This curious and interesting article is not just about hot chile peppers.
It is also about brain science, tongue science and mass social perspectives....
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
The Power of the Mind in Health and Healing
A science-based tutorial about using the power of your mind to heal your body and maximize your intuition
Your mind as consciousness creates your reality, and when you know how to effectively work with all of its parts, you can do some very powerful and amazing things, like heal your body or intuit something you could not have logically known
This tutorial is designed to take you on a journey of mind-body mastery starting with the basics of mindfulness and meditation, and then advancing to working with your subconscious mind to facilitate healing. I've included some of the latest mind-body research blended with spirituality to help you understand the power of your mind
Learn more here: Power of the Mind in Health and Healing
Solar Electricity Handbook - 2011 Edition
Solar Electricity Handbook - 2011 Edition by Michael Boxwell. The Solar Electricity Handbook is a simple, practical guide to using electric solar panels and designing and installing photovoltaic PV systems. Significantly updated for 2011, the latest edition assumes no previous knowledge of solar electric systems. The book explains how solar panels work and how they can be used. It explains the advantages of solar energy and the drawbacks that you need to take into account when designing a solar power system. As well as explaining the underlying principles, it provides a step-by-step guide so that you can successfully design and install a photovoltaic solar system from scratch. Accompanying the book is one of the most comprehensive solar resource websites in the world. It contains powerful online tools such as the Solar Project Analysis toolkit, which provides a full feasibility and cost document for your project; Solar Irradiance Tables and Solar Angle Calculators for every major town and city in every country in the world; lists of suppliers and a Contact the Author form if you have any questions about your specific project.
Why buy the Solar Electricity Handbook? The Handbook is a simple, practical guide to using electric photovoltaic panels. The book is suitable for enthusiastic novices and building professionals. Clear examples, diagrams and example projects are given to demonstrate the true capabilities of these systems. The Handbook is updated yearly, providing an up-to-date reference for anyone planning to use solar power technology. It is the most comprehensive book on photovoltaic electric systems available today. It is backed up by the most powerful online calculator tools available, to make your design and calculations as straightforward as possible. The Handbook provides you with information that is relevant to you and your project, wherever you live in the world. Click here for more information or to order.
Spanish Scientists Search For Fuel of the Future
Renewable Energy
ALICANTE, Spain (AFP) – In a forest of tubes eight metres high in eastern Spain scientists hope they have found the fuel of tomorrow: bio-oil produced with algae mixed with carbon dioxide from a factory.
Almost 400 of the green tubes, filled with millions of microscopic algae, cover a plain near the city of Alicante, next to a cement works from which the C02 is captured and transported via a pipeline to the "blue petroleum" factory.
The project, which is still experimental, has been developed over the past five years by Spanish and French researchers at the small Bio Fuel Systems (BFS) company.
At a time when companies are redoubling their efforts to find alternative energy sources, the idea is to reproduce and speed up a process which has taken millions of years and which has led to the production of fossil fuels.
"We are trying to simulate the conditions which existed millions of years ago, when the phytoplankton was transformed into oil," said engineer Eloy Chapuli. "In this way, we obtain oil that is the same as oil today."
The microalgae reproduces at high speed in the tubes by photosynthesis and from the CO2 released from the cement factory.
Every day some of this highly concentrated liquid is extracted and filtered to produce a biomass that is turned into bio-oil.
The other great advantage of the system is that it is a depollutant -- it absorbs the C02 which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
"It's ecological oil," said the founder and chairman of BFS...... Continue reading.
Almost 400 of the green tubes, filled with millions of microscopic algae, cover a plain near the city of Alicante, next to a cement works from which the C02 is captured and transported via a pipeline to the "blue petroleum" factory.
The project, which is still experimental, has been developed over the past five years by Spanish and French researchers at the small Bio Fuel Systems (BFS) company.
At a time when companies are redoubling their efforts to find alternative energy sources, the idea is to reproduce and speed up a process which has taken millions of years and which has led to the production of fossil fuels.
