December 2008 Posts (12)

Take a Nap!

Ever take a nap and felt guilty about it afterwards? Ever felt jealous of other countries were napping is expected or even celebrated? Well, embrace the nap! It could improve the quality of your life significantly.

I was always resistant to the idea of napping during the day. I should be getting enough sleep at night; enough so that I could stay awake long enough to fall asleep tired and wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning. If I took a nap in the afternoon, I would be… Continue

Added by Kelly Lagor on December 29, 2008 at 3:06pm — 2 Comments

Nanotech Fashion… Italy’s “Spiderman Suit”

Nanotechnology may help extend Italy’s prominence in the world of fashion to include superhero apparel.

That’s because researchers at the Polytechnic University of Turin are developing a carbon nanotube-based material for use in a Spiderman-style suit, which will have the ability to discharge filament that adheres to a range of surfaces.

Led by Professor Nicola Pungo, the research is focused on an adhesive “spider silk” that mimics the tiny elastic hairs called setae that… Continue

Added by bianca dellepiane on December 23, 2008 at 2:14pm — No Comments

Online social networking comes to San Diego science

MySDscience makes the local newspaper.

A member of MySDscience (Bradley Flikes) wrote a really nice article for the North County Times. To read it please go Click Here.

"Along the lines of Myspace and Facebook comes MySDscience -- the new social networking space for San Diegans who really are molecular biologists or rocket scientists.

MySDscience already has… Continue

Added by Jose Morachis on December 22, 2008 at 11:33pm — No Comments

Space

Hey, just always found the stars interesting...If anyone wants to let me know on what days to look out in the sky and what to look out for just let me know! You can also tell me(if you know) why so and so happens in space/with the starts/planets/moon.... I love the stars and especially looking out for new and interesting things!
~~~

Added by lala on December 21, 2008 at 10:40pm — 2 Comments

Connect's MIP Awards

Connect is gratified: Nearly 800 people showed up Friday for its Most Innovative New Products Awards on Friday. That's a sign that interest in innovation -- and supporting Connect -- hasn't waned despited the recession.

The list of winners is here.

Connect is a remarkable organization that now appears to be in its second life. The first, long-timers will remember, was under the direction of its late… Continue

Added by Bradley J. Fikes on December 14, 2008 at 10:05am — No Comments

US Still Behind in Math and Science

Maria Glod, a Washington Post Staff Writer, has a good overview of the problem in her story for the Washington Post today (). The US has had the same levels of performance as in the mid-1990's. While we may want to point out that the US gets a lot of Nobel Prizes, perhaps reflecting some creativity, we cannot deny that our youth have a reduced basic knowledge of the facts.… Continue

Added by Will Alaynick on December 10, 2008 at 7:34am — No Comments

Oil Issues Could Go The Way of the Dinosaur

Sapphire Energy, a San Diego biotech company, may have the answer to the impending oil crisis: Renewable Green Crude Oil. To learn more read the MySDscience original story: Will the Energy Crisis Disappear in a Sapphire Blaze?

http://www.mysdscience.com/page/will-the-energy-crisis

Thanks

Added by Jennifer Rust on December 7, 2008 at 1:10pm — No Comments

Why is science important?

A British science teacher, Alom Shaha, has started an online project called "Why is Science Important?" at www.whyscience.co.uk. The site is a "collective blog" which features video, audio and written responses to the question "why is science important?" from scientists, science teachers, public figures and members of the public. The aim of the project is to provide a… Continue

Added by Alom Shaha on December 6, 2008 at 10:35am — No Comments

When The Experts Disagree

Science reporters are the intermediary between the experts and the general public. In most cases, our task is clear: Learn what the experts say about a particular topic or discovery and accurately explain it to the public in plain English.

But that mission becomes a lot more tricky when the experts themselves disagree on an issue. We're then faced with the difficult job of umpire -- and umpires at least are trained experts in baseball. Science reporters are not, cannot, be experts in… Continue

Added by Bradley J. Fikes on December 4, 2008 at 7:30am — No Comments

Fruit Fly Genetics Shed Light On Human Heart Disease

Genes involved in embryonic heart development are also integral to adult heart function, according to a study led by Rolf Bodmer of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research.

The findings in humans and the fruit fly Drosophila point the way toward using fruit fly genetics to shed light on human heart disease, according to the study, published in Proceedings of National Academy of… Continue

Added by Bradley J. Fikes on December 1, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Put Down The Coffee!

The New York Times reported today on San Diego's Dr. Sara Mednick, a associate professor at UCSD. In her study, performance was assessed after three interventions: a nap, 200mgs of caffeine, or a placebo. The results: performance in motor and verbal tasks improved by napping, but not caffeine.

So while you may feel like you are typing faster after a cup of coffee, you are making more mistakes, too.

Dr. Mednick is part of the San Diego… Continue

Added by Will Alaynick on December 1, 2008 at 4:30pm — 1 Comment

more support for SDSF

I want to add my congratulations to the SDSF organizers and thanks to the San Diego biotech community for supporting the first San Diego Science Festival. With the newly reported support from Gen-Probe (http://freshnews.com/news/other-tech-areas/article_46872.html), the Festival looks to be well on its way to be an excellent event for all San Diegans. I'm excited for San Diego students to have this opportunity and exposure to science and technology.

Added by Huong Huynh on December 1, 2008 at 4:01pm — No Comments