for the supernatural.

The results were positive on one hand - more than 75% of subjects reported having strange feelings in the room. There were descriptions of tingling sensations, disembodiment, dizziness, and even a few reports of sexual arousal. Freaks.

However, the results also showed that the location in the room had nothing to do with whether they felt weird. The only statistically significant correlation linked those with a history of such experiences to the paranormal phenomena.

These results can support either side of the argument - you could say that ghosts are real entities "summoned" by electromagnetic and infrasound waves, and these people are receptive individuals.

Or, you could say ghosts are not real, the waves cause the brain to do funny things, and while these people honestly believe they are being haunted, they are only victims of the power of suggestion.

Which sounds to me exactly what a ghost would WANT you to think.

~Rheanna Sand

The Secret to Cancer Immunity

2009-10-29T01:44:00.000-07:00

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... Is the naked mole rat.

Not the most impressive-looking rodent in the animal kingdom, but it's certainly one of the most interesting.

Living underground in subterranean tunnels that can stretch up to three miles, the mole rat is one of the only mammals to live in a eusocial society with a fertile queen and sterile workers, very similar to in an ant colony.

It's long been known that these creatures have a variety of interesting adaptations, including the ability to live with hardly any oxygen or food, and to eat their own excrement. But they're also the longest living rodents on earth, with lifespans of up to 28 years, and – here's the big one – are essentially immune to cancer.

And researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered why. It turns out that while humans have only one contact-inhibition system for cancer based on a gene called p27, mole rats have two. The second system uses a gene called p16-ink4a to prevent cells from overgrowing at an earlier stage than p27, heading off potential cancers before they have a chance to start.

This finding is a big breakthrough for cancer research, particularly because humans also have the p16-ink4a gene, though it doesn't seem to play the same role in our cells as it does for the mole rats.

But more importantly from the naked mole rat's point of view, it ensures that these magnificent creatures will go down in history for more than just the whole "eating-their-own-faeces" thing.

So, you're welcome, mole rats.

- Brit Trogen

An experiment to remember...

2009-10-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

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I remember the first time I rode my two-wheeler all by myself. I remember the feeling at the top of a dune in the Sahara. I remember the taste of a summer peach. I remember.

Memories shape who we are, the define us and create our identity. Who would we be without our recollections and reflections?

But a memory is only a biological phenomenon of the brain. That's it.

New memories are routed, interpreted and cross-referenced in a tiny region of the brain called the hippocampus. This structure is responsible for the associations of different thoughts, creating a memory - like between snakes and fear or chocolate and happiness.

But that is a massive oversimplification of the biology of a memory. It's almost impossible to conceptualize the complexity of the brain that remembers the vivid tastes, smells and sights of our life.

....unless you are a fly.

The memory and brain of the fruit fly has been studied for over 30 years and now, scientists were able to 'write' a memory directly into the brain of the fly. By simply shining a light into the brain of flies, at the centre known to be responsible for learning, the researchers were able to program a new association - or memory. This experiment reveals that our memories, no matter how integral to our self awareness, are only neurons making connections they hadn't done before.

An understanding of the biology of something so key to our humanity humbles me completely. We are still just a clump of cells. And our brain is just a massive network of neurons firing signals across the largest interchange in history.

--Torah Kachur

Humans ARE animals

2009-10-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

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You animal! He's such a pig. Ugh, she's a dog. These are all true...you are an animal.

Webster's dictionary defines an animal as: one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings.

That is such bull.

It is not humans AND animals, humans ARE animals. Just because we have consciousness or intelligence doesn't make us better than all the other animals on the planet, just different. We, humans, are classified in the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata and so on and so forth... our closest living relatives are the great apes and we are primates.

Free will, consciousness, morals, ethics - whatever we think separates us from them is only what we decided as important to make us special. But these traits don't make us any less of a vertebrate.

--Torah Kachur

Higgs Boson: Time Traveler?

2009-10-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

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As if theoretical physics wasn't weird enough. They've given us black holes, the Big Bang, the possibility of multiple dimensions, and invisible dark matter that is, as I write this, pushing the stars and planets apart. Now, a particle that is so dangerous that it might be traveling back in time to prevent itself from being discovered?

That is the outlandish but strangely fun premise of a paper by distinguished physicists Holger Bech Nielsen and Masao Ninomiya featured in a New York Times article this week.

The particle in question is the elusive Higgs boson, sometimes called the "God Particle" for its importance in all we know about matter in the universe. The Higgs boson is predicted in the Standard Model that describes the four major forces of particle interactions - electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear force, and gravitation. The Higgs boson is the only particle predicted by the Standard Model that has not been observed.

There have been so many failures, in fact, that Nielson and Ninomiya think the deck just might be stacked against us. They postulate that the discovery of the particle is so dangerous that its effects ripple back through time and prevent the discovery from happening.

As the NY Times article points out, it would be like you going back in time to save your grandfather from being hit by a bus. There is no time-traveling paradox, like there would be if you went back in time to kill your grandfather, so the theory seems to hold some water. Except for the fact that it sounds completely nuts.

Then again, has theoretical physics ever really made sense?