"We are trying to simulate the conditions which existed millions of years ago, when the phytoplankton was transformed into oil," said engineer Eloy Chapuli. "In this way, we obtain oil that is the same as oil today."
The microalgae reproduces at high speed in the tubes by photosynthesis and from the CO2 released from the cement factory.
Every day some of this highly concentrated liquid is extracted and filtered to produce a biomass that is turned into bio-oil.
The other great advantage of the system is that it is a depollutant -- it absorbs the C02 which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
"It's ecological oil," said the founder and chairman of BFS...... Continue reading.
Push For Science and Math Education Can Mean Greater Rewards For Students
Education
(ARA) - The message becomes clearer the more it's repeated: America needs to catch up when it comes to science and math. International student tests have shown that America's students lag behind their peers in other countries, and many feel that it's essential to gain ground in those fields if America's future is truly going to be bright.The Obama administration is leading the charge to emphasize the importance of science and math education. In President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address, he made a point of mentioning the need for stronger science and math education, saying, "We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair."
Obama and others have noted that without a strong science and math education, America's children might not have the skills necessary to keep innovation and technology growing in the United States. And in a world market where America must compete with other nations that have strong science and math programs, the country's future is considered to be closely tied to its students' abilities.
The effort to encourage kids in science and math should come from inside and outside the classroom. Teachers and schools certainly do their part, but parents can also help foster an interest in the science and math fields. Something as simple as taking a young child to a science museum might be the catalyst for a lasting fascination that could turn into a career.
For older students, parents can act as guides by discussing the benefits of careers in the science, math and technology fields. In addition to the government's enthusiasm for science, many large corporations are eager to promote science and math education, as they will be dependent on a strong base of well-educated future employees.
Scholarships for science and math students are abundantly available, and other programs offer opportunities that go even further. The Intel Science Talent Search, for instance, a program of Society for Science & the Public (SSP), is an annual competition that identifies the nation's most promising young scientists and mathematicians. Science Talent Search alumni have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize, Fields Medals, National Medals of Science and even an Academy Award, illustrating that awards for the creative and inspiring work of science are available.
High school seniors are eligible for the award and this year, 1,744 students entered the competition with original research projects from a range of mathematical, engineering, environmental and scientific disciplines. The field was narrowed down to 300 semifinalists and $600,000 in awards was divided among the students and their schools, to support math and science resources. Forty finalists gathered in Washington D.C. to compete for more than $630,000 in awards.
Evan O'Dorney, 17, of Danville, Calif., won the top award of $100,000 from the Intel Foundation for his mathematical project in which he compared two ways to estimate the square root of an integer. His research stems from an interest he developed as early as age 2, when he was checking math textbooks out of the library.
O'Dorney and other finalists were also given the opportunity to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House. Obama discussed with the students the importance of science and math education and shared his encouragement of their research pursuits.
"By meeting with us, it was sort of like President Obama was passing on the baton for us to take on the future," said Elaine Zhou, an Intel Science Talent Search finalist from Winter Park, FL. "We may not become politicians, we may not live in the White House, but his support of young scientists like us reinforces that we can have a strong impact and change the future for the better."
The effort to take America back to the top ranks of innovative countries is manifesting in the encouragement of the country's students to explore their curiosity for how the world works and develop solutions for global challenges. What might seem like a spark of interest today could be a world-changing innovation tomorrow. For more information on the Intel Science Talent Search, go to http://www.inspiredbyeducation.com/.
Tasting the Universe: People Who See Colors in Words and Rainbows in Symphonies
Book Review
Tasting the Universe: People Who See Colors in Words and Rainbows in Symphonies, by Maureen Seaberg. What happens when a journalist turns her lens on a mystery happening in her own life? Maureen Seaberg did just that and lived for a year exploring her synesthesia. The wondrous brain trait is often described as blended senses, but in Maureen's quest, becomes much more: a window to creativity and the divine.Join her as she visits top neuroscientists, rock stars, violinists, other synesthetes, philosophers, savants, quantum physicists and even Tibetan lamas in her journey toward the truth.
