ScienceDaily: Top Science News

http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/top_science/ Top science news, featured on ScienceDaily's home page.en-usThu, 28 Feb 2013 15:16:53 ESTThu, 28 Feb 2013 15:16:53 EST60http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/top_science/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113447.htm A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulfide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research considers the composition of the oceans 550-700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113447.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113436.htm Using new technology at the telescope and in laboratories, researchers have discovered an important pair of prebiotic molecules in interstellar space. The discoveries indicate that some basic chemicals that are key steps on the way to life may have formed on dusty ice grains floating between the stars.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113436.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113401.htm An international team of scientists have discovered a meteorite with a mass of 18 kilograms embedded in the East Antarctic ice sheet, the largest?such meteorite found in the region since 1988.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228113401.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103341.htm Astronomers have obtained what is likely the first direct observation of a forming planet still embedded in a thick disc of gas and dust. If confirmed, this discovery will greatly improve our understanding of how planets form and allow astronomers to test the current theories against an observable target.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103341.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093833.htm The acceleration of a free electron by a laser is a long-time goal of solid-state physicists. Physicists have established that an electron beam can be accelerated by a laser in free space. This has never been done before at high energies and represents a significant breakthrough, and may have implications for fusion as a new energy source.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093833.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093829.htm In a significant advance for brain-computer interfaces, engineers have developed a novel wireless, broadband, rechargeable, fully implantable brain sensor that has performed well in animal models for more than a year.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093829.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093823.htm Researchers have electronically linked the brains of pairs of rats for the first time, enabling them to communicate directly to solve simple behavioral puzzles. A further test of this work successfully linked the brains of two animals thousands of miles apart -- one in Durham, N.C., and one in Natal, Brazil.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228093823.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080242.htm Order tends towards disorder. This is also true for quantum states. Measurements show that in quantum mechanics this transition can be quite different from what we experience in our daily lives.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:02:02 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080242.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183502.htm Bearded capuchin monkeys deliberately place palm nuts in a stable position on a surface before trying to crack them open, revealing their capacity to use tactile information to improve tool use.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183502.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183311.htm For the first time, scientists have shown that transplanted eyes located far outside the head in a vertebrate animal model can confer vision without a direct neural connection to the brain. Biologists used a frog model to shed new light -- literally -- on one of the major questions in regenerative medicine and sensory augmentation research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183311.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151306.htm Researchers have achieved a major advance in understanding how genetic information is transcribed from DNA to RNA by providing the first step-by-step look at the biomolecular machinery that reads the human genome.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151306.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134425.htm Unique fossils literally 'lift the lid' on ancient creature's head to expose one of the earliest examples of food manipulating limbs in evolutionary history, dating from around 530 million years ago.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:44:44 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134425.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134340.htm After four years of confinement to a wheelchair, Rick Constantine, 58, is now walking again after undergoing an unconventional surgery to restore the use of his leg.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134340.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134336.htm As a bird sings, some neurons in its brain prepare to make the next sounds while others are synchronized with the current notes?a coordination of physical actions and brain activity that is needed to produce complex movements. The finding that may lead to new ways of understanding human speech production.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134336.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134334.htm A new study reports that a viral predator of the cholera bacteria has stolen the functional immune system of bacteria and is using it against its bacterial host. This provides the first evidence that this type of virus, the bacteriophage, can acquire an adaptive immune system. The study has implications for phage therapy, the use of phages to treat bacterial diseases.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134334.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227132544.htm Two X-ray space observatories, NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton, have teamed up to measure definitively, for the first time, the spin rate of a black hole with a mass 2 million times that of our sun.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227132544.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htm While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a new study, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers. Children may be most vulnerable.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htm A look at how the brain processes information finds distinct pattern in autistic children. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers found structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at expense of long-distance links. The study, using "network analysis" like with airlines or electrical grids, may help in understanding some classic autistic behaviors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102022.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101951.htm Oocytes of lions, tigers and other cat species survive the preservation in liquid nitrogen. Scientists have now succeeded in carrying out cryopreservation of felid ovary cortex.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101951.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htm Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htm A new study offers the first evidence of source memory in a nonhuman animal. The findings have fascinating implications, both in evolutionary terms and for future research into the biological underpinnings of memory, as well as the treatment of diseases marked by memory failure such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's, or disorders such as schizophrenia, PTSD and depression.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htm Scientists are using a novel fabrication process to create ultra-efficient solar energy rectennas capable of harvesting more than 70 percent of the sun's electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously converting it into usable electric power.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085842.htm Continuing a tradition stretching back more than 25 centuries, astronomers have used the new 2.3-meter 'Aristarchos' telescope, sited at Helmos Observatory (2340m high) in the Pelοponnese Mountains in Greece, to determine the distance to and history of an enigmatic stellar system, discovering it to likely be a binary star cocooned within an exotic nebula.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085842.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htm Pregnant women should avoid taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. Substitution appears to raise the risk of children developing a food allergy after birth.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htm An international team led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has documented a 78 percent decline in the number of nests of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at the turtle's last stronghold in the Pacific Ocean.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htm Researchers are testing the power of holography to artificially stimulate cells in the eye, with hopes of developing a new strategy for bionic vision restoration. Computer-generated holography, they say, could be used in conjunction with a technique called optogenetics, which uses gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to damaged retinal nerve cells. In conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), these light-sensing cells degenerate and lead to blindness.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htm Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, scientists have shown in a study of water fleas. Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htm Glass doesn't have to be brittle. Scientists propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile -- a property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum -- and assert that any glass could have either quality.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htm Scientists have developed a new method that better preserves the units necessary to power lightning-fast electronics, known as qubits. Hole spins, rather than electron spins, can keep quantum bits in the same physical state up to 10 times longer than before, the report finds.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htm Fresh insights into the protective seal that surrounds the DNA of our cells could help develop treatments for inherited muscle, brain, bone and skin disorders. Researchers have discovered that the proteins within this coating -- known as the nuclear envelope -- vary greatly between cells in different organs of the body.