Propeller.com Stories submitted by capn_caveman

Why quantum mechanics might be wrong

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:13:31 EDT

The question of whether quantum mechanics is correct could soon be settled by observing the sky - and there are already tantalizing hints that the theory could be wrong.

Channel: Science Tags: science quantum mechanics physics cosmology CMB cosmic microwave background

Are there nuclear reactors at Earth's core?

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:03:46 EDT

Fission reactors may have been burning for billions of years.

Channel: Science Tags: science geophysics fission Earth nuclear reactor

NASA Satellite Finds Interior of Mars Is Colder

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:56:28 EDT

New observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that the crust and upper mantle of Mars are stiffer and colder than previously thought. The findings suggest any liquid water that might exist below the planet's surface, and any possible organisms living in that water, would be located deeper than scientists had suspected.

Channel: Science Tags: science Mars solar system MRO

Astronomers baffled by weird, fast-spinning pulsar

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:50:23 EDT

Astronomers are baffled after finding an exotic type of star called a pulsar apparently locked in an elongated orbit around a star much like the sun -- an arrangement defying what had been known about such objects.

Channel: Science Tags: science astronomy pulsars astrophysics

New time-lapse analysis could spell trouble for chemistry theory

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:09:44 EDT

Chemists can now watch the structures of molecules as they change shape, much like shooting multiple frames of a galloping horse. The new view reveals that when certain molecules switch between different conformations, they do so less often than expected - a finding that could require chemists to revise their theories.

Channel: Science Tags: science chemistry molecules

Animal Prosthetics: A Leg Up on a Bad Break

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:53:58 EDT

Amputee animals have a hard life. In the last few years, more and more disabled creatures of different species are being helped by modern technology, and by the researchers and volunteers who go the extra mile.

Channel: Pets Tags: pets prosthetics animals science technology

Astronomers measure temperature of the early universe

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:46:28 EDT

We cannot go back in time and stick a thermometer in the early universe, but astronomers have done the next best thing, using an indirect technique to find out what the universe's temperature was 11 billion years ago.

Channel: Science Tags: science universe astronomy cosmology

MIT solves gravity-defying bird beak mystery

capn_caveman — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:41:16 EDT

As Charles Darwin showed nearly 150 years ago, bird beaks are exquisitely adapted to the birds' feeding strategy. A team of MIT mathematicians and engineers has now explained exactly how some shorebirds use their long, thin beaks to defy gravity and transport food into their mouths.

Channel: Science Tags: science nature birds shorebirds

Physicists Demonstrate How Information Can Escape From Black Holes

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:16:56 EDT

Physicists at Penn State have provided a mechanism by which information can be recovered from black holes, those regions of space where gravity is so strong that, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, not even light can escape.

Channel: Science Tags: science physics black holes information paradox

Bird flu pandemic seen needing multiple drugs

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:02:10 EDT

Governments need to stockpile different sorts of flu drugs -- not just Roche Holding AG's Tamiflu -- to counter the danger of resistance in a pandemic triggered by bird flu, British experts said on Wednesday.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health bird flu pandemic H5N1 Tamiflu

Strength Training: More Than an Exercise in Vanity

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:35:36 EDT

Muscle researchers say it is important because muscle health is emerging as an important part of overall health. And, they say, when it comes to muscles, bulk does not matter.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health fitness strength training muscles

Prehistoric Inca neurosurgery

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:29:23 EDT

A new study by two American anthropologists now provides evidence that the Incas performed trepanation to treat head injuries; that the procedure was far more common than was previously thought; and that the Incan practitioners of trepanation were highly skilled surgeons with a detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the skull.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health science trepanation neurosurgery Incas

Huge hole in the cosmos disappears

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:16:59 EDT

NOW you see it, now you don't. A giant hole in the cosmos that shocked astrophysicists last year may not exist after all. A re-examination of the area has found that the 'void', which supposedly contained far fewer stars and galaxies than expected, could be a statistical artifact.

Channel: Science Tags: science cosmology universe astronomy

Studies Confirm Greenhouse Mechanisms Even Further Into Past

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:05:27 EDT

The newest analysis of trace gases trapped in Antarctic ice cores now provide a reasonable view of greenhouse gas concentrations as much as 800,000 years into the past, and are further confirming the link between greenhouse gas levels and global warming, scientists reported today in the journal Nature.

