Science & Society

Solar powered mobility scooters could soon be on the streets thanks to the work of a student at The University of Nottingham. Matt Alvey, who is studying Architecture and Environmental Design, says the photovoltaic (solar electric) recharging system will t ...

Article - News Staff - May 3 2007 - 6:35pm

Making A Better Chromosome Map

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a simple and economical technique for imaging and mapping fruit fly chromosomes. This new approach will enable them to construct the first accurate map of the chromosomes and tease out the secrets hi ...

Article - News Staff - May 7 2007 - 1:44pm

DNA Sieve-- Nanoscale Pores Can Be Tiny Analysis Labs

Imagine being able to rapidly identify tiny biological molecules such as DNA and toxins using less than a drop of salt water in a system that can fit on a microchip. In a paper appearing next week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,* th ...

Article - News Staff - May 11 2007 - 11:31am

New Portable Biosensor Quickly Detects Traces Of Contaminants In Food

Scientists at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), in cooperation with the CSIC, have developed a new electro-chemical biosensor which detects the presence, in food, of very small amounts of atrazine –one of the most widely used herbicides in agric ...

Article - News Staff - May 17 2007 - 12:25pm

Insignia-- A New Way To Identify Viruses And Bacteria

Now that the genome sequences of hundreds of bacteria and viruses are known, we can design tests that will rapidly detect the presence of these species based solely on their DNA. These tests can detect a pathogen in a complex mixture of organic material by ...

Article - News Staff - May 18 2007 - 1:21pm

Geographer Designs Computer Model To Predict Crowd Behavior

Patterns of human behavior and movement in crowded cities – the tipping point at which agitated crowds become anti-social mobs, the configuration of civic areas as defensible spaces that also promote free speech, the design of retail space that fosters act ...

Article - News Staff - May 21 2007 - 10:33am

The End Of Margarine? Scientists Can Breed Cows That Make Spreadable Butter

Scientists in New Zealand have discovered that some cows have genes that give them the ability to produce skimmed milk naturally. They say they can use this information to breed herds of milkers producing only skimmed milk. Even better, they said they can ...

Article - News Staff - May 28 2007 - 9:40am

Treating HIV In War Zones

HIV treatment can be delivered even in settings of armed conflict, and humanitarian health agencies should not wait until a conflict is over before launching HIV care programs, say a team from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in this week’s PLoS Medicine. He ...

Article - News Staff - May 28 2007 - 8:49pm

News From Around The World Today

Too many weird stories to blog about today so here are some links: Poland inquiry to probe 'gay' teletubbies Poland's conservative government sees the teletubbies as homosexual propaganda on the small screen, and is taking aim at Tinky Wink ...

Article - Sarda Sahney - May 29 2007 - 12:23pm

Why Does Menthol Feel 'fresh'?

Scientists have identified the receptor in cells of the peripheral nervous system that is most responsible for the body's ability to sense cold. The findings reveal one of the key mechanisms by which the body detects temperature sensation. But in so d ...

Article - News Staff - May 30 2007 - 1:42pm