amillikan
Posts by this author
December 21, 2008
A group of economists and scientists are pointing to science to fix the "broken" American economy, positing that the crisis was caused by shortcomings in economic theory that scientific methods could potentially fix. But ScienceBlogger Jake Young is skeptical that this "Economic Manhattan Project"…
December 20, 2008
Today on ScienceBlogs.com, you will notice a new feature on the site. Instead of The Buzz, we have an embedded video from Bloggingheads.tv. This feature will appear every Saturday and can be viewed subsequently here on Page 3.14, the editorial blog of ScienceBlogs.com. This week, John Horgan from…
December 19, 2008
When doctors opened the skull of a 3-day old from Colorado Springs to remove what they thought was a brain tumor, they were surprised to find a collection of organized body parts—including two small feet, a partial hand and intestines. "This was the most well-organized 'tumor' I've ever heard of,"…
December 18, 2008
Coffee grounds may be able to provide energy beyond the caffeine buzz most drinkers seek, according to a study appearing this week in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The study's authors claim that the oil contained in grounds, when extracted, could produce as much as 340 million…
December 16, 2008
As the time of the year approaches when influenza virus is most rampantly transmitted, ScienceBloggers are assesing current influenza vaccination practices and questioning how shortcomings in them could play out in a pandemic situation, which experts predict could arise in the near future. To help…
December 14, 2008
Notable ScienceBlogs posts will now be featured daily in the Science Times section of The New York Times Online, directly below the top 10 most popular science items in the Times. Likewise, this link exchange will provide visitors to the ScienceBlogs home page one-click access to recent Science…
December 12, 2008
What should humanity anticipate from WWIII? To find out, check out the Invitrogen-sponsored ScienceBlog, What's New in Life Science Research. This week our group of experts and seasoned ScienceBloggers will explore the way biological warfare is developing in our modern world as new technologies…
December 11, 2008
A group of psychologists, ethicists and neuroscientists have added their voices to the growing debate over the merits and demerits of brain droping, the use of cognitive enhancement drugs like Adderall or Ritalin to improve mental performance. Their commentary, published online Sunday in Nature,…
December 9, 2008
Former US President Jimmy Carter reported Friday that his foundation has documented a drastic decline in cases of Guinea worm disease, a repulsive illness caused by an infection of the parasitic nematode Dracunculus medinensis. The worms feed off nutrients in the body and then emerge through the…
December 7, 2008
The subject of one of the most famous case studies in cognitive psychology died Tuesday of heart failure. Referenced by the initials "H.M.," Henry Molaison was known for losing his episodic memory as the result of an operation during which neurosurgeons removed parts of his medial and temporal…
December 5, 2008
This week on the new Invitrogen-sponsored ScienceBlog, "What's New in Life Science Research?" our team of experts will delve into the current issues and controversies surrounding the topic of cloning. Bloggers will address mishaps in public perception as well as the future applications of somatic…
December 4, 2008
Our awareness of our own bodies is determined by integrating information from our senses. The complexity of this interaction leads to the feeling of "owning" our unique bodies, but a new study published in PLoS ONE has shown that we can be tricked into feeling ownership of other bodies, as well.…
December 2, 2008
When the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and the Genesis and Creation Museum announced a combined admission offer November 30, protest erupted in the blogosphere. "I believe the Cincinnati Zoo has betrayed its mission and its trust in a disgraceful way by aligning themselves with a…
December 1, 2008
Life Science
This is actually a plant. From Flickr, by josef.stuefer
Celosia cristata (Amaranthaceae) to be exact.