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htm Researchers have demonstrated a stretchable lithium-ion battery -- a flexible device capable of powering their innovative stretchable electronics. The battery can stretch up to 300 percent of its original size and still function -- even when stretched, folded, twisted and mounted on a human elbow. The battery enables true integration of electronics and power into a small, stretchable package that is wirelessly rechargeable.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htm Firefighters now have a new tool that could help save lives. A team of researchers have developed a new technique using digital holography that can "see" people through intense flames -- the first time a holographic recording of a live person has been achieved while the body is moving. The new technique allows imaging through both.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htm Scientists have long been dreaming about building a computer that would work like a brain. This is because a brain is far more energy-saving than a computer, it can learn by itself, and it doesn't need any programming. Scientists are experimenting with memristors -- electronic microcomponents that imitate natural nerves.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htm Researchers have successfully generated human kidney cells from human embryonic stem cells in vitro1. Specifically, they produced the renal cells under artificial conditions in the lab without using animals or organs. This has not been possible until now.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htm Researchers have succeeded in showing experimentally that vacuums have properties not previously observed. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, it is a state with abundant potentials. Vacuums contain momentarily appearing and disappearing virtual pairs, which can be converted into detectable light particles.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htm Results of a major study aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases show that such a diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htm Researchers have found significantly higher levels of toxic metals in children with autism, compared to typical children. They hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help lessen symptoms of autism, though they say this hypotheses needs further examination.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153130.htm For decades scientists around the world have attempted to regenerate primary liver cells known as hepatocytes because of their numerous biomedical applications, including hepatitis research, drug metabolism and toxicity studies, as well as transplantation for cirrhosis and other chronic liver conditions. But no lab in the world has been successful in identifying and growing liver stem cells in culture -- using any available technique -- until now.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153130.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153128.htm The world has suffered from severe regional weather extremes in recent years, such as the heat wave in the United States in 2011. Behind these devastating individual events there is a common physical cause, propose scientists in a new study. It suggests that human-made climate change repeatedly disturbs the patterns of atmospheric flow around the globe's Northern hemisphere through a subtle resonance mechanism.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153128.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153126.htm Particles from the upper atmosphere trapped in a deep pile of Antarctic snow hold clear chemical traces of global meteorological events, climate scientists from France have found. Anomalies in oxygen found in sulfate particles coincide with several episodes of the world-wide disruption of weather known as El Nino and can be distinguished from similar signals left by the eruption of huge volcanoes, the team reports.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153126.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153124.htm Scientists have concluded that during the Late Archaic, maize (corn) was a primary component in the diet of people living in the Norte Chico region of Peru, an area of remarkable cultural florescence in 3rd millennium B.C. Up until now, the prevailing theory was that marine resources, not agriculture and corn, provided the economic engine behind the development of civilization in the Andean region of Peru.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153124.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153122.htm Environmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread chemical found in plastics and resins, may suppress a gene vital to nerve cell function and to the development of the central nervous system, according to a new study.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153122.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131618.htm Even dying stars could host planets with life -- and if such life exists, we might be able to detect it within the next decade. This encouraging result comes from a new theoretical study of Earth-like planets orbiting white dwarf stars. Researchers found that we could detect oxygen in the atmosphere of a white dwarf's planet much more easily than for an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:16:16 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131618.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htm People become more politically liberal immediately after practising a spiritual exercise such as meditation, researchers have found.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225131532.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122045.htm New maps by scientists show how rising sea temperatures are likely to affect all coral reefs in the form of annual coral bleaching events under different emission scenarios. If carbon emissions stay on the current path most of the world's coral reefs (74 percent) are projected to experience coral bleaching conditions annually by 2045, results of the study show.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225122045.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htm Low-birth-weight babies with a particular brain abnormality are at greater risk for autism, according to a new study that could provide doctors a signpost for early detection of the still poorly understood disorder.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112510.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112508.htm Researchers developed a model that can help determine the future range of nearly any disease-causing parasite under climate change, even if little is known about the organism. Their method calculates how the projected temperature change for an area would alter the creature's metabolism and life cycle.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:25:25 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112508.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225102141.htm Researchers have demonstrated the existence of communicative signalling from female mice that induces male parental behavior.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225102141.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092252.htm Researchers have refined a method they previously developed for capturing and analyzing cancer cells that break away from patients' tumors and circulate in the blood. With the improvements to their device, which uses a Velcro-like nanoscale technology, they can now detect and isolate single cancer cells from patient blood samples for analysis.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225092252.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142917.htm A new method of harvesting the sun's energy is emerging. Though still in its infancy, the research promises to convert sunlight into energy using a process based on metals that are more robust than many of the semiconductors used in conventional methods.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142917.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142829.htm Scientists have demonstrated a quantum algorithm that performs a true calculation for the first time. Quantum algorithms could one day enable the design of new materials, pharmaceuticals or clean energy devices.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:28:28 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142829.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142725.htm The islands Reunion and Mauritius, both well-known tourist destinations, are hiding a micro-continent, which has now been discovered. The continent fragment known as Mauritia detached about 60 million years ago while Madagascar and India drifted apart, and had been hidden under huge masses of lava.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:27:27 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142725.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224124635.htm Scientists are putting their bananas away, because chimpanzees don't need any persuading when it comes to getting stuck into brain games.Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224124635.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130223111356.htm For years researchers have been searching for a way to treat diabetics by reactivating their insulin-producing beta cells, with limited success. The "reprogramming" of related alpha cells into beta cells may one day offer a novel and complementary approach for treating type 2 diabetes. Treating human and mouse cells with compounds that modify cell nuclear material called chromatin induced the expression of beta cell genes in alpha cells, according to a new study.Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:13:13 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130223111356.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222143233.htm Running cockroaches start to recover from being shoved sideways before their dawdling nervous system kicks in to tell their legs what to do, researchers have found. These new insights on how biological systems stabilize could one day help engineers design steadier robots and improve doctors' understanding of human gait abnormalities.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:32:32 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222143233.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222143142.htm Researchers have now found stem cells inside the parasite that cause schistosomiasis, one of the most common parasitic infections in the world. These stem cells can regenerate worn-down organs, which may help explain how they can live for years or even decades inside their host.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222143142.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222120753.htm Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human.Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:07:07 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130222120753.htm

