blog.spathis.com » science http://blog.spathis.com Random musings & skepsis... Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:03:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 isen.blog: Mobile phones, bees and the future http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2007/04/17/isenblog-mobile-phones-bees-and-the-future/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2007/04/17/isenblog-mobile-phones-bees-and-the-future/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2007 02:28:42 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2007/04/17/isenblog-mobile-phones-bees-and-the-future/ David Isenberg has a great post into the cell-phone towers and bees controversy. A must read:

isen.blog: Mobile phones, bees and the future: “Mobile phones, bees and the future
I’m wicked skeptical about reports of negative effects of mobile phones (brain cancer, etc.) when the public and the press can’t seem to get worked up at all about way more direct, obvious problems like mobile phones and car crashes (and state legislatures pass stupid laws on same).
“

Needless to say if the link between cell-phone towers and a reduction in the bee population is confirmed it means bad news all around…

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]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2007/04/17/isenblog-mobile-phones-bees-and-the-future/feed/ 0 Stunning Diabetes Breakthrough… http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/15/stunning-diabetes-breakthrough/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/15/stunning-diabetes-breakthrough/#comments Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:31:23 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/15/stunning-diabetes-breakthrough/     Our world is becoming an amazing place, a team of Canadian scientists appear to have reversed diabetes. The treatment works so well they were shocked by it. The essence of their discovery is that there is link between neurological activity and the production of insulin. The traditional view of diabetes is that the body's own immune system turns against itself and begins attacking the Islets of Langerhorn, the actual insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This attack suppresses the ability of the Islets to produce insulin.

    Why are the Islets attacked to begin with? This has been the key question dogging diabetes research, now it seems they may have found an answer. According to the Canadian team the nerves themselves are what cause the problem, it seems that the nerves may be signaling "pain" to the brain and the brain may be using the absence  of a neuro-peptide to suppress the insulin production. The team used capcasin (think chili pepper) to deaden these pain nerves in the pancreas. Suddenly normal insulin production.

Stunning, truly stunning.

    Read all about it in at the National Post or read the actual paper "TRPV1+ Sensory Neurons Control β Cell Stress and Islet Inflammation in Autoimmune Diabetes". What is particularly exciting is that their treatment may be applicable to a wide range of auto-immune diseases, including asthma, diabetes, & crohn's disease.

Wow, amazing work, kudos to all involved… 

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/15/stunning-diabetes-breakthrough/feed/ 0 Darwin’s Dilemma Solved? http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/10/darwins-dilemma-solved/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/10/darwins-dilemma-solved/#comments Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:29:10 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/10/darwins-dilemma-solved/ For approximately 3 Billion years evolution operated on a mostly single-cell basis, but then something strange happened approximately 500 millions years ago. A sudden development of multi-cellular creatures that eventually led to man. What caused that change and the resulting rapid rise of multi-cellular life? This is the essence of Darwin's Dilemma. Don E. Canfield, Simon W. Poulton, and Guy M. Narbonne have just published a paper that advances a theory to solve at least some of that dilemma. The paper titled "Late-Neoproterozoic Deep-Ocean Oxygenation and the Rise of Animal Life" ties a sudden increase in oxygen in the worlds oceans to the rise of the first known members of the Ediacara biota and that a "a prolonged stable oxic environment may have permitted the emergence of bilateral motile animals some 25 million years later"

Fascinating stuff, I'm following it over at the PhysOrg forums…

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/10/darwins-dilemma-solved/feed/ 0 Confirmed! NASA announces water on Mars… http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/confirmed-nasa-announces-water-on-mars/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/confirmed-nasa-announces-water-on-mars/#comments Wed, 06 Dec 2006 18:35:26 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/confirmed-nasa-announces-water-on-mars/ The implications of today's announcement are immense, NASA confirms the presence of liquid water on Mars today in a press conference, additionally they have found evidence of recent cratering (past few years). This is stunning confirmation of what many have suspected. We may be on the threshold of a new golden age of space exploration.

