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POPSToy Helicopters Hover Over Whales to Monitor Health The findings aren't enough to establish patterns of illness because years of monitoring are required, she said. `We can't really say that animals are sick: finding bacteria or a fungus or a virus doesn't imply that an animal is sick, it just implies that it's infected,'' she said. ``That's exactly why we need a long-term study..."
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POPSZebra's Stripes, Butterfly's Wings: How Do Biological Patterns Emerge? Previous work identified a specific signal necessary for getting these fly egg cells to move; the problem is that this signal is “graded.” Like drops of ink spreading out on wet paper, this signal travels in between surrounding cells, gradually fading away as it moves outwards. But clear lines are required for pattern formation — there is no grey area between a zebra’s black and white stripes, between heart and liver cells and, in this case, between migrating cells and those that stay put. How are graded signals converted to a clear move or stay signal? By examining flies containing mutations in different genes, the researchers discovered that one gene in particular, called apontic, is important for converting a graded signal.
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POPSMarine worms follow Fibionaci's lead. I think the worms thought of it first. They suggest that pure mathematics could be used to explain some genetic principles. Nature seems rational, pragmatic, and set in it's ways enough, for this to be a productive avenue of research.
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POPS Giant trees 'to clear excess CO2' "Dr. Wallace S. Broecker is perhaps the world's foremost interpreter of the Earth's operation as a biological, chemical, and physical system. He began his research in the 1950s with the development of techniques for measuring the radiocarbon content of ocean water and the ages and accumulation rates of deep sea and lake sediments, using this data to trace ocean circulation patterns over time."
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POPSHuman Caused Climate Change Most educated people know that global warming is a misnomer. There are parts of the world that will cool while warming happens elsewhere. The key is to keep the oceanic conveyor belt stable so our climate remains fairly constant.
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POPSCity road networks grow like biological systems "Beyond the economic, demographic and geographic "forces" that shape a town, there are a myriad of small "accidents" that contribute",says Marc Barthélemy of the French Atomic Energy Commission in Bruyères-le-Châtel."Although these are unpredictable, they can be understood in terms of statistics and simple modelling." The researchers will now study how road networks developed over time in old cities, such as London and Paris. They hope to unearth other possible universal features that might be present to refine their model.
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POPSA simple way to reduce the effects of jet lag!: study
Let me know if this works for you!! More tips to help prevent jet lag: • Store up on sleep. Because sleep is effective at countering the effects of jet lag, go to bed a little earlier for a few days before you leave on your trip & sleep as much as possible on the flight. • Many side effects of jet lag are the result of dehydration. Drink plenty of water during the flight and avoid alcohol, coffee, tea & other caffeinated beverages. • Eat lightly on your flight & forego rich or exotic foods on the first several days of your trip. This will allow your body to use its energy to adjust to the new surroundings and time zone rather than on digesting food. • Exercise during a long flight to help alleviate backaches, swollen legs and feet and general fatigue. Stretching at regular intervals and walking up and down the aisles will also help to prevent dangerous blood clots from forming. • Take it easy on the day you arrive to allow your body to establish a routine in sync with the local
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POPSFast-Forwarded Ads Just As Effective Perhaps digital video recorders aren't doing as much damage to the advertising world as previously believed. This story also makes me wonder about the prospects for deliberately fast-forwarded commercials... anyone remember Max Headroom's "blipverts"? -David M. Ewalt
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POPSHow Much Will Advertisers Pay for a 1.5 Second Spot? I think this is absolutely an interesting and thought-provoking study in our post-broadcast, niche media world. "Life After the 30 Second Spot" (check out Joseph Jaffee's book on the subject) means media giants must work even harder to stay profitable and, indeed, desperate times sometime call for desperate studies. However optimistic and provocative, this study falls short because participants are actively engaged in TV and commercial viewing. They sit back, watch and report. However, today's TV viewer is not only fast forwarding the commercial, she is checking her email, downloading at iTunes and Skyping her pals during show breaks. Perhaps this type of environment was tested as well but I didn't see an indicatio of this in the report. Interested to know your thoughts- Should advertisers pay for your attention when you fast forward through their messages?
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