Researchers in China have created an electromagnetic absorbing device for microwave frequencies. The device, called an “omnidirectional electromagnetic absorber”, is made of a thin cylinder comprising 60 concentric rings of metamaterials and is capable of absorbing microwave radiation, so they compared it to an astrophysical black hole which soaks up matter and light.

The pheromone that attracts female mice to the odor of a particular male has been identified and named ‘darcin’ by researchers writing in BMC Biology (they say they named it after Darcy from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” - for those who have not read it, i.e., all men, he is the attractive guy who doesn't know it).  This unusual protein in a male’s urine attracts females and is responsible for learned preference for specific males.

Given that the brain is something of a mystery, almost anything that works is worth doing, even if it ends up being the same as a placebo.

Meditation is often linked to beneficial effects, though no one is sure why, but a new study says people who meditate regularly find pain less unpleasant because their brains anticipate the pain less.  So meditation did not reduce pain but it did reduce the emotional impact of pain.

Bbiomarkers of growth hormone doping are not subject to the same natural fluctuations as growth hormone itself, says a new study which could help sporting authorities worldwide catch athletes that use it to boost their performance.   Published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology,  the study's findings show that growth hormone testing might be viable for inclusion in the "athlete biological passport", which logs an athlete's blood test results over the athletic season.

It's pretty common to have a level of skepticism regarding modern athletes and performance-enhancing drugs.   A few users taint the entire field, especially if it brings some success.   Baseball, football, cycling ... all elite members are under scrutiny.  

But the levels of performance-enhancing drugs in those events is nothing, says a new study.   Participants in this big-money 'sport' have a whopping 80% rate of performance-enhancing drug use.

What are we talking about?  Poker.

The Nova Southeastern University study says poker players are using drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, Valium, and other prescription medications, as well as substances including caffeine, energy drinks and guarana to get an edge over their opponents.

Computing networks of tomorrow will be evolving meshes of different processors, various legacy and newer hardware, and numerous software and operating platforms spanning generations - making it costly, bordering on impossible, to rely solely on human programmers to build and manage so many diverse systems.

The ancient Greeks believed that, above the terrestrial sphere, the universe was filled with a mysterious element called ether or aether - the ‘fifth element'.   In 19th century physics, ether was believed to be the substance that filled all of space, basically an undefined thing like 'dark matter' that is necessary or the universe does not make sense.