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/confirmed-nasa-announces-water-on-mars/feed/ 0 Something significant is up at NASA http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/something-significant-is-up-at-nasa/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/something-significant-is-up-at-nasa/#comments Wed, 06 Dec 2006 05:45:14 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/something-significant-is-up-at-nasa/ NASA has called a press conference tomorrow at 1 pm EST to discuss a "significant find" by the Mars Global Surveyor. Rumors are significant amounts of water have been found. The press conference is sure to be fascinating & you can watch it live over at NASA TV off the NASA homepage.

UPDATE: Rumors confirmed, NASA has announced that they have found water on Mars and that they see evidence of recent cratering. Paper will be published in the upcoming edition of Science. What a historic day!

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/12/06/something-significant-is-up-at-nasa/feed/ 2 Dawkins at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College…. http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/25/dawkings-at-randolph-macon-womans-college/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/25/dawkings-at-randolph-macon-womans-college/#comments Sat, 25 Nov 2006 19:40:56 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/25/dawkings-at-randolph-macon-womans-college/ Absolutely stunning video of Richard Dawkins taking on all comers at Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Apparently quite a few "students" from Falwell's Liberty "University" (please note the quotes, enough said) showed up and tried to challenge him.  Dawkins brilliantly destroys their arguments and statements. What I find particularly funny is that a number of "scientists" work at Liberty "University" and try to cross swords with him.

Update: Thanks Ken , I hate spelling mistakes….

Update 2: By far the best is the last guy from Liberty who is really into "Physics" (probably was to scared to call himself a physicist after the beating the Liberty crowd took) and actually believes dinosaurs are 6000 years old (no, that is not a typo). Dawkins last comment is priceless…

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/25/dawkings-at-randolph-macon-womans-college/feed/ 1 Nanotechnology… http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/14/nanotechnology/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/14/nanotechnology/#comments Tue, 14 Nov 2006 11:58:52 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/14/nanotechnology/ Behold the power of nanotechnology. It's certainly no mystery that the next exciting frontier lies in human health advances using many of the new technological advances. The next twenty years will be an exciting time in the health-care field. 

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/11/14/nanotechnology/feed/ 0 Guide to becoming a nobel prize winning physicist… http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/03/31/guide-to-becoming-a-nobel-prize-winning-physicist/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/03/31/guide-to-becoming-a-nobel-prize-winning-physicist/#comments Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:29:04 +0000 Constantine http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/03/31/guide-to-becoming-a-nobel-prize-winning-physicist/ Gerard ‘t Hooft is a noble prize winning physicist that has put a guide together and incredible guide HOW to BECOME a GOOD THEORETICAL PHYSICIST. This is what the internet was made for. Go enjoy…

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/03/31/guide-to-becoming-a-nobel-prize-winning-physicist/feed/ 0 The family that walks on all fours…. http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/03/07/the-family-that-walks-on-all-fours/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/03/07/the-family-that-walks-on-all-fours/#comments Wed, 08 Mar 2006 00:59:01 +0000 Constantine http://www.spathis.com/blog/archives/2006/03/07/the-family-that-walks-on-all-fours/ Fascinating, read all about it over at the Daily Mail
 
Powered By Qumana
]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2006/03/07/the-family-that-walks-on-all-fours/feed/ 0 The endless hackability of Google Earth…. http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/11/28/ants-google-earth/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/11/28/ants-google-earth/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:03:21 +0000 Constantine http://www.spathis.com/blog/?p=211 E. O. Wilson’s seminal work The Ants is a landmark in myrmecology (the study of ants). It deservedly won the Pulitzer in 1991 and stands as a hallmark to accessible scientific writing. Behavior, habitat, social norms are all presented in an engaging and very readable way. If you have some time its well worth the effort.

If you loved the book like I did you will want to check out Antweb’s Google Earth interface. Google is fundamentally changing how science is done. The endless hackability of google earth and of the entire web infrastructure bodes well for a vast number of fields. Myrmecology is only the latest.

