Welcome to Science Saturday, where the Overnight News Digest crew informs and entertains you with this week's news about science, space, and the environment. In keeping with the theme of the past five months, Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday is featuring science and other news from the major public research universities in the midwestern states where Republican governors and legislatures are threatening the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
This week's featured story comes from Reuters with video from Russia Today on YouTube.
Russia Today on YouTube: Atlantis has blasted off on NASA's last space shuttle launch. The historic liftoff occurred Friday morning, 30 years and three months after the very first shuttle flight. Four astronauts are riding Atlantis to orbit. The shuttle is bound for the International Space Station, making one final supply run. Hundreds of thousands of spectators jammed Cape Canaveral and surrounding towns for the farewell. Kennedy Space Center itself was packed with shuttle workers, astronauts and 45,000 invited guests, the maximum allowed. The flight will last 12 days. Weather permitting, Atlantis will return to Kennedy, where it will end up on permanent display.
Reuters:
Space shuttle leaves Earth on final flight
By Irene Klotz
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Fri Jul 8, 2011 1:24pm EDT
Space shuttle Atlantis rocketed off its seaside launch pad on Friday, rising atop a tower of smoke and flames as it left Earth on the shuttle program's final flight.
About 1 million sightseers witnessed the smooth liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. They lined causeways and beaches around the central Florida site, angling for a last glimpse of the pioneering ship that has defined the U.S. space program for the past 30 years.
"Good luck to you and your crew on this final flight of this true American icon," shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach radioed to the crew minutes before takeoff.
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"The shuttle is always going to be a reflection of what a great nation can do when it dares to be bold and commits to follow through," said Atlantis commander Chris Ferguson.
More on this and other science, space, and environment stories after the jump.
Recent Science Diaries and Stories
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Slideshows/Videos
Norm Lownds, associate professor in the Department of Horticulture, talks about his role as curator of the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden.
Michigan State University:
Faculty conversations: Norm Lownds
July 8, 2011
In the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden, there is a pizza made of plants.
"You can see we have chives, we have basil, we have tomatoes, we have garlic, we have peppers, oregano," said Norm Lownds, curator of the garden located on the Michigan State University campus. In the kid-sized, pizza-shaped garden — with a single slice taken out — there’s even a pineapple growing this year.
There are about 85 different theme gardens in the Children’s Garden, including the PB&J, herb, food plate and music gardens. There is also Monet’s bridge, dance chimes, a water-squirting frog sculpture and even a tame "Whomping Willow," just like the one in the Harry Potter books and movies, Lownds said. (It’s really just a weeping willow, he said.)
"One of the things we want people to do is we want them to take away the idea that, 'Oh, this is something that I can do at home,'" he said.
Stars are bright, but their planets are not, which makes planet hunting difficult. NASA's ultraviolet telescope GALEX may be providing a solution.
Astronomy/Space
University of Michigan: The universe may have been born spinning, according to new findings on the symmetry of the cosmos
July 7, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Physicists and astronomers have long believed that the universe has mirror symmetry, like a basketball. But recent findings from the University of Michigan suggest that the shape of the Big Bang might be more complicated than previously thought, and that the early universe spun on an axis.
To test for the assumed mirror symmetry, physics professor Michael Longo and a team of five undergraduates catalogued the rotation direction of tens of thousands of spiral galaxies photographed in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
The mirror image of a counter-clockwise rotating galaxy would have clockwise rotation. More of one type than the other would be evidence for a breakdown of symmetry, or, in physics speak, a parity violation on cosmic scales, Longo said.
The researchers found evidence that galaxies tend to rotate in a preferred direction. They uncovered an excess of left-handed, or counter-clockwise rotating, spirals in the part of the sky toward the north pole of the Milky Way. The effect extended beyond 600 million light years away.
Evolution/Paleontology
University of Bristol (UK) via physorg.com: The rise and rise of the flying reptiles
July 6, 2011
(PhysOrg.com) -- Pterosaurs, flying reptiles from the time of the dinosaurs, were not driven to extinction by the birds, but in fact they continued to diversify and innovate for millions of years afterwards.
