What can the air in Seattle tell us about the Fukushima nuclear reactors?

Science is a wonderful thing. Not only does it give us fun gadgets and fascinating theories, but it also allows us to draw highly-accurate conclusions about events happening far, far away. Since the earthquake in Japan, a team at the University of Washington at Seattle has been testing air filters from university buildings for radioactive particles. Their results have allowed them to gauge exactly where the real threat comes from Fukushima Diachi. Even though, they are approximately 4800 miles apart.

The first comes from the amount of iodine-131 and tellurium-132 which are both short-lived with half lives of 8 and 3 days respectively. That indicates that they must have come from fuel rods that were recently active rather than from spent fuel...

Finally, there are a huge number of possible breakdown products from nuclear fission in a reactor and yet the Seattle team found evidence of only three fission product elements--iodine, cesium and tellurium. "This points to a specifific process of release into the atmosphere," they say.

Cesium Iodide is highly soluble in water. So these guys speculate that what they're seeing is the result of contaminated steam being released into the atmosphere.

Religion will NOT become extinct, but thanks for playing

A new study has been making the rounds, and generating a lot of chatter online. It claims that religion may be going extinct in 9 countries, which many commentators use as evidence that belief in God overall is on the way out. The same methodology was used previously to predict the extinction of traditional languages in favor or various trade languages like English.

Dr Wiener continued: "In a large number of modern secular democracies, there's been a trend that folk are identifying themselves as non-affiliated with religion; in the Netherlands the number was 40%, and the highest we saw was in the Czech Republic, where the number was 60%."

The team then applied their nonlinear dynamics model, adjusting parameters for the relative social and utilitarian merits of membership of the "non-religious" category.

They found, in a study published online, that those parameters were similar across all the countries studied, suggesting that similar behaviour drives the mathematics in all of them.

And in all the countries, the indications were that religion was headed toward extinction.

There is no doubt that religious affiliation and practice is on the decline in many secular democracies. The last study I read indicated that only America among the Western states remains vibrant religiously, but noted that affiliation with organized religion is still on the wane.

But the fact is that while religions wax and wane with time, they (1) serve useful social functions in perpetuating ethics and providing hope in adversity, and (2) there seems to be a primal human desire for God. It is likely while religion was on the wane during the boom years of the 90s and early 2000s (which is most of the data being studied now), that as adversity was on the rise post-9/11 and in the time of tsunamis, people will be turning back to religion for comfort and a reminder that there are truths larger than ourselves.

Mother's experience may produce phobias in children

Okay, this is a weird one. Scientists have found that the experiences of mothers during pregnancy may influence the behavior of their offspring. This may explain why many human babies appear to be born with a phobia of snakes and spiders, prior to any experience with them.

The newborn crickets whose mothers had been exposed to a spider were 113 percent more likely to seek shelter and stay there. They were also more likely to freeze when they encountered spider silk or feces — a behavior that could prevent them from being detected by a nearby spider. Overall, these newborns had better survival rates than other newborn crickets, eaten by the wolf spiders for the sake of science.

At the risk of freaking out pregnant mothers even more then normal, it makes me wonder just how many other behaviors are influenced by maternal experience. It should encourage fathers to do whatever they can to minimize the stress of their wives during this fragile time.

Star Trek tech on the way!

There are times when I wonder whether the technological revolutions of the 90s and 2000s would have happened without Star Trek to inspire them. Just look at the cell phone in your hand - it's likely a combo flip-communicator/tricorder. It can even operate as a Universal Translator... more or less.

The next Star Trek tech on the way is the deflector shield, soon to be protecting interstellar probes, and maybe even missions to other planets.

UK scientists working at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford and the universities of York and Strathclyde have tested a “mini-magnetosphere” enveloping a model spacecraft in the lab. It turns out that their prototype offers almost total protection against high energy solar particles. By mimicking the natural protective environment of the Earth, the researchers have scaled the protective magnetic bubble down into an energy efficient, yet powerful deflector shield.

There are days I think the best thing we could do for innovation and science education would be for the Federal Government to sponsor the next Star Trek series.

Are pistachios the next terror weapon?