~Rheanna Sand

Gobble, gobble

2009-10-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

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Many of us canucks will celebrate this long weekend by stuffing ourselves silly with copious amounts of food. Then, fall asleep at the table while grandma regales the crowd with a rendition of "Girls just wanna have fun" (oh, is that only in my family?)

The centerpiece of any good Thanksgiving is the turkey, the bird that is now bred so fat it can't fly, breed or barely stand. But, man, it tastes good. Then after you can't possibly fit in one more bite, the sleepiness sets in....

But does turkey really make us sleepy? Or are our families just boring?

The amino acid tryptophan has long thought to be the culprit behind that post-indulgence tiredness. Tryptophan is an essential part of any diet and can eventually be metabolized in the brain into melatonin - a sleep hormone. But, turkey has about the same levels of tryptophan as many other meats. And, more importantly, turkey is consumed with potatoes, yams, wine and squash - full of carbohydrates.

Turkey does make you sleepy and it is because of tryptophan.... but it has more to do with the combination of carbohydrates and tryptophan that contributes to our food-fatigue. Carbohydrates release insulin, insulin causes uptake of sugar in the blood as well as long neutral branched chain amino acids (LNAA for short). It is the ratio of tryptophan/LNAA in the blood that causes the brain to uptake more tryptophan, which is then converted to melatonin.

Whew, that was way more complicated than just knowing that little bit of trivia that makes you sound smart over the dinner table.

Now, let's eat!

Happy Thanksgiving!

-- Torah Kachur

The sky isn't falling...

2009-10-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

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NASA made history again this week…but not everyone sees it for the well-designed, perfectly executed, and totally awesome experiment that it was.

The spacecraft LCROSS completed its mission in the wee hours of Friday morning. It launched a rocket into the Cabeus crater near the south pole of the moon, analyzed the debris, and then crashed itself into the same crater. The instruments on board were designed to pick up infrared signatures of water and carbon-containing compounds. The impacts were minuscule, the scientific components were off the shelf, the budget was a fraction of most NASA missions, and yet…someone started a "save the moon" campaign?

Yes, that's right. One Huffington Post blogger questioned who gave NASA "permission" to so violently assault our moon. Please. Do not feel sorry for the moon. It has no feelings.

Besides…have you SEEN the moon? Those aren't acne scars. The lunar surface is peppered by cosmic debris on a daily basis. This pair of impacts do not compare to the beating its taken in its lifetime.

The explosions were so harmless, people on Earth really didn't get the spectacle they were hoping for. The NASA TV video is actually quite anticlimactic (may I suggest the animation below that is much more entertaining to watch).

The data, though, will help scientists figure out how much water and other useful substances are up there. We might have a colony up there someday, and this brings us one step closer.

Some may question the purpose behind such an endeavor. Others, including myself, see it as a worthwhile use for technology that is, sadly, most often used by the military. I say, if there are going to be rockets and bombs, and let's face it, there will always be rockets and bombs, why not use them for cool space experiments?

~Rheanna Sand

Hot New Hominid

2009-10-03T00:20:00.001-07:00

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Move over, Lucy…there's a new girl in town. Her name is Ardi, and she's taller, has opposable toes, and weighs 110 pounds. Bitch.

In case you aren’t up to speed on hominid evolution - "Lucy" is the nickname of a skeleton belonging to the species Australopithecus afarensis, discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia and thought to be a direct ancestor of humans and a possible descendant of chimpanzees.

Lucy lived over 3 million years ago and has many human-like characteristics, like feet designed for upright walking and more specialized teeth and joints. Not to mention a seductive grin…rowr!

"Ardi", the hot new hominid, is a skeleton belonging to the species Ardipithecus ramidus. Also found in Ethiopia, she was first described in 1994, but the comprehensive results were just published in the October 2009 issue of Science.

This stunning report, consisting of 11 separate research papers, shatters the old belief that humans evolved from some chimp-like, knuckle-dragging primate. It seems that apes and chimps have been evolving separately for a lot longer than we thought. That being said, the jury is still out on Glenn Beck.

Ardi has given us a glimpse 4 million years into our past, and has caused quite a stir among scientists and non-scientists alike. It's no surprise - how could you NOT love her larger postcranial dimensions and mediolaterally short pubic ramus? Fierce!

~Rheanna Sand

Gonad is not a dirty word

2009-09-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

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Gonad, vulva, rectum, penis - these are anatomical terms, not dirty words. I study worm gonads, and, at a recent lunch, I was wearing my "I (heart) worm gonads" T-shirt that I made. The server came over to introduce her bubbly little self and then....she read my shirt. Then quickly made a face and tartly said "What can I get you".

Is it so hard to assume that anatomical terminology has a place in our society? You can talk about your tummy or your shoulder without too much trouble but as soon as you say "testicular cancer" or "colon", people cringe.

PC is so 90's, we are on the verge of the 10's. It is time to take back our bodies and the terms cleverly devised by Dark Age anatomists to understand how our body works. In order to understand what is going on in our own bodies we need to use the right terminology - without blushing.

So, gonads are fascinating.

