« August 2006 | News Picks home | October 2006 »
September 29, 2006US India nuclear deal now uncertainInternational Herald Tribune: The Bush administration is pressing Congress to approve its deal to share civilian nuclear technology with India before adjourning this weekend for November's elections but has no guarantees it will happen, the State Department said Thursday. The Ascent of Wind PowerThe New York Times: Dilip Pantosh Patil uses an ox-drawn wooden plow to till the same land as his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. But now he has a new neighbor: a shiny white wind turbine taller than a 20-story building, generating electricity at the edge of his bean field. Nations vie for giant telescopeBBC: Australia or South Africa will get to host one of the great scientific projects of the 21st Century. Embracing Small Science in a Big WayScience: The U.S. Department of Energy redirects its big machines toward small-scale research, as materials science overtakes particle physics. September 28, 2006Mars rover reaches target craterSan Francisco Chronicle: Opportunity, the tireless rover exploring the surface of Mars, has finally reached the steep rim of a broad crater called Victoria, after a 21-month journey over sand dunes, rock-studded plains and smaller Martian craters, mission scientists reported Wednesday. No progress on decadal survey wish listNature: US astronomers are renowned for getting together and choosing their projects as a group. But just as these tactics are catching on in other fields, some say the astronomy process is grinding to a halt. Geoff Brumfiel investigates. Collapse of Soviet Union impacted methane levelsThe New York Times: For years, scientists have been trying to figure out why the atmospheric concentration of methane, a heat-trapping gas, stopped increasing in the early 1990’s after tripling during the preceding 200 years. EAST fusion reactor rises in ChinaPeople's Daily Online: Chinese scientists on Thursday successfully conducted the first test of an experimental thermonuclear fusion reactor, which replicates the same energy generation process that fuels the sun. September 27, 2006Between scientists, making marriage workThe Scientist: Making marriage work at the job can be challenging for couples as well as colleagues. Superconductivity research is down but not outNature: Absolute zero: survey suggests no papers for field after 2015. New Look at ‘Mona Lisa’ Yields Some New SecretsThe New York Times: The first major scientific analysis of the “Mona Lisa” in 50 years has uncovered some unexpected secrets, including signs that Leonardo da Vinci changed his mind about his composition, French and Canadian researchers said Tuesday. Tech physics professor was 'quite a gentleman'El Defensor Chieftain: Former New Mexico Tech professor of physics and Manhattan project scientist Marvin H. Wilkening, 88, died Sunday at the Good Samaritan Village. September 26, 2006Mixed Report on U.S. Nanotechnology EffortThe New York Times: The United States continues to lead the world in nanotechnology research, but the impact of the federal government’s multibillion-dollar investment in the field and shortcomings in the effort are impossible to quantify, according to a lengthy assessment for Congress of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Japan launches Sun 'microscope'BBC: Scientists have high hopes for Japan's Solar-B mission which has been launched from the Uchinoura spaceport. A reality check on plug-in hybridsThe Christian Science Monitor: Vehicles that draw power from the electricity grid offer uneven benefits, a new study finds. Moving Beyond String TheoryWired: Ask any credentialed nerd what the ultimate theory of physics is, and chances are they'll reply, "string theory." In string theory -- an idea that's been around since the late 1970s -- the universe is a 10-dimensional place, with six of those dimensions curled up inside themselves like a cat in front of a fireplace. All particles and forces are different resonances and vibrations of these 10-dimensional strings. September 25, 2006European geologists say stopping Indonesian mud flow could be impossiblePravda: European geologists said Monday it may be impossible to stop a massive surge of hot sludge on Indonesia's densely populated island of Java, saying it could be the birth of a new mud volcano. What if Bionics Were BetterWired: Phillipa Garner is a self-described "gender-hacker." In 1993 at the age of 51, she underwent sex reassignment surgery. That was just the beginning of her quest for self-improvement. She followed the sex change with more modification: vaginoplasty, brow reduction, cheek implants, breast implants, lip augmentation and a face-lift. And she'd happily sign up for more, she says. Shuttle's success eases NASA's burdenThe Christian Science Monitor: The mission smoothed the way for the next, more complicated phase of building the International Space Station. EPA Cuts Soot Level Allowable Daily in AirThe Washington Post: The Bush administration imposed stricter standards on the nation's air quality yesterday for the first time in nearly a decade, ruling that communities across the country must cut back on the amount of soot in the air on any given day. September 22, 2006China's exponential growth in nanotechnologyUniversiteit van Amsterdam (UvA): A paper by Ping Zhou and Loet Leydesdorff suggests that China is rapidly developing research expertise in nanotechnology. Six years ago, US-based scientists published 50% of the papers in the journal Nanotechnology and China accounted for zero. Today 25% of papers in the journal are from US-based scientists and 15% from China. Zhou and Leydesdorff report that between 1999 and 2005, for 85 journals in the fields of chemistry, physics and material sciences that are relevant to nanotechnology, the number of papers published by China rose exponentially to 8.34%, while papers