Uncategorized
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Chem Demos
They may not be as dramatic as the real thing, but online video and descriptions of lecture demonstrations involving combustion and other chemical and physical effects still fascinate. The Chemistry Learning Center at the University of Illinois offers tantalizing glimpses of methanol combustion, electrolysis of water, hydrogen ignition, the effect of liquid nitrogen on a […]
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19419
This article on the spread of Bt pollen ended with the question, “Is this a big deal or a small effect?” The fact that this phenomenon has gone missing from bioengineering papers for 20 years makes one wonder what else hasn’t appeared. Bioengineers saying “we know what we’re doing” should now be humbled. The article […]
- Agriculture
Rethinking Refuges? Drifting pollen may bring earlier pest resistance to bioengineered crops
Pollen wafting from bioengineered corn to traditional varieties may be undermining the fight to keep pests from evolving resistance to pesticides.
- Astronomy
Back to the Beginning: Hubble’s infrared camera goes the distance
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers have identified 26 galaxies that may be the youngest and most distant known.
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Expanding the Code: Engineered bacteria are genetic rebels
Researchers have created a bacterium that can incorporate artificial amino acids into their proteins.
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Toddlers’ Supersize Mistakes: At times, children play with the impossible
Toddlers will sometimes try to climb into a toy car or otherwise treat small objects as if they were large ones, possibly because their brains occasionally fail to integrate visual information about object size with object identity.
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19418
I can pretty easily tell what was going through the kiddo’s mind while trying “in vain to scoot down a miniature slide.” 1. “Slides are fun. Why not pretend to slide on a toy slide to get the feeling you get from the real one?” 2. “Wow, I’m big now. I’ll prove it.” So, perhaps […]
- Physics
Holey Water: Punctured fluid stays riddled
Extreme vibrations and high concentrations of tiny particles, such as cornstarch, in water can create holes in the liquid.
- Earth
Underwater Pavement: Asphalt deposits cover parts of Gulf of Mexico
Explorations of the seafloor in the southern Gulf of Mexico have revealed lavalike flows of asphalt that are home to a thriving ecosystem of microbes, mussels, tubeworms, and crabs.
- Health & Medicine
Bad Break: Homocysteine may weaken bones
Elderly people with elevated concentrations of the amino acid homocysteine in their blood are more likely to break bones than are people with low amounts.
- Paleontology
Fossil confirms that early arthropods molted
A 505-million-year-old fossil provides hard proof of that ancient arthropods shed their exoskeletons during growth, just as their modern relatives do.
- Tech
Diagnostic gadget mixes and matches all in one
Researchers have fabricated a miniature diagnostic lab that can detect disease-linked genes in a small sample of whole blood.
