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Killing of Bin Laden Offers Insight into “The Business of Martyrdom”

By Guest PostJuly 12, 2012Politicsal qaeda, bin laden, biotechnology, business of martyrdom, david, drone, goliath, history, Iraq, jeffrey lewis, killing, ltte, metaphor, muslim world, philosophy, political goal, smart bomb, sri lanka, suicide attack, suicide bomber, suicide bombing, Technology, terrorist leader, terrorist organization, united states, us military, uslim fighter

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The way the U.S. military killed Osama bin Laden sent a message every bit as powerful as the fact that he was killed in the first place, according to the author of a new history of suicide bombing.

The fact that bin Laden was killed by a team of highly trained soldiers – and not by a drone or bomb – spoiled the grand narrative of brave Muslim fighters vs. U.S. technology that bin Laden and al Qaeda had developed in their war against the United States.

“Bin Laden had built up this image of himself and al Qaeda as a morally superior David against the technological Goliath that is the United States,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a lecturer in the International Studies program at Ohio State University. (more…)

Got Milk? Climate Change Means Stressed Cows in Southern U.S. May Have Less

By Guest PostJuly 11, 2012Environmentclimate change, dairy cows, dairy industry, dry arizona climate, eric salathe, florida, guillaume mauger, heat of summer, holstein milk, humidity, maricopa, milk production, nancy gohring, northern california, southern us, stressed cow, temperature, tillamook, university of washington, yoram bauman

“Cows are happy in parts of Northern California and not in Florida” is a good way to sum up the findings of new research from the University of Washington, said Yoram Bauman, best known as the “stand-up economist.”

Bauman and colleagues found that the decline in milk production due to climate change will vary across the U.S., since there are significant differences in humidity and how much the temperature swings between night and day across the country. For instance, the humidity and hot nights make the Southeast the most unfriendly place in the country for dairy cows.

Their study combined high-resolution climate data and county-level dairy industry data with a method for figuring out how weather affects milk production. The result is a more detailed report than previous studies and includes a county-by-county assessment — that will be available to farmers — of the impact climate change will have on Holstein milk production in the U.S. through 2080. (more…)

The Old Primates’ Club: Even Male Monkeys Ride Their Fathers’ Coattails to Success

By Guest PostJuly 11, 2012Naturecapuchin monkeys, juvenile phase, male monkeys, new world primates, old boys network, old primates club

If you’re a male born to a father who’s a strong and enduring community leader, you’re far more likely than your less fortunate peers to become a leader yourself, due to the wide range of social advantages accruing from your dad’s position. (more…)

Making Mirrors for the Sun

By Guest PostJuly 11, 2012Scienceblake coughenour, glass mirror, mirror lab, photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic prototype, pv cells, rioglass solar, roger angel, solar mirrors, solar spectrum, telescope mirror

With $1.5 million from the Department of Energy, UA researchers are continuing to improve groundbreaking technology to produce solar electricity at a price competitive with non-renewable energy sources.

Just behind the University of Arizona’s Bear Down Gymnasium, a house-sized frame of crisscrossing steel tubes is mounted onto a swiveling post in the concrete bottom of an empty swimming pool. (more…)

Microsoft Announces Imagine Cup 2012 Winners, Ukrainian Team Takes Top Place

By Guest PostJuly 10, 2012TechnologyGermany, greenway, imagine cup 2012, imagine cup grants, Japan, maxim osika, Microsoft, microsoft bizspark, moorthy uppaluri, oman, quadsquad, sydney, team coccolo, team drexel dragons, team grawesome, team quadsquad, team tang thai, Thailand, ukrainian team, united states, windows, xbox

Student winners from across the globe, including United States and Thailand, are honored at the 10th anniversary of the Imagine Cup.

SYDNEY — July 10, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. announced the winners of the 10th annual Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student technology innovations that address the world’s toughest problems. The winning Software Design project developed by Ukrainian Team quadSquad allows deaf individuals to communicate verbally using custom-designed sensory gloves and a smartphone application to translate sign language gestures into speech. Games focused on the environment from Thailand team TANG Thai and math education from U.S. team Drexel Dragons won the two Game Design competitions.

The Imagine Cup 2012 competition winners were announced tonight at the Imagine Cup World Festival and Awards Ceremony at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, in front of 106 student teams. The event was the culmination of a five-day celebration of technology, teamwork and innovation. (more…)

Diagnostic Technique Uses Immune Cell DNA

By Guest PostJuly 10, 2012Scienceafrican american, bladder cancer, blood samples, brock christensen, brown university, carmen marsit, cd4, cell carcinoma, cell membrane, chemical alteration, devin koestler, DNA, granulocyte leukocytes, immune cell, karl kelsey, leukocytes, methylation, ovarian cancer, t lymphocytes

By looking at signature chemical differences in the DNA of various immune cells called leukocytes, scientists have developed a way to determine their relative abundance in blood samples. The relative abundance turns out to correlate with specific cancers and other diseases, making the technique, described in two recent papers, potentially valuable not only for research but also for diagnostics and treatment monitoring.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — When a person is sick, there is a tell-tale sign in their blood: a different mix of the various types of immune cells called leukocytes. A group of scientists at several institutions including Brown University has discovered a way to determine that mix from the DNA in archival or fresh blood samples, potentially providing a practical new technology not only for medical research but also for clinical diagnosis and treatment monitoring of ailments including some cancers. (more…)

Jekyll and Hyde Bacteria Aids or Kills, Depending on Chance

By Guest PostJuly 10, 2012Scienceantibiotic tolerance, bacterial insecticide, chronic infections, innocuous bacteria

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Living in the guts of worms are seemingly innocuous bacteria that contribute to their survival. With a flip of a switch, however, these same bacteria transform from harmless microbes into deadly insecticides. (more…)

“Self-Distancing” Can Help People Calm Aggressive Reactions, Study Finds

By Guest PostJuly 9, 2012Healthaggressive thought, anagram, angry feeling, brad bushman, control group, creativity, dominik mischkowski, emotion, ethan kross, headphone, ohio state university, perspective, provocation, self distancing

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study reveals a simple strategy that people can use to minimize how angry and aggressive they get when they are provoked by others.

When someone makes you angry, try to pretend you’re viewing the scene at a distance – in other words, you are an observer rather than a participant in this stressful situation. Then, from that distanced perspective, try to understand your feelings.

Researchers call this strategy “self-distancing.” (more…)

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