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New Polymer Gel Stores Light Energy

New Polymer Gel Stores Light Energy

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, said Aristotle. That certainly applies to biology, where molecular motions in living systems have a macroscale effect - such as large muscles that contract due to protein motors.

A team at CNRS's Institut Charles Sadron led by Nicolas Giuseppone, professor at the Université de Strasbourg has  used this concero to make a polymer gel that is able to contract through the action of artificial molecular motors. When activated by light, these nanoscale motors twist the polymer chains in the gel, which as a result contracts by several centimeters. Another advantage is that the new material is able to store the light energy absorbed. 
On The Evolution Of Immune Response Genes In Plants

On The Evolution Of Immune Response Genes In Plants

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

A recently published study offers new clues about the evolution of the immune system in European populations of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the underlying genetic mechanisms associated with immunity. 
The species Arabidopsis thaliana, which is naturally distributed across the northern hemisphere, belongs to the same family than mustard. The species is used as model in plant biology studies because its genome is relatively small and appropriate for genetic studies.
Longevity Genetics Is Missing The Point: Live Healthier, Not Longer

Longevity Genetics Is Missing The Point: Live Healthier, Not Longer

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

There is a lot of talk about increasing longevity but 50 years of increasing frailty, doctor visits and overall decline is not really an improvement over 30 years of it.

A new study shows that by focusing on the genetics involved in increasing longevity, we won't be helping people much at all; genes that increase longevity may not significantly increase healthy lifespan.

A study of long-lived mutant C. elegans by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School shows that the genetically altered worms spend a greater portion of their life in a frail state and exhibit less activity as they age then typical nematodes. 
Nutrition Labels Are Hard To Swallow

Nutrition Labels Are Hard To Swallow

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

Some groups want to label foods that contain anything created with modern genetic modification. Yet the previous generation of genetically modified foods, using mutagenesis, can be labeled organic. And why not label all pesticides used on food, whether synthetic or organic, if awareness is important? If a Bt genetic modification is important to know about, why isn't Bt spray on organic food important to know about.

The only thing less valuable than most proposed labeling changes are the existing labels, according to a new paper - at least if the goal is improving nutrition. 
Nundasuchus Songeaensis: The Scary Predator Crocodile That Preceded Dinosaurs

Nundasuchus Songeaensis: The Scary Predator Crocodile That Preceded Dinosaurs

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

A new species of dinosaur has turned out not to be a dinosaur at all, it is instead one of the large reptiles that lived before dinosaurs took over the world. But like many dinosaurs, it looked fearsome. 

Nundasuchus songeaensis was a 9-foot-long carnivorous reptile with steak knife-like teeth, bony plates on the back, and legs that lie under the body.  The basic meaning of Nundasuchus, is "predator crocodile," "Nunda" meaning predator in Swahili, and "suchus" a reference to a crocodile in Greek.

Canine Cooperation Hypothesis: Thank The Social Skills Of Wolves For Dog-Human Cooperation

Canine Cooperation Hypothesis: Thank The Social Skills Of Wolves For Dog-Human Cooperation

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

Most dogs and most humans get along well now and anthropological explanations are that selective selection is the reason; wolves that were not a threat were not killed and over time the agreeable ones got shelter and food. That cooperation has led to thousands of years of being man's best friend.

Friederike Range and Zsófia Virányi from the Unit of Comparative Cognition at the Messerli Research Institute at University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have an alternate idea, the "Canine Cooperation Hypothesis". They believe that since wolves already are tolerant, attentive and cooperative, the relationship of wolves to their pack mates could have provided the basis for today's human-dog relationship. 
Ideological Claims Debunked: Poor Parents Are Not Less Involved With Kids Than Rich Ones

Ideological Claims Debunked: Poor Parents Are Not Less Involved With Kids Than Rich Ones

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

Some cultural pundits contend that income inequality is linked to parenting inequality but new findings dispute that. 

You don't have to be wealthy to be involved in your child's life, despite modern thinking, according to a new paper which finds that poorer parents are just as involved in education, leisure and sports activities with their children as wealthier ones.

The researchers used the Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK survey, carried out between March and December 2012. Among the questions it asked were:

  • How many days in the past seven days have you, or your partner read stories with your child/children or talked with them about what they are reading?

Extraterrestrial Dust On The Ocean Floor At Odds With Supernovae Hypotheses

Extraterrestrial Dust On The Ocean Floor At Odds With Supernovae Hypotheses

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

Scientists have analyzed extraterrestrial dust hat has settled on ocean floors to determine the amount of heavy elements created by the massive explosions. The dust is thought to be from supernovae, exploding stars way beyond our solar system, and their conclusions are at odds with current theories of supernovae, in which some of the materials essential for human life, such as iron, potassium and iodine are created and distributed throughout space.
Vitamin D Boosts Immune System, Protects Against Colorectal Cancer - Study

Vitamin D Boosts Immune System, Protects Against Colorectal Cancer - Study

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

A new study finds that vitamin D can protect some people with colorectal cancer by boosting the immune system's vigilance against tumor cells.

The research in Gut represents the first time that a link between vitamin D and the immune response to cancer has been shown in a large human population. The authors believe their work advances the idea that vitamin D, known as the "sunshine vitamin" because it is produced by the body in response to sunlight exposure, plays a role in cancer prevention.

