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Maths predicts rise and fall of empires

By Guest PostOctober 5, 2013General, Scienceafrica, americas, ancient empires, asia, cavalry, chariots, computer model, empires, Europe, evolution, evolutionary driver, fall, grid cell, human history, math, mathematical model, mathematical simulation, military innovation, old world, predict, predict the future, quantitative accuracy, rise, sergey gavrilets, simulate warfare, socio cultural evolution, tom currie, university of connecticut, university of exeter

Researchers have developed a new mathematical model that accurately describes the evolution of ancient empires.

The computer model can predict with 65% accuracy where and when the largest complex societies arose in human history.

The research, which suggests that intense warfare is the evolutionary driver of large complex societies, is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It was carried out by researchers from the University of Exeter in collaboration with University of Connecticut and the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) in the US. (more…)

Flawed Diamonds: Gems for New Technology

By Guest PostOctober 4, 2013Scienceatom, carbon atom, crystal structure, data storage, Diamond, diamonds, dmitry budker, edward muybridge, electronic properties, femtoseconds, flawed diamonds, galloping horses, gems, graham fleming, molecule, nanosecond, new technology, nitrogen vacancy center, optical, quantum computing, three dimensional lattice, ua, ultrafast spectroscopy, university of arizona, vanessa huxter, vibrational mode

Using ultra-fast laser pulses, a team of researchers led by UA assistant professor Vanessa Huxter has made the first detailed observation of how energy travels through diamonds containing nitrogen-vacancy centers – promising candidates for a variety of technological advances such as quantum computing.

A team of researchers led by University of Arizona assistant professor Vanessa Huxter has made the first detailed observation of how energy travels through diamonds that contain nitrogen-vacancy centers – defects in which two adjacent carbon atoms in the diamond’s crystal structure are replaced by a single nitrogen atom and an empty gap. (more…)

A symbiosis

By Guest PostOctober 3, 2013Scienceelderly population, health policy, people in china, symbiotic relationship

Partnership study helps China examine safety for elderly

An unexpected partnership between the University of Delaware and the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology (BJAST) is proving to be a symbiotic relationship. (more…)

We are sorry to see this

By ShamsOctober 3, 2013Economy, Environment, Politics, Scienceamerica, Barack Obama, blame, changing world, core, federal government shutdown, house speaker, john boehner, Science, scientific developments, U.S. Geological Survey, unavailable, us president, usgs, usgs website

While U.S President Barack Obama blames House Speaker John Boehner for the Federal Government Shutdown, it already started to hit at the cores of scientific developments in America. Today we noticed that the website of USGS (U.S Geological Survey) whose logo says ‘Science for a changing World’ is unavailable.

It reads ‘Due to the Federal government shutdown, usgs.gov and most associated web sites are unavailable.’ (more…)

UT Austin Anthropologists Confirm Link Between Cranial Anatomy and Two-Legged Walking

By Guest PostOctober 3, 2013Scienceafrican apes, anatomist raymond dart, anthropology researcher, austin, australopithecus africanus, bipedal, bipedal fossil species, bipedal mammals, bipedal postures, brain size, characteristic, chimpanzees, chris kirk, difference, direct link, eastern gray kangaroo, egyptian jerboa, foramen magnum, four legged postures, gabrielle russo, human ancestor, human evolution, sahelanthropus tchadensis, skull, spinal cord, university of texas

AUSTIN, Texas — Anthropology researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have confirmed a direct link between upright two-legged (bipedal) walking and the position of the foramen magnum, a hole in the base of the skull that transmits the spinal cord.

The study, published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Human Evolution, confirms a controversial finding made by anatomist Raymond Dart, who discovered the first known two-legged walking (bipedal) human ancestor, Australopithecus africanus. Since Dart’s discovery in 1925, physical anthropologists have continued to debate whether this feature of the cranial base can serve as a direct link to bipedal fossil species. (more…)

Researcher controls colleague’s motions in 1st human brain-to-brain interface

By Guest PostOctober 2, 2013Sciencealex dadgar, andrea stocco, brain computer interface, brain interfacing, bryan djunaedi, chantel prat, dev sarma, duke university, eeg, electrodes, electroencephalography, electroencephalography machine, harvard researchers, joseph wu, magnetic stimulation, matthew bryan, rajesh rao, skype connection, Technology, transcranial magnetic stimulation, university of washington, video game, vulcan mind meld

University of Washington researchers have performed what they believe is the first noninvasive human-to-human brain interface, with one researcher able to send a brain signal via the Internet to control the hand motions of a fellow researcher.

Using electrical brain recordings and a form of magnetic stimulation, Rajesh Rao sent a brain signal to Andrea Stocco on the other side of the UW campus, causing Stocco’s finger to move on a keyboard. (more…)

A new strategy to stop the TB bacterium

By Guest PostSeptember 30, 2013Sciencebacterial cell, brown university, cellular enzyme, clpp, clpp enzyme, corey compton, garbage disposal, jason sello, karl schmitz, lactone 7, mycobacterium tuberculosis, new strategy, tb bacterium, traditional antibiotics, tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis may have an Achilles’ heel: It needs a particular enzyme to survive. Inhibiting that enzyme’s function, researchers have shown, will kill the bacteria, pointing toward a design strategy for new TB drugs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — To stay ahead in the race against drug-resistant infections, scientists constantly search for and exploit vulnerabilities in deadly bacteria. Now, researchers from Brown and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have used a novel compound to exploit an Achilles’ heel in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. (more…)

UCLA scientists explain the formation of unusual ring of radiation in space

By Guest PostSeptember 29, 2013Scienceadam kellerman, alexander drozdov, dmitriy subbotin, earth, explain, formation, hazardous, high energy electrons, highly charged particles, jack eddy fellowship, ksenia orlova, kyung chan kim, MIT, model, NASA, plasma waves, President Obama, radiation belts, ring of radiation, russia, simulation, skolkovo institute, Space, third radiation ring, ucla scientists, ultra relativistic electrons, unusual, van allen, velocity, yuri shprits

Since the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts in 1958, space scientists have believed these belts encircling the Earth consist of two doughnut-shaped rings of highly charged particles — an inner ring of high-energy electrons and energetic positive ions and an outer ring of high-energy electrons.

In February of this year, a team of scientists reported the surprising discovery of a previously unknown third radiation ring — a narrow one that briefly appeared between the inner and outer rings in September 2012 and persisted for a month. (more…)

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