-- Torah Kachur

A Science Oasis

2009-09-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

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Science is so woven into the fabric of western cultures, we rarely get to see the transformative effect it can have. Case in point: the grand opening of KAUST, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia on September 23rd.

KAUST is the first educational campus in Saudi Arabia to allow women and men to mix freely, a tangible sign of the recent bloom of progressive ideas in this country. Women can drive their cars on site, and do not have to wear veils in the classroom. The institution does not permit religious police to operate there.

The school is funded by a multi-billion dollar endowment fund from - where else - big Saudi oil, and boasts the middle East's fastest supercomputer, a fully immersive virtual reality system called CORNEA, and a gorgeous beachfront campus on the Red Sea.

Most current students and faculty are international, but the idea is to incorporate more locals over time and hopefully counter the stifling grip conservative clerics and princes have on scientific progress. The namesake of the University, King Abdullah, and his supporters have been pushing for such reforms since he took office in 2005. Only now are they seeing the result of combined efforts across Saudi society: a real science oasis. Or at least, what looks like one - only time will tell whether science can thrive in the face of hard line orthodoxy.

~Rheanna Sand

The Damp Side of the Moon

2009-09-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

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Three spacecraft have obtained some astonishing data that completely contradicts a widely held belief in planetary science: there is water on the Moon. And not just a couple of rogue molecules, either. The Moon is actually "painted" with water and hydroxyl (see the blue and orange/green above, respectively).

It's everywhere. And now two enormous mysteries remain: How did it get there? And forgive the phrase, but why on Earth didn't we see it before?

Already scientists are speculating.

The water was discovered by measuring sunlight reflected off the Moon's surface. Researchers observed a dip at the wavelength where water absorbs infrared light, and found that the amount of absorption varied with temperature. According to the researchers:

That suggests the water is being created when protons from the solar wind slam into the lunar surface. The collisions may free oxygen atoms in the minerals and allow them to recombine with protons and electrons to form water.

So why didn't we find it before? Well, we did. Lunar soil brought back from the Apollo mission did show signs of water. But the Apollo scientists, erring on the side of caution, dismissed it as being more likely a result of contamination on re-entry. Which just goes to show you, even skeptics can overdo it.

At an estimated concentration of one quart of water per cubic yard (about a liter per cubic meter), all that remains now is to determine the effect this discovery will have on future attempts to actually colonize and form settlements on the Moon.

For my part, I'm just dying to try a sip.

- Brit Trogen

Aye-aye Cap'n

2009-09-21T07:12:00.001-07:00

Ever since I got my National Geographic Mammal books in Grade 1, I have loved the aye-aye. These cool creatures are so evolutionarily specialized that they have their own Genus - they are the largest nocturnal primate, they have a long middle finger to act like a woodpecker to fish out grubs and other delectables from trees and, the best part, they look absolutely hilarious.

Aye-aye's live only in Madagascar, a place full of incredible species like the flying fox and hissing cockroaches, and also a country of recent civil unrest. Now, the aye-aye is falling victim to the increased population and troubles with deforestation, poaching and human encroachment. The aye-aye may have a a fond place in my heart, even though it may be the first time you have ever heard of it. But, make sure it isn't the last.

The aye-aye and other evolutionary oddities exist in the remote corners of the globe - like Madagascar, the Galapagos and Borneo. They provide a window into the evolutionary pressures that shape our world and those that live in it. If we lose these species, our understanding of where life comes from will by missing some of those crucial steps in Life's long evolutionary tree.

-- Torah Kachur

Hubble-licious

2009-09-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

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Back on May 11th of this year, the shuttle Atlantis blasted off, sending its crew on a very important two-week visit to the International Space Station. Their mission? To fix our ultimate eye-in-the-sky, the Hubble Space Telescope. This week, the first pictures from the pimped-out piece of space gear were released to the public.

Here are a few for your viewing pleasure! Clicking on the image will take you to a larger version at HubbleSite.org.

This one depicts the quite beautiful death of a star within a planetary nebula, charmingly named NGC 6302.
This deep space image was taken inside the globular star cluster Omega Centauri. Hey - wasn't that where the Last Starfighter defeated Xur? No wait, that was Rylos, my mistake.

This is galactic violence at its worst in Stephan's Quintet. I blame it on all the galactic violence in TV shows and video games these days.
This last one is of the famous star nursery, the Carina Nebula - and if you think toddlers are trouble, try looking after millions of baby stars. They are SO fussy when they start to undergo fusion.
The top image is in visible light while the bottom in infrared shows more detail of a star burst occurring withing the nebula.

Find more fantastic images, including wallpapers for your desktop, at the Hubble Site gallery.

~Rheanna Sand

Life - what's that all about?

2009-09-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

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I ponder big things - what is life? Why are we here? Is there life out there?

So far, I have no answers. Not a clue.

Although, I doubt ET will be knocking on my door anytime soon. And, our visit from aliens probably won't involve Will Smith. But, I do think that there is life out there. Where? - I have no idea. What will it look like? - I have no idea.

But I do know some properties that biologists use to define life.

