Study // Current

Unhappy people watch more TV: study

An extensive new research study has found that unhappy people watch more TV while those consider themselves happy spend more time... more

dirtyemowords
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British kids least likely to study science

A European poll has found that young Britons are among the least likely in Europe to consider studying science subjects. However... more

ClareW
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Love handles increase risk of early death

A study of almost 360,000 people from nine European countries has resulted in some fairly shocking news. Love handles, and extra... more

ClareW
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Exercise reduces risk of breast cancer

US research shows that vigorous exercise may protect against the development of breast cancer in normal-weight post-menopausal... more

ClareW
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Most British girls prefer Joe Bland to James Bond...

Job security and marriage to an accountant beat adventure and an exciting Bond-style boyfriend for most British women, a new... more

dirtyemowords
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Tennis line judges may have bias

Californian scientists have found that tennis line judges are more likely to make mistakes when calling balls "out"... more

ClareW
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Study says woman in red drives men 'crazy'

If a woman wants to drive the men wild, she might want to dress in red. Men rated a woman shown in photographs as more sexually... more

dirtyemowords
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Warm Hands Warm Heart?

Time to update that old saying "cold hands, warm heart." New research shows touching something warm can make you feel... more

singrrr
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New Study: Which healthy Foods tell the brain you're full?

'Reading up on a brain study that looks at weakened "reward circuitry" -- and mentions which foods might help get... more

ilikepretty
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The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure

The unpleasant aroma of the gas, called hydrogen sulfide (H2S), can be a little too familiar, as it is expelled by bacteria living... more

GETTINGOUTOURDREAMS
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Severe depression could trigger early birth

A study has suggested that women who are severely depressed during pregnancy have twice the risk of their babies being born... more

ClareW
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Scottish study finds almost half of spirits measures are short

The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland have carried out a study across 217 premises in Scotland which... more

ClareW
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Death rate 70 percent lower at top-rated hospitals

TUESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The death rate at top-ranked U.S. hospitals is 70 percent lower than at the lowest-ranked... more

tweasel
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Researchers document world's mammals in crisis

From the report: From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals.

Writing in the October 10 issue of Science, ("The Status of the World's Land and Marine Mammals: Diversity, Threat, and Knowledge") and unveiling a "Red List" of endangered mammal species (at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain), the researchers who worked on the exhaustive study say that from 25 percent to 36 percent of species may be in danger of extinction.

"It is frightening that after millions and millions of years of evolution that have given rise to the biodiversity of mammals we are perched on a crisis where 25 percent of species are threatened with being lost forever," said Andrew Smith, an Arizona State University professor who played a key role in the mammalian assessment. Smith and his research assistant, Charlotte Johnson, are two of the 103 authors of the Science paper.

The Global Mammal Assessment was conducted by more than 1,800 scientists from more than 130 countries working under the auspices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was made possible by the volunteer help of IUCN Species Survival Commission's specialist groups and collaborations between top institutions and universities, including Arizona State University, Texas A&M University, University of Virginia, Conservation International, Sapienza Università di Roma and the Zoological Society of London.

The mammal assessment is the first comprehensive look at the health of terrestrial and marine mammals across the globe. It is a companion assessment to similar documentation of the world's amphibians, released four years ago by IUCN.

"Mammals are important because they play key roles in ecosystems and provide important benefits to humans," Smith explained. "If you lose a mammal, you often are in danger of losing many other species."

The assessment shows that at least 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction. At least 76 mammals have become extinct since 1500. The real situation could be much worse as 836 mammals are listed as "data deficient."

The culprits driving this precarious position include habitat loss and over exploitation for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, global warming and over exploitation for marine mammals, Smith said.

Follow link for full article.From the report: From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of... more

pilgrimperks
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1 month ago

Student visa fraud rampant

Canada places so few restrictions on foreign students and the schools that attract them that it has left the student-visa system... more

urlspotter
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1 month ago

One-in-four chance McCain may die 2nd term

If John McCain is elected and goes on to win a second term, there's as much as a one-in-four chance America could see its... more

unk_derek
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1 month ago

Scientists curve light

From the report: Researchers at the University of St Andrews have made a surprise discovery using light beams that can travel around corners. The academics have developed the concept of moving particles within light beams that follow curves rather than go along straight lines building on their work in the area of optical manipulation.

Professor Kishan Dholakia of the School of Physics and Astronomy commented, "Physics holds many surprises; our understanding of how light moves and behaves is challenged by such beams and it is exciting to see them move into the interdisciplinary arena - light has thrown us a curve ball.

"A standard beam of light spreads as it travels due to the wave effect known as diffraction. Take a laser pointer - even that would be 100km wide if this light beam were to reach the moon.

"Our research has shown that certain light beams do not diffract or spread - they can travel around corners and propel particles round corners. This is a new discovery in the phenomenon of light moving particles."

Thirty years ago scientists found that the Airy beam, named after the famous British astronomer Sir George Airy, had a mathematical parallel in optics. Recently, it was discovered that the beam actually 'bends' or curves as the beam moves through space unlike a laser pointer, for example.

The St Andrews team have now taken things much further by utilising this unusual curving property of Airy beams to send particles literally around curves and corners, sweeping aside or 'clearing' particles within a sample chamber.

Team member Joerg Baumgartl said, "The Airy beam allows us to clear a sample chamber without any moving light fields: in essence it acts like a small snow-blower for microscopic glass particles and even cells. It could have major applications in microfluidic engineering and cell biology."

The findings of Joerg Baumgartl, Michael Mazilu and Kishan Dholakia in the School of Physics and Astronomy are published in the latest edition of the journal Nature Photonics.

The team are now exploring a number of new avenues with these light fields including intriguing new particle sorting as well as possible methods for separating chosen cells from a given population.

"This beam shows a wonderful example of how an elegant but perhaps obscure mathematical discovery in quantum mechanics has powerful analogies to laser beams and in turn leads to important new applications for science," said Michael Mazilu. From the report: Researchers at the University of St Andrews have made a surprise discovery using light beams that can travel... more