A new study by Katy Prentice, done as part of her undergraduate degree (MSci in Palaeontology and Evolution) at the University of Bristol, shows that the pterosaurs evolved in a most unusual way, becoming more and more specialised through their 160 million years on Earth. The work is published today in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
'Usually, when a new group of animals or plants evolves, they quickly try out all the options. When we did this study, we thought pterosaurs would be the same,' said Katy. 'Pterosaurs were the first flying animals – they appeared on Earth 50 million years before Archaeopteryx, the first bird – and they were good at what they did. But the amazing thing is that they didn't really begin to evolve until after the birds had appeared.'
University of Adelaide via physorg.com: Holes in fossil bones reveal dinosaur activity
July 8, 2011
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research from the University of Adelaide has added to the debate about whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded and sluggish or warm-blooded and active.
Professor Roger Seymour from the University's School of Earth & Environmental Sciences has applied the latest theories of human and animal anatomy and physiology to provide insight into the lives of dinosaurs. The results will be published this month in Proceedings B, the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences), and can now be found online.
Human thigh bones have tiny holes - known as the 'nutrient foramen' - on the shaft that supply blood to living bone cells inside. New research has shown that the size of those holes is related to the maximum rate that a person can be active during aerobic exercise. Professor Seymour has used this principle to evaluate the activity levels of dinosaurs.
Physorg.com: Giant prehistoric marsupial found in Northern Australia
by Bob Yirka
July 5, 2011
(PhysOrg.com) -- In what paleontologists are describing as a major find, researchers have dug up the remains of a creature that lived some 50,000 to two million years ago. The diprotodon (Diprotodon optatum) as it's known, has been described as somewhat akin to a giant wombat, and is a marsupial, meaning it carried it’s young in a pouch the way kangaroos do. And while other bones from diprotodon have been previously discovered in many other parts of Australia, this is the first complete skeleton, and its discovery will allow scientists to more accurately see what the animal actually looked like.
The excavation team, comprised of students and researchers from several Australian colleges and universities and led by project leader Professor Michael Archer of the University of New South Wales, has shipped the find to Mount Isa for further study. The skeleton was found in north-west Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria region, and was first noted last year when a group unearthed a large leg bone, unaware of the rest of the skeleton buried nearby. It was only when they returned this year to investigate further did they find the rest of the skeleton. After further study and preparation at the Riversleigh Fossil Center, the skeleton will be put on display at the Queensland Museum.
CBS News: 5,000 BIG ancient mammal bones uncovered
By Wynne Parry
Diggers at an excavation in west-central Colorado turned up almost 5,000 large bones in seven weeks from mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, bison, horses, deer and camels. They also uncovered thousands and thousands of smaller remains, like rodent teeth and salamander vertebrae.
The scientists in charge knew early on that this dig would require more shovel work than they could do alone, so they called in reinforcements, including 15 educators from the surrounding valley. These teacher-volunteers worked alongside the scientists and other volunteer diggers, turning up clues to the creatures that inhabited this area somewhere between 150,000 and 50,000 years ago.
Hat/Tip to annetteboardman for these stories.
Agence France Presse via physorg.com: New US exhibit probes dinosaur mysteries
by Romain Raynaldy
July 9, 2011
Dinosaurs have captivated the public for decades, but a new US exhibit aims to show that there is still much about the giant reptiles that baffles experts and amateurs alike.
The 1,300 square meter (14,000 square foot) gallery at the Los Angeles natural history museum is set to open on July 16 and is seen as an important step in upgrading the museum ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2013.
The gallery will feature some 300 fossils and 20 skeletons accompanied by detailed signs explaining some of the questions experts wrestle with, like what dinosaurs ate, how they reproduced and why they disappeared.
"The emphasis (is) on how do we know what we know," chief curator Luis Chiappe, who heads the museum's dinosaur institute, told AFP.
Wayne State University: Wayne State University researcher argues that sex reduces genetic variation
July 5, 2011
DETROIT - Biology textbooks maintain that the main function of sex is to promote genetic diversity. But Henry Heng, Ph.D., associate professor in WSU's Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, says that's not the case.
Heng and fellow researcher Root Gorelick, Ph.D., associate professor at Carleton University in Canada, propose that although diversity may result from a combination of genes, the primary function of sex is not about promoting diversity. Rather, it's about keeping the genome context - an organism's complete collection of genes arranged by chromosome composition and topology - as unchanged as possible, thereby maintaining a species' identity. This surprising analysis has been published as a cover article in the journal Evolution.
