Science & Technology
According to the "Strange Matter Hypothesis," which gained popularity in the paranormal 1980's, nuclear matter, too, can be strange. The hypothesis suggests that small conglomerations of quarks, the infinitesimally tiny particles that attract by a strong nuclear force to form neutrons and protons in atoms, are the true ground state of matter. The theory has captivated particle physicists worldwide, including one of Washington University's own.
The idea that comets delivered the chemical "seeds" for life to the early Earth has been given a big boost.
Scientists studying the tiny grains of material recovered from Comet Wild-2 by Nasa's Stardust mission have found large, complex carbon-rich molecules.
They are of the type that could have been important precursor components of the initial reactions that gave rise to the planet's biochemistry.
The first full analysis of the Wild-2 grains is reported in Science magazine.
Scientists studying the tiny grains of material recovered from Comet Wild-2 by Nasa's Stardust mission have found large, complex carbon-rich molecules.
They are of the type that could have been important precursor components of the initial reactions that gave rise to the planet's biochemistry.
The first full analysis of the Wild-2 grains is reported in Science magazine.
The Planetary Society will give a prize to the designers of a mission that would allow the huge asteroid's orbit to be tracked with the most precision.
Do you use the same search engine for everything? Whether you're after cheap music or breaking news; a look at the alternatives
'Amazing' tool tracks earth's tiny changes - Twin satellites help in study of ice melts, earthquakes
Linked by a constant stream of microwave signals, a pair of satellites have been taking Earth's measure in a way the planet has never been measured before.
By tracking tiny changes in gravitational pull, the system known as the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, has been refining our understanding of polar ice melts and massive earthquakes.
Now, researchers are also improving the system's ability to monitor the way groundwater moves around the globe, so it can spot places where thirsty populations are draining aquifers faster than they can be replenished.
By tracking tiny changes in gravitational pull, the system known as the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, has been refining our understanding of polar ice melts and massive earthquakes.
Now, researchers are also improving the system's ability to monitor the way groundwater moves around the globe, so it can spot places where thirsty populations are draining aquifers faster than they can be replenished.
If you are into following events involving sol, our system's central star, you may have heard of a major event in progress right now, but chances are you haven't heard as the Western media is strangely silent about the event.
NASA has issued a communication about the event that plays down the importance of what is happening. Apart from an Item in Astronomy and Space News, the story was picked up - as far as I can tell - so far only by a paper in Brisbane, Australia.
NASA has issued a communication about the event that plays down the importance of what is happening. Apart from an Item in Astronomy and Space News, the story was picked up - as far as I can tell - so far only by a paper in Brisbane, Australia.
People who can write with both their right and left hands are more likely to be bisexual, new research has found.
For years, scientists have been fascinated by left-handed people, and a number of studies have suggested that southpaws are more likely to be homosexual, or to suffer from certain illnesses and disorders.
Not true, according to University of Guelph psychology professor Michael Peters. He and his colleagues found no differences in the health or sexual preferences of right-handed and left-handed people.
"In fact, they were remarkably similar to each other in all of the comparisons we looked at," he said.
For years, scientists have been fascinated by left-handed people, and a number of studies have suggested that southpaws are more likely to be homosexual, or to suffer from certain illnesses and disorders.
Not true, according to University of Guelph psychology professor Michael Peters. He and his colleagues found no differences in the health or sexual preferences of right-handed and left-handed people.
"In fact, they were remarkably similar to each other in all of the comparisons we looked at," he said.
The island of Antikythera lies 18 miles north of Crete, where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. Currents there can make shipping treacherous -- and one ship bound for ancient Rome never made it.
The ship that sank there was a giant cargo vessel measuring nearly 500 feet long. It came to rest about 200 feet below the surface, where it stayed for more than 2,000 years until divers looking for sponges discovered the wreck a little more than a century ago.
The ship that sank there was a giant cargo vessel measuring nearly 500 feet long. It came to rest about 200 feet below the surface, where it stayed for more than 2,000 years until divers looking for sponges discovered the wreck a little more than a century ago.
The Antikythera Mechanism
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Beijing -- Boys and girls tend to use different parts of their brain to learn some fundamental parts of grammar, according to a new U.S. study on Tuesday.
"Sex has been virtually ignored in studies of the learning, representation, processing and neural bases of language," said lead author Michael Ullman, a neuroscientist at Georgetown University. "This study shows that differences between males and females may be an important factor in these cognitive processes."
Men and women may process words differently because of different levels of the hormone estrogen, which is much higher in females and affects brain processing, according to Ullman.?
For the study, published in Developmental Science, researchers investigated the different brain systems that children used when they made mistakes like "Yesterday I holded the bunny." They found that girls tended to use a process that dealt with memorizing words and associations between them, whereas boys used a process governing the rules of language.
"Sex has been virtually ignored in studies of the learning, representation, processing and neural bases of language," said lead author Michael Ullman, a neuroscientist at Georgetown University. "This study shows that differences between males and females may be an important factor in these cognitive processes."
Men and women may process words differently because of different levels of the hormone estrogen, which is much higher in females and affects brain processing, according to Ullman.?
For the study, published in Developmental Science, researchers investigated the different brain systems that children used when they made mistakes like "Yesterday I holded the bunny." They found that girls tended to use a process that dealt with memorizing words and associations between them, whereas boys used a process governing the rules of language.
You don't come across many Nobel prizewinners who believe in the paranormal, but Brian Josephson is one of them. After receiving the Nobel prize in physics for his research on superconductivity, his work has taken a very different direction. As well as using mathematics to describe how the brain carries out complex tasks, he is an advocate for cold fusion and other phenomena on the fringes of science. He talked to Alison George about why he thinks scientists have an irrational bias against unconventional ideas.
Comment: Comment: Perhaps this article should take into consideration the likelihood that this might indeed pose a lot of danger to our world.
Furthermore, it should be noted that many other studies confirm the likelihood of comets hitting the planet much sooner, and even at the present time. See here