Author Archives: Guest Post

Not-So-Permanent Permafrost

By Guest PostOctober 26, 2012Environmentalaska, arctic permafrost, atmosphere, carbon, chemical cycles, climate change, climate prediction, climate warming, director, earth, ecosystems, Environment, fairbanks, frozen ground, gelisols, geological survey, jennifer harden, lakes, marcia mcnutt, mikhail kanevsiy, model, nitrogen, organic matter, peaty, rivers, scenarios, scientist, soil scientist, university, US, usgs, warmer planet, warming phenomenon, water resources

MENLO PARK, Calif. — As much as 44 billion tons of nitrogen and 850 billion tons of carbon stored in arctic permafrost, or frozen ground, could be released into the environment as the region begins to thaw over the next century as a result of a warmer planet according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey. This nitrogen and carbon are likely to impact ecosystems, the atmosphere, and water resources including rivers and lakes. For context, this is roughly the amount of carbon stored in the atmosphere today.

The release of carbon and nitrogen in permafrost could exacerbate the warming phenomenon and will impact water systems on land and offshore according to USGS scientists and their domestic and international collaborators. The previously unpublished nitrogen figure is useful for scientists who are making climate predictions with computer climate models, while the carbon estimate is consistent and gives more credence to other scientific studies with similar carbon estimates. (more…)

When she says, ‘It’s not you, it’s me,’ it really might be you, UCLA study suggests

By Guest PostOctober 25, 2012Healthbehavior, change, christina larson, cycle, deep voice, dominant behavior, dual mating, evolutionary benefit, fertile period, fertility, genetic makeup, genetic mutation, good gene, hormones, hypothesis, martie haselton, masculine face, masculine feature, masculine tend, monthly cycle, mr sexy, mr stable, offspring, ovulation, ovulation cycle, potential partner, progeny, relationship satisfaction, romantic relationship, sex partner, sexually attractive men, sexually desirable men, sexy, sexy look, ucla, women

Women with stable but not-so-sexy mates become more distant, critical during periods of high fertility

Long after women have chosen Mr. Stable over Mr. Sexy, they struggle unconsciously with the decision, according to a new study by UCLA researchers who look at subtle changes in behavior during ovulation.

At their most fertile period, these women are less likely to feel close to their mates and more likely to find fault with them than women mated to more sexually desirable men, the research shows. (more…)

For Presidential Candidates, Image May Trump Debate Issues

By Guest PostOctober 25, 2012Politicsaudience, Barack Obama, candidate, celebrity, Chicago, culture, debate, elocution, gaffes, george bush, grammar, image, impression, indiana university, john kerry, linguistic anthropologist, logan cente, massachusetts gov, message, michael lempert, michael silverstein, mitt romney, modern campaign, political life, political marketing, politician, Politics, power grip, president, presidential candidate, press, republican opponent, tmzization, university, voyeurism

The wide swings in debate performances by this year’s presidential candidates reflect the fact that in modern campaigns, a candidate’s image is the message, according to linguistic anthropologists who have studied presidential campaigns.

Candidates send important messages to voters through even their smallest gestures, the researchers say. For example, in this year’s first debate, President Barack Obama often looked down at the podium and was criticized for appearing disengaged. In subsequent debates Obama directly addressed his Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and increased the use of a hammering hand gesture sometimes called the “power grip.” (more…)

Mystery of Nematode Pest-Resistant Soybeans Cracked by MU Scientists

By Guest PostOctober 25, 2012Naturegene silencing techniques, nematode pests, nematode resistant varieties, soybean crop, soybean plants

Gene related to soybeans’ resistance to nematodes also correlates with human diseases

COLUMBIA, Mo. — For 50 years, the world’s soybean crop has depended on the use of cyst nematode resistant varieties of beans, but no one knew how these plants fought off the nematode pests. Now, the secrets of resistant soybean plants are finally coming to light. (more…)

IBM Establishes the Smarter Energy Research Institute to Advance the Utility of the Future

By Guest PostOctober 25, 2012Science, Technologyadvanced computation, algorithms, alliander, asset management optimization, business value, canada, dario gil, der, detroit edison, distributed energy, dte energy, dutch, energy distributor, Environment, future, giunc, global network, gridwise alliance, hydro quebec, ibm, ibm research, industrial research, innovation, integration, ireq, jean lessard, know how, market, mathematical sciences, michcon, Netherlands, operational, outage planning optimization, participatory network, patents, predictive analytics, renewables, research institute, resources, rob maathuis, situational awareness, smart grid, smarter energy, software, system optimization, transformation, usa, utility, vince dow, wide area

Hydro-Québec (Canada), Alliander (Netherlands) and DTE Energy (USA) Join as the First Members

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – 25 Oct 2012: IBM today announced the launch of the Smarter Energy Research Institute, a new industrial research collaboration model aimed at accelerating innovation across the global energy and utilities market. Hydro-Québec (Canada), Alliander (Netherlands) and DTE Energy (USA) join as the first members.