First - a living thing has to be capable of regulating its internal environment as distinct from its external environment. It has to be able to get rid of waste, take up nutrients and have some form of metabolism all within its own 'body'.

Second - it has to have a way to pass on hereditary information. In all life on Earth, DNA is passed on to offspring but any molecule that can transmit information will do. A Martian, Lilliputian or gremlin probably won't use DNA, but another breed of informational molecule. There are more 'criteria' of life but those are the ones I think are the most important.

Imagine if we find life forms somewhere else in our universe. Imagine the implications of finding sentient or even non-sentient beings. We will no longer be alone, we will no longer be the only ones, we will no longer be special.

I root for SETI and I love the idea that the forces that shaped life on this planet have shaped evolution of life on other planets as well. I'll probably never know the answers to some of these questions but I refuse to stop thinking and I refuse to stop searching for answers. So should you.

-- Torah Kachur

A Middle Ground

2009-09-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

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If you haven't heard of the South African world class runner Caster Semenya, get your head out of the sand already. What I love about this controversy is the fact that an entire country seems to be on the right side for a change.

Semenya won the gold in the 800m event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. Then, under suspicion of not being "truly" female, she underwent gender testing.

Genetic testing proved that Semenya has two X chromosomes rather than the male XY pair, or some variation such as XXY or triple X that can sometimes cause abnormalities. But a recent report suggests that Semenya may be intersex - she has three times the amount of testosterone in her blood as most females, and may have a combination of male and female reproductive organs.

Despite the typical bigotry associated with intersex people on a global scale, her native country is backing her with great enthusiasm, which says a lot about the changing views of gender and sex in our generation.

So let's take this opportunity to lay some facts bare: human sex cannot be divided into only "pure" males and females. There is an entire spectrum in between the two common extremes, known as intersex.

Traditionally called hermaphrodites, the common belief is that intersex people have a complete set of male and female parts, all crowded together down there. While this may be true in worms, it is not so in humans. There is usually a combination of parts, with, for example, an individual appearing female on the outside but with internal testes instead of ovaries. Or they may have reduced male parts that are fully functional, but don't "look normal," resulting in "corrective" surgeries forcing people to live their lives in the wrong body.

Intersex people are often classified into some disorder, and while this may be reasonable in a medical setting, what does this do in a psychosocial setting? In my opinion it is society's way of trying to fix what they perceive as wrong, when in reality, they are only marginalizing a natural segment of the human population. Perhaps this controversy can shed some light on these historical wrongs.

~Rheanna Sand

You Smell Like Death

2009-09-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

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If you've ever spent a significant amount of time around decaying corpses (and I know I have), you've probably noticed that they give off a rather unpleasant odor.

Well, if you ever wondered exactly what caused that smell, your day has come. Researchers at McMaster University have pinpointed the exact chemical that causes the "stench of death," and furthermore have discovered that the extract is highly conserved across a huge number of animal species.

This makes sense, in a morbid way. If your friend or relative died of a viral infection, or was disemboweled by a lurking predator, it's probably to your advantage to stay away from the place where it happened. So we evolved a method of recognizing death, and a natural repulsion towards it. This "death recognition system" is now believed to have evolved over 400 million years ago, in the form of a scented extract released by dead bodies or "death juice".

The culprit is a blend of fatty acids composed primarily of oleic and linoleic acid. And if you were worried the researchers didn't do enough messing around with corpse juice, just relax. They also had some fun by putting droplets of it on living ants and cockroaches, and then watching them be forcibly removed from their nests by their coworkers.

Of course, this research will be used for more important applications like... Um... Well actually I'm not sure what it could be used for. But at least now necrophiliacs know what to use to build up their tolerance.

-- Brit

**Update: Okay, so it turns out they may actually use this research to detect bodies from earthquakes and avalanches, which is actually kind of useful. So... scratch that last bit.**

Beer Gardens, Frat Parties....School is back in Session!

2009-09-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

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I'm a big fan of the show Mad Men - where 1960's ad execs drink all day, pregnant women drink all day, everyone drinks all day. Fun. That isn't why I'm a fan of the show but alcohol is pretty much a daily and hourly routine in their lives.

Now, we get constant lectures on the dangers of alcohol - alcohol poisoning, coma, liver damage, brain damage, fetal alcohol syndrome...and the list goes on. Yet, a glass of red wine is a good antioxidant, moderate alcohol consumption is good for your heart, lowers the risk of diabetes, lowers cholesterol, protects against dementia.

Aaahhh... where does that leave us? Is alcohol bad for your body? Most importantly, does it make you dumber? (we all know it makes us hotter).
The immediate effects of alcohol on the brain are obvious....

To find out more, visit: http://www.scienceinseconds.com/blog.php?id=177

-- Torah Kachur

Good Vibrations

2009-09-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

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In one of the coolest talks I've seen on TED recently, MIT researcher Eric Giler brings a metal structure resembling an empty picture frame on the stage along with an unplugged LCD TV. The crowd quiets in anticipation as he flips a switch to power the metal device. He nervously admits that it takes time to charge up. Finally, in a roar of applause, the television blinks to life.