Peanuts are a major part of my diet these days - a low-carb snack that I can have pretty much anytime - but I have never been big on the other nuts out there. But I was still horrified to learn how dangerous the pistachio can be. Did you know a single load of these terrorist kernels could sink or burn the ship carrying them?!

When the water content in pistachios gets too large, fat-cleaving enzymes kick in. The fat-cleaving enzymes produce free fatty acids, and those fatty acids are broken down when the nut takes in oxygen and spits out carbon dioxide. During that process it also spits out water, which makes more fat-cleaving enzymes kick in. What's more, that process of breaking down the fatty acid, taking in oxygen and putting out carbon dioxide has a more common name; burning. The process gives off a lot of heat, and that heat builds and builds until the entire bunch of nuts catches fire and sometimes explodes.

Remember this the next time you pick up a bag of these horrible nuts. You may be taking your life into your hands.

Can you be angry at a hypothetical?

As a Christian, I have often been questioned by unbelievers who have one simple question, "How can you believe in a God who allowed _________?" You can fill in the blank with some wrenching personal experience, whether it be 9/11, a divorce, a death, a miscarriage, or something even worse. While many atheists claim their beliefs are purely logic-based (and perhaps some are), a new study shows that for many unbelief comes as much from anger as anything else.

People unaffiliated with organized religion, atheists and agnostics also report anger toward God either in the past, or anger focused on a hypothetical image - that is, what they imagined God might be like - said lead study author Julie Exline, Case Western Reserve University psychologist.

In studies on college students, atheists and agnostics reported more anger at God during their lifetimes than believers. A separate study also found this pattern among bereaved individuals...

And younger people tend to be angrier at God than older people, Exline said. She says some of the reasons she's seen people the angriest at God include rejection from preferred colleges and sports injuries preventing high schoolers from competing.

There is a very old saying among Christians, that people are born with a God-sized hole in their heart. Humans seem to have an instinctive intuition that there is a higher being, and even those who deny His existence still have strong feelings toward Him.

Falling in Love Costs You Friends

It's a common stereotype that anyone who falls in love has no time for friends - so common that it is the plot of countless Hollywood movies. It turns out that science backs up the theory. Studies of social networks - real ones, not just Facebook - show the innermost circle of friends constricts when a new love interest enters the picture.

"People who are in romantic relationships - instead of having the typical five [individuals] on average, they only have four in that circle," explained Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Oxford.

"And bearing in mind that one of those is the new person that's come into your life, it means you've had to give up two others."...

The results confirmed the widely held view that love can lead to a smaller support network, with typically one family member and one friend being pushed out to accommodate the new lover.

"The intimacy of a relationship - your emotional engagement with it - correlates very tightly with the frequency of your interactions with those individuals," observed Professor Dunbar.

"If you don't see people, the emotional engagement starts to drop off, and quickly.

Exercise does NOT always equal Weight Loss

If you believe gyms or advertising equipment manufacturers, then the key to weight loss is exercise. Want to lose those love handles? Just hop on an exercise bike, find a climbing wall, or pop on your running shoes. In fact, some advertisements make it seem like once you're working out, you can eat whatever you want.

But studies are showing that exercise alone does not lead to weight loss. Instead, the body - when faced with increased activity alone - attempts to maintain homeostasis and actually makes you more hungry to compensate for the calories lost.

This is why it is key to pair exercise with a change in diet.

You *CAN* be "bored to death"

"Bored to death" is a common expression, especially for anyone who has spent time at the DMV. But a new study indicates it may not be just an expression. It may be scientific fact.

Those who reported feeling a great deal of boredom were 37 per cent more likely to have died by the end of the study, the researchers found.

Scientists said that this could be a result of those unhappy with their lives turning to such unhealthy habits as smoking or drinking, which would cut their life expectancy.

"The findings on heart disease show there was sufficient evidence to say there is a link with boredom," the Courier Mail quoted researcher Martin Shipley, who co-wrote the report, as saying.

I can't help thinking about the many anecdotal stories of in excellent health dying suddenly after retirement. Without a feeling of purpose, humans seem to quickly lose a reason to live.