Channel: Science Tags: science greenhouse gases carbon dioxide methane global warming environment

Teens reach linguistic peak in online chat

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:56:27 EDT

LOL, OMG and TTYL: parents and teachers worry that teenagers' use of these and other forms of online shorthand is harming their language skills. Perhaps they will take comfort from a study suggesting that instant messaging (IM) actually represents "an expansive new linguistic renaissance".

Channel: Science Tags: science language linguistics IM

Tooth Loss Strongly Linked to Risk of Esophageal, Head and Neck, and Lung Cancer

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:49:43 EDT

Studying thousands of patients, Japanese researchers have found a strong link between tooth loss and increased risk of three cancers - esophageal, head and neck, and lung. They suggest that preservation of teeth may decrease risk of developing these diseases.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health tooth loss cancer lung cancer

Wandering Poles Left Scars On Jupiter's Moon Europa

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:46:30 EDT

Curved features on Jupiter's moon Europa may indicate that its poles have wandered by almost 90Ã;Â°, report scientists.

Channel: Science Tags: science Europa Jupiter solar system geophysics

Giant study pinpoints changes from climate warming

capn_caveman — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:38:16 EDT

Human-generated climate change made flowers bloom sooner and autumn leaves fall later, turned some polar bears into cannibals and some birds into early breeders, a vast global study reported on Wednesday.

Channel: Science Tags: science global warming climate change environment

Hot climate could shut down plate tectonics

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:00:35 EDT

A new study of possible links between climate and geophysics on Earth and similar planets finds that prolonged heating of the atmosphere can shut down plate tectonics and cause a planet's crust to become locked in place.

Channel: Science Tags: science geology plate tectonics geophysics climate

World CO2 levels at record high, scientists warn

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:18:45 EDT

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to new figures that renew fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control.

Channel: Science Tags: science carbon dioxide greenhouse gases climate change global warming propeller eco news

Photos: Thunderstorm collides with ash from Chilean Volcano

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:55:10 EDT

That would be a thunderstorm colliding with the ash from an erupting Chilean volcano. Yes, the pictures are as awesome as you think.

Channel: Science Tags: science volcanoes Chile photos thunderstorm

Rats succumb to peer pressure too

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:44:08 EDT

Until now, only humans and chimps were known to succumb to peer pressure, to the extent that we often ignore our own experiences based on the preferences of others. But a new study in brown rats shows that these rodents are similarly prone to following the Joneses.

Channel: Science Tags: science rats peer pressure animals animal behavior

Help find Mars Polar Lander

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:41:45 EDT

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been taking lots of incredible high-res images of the planet, including the likely areas where MPL hit. However, that's a lot of data to sift through! So the HiRISE folks have put the data together, and they're asking you, me droogs, to help them look.

Channel: Science Tags: science Mars Mars Polar Lander Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE

How the brain detects the emotions of others

capn_caveman — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:32:54 EDT

People who are good at interpreting facial expressions have "mirror neuron" systems that are more active, say researchers. The finding adds weight to the idea that these cells are crucial to helping us figure out how others are feeling.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health science brain emotions

Giant bacterium carries thousands of genomes

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:04:54 EDT

It seems like a peculiar case of genomic overkill: a single-celled bacterium has been found that keeps tens of thousands of copies of its genome. The finding sets a record for most genomes per cell, but also poses an obvious question: what could be the advantage of stashing away as much as 200,000 copies of your genome?

Channel: Science Tags: science bacteria genetics genome microbiology

Bacteria anticipate changing environments

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:14:04 EDT

It doesn't take brains to have some smarts. New research shows that even bacteria can evolve to predict upcoming events based on clues, like a dog salivating at the sound of the dinner bell.

Channel: Science Tags: science biology bacteria microbiology

Researchers suggest experiments to test the Copernican principle

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:09:48 EDT

For all the hand wringing among physicists about the nature of dark energy, the invisible stuff that appears to be revving up the rate of cosmic expansion, a nagging possibility remains. Dark energy could be a cosmic mirage - if humans live in a special place in the universe with a peculiar distribution of matter.

