Culture | Science Codex

Students eat more whole grains when it's gradually added to school lunch

Elementary school students will eat more whole grains when healthier bread products are gradually introduced into their school lunches, a new University of Minnesota study shows.

Whole grain breads are strongly recommended as part of a healthy diet, but children and pre-teens won't always eat them. For this study, researchers from the university's department of food science and nutrition monitored how much bread students threw away, and whether that amount increased as the percentage of whole-grain flour in the bread and rolls was gradually increased.

Scientific community called upon to resolve debate on 'net energy' once and for all

"Net energy is a (mostly) irrelevant, misleading and dangerous metric," says Professor Bruce Dale, editor-in-chief of Biofuels, Bioresources and Biorefining (Biofpr) in the latest issue of the journal published today.

Net energy is a metric by which some scientists attempt to assess the sustainability and ability of alternative fuels to displace fossil fuel but recent debate in Biofpr shows that scientists are undecided on its merits as a tool.

Yale report cites emerging carbon finance market

New Haven, Conn.—Climate change is an unprecedented global problem and an emerging carbon finance market will play a critical role in addressing it, asserts a newly published Yale report.

"This publication represents a major advance in our understanding of the interrelationships of government policy, private markets and technology in the climate arena," says Brad Gentry, director of the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale, in the report's foreword.

Following the leader can be a drag, according to student's research on flapping flags

From the Tour de France to NASCAR, competitors and fans know that speed is only part of the equation. Strategy -- and the ability to use elements like aerodynamic drafting, which makes it easier to follow closely behind a leader than to be out in front -- is also critical.

But in some cases, drafting happens in reverse: It's the leader of a pack who experiences reduced drag, while the followers encounter more resistance -- and have to expend more energy to keep up.

Computerized carer lessens dementia load

An artificial intelligence coaching system has been developed that will help carers of older adults with moderate dementia. The COACH system (Cognitive Orthosis for Assisting aCtivities in the Home), described in the open access journal BMC Geriatrics, uses a camera and computer to deliver interactive advice - lessening the workload on often-overburdened carers.

US executive branch drives foreign policy

Bakersfield, CA – November 5, 2008 – A new study in the journal International Studies Perspectives examines U.S. foreign policy towards three Middle Eastern states and finds that the executive branch is often the driving force in foreign policy. Also, U.S. foreign policies tend to be reciprocal in nature.

Rachel Bzostek, Ph.D., and Samuel B. Robison, M.A. conducted a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the influences on U.S. foreign policy toward Israel, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia from 1981 to 2004.

Advice to the new administration: UM foreign and domestic policy guide

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The incoming administration will confront an array of threats and challenges as serious as any ever faced by an American president, says Steve Fetter, dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. To help whoever won, Fetter asked six experts on his faculty with deep research and government expertise to create policy briefs recommending steps to address key challenges.

When the neighbor's noise makes its way through the walls

Some people know more about their neighbors than they would like to. Whether the other tenants are just now listening to music, watching television, having visitors, vacuum cleaning or washing clothes - its not possible to not overhear these things, because sound finds its own way. Only the best possible insulation of the walls helps here.

Giant simulation could solve mystery of 'dark matter'

The search for a mysterious substance which makes up most of the Universe could soon be at an end, according to new research.

Dark matter is believed to account for 85 per cent of the Universe's mass but has remained invisible to telescopes since scientists inferred its existence from its gravitational effects more than 75 years ago.

Now the international Virgo Consortium, a team of scientists including cosmologists at Durham University, has used a massive computer simulation showing the evolution of a galaxy like the Milky Way to "see" gamma-rays given off by dark matter.

Skeleton of 12,000-year-old shaman discovered buried with leopard, 50 tortoises and human foot

The skeleton of a 12,000 year-old Natufian Shaman has been discovered in northern Israel by archaeologists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The burial is described as being accompanied by "exceptional" grave offerings - including 50 complete tortoise shells, the pelvis of a leopard and a human foot. The shaman burial is thought to be one of the earliest known from the archaeological record and the only shaman grave in the whole region.

Dead famous: Research says 18th century obituaries sparked modern cult of celebrity

Research by the University of Warwick shows how death gave birth to the modern cult of celebrity as the sudden rise in the popularity of obituaries of unusual people in the 1700s provided people with the 18th Century equivalent of a celebrity gossip magazine.

The overall channels of the lightning discharges

The VHF radio interferometer system was designed by ZHANG GuangShu, et al of Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences. By using this system, a cloud-to-ground lightning flash containing 19 strokes was observed and several new characteristics of lightning have been revealed. The study is reported in volume51, number 5 (May, 2008) of the Science in China (Series D, Earth Sciences).

Alcohol advice needs to play a greater role in sex education for teenagers

Alcohol and attitudes are two of the key factors that health professionals need to be aware of when they are dealing with sexually active teenagers.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield, UK, found considerable differences between the way that boys and girls aged 14 to 16 viewed a series of sexual scenarios.

"The girls who took part in our focus groups were more likely to see their partner's point of view and were more aware of the complex nature of relationships than the boys" says nurse researcher Dr Mark Hayter.

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.