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RolePlayGateway?

[hr][/hr]
[center][img]Character?s name as a logo goes here.[/img][/center]

[center]| [character's role] | [character's age] | [character's sexuality] |[/center]

[center][img]Gif or still of your character here[/img][/center]
[hr][/hr]

[center]| ? = Neutral | ? = Friends | ? = Romantic Interest | ? = Enemies |[/center]

[list]
[*]? [b]Anneka Vanity:[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Anthony de la Longine:[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Clara Mason:[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Evony de la Longine:[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Haley de la Longine:[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Jasper James:[/b]Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Kaydence Dixen:[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Natasha Peirce :[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.

[*]? [b]Regan Monaco:[/b] Symbol first, and couple of sentences in quotes, in your character's own words, regarding their relationship with them.
[/list]

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Crowds gather for pope's Sunday blessing

Pope Benedict XVI receives Guatemala's President Otto Perez Molina, center, and his wife Rosa Perez, left, during a private audience at Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, pool)

Pope Benedict XVI receives Guatemala's President Otto Perez Molina, center, and his wife Rosa Perez, left, during a private audience at Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, pool)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square for Pope Benedict XVI's first Sunday window blessing since his stunning retirement announcement, and the second-to-last before he leaves the papacy.

The traditional noon appointment normally attracts a few thousand pilgrims and tourists, but city officials were expecting as many as 150,000 people to flock to the vast cobblestone square for one of their last chances to see the pontiff before he relinquishes his stewardship of the Roman Catholic church and its nearly 1.2 billion members.

