Newswise: SciNews

Listening to Chickens Could Improve Poultry Production

Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Listening to squawks and other chicken "vocalizations" using digital signal processing techniques may help farmers better manage growing conditions, contributing to both healthier birds and more productive poultry operations.

Psychological Science Convention in Chicago: Music in the Mind, Mental Health, Learning and More

Association for Psychological Science — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:00 EST

More than 4,000 psychological scientists, academics, clinicians, researchers, teachers, and administrators from 85 countries will gather in Chicago for the Association for Psychological Science's 24th annual convention May 23-27, 2012 at the Sheraton Chicago. A concert with a former guitarist from the Black Eyed Peas and a five-time Grammy Award winning bassist will share the stage with musically talented scientists to discuss and explore music and the mind. Scientists will also present cutting-edge research on topics including: autism, ADHD, and the newest clinical treatments for mental health disorders; questions of incivility, ideology, and attitudes in politics; and the latest findings in decision-making science.

Genome Research Reveals Key Behind One Butterfly's Ability to Mimic Another

Boston University College of Arts & Sciences — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:00 EST

An international consortium of researchers, including Boston University Assistant Professor of Biology Sean Mullen, has discovered promiscuous sharing of large regions of DNA code among species by sequencing the genome of a South American butterfly.

Researchers Make Promising Discovery in Pursuit of Effective Lymphoma Treatments

NYU Langone Medical Center — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:15:00 EST

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have identified a target for slowing the progression of multiple myeloma by using currently available drugs.

UW Plant Breeders Develop an Even Heart-Healthier Oat

University of Wisconsin-Madison — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

University of Wisconsin-Madison plant breeders have developed a new oat variety that's significantly higher in the compound that makes this grain so cardio-friendly.

Does Time Exist? Perimeter's Public Lecture on June 6

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:30:00 EST

"Is it the weekend yet?"... "Time flies!" ... "There aren't enough hours in a day!" - these are all phrases we hear often, and sometimes say ourselves. But what if time didn't exist? What if we lived in a world free of alarm clocks, appointment times, and calendars?

Theoretical Physicist Lisa Randall Wins 2012 Gemant Award

American Institute of Physics (AIP) — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 EST

The American Institute of Physics (AIP) has chosen renowned physicist and writer Lisa Randall, Ph.D., as the 2012 recipient of the Andrew Gemant Award.

New Technique Allows Mass Production of Building Components

Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 EST

Researchers are automating some of the processes by which computer-based designs are turned into real world entities, developing techniques that fabricate building elements directly from digital designs, and allowing custom components to be manufactured rapidly and at low cost.

Council of Science Editors Honors COPE with Meritorious Service Award

Council of Science Editors — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:40:00 EST

The Awards & Honors Committee of the Council of Science Editors (CSE), with unanimous approval of the Board of Directors, has voted to award the 2012 CSE Award for Meritorious Achievement to COPE--Committee on Publication Ethics.

Half of Consumers Snacking at Least Twice A Day

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:50:00 EST

Nearly half of the population, snacks at least twice a day according to a new article in the May issue of Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). This rate (48 percent) is up nearly double since 2010 when snackers made up about 25 percent of the population.

A Supernova Cocoon Breakthrough

Chandra X-ray Observatory — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have provided the first X-ray evidence of a supernova shock wave breaking through a cocoon of gas surrounding the star that exploded. This discovery may help astronomers understand why some supernovas are much more powerful than others.

Flowers Not Just for Mother's Day: New Technique Helps Edible Flowers Last Longer

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Many fine dining restaurants and catering establishments garnish dishes with flowers or use them as ingredients in salads, soups, entrees, desserts and drinks. A new study in the May issue of the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists reported that the use of a new storage technique could make it possible for edible flowers to maintain a higher quality for longer, which could reduce transportation costs.

Timely Discovery: Physics Research Sheds New Light on Quantum Dynamics

Kansas State University — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Kansas State University physicists and an international team of collaborators have made a breakthrough that improves understanding of matter-light interactions. Their research allows double ionization events to be observed at the time scale of attoseconds and shows that these ionization events occur earlier than thought -- a key factor to improve knowledge of correlated electron dynamics.

Statistical Analysis Projects Future Temperatures in North America

Ohio State University — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

For the first time, researchers have been able to combine different climate models using spatial statistics - to project future seasonal temperature changes in regions across North America.

Oxford Handbook Offers an Earthly Look at Alien Intelligence

University of Kentucky — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

A new book, "The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Cognition," suggests that humans might fruitfully explore and understand alien intelligence right here on Earth.

People See Sexy Pictures of Women as Objects, Not People

Association for Psychological Science — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

Perfume ads, beer billboards, movie posters: everywhere you look, women's sexualized bodies are on display. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that both men and women see images of sexy women's bodies as objects, while they see sexy-looking men as people.

University of Virginia Site of 2013 Hartwell Foundation Conference

University of Virginia — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:00:00 EST

The University of Virginia and The Hartwell Foundation are expanding their long-standing relationship, with the announcement that the Foundation has selected Charlottesville as the site of its 2013 Annual Meeting of Biomedical Research.

Researcher Develops Personalized Search Engines; Expertise Will Contribute to Movement to Annotate the Web

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:00:00 EST

With little more than basic information about Web users' behavior - that is, the hyperlinks they click on daily and the content at those sites - Susan Gauch can build a better search engine. In information systems research, this work is known as "implicit" user profiling, meaning there are basic assumptions about user interest and intent based on the sites they frequent and the content they view.

Nearly One-Tenth of Hemisphere's Mammals Unlikely to Outrun Climate Change

University of Washington — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:40:00 EST

A safe haven could be out of reach for 9 percent of the Western Hemisphere's mammals, and as much as 40 percent in certain regions, because the animals just won't move swiftly enough to outpace climate change.

Measuring CO2 to Fight Global Warming, Enforce Future Treaty

University of Utah — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

If the world's nations ever sign a treaty to limit emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide gas, there may be a way to help verify compliance: a new method developed by scientists from the University of Utah and Harvard.

Anthropologists Discover Earliest Form of Wall Art

New York University — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 EST

Anthropologists working in southern France have determined that a 1.5 metric ton block of engraved limestone constitutes the earliest evidence of wall art. Their research shows the piece to be approximately 37,000 years old and offers rich evidence of the role art played in the daily lives of Early Aurignacian humans.

New Executive Branch Fellowship Focuses on the Material Genome Initiative

TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 EST

A new fellowship with placement in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is positioned as a key element in fostering a new era of U.S. innovation embodied by the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI

Illinois Technology Association names Ian Foster as Technologist of the Year

Computation Institute — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:50:00 EST

Ian Foster, director of the Computation Institute, was recognized by the ITA as the individual "whose talent has championed true technology innovation, either through new application of existing technology or the development of technology to achieve a truly unique product or service."

ORNL's Mook Wins Onnes Prize for Superconductivity Research

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:15:00 EST

Herbert A. Mook Jr., a UT-Battelle Senior Corporate Fellow at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has won the 2012 H. Kamerlingh Onnes Prize, awarded for outstanding experiments in the study of superconductivity.

Iowa State, Salk Researchers Make Plant Protein Discovery That Could Boost Bioeconomy

Iowa State University — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:30:00 EST

Researchers from Iowa State University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found three proteins involved in the accumulation of fatty acids in plants. The finding could help plant scientists boost production of biorenewable products.