How Much Carbon Will Melting Glaciers Release?

How Much Carbon Will Melting Glaciers Release?

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

As the Earth warms and glaciers all over the world begin to melt, the natural concern has been how all of that extra water will contribute to sea level rise.

Less considered is what happens to all of the organic carbon found in those glaciers when they melt. A new paper estimates what could happen if major ice sheets break down.

Glaciers and ice sheets contain about 70 percent of the Earth's freshwater and ongoing melting is a major contributor to sea level rise. But, glaciers also store organic carbon derived from both primary production on the glaciers and deposition of materials such as soot or other fossil fuel combustion byproducts.  


Hangout to Talk About Physics This Friday, Jan. 23, 3-5pm

Hangout to Talk About Physics This Friday, Jan. 23, 3-5pm

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

Each January, I scamper out of the basement and talk to folks during MIT's Independent Activities Period. The Alumni Association is the sponsor (no one from the physics or math department is inviting me).
There And Back Again: A Uranium Isotope's Journey To The Center Of The Earth

There And Back Again: A Uranium Isotope's Journey To The Center Of The Earth

Jan 20 2015 | comment(s)

From the beginning of time, uranium has been part of the Earth and, thanks to its long-lived radioactivity, it has proven ideal to date geological processes and figuring out Earth’s evolution. 

Natural uranium consists of two long-lived isotopes uranium-238 and the lighter uranium-235 and  uranium isotopes leave a distinct ‘fingerprint’ in the sources of volcanic rocks, making it possible to gauge their age and origin.   
Hyaluronon Identified As Key Substance That Protects Against Pre-term Birth

Hyaluronon Identified As Key Substance That Protects Against Pre-term Birth

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)

Researchers have identified hyaluronon (HA) as a critical substance made by the body that protects against premature births caused by infection. Pre-term birth from infection is the leading cause of infant mortality in many countries according to the World Health Organization.

The findings of the study, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, are the first to identify the specific role that HA plays in the reproductive tract.

Film Science: Which Picks Great Movies More Accurately, A Film Critic Or An Algorithm?

Film Science: Which Picks Great Movies More Accurately, A Film Critic Or An Algorithm?

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)

Wine, medicine and movies are two great examples of how the naturalistic fallacy - the old ways are better - retain a vice-like grip on aspects of culture.  The naturalistic fallacy issues of wine tasting and medicine have been well-documented on Science 2.0 and, as anyone who got stuck watching "Crash" or "American Beauty" can tell you, awards and and critical acclaim in films also needs to be replaced with 21st century technology.
Juicing: Does Beet Juice Help With Exercise?

Juicing: Does Beet Juice Help With Exercise?

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)

Beet juice is a fad in sports optimization because it is
rich in nitrates, but does it work? 

It has some value, though it does not enhance muscle blood flow or vascular dilation during exercise, as commonly claimed. It does "de-stiffen" blood vessels under resting conditions, potentially easing the workload of the heart. 

Transgenic Crops: Are Two Bt Toxins Better Than One?

Transgenic Crops: Are Two Bt Toxins Better Than One?

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)

Crops genetically engineered to produce proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to control insect pests have been planted on a cumulative total of more than a billion acres worldwide since 1996 and they have been very successful.

But pests evolve just like everything else and to avoid that, companies recommend a variety of strategies to avoid 'herd immunity'. Biotech companies have also introduced Bt crops called "pyramids" that produce two or more Bt toxins active against the same pest. They have been adopted in many countries since 2003, including the United States, India and Australia.

'Idiosyncratic' Brain Patterns In Autism

'Idiosyncratic' Brain Patterns In Autism

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)

Autism Spectrum Disorder, a broad range of behavioral and cognitive issues that usually impair learning ability, has been studied for many years but there remain far more questions than answers. Some research into the brain functions of individuals with autism spectrum have found a lack of synchronization ('connectivity') between different parts of the brain that normally work in tandem, while other studies have found the opposite: over-synchronization. 
10,000 Shots Of Scotch And Why I Don't Fear Pesticides

10,000 Shots Of Scotch And Why I Don't Fear Pesticides

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)


One of the biggest struggles in toxicology is creating the correct parameters so you are modeling the real world as closely as possible. It's an enormous task to model the environment with its millions of factors, so controlled studies are done using animals.

Scientists design experiments that give an animal a lot of something at once and that can tell them 'this is the threshold where more analysis is a waste of time' and perhaps also find an effect that may be worth studying in more detail. It's a time-honored technique but it's also a technique that can be exploited.

We're Playing Classical Music All Wrong

We're Playing Classical Music All Wrong

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)


Look lively! Stokkete/Shutterstock

By Clive Brown, University of Leeds

After a very drawn out and fraught construction, the Philharmonie de Paris is finally open. The 2,400 seat concert hall was conceived with ambitious plans to democratize classical music, and is situated, in line with these aims, on the boundary between the city’s affluent center and its banlieues. Whether it will succeed in these ambitions remains to be seen.

What Is Really Killing Bees And Other Wild Pollinators

What Is Really Killing Bees And Other Wild Pollinators

Jan 19 2015 | comment(s)

A new review of other studies concludes that viruses carried by commercial bees can jump to wild pollinator populations with potentially devastating effects. Pollinators in some regions have suffered declines and various hypotheses have been offered as to why.