"We wanted to wish him well," said Amy Champion, a tourist from Wales. "It takes a lot of guts to take the job and even more guts ... to quit."

From Sunday evening, the pope will be out of the public eye for an entire week: A meditation service at the Vatican marks the beginning of the traditional Lenten period of reflection and prayer.

Rome threw on extra buses and subway trains to help deal with the expected crush of people, and offered free shuttle vans for the elderly and disabled.

Benedict shocked the world last week by announcing he is resigning on Feb. 28 ? the first papal abdication in 600 years. While cardinals elect his successor next month in a secrecy-steeped conclave in the Sistine Chapel, the ailing, 85-year-old Benedict will be in retreat at the Holy See's summer estate in the hills southeast of Rome.

After several weeks, he is expected to move into a monastery being refurbished for him behind Vatican City's walls and lead a largely cloistered life.

The Vatican hasn't announced the date of the start of the conclave, but said on Saturday that it might start sooner than March 15, the earliest date it can be launched under current rules. Benedict would have to sign off on any earlier date, an act that would be one of the last of his nearly eight-year papacy.

Meanwhile, the first cardinals started arriving in Rome to begin a period of intense politicking among the "princes of the church" to decide who are the leading candidates to be the next pope. Guinea-born Archbishop Robert Sarah, a cardinal who leads the Vatican's charity office, told reporters when he arrived Sunday at Rome's airport that the churchmen should select their new leader with "serenity and trust."

__

Daniela Petroff contributed reporting.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-17-Vatican-Pope/id-a190a9f047ce4e9a9b576a49754b3fb6

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Style army The extended life of military attire

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The extended life of military attire

Friday,February 15th 2013

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Trends have taught us that everything can be reincarnated. Throw out nothing, slight nothing, fashion cycles and recycles. Yet, there are those styles that are eternally en vogue. Alongside the white shirt and the blazer, military-inspired looks are a man?s go-to classics.

Traditionally the most formal of attire, now a weekend uniform: think cargo pants and cotton shirt, or just a t-shirt, with trench coats, bermudas and lace-ups. Your color options are varied (although khaki and camouflage are the favorites). ?Rambo? style takes to the urban streets.

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LG's 55-inch OLED HDTV ships in Korea next week, has 100 pre-orders so far

We saw all the 2013 HDTVs debut last month at CES and the first few new models are starting to reach shelves. One of the more interesting sets arriving is LG's 55-inch OLED HDTV, the first of its kind at this large size. Shipments are starting Monday for the 11 million won ($10k~) television, and according to a press release, LG has notched about 100 pre-orders so far in its home country. For comparison, LG announced it sold 300 of its 84-inch, $20k Ultra HDTV in Korea as of last month. LG also mentioned it plans to sell as many as 15 percent more HDTVs in 2013 than it did in 2012, as it continues to push its Smart and 3D features. We're still waiting for Samsung to release its own OLED HDTVs, while this one is still slated to ship in the US in March for $11,999.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Reuters, LG Korea, Yonhap News

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/14/lg-55em9700-oled-hdtv-100-preorders/

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Golf has an offseason if the players want

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Graeme McDowell tried not to watch golf on TV the last few months to avoid the temptation to play. Adam Scott has been so far removed from the game that he didn't learn about Phil Mickelson's cruel lipout for a 59 until he finished his pro-am round Wednesday at Riviera.

"Was it a big lipout? Oh, that stinks," Scott said.

It's not that news travels slowly Down Under. But when the 32-year-old Australian gets away from golf, he really gets away. Asked if he had any idea what's gone on over the last six weeks of the PGA Tour season, Scott mentioned Brandt Snedeker winning at Pebble Beach after being runner-up in consecutive weeks.

"I know Brandt is playing really good," he said. "I was in America last weekend."

As much as golf is played around the clock and around the world, there's still time for a long winter's nap. The offseason is as long as players want it to be.

McDowell, Scott and Luke Donald are proof of that.

They are playing together the opening two rounds of the Northern Trust Open, which is only fitting. They are the only three players from the top 20 in the world who have yet to play anywhere in the world this year.

Donald last played in Dubai last November. McDowell hasn't played since winning the World Challenge up the road at Sherwood the week after Thanksgiving. Scott's most recent tournament was the second weekend of December at the Australian Open.

It's a formula that works for Donald.

Two years ago, he returned from a long break, shot 79 in the second round at Riviera to miss the cut, and then won a week later in the Match Play Championship, the first step toward going to No. 1 in the world.

