TOP 100 SCIENCE SITES
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| NumberPlay: A Second Reflection A projectile is reflected back to its source. What are the two possible angles of the reflector? feeds.nytimes.com |
Of men and chocolate biscuits It is a droll discovery that on a numerical basis, a human seems genetically less complex than a chocolate biscuitUS researchers have just completed the DNA sequence of Theobroma cacao, the fruit of which provides the world's chocolate and cocoa. The project – funded by Mars, the chocolate giant – is likely to benefit more than six million chocolate farmers in the tropics, by delivering disease-resistant trees, or tastier fruit, or higher yields per hectare, or all three. That the research was completed on a plant of interest to small farmers in the poorer nations is itself a measure of the progress of genomic science.Cacao joins more than 180 life forms for which scientists now have the complete genetic sequence. These include rice, wheat and poplar trees; yeast, grapes and the honeybee; chimpanzees, dogs, puffer fish and Norwegian rats; modern humans, the chicken and the laboratory mouse; and a host of microbes, including leprosy, bubonic plague and the malaria parasite. This is a gathering of knowledge that, even 20 years ago, could not have been imagined. Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, was first isolated in a laboratory dish of pneumonia bacteria in 1944. Its story has been unfolded in one human lifetime, first by Francis Crick and James Watson, who described its structure in 1953; then by Frederick Sanger, who in 1975 first discovered a way to read the sequence of the genetic code; and lastly by Alec Jeffreys, who in 1985 identified a way of using repetitive patterns in inherited DNA to pinpoint a murder suspect. But even then, hardly anyone believed that it would be possible to "read" the entire sequence coiled up in the chromosomes of a living cell.The first living organism to be sequenced, in 1995, was a humble bacterium. The genetic recipes for yeast, a nematode worm and a fruit fly followed, and the human genome was completed in 2000. The heady mix of high-speed computing, sophisticated automation and research enthusiasm soon built up a momentum that proved unstoppable. Scientists are now matching genetic sequences to answer questions about plant and animal evolution, about the life cycles of disease, about human origins, about individual human responses to drug dosage, and about crop resistance to pests and mildews.The science has already delivered unexpected and humbling answers. Humans, who consider themselves the pinnacle of creation, have only about 30,000 genes. Cacao seems to have 35,000. Wheat DNA is believed to contain 40,000 genes. It is a droll discovery that on a numerical basis, a human seems genetically less complex than a chocolate biscuit. But it was the humans who sequenced wheat and cacao, and not the other way round. So clearly, size isn't everything.United StatesGeneticsPlantsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Today's Mystery Bird For You To Identify This stunning North American species has experienced a migratory taxonomic history that rivals its seasonal migrations. Can you tell me a little about that?Mystery Bird photographed at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Brazoria County, Texas, United States. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]Image: Joseph Kennedy, 29 September 2010 [would you like to see this bird with binoculars?].Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400This stunning North American species has experienced a migratory taxonomic history that rivals its seasonal migrations. Can you tell me a little about that?Daily Mystery Bird Rules: 1. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification, keeping in mind that more than one field mark is often necessary to distinguish between species. IDs without any supporting information are not valid and may be deleted by the moderators. 2. Expert and intermediate level birders: do NOT try to be the first to blurt out the mystery bird's ID. Instead, please provide helpful hints, such as descriptions, literary references, puns, personal anecdotes, and other forms of discussion and assistance for beginning birders and for those following on their iPhones without naming the species. Expert and intermediate birders are free to name the bird species 24 or more hours after it was first published.3. Each mystery bird is usually accompanied by a question or two. These questions can be useful for identifying the pictured species, but may instead be used to illustrate an interesting aspect of avian biology, behaviour or evolution, or may be intended to generate conversation on other topics, such as conservation. 4. Each bird species will be demystified 48 hours after publication. If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and appreciate audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Science community relieved as it dodges axe Settlement freezes science research spending at £4.6bn – equating to a 10% cut after inflationScientists expressed cautious relief today as fears of severe cuts to the science budget failed to materialise in the government's spending review.The £4.6bn spent each year on scientific research by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Bis) will be ringfenced in a "flat cash" agreement that corresponds to a 10% cut, after allowing for inflation.Universities will be urged to make up the shortfall through efficiency savings drawn up by Sir Bill Wakeham, the former vice-chancellor of Southampton University, in a report earlier this year."The flat cash settlement for science is much better news than was feared and suggests that the arguments for the fundamental economic importance of scientific research have been heard and at least partly understood," said Professor Simon Gaskell, principal of Queen Mary, University of London.The settlement is a victory for the business secretary, Vince Cable, and the science minister, David Willetts, who argued that science and innovation were critical to Britain's future economic recovery. In his budget speech, George Osborne said: "Britain is a world leader in scientific research, and that is vital to our economic success."Fears of severe cuts prompted leading scientists to demonstrate outside the Treasury and warn of a brain drain of key researchers to other countries, such as the US, Germany, France and Singapore, which are investing in science to spur their financial growth."The flat cash settlement for the core science budget is welcome news in the context of this very tough spending review," said Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society. "The support of science is crucial not only to the strength of our education system, but to economic recovery and the solution of global problems."The deal guarantees £2.75bn for the UK's seven research councils, £1.6bn for university research through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, £150,000 for the Higher Education Innovation Fund and £100,000 for national acadamies.Sir Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the settlement should allay fears of a brain drain, but called on scientists to make good on their promises. "This should help to head off concerns of a brain drain, but it is up to scientists now to sell the subject to young people," Walport said. "Scientists have argued that research is good for health, wealth and society and the government has trusted them on that. Now they have to deliver."Dr Evan Harris, the former Liberal Democrat science spokesman, said: "Hopefully this will convince any scientists thinking of leaving the country that all is not lost. Morale will be boosted by this because, on the face of it, it is a good settlement."Others were less impressed with the deal and warned that Britain would struggle to be competitive. "Even at about 10% down, we'll be playing catch-up in an international field which could see UK science left behind," said Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation.Question marks remain over the £1.4bn capital expenditure budget for science, which is used for major facilities and administration. The allocation for science has yet to be decided, but the total capital budget at Bis has been cut by 44%.More than £2bn is spent on scientific research by other departments, with the majority going to support health and defence projects. Medical research will be maintained across government in real terms, but defence research faced a "moderate cut", Willetts said.The science research budget will be allocated to funding councils in the coming weeks and months.Science funding crisisSpending review 2010Tax and spendingScience policyIan Sampleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
17 rare sea turtles rescued off Cape Cod, Mass. QUINCY, Mass. (AP) -- Seventeen rare sea turtles suffering a variety of ailments are recovering at the New England Aquarium after being rescued over the past two days off of Cape Cod, Mass.... hosted.ap.org |