"If sex was merely for increasing genetic diversity, it would not have evolved in the first place," said Heng. This is because asexual reproduction - in which only one parent is needed to procreate - leads to higher rates of genetic diversity than sex.
For nearly 130 years, traditional perceptions hold that asexual reproduction generates clone-like offspring and sexual reproduction leads to more diverse offspring. "In reality, however, the relationship is quite the opposite," said Heng in a 2007 issue of the journal Genome.
My Ph.D. dissertation used self-fertilization in snails as an example of evolution of sex. I'd have to completely re-examine my research in light of these findings.
Indiana University: Sex, as we know it, works thanks to ever-evolving host, parasite relationships, IU biologists find
July 7, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It seems we may have parasites to thank for the existence of sex as we know it. Indiana University biologists have found that, although sexual reproduction between two individuals is costly from an evolutionary perspective, it is favored over self-fertilization in the presence of coevolving parasites. Sex allows parents to produce offspring that are more resistant to the parasites, while self-fertilization dooms populations to extinction at the hands of their biological enemies.
Red Queen
The July 8 report in Science, "Running with the Red Queen: Host-Parasite Coevolution Selects for Biparental Sex," affirms the Red Queen hypothesis, an evolutionary theory who's name comes from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland text: "It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place." The idea is that sexual reproduction via cross-fertilization keeps host populations one evolutionary step ahead of the parasites, which are coevolving to infect them. It is within this coevolutionary context that both hosts and parasites are running (evolving) as fast as they can just to stay in the same place.
"The widespread existence of sex has been a major problem for evolutionary biology since the time of Charles Darwin," said lead author Levi T. Morran. Sex does not make evolutionary sense, because it often involves the production of males. This is very inefficient, because males don't directly produce any offspring. Self-fertilization is a far more efficient means of reproduction, and as such, evolutionary theory predicts that self-fertilization should be widespread in nature and sex should be rare. However, as we all know, this is not the case.
The Red Queen Hypothesis provides one possible explanation for the existence of sex.
On the other hand, this research merely reinforce my dissertation findings.
Biodiversity
University of Wisconsin: Old and new insect pests begin bugging Wisconsin
by David Tenenbaum
July 7, 2011
The mosquitoes are back, the Japanese beetles are starting to devour the 300 species of plants they call "food," and a flock of invasive insects are poised to make headlines in Wisconsin, says Phil Pellitteri of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab.
Some "insect problems" are minor, says Pellitteri. People who pull out a spray can to kill millipedes may not realize that they may be annoying, but are not harmful.
The Japanese beetle, which attacks a wide range of cultivated plants, including roses, shrubs and grapes, is more serious.
"Japanese beetles are like a superstar in an amateur league," says Pellitteri, due to their broad taste in host plants, their ability to fly half a mile, and their two-month feeding season. "Many insects are around for only a few weeks, so these have an impact on gardeners unlike anything else."
Biotechnology/Health
University of Michigan: Black men place family and community above their own health
July 8, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Black men place a higher priority on fulfilling social roles such as family provider, father, husband and community member than they do on physical activity—and their health suffers because they don't often find time for both.
A new study from the University of Michigan School of Public Health looks at why many African-American men aren't more physically active.
"This is our most important paper to date, because the findings underpin all of our other research on African American men's health behaviors. It also flies in the face of the way African American men are often portrayed in health literature," said Derek Griffith, assistant professor in the U-M SPH and study author. "The men in our study are interested in being healthy, but they put their job and family responsibilities before their own health."
University of Michigan: New information revealed about a protein implicated in autism and similar disorders; could lead to better drug design
July 7, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—University of Michigan researcher Gabrielle Rudenko and her Life Sciences Institute lab have solved the structure of a protein that is implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia and mental retardation.
This information allows scientists to better understand the molecular workings of these disorders, which will someday lead to the design of more effective drugs.
University of Michigan: U-M researchers helping to reduce maternal mortality in Liberia
July 6, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Two University of Michigan School of Nursing researchers are part of a new project that aims to improve the prospects for expectant mothers and children in the West African nation of Liberia, which has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates.
Six new maternity waiting homes are under construction in rural Liberia. The goal is to improve mother and child health by increasing access to safe delivery services at rural health clinics staffed by skilled birth attendants, often a nurse and a nurse midwife. The maternity waiting homes are being built near the clinics to reduce the distance expectant mothers need to travel when delivery time is near.
