Culture | Page 2851 | Science Codex

Data revelations

Ongoing research to be published in the International Journal of Liability and Scientific Enquiry suggests that there is a huge amount of sensitive data still on redundant computer hard disks.

These devices are often disposed of or sold into the second-hand market by corporations, organizations, and individuals with the data intact.

The authors of the report say that this data represents a significant level of risk for commercial sabotage, identity theft, and even political compromise, and suggest that better education is essential to reduce the risk of harm.

The cultural and political consequences of the demographic changes in South Florida

CORAL GABLES, FL. (November 4, 2008)-Once again, Florida takes center stage during this presidential election, as both political campaigns spend significant time and resources courting the Hispanic vote in this battleground state. Dr.

Community support wins 'ghost'

Against a backdrop of stories about Britain's "broken society" there are examples of community action bringing positive changes. One recent example of such community spirit is in London where 'London Citizens' recently fought for – and won – higher wages for some of the city's lowest paid.

New type of fuel found in Patagonia fungus

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- A team led by a Montana State University professor has found a fungus that produces a new type of diesel fuel, which they say holds great promise.

Calling the fungus' output "myco-diesel," Gary Strobel and his collaborators describe their initial observations in the November issue of Microbiology.

The discovery may offer an alternative to fossil fuels, said Strobel, MSU professor of plant sciences and plant pathology. The find is even bigger, he said, than his 1993 discovery of fungus that contained the anticancer drug taxol.

Clicking knees are antelopes' way of saying 'back off'

Knee clicking can establish mating rights among antelopes. A study of eland antelopes, published in the open access journal BMC Biology, has uncovered the dominance displays used by males to settle disputes over access to fertile females, without resorting to genuine violence.

Rainforest fungus makes diesel

A unique fungus that makes diesel compounds has been discovered living in trees in the rainforest, according to a paper published in the November issue of Microbiology. The fungus is potentially a totally new source of green energy and scientists are now working to develop its fuel producing potential.

A look at the Jewish-American vote

CORAL GABLES, FL (November 3, 2008)-While there is no agreement on the number of Jews in the United States, nor whether that number is increasing or decreasing, it probably matters little in the ability of American Jews to have their say in the political system, according to Ira M. Sheskin, University of Miami associate professor of Geography and Regional Studies and director of the Jewish Demography Project at the UM Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies.

New evidence for homeopathy

Two new studies conclude that a review which claimed that homeopathy is just a placebo, published in The Lancet, was seriously flawed.

Loggerhead release to provide vital information to scientific community

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Thursday, November 6, 2008, Dr. Kirt Rusenko, Marine Conservationist, and staff from Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton will release two juvenile loggerhead sea turtles raised in captivity into the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian Inlet.

Dried mushrooms slow climate warming in northern forests

Irvine, Calif. — The fight against climate warming has an unexpected ally in mushrooms growing in dry spruce forests covering Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and other northern regions, a new UC Irvine study finds.

Coordinated avoidance maneuvers

A child runs across the street without paying attention to the traffic, just as a car approaches at speed. It's too late to slam on the brakes, and the driver can't swerve either, as there is another car on the neighboring lane. An accident seems inevitable. A new software program, that for the first time can help several cars to coordinate their movements together, could take the edge off such a situation in future. The vehicles form a network via car-to-car communication and communicate automatically.

DVR fast-forwarding may not be fatal to TV advertising

CHESTNUT HILL (11/3/2008) – While digital video recorders and products like TiVo allow television viewers to skip past commercials, Boston College researchers have found that fast-forwarding viewers actually pay more attention and can be influenced by brand images they view only for a fraction of a second.

Where have all the students gone?

MADISON, WI, November 3, 2008 -- Why are the number of students studying soil science as a major declining across the United States?

Mary Collins, University of Florida, Gainesville, writes about this in an article published in the 2008 Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education.

Collins notes that the faculties who work closely with undergraduate students have seen this steady decline for several years. And there are many reasons one can give for why this is happening.

Earliest known Hebrew text in Proto-Canaanite script discovered in area where David slew Goliath

The earliest known Hebrew text written in a Proto-Canaanite script has been discovered by Hebrew University archaeologists in an ancient city in the area where David slew Goliath – the earliest Judean city found to date. The 3,000 year old finding is thought to be the most significant archaeological discovery in Israel since the Dead Sea Scrolls – predating them by 1,000 years.

War affects Iraqis' health more after fleeing

The risk of depression is greater among Iraqi soldiers who took part in the Gulf War than among civilians. Surprisingly, on the other hand, neither of these groups showed any signs of post-traumatic stress ten years after that war-with the exception of those Iraqis who have left Iraq. This is demonstrated in a study published in the new issue of the scientific journal New Iraqi Journal of Medicine.