The possibility that autism is more common in offspring of older parents has generated considerable interest. To investigate the theory, a study using data from 10 US study sites participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, was developed to examine the relation between parental age at delivery and the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Confirmation of such an association has important public health implications in light of increasing trends in recent decades for couples to delay having children.
I'm a mother of three, with an aeronautical engineering degree. Although it's been a while since I've done any aircraft design, there are surprising applications of my scientific background in my current role as a full-time mom. So whenever possibl…
February 20th marks a historic anniversary in the American Space Program. On this day in 1962, astronaut John Glenn boarded the Friendship 7 spacecraft and became to first American to orbit the earth as part of the successful Mercury-Atlas 6 mission.The drive to put a man in orbit was unofficially launched years earlier, after the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I on October 4, 1957. Americans suddenly found themselves "second best" in the area of space and related technologies, a position they quickly realized they didn't want to be.
When thinking of a child with ADD, most people will picture an easily-distracted hyperactive child... long on energy, and short on attention span. And although that is sometimes the case, that description accurately describes only a portion of children diagnosed with ADD - and very rarely describes the behavior of girls with the condition.
Spirit (Mars Exporation Rover-A, or MER-A), is the first of two rovers which are part of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Today marks the 5-year anniversary of Spirit's successful landing on Mars. Of the hundreds of engineers and scientists who cheered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA when Spirit landed safely on January 4th, 2004, - and 21 days later when its twin Opportunity (MER-B) followed suit - none predicted the team would still be operating both rovers in 2009.
The winter chill is upon us, and holiday songs put us all in the mood to snuggle by a warm fire with our loved ones... but in this new "environmental age", what should we be using to fuel our roaring fires? Tradition generates images in our minds of a large stone fireplace, ablaze with a fiery tower of wood - casting heat and light into the room where family and friends gather. It's warm, it's natural, it traditional... why should we consider anything else?
'Tis the season for the local supermarkets to feature delicately balanced displays of gravy, stuffing mix, and cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and the centerpiece of the upcoming meal for 95% of families will be the traditional roast turkey.Americans gobble up a lot of turkey: 267 million turkeys are sold in the United States each year. Considering all those turkeys, it may surprise you to hear that there's one that dominates the competition at the supermarket: the broad-breasted white turkey. Most of us have never eaten anything else.
Archaeologists have made a discovery in Egypt, which fills in a missing piece of history in the Old Kingdom ancient burial ground of Saqqara. The newest discovery, found in the sand south of Cairo about two months ago, most likely housed the remains of Queen Shesheshet. Shesheshet, the mother of King Teti, ruled from 2323 BC to 2291 BC and founded Egypt's Sixth Dynasty -- over 4,000 years ago.
Scientific happenings on this day in history…But first: today’s quiz. Not all inventions are cold and scientific… some are more on the “delicious” side of the scale. And some inventors don’t even have to create a particular invention, yet can still be the reason behind its fame. Such is the case with the answer to today’s quiz.John Montagu, born on this day in 1718, was a well-known British politician, inventor, and explorer. What tasty, well-known invention (which he is the namesake of) -- did he make famous?On to other historic happenings:EVENTS1664
It may begin as a feeling of unease that overtakes you as you cautiously make your way inside a long-abandoned house. The air is thick; musty and stale. Yet somehow it is laced with the underlying scent of a burning fire… even though the cold crumbling fireplace hosted its last fire long ago. As your eyes adjust, you begin to notice the stillness. There is absolutely no noise. In fact, the silence is so oppressive, it presses in on your eardrums like the weight of an ocean… seeking to snuff out the sound of anything that should trespass upon it. You get the distinct feeling it would like to quiet even the uneven sound of your shallow breaths… and then move on to silence the thump of your increasingly racing heartbeat.
Making a selection at a sushi bar used to simply be about deciding how adventurous you wanted to be, and making sure to steer clear of the deadly poisonous puffer fish (unless you really trusted your sushi chef). But now a whole new list of selection criteria has come into play -- based less on which fish is most appetizing, and more on which fish is most sustainable.
As the global demand for air travel increases, so too does the demand to decrease the environmental impact of flight. The answer may lie in the technological advances made by the next generation of short-haul commercial aircraft currently in development by British low-cost airline, EasyJet. The unique design of EasyJet’s “EcoJet” promises a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2015.
The aircraft will incorporate the latest research by airframe and engine manufacturers around the world – all of which can be incorporated into an aircraft that should be in operation by 2015. The projection for the 50% CO2 reduction is based on the findings from the latest research by industry leaders and will come from the engines (25%), the lightweight airframe (15%) and from improvements to air traffic control technology and design (10%).
In the fall of 2006, a strange design mysteriously appeared amongst the rows of crops in a farmer’s field. And this time, there was some serious product placement.
The large Firefox logo appeared in a farmer’s oat field outside of Amity, Oregon. But far from being a mysterious extraterrestrial communication, the design was carefully planned and executed by a group of Oregon State University students.
Two Mozilla video interns came up with the idea. Supported by the enthusiasm of fellow Mozilla staff members, things really started to take shape when the idea was presented to members of the Oregon State Linux Users Group (OSLUG). A local farmer offered up his field as the “canvas” for the creation, and the stage was set.
Wile E. Coyote has nothing on this guy.
Yves Rossy, aka Jet Man, zoomed into the record books this morning, flying across the English Channel strapped to a single jet-powered wing, with only a helmet and flight suit for protection.
The 22-mile (35-kilometer) France-to-England journey took 13 minutes. Bad weather had twice postponed the event this week. But this morning—with clear blue skies and a nice tailwind—turned out to be an ideal flight day for the Swiss airline pilot.
Around 2 p.m., local time, Rossy leaped from a plane abound 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) above a beach near Calais. Within seconds he had opened his wing, fired up his four miniature jet turbines, and pointed his nose toward Britain.
