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Stories about science, the future, and weird true things.
San Francisco, 8:24 AM
Tue Dec 29
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The Year's Most Controversial Science Discoveries
2009 saw plenty of scientific discoveries — 44-million-year-old hominid Ardi, water on the moon — but some of what we learned wasn't as awesome as we'd hoped. LiveScience takes a look at the news that caused scientific controversy this year. More »Science Fiction Has Been "Dying" For A Long Time
Tired of people claiming science fiction is dead because real life has "caught up" with it? They've been saying that since Sputnik, points out Dave Truesdale over at Asimov's, responding to Neil Asher's rant about doomsayers who pronounce SF dead.The Oceans Are Getting Louder
We all know carbon emissions are making our planet warmer. But the increase in carbon brings with it other surprising problems. More carbon apparently means low sounds travel farther underwater, making the ocean a noisier place to live and work. More »The First Three-Dimensional Image of a Mandelbrot Fractal Is Stunning
Behold the "Mandelbulb." This is a three-dimensional image created using the Mandelbrot set, a mathematical structure whose edges form fractals. The result is something that looks like an alien tree. Which isn't surprising, since fractals emulate patterns in nature. More »Glitter-Sized Solar Cells For Electricity-Producing Clothes
While it may look like some sort of metallic snowstorm, this is actually an assortment of tiny photovoltaic cells, each less than a millimeter across. And these minuscule cells could be the versatile, flexible future of solar power. More »Ornamented Spider Webs Are Better At Luring Prey
While we humans are sprucing up our homes for the holidays, one type of spider is adding decorative flourishes to its web to lure prey more effectively. Does that mean insects are affected by artistic sensibilities? More »12/24/09
[news.bbc.co.uk]
Amazing slow-motion video showing how bees land
#tips #bees #science #nature
Will The Recession Scar You For Life? Economists Say Yes.
People who grew up during the Great Depression often turned into compulsive penny-pinchers, unable to spend money without anxiety. Will recent recessions leave similar psychological scars on people growing up today? A new study by economists suggests they will.10 Remarkable Monsters Named in the Last Ten Years
We know that real monsters walk, slither, and crawl among us, and each year we learn more about the amazing creatures from Earth's past and present. We look at ten of the more monstrous names we added this decade.Vampirism and Collisions Keep Ancient Stars Young
Here are some vampires we don't mind sparkling. This globular cluster, Messier 30, contains two types of ancient stars that have managed to keep themselves brilliant and young. One type relies on interstellar collisions; the other drinks from its neighbors. More »Female Ducks Have Evolved A Vagina Dentata
Bioluminescence Could Keep Tumors From Spreading
We've all marveled at the day-glo life-forms in Avatar — but bioluminescence could save your life soon. Researchers have been able to inject brain tumor cells with a firefly gene, so they can identify the types of cells that spread. More »Color-Changing Contacts Monitor Your Glucose Levels
For diabetics, finger pricking could be a thing of the past. A biochemical engineer has developed contact lenses embedded with nanoparticles that react with the glucose in tears. As glucose levels change, so does the color of the lens. [PopSci]Chimps Demonstrate Sophisticated Understanding Of Fire
The line between human and monkey has been crossed again - this time by chimps. Based on new research, scientists say chimps understand how fire will behave, and move to avoid it "expertly" in the wild. More »First Clear Look At One Of The Galaxy's Greatest Mysteries
The ESA's Herschel satellite has instruments aboard that created this never-before-seen image of a star factory inside a dust-shrouded, mysterious region of the galaxy called "Gould's Belt." It's a vast ring of young stars that encircles our solar system. More »Retro Infographics Show Victorian Science Without Steampunk
We often romanticize the industrial technologies that came out of the Victorian Era, especially the clockwork and steam power associated with steampunk. But these Victorian infographics illustrate the era's understanding of natural sciences, including geology, astronomy, and biology.Monkeys May Be the First Primates Headed to Mars
Monkeys made it into space before humans ever broke the atmosphere, and now they might beat us to Mars. Russia is considering a program to train monkeys to work with robots for the long flight to Mars. More »Rare In Utero Images Glimpse Animals Inside the Womb
In its documentary Extraordinary Animals In The Womb, National Geographic captured rare highly detailed images of animals at various stages of gestation. Now you can see fetal dog, elephants, penguins, and dolphins still inside the womb.Velociraptor's Cousin Had a Venomous Bite
Raptors get more fearsome all the time. Jurassic Park painted velociraptors as clever, fleet-footed predators, and they may have hunted from trees. Now researchers suspect their turkey-sized relative had a venomous bite — and other raptors might have it, too. More »Let Your Teeth Do The Listening
Now there's an all-new reason to take care of your teeth: They could help you regain your hearing, should you end up suffering from single-sided deafness. More »Watch a Volcano Erupt Deep Beneath the Ocean