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/11/28/ants-google-earth/feed/ 2 Comdig Webcast-Podcast: Illuminating the Shadow of the Future http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/10/30/comdig-webcast-podcast-illuminating-the-shadow-of-the-future/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/10/30/comdig-webcast-podcast-illuminating-the-shadow-of-the-future/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2005 02:31:32 +0000 Constantine http://www.spathis.com/blog/?p=203 Applying complexity theory to current & future affairs. Fascinating stuff, E. O. Wilson gives the keynote. Check it out at Comdig Webcast-Podcast: Illuminating the Shadow of the Future

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/10/30/comdig-webcast-podcast-illuminating-the-shadow-of-the-future/feed/ 0 New Scientist… http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/10/03/new-scientist/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/10/03/new-scientist/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2005 21:24:38 +0000 Constantine http://www.spathis.com/blog/?p=193 Fascinating piece over at New Scientist on The Ten Biggest Ideas

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/10/03/new-scientist/feed/ 0 Ray Kurzweil…. http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/03/24/ray-kurzweil/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/03/24/ray-kurzweil/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2005 12:22:01 +0000 Constantine /?p=161 One of the things I enjoy most about living in Gotham is the yearly 92nd St Y lecture series. This year along they have Craig Venter, Brian Greene, and the always fun Malcom Gladwell.

Last night was an incredible lecture by Ray Kurzweil. Ray is a Big Thinker. His ideas are honking huge and highly controversial. Last night he touched on:

* The rise of 3-dimensional computing
* Exponential decrease in cost (in time and money) of sequencing a base pair
* Radical shifts in what computing will look like
* Integration of computing with the human body
* Artificial blood cells
* Rapidly accelerating innovation
* By 2015 the ability to live for signficiantly longer time than now
* And perhaps the most controversial: By 2020 the ability to live forever. Yes, eternal life.

You say wow maybe? Ray puts it out there like few people I have seen. He is a controversial big thinker no doubt about that, but he has been right in the past and he makes a compelling case. I think he may be on to something. The lecture was focused on Ray’s new book Fantastic Voyage, picked it up at the lecture and had him sign it. Updates on thoughts soon….

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/03/24/ray-kurzweil/feed/ 0 If only…. http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/16/if-only/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/16/if-only/#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2005 21:09:29 +0000 Constantine /?p=154 This were true…

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/16/if-only/feed/ 0 RIP ERNST MAYR http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/09/rip-ernst-mayr/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/09/rip-ernst-mayr/#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2005 18:20:30 +0000 Constantine /?p=151 Ernst Mayr passed away at 100. He was an amazing scientist, philosopher, thinker, etc…. Read all about it at Edge: ERNST MAYR

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/09/rip-ernst-mayr/feed/ 0 SCPD – Donald E. Knuth http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/09/scpd-donald-e-knuth/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/09/scpd-donald-e-knuth/#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2005 16:31:53 +0000 Constantine /?p=150 In the pantheon of the immortals none rate higher than Donald Knuth. Now he has made his musings on computer science available at SCPD – Donald E. Knuth
. So stunningly good I can’t say enough good things about it!

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/09/scpd-donald-e-knuth/feed/ 0 Google Maps http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/08/google-maps/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/08/google-maps/#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2005 16:12:56 +0000 Constantine /?p=148 If you haven’t had a chance to checkout Google Maps head right on over and have some fun. Its another real interesting head-turning google application. Google is getting closer and closer to desktop app feels with these things, of course the data they contain blows away anything a desktop app could do…

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2005/02/08/google-maps/feed/ 0 IT Conversations! http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2004/12/06/it-conversations/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2004/12/06/it-conversations/#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2004 02:38:10 +0000 Constantine /?p=113 Amazing, I blogged earlier about how much I enjoy IT Conversations and today lo and behold they have a talk by one of my favorite scientists. This guy is fascinating and his work is truly amazing, if you have the slightest interest in science give this talk a listen. It has been featured on Nova (I have a real Nova problem) and National Geographic had a great show Journey of Man all about it.

]]> http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2004/12/06/it-conversations/feed/ 0 Polyphasic Sleep http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2003/06/29/polyphasic-sleep/ http://blog.spathis.com/archives/2003/06/29/polyphasic-sleep/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2003 01:29:41 +0000 Constantine /?p=57 This is a fascinating experiment! So how do you reduce the amount of time you need to sleep and still function like a normal human. This can’t be healthy, or can it?

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