"The idea of these maternity waiting homes is to provide a home-like environment for women to go in the last few days—or even a couple of weeks—before their due date," said Jody Lori, a clinical assistant professor at the School of Nursing. "That way, when they go into labor, the clinic is right there."
Michigan State University: Researchers closing in on safe treatment for parasitic diseases
July 8, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. — With the help of another $2 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, researchers are moving closer to setting up human clinical trials for a reformulated drug that could be the linchpin of treatment efforts against two debilitating tropical diseases.
Charles Mackenzie, a professor of veterinary pathology in Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, and his colleagues are looking to flubendazole, a drug tested first in the 1980s to treat the filarial disease river blindness (onchocerciasis).
The disease, in which the skin and eyes are infected with parasitic worms, afflicts about 40 million people worldwide, much of its damage in equatorial Africa. River blindness is spread by black flies, and after the parasitic worms die in a person's eye, it can cause blindness and debilitating skin disease.
Climate/Environment
University of Michigan: U-M's new Eco-Driving Index: Environmental impact of new vehicles improving
July 6, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—A new national index by the University of Michigan shows that emissions of greenhouse gases per driver of newly purchased vehicles are down 14 percent since late 2007.
The U-M Eco-Driving Index estimates the average monthly amount of greenhouse gases produced by an individual U.S. driver who purchased a new vehicle that month.
The EDI for April 2011, which is the latest month for which data is available, stands at 0.86, compared to the baseline 1.0 in October 2007, the nominal start of the 2008 model year and the first for which the Environmental Protection Agency started using the current fuel-economy rating system.
University of Wisconsin: Indoor air pollution linked to cardiovascular risk
by David Tenenbaum
July 8, 2011
An estimated two billion people in the developing world heat and cook with a biomass fuel such as wood, but the practice exposes people — especially women — to large doses of small-particle air pollution, which can cause premature death and lung disease.
In a study just published online in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have associated indoor air pollution with increased blood pressure among older women.
In a remote area of Yunnan Province, China, 280 women in an ethnic minority called the Naxi wore a portable device that sampled the air they were breathing for 24 hours. The Naxi live in compounds including a central, free-standing kitchen that often has both a stove and a fire pit, says Jill Baumgartner, who performed the study with National Science Foundation funding while a Ph.D. student at UW-Madison.
"I spent a lot of time watching women cook in these unvented kitchens, and within seconds, my eyes would burn, it would get a little difficult to breathe. The women talk about these same discomforts, but they are viewed as just another hardship of rural life," Baumgartner says.
Indiana University: IU researcher awarded NSF grant to study effect of forests on air pollution
July 7, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The National Science Foundation has awarded a $760,000 grant to Indiana University Bloomington atmospheric scientist Sara C. Pryor and a colleague for research to improve understanding of the relationship between forests and pollution.
...
Atmospheric aerosol particles represent one of the largest uncertainties in understanding the forces that influence climate, both historically and possibly in the future, Pryor said. A key process in determining concentrations is the removal of such particles by surfaces, known as dry deposition.
"Forests are particularly effective in removing particles from the atmosphere, but the rate of removal and the physical and biological controls on removal rates are rather uncertain," Pryor said. "This project will help to determine exactly how effective forests are at removing particles and thus will help to build better models capable of making better climate predictions."
Geology
Science News: Rare earth elements plentiful in ocean sediments
By Devin Powell
Web edition : Sunday, July 3rd, 2011
Mud at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean contains surprising concentrations of rare earth elements, 17 chemicals with exotic names like neodymium and europium that are critical to technologies ranging from cell phones and televisions to fluorescent light bulbs and wind turbines.
Hot plumes from hydrothermal vents pulled these materials out of seawater and deposited them on the seafloor, bit by bit, over tens of millions of years. One square patch of metal-rich mud 2.3 kilometers wide might contain enough rare earths to meet most of the global demand for a year, Japanese geologists report July 3 in Nature Geoscience.
“I believe that rare earth resources undersea are much more promising than on-land resources,” says Yasuhiro Kato, a geologist at the University of Tokyo who led the study.