"It's been a long year, and it's hard to find breaks and it's hard to find time where you can actually work on your swing to try and make some improvements with your game," Donald said. "So I took a decent amount of time off, but I feel rested, ready to go."

McDowell learned the hard day. Coming off his dream season in 2010 ? a U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach, the clinching point for Europe in the Ryder Cup, coming from four shots behind to beat Tiger Woods at Sherwood ? he started up again in Hawaii and never felt like he had time to recharge.

He took 10 weeks off this year, the longest break since he can remember. It was long enough to joke about the white legs of his English caddie, Ken Comboy.

And he has no regrets.

"You have to be disciplined enough to do it," McDowell said as he walked down the first fairway on a gorgeous day off Sunset Boulevard. "I resisted the temptation to turn the TV on the last month to see guys at Kapalua, to see guys at Torrey Pines, to see guys at Phoenix. It's hard especially for the guys playing two tours. You play right up into December and then you've got to tee it up in the Middle East. If you play the European Tour, there is no offseason."

McDowell said he has been bombarded with tweets from his followers in recent weeks, asking why he wasn't at Abu Dhabi or any of the West Coast events on the PGA Tour.

"It's hard to turn down great purses, great sponsors, great courses," he said. "But you've got to pick and choose if you want career longevity."

This is one course he didn't want to miss, and that's true for so many others.

Riviera is one of the classic courses on the PGA Tour, and the field is so deep that three players who finished in the top 10 last week at Pebble Beach did not get into the Northern Trust because there wasn't any room for them.

It is the strongest field on the PGA Tour this year, with 16 of the top 25 players from the world ranking.

"This is why a lot of guys fly a long way to get here," Ernie Els said.

Fred Couples is playing for the 31st time, simply because he loves Riviera and it's one of the courses where he still feels he can win. Couples won this tournament twice.

Scott won at Riviera, even though it didn't count. The tournament was hit so hard by rain in 2005 that it took until Monday before 36 holes could be completed, and he won in a playoff. Because it was 36 holes, all he got was the money ? not an official win.

Weather shouldn't be an issue this week, with sunshine in the forecast through Sunday.

Scott's swing looked as sweet as ever on the range and in his pro-am round, and there's a reason for that. While he hasn't played competitively since the Australian Open in Sydney, he has been playing plenty of golf.

"Having this break has been really good for me," Scott said. "I've played a lot of golf, actually. I'm loving golf. A couple of years ago, my frustration level was so high I could have gone six weeks without playing. I like playing now, playing with my mom and dad, and I've played a lot."

Most of his golf was played in Queensland while he was home, and it included a trip with his parents to Barnbougle in Tasmania. He is anything but rusty, though the next few days will give him a gauge on tournament golf.

This break was not an accident. Scott plans to play four of the next five weeks, only missing the Honda Classic. His aim, like other players, is to be fresh in the summer.

"There isn't a long offseason is you don't want there to be one," Scott said. "I've played plenty of golf over the last 10 or 12 years as a pro, and I'm going to play heaps more. Missing a few events is not going to hurt me. My main focus is to be prepared, being fresh and ready during the major season. If you rush out and play a bunch early, when June comes around, you're fatigued early. And that's the biggest golf there is."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/golf-offseason-players-want-232550417--golf.html

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This App Uses The Power Of You To Report The Weather

This map shows data reported by users of the mPING app during Friday's blizzard in the Northeast.

The PING Project

This map shows data reported by users of the mPING app during Friday's blizzard in the Northeast.

The PING Project

If you love to talk about the weather ? or want to help collect information about it ? a new smartphone app may be for you.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma are giving regular folks an opportunity to fiddle with weather reporting. Using crowdsourcing, the mobile Precipitation Identification Near the Ground app collects geographic, winter precipitation data from users. The mPING app also links to a map showing weather reports sent in by locals.

The data collected by the app will help weather officials program radar to determine exactly what's falling near you. For example, is it hail or mixed rain?

The free app is currently available for the iOS and Android operating systems.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma's new mPING app helps forecasters capture a better description of falling precipitation.

Screengrab of mPING

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma's new mPING app helps forecasters capture a better description of falling precipitation.

Screengrab of mPING

Users anonymously update reports by selecting a variation of winter weather between "none" and "graupel/snow grains,"* their GPS location is noted, and information is sent in to NOAA. (It can also be done through NOAA's website, but an extra step of figuring out your longitude and latitude has to be completed.)

"The purpose of PING is to give us ground observations of precipitation types that are not well observed from automatic systems," Kim Elmore, a science researcher working on the project, told All Things Considered. He says the gathered information will be used to build algorithms for newly upgraded radars.

