If physicists lived in Flatland—the fictional two-dimensional world invented by Edwin Abbott in his 1884 novel—some of their quantum physics experiments would turn out differently (not just thinner) than those in our world.

The distinction has taken another step from speculative fiction to real-world puzzle with a paper from the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) reporting on a Flatland arrangement of ultracold gas atoms. The new results, which don’t quite jibe with earlier Flatland experiments in Paris, might help clarify a strange property: “superfluidity.”

Dale Deutsch, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University and colleagues discovered a new molecular mechanism for the processing of endocannabinoids, brain compounds similar to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and essential in physiological processes such as pain, appetite, and memory.   Reported online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the finding could pave the way for new medicines for pain, addiction, appetite control and other disorders.

NEW YORK, March 25 /PRNewswire/ --

- Shutterstock Expands Services to Appeal to Rapidly Expanding Base of Subscribers in Russian-Speaking Countries

Shutterstock(R) (www.Shutterstock.com) announced today that its website is now available in Russian. This newly translated site makes it easier for the creative community in Russian-speaking countries to access Shutterstock's extensive collection of royalty-free photos, vectors, and illustrations.

In addition to offering the website in Russian, Shutterstock also has a dedicated Russian-speaking support team available to answer any questions subscribers may have.

STOCKHOLM, March 25 /PRNewswire/ --

Uncertainty around today's economy has left some workers feeling uneasy about their jobs. Career experts from CareerBuilder are offering tips to help workers make themselves indispensable at the office and to help them find a job if they have experienced a layoff.

The important thing is to be prepared and stay productive within your organization, said Johan Hjelte, Managing Director of CareerBuilder.se. If you've experienced a layoff, don't get discouraged. It may take longer to find a job, but there are still organizations out there hiring.

Top medical experts Professor Louis Appleby and Baroness Susan Greenfield are backing a campaign about the health benefits of reading.

A nationwide survey commissioned by the National Year of Reading(1) to explore the importance of reading in everyday life confirmed that reading can have real benefits for your health, as well as for your social circumstances, with 86% of respondents confident that reading improves their mood.

Celebrities including Richard Judy, Lorraine Kelly, Terry Wogan, Roger Moore, John Humphrys, Sophie Dahl and Kenny Logan have all shown their support and shared their personal `feel good' reads. 

Researchers have discovered coral beds off the coast of Hawaii that are more than 4,200 years old, making them among the oldest living creatures on Earth.

The team was directed by Brendan Roark of Texas A&M's College of Geosciences and included colleagues from the University of California-Santa Cruz and Australian National University in Canberra.

Two different species of coral beds were documented using carbon dating methods, Roark says, with both being much older than previously believed. One species – Leiopathes – is now confirmed to be about 4,265 years old, while the other species, Gerardia, is believed to be about 2,742 years old.

The safety of early applications of synthetic biology may be adequately addressed by the existing regulatory framework for biotechnology, especially in contained laboratories and manufacturing facilities. But further advances in this emerging field are likely to create significant challenges for U.S. government oversight, according to a new report authored by Michael Rodemeyer of the University of Virginia. Synthetic biology promises major advances in areas such as biofuels, specialty chemicals, and agriculture and drug products. 

Weeds, trees or tomatoes; no matter the plant genome of interest, Yves Van de Peer and associate Bioinformaticians at the VIB-Ugent research institute repeatedly observe that the last genome duplication to have occurred in all extant plants happened at the same time—65 million years ago.  This is a rather peculiar date considering it coincides with earth's last mass extinction event.  With this factoid in mind, an inference can be made; duplicated chromosome mutants (polyploids) have a strong advantage during times of environmental hardship.

IRVINE, California, March 24 /PRNewswire/ --

Premium green automaker Fisker Automotive has appointed its first group of North American retailers to market and service its luxury plug-in hybrid vehicles, beginning with the US$87,900, 100mpg Karma sedan later this year. Thirty-two award-winning retailers have confirmed their intent to carry the Fisker marquee. The number puts the carmaker close to its goal of having 40 locations across the country by the end of June 2009.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/LA88356)

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If you are one of the many millions that suffer from unexplained abdominal cramps, bloating, constipation and diarrhea, you are not alone. According to the NIH, 1 in 5 Americans suffer from similar symptoms.

The cause? Physicians have placed all of the unexplained and irregular symptoms into the catch-all disorder irritable bowel syndrome.