Psychology/Behavior
University of Michigan: Scientists discover how best to excite brain cells
July 8, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Oh, the challenges of being a neuron, responsible for essential things like muscle contraction, gland secretion and sensitivity to touch, sound and light, yet constantly bombarded with signals from here, there and everywhere.
How on earth are busy nerve cells supposed to pick out and respond to relevant signals amidst all that information overload?
Somehow neurons do manage to accomplish the daunting task, and they do it with more finesse than anyone ever realized, new research by University of Michigan mathematician Daniel Forger and coauthors demonstrates. Their findings—which not only add to basic knowledge about how neurons work, but also suggest ways of better designing the brain implants used to treat diseases such as Parkinson's disease—were published July 7 in the online, open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology.
University of Michigan: Children who seldom smile, laugh or hug a parent might be at risk for depression
July 7, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—A new study from the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh shows that even if a child isn't crying, frowning or displaying other negative emotions on a consistent basis, another warning sign is when a child shows fewer positive displays, like hugging a parent or smiling and laughing.
"Surprisingly, it seems that it is low levels of happiness, as opposed to high levels of sadness, what may help explain why these kids too often develop depressive disorders," said Nestor Lopez-Duran, an assistant professor of psychology at U-M and one of the study's authors.
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In the study, children whose mothers had a history of depression and therefore were at high risk for the disorder did not differ from their low-risk peers in the amount of negative emotions they experienced, said Nestor Lopez-Duran. However, compared to their peers, children at high risk for depression had lower frequencies of positive emotions.
Indiana University: Couples report gender differences in relationship, sexual satisfaction over time
The Kinsey Institute study involved more than 1,000 couples from five countries -- the U.S., Brazil, Germany, Spain and Japan.
July 5, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Cuddling and caressing are important ingredients for long-term relationship satisfaction, according to an international study that looks at relationship and sexual satisfaction throughout committed relationships, but contrary to stereotypes, tenderness was more important to the men than to the women.
Also contrary to expectations of the researchers, men were more likely to report being happy in their relationship, while women were more likely to report being satisfied with their sexual relationship. The couples, more than 1,000 from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Japan and Spain, where together an average 25 years.
The study from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, is the first to examine sexual and relationship parameters of middle-aged or older couples in committed, long-term relationships. Research efforts to understand the place of sexuality in human lives rarely involves intact couples in ongoing relationships.
Ohio State University: INFANTS LEARN TO TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE BY 16 MONTHS, STUDY FINDS
July 5, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Researchers have identified when an important milestone in infants’ development occurs: the ability to transfer knowledge to new situations.
In a series of studies, the researchers found that 8-month-olds had trouble using newly acquired knowledge in a different circumstance, but 16-month-olds could do so.
“Some time between 8 and 16 months, infants begin learning how to learn,” said Julie Hupp, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University’s Newark campus.
“They begin to transfer their new knowledge and use it in a totally different situation, which is a very important step in development.”
Ohio State University: STUDY: PREVENTIVE USE OF ONE FORM OF NATURAL VITAMIN E MAY REDUCE STROKE DAMAGE
July 5, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ten weeks of preventive supplementation with a natural form of vitamin E called tocotrienol in dogs that later had strokes reduced overall brain tissue damage, prevented loss of neural connections and helped sustain blood flow in the animals’ brains, a new study shows.
Researchers say the findings suggest that preventive, or prophylactic, use of this natural form of vitamin E could be particularly helpful to people considered at highest risk for a major stroke: those who have previously suffered a ministroke, or a temporary stoppage of blood flow in the brain.
Of the almost 800,000 strokes in the United States each year, an estimated 25 percent are repeat events, according to the American Heart Association.
Archeology/Anthropology
Voice of America: Archeological Findings Reveal Central African History
New discoveries indicate humans settled Cameroon 5000 years ago
Ntaryike Divine Jr | Douala, Cameroon
Archeologists say the findings mark a breakthrough that requires a rewriting of the history of Cameroon and the rest of Central Africa. Artifacts from hundreds of archeological sites from southern Chad to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Cameroon have turned up several surprises.
The research was conducted between 1999 and 2004 as construction was underway on the underground petroleum pipeline. The pipeline is sponsored by the World Bank and runs from Chad to the port of Kribi, Cameroon.
Researchers say at first, they set out merely to deepen their archeological knowledge of the areas straddling the pipeline trench, which is more than 1000 kilometers long.