The data can also help officials and the public prepare for severe weather, he says.

The PING project captures data from locals on its app or website. Users are able to choose from different types of precipitation.

Screengrab of mPING

The PING project captures data from locals on its app or website. Users are able to choose from different types of precipitation.

Screengrab of mPING

"If we can better marshal our resources for dealing with it, then it may not cost quite so much and people may not be in quite such jeopardy," Elmore says. Throwing salt, buying sand, fixing wires and removing fallen trees can be constant expenses, he adds.

mPING is just the latest weather app to use crowdsourcing. Others include Weddar, which asks users to add a colorful description of the weather; and Metwit, a hyperlocal app that lets you pin photos to your weather reporting.

The app had a "soft launch" in December, but it has already become popular.

Elmore estimates about 20,000 people have downloaded the app and nearly 60,000 reports have been submitted. The project itself has been around since 2006, using different methods like cold-calling to verify falling precipitation.

Much of its popularity may come from the high level of interest in weather and science, Elmore says. The "real hook" is the data readily available for people to view on their phones.

So this app may not break the ice for your weather forecasting career, but it may someday help your local weatherman have an accurate picture of what's going on outside your window.

* In case you're wondering, NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory says graupel (aka soft hail or snow pellets) are "soft small pellets of ice created when supercooled water droplets coat a snowflake."

NPR Digital News intern Brian De Los Santos contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/02/12/171715999/this-app-uses-the-power-of-you-to-report-the-weather?ft=1&f=1007

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Gun control advocates deliver 35,000 petitions on eve of State of the Union (Washington Bureau)

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'The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born' | Morocco World News

By Mounir Beniche

Morocco World News

Meknes, Morocco, February 11, 2013

After transcending the myth of fear, many Arab countries have revolted against undemocratic regimes calling for their freedom and rights. Such an awakening has lead to the fall of some regimes and major changes in others. However, has what is the so-called the Arab Spring reached its goals?

After two years, we still see more tensions, rivers of blood, daily protests and recently political assassinations. Our horizon of expectations is shocked when we still see violent demonstrations, states? and people?s security at stake.

The post-Arab Spring ,which is supposed to be an alternative and an era of building trust between the state and people signing a new contract based on democratic values, is losing its aura. What?s happening now looks like a nightmare. Young people?s dream of embracing a new horizon, in which there is the reign of law and responsive state institutions, is shaken when scenes of chaos and disorder are still the most dominant in media coverage.

Morocco, unlike other neighboring counties, has chosen another path: change within stability. Some political analysts have seen such path as the Moroccan exception and a wise choice to not jeopardize Moroccan stability. Such a perspective hasn?t been welcomed by other political activists who are calling for more radical changes.

After conducting a democratic election and the victory of the PJD, the Islamist party, most Moroccans were delighted to have such a choice that raised in its electoral campaign a slogan targeting despotism and corruption among those in power. However, after one year most Moroccans still see no real changes. Corruption is increasing despite the efforts in the media to raise public awareness about the problem, young people with college degrees calling for jobs are badly beaten daily near the parliament, the gap between the rich and the poor is getting larger, and no real reform has occurred in the educational system, etc.

The head of the government, Abdilah Benkirane, in his frequent discourses talks about crocodiles and ghosts without mentioning them by names. He considers them the resistors of change and democracy. Hence, is such discourse tenable and practical, especially from a man who is in power and he is elected democratically? If the head of the government can?t name the cat by its name, what about the lay men and women?

Benkirane should, rather, be bold and brave enough to speak the truth and to make Moroccans, who trust his party and voted for change and democracy, aware of who these people are. Democracy building is a task based on clarity, engagement and mutual trust. Better to face people with the bitter truth than to soothe them with unforgivable excuses. Political leadership requires responsibility and taking the right decisions in due time regardless of the possible consequences. The democratization of Morocco is a process that is in need of more sacrifice and courage.

This process should involve also the opposition which seems to be divided and scattered. Worse of all, some of it is not leading even a real internal democracy. We hear daily in local newspapers about undemocratic deeds in their internal elections, subdivisions, alliances and conspiracies amidst free-floating accusations. The so called historical parties whose ex-leaders sacrificed themselves for this nation challenging all the dire conditions are now running after their own benefits and egocentrism.

The rationale behind honing in on such a political landscape, that is framing Morocco after the democratic spring, is to put us under the microscope of the bitter reality; admitting that the real waves of change are still downloading. In a nutshell, we can state as the Ghanaian author Ayi Kwei Armah wrote in his novel THE BEAUTIFUL ONES ARE NOT YET BORN .

