MIT's Huggable Robot Teddy Enhances Human Relationships
Dec 17, 2008 |
3.8 / 5 (12) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- It's probably the most sophisticated teddy bear ever designed, but that doesn't stop MIT's companion robot called "the Huggable" from being pretty adorable, as well. The Huggable is the latest ...
Racial tension in a 'split-second'
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 17, 2008 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
0
Interracial and interethnic interactions can often be awkward and stressful for members of both majority and minority groups. People bring certain expectations to their interactions with members of different groups—they often ...
Molecular marker identifies normal stem cells as intestinal tumor source
Dec 17, 2008 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
1
Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have answered a central question in cancer biology: whether normal stem cells can give rise to tumors. Stem cells are immature cells that can renew themselves and give rise ...
Study: Cosmic rays do not explain global warming
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 17, 2008 |
2.8 / 5 (14) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study supports earlier findings by stating that changes in cosmic rays most likely do not contribute to climate change.
Technique provides snapshot of all genes in human genome
Biology /
Dec 17, 2008 |
4.8 / 5 (6) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Like Silly Putty lifting an imprint of the Sunday comics off a newspaper, complex enzymes called RNA polymerases lift information off DNA strands. The polymerases then transcribe those genetic ...
Study: Did early climate impact divert a new glacial age?
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 17, 2008 |
3.2 / 5 (9) |
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The common wisdom is that the invention of the steam engine and the advent of the coal-fueled industrial age marked the beginning of human influence on global climate.
Planets Living on the Edge
Dec 17, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (6) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- Some stars have it tough when it comes to raising planets. A new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows one unlucky lot of stars, born into a dangerous neighborhood. The stars themselves ...
Cognitive computing: Building a machine that can learn from experience
Dec 17, 2008 |
4 / 5 (7) |
5
(PhysOrg.com) -- Suppose you want to build a computer that operates like the brain of a mammal. How hard could it be? After all, there are supercomputers that can decode the human genome, play chess and calculate ...
Gut instinct: Salmonella bacteria's molecular tactics to cause illness
Biology /
Dec 17, 2008 |
5 / 5 (5) |
1
Hundreds of trillions of bacteria make their home in the vertebrate gut. Though many of these microbes perform helpful duties for their host, others—the pathogens—are unwelcome visitors, causing disease.
Panasonic Develops A Gallium Nitride (GaN) Power Device with A New Junction Structure
Dec 17, 2008 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
0
Panasonic today announced the development of a Gallium Nitride (GaN) -based diode with a new junction structure called "Natural Super Junction". The new GaN diode with low operating loss is applicable to a ...
Are power and compassion mutually exclusive?
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 17, 2008 |
4 / 5 (5) |
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The fact that many cultures emphasize the concept of "noblesse oblige" (the idea that with great power and prestige come responsibilities) suggests that power may diminish a tendency to help others. Psychologist Gerben A. ...
Poor-man's supercomputing goes commercial
Dec 17, 2008 |
4 / 5 (5) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Grid computing technology has long been the darling of cash-strapped academics in desperate need of raw processing power. Now a groundbreaking European research effort has created an industrial-strength platform ...
Researchers find nature's shut-off switch for cellulose production
Biology /
Dec 17, 2008 |
4.5 / 5 (4) |
0
Purdue University researchers found a mechanism that naturally shuts down cellulose production in plants, and learning how to keep that switch turned on may be key to enhancing biomass production for plant-based ...
Male circumcision may decrease risk of HPV infection and cervical cancer
Dec 17, 2008 |
3.4 / 5 (5) |
3
Two new studies suggest that male circumcision may assist in the prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly infection with the high-risk subtypes associated with cervical, penile, and other cancers. ...
Sex difference on spatial skill test linked to brain structure
Dec 17, 2008 |
4.3 / 5 (4) |
0
Men consistently outperform women on spatial tasks, including mental rotation, which is the ability to identify how a 3-D object would appear if rotated in space. Now, a University of Iowa study shows a connection between ...