"When I spoke of my impressions as a child, I quickly learned that my perceptions were not common; in fact, they were strange. Like many synesthetes around the world, I learned to keep them to myself. Thus I'm grateful for the present day climate of inquiry into and wonder about this nearly forgotten gift. And while traditional medicine has always fascinated me, and research on this topic is currently burgeoning around the world, I knew I must also call on consciousness, spiritual and even quantum experts. As someone who lived inside the experience, I knew that anatomy alone did not, could not, hold all the answers. The beauty of the individual testimonies in this book is that they are the subjects' truths as only someone who knows the gift intimately can speak about it; many of them are speaking at length about it for the first time. Their words about this ineffable experience helped me find my own."--Maureen Seaberg in Tasting the Universe
A violinist sees a scarlet form when he plays a certain note; a rock star sees waves of blue and green as he composes a ballad; an actress tastes cake when she utters the word "table." Synesthetes are often found in the arts and famous examples include Itzhak Perlman, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams and Tilda Swinton.
Step into Maureen's shimmering alternate universe as she explores this fascinating subject, combining clear explanations of groundbreaking scientific research with an exploration of deeper spiritual truths.
For Maureen, synesthesia is not an idle "brain tick" that can be explained away by science (although it does offer some important clues), but a unique ability to tap into and reveal a greater creative universe and even the divine.
Click here for more information or to order or download.
Maureen Seaberg has lectured on synesthesia and spirituality at the Towards a Science of Consciousness Conference at the University of Arizona-Tucson. She herself has higher and lower synesthesia, both concepts and forms appear to her in color (her k's are teal and her 8's are aubergine). A journalist for 20 years, Maureen has had articles featured in the New York Times, the Daily Beast, Irish America, ESPN the Magazine, and other publications. She has also covered breaking news for MSNBC and appeared on NBC, CNN, and PBS. Maureen earned a BA in journalism with a minor in Spanish from Penn State University, and a certificate of superior-level Spanish from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
Interest in Renewable Energy May Stick as Oil Prices Surge
By Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times
Renewable Energy
The latest surge in oil prices may help the renewable energy industry reach a turning point after years of boom-and-bust cycles long dictated by the rise and fall in gas prices.
Solar, wind and biofuel investors and analysts said the latest run-up in prices caused by unrest in Libya and other oil-producing nations could lead to lasting interest in alternate sources of energy.
They point to several factors converging at the same time that give the industry such hope. Public awareness and worries about climate change, pollution and dwindling resources are at an all-time high. Government funding for alternative energy projects is also on the rise.
"This is a crisis that's creating a teachable moment, showing us that we're going in the wrong direction," said Denise Bode, chief executive of the American Wind Energy Assn. "People have been in this situation too many times, and once they see that the alternatives are the real deal, they'll never go back."
Concerns that the country's addiction to foreign oil could pose national security risks and that the environment is fraying are stronger than ever...... Continue reading.
Solar, wind and biofuel investors and analysts said the latest run-up in prices caused by unrest in Libya and other oil-producing nations could lead to lasting interest in alternate sources of energy.
They point to several factors converging at the same time that give the industry such hope. Public awareness and worries about climate change, pollution and dwindling resources are at an all-time high. Government funding for alternative energy projects is also on the rise.
"This is a crisis that's creating a teachable moment, showing us that we're going in the wrong direction," said Denise Bode, chief executive of the American Wind Energy Assn. "People have been in this situation too many times, and once they see that the alternatives are the real deal, they'll never go back."
Concerns that the country's addiction to foreign oil could pose national security risks and that the environment is fraying are stronger than ever...... Continue reading.
What Can Algae Do For the US?