Channel: Science Tags: science cosmology universe astronomy Copernican Principle

The Largest Insects on Planet Earth

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:55:07 EDT

Cannibals, dancers, and pheromone emittersÃ¢â;¬"some of the largest (and endangered) insects in the world are nurturing mothers in the wild, wearing poison as perfume, and crawling up human backs as friendly pets.

Channel: Science Tags: science species insects biology

As Shuttle Lifts Off, NASA Will Man Destruct Switch - Just in Case

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:46:13 EDT

If the looming Discovery mission or any other between now and the spacecraft's retirement loses control, NASA is prepared to ditch it in the Atlantic - or blow it up.

Channel: Science Tags: science space shuttle NASA self destruct

Astronomers begin search for 'vanishing' stars

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:34:36 EDT

Astronomers have started monitoring about a million massive stars to see if any suddenly vanish, seemingly without a trace. Such a disappearing act would support a theory that some massive stars simply implode when they die, rather than exploding in brilliant supernovae or gamma-ray bursts.

Channel: Science Tags: science astronomy black holes astrophysics stars

Planets by the Dozen

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:06:41 EDT

You know the planets of our solar system, each a unique world with its own distinctive appearance, size, and chemistry. Mars, with its bitter-cold, rusty red sands; Venus, a fiery world shrouded in thick clouds of sulfuric acid; sideways Uranus and its strange vertical rings. The variety is breathtaking.

Channel: Science Tags: science planets astronomy exoplanets

The Antennae Galaxies move closer

capn_caveman — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:58:50 EDT

New research on the Antennae Galaxies using the Advanced Camera for Surveys onboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows that this benchmark pair of interacting galaxies is in fact much closer than previously thought - 45 million light-years instead of 65 million light-years.

Channel: Science Tags: science astronomy Hubble HST cosmology

Saturn Does the Wave in Upper Atmosphere

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:04:58 EDT

Two decades of scrutinizing Saturn are finally paying off, as scientists have discovered a wave pattern, or oscillation, in Saturn's atmosphere only visible from Earth every 15 years.

Channel: Science Tags: science Saturn solar system planets atmosphere

Abuse changes brains of suicide victims

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:43:54 EDT

Suicide victims who were abused as children have clear genetic changes in their brains, Canadian researchers reported on Tuesday in a finding they said shows neglect can cause biological effects.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health brain genetics suicide child neglect children

Stopping smoking pays health dividends soon Ã¢â;¬" and later

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:30:51 EDT

Even someone who has smoked for 15 years can make up lost ground by quitting, new research shows. A smoker who quits can, over time, face no greater risk of death than a person who has never smoked.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health smoking stop smoking lung cancer death

Why Do We Yawn?

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:55:48 EDT

The short answer is that no one really knows. The long answer is that no one really knows, but there are plenty of interesting theories.

Channel: Science Tags: science health yawn yawning biology

Dust devils spotted at Mars probe's landing site

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:45:02 EDT

Two whirling dust devils towering nearly a kilometre high have been seen at the exact spot where the Phoenix Mars lander is due to touch down in a few weeks. The dust vortices should pose no threat to the landing, but could provide dramatic views from the probe.

Channel: Science Tags: science Mars dust devils Phoenix

Obesity Linked to Increased Risk for Dementia

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:37:21 EDT

Obesity may increase adults' risk for having dementia, according to new researcher. Their analysis of published obesity and dementia prospective follow-up studies over the past two decades shows a consistent relationship between the two diseases.

Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: health obesity dementia Alzheimers

Melting glaciers release toxic chemical cocktail

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:30:29 EDT

Decades after most countries stopped spraying DDT, frozen stores of the insecticide are now trickling out of melting Antarctic glaciers. The change means AdÃ;Â©lie penguins have recently been exposed to the chemical, according to a new study.

Channel: Science Tags: science environment glaciers penguins DDT insecticide poison

Record-setting Laser May Aid Searches for Earthlike Planets

capn_caveman — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:21:03 EDT

Scientists have shown that a new laser, when used as a frequency comb - an ultraprecise technique for measuring different colors of light - could boost the sensitivity of astronomical tools searching for other Earthlike planets as much as 100 fold.

Channel: Science Tags: science physics lasers astronomy exoplanets