This is the first demonstration of wireless electricity that I've ever seen. Actually no, that's a lie - my electric toothbrush works on the very same principle, although I didn't know it until I watched this video. This device however, is large enough that it can power common household electronics.

This idea of electricity without wires harks back to the first designs by Nikola Tesla - he believed, in fact, that the world would not use electricity if there were cumbersome cables involved. The problem was he couldn’t induce an electric current across large distances. His famous Tesla coils could create a massive amount of volts but only in close proximity.

This new design uses a phenomenon called resonance energy transfer. Resonance occurs when two objects vibrate at the exact same frequency, and become linked in their mutual vibration. This linkage can occur over very large distances. A common example is the opera singer who shatters a glass across an auditorium.

Wireless electricity (WiTricity) works in a similar way. It converts an electric current in the device to a magnetic field of a very particular frequency. A conversion box attached to your household electronics is tuned to that exact frequency, and when it picks up signals from the WiTricity device, it converts them back into an electric current. This technology is perfectly safe - we are already exposed to magnetic fields every moment of every day.

As the presenter points out, imagine driving your electric car into your garage where there is a WiTricity device embedded into the floor - no plugs or effort required. Or - what excites me the most, sadly - finally getting rid of the mess of cables under your computer desk! Its on the way, folks, believe it or not.

~Rheanna Sand

Casual Swearing Appreciation Society

2009-08-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

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If only I had come up with the Casual Swearing Appreciation Society. What's next? "People who like eating chocolate with shoestrings" activism?

The CSAS (the preferred abbreviation is, of course, a foul word) doesn't have a website but does have a rapidly growing facebook group. Their president - Rohan Byrt - does sound like a real name, I mean, it's not "Homer Sexual" or anything like that. But why have they suddenly appeared in the news? A recent study published in the journal NeuroReport suggests that people who swear in response to pain can tolerate more than their sweet-lipped counterparts. So - next time you slam your fingers in your car door - have no shame and let that swear rip.

But, it makes me wonder - is there some rebellious endorphin coursing through your body when you swear that masks the pain? Or is it just that swears are harsh-sounding words? "Oh fooey" or "poopers" doesn't have the same sense of relief as "Holy F*&$". I propose a new study, one that substitutes those taboo swear words for others that are equally harsh:

For example:
Instead of "S@%!:" - say "Saugen" - German for vacuum
Instead of "F*&$" - say "Ryuken" - Street Fighter for attack

My hypothesis - shouting anything that has that gutteral cry will be an equal substitute for the words that may offend our sensitive-eared neighbours.

-- Torah Kachur

Dino Chiropractor

2009-08-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

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On seeing the Archaeopteryx fossil, your first thought might have been: "Wow! What an amazing missing link between dinosaurs and birds!"

But second thought was probably: "What's up with it's neck?"

Dinosaur fossils are often positioned in ways that seem at least highly uncomfortable, if not impossibly flexible. Could these dinosaurs really bend their heads back like that? And was there some reason in the last moments of life that they decided to utilize this strange skill?

Several possible theories exist.

The first, and most intuitive for me, is that after dying in a more natural pose the dinosaur was exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time. This caused the flexible ligaments lining the back of the dinosaur's neck to dry out and contract, slowly pulling the head backwards.

But a more recent explanation, thanks to the work of a veterinarian-turned-geologist, has been gaining popularity. Dr. Cynthia Faux (PhD, PhD. Suck on that, single doctorates) is suggesting that the death pose is the result of brain injury during death, not post-mortem sunbathing. Because after years of observing the deaths of parrots (insert Monty Python joke here), Dr. Faux can recognize a cerebellum disorder called opisthotonos, which causes birds and other animals to adopt the same strange conformation at death.

Either way, seeing the contorted spines and flailing necks of these long dead lizards really puts my measly neck problems in perspective. Thanks, Archaeopteryx!

- Brit Trogen

Science Imitates Art

2009-08-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

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If you would have told me ten years ago that a video game character was going to be discovered in nature, I never would've suspected bomb-throwing worms. I suppose they are more likely than, say, a yellow circle chomping on little yellow squares, but maybe less likely than a giant ape throwing barrels of hot oil (that's Pac-Man and Donkey Kong for you neophytes).

Yes, bomb-throwing worms were discovered in the deep waters of the northeast and western Pacific Ocean. The authors, Karen Osborn and colleagues, place this worm in a new category within a group known as Annelids.

Your typical earthworm is an annelid, with its very clear segmentation and wave-like movements. The bomber worms, having to move through the water rather than through dirt, have large bristled swimming paddles running the length of its body instead of the tiny, almost invisible bristles of earthworms. They also have some rather pretty colours in their outer layer, or cuticle.

Of course the bombs are the coolest bit - these detachable cylinders glow bright green when they are released. A very advantageous adaptation...I know if I was a worm only 2 to 10cm long, I would appreciate a little fireworks to distract an ugly deep sea predator. Or maybe, just maybe to impress that cute worm eyeing me from across the benthos.

The authors mention that detaching of glowing structures has been seen before in a squid and a brittle star. However, as far as I know, there are no video games with squids killing each other with shotguns and uzis, or of starfish defeating each other with bombs like in the Worms video game. This discovery is therefore much, much cooler.

