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Scientists Mimic Chloroplasts - Meaning Solar Cells That Fix Themselves

Scientists Mimic Chloroplasts - Meaning Solar Cells That Fix Themselves

Sep 05 2010 | comment(s)

It would seem that mimicking nature would be among the easiest things to do for science.  After all, it's right there, in front of us, happening for millions of years.
 
Take plants, for instance.   Every day they absorb sunlight and turn it into energy but our solar technology is bordering on laughable and, if solar lobbyists get there way and it gets more subsidies and even mandates, criminal.   

The issue science has is that the sun's rays are highly destructive to man-made materials and that leads to a gradual degradation of many systems developed to harness it.
Edible Clothes: The Haute Cuisine Of Haute Couture

Edible Clothes: The Haute Cuisine Of Haute Couture

Sep 05 2010 | comment(s)

Most fashion students keep finished designs in a wardrobe but Emily Crane has to use a freezer.   Unlike the stereotypical fashion designer, Crane is more likely to be found in a lab coat and wearing goggles than working with pencils or scissors.

Crane’s work forms an exotic part of Kingston University’s display at Vauxhall Fashion Scout on September 17, during London Fashion Week, and she is currently preparing her collection but can’t promise what she’ll be showing - because it doesn't always work, being that her clothes are made of things like gelatin and seaweed.
Dark Data - Increasing Transparency And Access To Raw Research

Dark Data - Increasing Transparency And Access To Raw Research

Sep 05 2010 | comment(s)

The sharing, preservation and reuse of data has become an increasingly important element of modern scientific research, but even though granting agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) naturally embrace data sharing, resistance from parts of the scientific community has continued to block scientific progress and valuable research data over the world is kept under lock and key or hidden away in lab drawers, forcing time and cost of unnecessary duplication. 

BMC Research Notes is commissioning a large, ongoing collection of educational articles which outline procedures for sharing data that enable the data to be readily re-used by others and  providing researchers with best practice guidance.  
Citric toilet

Citric toilet

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

One of the things that I learnt from my father, who was a chemical engineer, is that halide ions are aggressive towards metals, and steels in particular.  Now bleaches contain a lot of chloride ions, and I have just looked at the bottle of limescale remover in our toilet and it contains hydrochloric acid.  It is not advised for use with stainless steel.  Since DIY toilet seats often come with steel or brass hinges, this implies trouble around the corner.

Now my favourite de-ruster is citric acid, which can remove both rust and limescale without attacking the steel.  So I was gratified just now to come across the following scenario for iron-citrate complexes in Science Codex:
Aftermath Of A Rumor

Aftermath Of A Rumor

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

Back to breathing the air of Fermilab after a full year away, I got to gauge a bit better the aftermath of the little incident created by a posting of mine in July. As often happens with internet bubbles, they look quite dramatic as they inflate, but they leave no big scars. Two months have passed, and this looks like a good time to post here some ruminations about the general issue.

Physics Experiments And Confidentiality
An economic analysis of which journal to choose for your publication: Dianthus Medical Limited

An economic analysis of which journal to choose for your publication: Dianthus Medical Limited

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

In line with my article today, How To Make Open Access Better: Make Publishing Free Too, here is an economic analysis of which journal to choose for your publication.
Dorothy wanted to submit to PLoS One, whereas Al wanted to submit to a more prestigious journal. The advantage of publishing in PLoS One is that they have a very high acceptance rate and are fast 
Self-Trepanation: A DIY Skylight For Your Brain

Self-Trepanation: A DIY Skylight For Your Brain

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

Today, trepanation, or drilling a hole in the head, is commonly used to release the pressure of swelling inside the skull.

Throughout history, it's been used to treat epilepsy, migraines, mood disorders and pretty much any other head condition that seemed to surgeons of the time as if it could be improved by seeing the light of day. But even more interesting than holding someone down and punching a hole through his/her skull is doing it yourself.
How To Make Open Access Better: Make Publishing Free Too

How To Make Open Access Better: Make Publishing Free Too

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

Recent estimates are that 7-11% of published research is 'open access', a term used to distinguish content that is open to other researchers and the public (free of charge to read) from research available only to subscribers of journals (called 'toll access' by open access advocates) and readers in libraries.
Israel Petroleum Company Announces Mira And Sarah Licenses Resource Evaluation And Project Update

Israel Petroleum Company Announces Mira And Sarah Licenses Resource Evaluation And Project Update

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

Cheating In Sports: Transgenic DNA Gene Doping Now Detectable

Cheating In Sports: Transgenic DNA Gene Doping Now Detectable

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

Scientists at the universities in Tübingen and Mainz say they have developed a blood test that can provide conclusive proof of gene doping - even after 56 days.

