News
"The 13 Most Important Numbers in the Universe"
By Rob Winters - Published on Saturday, 17 September 2011 08:28
"Some numbers, such as your phone number or your Social Security number, are decidedly more important than others. But the numbers on this list are of cosmic importance—they are the fundamental concepts that define our universe, that make the existence of life possible and that will decide the ultimate fate of the universe. In this piece adapted from his new book Cosmic Numbers: The Numbers That Define Our Universe, California State University, Long Beach, mathematics professor James D. Stein reveals not only the effect each number has on our lives and our universe, but also the story of the people who discovered and worked with them. Here they are, in the order in which science first became aware of them. "Read more: The 13 Most Important Numbers in the Universe - James D. Stein's Cosmic Numbers - Popular Mechanics
"Eyelid marks warn of heart attack"
By Rob Winters - Published on Saturday, 17 September 2011 08:23
"Yellow markings on the eyelids are a sign of increased risk of heart attack and other illnesses, say researchers in Denmark.
A study published on the BMJ website showed patients with xanthelasmata were 48% more likely to have a heart attack.
Xanthelasmata, which are mostly made up of cholesterol, could be a sign of other fatty build-ups in the body."
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14928217
"Testosterone drops when dudes become dads"
By Rob Winters - Published on Friday, 16 September 2011 05:32
"NORTHWESTERN (US) — Dads are biologically wired to care for kids, according to a new study that finds fatherhood lowers testosterone levels.
The effect is consistent with what is observed in many other species in which males help take care of dependent offspring. Testosterone boosts behaviors and other traits that help a male compete for a mate. After they succeed and become fathers, “mating-related” activities may conflict with the responsibilities of fatherhood, making it advantageous for the body to reduce production of the hormone."
Read more: http://www.futurity.org/top-stories/drop-in-testosterone-turns-dudes-into-dads/
"Sons of Blackwater Open Corporate Spying Shop"
By Rob Winters - Published on Thursday, 15 September 2011 06:42
"Veterans from the most infamous private security firm on Earth and one of the military’s most controversial datamining operations are teaming up to provide the Fortune 500 with their own private spies.Take one part Blackwater, and another part Able Danger, the military data-mining op that claimed to have identified members of al-Qaida living in the United States before 9/11. Put ‘em together, and you’ve got a new company called Jellyfish.
Jellyfish is about corporate-information dominance. It swears it’s leaving all the spy-world baggage behind. No guns, no governments digging through private records of its citizens.
“Our organization is not going to be controversial,” pledges Keith Mahoney, the Jellyfish CEO, a former Navy officer and senior executive with Blackwater’s intelligence arm, Total Intelligence Solutions. Try not to make a joke about corporate mercenaries."
Read more: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/blackwater-datamining-vets-want-to-save-big-business
"Body odour? Gene disorder may be the culprit"
By Rob Winters - Published on Thursday, 15 September 2011 06:36
"New York: For some people with troublesome, unexplained body odour, an uncommon genetic disorder once known as "fish-odor syndrome" may be to blame, according to a study.
The condition, known clinically as trimethylaminuria, is caused by emitting excessive amounts of the compound trimethylamine (TMA). TMA is produced when people digest foods rich in a substance called choline -- including saltwater fish, eggs, liver and certain legumes, such as soy and kidney beans."
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