By Lance Winslow
Article source: EzineArticles.com
Renewable Energy
Is it possible that in the future we will use biofuel, biodiesel, and fuel made from algae too? Right now, 8% of our fuel use is biofuel, and if we could double that in the next 10 years, that it would be over 15%. Can we do that by growing algae and turning it into fuel for aircraft? There are many scientists and researchers, and several very high profile DOE funded projects, all of which believe it is possible. Yes, that could be a good day for America.
There was an interesting article in Forbes (from the AP) titled; Boeing Hopes Aviation Biofuel Market-Ready by 2015" by George Tibbits published online on February 15, 2011 which stated;
Boeing Co. hopes aviation biofuels will be practical for the market by around 2015, but it's going to take a lot of work. Richard Wynne, Boeing Commercial Airplane's director of environment and aviation policy, told reporters Monday that the company is working with others throughout the industry toward having 1 percent of all aviation fuel come from non-petroleum sources by then.
There was another article in the Wall Street Journal on the same day titled; "Biodiesel Boom Catches Drivers in Grease Traps - Fry Oil Scavengers Lose Free Rides to Paying Rivals" by Jeffrey Ball. Talk about recycling and reusing, that's the spirit!
Interestingly enough, I have met a scientist working with algae as a vitamin supplement and his company was also considering growing algae, which could later be converted into biofuel. Indeed, they had a lot of experience over the last decade creating this algae, and with a few refinements, and using the correct enzymes, they should be able to turn that into fuel fairly easily.
Right now, the science is just making it into the field now, and soon we will have everything we need to grow our own algae for biofuel, and read some of the goals that the Department of Energy, FAA, NASA, the Boeing company, and the Obama Administration has set for America. The Department of Defense is also looking into algae biofuel for the future, and whereas, this might not be significant, the amount of research going into growing algae, and the enzymes to break it all down could be very good for America, even if it doesn't turns out to not be all that great for the US military.
Therefore, if we do wind up depleting our fossil fuels, it appears we have the technology to make our own biofuel in the future. Indeed, I'd like you to spend a few hours searching around the Internet and learning more about how algae can help the United States, and change the way we get the fuel that drives us around. Think on it.
Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic. WorldThinkTank.com - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance Winslow.
There was an interesting article in Forbes (from the AP) titled; Boeing Hopes Aviation Biofuel Market-Ready by 2015" by George Tibbits published online on February 15, 2011 which stated;
Boeing Co. hopes aviation biofuels will be practical for the market by around 2015, but it's going to take a lot of work. Richard Wynne, Boeing Commercial Airplane's director of environment and aviation policy, told reporters Monday that the company is working with others throughout the industry toward having 1 percent of all aviation fuel come from non-petroleum sources by then.
There was another article in the Wall Street Journal on the same day titled; "Biodiesel Boom Catches Drivers in Grease Traps - Fry Oil Scavengers Lose Free Rides to Paying Rivals" by Jeffrey Ball. Talk about recycling and reusing, that's the spirit!
Interestingly enough, I have met a scientist working with algae as a vitamin supplement and his company was also considering growing algae, which could later be converted into biofuel. Indeed, they had a lot of experience over the last decade creating this algae, and with a few refinements, and using the correct enzymes, they should be able to turn that into fuel fairly easily.
Right now, the science is just making it into the field now, and soon we will have everything we need to grow our own algae for biofuel, and read some of the goals that the Department of Energy, FAA, NASA, the Boeing company, and the Obama Administration has set for America. The Department of Defense is also looking into algae biofuel for the future, and whereas, this might not be significant, the amount of research going into growing algae, and the enzymes to break it all down could be very good for America, even if it doesn't turns out to not be all that great for the US military.
Therefore, if we do wind up depleting our fossil fuels, it appears we have the technology to make our own biofuel in the future. Indeed, I'd like you to spend a few hours searching around the Internet and learning more about how algae can help the United States, and change the way we get the fuel that drives us around. Think on it.
Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic. WorldThinkTank.com - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance Winslow.
Article source: EzineArticles.com
Monkeys Demonstrate Self-Awareness in Computer Game
Science
(PhysOrg.com) -- It has been widely assumed that only humans are aware of their own thinking, but a new study in macaques by US scientists shows some monkeys are also self-aware.
