Catalyst Could Jump-Start E-Cars

Los Alamos researchers and scientists recently have designed a new type of nanostructured-carbon-based catalyst, which could be a start towards reliable, economical next-generation batteries and alkaline fuel cells, providing for practical use of wind and solar-powered electricity, as well as enhanced hybrid electric vehicles. Without using precious metals like platinum, which is more expensive per ounce than gold, it performs under certain conditions as effectively as many well-know and prohibitively expensive precious-metal catalysts developed for battery and fuel-cell use. Scientists have also demonstrated that the synthesis method can be scaled up to larger volumes and could also be used to prepare other carbon-nanotube-based materials.

NOS themes:
Science is based on evidence
Science is collaborative
The role of curiosity

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130604135452.htmf

Scientist discover way to make bio fuel cheaper

                                               Scientist discover way to make bio fuel cheaper

Scientist have discovered a way to make fungi digest sawdust and various other material easier. This is a major step as the procedure cost a lot of money and contributes a lot to the cost of bio fuels.  The reason the procedure is so expensive is due to the fact that the substance need to make the fungi digest the wood  easier. The substance needed is called dissaccharide sophorose and it is 60 times more expesnive than gold. The scientist have managed to change the DNA of the fungus so that it always digest wood.


NOS themes
1.Science is based on evidence(the scientist had to make sure that the fungus disgested wood and that the genes were correct.)
2.Role of motivation and curiosity( the scientist had to be motivated to carry out this experiment)

Bio fuel made from elephant dung!



Link:http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/06/03/molecular_switch_for_cheaper_biofuel.html

Emotional Apes

We, as humans, get emotional when it comes to decision making. If we make a bad decision, we get upset and occasioanlly throw a temper tantrum, and if we make a good decision we're ecstatic. Apes, when given the choice to gamble for the better food but faced with a not-so-yummy treat if they lost the gamble, acted the same way that humans do.

Both chimpanzees and bonobos, upon making the worse decision, threw tantrums and tried to change their decision. Some of the emotional responses were specific to the certain species, and some were specific to the individual animal.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130529190933.htm


Themes of Nature and Science:

1.Science is based off of evidence
2.A person's view can infuence data
3. Role of motivation and curiosity

A Step Closer to Artificial Livers

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130602144612.htm

The human liver has some amazing regenerative properties. As much as a third of it can be removed, and it can regenerate to perfect function. Scientists have tried to make use of this for the growth of livers outside of the body for a long time, but for some reason, they liver cells would no longer reproduce outside of the body. Recently (yesterday), scientists published an article saying that they have now identified 12 different chemicals that make the liver cells continue to regenerate and grow outside of the body. This is a major step in the progress toward not only externally grown livers, but all externally grown organs.

Nature of science themes:
- Science is collaborative: Dr. Bhatia as well as a team of scientists from MIT discovered this, but their work was built on the work of the many scientists before them who were all trying to solve the same problem.
-Science is based on evidence: The liver cells in the new substances when put in a pitri dish were shown to start regenerating, unlike those in any other solutions or in no solution at all.
-Roll of motivation and curiosity: The students wouldn't have gone to MIT for medicinal research if they weren't interested. They also know that this will help a lot of people. Just to give an example, I heard that someone at EPHS recently had a liver transplant, and were very lucky to have gotten one. If this technology becomes successful in the future, getting a liver will never be a problem.
-Importance of repeatability: Obviously if this can't be repeated, then the experiment is useless, as the end goal is the have a reliable way to generate organs for people who need transplants.






Cameron Kurisko

Cicadas are loud!

Cicadas are loud!

Cicadas are a type of bug that live almost their whole life under the ground, they grow underground and after 17 years they come out and produce a very loud mating call that reaches up to 100 decibels, they mate and then they die leaving cicada larvae underground, who wait for 17 more years until they come out again and the cycle restarts.

The US navy has been investigating the sounds that Cicadas make to find out how they can use the way in which the cicadas make this high sound in their own advantage.

The cicadas make that sound with a very small part of their throat, so the navy wants to find out how they can created so  much noise with a very small device to use it for their own advantage 

It is still not fully understood how cicada make that noise but it is also thought they make it with air sacks they blow. 

It is important to find out how different animals do things because this way we can apply it to our own lives and technology, and that way advance more as 

humans. We might find very helpful things in finding examples from what nature shows us.

