The more creative a person is, the more sexual partners they are likely to have, according to a pioneering study which could explain the behaviour of notorious womanisers such as poets Lord Byron and Dylan Thomas. The research, by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Open University in the UK, found that professional artists and poets have around twice as many sexual partners as those who do not indulge in these creative activities.
Planets are everywhere these days. They have been spotted around more than 150 stars, and evidence is growing that they also circle “failed,” or miniature, stars called brown dwarfs. Now, astronomers using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope say they have found what may be planets-in-the-making in the strangest of places – around a brown dwarf that itself is the size of a planet.
Researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School have discovered that insulin and its receptors drop significantly in the brain during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and that levels decline progressively as the disease becomes more severe, leading to further evidence that Alzheimer’s is a new type of diabetes. They also found that acetylcholine deficiency, a hallmark of the disease, is linked directly to the loss of insulin and insulin-like growth factor function in the brain.
It has been 20 years since the futurist Eric Drexler daringly predicted a new world where miniaturized robots would build things one molecule at a time. The world of nanotechnology that Drexler envisioned is beginning to come to pass, with scientists conjuring new applications daily. Now Salvatore Torquato, a Princeton University scientist, is proposing turning a central concept of nanotechnology on its head. If the theory bears out – and it is in its infancy — it could have radical implications not just for industries like telecommunications and computers but also for our understanding of the nature of life.
By peering into the minds of volunteers preparing to play a brief visual game, neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found they can predict whether the volunteers will succeed or fail at the game. “Before we present the task, we can use brain activity to predict with about 70 percent accuracy whether the subject will give a correct or an incorrect response,” says lead author Ayelet Sapir, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate in neurology.
UCSF scientists have discovered that the activity of several embryonic stem cell genes is elevated in testicular and breast cancers, providing some of the first molecular evidence of a link between embryonic stem cells and cancer. The finding, reported in the November issue of Cancer, suggests that the genes may play a role in the development of tumors or serve as valuable markers of tumor progression, the researchers say. As such, the genes ultimately could lead to new targets for therapy or markers for diagnosis.
North Carolina Sea Grant researchers have isolated a new peptide antibiotic from the American oyster that may have implications for managing many diseases in oysters. The new antimicrobial peptide “American oyster defensin” (AOD) may protect against bacteria in Crassostrea virginica, a species that is native to North Carolina and important economically to Atlantic and Gulf Coast fisheries.
It’s often said (by astronomers) that Venus is bright enough to cast shadows. So where are they? Few people have ever seen a Venus shadow. But they’re there, elusive and delicate — and, if you appreciate rare things, a thrill to witness. Attention, thrill-seekers: Venus is reaching its peak brightness for 2005 and casting its very best shadows right now.
Fallen logs on the forest floor make a perfect home for Shiitake mushrooms. These fungi–sold as a delicacy in the produce section of your local supermarket–thrive on the downed wood, turning it into sugars that they use for food. Now, Agricultural Research Service scientists in California are looking at bringing the gourmet mushrooms’ mostly unstudied talent indoors. And, as a first step towards doing that, they’ve found and copied a Shiitake gene that’s key to the mushroom’s ability to dissolve wood.
In work that could radically change how engineers search for new materials, MIT researchers have developed a way to test the mechanical properties of almost 600 different materials in a matter of days – a task that would have taken weeks using conventional techniques. The new process could lead to the faster identification of dental implants that don’t crack, tank armor that’s more resistant to missiles, and other materials dependent on mechanical properties like stiffness and toughness.
Nanomaterials are increasingly gaining the attention of not only the scientific community, but also the public due to their unique properties which endear them to new and exciting applications. These special properties can vary markedly from those of the analogous bulk materials. The physical and chemical properties of the nanomaterials tend to be exceptionally closely dependent on their size and shape or morphology. As a result, materials scientists are focusing their efforts on developing simple and effective methods for fabricating nanomaterials with controlled size and morphology and hence, tailoring their properties.
Past research has shown that physical attractiveness helps people get ahead. A study published in the latest issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly examines this issue further to find that a sexy self-presentation (i.e. high-heels, a tight skirt, and low-cut blouse) harmed businesswomen. But this negative effect was limited to women in high status positions.
Research conducted by scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University reveals that a person’s level of activity is likely an intrinsic property of that individual. This means personal decisions to become more active for the purpose of losing weight may take more of a conscious effort than traditionally thought for certain people. The research is being presented during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C., Nov. 12-16. It is one of the largest and most respected meetings of neuroscientists in the world.