The study was carried out by Professor John David Smith of the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York and Georgia State University’s Dr Michael Beran, and the results were presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Washington DC, at a session organized by the European Science Foundation...... Continue reading.
The study was carried out by Professor John David Smith of the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York and Georgia State University’s Dr Michael Beran, and the results were presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Washington DC, at a session organized by the European Science Foundation...... Continue reading.
Technology Expert Uncovers Plastic-to-Oil Process
Technology
(NewsUSA) – You might have heard about the “green technology” that will change the future, but John Bordynuik is developing that technology — including a process that turns plastic waste into fuel.Bordynuik, an environmentalist and acknowledged technology expert, has always focused on designing more efficient technologies. In improving processors and circuits in his clients’ products as part of his data-recovery business, Bordynuik shunned ready-made parts for custom-built components knowing that an assembled product wouldn’t work as well — or as inexpensively — as something built from the ground up.
Now as the CEO and President of the global technology company John Bordynuik, Inc. (JBI), Bordynuik applies that same perfectionist approach to new technologies. While going through his research archive, Bordynuik uncovered information about Plastic to Oil (P2O), a process that might turn out to be the most important technological development in recent memory. Originally developed when oil prices were low, the research regarding P2O was simply shoved aside. But times have changed — when Bordynuik rediscovered the research, he knew he had hit a home run.
The P2O machine “can process about 20 metric tons of mixed plastics every day,” said Bordynuik. “That works out to about 125 barrels a day.”
In a large batch continuous-feed processor, the technology can extract one liter of oil from a kilogram of plastic, turning raw unwashed, mixed plastics into fuel. The process itself also proves “green” — in emitting a gas byproduct, the process also creates its own fuel. Plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic toys and tires — waste products known to fill up landfills — all become a renewable energy similar to biofuel.
JBI, which trades on the OTC market with the stock symbol JBII, is looking for people with manufacturing and farming facilities not running at full capacity to convert into P2O factories. Americans allowing P2O factories to run on their property will receive enough extra fuel from the P2O process to run their household or any onsite business operations. As P2O launches in 2010, JBI, Inc. hopes to establish 2,500 P2O sites in five or six years.
The company certainly won’t struggle to find waste plastic — Americans generate over 16 million tons of plastic each year.
For additional information, visit http://www.plastic2oil.com/, http://www.jbiglobal.com/ or http://www.johnbordynuik.com/.
Baby Edward's Amazing Brain
Family
He rocks. He rolls. He sucks. He kicks. He tongues. He handles. He flips. He touches. There's not a single item in this living room that 9 month old Charles-Edward (aka Edward) doesn't explore (for a while I thought he'd ignore the chair in the upper left corner, but no...).
Edward (son of Quebec City journalist/photographer Francis Vachon) is a rolling demonstration of what the neuroscientists call "synaptic exuberance." You can't see what's happening in his brain, but he is forming ten, twenty thousand new connections every second. Watch him go...... Read more
Edward (son of Quebec City journalist/photographer Francis Vachon) is a rolling demonstration of what the neuroscientists call "synaptic exuberance." You can't see what's happening in his brain, but he is forming ten, twenty thousand new connections every second. Watch him go...... Read more
10-year-old Canadian Girl Discovers Super Nova
Incredible Stories
A 10-year-old girl from Canada has discovered a supernova, making her the youngest person ever to find a stellar explosion. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada announced the discovery by Kathryn Aurora Gray of Fredericton, New Brunswick, who was assisted by astronomers Paul Gray and David Lane. Supernova 2010lt is a magnitude-17 supernova in galaxy UGC 3378, in the constellation of Camelopardalis, as reported on IAU Electronic Telegram 2618...... Continue readingIs the New Madrid Fault Earthquake Zone Coming to Life?