?Mounir Beniche is a contributor to Morocco World News from Meknes

The views expressed in this article are the author?s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News? editorial policy

? Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/77951/the-beautiful-ones-are-not-yet-born/

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First Person: Bronx, N.Y., One Day After Winter Storm Nemo

Humanity and wildlife aren?t often thought of as compatible entities. After all, people are the reason that the world?s panda population is dwindling, elephants and rhinos are being poached into near nonexistence and on our own soil, bear cubs are being orphaned by the dozens. But the idea that we can coexist peacefully is more than a utopian dream; in Namibia, it?s a reality, and it?s helping protect the country?s endangered cheetah population.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/first-person-bronx-n-y-one-day-winter-204900460.html

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Kids rewarded for good manners at Wash. restaurant

This photo provided by Laura King shows a receipt for dinner at Sogno di Vino in Kingston, Wash. To Laura King, her three children were acting normal while enjoying dinner at the Italian restaurant in their hometown in Washington state. But staffers of the restaurant were so impressed at her children's table manners that they thanked her kids and gave the family of five a bowl of ice cream. It wasn't until King got home that that she noticed a $4 "well-behaved kids" discount on her receipt to cover the dessert. (AP Photo)

This photo provided by Laura King shows a receipt for dinner at Sogno di Vino in Kingston, Wash. To Laura King, her three children were acting normal while enjoying dinner at the Italian restaurant in their hometown in Washington state. But staffers of the restaurant were so impressed at her children's table manners that they thanked her kids and gave the family of five a bowl of ice cream. It wasn't until King got home that that she noticed a $4 "well-behaved kids" discount on her receipt to cover the dessert. (AP Photo)

This photo provided by Laura King shows the King family, from left, Chris, Miles, Sydney, Laura and Elle. To Laura King, her three children were acting normal while enjoying dinner at the Italian restaurant in their hometown in Washington state. But staffers of the restaurant Sogno di Vino in Kingston were so impressed at her children's table manners that they thanked her kids and gave the family of five a bowl of ice cream. It wasn't until King got home that that she noticed a $4 "well-behaved kids" discount on her receipt to cover the dessert. (AP Photo)

SEATTLE (AP) ? To Laura King, her three children were acting normal while enjoying dinner at an Italian restaurant in their hometown in Washington state.

But staffers of the restaurant Sogno di Vino in Poulsbo were so impressed with her children's table manners during their Feb. 1 dinner that they thanked her kids and gave the family of five a bowl of ice cream.

It wasn't until King got home that that she noticed a $4 "well behaved kids" discount on her receipt to cover the dessert. A friend posted a picture of the receipt on the website Reddit, and the story took off.

"The server said staff didn't even know there were kids at the table," said King, whose children are 2, 3, and 8 years old.

King said it's been entertaining to see all the attention her story has gotten, and she plans to dine at Sogno di Vino again soon.

Sogno di Vino owner Rob Scott said servers have the discretion to offer a discount to customers, adding that this wasn't the first time well-behaved kids have been rewarded. What was different this time was that one of the staffers wrote it out in the receipt.

"It was just an act of kindness," Scott said.

Scott said the restaurant was packed the night Laura's family came in, which can be challenging to families with small children. But he said he was impressed with the way the family was interacting with each other and that even the 2-year-old on a high chair seemed to be having a good time.

Rowdy children are an issue all restaurant customers have encountered at one point or another, Scott said.

"You can tell when a (family) had a rough ride to the restaurant," Scott said. "There tends to be sometimes activities where children get out of the chair or stand on chairs or get loud, as they get loud, it upsets other patrons, and they paid for a baby sitter."

Scott said he's been asked if he would charge more to customers who have unruly children. That's not something he does, he said.

"Everybody in my generation was raised to behave in restaurants," he said. "That parenting skills have been forgotten in some cases."

King said she has worked in the restaurant industry before and knows that families aren't the easiest customers to serve. She said that at the restaurant, her kids apply the table etiquette used at her dining table.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-02-08-Good%20Behavior%20Discount/id-c402cc72a15647c59b6426c0085bf5c0

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Darwin: Geologist First and Last

(Happy Darwin Day! I figured today of all days would be a good one for reposting this from ETEV. It?s been slightly updated and modified from the original, in case you already knew Charles Darwin was a geologist (because you?ve read David Bressan?s post, right? Right??) and wish to spend your time playing spot-the-differences. Isn?t it nice to know the biologists don?t have dibs on one of the most famous scientists in history? Read up a bit, and then go have fun telling people at Darwin Day events that they really should?ve had a rock hammer on the celebratory cake as well.)

