Viruses do not make good fossils. But advances in genomic technology have allowed scientists to peer into the genetic material of viruses and their hosts to search for clues about their shared evolutionary history. [More]















Ebola – Genome – Gene – Virus – Biology
Original Source: Physorg.com

Binge-shoppers and serial daters might perpetually be living at the whim of their latest impulse, and now research is getting to the biological basis of their seemingly random behavior. [More]















Health – Psychology – Social Sciences – Addiction – Mental health
Original Source: Physorg.com

A new era for nuclear power is taking shape as third-generation reactors, designed to be simpler and safer, inch through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) design certification process. Much of nuclear’s revival hinges on the ability of new reactors to outshine those of yore in terms of safety, economics, construction time and life span. [More]















Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Nuclear power – Nuclear reactor technology – Nuclear – Energy
Original Source: Physorg.com

The microscopic plants that form the foundation of the ocean’s food web are declining, reports a study published July 29 in Nature . [More]















Food chain – Phytoplankton – Nature – Environment – Ocean
Original Source: Physorg.com

Assistive technology that helps severely paralyzed people navigate the world and communicate with others often taps into whatever abilities the disabled retain, such as blinking or moving the mouth and tongue. Now, for the first time, researchers have invented a device that allows the paralyzed to write, surf the Web and steer an electronic wheelchair–all by sniffing. Initial tests, described July 26 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ( PNAS ), suggest that many severely paralyzed people can easily master the "sniff controller," which offers certain advantages over other technological aids.

The startup LS9 reveals a discovery that could lead to biofuels that would work in conventional engines.

Many species naturally make small amounts of hydrocarbons. Now researchers at the startup LS9, based in South San Francisco, CA, have described the genes and enzymes responsible for this production of alkanes, the major components of fuels such as diesel. The findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Science, have allowed the researchers to engineer E. coli bacteria that can secrete alkane hydrocarbons capable of being burned in diesel engines.

Original Source: TechnologyReview.com

Software that gives users more control of a camera could revolutionize photography.

Camera-phone owners can use new software to reprogram these devices–and capture images that would previously have been impossible to get.

Original Source: TechnologyReview.com

Software that gives users more control of a camera could revolutionize photography.





Original Source: TechnologyReview.com

A chemical-infused scaffold generates new tissue by attracting stem cells.

Today’s titanium replacement joints work very well for 10 to 15 years, but replacing them after they’ve worn out is a challenge for both patient and surgeon. A team of researchers from Columbia University proposes a way around that problem: by implanting a scaffold that encourages the patient’s own stem cells to regrow the joint.

Original Source: TechnologyReview.com

Every day, millions of microorganisms reach Spain from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region – by flying.
Original Source: Physorg.com