The Smarter Energy Research Institute is a new collaboration between corporate research and the energy and utilities industry to transform leading energy companies through the use of predictive analytics, system optimization and advanced computation to deliver better services to their customers. Combining IBM Research’s expertise in the areas of mathematical sciences, computer science and high-performance computing with the deep-power engineering and operational know-how of the participating members, the Institute will focus on five core innovation tracks to pursue joint research and where shared investments, knowledge and capabilities will benefit every member. Each company will identify and be active in up to two tracks that match their business and operational priorities. The areas include: (more…)

Racial ‘Hierarchy of Bias’ Drives Decision to Shoot Armed, Unarmed Suspects, CU-Boulder Study Finds

By Guest PostOctober 25, 2012Politicsafrican american, asians, behavior, bernadette park, bias, black men, blacks, boulder, cell phone, charles judd, Chicago, colorado, cultural stereotype, dangerous, ethnic environment, ethnic group, florida, hierarchy, hispanics, joshua correll, jurisdiction, multi, new mexico, police officer, positive bias, russell sage foundation, san diego, shoot, state university, students, suspects, university, Washington, whites, young

Police officers and students exhibit an apparent “hierarchy of bias” in making a split-second decision whether to shoot suspects who appear to be wielding a gun or, alternatively, a benign object like a cell phone, research conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder and San Diego State University has found.

Both the police and student subjects were most likely to shoot at blacks, then Hispanics, then whites and finally, in a case of what might be called a positive bias, Asians, researchers found. (more…)

Science Supports Sex Addiction as a Legitimate Disorder

By Guest PostOctober 24, 2012Healthanxiety, Bible, bipolar disorder, commercial, cybersex, depression, disorder, dsm 5, healthy sex, heather mckittrick, hypersexual behavior, hypersexual disorder, life, margarit davtian, masturbation, mental health, pornography, psychiatric condition, psychiatric diagnose, psychiatry, radio, rory reid, scientific evidence, sex addiction, sex workers, sexual activity, sexual addiction, sexual behavior, sexual fantasies, sexually transmitted infection, sheila garos, substance abuse, talk show, timothy fong, ucla

UCLA researchers test proposed criteria for diagnosing ‘hypersexual disorder’

The idea that an individual might suffer from a sexual addiction is great fodder for radio talk shows, comedians and late night TV. But a sex addiction is no laughing matter. Relationships are destroyed, jobs are lost, lives ruined.

Yet psychiatrists have been reluctant to accept the idea of out-of-control sexual behavior as a mental health disorder because of the lack of scientific evidence.

Now a UCLA-led team of experts has tested a proposed set of criteria to define “hypersexual disorder,” also known as sexual addiction, as a new mental health condition. (more…)

Commentary: John E. Savage – Cybersecurity Needed in the Public Domain

By Guest PostOctober 24, 2012Technology, Weaponsaramco, awareness month, cutting edge, cyber security, cyberattack, cybersecurity, defense, department, domestic industry, flooding attack, gas, global internet, john e savage, leon panetta, national, national level, october, oil, oil company, policy, President Obama, production, qatar, ras gas company, saudi arabian, secretary, shamoon virus, solution, state, Technology, united states, wang professor

President Obama designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. We asked John E. Savage, the An Wang Professor of Computer Science, to share his views on what can and should be done to ensure cybersecurity at the national level. Savage is active in cybersecurity from both a policy and technology point of view, having spent the 2009-10 academic year in the U.S. Department of State as a Jefferson Science Fellow.

In a major policy speech delivered last week, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta sparked a new discussion of cyberwarfare threats, warning that cyberattacks “could virtually paralyze the nation.” The three-part response Panetta outlined emphasizes new cyberwarfare capabilities in the Department of Defense, new policies and organizations across the federal government, and stronger partnerships between the government and international partners and domestic industry. (more…)