To date, it has been impossible to prove that an athlete had undergone gene doping but they say the new test provides a clear answer based on whether or not transgenic DNA is present in blood samples. Transgenic DNA (tDNA) does not stem from the person being tested but has been transferred into their body, often via viruses, in order to create performance-enhancing substances such as erythropoetin (EPO) for forming red blood cells. 
Is it good to use edible oils for biofuel ?

Is it good to use edible oils for biofuel ?

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

Soil has limited potential in terms of productivity and nutrient cycle regulation. Drinking water on the earth is limited. Excessive agriculture destroys soil structure and reduces chemical balance. Not all the minerals present in soil are available to the plants. Set aside lands have their own benefits in terms of regulation of pests and diseases as fallow land will prevent rapid spread of diseases in case they appear and it also improves soil health to have crop rotation.
A Message To The Sciency Elite: Step Out Of The Lab And Into The Real World

A Message To The Sciency Elite: Step Out Of The Lab And Into The Real World

Sep 04 2010 | comment(s)

This week I have heard a lot of scuttle about what the difference is between "hard" and "soft" science, or if the distinction should exist at all. For me, science has been defined by whether or not you use the scientific method- regardless of the discipline- biology, anthropology, psychology, yes, even social science. I mention social science, because social scientists always seem to get shit on by the sciency elite, and I'm hitting my limit of what I can stand to hear without stepping up and saying something.
Operator Hierarchy - Next Step In Evolution A Technical Life Form That Passes On Knowledge And Experience?

Operator Hierarchy - Next Step In Evolution A Technical Life Form That Passes On Knowledge And Experience?

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution describes the survival of the fitter, the best adapted organisms, but biologist Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis says it does not pay enough attention to the succession of living things during evolution and so has developed what he calls the ‘operator hierarchy’, a system based on the complexity of particles and of organisms, which can predict the next step in evolution: a technical life form, that can pass on its knowledge and experience to the next generation.
Making Phosphorus Go Green

Making Phosphorus Go Green

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

Phosphorus is a critical ingredient in fertilizers, pesticides, detergents and various industrial and household chemicals but once phosphorus is mined from rocks, getting it into products is hazardous and expensive, so chemists have been trying to streamline the process for decades.
Geek Lunch With Garth Sundem

Geek Lunch With Garth Sundem

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

When the Batphone rang in my office late Wednesday, I knew it had to be important, like someone being wrong on the Internet, because, really, no one calls me.  It helps that I never call anyone back(1).

It turned out to instead be everyone's favorite math geek, Garth Sundem.   He got an impromptu gig on a Sacramento morning show so he was driving up I-5 and wanted to know if Bloggy would be available to break some bread.   I could come along too, he said.

So break bread we did.  Garth is just as engaging and personable over a Fat Tire as he is on TV.
Source Credibility Versus Content Hypothesis - Scientists Lose When It Comes To Environmental Issues

Source Credibility Versus Content Hypothesis - Scientists Lose When It Comes To Environmental Issues

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

While the public has a great respect for scientists, they don't trust scientists, at least when it comes to issues that also overlap with politics, like the environment.

When it comes to policy-related topics, scientists have a limited effect on the public, perhaps not because people are stupid but because some in science have moved away from being trusted guides and into being advocates, which damages the credibility of science overall.   And once those beliefs are locked in, they are difficult to change.

So while oil drilling is safe, scientists who say so now will go unheard because some in science have gone out of their way to say it isn't due to a cultural agenda.  
What Social Science Does—and Doesn’t—Know: City Journal, Jim Manzi

What Social Science Does—and Doesn’t—Know: City Journal, Jim Manzi

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

Unlike physics or biology, the social sciences have not demonstrated the capacity to produce a substantial body of useful, nonobvious, and reliable predictive rules about what they study—that is, human social behavior, including the impact of proposed government programs.

The missing ingredient is controlled experimentation (read on)
Colorectal Cancer Association Of Canada Launches Its Second Annual Public Service Announcement Contest

Colorectal Cancer Association Of Canada Launches Its Second Annual Public Service Announcement Contest

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

Another Week On Shift For CDF

Another Week On Shift For CDF

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

Since today, and for a full week, I will be serving as Scientific Coordinator (SciCo) of the crew operating the CDF experiment at Fermilab. This honorable task (or in alternative, the serving as "Consumer Operator" or "ACE") is required to all collaborators once or twice per year, in order to provide 24/7 operation of the detector and supervision of the data-taking activities.

The crew is formed by a SciCo, a CO, and an ACE.
Can food crops provide renewable energy sources?

Can food crops provide renewable energy sources?

Sep 03 2010 | comment(s)

Using corn or soybean for getting ethanol or bio-diesel additive could be good option for some nations, developing cellulose resources could be another with genetic engineering, while Jatropha is in mission mode in developing world, there cannot be general consensus what should make renewable energy crop.

The opinions may vary and logics could be different. Different paths could lead to same destination replacement of fossil fuel with bio-fuel. This goes with the assumption or scientific fact (which ever way you want it ) that using bio-fuel will help in green house gas mitigation.