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Shall we play a word-association game? I?ll say ?Darwin.? And chances are, you?ll say ?Origin of Species,? or ?Evolution,? or ?Biology.? Charles Darwin laid the foundation for modern biology. He changed our whole conception of how species come to be, why a single simple organism could be the root of a riotously-branching tree, how ?from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.? Of course we associate him with biology. Rightly so.

But I have got a different word associated with him now: ?Geology.?

Darwin was one hell of a biologist. But he began and finished with geology, and geology is at the heart of The Origin.

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Darwin's "Tree of Life" Sketch. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

?It is not too much to say that,? Cambridge geology professor John W. Judd said in his introduction to Darwin?s Geological Observations on South America, ?had Darwin not been a geologist, the Origin of Species could never have been written by him.? Strong words, you say. Of course a geologist would be partial, but perhaps he overstates the case. Except. Except. Some of the most powerful arguments in The Origin are centered in geology. He understood the geologic record, and what that meant for the fossil record. He understood how geology impacted species. There, in chapters IX and X, taking center stage, is geology. No geology, no Origin ? not as we know it.

Or perhaps I should say, no Lyell, no Origin. Because it was Charles Lyell and his Principles of Geology that had the greatest influence on Darwin?s scientific thought. Darwin?s writings are liberally salted with paens to Lyell. In his Autobiography, he shows just how much influence Lyell had on his thinking, influence that led directly to the powerfully-organized arguments of The Origin: ?After my return to England it appeared to me that by following the example of Lyell in Geology, and by collecting all facts which bore in any way on the variation of animals and plants under domestication and nature, some light might perhaps be thrown on the whole subject.?

Anyone who has read The Origin understands just how thorough Darwin was in collecting and marshaling his facts. One of the most critical facts was the immensity of the timescales involved. In Chapter IX, it becomes exquisitely clear that geology prepared Darwin?s mind for seeing those years in their uncountable millions. ?It is hardly possible for me even to recall to the reader, who may not be a practical geologist, the facts leading the mind feebly to comprehend the lapse of time,? he wrote. ?He who can read Sir Charles Lyell?s grand work on the Principles of Geology, which the future historian will recognise as having produced a revolution in natural science, yet does not admit how incomprehensibly vast have been the past periods of time, may at once close this volume.? Without an understanding of the age of the Earth, an understanding of evolution is impossible. We take it for granted now. Then, it was still a new idea, and without it, Darwin may have never been able to conceive of evolution as the engine of all the diversity of life.

Geology is intimately related to evolution. That is a fact that gets obscured; you don?t hear of Darwin as geologist in biology classes. He never got so much as a mention in my geology class; when I come across him in books on geology, it?s usually in reference to his work on evolution by way of explaining how fossils can be used for dating rocks. A person could be forgiven for thinking he was a biologist first and last. But his first passion was geology. Field observations on the geology he saw while sailing with the Beagle filled half his manuscript pages. Geology formed the subject for some of his first books: it comprises major portions of his Voyage of the Beagle; it helped build the foundation for The Origin; and in 1881, he returned to geology one again with his ?The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms? ? a treatise on soils. He was a Fellow of the Geological Society of London. Geology was his first scientific love, and he returned to her again and again.

Without evolution, Darwin may not have achieved the same fame, but he wouldn?t have been forgotten. His contributions to geology were far from inconsequential. He laid some of the foundation stones for the young science. His work on coral reefs, his recognition that granitic rocks and lava rocks were essentially the same, his work on volcanic islands, and crustal movements in South America, would have ensured him a place among the giants of geology. Students may not have instantly recognized his name, and fundamentalist pastors may not have thundered against him, but he still would have been a recognized and respected scientist.

We?ll be exploring Darwin the Geologist in some depth in the future. And you can sail off on your own voyage of discovery ? Sandra Herbert?s Charles Darwin, Geologist will take you all over Darwin?s geologic world. By the end of the voyage, it?s my fondest hope that the next time we play the Darwin Word Association Game, you?ll shout ?Geology!? without a second?s hesitation.

Darwin's Sketch of St. Helena Coastline, shamelessly pilfered from our own David Bressan.

Sources

Works by Charles Darwin:

Geological Observations on South America

The Origin of Species

Autobiography

The Voyage of the Beagle

Sir Archibald Giekie, Charles Darwin as geologist. The Rede lecture given at the Darwin centennial commemoration on 24 June 1909.

There?s music from Richard Einhorn?s oratorio The Origin over at ETEV, if you?d like some celebratory tunes. Gorgeous stuff!

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=45b59025286074c1336229ae1ec980b2

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