Archive for January, 2008
Tactile Maps
Human beings have used maps to describe the world for thousands of years. Blind people have used Braille for about 150. But there’s never been a way for blind people to have easy access to maps of everyday places. Until now. Amy Standen reports. You may listen to the "Tactile Maps" radio report online, as [...]
Post on Jan 31, 2008 by Amy Standen
Answering the Call of the Wild
Why cell phones are bad for gorillas and how Eco-Cell is helping. Got a cell phone? Then in your pocket or stuck to your ear is a metallic ore called Coltan, short for Columbite-tantalite, a vital component in the capacitors that control current flow in cell phone circuit boards. Your i-pod, laptop, DVD player and [...]
Post on Jan 30, 2008 by Amy Gotliffe
Converting the Comets Back into Stars
Star or Comet?Yesterday was a very long day at work. I was stuck in meetings with our collaborators for over 6 hours! To make it worse, we spent the entire time discussing a single topic. I even wrote my last paper on it. What could possibly be so captivating, you ask? Remember the solar wind [...]
Post on Jan 29, 2008 by Kyle S. Dawson
Never Used a Pooter?
Cal Academy scientist Kelly Herbinson collects ants with a Bay Area science teacherAs the winter drags on, I often think fondly of a chilly Saturday in December where I found myself in a small alleyway in San Francisco trying to suck elusive ants into a rubber tube called a pooter. What was the point of [...]
Post on Jan 29, 2008 by Jessica Neely
Who Controls Your Thermostat? Part 2
No, this is not Big Brother. Credit: Jim GunshinanThe answer to the question, Who controls your thermostat?, which I raised in an earlier post, is now clearly answered. You control your thermostat! The California Energy Commission (CEC) was to require, as part of the 2008 Title 24 building standards, that all new homes be outfitted [...]
Post on Jan 25, 2008 by Jim Gunshinan
Cashing in on Carbon
When football fans tune in on Super Bowl Sunday next weekend, they'll be watching a greener Super Bowl, according to the NFL. Demand for carbon credits is booming, with companies from Dell Computer to Enterprise Rent-a-Car offering their customers offsets with their purchases. But critics are concerned that consumers don't know what they're buying – [...]
Post on Jan 24, 2008 by Lauren Sommer
The Eyes Have It
How can you tell when someone's smile is fake? See if you can tell from the 2 images below:* A real, spontaneous smile incorporates tiny muscles around the eye that are nearly impossible to contract at will. You can see this for yourself in an exhibit called "Polite Smile, Delight Smile" part of the Exploratorium's [...]
Post on Jan 24, 2008 by Robin Marks
Famous African American Scientists
Diversity of thought has always been a cornerstone of science; however, diversity amongst scientists has often gone unnoticed. Martin Luther King’s birthday was just celebrated in remembrance of his leadership in the African American community. However, he is not the only pioneer who has brought about great and lasting change. Below are just two examples [...]
Post on Jan 23, 2008 by Cat
Curing mouse sickle cell anemia with stem cells
Last blog I talked about how scientists turned skin cells into embryonic stem (ES) cells. This was big news because scientists can now make an ES-like cell without destroying an embryo. This blog I thought I'd talk about how scientists have used these cells to cure a mouse’s sickle cell anemia. If the mouse stays [...]
Post on Jan 21, 2008 by Dr. Barry Starr
An Asteroid's Close Call
This has been a month of dashed hopes for astronomers around the world. Last month it seemed possible that an asteroid the size of a Boeing 737 jet was due to collide with Mars on January 30. Today that seems far less likely, but, as Amy Standen reports, astronomers consider it a wake up call. [...]
Post on Jan 17, 2008 by Amy Standen
Near Mars Object
Victoria Crater on Mars, similar in size to the crater the near-Mars asteroid 2007 WD 5 would have produced. Credit: NASA/Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter The possibility that a sizable asteroid would strike the planet Mars on January 30th temporarily raised the excitement level in the astronomical community to a pretty high level in the last couple [...]
Post on Jan 16, 2008 by Ben Burress
Centers of the universe
Cosmic microwave background and the infant universe. From the WMAP science team.It was on the UC Berkeley astronomy website this morning that I was reminded of something I had wanted to post for QUEST. About a month ago, Cal publicly announced the Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics. This was quite a big deal for the [...]
Post on Jan 14, 2008 by Kyle S. Dawson
2007 Energy Bill a Mixed Bag
It would be easy to think that the 2007 Energy Bill, signed by President Bush at the end of last year, was all about automotive fuel economy. The legislation that requires fleet-wide average fuel economy for cars and light trucks to reach 35 miles per gallon by 2020 has generated a lot of buzz. On [...]
Post on Jan 11, 2008 by Jim Gunshinan
Super Laser
It's one of the most expensive high-tech projects the United States has ever attempted, and some say it will never work. QUEST visits the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, where scientists will soon aim the world's largest laser at a target the size of a pencil eraser. The goal? Nuclear fusion — and, they say, [...]
Post on Jan 10, 2008 by Amy Standen
Wired for wireless: the genetics of text messaging
I love my cell phone. We have a serious relationship. One that may be biologically predetermined. Let me explain. On New Year's Eve I brought my phone with me to San Francisco's Ocean Beach, where I traditionally go, rain or shine, to watch the year's last sunset. I was by myself, but I wasn't alone. [...]
Post on Jan 10, 2008 by Robin Marks
Catching rainbows from distant galaxies
A single email on Sunday afternoon brought my weekend to a screeching halt. Some collaborators made a very exciting discovery and needed to confirm if it was real. This would be the last time we'd have for almost another year on the 10 meter Keck Telescope so I jumped at the chance and scheduled it [...]
Post on Jan 09, 2008 by Kyle S. Dawson
The Great Migration: Cal Academy moves 20 million specimens across town
At 5pm on Sunday January 6, 2008, California Academy of Sciences closed its temporary location in order to start the move back to Golden Gate Park. On September 27, 2008 the Academy will open to the public once again in its new home in the Park. Many curious museum-goers have asked, why the long gap [...]
Post on Jan 09, 2008 by Cat
Have You Seen My Dog? Top 10 Tips for finding lost pets
Nyla – found safe and soundYesterday, a 10:00 am Text Message from friend stated: My Dog Nyla had disappeared. I could use some help. My reply: Whatever you need. I know what it is like to have a missing pet. When my cat Tucker slipped out two years ago around the winter holidays, I was [...]
Post on Jan 07, 2008 by Amy Gotliffe
Stemming the tide of disease
Scientists can now turn skin cells into embryonic stem cells like these.(Image: Nissim Benvenisty)It is amazing how fast stem cell research is accelerating. Six months ago, we had to destroy embryos to get at their precious embryonic stem (ES) cells. Or we had to at least steal them. Now, as 2008 begins, we can turn [...]
Post on Jan 07, 2008 by Dr. Barry Starr
Death Valley Nights
There's nothing like a trip away from the city lights to remind you just how bad light pollution can be here in the Bay Area. The Milky Way in the skies of Death Valley's Devil's Racetrack. Credit: Dan Duriscoe, U.S. National Park ServiceI just got back from my semi-yearly pilgrimage to my favorite spot on [...]
Post on Jan 04, 2008 by Ben Burress
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