Are layoffs killing, rather than saving, our companies?

When the Great Recession hit, layoffs were the go-to strategy for most companies. They cut works left and right in an effort to increase efficiency, and dump long-term liabilities Newsweek is running an interesting article summarizing a series of studies on the effects of layoffs on companies, and the results are interesting. For the most part, layoffs lead to less productivity and less profitability for companies.

Layoffs don't even reliably cut costs. That's because when a layoff is announced, several things happen. First, people head for the door—and it is often the best people (who haven't been laid off) who are the most capable of finding alternative work. Second, companies often lose people they didn't want to lose. I had a friend who worked in senior management for a large insurance company. When the company decided to downsize in the face of growing competition in financial services, he took the package—only to be told by the CEO that the company really didn't want to lose him. So, he was "rehired" even as he retained his severance. A few years later, the same thing happened again. One survey by the American Management Association (AMA) revealed that about one third of the companies that had laid people off subsequently rehired some of them as contractors because they still needed their skills.

Another interesting correlation often forgotten by management is that your employees are also your customers. Every employee laid off is an employee no longer able to afford your services. This can lead to a downward spiral as every lost employee cuts demand, which leads to calls for more cuts.

Clearly, we need to rethink the knee-jerk turn to layoffs when the economy goes south. I am hoping no one calls for a legislative solution here. Better it come from the managers themselves. But it may be inevitable.

Why haven't we found aliens? Global Warming. No, really.

We like to think that science is a cold, logical, precise search for Truth-with-a-capital-T, but the fact is that like any other human endeavor science has fads and fashions. For instance, it can still be career death for a physicist to suggest any explanation but String Theory for unifying gravity and quantum mechanics. At the moment, the "fad" in science is Climate Change a.k.a. Global Warming a.k.a. Sustainability. The idea that we have proven no human action is environment-neutral and that survival requires limiting human population growth and activity.

Now, SETI scientists have tried to explain our inability to detect alien life on this same principle. Essentially, the argument goes that any advanced civilization determines that their resources are limited, and thus becomes self-limiting before achieving colonies on other worlds. Thus, no aliens in our neck of the woods.

An interesting idea, but one that is bound to be "disproven" as soon as the winds of scientific fashion shift.

Night Vision Eyedrops?

As a teenager, I was an avid reader of comic books and even today I enjoy shows like HEROES where people can do extraordinary things. So I love hearing about ways to make people more than human. Scientists may have discovered a way to give humans enhanced night vision using eye-drops full of chlorophyll - the substance that makes plants green.

n the 1990s, marine biologist Ron Douglas of City University London discovered that, unlike other deep-sea fish, the dragonfish Malacosteus niger can perceive red light. Douglas was surprised when he isolated the chemical responsible for absorbing red: It was chlorophyll....[The] latest experiments in mice and rabbits suggest that administering chlorophyll to the eyes can double their ability to see in low light. The pigment absorbs hues of red light that are normally invisible in dim conditions. That information is then transmitted to the brain, allowing enhanced vision.

This is very exciting. Although I will admit I am hoping they soon discover the eye-drops for X-ray or heat vision.

Resetting your Sleep Clock

While our vacation this year stayed exclusively in Eastern Standard Time, I know that a number of Mod-Bloggers have to switch between time zones as they visit friends and family. So, they may be interested to learn about a new study which claims it is possible to reset your sleep clock in a single night. What is the secret? Fasting!

Simply stop eating during the 12-16 hour period before you want to be awake. Once you start eating again, your internal clock will be reset as though it is the start of a new day. Your body will consider the time you break your fast as your new "morning."

For example, if you want to start waking up at 2:00 am, you should start fasting between 10:00 am or 2:00 pm the previous day, and don't break your fast until you wake up at 2:00 am. Make sure you eat a nice healthy meal to jumpstart your system.

This could be invaluable to frequent travelers, and infrequent travelers with a desperate need to stay awake at a wedding. :-)

Scientists rejest use of their study to justify "Enhanced Interrogations"

It is perhaps no shock that many of the people whose work was cited in the recently declassified memos supporting torture methods at Gitmo are furious. One group of scientists are already saying their work was misinterpreted and that the memos are citing work that has no bearing on the topic of interrogation techniques.