Yale University:Earliest Image of Egyptian Ruler Wearing “White Crown” of Royalty Brought to Light
New Haven, Conn. — The earliest known image of an Egyptian ruler wearing the “White Crown” associated with Egyptian dynastic power has been brought to light by an international team of archaeologists led by Egyptologists from Yale University.
Carved around 3200 BCE, this unique record of a royal celebration at the dawn of the Egyptian dynastic period was found at a site discovered almost a half-century ago by Egyptologist Labib Habachi at Nag el-Hamdulab, on the West Bank of the Nile to the north of Aswan.
Eastern Daily Press: Woman’s skeleton found at Sedgeford dig sheds light on Norfolk 4,000 years ago
Chris Bishop
Monday, July 4, 2011 8:15 AM
Curled up in her burial pit with her amber beads, an ancient woman’s remains show our ancestors farmed a lush Norfolk valley thousands of years earlier than previously believed.
Archaeologists confirmed the significance of the discovery yesterday as work got under way for the summer season at Sedgeford, near Heacham.
Martin Hatton, curator of human remains at the site, was staking out an area of chalk down close to where the find was made last summer, ready for this year’s eagerly-awaited dig to begin.
“It was a total surprise to us,” he said. “You don’t bury people anywhere other than near where they live, so what we can say is that people were farming the land here 4,000 years ago.”
Der Spiegel: The Pharaoh of Thuringia
Archaeologists Puzzle Over Opulent Prehistoric Burial Find
By Matthias Schulz
When archeologists recently excavated a 3,800-year-old palace near the eastern German city of Weimar, they discovered about 100 valuable weapons buried next to a massive structure. Now they are puzzling over how an ancient chieftain buried nearby became so rich.
In 1877, when archeology was still in its infancy, art professor Friedrich Klopfleisch climbed an almost nine-meter (30-foot) mound of earth in Leubingen, a district in the eastern German state of Thuringia lying near a range of hills in eastern Germany known as the Kyffhäuser. He was there to "kettle" the hill, which entailed having workers dig a hole from the top of the burial mound into the burial chamber below.
When they finally arrived at the burial chamber, everything lay untouched: There were the remains of a man, shiny gold cloak pins, precious tools, a dagger, a pot for food or drink near the man's feet, and the skeleton of a child lying across his lap.
The "prince" of Leubingen was clearly a member of the elite. Farmers who had little to eat themselves had piled up at least 3,000 cubic meters (106,000 cubic feet) of earth to fashion the burial mound. They had also built a tent-shaped vault out of oak beams and covered it with a mound of stones, as if he had been a pharaoh.
LiveScience via MSNBC: House dating to Kingdom of Israel uncovered
Archaeologists surprised at how well-preserved it is after three millennia
By Remy Melina
The remains of a house uncovered in the city of Haifa are the best-preserved yet from the Kingdom of Israel, dating back nearly three millennia.
The site of the discovery was excavated about 40 years ago, but neglect had left the structure hidden until now. Layers of earth and garbage had piled up atop it, and off-road vehicles had plowed over the area, damaging the artifacts.
The Daily Telegraph (UK): 1,400-year-old St Paul fresco discovered in ancient Roman catacomb
A 1,400-year-old fresco of St Paul has been discovered in an ancient Roman catacomb.
By Nick Pisa in Rome
1:39PM BST 29 Jun 2011
The fresco was found during restoration work at the Catacombs of San Gennaro (Saint Januarius) in the southern port city of Naples by experts from the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Art.
The announcement was made on the feast day of St Peter and Paul which is traditionally a bank holiday in Rome and details of the discovery were disclosed in the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.
Fox News: Ancient Clay Head May Have Been Used as Shaman's Effigy
Published July 07, 2011
A recently discovered miniature clay head with eerie eyes may have been an effigy used by a shaman more than 1,000 years ago, researchers say.
The head, which was discovered near Ebbert Spring in Franklin Country, Penn., has shells for eyes and tiny holes across its top and sides that may have been used for feathers or hair. A cavity at the base of the neck indicates that it was likely mounted on a stick or wand.
"It might have been used in a ceremony by a shaman of some sort," said lead archaeologist Ronald Powell, of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology. Shell is a symbolically important object among Native American cultures and Powell believes that the use of it for eyes, combined with feathers, add weight to the idea that the artifact had a shamanistic use.