~Rheanna Sand

Zombies - need I say more?

2009-08-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

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A flash mob of zombies poured over the streets of Vancouver last weekend, roving bands of teenagers in all states of undress covered in red paint, pale faces and mumbling incoherently. Zombies.
Zombies are the undead, they eat human brains and flesh and can only be killed by decapitation. Sure, but they don't actually exist. The folklore likely originated in Afro-Caribbean voodoo stories but zombies didn't hit it bigtime until movies like Night of the Living Dead and, of course, Micheal Jackson's epic music video - Thriller. So, what were zombies doing on the streets of Vancouver?

The annual Zombie Walk is an underground movement started in 2001 in Sacramento, California and is spreading - like the plague.

So I asked myself - if zombies were real, AND if they could eat brains and turn other people into zombies.... How fast could they take over the universe?

I ponder strange things; but I'm not the only one. Two Canadian researchers have done mathematical modeling into how to eradicate a zombie infestation, as a model for other hard-to-kill pandemics like chicken pox or some fungal infections.

One of the lead researchers, Dr. Neil Ferguson explains: "The paper considers something that many of us have worried about - particularly in our younger days - of what would be a feasible way of tackling an outbreak of a rapidly spreading zombie infection."

Yes, as an eight-year old, threats of zombie infestations and flying pig wars kept me up at night as well.

The researchers conclusions? If zombies existed and were of the slow-moving, dim-witted kind - it would take a fast and coordinated effort but we will be safe. Whew.

-- Torah Kachur

Why so blue?

2009-08-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

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"The eyes are the windows….of your face," says Christopher Walken in a hilarious SNL sketch about a man who puts googly-eyes on plants. Pretty windows, at that, in all those different colours…and it makes me think, just how is eye colour determined? It is a common misconception that eye colour is linked to just one gene, but as is the case with most biological phenomena, the matter is much more complex.

For example, it was widely thought that blue eye colour is a simple recessive trait, meaning two blue-eyed parents would always produce a blue-eyed child. This caused a few paranoid moments during high school biology class, I'm sure. It has now believed that almost any parent-child colour combination can occur.

This is because eye colour is a polygenic trait, meaning it is the result of more than one gene interacting. There have been at least three genes found related to eye colour, and they all help control the type, amount and distribution of pigment in the iris. The iris also has different layers that vary in the type and level of pigment, creating even more possibilities. Did you know that in addition to brown, blue and green, eyes can be amber, violet, or even red? Or that eyes can contain spots, or even star patterns?

Heterochromia can produce two different coloured eyes, or large regions within one eye that are a different colour. This can be inherited or acquired from injury - a blood spot in the iris can permanently change the colour in that region.

People can even be born without an iris, in a creepy condition known as aniridia.

Of course, almost any eye colour is now possible with the invention of coloured contacts…window dressing at its most vain. It makes one wonder, when will googly-eyed contacts hit the market?

~Rheanna Sand

The Other Darwin

2009-08-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

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One of the coolest untold stories in science is that Darwin was one of the first people to seriously consider the idea of evolution.

No, not Charles Darwin. I'm talking about his grandfather, Erasmus (the studly guy pictured above).

Erasmus Darwin was a natural philosopher in eighteenth century England, and was also a physician, inventor, and a famous poet. And amazingly, he was one of the first contemporary thinkers to really support the idea that species change over time.

Erasmus was kind of like the mad scientists you see in movies. He'd set up laboratories in his home and have late night meetings with other great thinkers *cough*nerds*cough* in his basement during full moons. They called these meetings the Lunar Society, and all the attendees "lunaticks". And before you get caught up in the image of a bunch of old guys hanging out in a basement, keep in mind that it was at these meetings that the seeds of modern evolutionary science were planted.

Erasmus even wrote poems about it, the most notable being The Temple of Nature (first called The Origin of Society. Hmm, sounds familiar...) And the footnote of his poem The Loves of the Plants reads:

"Perhaps all the productions of nature are in their progress to greater perfection?"

Okay, so Erasmus didn't figure out everything on his own. But his writings anticipated virtually all evolutionary thought, which is pretty damn cool.

I guess genius does run in the family.

- Brit Trogen

The Eastern Garbage Patch

2009-08-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

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Scientists were dispatched this week into the middle of the Pacific ocean to study the Eastern Garbage Patch - a floating mass of refuse about twice the size of Texas.

The patch, predicted in 1988 by Alaskan scientists, is a disgusting reminder that the true price of our disposable lifestyles is paid by Mother Earth.

Some may wonder though, why is a mass of floating plastic such a big threat?

The damage caused by plastic is more than just your typical bird caught in six-pack rings. The most harm comes from chemicals released during breakdown. In fact, the same chemicals that give plastic its usefulness - its ability to be molded and its lightweight strength - are the same chemicals that cause serious harm.

Plastics are polymers: long, repeating chains of a complex molecule. The complex molecules are organic , which technically means they contain carbon. Organic molecules are more likely to interact with living cells, and indeed, pollutants from plastic do bind to receptor proteins on the outside of cells. In this way, they mimic natural signals and cause the wrong message to be transmitted within the organism.

PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are a common product of plastic degradation. Besides other toxic effects, these chemicals can mimic the action of a molecule called estradiol, related to estrogen, which can cause pesky problems in the reproductive system - like turning male fish into female fish.

There are efforts on the way to clean up the patch, and indeed, that is the purpose of the ships' travel to this region this month, to study the feasibility of such a cleanup.

In my opinion, no cost would be too high to rid our oceans of this junk.

~Rheanna Sand

I'm flying, Jack... Flying

2009-08-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

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I always found Newtonian physics to be boring as hell.

An object at rest (or motion) stays at rest (or motion) unless there's external force.

Force is mass times acceleration.

Every reaction causes an equal and opposite reaction.

Well done, Newton. But while your laws may “govern the world” and all, they’ve failed to excite me in the slightest for pretty much my entire life.

Until now.

Because now, we have jet packs. That’s right, thanks to law number three, pumping continual streams of water from the bottom of a thirty pound jet pack causes the wearer to be pushed in the opposite direction for hours at a time. That is, up.

The problem with jet packs before now has primarily been an issue of function. When developing a jet pack for military use, for example, it was extremely important that the device be functional on dry land. If a soldier wanted to float over a potential minefield, he or she probably wouldn't have access to a large body of water. So past designs have generally been focused on using the expulsion of compressed gases for lift.

But this has always caused problems. Compressed gases can be highly explosive, and it takes a lot more gas to counteract the forces of gravity than liquid. But now that jet packs have crossed over into the realm of recreation, most of these issues have been overcome.

I'd elaborate, but I think the video pretty much speaks for itself in proclaiming one overarching message: Go physics.

-Brit Trogen

Even goats swoon for me...

2009-08-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Let's face it - some genetic diseases are kinda funny. Narcolepsy is funny. Dwarfism can give rise to a few chuckles. But, of course, it would be cruel to laugh at people who can't control their genetic fate.

Fainting goats, however, are hilarious.

Imagine taking your child down to the petting zoo, your toddler screams after the goat and pulls its tail. Then, all of a sudden, the goat stiffens up, falls flat on its face and sticks its legs straight in the air. Admit it - it's funny. And, if you lack a sense of humor - check out this video and tell me that you didn't just smirk, or smile or fall off your chair laughing.

These goats suffer from a genetic disease called myotonia congenita. Although no actual cellular basis for the muscle stiffening has been found, it is likely due to overfiring of the neural impulses that lead to muscle contraction.

Now, now - don't get too excited... after these goats have 'fainted' they get back up and go on their merry way. It appears that they don't suffer any pain, and even learn how to fall better - to avoid those steaming bits of grass.

There are actually people who breed these goats, so - if you want to learn more... take a road trip down to Marshall County, Tennessee, where every year in October they celebrate the "Fainting Goats" at the "Goats Music and More Festival. You can count me in.

- Torah Kachur

Space News

2009-08-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

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In case you missed it, beyond all the celebrity news last month, there were some pretty fantastic stories about space.

July 20th marked the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. This still blows my mind, the fact that humans walked on another celestial body before the VCR was invented. Before the first word processor. Before post-it notes!

And just yesterday, the Space Shuttle Endeavor touched down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The crew, including Canadian Julie Payette, was tasked with installing the last section of a Japanese research laboratory on the International Space Station.

Hitching a ride back was Koichi Wakata, a Japanese astronaut there since March. Interestingly, or perhaps unfortunately, Wakata had a specially-designed pair of underwear that he had worn for 30 consecutive days. The silver-coated, cotton-polyester blend has antibacterial, odour-resistant properties designed for long lunar missions. Now that Wakata is back on earth, this pair of prototype underwear will be evaluated by the most unlucky scientists in Japan.

A huge bright spot developed on the planet Venus this week. The spot is visible in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, and may be a result of a volcanic eruption. Venus is thought to have been resurfaced by past volcanic events, but no present-day activity has been seen, until now. There are a few other possible causes to explore: charged particles from the sun could create an intense aurora, like our northern lights but on steroids, or strong winds could be sweeping bright material into a small area.

Either way, it’s a reminder that the night sky is always active! Don't forget to look up once in a while.

~Rheanna Sand

Burn, baby, burn.

2009-07-30T02:25:00.001-07:00

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Well, it's official: pale is the new tan.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (a subgroup of the WHO) has moved tanning beds into the highest category of cancer risk -- "carcinogenic to humans".

Previously classified as "probably carcinogenic", this move means that tanning beds are now deemed equally as deadly (from a cancer-causing standpoint) as mustard gas and arsenic.

Sound like overkill? Well, according to twenty recent studies, using a tanning bed before the age of 30 will increase your likelihood of skin cancer by 75%. People under the age of 18 who regularly use tanning beds were also found to be eight times more likely to develop melanoma than those who don't.

I know what you're thinking. Pale, UV-free skin should be coming back into style, right? I can finally bare my pasty white legs with pride, knowing I'm avoiding a horrible fate later in life! Well unfortunately, this probably isn't the case.

