Men across the nation will be getting the pints in and staring at the big screen this month as the World Cup kicks off in Germany. But what do football and alcohol have to do with being a man? A recent psychological study by the University of Sussex reveals that the roaring crowds may be drinking their way through the game in an effort to compensate for not being man enough to play in it.
The study, made up of in-depth interviews with thirty-one 18-21 year olds in inner London, investiga
Long before the grains, fig domestication may have marked a decisive shift in human history
Archaeobotanists have found evidence that the dawn of agriculture may have come with the domestication of fig trees in the Near East some 11,400 years ago, roughly a thousand years before such staples as wheat, barley, and legumes were domesticated in the region. The discovery dates domesticated figs to a period some 5,000 years earlier than previously thought, making the fruit trees the
For the first time, scientists describe the busy microbial world inside
For the first time, scientists have defined the collective genome of the human gut, or colon. Up to 100 trillion microbes, representing more than 1,000 species, make up a motley “microbiome” that allows humans to digest much of what we eat, including some vitamins, sugars, and fiber.
In a study published in the June 2 issue of Science, scientists at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and their c
Hayabusa mission offers an intimate portrait of asteroid Itokawa
This news release is also available in Japanese.
True to its name, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa, which means “falcon” in Japanese, hovered over the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa last fall, taking up-close measurements and photographs. Then it swooped down for a brief landing and the first-ever sample attempt on an asteroid.
The first peer-reviewed set of scientific results from this mission appears in
Detailed information on greenhouse gasses and a subtropical heat wave at the North Pole 55 million years ago is providing information about the Earth’s past as well as a portent for its future, according to reports in the June 1 issue of Nature.
An expedition to the Artic Ocean in 2004 by a team of scientists aboard a fleet of icebreakers collected samples by drilling into the floor of the ocean. The project was part of an international research effort, the Integrated
Researchers found that they could eliminate the rewarding effect of cocaine on mice by genetically manipulating a key target of the drug in the animal’s brain.
While the researchers aren’t suggesting that these genetic modifications be made in humans, the work brings to light the key protein that controls cocaine’s effects in the body, which may help scientists develop medications that achieve the same results and therefore help addicts overcome their dependence.
UC Berkeley researchers borrow principles of resonance to develop a new material that captures a sound wave’s fine details
Using the same principles that help create a guitar’s complex tones, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a new material that holds promise for revolutionizing the field of ultrasound imaging.
The substance, dubbed an “ultrasonic metamaterial,” responds differently to sound waves than any substance found i
Prairie plants may also be good source of biofuel
Ecosystems containing many different plant species are not only more productive, they are better able to withstand and recover from climate extremes, pests and disease over long periods, according to a new study. It is the first experiment to gather enough data–over a sufficient time and in a controlled environment–to confirm a 50-year scientific debate about whether biodiversity stabilizes ecosystems.
The findings,
First assessment in two years points to widespread poaching
Results released today by World Wildlife Fund of the first assessment done in two years in one of Nepal’s premier national parks reveal an alarming decline in tiger and rhino populations, indicating widespread poaching. The area only became accessible for visits since the ceasefire between the Maoist insurgents and government troops a month ago.
Since 1986, 70 rhinos were translocated to Bardia National P
Simulations forecast favorable conditions for verifying Einstein predictions
A wispy collection of atoms and molecules fuels the vast cosmic maelstroms produced by colliding galaxies and merging supermassive black holes, according to some of the most advanced supercomputer simulations ever conducted on this topic.
“We found that gas is essential in driving the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes,” said Stelios Kazantzidis, a Fellow in the University o
Scientists investigating the genetic makeup of rhesus macaque monkeys, a key species used in biomedical research, have found the rhesus in Nepal may provide a suitable alternative to alleviate a critical shortage of laboratory animals used in work to develop vaccines against diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Writing in the cover story of the current issue of the American Journal of Primatology, researchers headed by Randall Kyes of the University of Washington report that the Nepali
Jefferson Scientists Identify Gene Mutation Potentially Involved in Breast Cancer Initiation
Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have found evidence suggesting that a mutation in a gene that normally helps block the formation of breast tumors could play a role in the initiation of a major form of breast cancer.
The team, led by cell b
Today, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) announce the launch of five new collaborative centres as part of their joint £25million Language Based Area Studies initiative.
The initiative aims to create a world class cadre of researchers who will enhance the UK’s understanding of the Arabic-speaking world, China, Japan and E
The huge response to the first COST open call has exceeded all expectations. Until the collection date on 31st May 824 proposals for scientific networks have been transmitted from the various scientific disciplines and member countries.
The COST Office announces that its first Open Call has had a first ‘deadline’ yesterday with a great success. A high number of scientists submitted their proposals from the various scientific domains. A huge demand is addressing the Domains ‘Ind
If citizens are to access the wealth of cultural knowledge, tucked away in books, films, photographs and historical artefacts spread across museums, libraries and archives and if cultural organisations are to make the most out of their resources innovative digital solutions such as those currently being built are needed.
The BRICKS project is creating the building blocks for integrated cultural knowledge services and laying the technological foundations for applications that will
Wood fibres turn up in a wide range of products. In addition to traditional paper and wood-based materials, they are also used for example in the food, textile and pharmaceutical industries. The scope of application of wood fibre could, however, be vastly broader than it is at present. With this objective in sight, new avenues are being opened up by cellulose-based nanofibres, which can be used to produce extremely strong and modifiable materials. These efforts are backed by growing pressures suc
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