Science and Space - New Discoveries, Research, Studies And Breakthroughs

Curious about recent discoveries and breakthroughs related to space and science? Interested in the latest research findings in biology, physics, chemistry or the applied sciences or in astronomy and space exploration? Please visit us often to get the most interesting news and updates on the study of science and space.

Some of our more popular articles include:

10 Ig Nobel Prizes For 2012: Recognition Of Funny, Obscure Research

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Measuring The Google Effect on People's Memory - Can You Google Where You Left Your Car Keys?

by Norm Cassian

How has rampant computer use, particularly emloyed in the search for esoterica and trivia, changed the way our brain retrieves, collects and stores information? Should we be concerned that a computer named Watson wallopped human Jeopardy champions? How did I get here, where are my car keys and do you have a good recipe for lemon marangue pie? New research by a Columbia University scientist studies The Google Effect and how it impacts whether we store information or simply remember where to find it.

Geothermal Power Gets Hot as Japan's Nuclear Plants are No Longer Cool

by Steve Levenstein

Old & busted: Japan's nuclear plants. New hotness: geothermal power plants! Proponents of sustainable, non-polluting geothermal energy see an opportunity to grab their place in the sun as Japan deals with fallout (so to speak) from the nuclear crisis centered on the Fukushima Daiiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Pacific Ocean Mud Holds a Wealth of Suddenly Not-So-Rare Earth Minerals

by Steve Levenstein

If the recent discovery of vast deposits of rare earth minerals on the floor of the Pacific Ocean pans out, the use of the word “rare” to describe these essential high-tech elements may prove to be the mother of all misnomers.

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New Radiation Fluorescent Plastic Made From Plastic Soft Drink Bottles

by Steve Levenstein

A new type of radiation fluorescent plastic created by a Japanese research team from treated PET plastic soft drink bottles could lead to the manufacture of cheap, effective, visible dosimeters in the event of a nuclear accident.

"...And This Side Makes You Live Longer!"

by Norm Cassian

In one of the legendary scenes in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the caterpillar, after exhaling his hookah, informs the young wanderer that, “One side will make you grow taller... and the other side will make you grow shorter.” Alice asks, “The other side of what?” “THE MUSHROOM, OF COURSE!” exclaims the caterpillar. And now we learn that the inside of the mushroom will make you grow stronger, healthier, and likely help you to live better, longer.

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Medical Identity Thieves Meet New Detective: The Palm Reader

by T Goodman

According the the National Survey on Medical Identity Theft, about 1.4 million Americans were victims of medical identity theft in 2009. Almost half of these victims did not learn of the theft until one or more years after their medical records were taken over and 'blended' with the thief's. The time it takes to discover medical identity theft is one reason why this crime is on the rise; it's easier to get away with.

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New Research Calls For Pre-Alzheimer's Intervention To Maximize Benefits

by T Goodman

Every month more studies are published that demonstrate that if there is to be successful avoidance of, or limitation to, the ravages of Alzheimer's disease, intervention needs to begin as early as possible. Several suggest that treatments begin before Alzheimer's symptoms appear. One study, published online just yesterday in the Archives of Neurology, shows the benefits of doing such.

Scientists Find New Evidence To Support Plasticity In Aging Brain

by T Goodman

Researchers have looked at various influences on brain structure through fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and have witnessed the change in size and shape in various parts of the brain influenced by certain emotions. In a new study from Columbia University Medical Center, brain plasticity is demonstrated by the production of neurons and neural stem cells produced in the hippocampus.

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College Students Win Top Awards For Biomedical Inventions

by Myra Per-Lee

The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) has announced the winners of the 2011 BMEidea Competition. Awards have gone to three college groups for the invention of much needed biomedical devices and applications that will aid patients in the future: an internal bleed detector, a new therapy for dry eye disease, and a superior broad spectrum antibacterial dressing for infected wounds.

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New Melanoma Drugs Have Unprecedented Success Rates

by T Goodman

The type of skin cancer known as melanoma has historically been one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Though a few drugs have helped extend the 5 and 10 year survival periods, news of two particular drugs presented at yesterday's annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology have sparked some real hope for the future.