“Tell me you're not excited about 'Pleistocene Park' becoming a reality. Saber tooth tigers, mammoths—I'd pay anything to see that! I so hope they really do clone a mammoth.…
December 1, 2008
Video footage of a rare "elbowed" squid taken remotely from a Shell Oil Company drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico went viral this weekend. The squid is of the genus Magnapinna, has tentacles over 20 feet long, and is one of only a handful of its kind to have ever been observed by humans. It has…
November 25, 2008
In the October DonorsChoose Blogger Challenge, ScienceBlogs readers donated over $18,000 to benefit classrooms around the country that lack adequate science funding. Now, we are offering an opportunity to continue the giving--purchase a Seed magazine subscription at a special discounted rate, and…
November 24, 2008
Last week, scientists positively identified the bones of Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer credited with scientifically formulating the idea that the universe is heliocentric and prompting the 16th century scientific revolution. To be sure that the bones were actually those of Copernicus, the…
November 24, 2008
Technology
The evolution of iPods. From Flickr, by D'Arcy Norman
“As sciencey and research driven as this was, you can tell the guy with the remote is totally having so much fun with his new toy.“
Zelly on Scientist 'Spy' on Whales Using Tiny Helicopters
November 23, 2008
Over the next four weeks, ScienceBlogs will explore some of the most controversial and increasingly relevant issues in biotechnology on a new blog, What's New in Life Science Research. The blog is sponsored by Invitrogen and will feature writings on stem cell research, cloning, biodefense and…
November 23, 2008
Brain & Behavior
An African gray parrot. From Flickr, by The G-tastic 7
“Imagine you wake up and have a new sense. No, you can't imagine! If you try, you'll be trapped thinking in terms of your existing senses.“
Rafael C. P. on Can a blind person whose vision is restored understand what…
November 21, 2008
Medicine & Health
Krayzie pillz? From Flickr, by Dvortygirl
“If two minute men and late age male inability to perform aren't enough reasons [to end male circumcision], I don't know what are. But maybe the good MD has some $Viagr$ to pimp you with.“
The real Cool Maleorgan Freedom on Why…
November 20, 2008
From the well-preserved remains of a woolly mammoth that was buried by Siberian winters about 18,545 years ago, scientists were able to extract viable DNA and sequence the majority of an extinct species' genome for the first time. The mammoth's genome is currently about 70 percent sequenced, and…
November 20, 2008
Education & Careers
"Inspecting an optical circuit after the wafer dicing saw step. Many labor tasks - from retail to security to manufacturing - seemed to go for triple redundancy." From Flickr, by jurvetson
“The double-talk: We won't fund you if you have been around since the first ice-…
November 20, 2008
Politics
President and Vice President Elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden on election night. From Flickr, by Barack Obama
“The US economy is now at risk of losing between 7 and 13 million jobs by the end of 2009. This means Obama's #1, #2, and #3 priorities will have to be to stop the bleeding.“…
November 19, 2008
The FDA may soon join forces with personal genomics companies like 23andMe and CIMR in order to draw associations between genotypes and adverse drug reactions. ScienceBlogger Revere from Genetic Future posted that before such a collaborationis considered, genomics companies must recruit more—and…
November 19, 2008
Humanities & Social Sciences
"This image was designed and uploaded as an illustration for the flickr censorship campaign that happened globally in June 2007."From Flickr, by Mr.Enjoy
“Funny that [Creationists] are so concerned with a perceived lack of evidence when it comes to evolution,…
November 18, 2008
When hundreds of thousands of soldiers returned from the Gulf War in 1991, epidemiologists like Revere from Effect Measure insisted that the neurological and other symptoms afflicting a large number of the veterans was not due to stress—as many U.S. government departments alleged—but rather…
November 18, 2008
Environment
Environment channel photo. A corn field under a blue sky coated with clouds of the cumulo nimbus. From Flickr, by Kables
“Sounds great to me. Where do I throw my nuclear waste? Flush it down the toilet? Better still can I use it to power my Batmobile?“
Phil on A case of technology…
November 17, 2008
Physical Science
Physical Science channel photo. An image from the Hubble Space Telescope of Fomalhaut b, the first planet outside of the Sun's solar system viewed from Earth. From Flickr, by bobster1985
“Lack of peer review is a unifying feature of pseudosciences. In this regard creationism is…
November 17, 2008
Technology
Technology channel photo. Nam June Paik's "Electronic Superhighway" at the National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian - Washington DC. From Flickr, by frozenchipmunk
This week's reader reaction quote on the Technology channel comes from a discussion on Gene Expression about the rise of…