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Chronic High Doses of Cannabinoids Promote Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Chronic High Doses of Cannabinoids Promote Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Aug 16 2009 | comment(s)

“The recent discovery that the hippocampus is able to generate new neurons throughout a human’s lifespan has changed the way we think about the mechanisms of psychiatric disorders and drug addiction,” says Wen Jian and colleagues in a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in 2005.

Taking The Psyche Seriously In An Interview With James Hollis

Taking The Psyche Seriously In An Interview With James Hollis

Aug 16 2009 | comment(s)



James Hollis, Ph.D., is a graduate of the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich. He has taught  mythology and religion, men's issues, and midlife. His books have been translated into Russian, German, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian, Korean, Finnish, and Japanese. "Under Saturn's Shadow - THE WOUNDING AND HEALING OF MEN" is the impetus for my interview.



SB: Taking words from your book, I feel empowered to dive into life and struggle for depth and meaning. Dr. Hollis, thanks very much for this interview. Shall we get serious about psyche?


Improving Biomass Use Efficiency For Semi-Arid Regions

Improving Biomass Use Efficiency For Semi-Arid Regions

Aug 16 2009 | comment(s)

Biomass refers to all the matter that can be obtained from photosynthesis. Most vegetable species use solar energy to create sugars from carbon dioxide and water. They store this energy in the form of glucose or starch molecules, oleaginous, cellulose, and lignocellulose.

Biomass appears to be an attractive feedstock for three main reasons. First, it is a renewable resource that could be sustain ably developed in the future. Second, it appears to have formidably positive environmental properties, notably the recycling of carbon in the biological processes, resulting in no net releases of carbon dioxide and a very low sulphur content. Third, it appears to have significant economic potential provided that fossil fuel prices increase, quite substantially, in the future.
'Devil's Claw' Arthritis Remedy Plant Ingredient Gets Synthesized In The Lab

'Devil's Claw' Arthritis Remedy Plant Ingredient Gets Synthesized In The Lab

Aug 16 2009 | comment(s)

"Devil's claw" is a plant that may hold a natural for arthritis, tendonitis and other illnesses that affect millions each year.

Years of drought in Africa's Kalahari Desert have pushed the Devil's claw toward extinction but scientists are making headway in efforts to produce the valuable medicinal chemicals of the Devil's claw and one group reported an advance at the American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting. The researchers described the first successful method of producing the active ingredients in Devil's claw — what made it a sensation to natural medicine proponents in Europe.

They say their technique could lead to the development of "biofactories" that produce huge quantities of rare plant extracts quickly and at little cost.
Killer Spices - Essential Oil Pesticides May Be Ready To Replace Deadly Organic Kind

Killer Spices - Essential Oil Pesticides May Be Ready To Replace Deadly Organic Kind

Aug 16 2009 | comment(s)

One of the biggest mistakes environmentally conscious people make is thinking that an 'organic' pesticide is somehow superior to an inorganic one.   The word 'organic' may be the most misunderstood word in western Civilization because there is no structural difference in complex, carbon-based molecules whether they were created in a lab or on a tree.

Nature understands exactly what organic means, including what pesticides are designed to do.  Whether or not a small group of people consider them organic is irrelevant - you won't want to eat food treated with Pyrethrin even though it is considered completely 'organic', for example.   

But marketing wins big battles so people want foods produced in more natural ways - enter rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint.
Individualism And Collectivism

Individualism And Collectivism

Aug 15 2009 | comment(s)

In discussing individualism and collectivism it needs to be clear that this represents overall philosophical perspectives that aren't confined to simple economic or political interpretations.  Rather these ideas permeate human society, its interactions, and the subgroups within it.

The Say of the Week

The Say of the Week

Aug 15 2009 | comment(s)

"We would dig a shaft near 'ground zero' about 10 feet in diameter and about 150 feet deep. We would put a tank, 10 feet in diameter and 75 feet long on end at the bottom of the shaft. We would then suspend our detector from the top of the tank, along with its recording apparatus, and back-fill the shaft above the tank.
What's Wrong With E=MC^2?

What's Wrong With E=MC^2?

Aug 15 2009 | comment(s)

Google “E=mc2 is wrong” and you get 1,060 hits. Google “E=mc2 is correct” and you get a mere 138 hits. There you have it. It took us a more than a century, but finally this crazy inconsistent theory of relativity got outvoted. Common sense cries victory!

Fortunately, science does not work that way. Science is no democracy, and we do not render a theory invalid by popular vote. Einstein's theory of relativity has stood the test of time and its correctness is beyond any doubt. But... there is an issue with what is arguably the most famous equation in the history of natural sciences.
What Are Super Planetary Nebulae?

What Are Super Planetary Nebulae?

Aug 15 2009 | comment(s)

Planetary nebulae are gas and dust shells ejected by stars near the end of their lives - typically seen around stars comparable or smaller in size than the Sun.

The existing population of planetary nebulae is found around small stars comparable in size to our Sun but a new population discovered due to the presence of unusually strong radio sources may be the long predicted class of similar shells around heavier stars.

A team of scientists in Australia and the United States call the new class of object “Super Planetary Nebulae.” They report their work in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Illegal Wireless Access Legislation Hurting Legal Broadband Too

Illegal Wireless Access Legislation Hurting Legal Broadband Too

Aug 15 2009 | comment(s)

The UK Government, in its Digital Britain report in June, made a commitment that every home in the UK should have broadband access by 2012. A range of technologies, including wireless, will be used to deliver the basic broadband.

