Metabolic conditions and immunologic conditions rarely coincide but a group of papers appearing in Nature Medicine have linked type 2 diabetes with immunology in an intriguing way. 

In the first study, researchers used two common over-the-counter allergy medications, Zaditor and cromolyn, to reduce both obesity and type 2 diabetes in mice. Zaditor and cromolyn stabilize a population of inflammatory immune cells called mast cells.

In America, there is a debate over 'high risk, high reward' independent research versus Big Science - largescale science projects usually being done by taxpayer funded grants to large universities and basic research primarily being done in the private sector.   Germany tries to have government funding for both and prof. Manfred Bayer from TU Dortmund recently got a $2 million grant to do work in ultrafast acoustics.

Ultrafast acoustics first began to get serious research over 20 years ago at General Motors(1).   The basic concept is that sub-picosecond optical pulses generate longitudinal acoustic pulses with frequencies of 100 GHz and up.    As a thin metal film is hit with alaser pulse, it reacts with a “breathing movement”: it expands and then it contracts.

Pop Quiz: What is the role of the mitochondria in a cell?

Until just a few days ago, the only correct answer to this question would have been #3. The mitochondria of a cell are well recognized as the powerhouses of the cell. They are the location where energy-rich nutrients such as carbohydrates and fats are brought in and "burned"in the presence of oxygen to produce the energy (in the form of ATP) to power our cells. It is one of the earliest lessons of any introductory biology course.

In his July 23 column, Gary Herstein presented a thoughtful discussion and analysis of scientific controversies (What Does A Real Scientific Controversy Look Like?), with an example from physics. Perhaps readers of Scientific Blogging will be interested in another scientific controversy that emerged in biophysics over a 20 year period. 

An article in the latest (August 2009) edition of Scientific American describes an astronaut floating motionless with respect to his distant spaceship. He is not tethered to the spaceship and has no objects available that can be hurled away or can in some other way create a thrust.

How is he ever going to make it back to his spaceship?

If you were a linguist, how would you accurately describe 'click' sounds distinct to certain African languages?   It's no easy task but in order to accurately preserve a language like N|uu, which has fewer than 10 remaining speakers (and all over age 60) linguists have to be able to document.

Cornell University professor Amanda Miller and colleagues recently used high-speed, ultrasound imaging of the human tongue to precisely categorize sounds produced by the N|uu language speakers of southern Africa's Kalahari Desert, a step toward understanding the physics of speech production.

Think University of Nottingham students enjoy a pint on occasion?   It's a safe bet, since the school is putting in a fully-functioning brewery, and brewing must be a key contributor to the East Midlands economy since it boasts some 78 small or medium sized micro-breweries.  

You're all either old enough or young enough to remember "Where's Waldo?"   It involved a lovable scamp with glasses who would get himself trapped in awfully complex situations and only keen eyes could rescue him.

We have our own lovable scamp, sans glasses, and his name is Garth Sundem.   If you haven't seen Garth be lovable, watch this clip from his show on the Science Channel.  I'll wait.  

As a science nerd, and as a science nerd with friends who are science teachers, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to expose others to the beauty and wonder that is science and broaden their horizons in a concise, meaningful way.

I was bested today by aforementioned science teacher extraordinaire (and best friend) Maggie Nufer, who sent me a site that fulfills all criteria, and as a bonus is aesthetically pleasing (the site, I mean, but Maggie is too).