Science

Glass Glasses Anyone? BPA From Drink Containers Leaks Into Urine

by Boomer Babe

A chemical in certain plastics, bisphenol A (BPA), is leaching into our urine if we drink or eat from certain plastic bottles or containers. BPA has already been linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) is calling for additional research on BPA and breast cancer, reproductive health, and on BPA's effects on infants and children using these containers.

A Double Strand of DNA & The Art Of Origami Meet Nanotechnology

by T Goodman

A new method of targeting drugs for delivery to cells is in development at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The new method combines the art of DNA origami with the science of nanotechnology and is expected to result in drug-carrying nanostructures that can weather the storms of intracellular "hurricanes."

Top 10 Inventions Of 'Garage Inventors' Win 2009 Popular Science Awards

by Myra Per-Lee

Popular Science has announced the 2009 Invention Awards for the top 10 groundbreaking inventions that originated from the minds and perseverance of individual inventors. These inventions did not have big companies behind them with a big research lab and lots of money. You won't see the likes of Apple® or Motorola® or Honda® among this list. Just folks like you and me whose inventions will make a major impact on the way we live, work, learn, play, and even manage intelligence in battle.

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GTI Project Lets you Get Behind the Wheel of the New Golf GTI Before they Even Hit the Dealers

by George Delozier

"Teenagers and video games go together like peanut butter and jelly." Ask any parent and they will likely agree with that statement. I mean seriously, where else can you command your own army one minute, and be burning around the Nurburgring at over 150mph the next? Video game artists can create anything. But, why go to all this work? Because video games offer us a chance to do things we would normally never be able to do. Or, in the recent case of Volkswagen, they give us the chance to do things we are too impatient to wait for.

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Swine Flu Spread By Baseball Game Balloons?

by Steve Levenstein

Osaka's Hanshin Tigers are the latest Japanese pro baseball team to ban the use of human breath powered Jet Balloons, traditionally released in mass quantities by fans, as they could conceivably spread H1N1 Swine Flu to thousands attending the games.

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Ever Run Your Car On Air ... Intentionally? The STAIR Air-Fueled Battery

by Myra Per-Lee

If you've ever run your gas tank down so low that you could swear you were driving on air, you'll be pleased to know that in the near future, you will be driving on an air-fueled battery.

High Alzheimer's Risk For Those With Atrial Fibrillation

by Boomer Babe

Boomers and younger generations are terrified of getting Alzheimer's disease, so it's a good thing that scientists are focusing on it and learning more about its causes and possible preventative measures. It is with this in mind that I share the following -- not to frighten you, but to pass on information that can help you get medical assistance if and when you need it.

Japanese High School Students to Use Radiation Before Graduation

by Steve Levenstein

A group of science students from Japan's Hitachi 1st Senior High School may get to live out the ultimate geek fantasy by using the JRR-3 research reactor in Tokaimura to perform a set of experiments. No word if the students are pushing for a test ban treaty.

MIT Develops Cancer Monitoring Implant To Get Instant "Lab Results"

by Boomer Babe

... If your cancer is starting to metastasize, your doctor needs to know now, not four days from now, after the lab returns your tests. By then, there's more activity going on.

Alzheimer's Risk Indicator For People Over 65 Proposed By New Study

by Boomer Babe

Though the research needs to be validated with further studies, a new study published in the online issue of Neurology today, proposes a 15 point scale to identify persons at risk for Alzheimer's disease, if they are over 65 years old.

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Inspired By A Nocturnal Gecko: Possible Strange Visions!

by T Goodman

A nocturnal gecko, the Helmeted gecko (or Tarentola chazaliae), that is native to the west coast of Africa, has caught the attention of Swedish researchers, who gazed into the eyes of the little lizard looking for the secret to his powerful and colorful night vision. What they found may help them to create better camera lenses as well as multi-optical contact lenses for human eyes.

Machine Used For Research Keeps Animal Hearts Beating

by Rane

Scientists at North Carolina State University have developed a new machine that is designed to keep animal hearts beating so that they can be studied for research.

China's National Space Program Copies Star Trek Logo

by Rick Martin

To give them full credit, I shouldn't say that China's National Space Administration ripped off a Star Trek logo. They actually ripped off two Star Trek logos. Check it out:

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Moss Can Be Used As 'Surrogate Mother' To Human Genes

by T Goodman

Moss, that dark green, short, furry plant that seems to grow spontaneously in dark, moist spaces, has unexpectedly shown up as a kind of surrogate mother to human genes, able to read human genes and manufacture the proteins encoded on them! This finding, made by Martin Fussenegger, Professor of Chemical and Bioengineering at ETH Zurich and others at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau, is a 450 million year old reversal of fortune!

Limited Edition Star Trek Captain Kirk Chair - Go Ahead, Sit on It!

by Jace Shoemaker-...

For the Trekkie who has everything, why not add this piece of life-size furniture to your collection? What better way to watch your favorite Star Trek flicks than in this honest-to-goodness Captain Kirk chair replica?

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Biofuels Or Bioelectricity? Miles Per Acre Are Compared In New Study

by T Goodman

What is the most efficient way to use farmed crops to power our vehicles - biofuels or bioelectricity? Researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science, University of California, and Stanford University studied these issues as well as their relative impact on the environment. Guess which one fared miles better per acre than the other.

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Alzheimer's Reversal: Is This Genetic Discovery The Medical Miracle We Need?

by Boomer Babe

An MIT research team has pinpointed the exact gene responsible for memory recovery and restoration in mice with Alzheimer's disease: the HDAC2 gene. Remember that gene, because it is one of the major genes responsible for brain plasticity, and now it is thought that drugs that target the HDAC2 gene may help Alzheimer's patients reverse long term memory loss and regain the ability to learn new things. It worked on mice.

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Bizarre Weight Loss Solution Lifts, Separates, Disturbs

by Steve Levenstein

Bizarre Belt Weight Loss Solution Lifts, Separates, Disturbs

Overweight in Japan and not a Sumo wrestler? Not to worry, there's a new weight loss solution that's easy to wear but hard to look at: the bizarre Boneless Belt.

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Shark Submarine Allows Divers A Close-Up View Of The Ocean's Greatest Predator

by John P. Barker

Sharks are scary. So imagine having the cajones to not only swim near great whites, but with great whites. Fabien Cousteau has created the ultimate shark research tool: a shark submarine.

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Innovative Electricity Generator is Powered by Prayer

by Steve Levenstein

Prayer Wheel Energy Generator Harnesses the Power of Religion

Buddhist prayer wheels are a common site in China, Tibet, Nepal and India. Spun hundreds of times daily by passersby, you might think that some wise guy would wire them to generate and store electric power - and, wise guy Taikkun Li has done exactly that.