Physorg.com: Vikings in English grave had filed teeth
by Bob Yirka
uly 8, 2011
(PhysOrg.com) -- In what is believed to be a gravesite filled with thousand year old Viking bodies along with separated heads, in southern Britain, a new artifact has been discovered; one of the slain Vikings had his two front teeth filed horizontally. Though it’s not known exactly why, whether to instill fear in victims, to impress comrades or even to show rank, the filing of the teeth, likely a painful process, is a unique find, in that it is something that is rarely seen in early European history.
The gravesite, or burial pit, found in Weymouth, Dorset, on the southern coast of England two years ago, was filled with the bodies of 54 headless skeletons along with 51 skulls, all of whom are believed to be the remains of marauding Vikings from northern Europe during the time period 970 to 1025, which would make it just before the infamous Norman conquest of 1066 that transformed England from a mostly Anglo-Saxon civilization to one dominated by the French Normans.
Belfast Telegraph (UK): Walk of the week: Follow in the footsteps of Vikings in Co Down
By Linda Stewart
Monday, 4 July 2011
This walk across the rocky outcrops of Orlock Point in Co Down affords stunning views of the Copeland Islands and out across the Irish Sea towards Scotland.
The area is steeped in archaeology and history, with evidence of Vikings, smugglers and World War II defences, and the outcrops harbour a mosaic of semi-natural habitats which support a rich diversity of plants and animals.
The path around Orlock Point has been managed by The National Trust since 1984. It runs from Portavo to Sandeel Bay and is a section of the North Down Coastal Path.
NewsWales: 13th century pot sheds life on medieval Wales
Section Culture | Published on 7 Jul 2011
A pottery vessel known as an aquamanile and dating back to the 13th century has been found by archaeologists at Cosmeston, Penarth, shedding new light on medieval life in the area.
Aquamanile were designed to hold water with which the most distinguished diners at a table could wash their hands.
Sofia News Service (Bulgaria): Bulgarian Archaeologists Uncover Major Church Built by Byzantium's Last Emperors
Archaeology | July 7, 2011, Thursday
Bulgarian archaeologists have unearthed the main church of a 14th century Byzantine monastery built by the last dynasty of the Eastern Roman Empire located in the Black Sea town of Sozopol.
The team of archaeologist Dr. Krastina Panayotova from the National Archaeology Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has completed the first stage of the excavations of the St. Apostles Monastery and of a medieval feudal castle at the Cape of Sozopol.
During the excavations funded by the Bulgarian government, Panayotova's team has uncovered the monastery church, a small cemetery chapel, and a feudal castle dating back to the 13th-15th century, the last days before the Byzantine Empire before it was wiped out of the map by the Ottoman Turkish invaders.
The Independent: A lost Michelangelo? Art scholar claims controversial find in Oxford
By Rob Sharp, Arts Correspondent
Saturday, 9 July 2011
A respected Italian art scholar claims to have identified a previously unknown painting by Michelangelo at the University of Oxford.
Antonio Forcellino, a veteran Italian conservator, made international headlines last month when he backed a wealthy New York family's claim that a painting they had stored behind their sofa was by the Renaissance master. Now Forcellino says new research techniques applied to a piece owned by Campion Hall, an institution which allows religious scholars to study at Oxford, has revealed it to be an authentic Michelangelo.
Baltimore Sun: Archaeologists seek Civil War camp
Post stood at Lafayette Square
By Frank D. Roylance
5:51 p.m. EDT, July 8, 2011
Volunteer archaeologists are descending on leafy Lafayette Square in West Baltimore this weekend in an effort to uncover relics from Camp Hoffman, a Union army encampment that stood there during the Civil War.
Just hours into the project Friday, while dodging rain showers and swarms of June bugs, the diggers had already turned up fragments of mid-19th-century tableware and decorative wrought iron, nails, birdshot and even a piece of an old pocket watch.
News-Gazette: Project unearthing blasts from city's transportation past
Tom Kacich
Sun, 07/03/2011 - 8:00am
CHAMPAIGN — A $2 million University Avenue improvement project in downtown Champaign has morphed into an urban archaeology dig, as construction crews have unearthed remnants of the city's interurban railroad and streetcar system.