published by other countries either remained steady or declined. China's overall world share in science journals is 6.52%, suggesting that China is aiming to be at the forefront of research into nanotechnology. Do Earthquakes Rupture Piece by Piece or All Together?Science: Laboratory measurements are being used to resolve which of two models is better at explaining how Earth's crust ruptures to create earthquakes. NASA it's not, but desert spaceport nears first launchThe Christian Science Monitor: Visitors to Spaceport America must first navigate the frontier before reaching the final frontier. Across dirt roads, through deep puddles, and past a few cows - where 4x4 is a way of life rather than an automotive trend - the outlines of a spaceport that will launch technology and people above Earth are just coming into view. For now, these 27 square miles of dirt one hour outside the town of Truth or Consequences mostly consist of two portable buildings, a corrugated steel shed, and two Port-A-Potties - one pink, one blue. Oh, and a launchpad, of course. Branson Pledges to Finance Clean FuelsThe New York Times: Sir Richard Branson, the British magnate and adventurer, said yesterday that his personal profits from airlines and a rail company that he controls — a sum he estimated at $3 billion over the next 10 years — would be invested in developing energy sources that do not contribute to global warming. September 21, 2006US-Russia effort to contain nuclear experts fadesThe Christian Science Monitor: A Russia-US partnership to stem Russian brain drain is set to expire Friday, barring final talks. NAS suggests scientific context for Moon explorationThe National Academies Press: Repairs to the space shuttle program and the Presidents vision for returning humans to the Moon and onwards to Mars is causing budget cuts to the science program at NASA. One aspect that is not suffering cutbacks are science missions related to the Moon/Mars vision. The National Academies of Science has taken a look at NASA's lunar precursor and robotic program to help formulate a comprehensive, validated and prioritized set of scientific research objectives for the Moon for the next 15 years. Their interim report, with a full report to follow in 2007, recommends that the primary science goals be related to a history of the Moon and Earth-Moon system; implications for the origin and evolution of the solar system, including the sun; and implications of all these for the origin and evolution of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere in the solar system. Many of the scheduled missions over the next 10 years by the China, US, India, Europe and Russia meet these research objectives. The committee recommends prioritizing research at the South lunar pole-Aitken basin, which is a proposed NASA mission that has yet to receive funding despite being a high priority in the 2003 NRC Decadal survey report. It also recommends creating a science research unit within the human exploration division to help better coordinate research goals with the objectives of returning humans to the Moon. The committee foresees an expansion of ground-based facilities that can receive lunar samples from robotic return sample missions as current facilities are inadequate. Finally the committee recommends that even if humans do return to the Moon, they should have an extensive array of robotic assistants to help with the science part of the mission, a tact acknowledgment that many of the missions related to the groups suggested research priorities are best done by robots. Related Physics Today content Countries Race to Launch Moon Missions The Genesis of Earth's Natural Satellite Origin of Terrestrial Planets and the Earth−Moon System British Science Group Says Exxon Misrepresents Climate IssuesThe New York Times: A British scientific group, the Royal Society, contends that Exxon Mobil is spreading “inaccurate and misleading” information about climate change and is financing groups that misinform the public on the issue. That's no laser, it's a particle acceleratorNature: Israeli physicists have turned a laser into a particle accelerator. Dubbed a paser — for particle acceleration by stimulated emission of radiation — the device accelerates bundles of electrons using the same principle as a laser. September 20, 2006Scientists rally to save Bell Labs buildingThe New York Times: As soon as word got out in June that the 44-year-old building in Holmdel, N.J., that was home to Bell Labs would be demolished, scientists around the country — and the world — set the Internet humming with anguished reaction. White House emails indicate effort to block experts from speaking about links between hurriance intensity and climate change2006 MacArthur 'genius' grant announcedLos Angeles Times: A UCLA mathematician sometimes called the "Mozart of Math," a Stanford University aviation engineer using abstract mathematical principles to help prevent airborne collisions, a San Francisco entrepreneur developing affordable drugs for neglected diseases in Third World countries and a Palo Alto engineer helping the blind read are among the 25 winners of this year's MacArthur Foundation "genius" grants. Related news stories Kondo effect studied in quantum dotsUnited Press International: U.S. researchers say two quantum dots connected by wires could help scientists better control the Kondo effect in physics experiments. September 19, 2006Academia Told to Make Room for WomenScienceNow: U.S. universities foster "a culture that fundamentally discriminates against women," says a report on the status of women in academic science and engineering issued today by the National Academies. Their underrepresentation is "deeply troubling and embarrassing," according to the report, which suggests that institutions should create a body to collect data, set standards, and ultimately monitor compliance to increase the number