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Somali Pirates?   They're Nothing Compared To Rogue Black Holes Roaming The Milky Way

Somali Pirates? They're Nothing Compared To Rogue Black Holes Roaming The Milky Way

Calculations by Ryan O'Leary and Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics suggest that hundreds of massive black holes, left over from the galaxy-building days of the early universe, may wander the Milky Way.   Rogue black holes roaming our galaxy, threatening to swallow anything that gets too close?  Do we call the UN?No, Earth is safe. The closest rogue black hole should reside thousands of light-years away. Astronomers are eager to locate them, though, for the clues they will provide to the formation of the Milky Way. 

Evolution In A Test Tube - Researchers Create 'Mini Galapagos' In The Lab

Evolution In A Test Tube - Researchers Create 'Mini Galapagos' In The Lab

As you know, when different species directly compete for the same finite resource, only the fitter will survive.  A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) says they have demonstrated that in a laboratory environment, along with how, when given a variety of resources, the different species will evolve to become increasingly specialized, each filling different niches within their common ecosystem.

Oxytocin - The Love Potion Of Social Cognition

Oxytocin - The Love Potion Of Social Cognition

We're big fans of oxytocin understanding.  It generally makes people nicer and  and relationships are difficult.   When you introduce stressful issues into relationships, such as home finances, it can only get worse.    Oxytocin has been found to make relationships a little less difficult because it can take the "edge" off sensitive discussions.The actual biology of human social relationships is just beginning to emerge as research on social cognition conducted in animals is now informing research in humans. 

Sugar And Spice, Why Are Boys Not Nice?

Sugar And Spice, Why Are Boys Not Nice?

According to a 19th century nursery rhyme, the biological distinctions between males and females are thus:What are little boys made of?What are little boys made of? Frogs and snailsAnd puppy-dogs' tails,That's what little boys are made of.What are little girls made of?What are little girls made of? Sugar and spiceAnd all things nice,That's what little girls are made of.This was pre-Mendel but we bet he agreed.    Boys seem to really get cheated on cute rhymes about gender differences.   But what came first, the rhyme or the differences?   

Bar Refaeli Does Bikinis For Breast Cancer

Bar Refaeli Does Bikinis For Breast Cancer

LOS ANGELES, April 28 /PRNewswire/ --
Taking a cue from the number one women's wardrobe staple, the little black dress, Hurley and Bar Refaeli introduce the Little Black Bikini, a timeless essential for beaches everywhere.
The limited-edition Hurley Little Black Bikini by Bar Refaeli will retail for US$120, with a portion of proceeds donated to Boarding for Breast Cancer, a youth-focused non-profit that promotes early detection and an active lifestyle as the best prevention for breast cancer. It will debut on May 1, 2009 at select boutiques worldwide. As of June 2, it will also be available at select Victoria's Secret stores nationwide.

In The Beginning, There Were Comets?

In The Beginning, There Were Comets?

In ancient stories, and even some newer ones, the appearance of a comet or any heavenly object could symbolize a God's displeasure and even mean a sure failure in battle for one side.   Tel Aviv University researchers say comets could be even more relevant than mythology suggests; they might have actually provided the elements for the emergence of life on our planet.

Kids Think Other Gender Is Like A Different Species

Kids Think Other Gender Is Like A Different Species

Young children think about gender in the same way they think about species of animals. They believe, for example, that a boy's preference for football is innate, as is a girl's preference for dolls, just as cats' behavior is innately different from dogs'.That's the finding of a new study from researchers at Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Michigan. The study appears in the March/April 2009 issue of the journal Child Development.

Sex-Typed Personality Traits Develop Differently In Girls And Boys

Sex-Typed Personality Traits Develop Differently In Girls And Boys

A new longitudinal study of children's personality traits and interests tells us that sex-typed characteristics develop differently in girls and boys. The study, by researchers at The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Purdue University, appears in Child Development.The researchers looked at first- and second-born siblings from nearly 200 mostly White, middle-class American families. They collected information through home interviews conducted over seven years, activity diaries provided by the children, and saliva samples that measured the children's testosterone levels.

Teens Regard Civic Activity As An Obligation

Teens Regard Civic Activity As An Obligation

The record numbers of young people who took part in last year's presidential election, along with high schools' raised expectations that students participate in community service, have led to growing research on teens' civic beliefs and behavior.A new study finds that most young people consider civic activity to be obligatory, but their judgments and justifications about different types of civic involvement vary by gender and a variety of other factors.

Paleontology 2.0:  Google Earth?

Paleontology 2.0: Google Earth?

A limestone countertop, a practiced eye and Google Earth all played roles in the discovery of a trove of fossils that may shed light on the origins of African wildlife.The story concerns University of Michigan paleontologists Philip Gingerich, Gregg Gunnell and Bill Sanders and is the subject of a segment on the award-winning television series "Wild Chronicles," currently airing on public television stations (Episode 412---Looking Back; check listings for local air dates). "Wild Chronicles" is produced by National Geographic Television and presented by WLIW21 in association with WNET.ORG. 

Classifying Organisms By Physical Appearance Accurate, Says Researcher

Classifying Organisms By Physical Appearance Accurate, Says Researcher

During a seminar several years ago, University of Chicago paleontologist David Jablonski fielded a hostile question: Why bother classifying organisms according to their physical appearance, let alone analyze their evolutionary dynamics, when molecular techniques had already invalidated that approach?With more than a few heads in the audience nodding their agreement, Jablonski, the William Kenan Jr. Professor in Geophysical Sciences, saw more work to be done. The question launched him on a rigorous study that has culminated in a new approach to reconciling the conflict between fossil and molecular data in evolutionary studies.

CDH10 Gene Variant Appears In Nearly 20 Percent Of Autism Cases

CDH10 Gene Variant Appears In Nearly 20 Percent Of Autism Cases

Autism is a complex brain disorder that strikes in early childhood. The condition disrupts a child's ability to communicate and develop social relationships and is often accompanied by acute behavioral challenges. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that one in 150 American children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder; the disorder affects four times as many boys as girls. The diagnosis of autism has expanded tenfold in the last decade.