What's on today
Astrobiologist tries to set the record straight about extraterrestrial life on Titan
Titan, Saturn's largest moon and the second-biggest natural satellite in the solar system, is an unquestionably interesting place. It's a world with a thick atmosphere and with lakes, fog and rainfall--only with liquid hydrocarbons rather than liquid water. [More]
Saturn - Titan - Solar System - Extraterrestrial life - Water
Slosh and Berm: Building Sand Barriers off Louisiana's Coast to Hold Back Oil Spill Has Low Probability of Success
In an effort to stem the tide of oil washing ashore in Louisiana, small "berms" of sand now plug gaps in barrier islands along the coast. Such structures are intended to provide a barrier to oil penetrating into marshes and other wetlands, where it can persist for decades. Already, more than 250 kilometers of coastline have been touched by the output of the ongoing oil spill, which has now spewed as much as 170 million liters of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico. [More]
Gulf of Mexico - Oil spill - Louisiana - Barrier island - Wetland
Nature Boosts Self-Evaluation of Vitality
It’s refreshing. It’s invigorating. And it leaves you feeling truly alive. No, I’m not talking about a cold shower or a fruit smoothie with a mochachino chaser. I’m talking about nature. Because according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology , getting outside--or even just thinking about it--can increase your vitality. [Richard Ryan et al, http://bit.ly/c01WHQ ] [More]
Journal of Environmental Psychology - Environment - Social Sciences - Psychology - Journals
Fresh findings about chickenpox could lead to better blood tests
NASA's FASTSAT satellite readies for shipment to Alaska
Bacteria from hot springs reveal clues to evolution of early life and to unlock biofuels' potential
Momentum builds after 4th International Symposium on Pet Contraception
Importance of insulin delivery devices for diabetes management
New national telescope at La Silla
Will the new World Cup soccer ball bend?
Researchers capture first images of sub-nano pore structures
RWJF and Pew award 6 grants to examine the impact of policy on people's health
One in 10 veterans returns from combat in Iraq reporting serious mental health issues
Veterans of war have been known to suffer from high incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and traumatic brain injury in addition to any physical wounds. And a new study of thousands of U.S. Army soldiers returning from combat duty in Iraq found up to 31 percent reported symptoms of PTSD or depression as long as a year after returning from the battlefield. [More]
Mental health - Posttraumatic stress disorder - Health - Iraq - Iraq War
Did CIA doctors perform torture research on detainees?
Doctors and other health professionals working for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) might have been illegally performing research on detainees after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a new report issued by the advocacy group Physicians for Human Rights. [More]
Central Intelligence Agency - Human rights - United States - Torture - Human Rights and Liberties
Butterfly Wings Scale Copies Could Fight Forgers
Counterfeiters and money minters constantly try to outsmart each other. But money could become much harder to forge--thanks to butterfly wings.
Butterflies that flit through tropical forests often have brightly colored wings that irridesce in the sun. But it’s not pigments that create those eye-catching shades. It’s microscopic structures on the insects’ wings that reflect the light.
[More]Insect - Butterfly - Butterflies - Recreation - Shopping