NOS themes.

the role of motivation and curiosity

New One-Step Process for Designer Bacteria

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have discovered a new one-step process for DNA replication. The call this process "Clonetegration." As we all know, you can use bacteria to produce several substances that are hard to get otherwise by inserting the required gene(s) into its chromosome. The bacteria will then start producing the substance as if it was made to do it all along. The current process, however, is very inefficient and could take several days to complete the process, and is also a bit more expensive. The new method could complete the process overnight, and can be put into the organism multiple times allowing for increased production. Due to the fact that this is still in development, the researchers have yet to release the process out to the public, which is rather unfortunate.

NOS themes

-Motivation and Curiosity for advancement
-Scientific Collaboration

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/05/28/new_1step_process_for_designer_bacteria.html
-

Forgetting is Harder for Older Brains

It may sound weird at first, but older people actually retain memories for much longer. This is due to an abundance of a protein that resists the breaking of synapses between nervous cells. A study on mice supported this because they found a large amount of the protein NR2A on the neurons of the older mice and this has been known to increase in abundance with age. The study also showed that when something "slips your mind," it was actually intentional because there is also a protein that dissolves synapses.

NOS themes

-supported by evidence
-several scientists working together

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=forgetting-is-harder-for-older-brains

Honey Bee Navigation

Researchers have found that in honey bees there is a regulatory gene, called Egr, that is involved in learning.  This gene is also present in vertebrates.  In honey bees it becomes active whenever they are in a new place and have to figure out how to find their way around.  It was definitely not associated with exercise or visual cues; the researchers saw that the Egr activity occurred only when the bees were in new environments.  Because they now know this, researchers may be able to understand just how the honey bees are able to navigate so well.  Not only that, but the fact that the gene is also present and important to vertebrates is a good example of how behavioral relationships are "deeply conserved" in evolution.

Nature of Science
Science is based on evidence
Importance of repeatability
Role of motivation and curiosity

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130529144329.htm

Emotion control

Scientists have found that different parts of the brain react when personally trying to suppress an emotion versus being told by someone else to suppress an emotion. They have found that when people are shown images that are unpleasant or frightening and they try to suppress their feelings the brain activity was shown in a part of the brain that was previously linked in the area that decides to inhibit movement. When the subjects were instructed by the scientist to inhibit the emotion, a second area was triggered. More research in this area could help people deal with excessive emotion but it could also cause them to not have the right emotional response in certain situations.



 N.O.S. Themes
1. Science is collaborative.
2. Science is tentative.
3. Science requires evidence.

Link: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/05/11/study_finds_brain_system_for_emotional_selfcontrol.html

How Turtles Got Their Shells: Fossil of Extinct South African Reptile Provides Clues

Turtles are fascinating creatures their shells are made up of over 50 bones. Over millions of years ancestors of turtles have evolved broader ribs which eventually turned into the shells we see on turtles today. Turtles are very unique most animals that do have shell like structures just have hardened scales on the outside of the body. Until recently there were missing links in a turtles family tree. In 2008 the Odontochelys Semitestacea was discovered. This creature roamed the earth around 220 million years ago. The recently discovered Eunotosaurus romed the earth 245 million years ago. Scientist have concluded that the turtles breathing system also evolved during this period. Eunotosaurus had a developed underbelly however the top vertebrae and ribs were in "mid" evolution  still developing into the modern day shell.

NOS- Themes

• Science is not set in stone- New discoveries are always being made that can change previous theories.
• Science is based on evidence- the researchers and archeologist used these newly found fossils to come with new hypothesis on the evolution of turtles.
• Role of chance- their could be many more fossils waiting to be discovered to enhance the turtle family tree.     

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130530132431.htm

The Science of Sniffing Out Liars

Lying has become a common human behavior but it turns out humans are surprisingly inconsistent when it comes to separating the truth from the false. Signals that are thought to expose a liar are either too subtle to notice or are simply not there. A professor at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, and Bella DePaulo, a visiting professor of social psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that observers, like you and I, are correct only 54 percent of the time when trying to distinguish between true and false statements. If you leave judgments up to chance, people are no better or worst are trying to figure out lies. They say the reason is that humans don't generally know what to look for. After research they found that,  "The whole past of lie detection has been reconceptualized from paying close attention to a person's behavior to a more active and interactive task." The research is still cultivating but I think it will be interesting to find out how we can detect liars without looking at just their behavior. That way there is no biased opinions.