But the same government and its laws aimed at tackling illegal use of wireless internet connections are making broadband access impossible, according to research published today.

Daithí Mac Síthigh, a lecturer in IT and internet law at the University of East Anglia (UEA), says legislation may not be the most appropriate way to regulate 'wi-fi' sharing, where a network is used by more than one person, and needs clarifying so it does not hold back provision of community wifi schemes. 
GRACE Study For Groundwater Loss In Northern India

GRACE Study For Groundwater Loss In Northern India

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) is a twin-satellite system to study in detail the Earth's gravity field. The GRACE data consist of  accelerometer, GPS, and attitude measurements from each satellite plus the inter-satellite range change measurements. NASA says GRACE time-varying gravity signals measure seasonal variations in underground aquifers.
Where Will We Hear About The Higgs First ?

Where Will We Hear About The Higgs First ?

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

The World Conference on Science Journalism held in London 2009 has its own web site, of course. Today they were so kind to let me know they had published there the recordings of all sessions, among which was the one where I gave my speech. The session title was "Blogs, Big Physics, and Breaking News", it featured Matin Durrani as chair, and Matthew Chalmers, myself, and James Gillies as speakers. The abstract ran as follows:

How are blogs changing the way science news develops and is reported?
The commissioning of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN will offer a
telling case study over the next few years. Who will be first with news
Interlude: 2 Webtoons on What Is Science

Interlude: 2 Webtoons on What Is Science

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

I'm in the midst of 2 proposals right now (one satellite, one book), so I decided to take a break to share two web cartoons about science.  One is from Cowbirds in Love, the other from Abstruse Goose.  At one point I had a clever essay to go with the latter, but then someone forwarded the link to all our friends so it's already 'broken embargo' and removed the novelty.  Instead of adding comments, then, I'll just give you the pretty pictures.


Science: If you ain't pissing people off, you ain't doin' it right.
Another Scary Hockey Stick Graph

Another Scary Hockey Stick Graph

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

Some people might be encouraged by all of the science being done. I find it depressing. Since I started grad school (back in 2000), the number of papers in my current field (cell cycle) has doubled:



Figure 1 from Renear and Palmer, Science 325:828-832 (2009)

Abuse-resistant pain pills are approved by FDA

Abuse-resistant pain pills are approved by FDA

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

A new era in painkillers has officially started, as FDA approved King Pharmaceuticals' extended-release morphine drug Embeda.

This is a story that has been several months in the making, and the public health potential is huge. When extended-release morphine originally came out, they were desperately needed for chronic pain patients (like those with cancer). The problem with such drugs, like OxyContin (oxycodone), is that they were easily abused. Several drug companies have been working on tamper-resistant XR pain drugs, and now the first has crossed the finish line.
Morning Science Quote

Morning Science Quote

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

Observation is the generative act in scientific discovery. For all its aberrations, the evidence of the senses is essentially to be relied upon--provided we observe nature as a child does, without prejudices and preconceptions, but with that clear and candid vision which adults lose and scientists must strive to regain.

- Peter Medawar, Pluto's Republic, p. 99






'Cash For Clunkers' Program Is 10X As Expensive For CO2 Emissions As Alternatives

'Cash For Clunkers' Program Is 10X As Expensive For CO2 Emissions As Alternatives

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

The knock on drastic global warming mitigation solutions by detractors is that it may end up being expensive and not accomplish much - the classic government scenario.

'Cash for Clunkers' is an example of that, according to new UC Davis estimates which say the federal government's 'Cash for Clunkers' program is paying at least 10 times the sticker price to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.

And that's in comparison to carbon credits, already unlikely to work.   Carbon credits are projected to sell in the U.S. for about $28 per ton (today's price in Europe was $20) so even the best-case calculation of the cost of the clunkers rebate is $237 per ton, said UC Davis transportation economist Christopher Knittel.
Coolerado: Building A Better Air Conditioner

Coolerado: Building A Better Air Conditioner

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

Air conditioning technology hasn't changed much in the last 50 years and though different climates have different optimal air conditioning requirements, economies of scale force companies into a one-size-fits-all method.

Many western states are hot and dry, for example, but use cooling systems that were designed for warm and humid climates.

Launched in June 2008, the UC Davis Western Cooling Challenge is a program of activities designed to help cooling-unit manufacturers deliver better products and get them installed in low-rise, nonresidential buildings, like suburban retail and office buildings.  The Cooling Challenge is based on the premise that Western-specific technologies should be able to cool using far less energy.
Nanoflares Boost Heat Of The Sun's Corona

Nanoflares Boost Heat Of The Sun's Corona

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

Small bursts of heat and energy called nanoflares cause temperatures in the sun's atmosphere to reach millions of degrees, according to NASA researchers..

The sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is made up of loops of hot gas that arch high above the surface. These loops are comprised of bundles of smaller, individual magnetic tubes or strands that can have temperatures reaching several million degrees Kelvin (K), even though the sun's surface is only 5,700 degrees K.
Bionanomachines And Cellular Friction

Bionanomachines And Cellular Friction

Aug 14 2009 | comment(s)

A Dresden research team using laser tweezers  measured the friction between a single motor protein molecule and its track and say that within our cells, motors work against the resistance of friction and are restrained in its operation—usually by far not as much though as their macroscopic counterparts.

These first experimental measurements of protein friction could help researchers to better understand key cellular processes such as cell division which is driven by such molecular machines.