Intricate Organic Molecules—Yeah, We Can 3D Print That

Medicine & Technology Mar 16, 2015

Perhaps you’re a neurobiologist looking to isolate endocanibinoids from human brains. Any volunteers to offer their brains up for study? You’re not likely to find any takers, but now thanks to some researchers at the University of Illinois, you may just be able to print your own. That’s right, print. In what the researchers are calling the next step in 3D-printing, with a version specifically designed to tailor to researchers, University of Illinois chemists led by lead researcher Martin Burke have develop a machine that can systematically synthesize thousands of different molecules basically from scratch.

China Seeks Cleaner Air Without an Environmental Movement

Mar 16, 2015

China's latest stance on the environment can be called contradictory even for them. A powerful documentary on air pollution, produced with official support, went viral after it was released online only to be blocked and wiped clean on the Chinese Internet by the government days later. Then, President Xi Jinping vowed to punish "violators" who damage the environment "with an iron hand" and Premier Li Keqiang calling pollution "a blight on people's quality of life" and promising significant cuts in emissions.

Project Aimed at Restoring the Everglades Far Behind Schedule

Mar 16, 2015

The Everglades have taken a beating over the years. So much so that 15 years ago the state of Florida in partnership with federal officials from Washington issued a statement declaring their partnership in the goal of re-establishing the Everglades by 2030.

Conservation Efforts Bring Florida Manatees to Record Numbers

Mar 16, 2015

It seems that efforts to restore the manatee population is beginning to pay off as a record number of manatees have been tallied in Florida's annual survey of endangered marine mammals, state wildlife officials said on Monday.

How One Innovation May Change the Solar Energy Game Forever

Mar 16, 2015

If you’ve ever ventured out into the middle of the desert, you’ve likely encountered a solar field of sorts. On the way to Las Vegas, for example, there exists a solar plant that leverages thousands of glass reflectors to burn hot with the power of the sun. But when it comes to more domesticate uses of the sun, researchers and consumers have been limited by the capabilities of light-absorbing perovskite films used in solar cells. Now, however, thanks to a PhD researcher at Brown University, the tides may have changed.

Swatch Prepares to Gear Up its Smartwatches

Mar 15, 2015

In light of Apple's announcement of its new smartwatch, the Apple Watch, the often secretive Swiss watch industry has remained quiet despite Apple's planned attack on their centuries-old business. But luxury watch manufacturers have already been dabbling with smartwatches of their own, while trying to preserve their products more timeless appeal.

Scientists Shed Light on Beaming Solar Power from Space

Mar 15, 2015

While there might be limits to the amount of solar power we can collect here on Earth, scientists have long been studying the notion of harnessing solar power from the endless supply that can be found in space. Now, what was once just a notion in the mind of researchers has taken a huge step towards becoming a reality.

Giant Tortoise Babies Born in the Wild for the First Time in 100 Years

Mar 15, 2015

The Pinzon giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands are breeding again. For the first time in a century, scientists have found baby giant tortoises that have been born in the wild.

Arctic Winter Ice Reaches All Time Low

Mar 14, 2015

While much of the northeastern and central United States froze to death this snowy winter, the cold chill didn't extend to the north as scientists have discovered that the winter ice levels are at record lows.

Listeriosis Outbreak Now Poses Threat to Ice Cream—Blue Bell Creameries Recalls Products

Mar 14, 2015

It’s in the popcorn, in the caramel apples, and now it’s in the ice cream. It appears that Listeria monocytogenes has some pretty great tastes, seeing as how it has infected all of our favorite treats. And now, in what happens to be the company’s first recall in a successful 108-year history, a new outbreak of Listeriosis has caused Blue Bell Creameries to take its ice cream off of the shelves.

Tropical Cyclone Pam Devastates Vanuatu in the South Pacific

Mar 14, 2015

In the midst of unimaginable destruction, meteorologists say that a cyclone, designated “Cyclone Pam”, will continue to devastate islands in the South Pacific even after the storm brought torrential rains and fierce winds hour after hour since the start of the weekend.

Fluctuations in the Orbit of the Earth Can Impact Global Warming

Mar 13, 2015

A new study from Denmark has found that fluctuations in the orbit of the Earth has been causing periods of dramatic, short-term global warming for at least 1.4 billion years. These fluctuations, known as Milankovitch cycles, are even responsible for some long-term global warming of today’s climate.

Intricate Organic Molecules—Yeah, We Can 3D Print That

Mar 13, 2015

Perhaps you’re a neurobiologist looking to isolate endocanibinoids from human brains. Any volunteers to offer their brains up for study? You’re not likely to find any takers, but now thanks to some researchers at the University of Illinois, you may just be able to print your own. That’s right, print. In what the researchers are calling the next step in 3D-printing, with a version specifically designed to tailor to researchers, University of Illinois chemists led by lead researcher Martin Burke have develop a machine that can systematically synthesize thousands of different molecules basically from scratch.

In the Wake of Ebola—H7N9 Influenza Has Spread in Secret

Mar 13, 2015

In the wake of the Ebola pandemic, researchers in China have identified a virus capable of global infection that has been mutating and brewing on the sidelines. A strain of the avian influenza, the H7N9 flu emerged in eastern China in Feb. 2013 in a small population with a mortality rate of roughly 33%. But over the last year, since it reemerged in October 2013, the virus has been spreading steadily, and mutating along the way. Now public health officials fear that the growing viral infection may soon reach the levels much like the Ebola outbreak, and it is something that researchers are heavily investigating.

Genetic Markers and Immune Response Reveal Origins of PTSD

Mar 13, 2015

While Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become highly stigmatized as a mental health condition within the armed forces, where soldiers often return home from battle with the debilitating condition, it appears that not only may some soldiers be genetically predisposed to it—some may have immunological reactions that even make it worse. In a new study published this week in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, a team of researchers with the University of Southampton (UK) and University of California, San Diego have uncovered the genetic markers that could theoretically allow them to identify soldiers or patients that may be most at risk, even before they’re deployed at all.