Fiction writer Kathleen Maher, the oldest of five, grew up in a suburb of Chicago. She already authored two books, ‘Diary of a heretic’ and ‘Underground Nest’. It’s my pleasure today to talk to Kathleen on her books, specially about the ‘Diary of a Heretic’ – a wild ride of Malcom Tully through sex, food, money and religion. (more…)
Juliana Pirani got her first sewing machine at age 13. Growing up in São Paulo, Brazil, she was interested in fashion but never envisioned the possibility of what she is about to do with it now: Start her own business with a creative idea that she hopes will transform many people’s lives. (more…)
Verzicht auf Schweröl reicht nicht, es sind Abgasfilter nötig
In Schiffsabgasen enthaltene Kleinstpartikel greifen die Makrophagen, weiße Blutkörperchen im Immunsystem der Lunge, an. Dabei macht es wenig Unterschied, ob die Schiffe mit Schweröl oder Diesel fahren. Der Umstieg auf Diesel wird daher nur zu teilweiser Gesundheitsentlastung führen. (more…)
Bugs Bunny hasn’t aged a day since his cartoon debut in 1940, and he rarely wears glasses. He can play all nine positions on a baseball field – at once. He also consistently outwits gangsters, hunters and water fowl. (more…)
A quick method for making accurate, virtual universes to help understand the effects of dark matter and dark energy has been developed by UCL and CEFCA scientists. Making up 95% of our universe, these substances have profound effects on the birth and lives of galaxies and stars and yet almost nothing is known about their physical nature. (more…)
MolekularbiologInnen erforschen Prozesse beim Ausschneiden und Einfügen von DNA
Eltern vererben ihre genetische Information in Form von Chromosomen. Diese sind jedoch nicht einfache Kopien, sondern ein Mosaik aus den beiden Chromosomenkopien, die sie selbst erhalten haben. Die Herstellung dieser Mosaike erfolgt durch einen Prozess des Ausschneidens und Einfügens von Chromosomenstücken. Wie solche Schnitte – auch Brüche genannt – in unserem genetischen Material repariert werden, untersuchen Verena Jantsch und ihr Team an den Max F. Perutz Laboratories der Universität Wien und der Medizinischen Universität Wien. Ihre Ergebnisse geben wichtige Einblicke in die Prozesse, die sicherstellen, dass unser genetisches Material intakt bleibt und so genetische Krankheiten und Krebsentstehung verhindern.
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In nominating Jonathan Ellman for the Dylan Hixon ’88 Prize for Teaching Excellence in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics, at least two of his students use the word “joy” to describe their experience with their teacher. Said one: “While the subject matter is certainly challenging, Professor Ellman’s organized teaching style made learning organic chemistry a joy.” Another said, “Interacting with him is always a joy. I sometimes feel as if there is nothing that he cannot explain.” Ellman says he hopes to impart the idea that no matter how difficult it may be to solve a problem, there is both pleasure in and value to the process, even when one is tempted to give up. (more…)
University of Utah researchers highlight ecosystem and human impacts of vulture declines
Vultures. Cartoon characters in parched deserts often wish them to disappear, since circling vultures are a stereotypical harbinger of death. But, joking aside, vultures in some parts of the world are in danger of disappearing. And according to a new report from University of Utah biologists, such a loss would have serious consequences for ecosystems and human populations alike. (more…)