The study in question by Kundermann, which was published in 2004 in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, found that people who were deprived of sleep for one night had an increased sensitivity to certain types of pain. Two Justice Department memos, dated May 10, 2005, cited this study as justification to conclude that severe sleep deprivation of up to 180 consecutive hours might cause some increased pain but not "severe physical pain" when used in conjunction with facial slaps, stress positions, water dousing and walling, in which a detainee is slammed against a flexible wall.

"Because sleep deprivation appears to cause at most only relatively moderate decreases in pain tolerance, the use of these techniques in combination with extended sleep deprivation would not be expected to cause severe physical pain," wrote Steven Bradbury, a principal deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, who authored the memos.

Of course, this is the problem with classified analyses like this - no peer review, little oversight. I can't imagine being quoted in one of these memos, and hope that those who have been are not penalized for those who took their work out of context.

Animals don't experience Time like we do

Our mother's dog has long considered my brother and I "part of the pack." She is happy at our house, and knows she is safe. But Mom is still the Alpha of her pack, and when Mom is away, she is unhappy and eager to get her back. It doesn't seem to matter if Mom is away for 5 minutes, 5 hours, or 5 days. Scientists are now saying this may be a constant in the animal experience, as they may have no sense of duration of time. They know past, present, and future. But unlike humans, it appears other animals can't tell the difference between seconds, minutes, hours, or days in their memories.

Creating a Living Artificial Heart

This has the potential to revolutionize the organ transplant process. Rather than risk rejection, just grow a new organ using your cells! The issue that the scientists tackled is the structure. They were able to successfully pull out all of the cells from a dead heart and then insert non-embryonic stem cells to create a working heart that should, in theory, be a perfect match for the stem cell donor. Yet another win for non-embryonic stem cells.

Mmmmm... Science....

Science & Technology videos - Beautiful Science Experiment

Now I want to try this at home, and I don't have any kids!

Criticism of FTL Claims

ArsTechnica has up an analysis of the claims by two German scientists to have broken the light-speed barrier. Basically, it looks like the Germans forgot a few things like experimental data for others to look at and some important differences between "the speed of light in a vacuum" and "the speed of light in anything else".

Furthermore, if you analyze the components of the fields that contain the energy, you find that they do have a non-zero speed of light and it is—you guessed it—the same c that applies everywhere else in the universe.

So although this makes for an interesting physics lecture—or at least I thought it was interesting—it is not new physics and not a breakdown of special relativity.

I am hoping that this is brought to heel quickly, and does not turn into another Cold Fusion debacle.

Speed of Light Exceeded?

There are few fundamental constraints of the universe. But according to Einstein, one of them is that NOTHING can exceed the speed of light in a vacuum. No matter how matter how many sci fi shows you have watched which played fast and loose with faster-than-light travel, they all are a major volation of physical law as we know it.

But now two German scientists have claimed to have broken that law by means of electron tunneling. They claim to have instantaneously moved a light particle between points in space. If proven right - and if proven without massive caveats - this could be one of the biggest discoveries since quantum theory.

Changes to Global Warming Calcs

Readers of this Blog know I am not a fan of the Global Warming Movement. It is not that I do not think activists sometimes raise good points - I think Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" was well-done and thought-provoking - but they all-too-often are willing to latch onto any hyperbolic notion in order to try and sway opinion. It is hard enough to believe humans could have actually changed the global climate without bringing foolishness like "The Day After Tomorrow" into it. (Great special effects, though! Loved the instra-freeze of New York City.)

An example of a Global Warming scientist doing things right has emerged. In this article, a Y2K bug was found in the calculations of one of the more influential scientists in the movement, and instead of either (1) claiming that an error was impossible or (2) blaming it on a conspiracy, the scientist (and his critic) simply corrected the data and republished it. The result? Scientifically, the data is changed little - the overall deviation changes 1% or so. But rhetorically it changes radically. 5 of the hottest days in history have moved from the 90s, to prior to World War 2.