Nobel Intent

Are organic blueberries better for you?

reenyun@yahoo.com (Yun Xie) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:59:00 GMT

A collaborative project between the US Department of Agriculture and Rutgers University attempted to determine the nutritional difference between organic and conventional blueberries.

Jammed flows may be defined by a single parameter

zeotherm@gmail.com (Matt Ford) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:17:00 GMT

New research examines the flow of concentrated emulsions and finds that their complex dynamics can be explained via a simple formula with a single characterizing parameter. The researchers believe this may be a universal relationship that could aid a variety of applications

SIDS-like symptoms in mice with serotonin signaling defects

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:59:00 GMT

A mouse genetically engineered to have reduced serotonin signaling shows signs of events that parallel those seen in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Could diamonds reveal evidence for life... four billion years ago?

edgar.ars@gmail.com (Ethan Gutmann) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:25:00 GMT

A paper in today's issue of Nature presents evidence that hints at life 4.25 billion years ago.

The laboratory at the end of the solar system

zeotherm@gmail.com (Matt Ford) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:01:00 GMT

Last year, Voyager 2 crossed what is known as the termination shock, the region of space where the solar wind drops below Mach 1 and no longer dominates the interstellar medium. This week, data from that even will be published in Nature in papers that discusses the physics of this important boundary.

Computational work optimizes drug design for HIV

reenyun@yahoo.com (Yun Xie) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:45:33 GMT

A team of chemists and pharmacologists at Yale University optimized a computational method that streamlines the discovery of drugs that inhibit HIV reverse transcriptase.

Happy evolution! The theory's 150th anniversary

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:44:00 GMT

On July 1st of 1858, the first public presentation of the Theory of Evolution took place at the Linnean Society of London.

Chameleon species spends most of its life as an egg

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:48:00 GMT

Researchers describe a species of chameleon from Madagascar that has a life cycle we associate with insects: the entire population is replaced each year, after laying eggs that won't hatch for eight months.

Evidence suggests that the god of war's planet got slammed

zeotherm@gmail.com (Matt Ford) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:45:00 GMT

One of the major unknowns about Mars is its hemispheric dichotomy. Previous hypotheses suggested it was caused by convection within the mantle, an impact, or series of impacts; new results add credence to the idea of a single mega-impact creating this feature.

Reaching for individualized medicine

reenyun@yahoo.com (Yun Xie) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:03:00 GMT

Three leading scientists highlighted the latest developments in genome technologies and their applications to individualized diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Biased viruses make for good vaccines

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:50:00 GMT

Researchers use an aspect of basic cell metabolism to craft a virus that's genetically weakened and unlikely to ever evolve back to being a threat.

Wet chemistry on the Martian surface

zeotherm@gmail.com (Matt Ford) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:01:00 GMT

Results from an extraterrestrial chemistry experiment reveal that the polar surface of Mars is much like Antarctica.

Anatomy of an impact crater

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:44:00 GMT

Researchers have drilled in to an impact crater underneath Chesapeake Bay to understand the dynamics of the return to normalcy the followed the catastrophe.

Bright flashes, heaps of ashes, and coherent electrons

laserboy@fusemail.com (Chris Lee) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:34:00 GMT

Researchers develop a tool to observe coherent electron oscillations in plasmas by tracking the spatial coherence of the light the electrons generate.

Evolutionary change in the era of the fishapods

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:01:00 GMT

What do you call a fish with four limbs? New Devonian-era fossils of Ventastega suggest there is one more species that falls under the umbrella of whatever term you prefer.

Caution: Diamonds are slippery when wet

zeotherm@gmail.com (Matt Ford) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:22:00 GMT

Using advanced spectroscopic techniques, materials researchers attempt to answer the question of why diamond films are so slippery.

We're not moving, but you are

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:05:00 GMT

Those of you who contribute to the discussion of science here at Ars will find all the content under one (virtual) roof, as Nobel Intent discussions will now be accessible in The Observatory.

Genetic screen on a chip speeds worm genetics

jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:53:00 GMT

Researchers have developed a microfluidic device that can perform some of the most tedious work of genetic screens without human intervention, sorting up to 900 worms based on visible phenotypes in an hour.

Iron isotopes in lava lakes

edgar.ars@gmail.com (Ethan Gutmann) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:46:06 GMT

Hot and heavy atoms do not fractionate isotopically... so why does iron?

“It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it!”

reenyun@yahoo.com (Yun Xie) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:33:00 GMT

A panel of experts at Bio2008 discussed the science and ethics of research on human-animal chimeras.