Biology Newsfeed

The Brain Adapts in a Blink to Compensate for Missing Information

Scientific American - Posted: July 15th, 2009, 3:05pm EDT

pThe human brain has long been known to perceive things that arent there--from phantom limbs to patterns in chaos. But a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) shows for the first time that it is surprisingly quick to bend reality when normal perception is disrupted. The results were published yesterday in The Journal of Neuroscience. a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=brain-adapts-in-a-blink[More]/a

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Should Racial Profiling Play a Role in Cancer Prognosis?

Scientific American - Posted: July 15th, 2009, 1:20pm EDT

pAfrican-Americans are more likely to die from cancer than patients of other races and ethnicities, and extensive studies have long implicated socioeconomic and environmental factors, such as differences in income, diet and education. Two research teams, however, have recently suggested that the genetics of race itself is likely to be a contributor. Exactly how significant the findings are and just what they mean for treatment is unclear, but some scientists worry that African-Americans could take such conclusions the wrong way, leading them not to seek treatment. a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=racial-profiling-cancer-prognosis[More]/a

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Double heart girls amazing recovery

Scientific American - Posted: July 15th, 2009, 1:10pm EDT

A 16-year-old girl, who lived with an extra heart for 11 years, has made a full recovery after the transplanted organ was removed in a unique operation.

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What Are the Benefits of Insulating Paint?

Scientific American - Posted: July 15th, 2009, 12:00pm EDT

pDear EarthTalk: Do insulating paints actually insulate and save energy? If they do, are they environmentally friendly to use? -- Bob Dibrindisi, Easthampton, MA /p a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=benefits-of-insulating-paint[More]/a

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100 Years Ago: Baseballs First Night Games

Scientific American - Posted: July 15th, 2009, 11:00am EDT

pJULY 1959WOLFGANG PAULI--ensp;ldquo;It is well known that theoretical physicists are quite inept in handling experimental apparatus; in fact, the standing of a theoretical physicist is said to be measurable in terms of his ability to break delicate devices merely by touching them. By this standard Wolfgang Pauli was a very good theoretical physicist; apparatus would fall, break, shatter or burn when he merely walked into a laboratory. Paulirsquo;s exclusion principle, on the other hand, acquired its importance because it helped to clarify the internal structure of the atom, according to Niels Bohrrsquo;s model of the atom. --George Gamowrdquo;/p a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=100-years-ago-baseballs[More]/a

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Agricultures Sustainable Future: Breeding Better Crops

Scientific American - Posted: July 15th, 2009, 9:00am EDT

pWe are not going back to the pleistocene age of the hunter-gatherers. Instead experts indicate that the worldrsquo;s population will increase from approximately six billion to nine billion by 2050--all to be fed, clothed and even fueled by agricultural products. Whatrsquo;s more, as people rise out of poverty, higher living standards such as greater meat consumption and personal mobility will place even more demand on food crop production (wheat, rice), animal feed (corn, soybeans), fiber (wood, cotton) and fuels (sugarcane, switchgrass). How can agriculturersquo;s output expand so dramatically without significantly increasing its environmental footprint, especially reckless deforestation to clear land for farming? Like contemplating office space in Manhattan, we must find a way to grow vertically, by increasing crop yields./ppAgriculture is not natural; it is a human invention. It is also the basis of modern civilization. Yet agriculture is not uniform in its practices or productivity: some 40 percent of the worldrsquo;s corn farmers still use nonhybrid, open-pollinated varieties that the U.S. abandoned decades ago, and their yields are far, far lower than what could be achieved with modern seed varieties. Nor is agriculture static. Yield increases through improved genetics are accelerating in crops that receive intense private research funding, such as corn, but are languishing in cassava and other important staples for the developing world, which get little or no support. Agriculture has significant ecological consequences, too: displaced forests and grasslands, greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizers and diesel-fueled farm machinery, and algae blooms from excess nutrient runoff. Clearly, there is much to improve on./p a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=agricultures-sustainable-future[More]/a

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