In reality, the fact that tanning causes cancer and premature aging has been known for decades, but it still hasn't curbed the pressure on young people to maintain a "healthy" glow year round.

In my opinion, the best we can hope for is a good tanning lotion.

- Brit Trogen

Cartesian Complexity

2009-07-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

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Descartes is way too complicated.

I think, therefore I am. Cogito ergo sum. I think I'm smart, I think you are awesome for reading this... I think, therefore I am. 5 words, simple, straightforward, a catch phrase for generations. But those 5 words are way too complicated.

Thoughts define us, they make us human, they make us individuals and they make us real.

But, what is a thought?

Neurons in our brain make thoughts, transmit feelings and express ideas. Those signals are transmitted down neurons as an action potential. Action potentials follow a simple formula: sodium channels open, potassium channels open, sodium channels close, potassium channels close. Repeat.

That is it. No grand fireworks complexity: sodium channels open - Romeo and Juliet, potassium channels open - quantum mechanics, sodium channels close - structure of DNA, potassium channels close - the Sistine Chapel.

How do we get thought from that simple formula? Complex interactions between neurons, criss-crossing across our brain through speech centers, taste centers, memory centers. Incredible numbers of neurons connect in the most complicated network imaginable - but it all comes down to: sodium channels open, potassium channels open, sodium channels close, potassium channels close. Repeat.

- Torah Kachur

The Dog Came Back

2009-07-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

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In early 2009, BioArts International cloned five puppies from the DNA of a 9/11 "hero dog" as the conclusion to their Most Cloneworthy Dog in the World competition. Quite the publicity stunt... but it raises some issues.

Because besides the fact that it takes hundreds of unsuccessful attempts to create one living clone, even cloned animals that appear to be perfectly healthy often end up having major health issues in later life.

The reasons for this aren't yet known. If you copy the DNA from an animal that lived a healthy life, shouldn't history repeat itself? Is God smiting down the evil clones, or is something else going on?

Cloning involves three "mother" animals: one to provide an empty egg, one to give the DNA you want copied, and one to birth the offspring. This is a far cry from natural conception, so it's possible the procedure itself could be causing the problems.

The original DNA could also be the problem -- If there are any harmful mutations in the original animal they might be passed directly to the clone, speeding the onset of genetic diseases.

But whatever the reason, consumers should think carefully about the consequences before jumping in. Do you really want Fido back, if Fido V.2 will get cancer within a few years, leaving your wallet $100,000 lighter?

And the companies that offer to clone your pet probably don't care about clone longevity, so long as they get paid up front.

Just something to think about.

- Brit Trogen

A Simple Protist?

2009-07-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

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Is it strange to be creeped out by a single-celled organism?

Algae are one of the simplest forms of life, yet they are constantly meddling in human society. Reproducing like mad, poisoning our water supply in deceivingly colourful blooms, constantly reminding us that our oceans and lakes are filled with the crap they thrive on. What downers.

In a bold escalation of their aggression, algae were discovered last week assembling in a 24-kilometer long, stringy mass of black slime off the coast of Alaska. Scientific tests confirmed that, contrary to my initial hypothesis identifying the blob as Sarah Palin's political future, the slime is, in fact, algae.

Look at the pictures for yourself. A massive, hairy, fish-catching, bird-eating, hissing log of sludge. Okay, the hissing part I made up…but it might as well be true. There were reports of a goose skeleton and feathers pulled out of this thing!

If oversized, oily drain trappings don't creep you out, know that some algal blooms are more insidious. The tropical species Gambierdiscus toxicus produces ciguatoxin, a chemical that builds up in reef fish and can cause its human victims to experience a gastrointestinal circus, not to mention the possible hallucinations, numbness, or even paralysis.

Its clear these "simple" organisms are becoming more sophisticated by the minute. We must not underestimate the ingenuity of our microscopic rivals. I mean, its not like we could actually learn something from these ecological weirdos, right?

~Rheanna Sand

Raindrops keep falling on my head..

2009-07-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

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Ever wonder why raindrops come in different sizes? No....? Neither have I.

But - some people have thought of this delightful question. And, they now know the answer.

My first reaction was that raindrops would come together and break apart as they fly down towards the Earth. Turns out - I could also get a PhD in raindrop shape and behavior.

It is more complicated than just breaking up and combining. As those little raindrops fall towards the ground, they open like a parachute. When their little parachute bursts - they shatter into tiny pieces of all different sizes.

Sometimes science seems useless, and sometimes it is. But, in this case, understanding raindrop formation is important because they made some really cool pictures, got to stand in the rain for the sake of research, and most importantly - looked into fluid dynamics and behavior in air resistance.

I'd love to demonstrate my new appreciation for this research.... but... its sunny today.

-- Torah Kachur

Science in Seconds

2009-07-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Science in Seconds blog -- your fix for cool and current news in science that you can read in sixty seconds or less.

Unless you're a slow reader.

We'll be updating several times a week with tidbits on a variety of topics. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the sudden influx of knowledge that floods your brain with every visit.

-- Torah, Rheanna and Brit.