Dark Energy News

Measuring the Mysterious ‘Dark’ Force - NYTimes.com

"Measurements of the lack of growth of galaxy clusters over the last five billion years put astronomers one step closer, they say, toward narrowing the possible explanations of dark energy, the mysterious force that is speeding up the universe..."

Saturn's Water

Plumes from Saturn moon may come from liquid water | Science | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Huge plumes of water vapor and ice particles are spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus at supersonic speeds in a way that strongly suggests they come from liquid water down below the icy surface, scientists said.

The research, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, offers new evidence that the moon may harbor an underground ocean of water, meaning conditions might exist that could support life, even if only microbial organisms..."

Good News For Sweeties

Quoted from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090801015.html:

 

Under-the-Skin Blood Sugar Monitor Boosts Diabetes Control

 

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
Monday, September 8, 2008; 12:00 AM

MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A device worn under the skin that measures blood sugar 24/7 can benefit people with type 1 diabetes, a new study shows.

 

"Continuous glucose monitoring" consists of a disposable blood sugar sensor placed under the skin, worn for a few days and then replaced. The sensor sends data to a transmitter which, in turn, sends it to a receiver worn like a pager. The receiver displays blood glucose levels on a continuous basis.

 

The device used in the study "monitors blood glucose about every five minutes," said lead researcher Dr. Roy W. Beck, from the Jaeb Center for Health Research in Tampa, Fla. "We evaluated how much benefit, if any, that could have on control of diabetes in both children and adults with type 1 diabetes," he said...

Solar Power Breakthrough

Solar Power Breakthrough Stores Energy for Later Use: "Solar Power Breakthrough Stores Energy for Later Use
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, August 2, 2008 (ENS) - Within 10 years, homeowners could power their homes in daylight with solar photovoltaic cells, while using excess solar energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water to power a household fuel cell. If the new process developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology finds acceptance in the marketplace, electricity-by-wire from a central source could be a thing of the past.

'This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years,' said MIT's Daniel Nocera, senior author of a paper describing the simple, inexpensive, and efficient process for storing solar energy in the July 31 issue of the journal 'Science.'

'Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon,' Nocera said..."

Pill Pooped

Exercise in a pill? Researchers find two | Science | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers who genetically engineered 'marathon mice' that could run for hours have found two pills that can mimic the effects -- and they have already developed a test for the drugs in case athletes try to cheat with them.

The drugs reproduce many of the biological benefits of exercise, helping cells burn fat better and boosting endurance, said Ronald Evans, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California.

One of the pills may some day help people enhance their exercise or training, while the other might be more suited for couch potatoes who need to kick-start themselves, Evans and colleagues reported on Thursday in the journal Cell."

Fat Cells Forever

BBC NEWS | Health | Fat cell numbers 'set for life': "No amount of dieting will alter the number of fat-hoarding cells in our bodies, research has suggested.

Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden say that the number is set during adolescence and stays the same, regardless of obesity later in life...."

Record Catfish

Angler Releases Probable World Record Catfish
See the Pictures
posted January 23, 2008

A TWRA Fisheries Biologist recently distributed this e-mail to his counterparts across the state.

"Attached are a couple of photos of a monster blue catfish caught near Greenville, Mississippi by an elderly man who let the fish go after his wife took the pictures. The weight of the catfish is unknown, though some catfish anglers guessed it to be at least 150 pounds. It looks like 200 pounds to me. For sure it would have been a new world record."

New Chip Type

BBC NEWS | Technology | Electronics' 'missing link' found: "Details of an entirely new kind of electronic device, which could make chips smaller and far more efficient, have been outlined by scientists.

The new components, described by scientists at Hewlett-Packard, are known as 'memristors'."...

New AF Bomber May Also Fly Recon

New AF Bomber May Also Fly Recon: "This article first appeared in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.

The U.S. Air Force is considering fielding a variant of its next-generation bomber that could collect intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) undetected behind enemy lines.

Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne says the service is on “a quest to have long-range reconnaissance.” He says that an unmanned version of the bomber, which is expected to be fielded in 2018, would be a strong candidate for this mission..."

Six Things in Expelled That Ben Stein Doesn't Want You to Know...: Scientific American

Six Things in Expelled That Ben Stein Doesn't Want You to Know...: Scientific American: "In the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, narrator Ben Stein poses as a 'rebel' willing to stand up to the scientific establishment in defense of freedom and honest, open discussion of controversial ideas like intelligent design (ID). But Expelled has some problems of its own with honest, open presentations of the facts about evolution, ID—and with its own agenda. Here are a few examples—add your own with a comment, and we may add it to another draft of this story. For our complete coverage, see 'Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed—Scientific American's Take..."

Finding God

Key scientist sure God particle will be found soon | U.S. | Reuters: "GENEVA (Reuters) - British physicist Peter Higgs said on Monday it should soon be possible to prove the existence of a force which gives mass to the universe and makes life possible -- as he first argued 40 years ago.

Higgs said he believes a particle named the 'Higgs boson', which originates from the force, will be found when a vast particle collider at the CERN research centre on the Franco-Swiss border begins operating fully early next year..."

I Want One

3-D TV

Live hoops game gets 3-D treatment in Dallas theater | Sports | Reuters: "LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - High-definition pioneer Mark Cuban is using his NBA team and Landmark Theater chain to orchestrate a rare 3-D broadcast of a live event.

Tuesday night's National Basketball Assn. game between Cuban's Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers will be presented live in 3-D via satellite to fans at a theater in Dallas. It's a 'pilot exhibition,' an event that serves to underscore the belief that live 3-D represents a new alternative content opportunity..."

Hell Hopper

Prehistoric 'frog from hell' hints at ancient land link - earth - 18 February 2008 - New Scientist Environment: "'The frog from hell' - a giant fossil found in Madagascar - has opened a rift among researchers over when an ancient land bridge closed. The finding supports the controversial view that South America and Madagascar were linked until 80 million years ago - far more recently than previously thought..."