Regional News
What in the world is happening in the middle of the United States right now? Thousands of birds are falling dead from the skies, tens of thousands of fish are washing up on shore dead, earthquakes are popping up in weird and unexpected places and people are starting to get really freaked out about all of this. Well, one theory is that the New Madrid fault zone is coming to life. The New Madrid fault zone is six times bigger than the San Andreas fault zone in California and it covers portions of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. The biggest earthquakes in the history of the United States were caused by the New Madrid fault. Now there are fears that the New Madrid fault zone could be coming to life again, and if a "killer earthquake" does strike it could change all of our lives forever.So exactly what events have happened recently that are causing people to take a close look at the New Madrid fault zone? Well, just consider the following examples of things that have been popping up in the news lately...... Continue reading
Outer Space
Quotation of the Week
"Space isn't remote at all. It's only an hour's drive away if your car could go straight upwards." - Fred Hoyler
Best Cosmic Mindblowers of 2010
Science
National Geographic has come up with its top ten list of best cosmic mindblowers of 2010. New scientific concepts were introduced this year and the most momentous were on the subjects of time, black holes, dark matter, gravity, big bangs, gamma ray bubbles, relativity, buckyballs, and space-time wrinkles. Check out their list here.
And while you're in the mood of thinking about universes and galaxies, don't forget to check the night sky tonight for the annual Geminid meteor shower. It is supposed to be the best of the year. So if there are wishes you want to make, you will have numerous shooting stars to wish them upon tonight.
And while you're in the mood of thinking about universes and galaxies, don't forget to check the night sky tonight for the annual Geminid meteor shower. It is supposed to be the best of the year. So if there are wishes you want to make, you will have numerous shooting stars to wish them upon tonight.
Twins Who Share Brains, Thoughts, and Senses
Incredible Stories
This is one of the most surprising and awesome tales ever told in the history of medicine. These twins are Tatiana and Krista Hogan. Their brains and sensory systems are networked together, but they have separate personalities. Their story defies belief.
So much, in fact, that Tatiana and Krista Hogan shouldn't be alive at all. Their chances of surviving the pregnancy, birth and first months of life were almost zero. Surprisingly, they turned four on October 25, and they are still healthy and happy, as you can see in the photo above.
They play Nintendo Wii games against each other, they fight for toys and they share food and physiological functions. But they also share their senses. For example, one can pick an object out of her field of view, while the twin looks at the object.
Most importantly, however, they can share each other's thoughts......Read the full article here (With video)
So much, in fact, that Tatiana and Krista Hogan shouldn't be alive at all. Their chances of surviving the pregnancy, birth and first months of life were almost zero. Surprisingly, they turned four on October 25, and they are still healthy and happy, as you can see in the photo above.
They play Nintendo Wii games against each other, they fight for toys and they share food and physiological functions. But they also share their senses. For example, one can pick an object out of her field of view, while the twin looks at the object.
Most importantly, however, they can share each other's thoughts......Read the full article here (With video)
Zapping the Brain Improves Math Abilities
Science
It's barely enough to light a light bulb, but passing a very mild current of electricity through the brain can turn on a metaphorical light bulb in a person's brain.Scientists from the University of Oxford have shown that they can improve a person's math abilities for up to six months. The research could help treat the nearly 20 percent of the population with moderate to severe dyscalculia (math disability), and could probably aid students in other subjects as well. Read more at DiscoveryNews
Life in the Past Lane
Science
Just about anywhere that you break ground in Nebraska there is a fair chance you might find fossils. Paleontologists and their assistants have been working together with the Nebraska Department of Roads for the last 50 years to preserve fossils unearthed by road construction. Morrill Hall, at the University of Nebraska, is hosting a special exhibit called "Highway Paleontology: Life in the Past Lane," featuring a sample of what paleontologists have unearthed during the past 50 years of road construction in Nebraska. The exhibit includes the remains of a 6-foot-tall flightless bird, a 40-foot-long plesiosaur, a lion 25 percent larger than the modern African lion and a giant land tortoise. The fossils will be on display through next September. Click here for more information
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