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By Nicola Jones of Nature magazine Two scientists from New Zealand will travel to Antarctica on December 28 in a quest to continue a 100-year-long record of Earth's magnetic field: a record begun by British explorer Robert Scott at the start of his ill-fated expedition to the geographic south pole (see "Turning the world upside down "). Record-keeping is necessary because the magnetic poles move about, thanks to the complex circulation of Earth's fluid outer core

By Nicola Jones of Nature magazine Two scientists from New Zealand will travel to Antarctica on December 28 in a quest to continue a 100-year-long record of Earth's magnetic field: a record begun by British explorer Robert Scott at the start of his ill-fated expedition to the geographic south pole (see "Turning the world upside down "). Record-keeping is necessary because the magnetic poles move about, thanks to the complex circulation of Earth's fluid outer core.

While some schoolchildren daydream about crushes during class, delicately inscribing their names in paper margins, others instead yearn to one day discover and name their own species for the cute boy at the corner desk. But they know little about the excess work involved in plant discovery

While some schoolchildren daydream about crushes during class, delicately inscribing their names in paper margins, others instead yearn to one day discover and name their own species for the cute boy at the corner desk.

Neurodegenerative diseases were once considered disorders of the mind, rooted in psychology. Now viruses rank among the environmental factors thought to trigger brain-ravaging diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases were once considered disorders of the mind, rooted in psychology.

Watson is the IBM computer built by David Ferrucci and his team of 25 research scientists tasked with designing an artificial-intelligence (AI) system that can rival human champions at the game of Jeopardy . After beating the greatest Jeopardy champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, in February 2011, the computer is now being employed in more practical tasks such as answering diagnostic medical questions.

Watson is the IBM computer built by David Ferrucci and his team of 25 research scientists tasked with designing an artificial-intelligence (AI) system that can rival human champions at the game of Jeopardy . After beating the greatest Jeopardy champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, in February 2011, the computer is now being employed in more practical tasks such as answering diagnostic medical questions. [More]

A magnetic sense is now well documented in dozens of animal species. It turns out that tracking the geomagnetic field that same invisible thing that points compasses is handy for life, in lots of situations

A magnetic sense is now well documented in dozens of animal species. It turns out that tracking the geomagnetic field that same invisible thing that points compasses is handy for life, in lots of situations. Using their internal compasses, naked mole rats in Africa navigate their pitch-black underground mazes.

It all started with a summer pool party and a Harvard neuroscientist who prefers to be called Bob. Bob--aka Sandeep Robert Datta--was splashing around the pool with his kids when science writer Carl Zimmer noticed an image of DNA inked to his shoulder

It all started with a summer pool party and a Harvard neuroscientist who prefers to be called Bob. Bob--aka Sandeep Robert Datta--was splashing around the pool with his kids when science writer Carl Zimmer noticed an image of DNA inked to his shoulder. It was not a surprising choice for a tattoo, since Bob studies the DNA of fruit flies

A week or so ago (hard to tell with holiday time as it is) Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) released his 2011 “Wastebook”, a list of govt. funded projects that he and his staff consider to be a waste of money.

A week or so ago (hard to tell with holiday time as it is) Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) released his 2011 “Wastebook”, a list of govt. funded projects that he and his staff consider to be a waste of money. I was of course dismayed to find several science projects make the list, including several funded by the NIH and of importance to public health.

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) released his “ Wastebook ” a week ago – a list of 100 government-funded projects that are supposedly a waste of money. Every campaign season, quite predictably, someone from the GOP makes a document like this, listing examples of spending that, in their view, represents the most egregious excesses of governmental spending. Counting on their voters not to know or understand anything about these projects (especially the way these are carefully framed) and aware that nobody in the mainstream media will be pointing and laughing at them, they push these memes onto the unsuspecting public