NOS Themes:

• Science is role of curiosity: Scientists are trying to answer a question that motivated them to research
• Science is collaborative: Scientists from many universities are researching this topic

Link to Article:

http://www.livescience.com/37023-lying-deception-psychology.html 

Decoding the Genome of the Camel

Camelus bactianus

Summary-
Camels are one of the worlds most precious creatures in dry and arid areas. They are able to survive for weeks in hostile environments without food and water. Also, camels provide enough milk for human consumption and can be used as a source of meat. Genetic research on camels has been very difficult because the genetic code has not been fully analyzed. However, scientists have found 116,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP's) in the genetic sequence of the Bactrian camel, the two humped camel. The genetic relationship is very similar between the Bactrian and the Dromedary camel, the
single humped camel. About 85 percent of the genomic
sequences found in the Bactrian have also been discovered 

Camelus dromedaries

in the Dromedary. Camels are very precious creatures to the Earth and a lot more research needs to
be done on them.


NOS Themes-

• Science is collaborative- many scientists are working to decode the genome of camels
• Science is based on evidence- an animals genome does not change and has been recorded
• Conflicts within the scientific community- many people rely on camels to survive
• Role of motivation and curiosity- scientist are intrigued by unraveling an animals genome

Here's a link to the Article- www.biologynews.net

Planting Trees Doesn't Help Greenhouses Gasses?

A recent study done by the Professor Brendan Mackey of Griffith University Climate Change Response Program shows that land-based efforts, such as planting trees, has no significant effect on reducing the elevated level of atmospheric carbon. Planting trees, of course, is still important to the long-term health of the planet because it "avoids emissions that would otherwise result from logging and land clearing while also conserving biodiversity". What does this study mean for those who still want to do everything possible to 

help the environment? It means that the only way to decrease atmospheric carbon is to drastically cut carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. And don't stop planting trees because they still help.

NOS Themes: 

• Science is collaborative 
• Science is based on evidence
• Science is subject to debate and tentative

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130530095020.htm

Why Do People Cry?

Why do people cry? Crying is a natural emotional response to certain feelings, usually sadness and hurt. But, people cry in response to something of beauty as well. Crying may also have a biochemical purpose. It's believed to release stress hormones or toxins from the body. When you cry, it's a signal you need to address something. It may mean you are frustrated, overwhelmed or even just trying to get someone's attention. People with a history of trauma have been found to cry more, and that's especially true if they dwell on that past. But why do women tend to cry more as men? Women have more permission to cry. It's viewed by many, particularly men, as a sign of weakness. Although crying can be embarrassing, it's not healthy to hold in your tears too often. Experts say it's better to postpone the cry, but not cancel it all together. 



NOS themes:
Role of curiosity
Science is collaborative
Science is based on evidence

http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/why-we-cry-the-truth-about-tearing-up?page=3

Leading Fish

Scientists at the Polytechnic Institute at New York University have been studying how fish react to fake robotic fish. They have found that when the robot fish waves its tale rapidly other fish are most likely to stay near it. Their goal is to find out what behaviors attract fish and what repel them so that some day we may be able to guide fish away from dangerous locations.

Link:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120122051.htm

NOS themes:
- science is collaborative
- science is tentative
- role of curiosity

Apes Get Emotional Over Games Of Chance

 

In a recent study, it was found apes pout and throw temper tantrums if they fail in doing a risk-taking task. In there task, the apes were faced with two decisions. They were to either wait for a much larger reward or try the task at hand and if they succeed, they can risk what they won for a bigger prize. The researchers found that the apes showed emotion for every outcome, be it happy, sad, angry or satisfied. The study also found that chimpanzees were much more patients than bonobos. So, the researchers concluded that apes do exhibit emotional responses to decision-making, but further studies need to be done in order to see if these responses impact their decisions in the future.

NOS Themes:

• Science is based on evidence
• Science is collaborative
• Role of motivation and curiousity
• Role of chance

Article Link:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130529190933.htm

Jack Nermyr

Pebbly Rocks give Clues to Streambed on Mars

Several slabs of pebble-containing rock were found on Mars recently, and, with the help of the Mars rovers, it was discovered that these were streambed pebbles that had been rounded through the flowing of water. These are the first such rocks to be found on Mars, and scientists were even able to calculate the depth and speed of the now-dry stream. It was about waist-deep and flowed at roughly 3 meters per second. The distribution of the pebbles closely resembles streambeds on Earth. Although Mars's atmosphere is now too thin for the planet to hold water, these pebbles offer insight into what Mars used to be like.

Article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130530150547.htm

NOS Themes:
Science is collaborative
Science is based on evidence
Role of motivation and curiosity

Sam S., Hour 1