of women in technical fields. Report: Scientists `teleport` two photonsMonstersandCritics.com: Scientists in Germany say they have successfully teleported the combined quantum state of two photons. Search for a better battery keeps going and goingThe Christian Science Monitor: Lithium-ion batteries may eventually give way to tiny fuel cells. Gore calls for cap on heat-trapping gas emissionsThe New York Times: Former Vice President Al Gore called yesterday for a popular movement in the United States to seek an “immediate freeze” in heat-trapping smokestack and tailpipe gases linked by most scientists to global warming. September 18, 2006Intel, UCSB produce laser-silicon chipSan Francisco Chronicle: Researchers were to announce today that they have created a silicon-based chip that can produce laser beams. The advance will make it possible to use laser light rather than wires to send data between chips, removing the most significant bottleneck in computer design. Italy sends neutrinos to CERNANSA.it: Italian scientists on Monday opened a new chapter in modern physics when a burst of sub-atomic particles was sent hurtling from Switzerland to a lab buried under Italy's biggest mountain . IAEA chief urges talks to resolve Iran nuclear standoffSan Diego Union Tribune: Warning against U.N. sanctions, a senior Iranian official said Monday that Tehran would respond to such “hostile action” over his country's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment by cutting international inspections of its nuclear program. 'Ethane cloud' seen on Titan moonBBC: The Cassini spacecraft has discovered evidence of a vast ethane cloud on Saturn's moon Titan. September 15, 2006US to cut funds for two renewable energy sourcesThe Christian Science Monitor: Geothermal and hydropower are mature enough for private enterprise to take the lead, the government says. Royal Society opens free online archiveThe Register: One of the world's most important historical records will be made available online for the first time today. All the Royal Society's journals are free for two months and include stone-cold scientific classics going back to 1665 and the foundations of modern inquiry. Puzzling Puffy Planet, Less Dense Than Cork, Is DiscoveredThe New York Times: A planet around a distant star appears inexplicably puffy, astronomers reported yesterday. The planet is wider than Jupiter. But with half the mass, it is less dense than cork. In a cosmic bathtub, it would float. The astronomers said they were baffled about how the planet formed and how it remained so puffy. Endgame for the U.S.-Russian Nuclear Cities ProgramScience: The United States and Russia seem ready to pull the plug on an 8-year-old effort to help steer Russian nuclear weapons scientists into civilian work. September 14, 2006Federal Employees lost whistle blower protection, and no one knewNature: The US Congress should reverse a pernicious removal of protection of federal employees. First men, now women receive prosthetic arm prototypeThe Washington Post: Claudia Mitchell, a resident of Ellicott City, Maryland has become the first women to receive a prosthetic arm that is similar in capabilities to a prototype arm worn by Jesse Sullivan that was mentioned earlier this month in Physics Today magazine. Mitchell is only the fourth person to receive a prosthetic arm that has three-degrees of movement that is controlled by re-wiring nerves that used to run along the upper limbs, to a muscle on the chest that twitches in response to nerve signals. The muscle twitches are picked up by electrodes placed on the chest, which in turn, controls the prosthetic arm. The prototype is built by the same physicians and engineers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago who built Jesse Sullivan's arm. The technique for controlling the prostheses has additional difficulties for women due the amount of upper-body fat that rests on the muscles commonly used for this type of research. However, a new surgical technique and better, more sensitive electrodes has limited the potentially disfiguring aspects of the operations required to re-wired the nerves to the upper body muscles. Mitchell will be demonstrating her new limb at a conference in Washington DC later today. Arctic ice melting rapidlyForbes: Arctic sea ice in winter is melting far faster than before, two new NASA studies reported Wednesday, a new and alarming trend that researchers say threatens the ocean's delicate ecosystem. Hubble sees the first stars being bornSan Jose Mercury News: Based on data collected by the Hubble Telescope, University of California, Santa Cruz astronomers Rychard Bouwens and Garth Illingworth have discovered that 13 billion years ago, the number of bright galaxies increased significantly, helping to prove that galaxies have merged and built up over time. September 13, 2006Turbulence theory gets a bit choppyUSA Today: Turbulence does more than toss around luggage on airplanes and spill coffee on traveler's laps — it confuses the heck out of scientists. A new experiment may suggest why — fluid dynamicists may have been missing something fundamental about turbulence for a good long time. Ultrasound Scans for Hidden OilWired: The technology resembles the ultrasounds used by doctors to inspect a woman's womb. But a team of scientists are using it to map rocks deep below the Earth's surface to hunt for oil and gas. Making Math Education CountScienceNow: The leading organization for U.S. mathematics teachers today spelled out what's important for students to know at each primary grade level. Officials at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) hope their 40-page document, titled Curriculum Focal Points: A Quest for Coherence, will help change the "mile-wide, inch-deep" approach that they say has left most U.S. students without a solid preparation for higher-level mathematics. Humans 'causing stronger storms' |