"This is old so you never know what you're going to get into," said Richard Taylor of Champaign, a resident engineer with Clark Dietz Inc., the engineering firm overseeing the infrastructure improvement project on University Avenue between Randolph and Chestnut streets.
Greeley Tribune: Historical Hindsights: Archaeologists tackle unsolved local mysteries
By Michelle de Gruchy and Bob Brunswig
The stories of Dearfield and Meeker House are likely familiar to readers of this column. Dearfield is the black colony founded and championed by O.T. Jackson that had 300 residents at its height and came alive on weekends with social gatherings centered on music, dancing and hunting that attracted blacks from as far away as Denver. Meeker House was the 1870 home of Greeley’s founder Nathan Meeker. Both sites have rich histories, but histories that leave many questions unanswered, and this summer archaeologists will begin investigations into those respective mysteries.
CNN: Opinion: Illegal antiquities trade funds terrorism
The illicit trade in antiquities is a worldwide epidemic on the list with drugs, weapons and human trafficking and yet it is rarely talked about.
While I was serving in counter-terrorism operations in Iraq in 2003 as a Colonel in the United States Marine Corps, I volunteered to investigate the looting of Iraq's National Museum.
From my experience, I can say that the illegal antiquities trade has become a revenue stream for terrorist activity in the region.
Hat/Tip to annetteboardman, who sent in the above articles.
Michigan State University: CVM uncovers history behind bronze horse statue
July 7, 2011
The Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine has recently learned one of its statues on display is more than just a bronze horse— it’s a rare piece of art.
Since 2010, a blue-green bronze statue of Obusier - a champion stallion imported from France in 1938 - has been on display in the reception area of the Large Animal Clinic of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Standing at 29 inches high and 28 inches long, it's one-fourth the size of the horse that inspired its creation.
Physics
University of Michigan: Using imprint processing to mass-produce tiny antennas could improve wireless electronics
July 5, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Engineering researchers at the University of Michigan have found a way to mass-produce antennas so small that they approach the fundamental minimum size limit for their bandwidth, or data rate, of operation.
This could lead to new generations of wireless consumer electronics and mobile devices that are either smaller or can perform more functions. The antenna is typically the largest wireless component in mobile devices. Shrinking it could leave more room for other gadgets and features, said Anthony Grbic, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Grbic and Stephen Forrest, a professor in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Physics, led the development of the hemisphere-shaped antennas, which can be manufactured with innovative imprint processing techniques that are rapid and low cost. The finished product is 1.8 times the fundamental antenna size limit established in 1948 by L.J. Chu. The dimensions of this limit vary based on an antenna's bandwidth.
Chemistry
Purdue University: Laser, electric fields combined for new 'lab-on-chip' technologies
July 5, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers are developing new technologies that combine a laser and electric fields to manipulate fluids and tiny particles such as bacteria, viruses and DNA for a range of potential applications, from drug manufacturing to food safety.
The technologies could bring innovative sensors and analytical devices for "lab-on-a-chip" applications, or miniature instruments that perform measurements normally requiring large laboratory equipment, said Steven T. Wereley, a Purdue University professor of mechanical engineering.
The method, called "hybrid optoelectric manipulation in microfluidics," is a potential new tool for applications including medical diagnostics, testing food and water, crime-scene forensics, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Energy
Purdue University: Termites' digestive system could act as biofuel refinery
July 5, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - One of the peskiest household pests, while disastrous to homes, could prove to be a boon for cars, according to a Purdue University study.
Mike Scharf, the O. Wayne Rollins/Orkin Chair in Molecular Physiology and Urban Entomology, said his laboratory has discovered a cocktail of enzymes from the guts of termites that may be better at getting around the barriers that inhibit fuel production from woody biomass. The Scharf Laboratory found that enzymes in termite guts are instrumental in the insects' ability to break down the wood they eat.
The findings, published in the early online version of the journal PLoS One, are the first to measure the sugar output from enzymes created by the termites themselves and the output from symbionts, small protozoa that live in termite guts and aid in digestion of woody material.
Science, Space, Environment, and Energy Policy
Reuters: Shuttles' end stirs doubts about U.S. space program
By Irene Klotz
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Fri Jul 8, 2011 12:48pm EDT
As the clock ticks down to this week's final space shuttle launch, there is a mounting sense of uncertainty about future U.S. dominance in space.
If all goes according to plan, Friday morning's launch of shuttle Atlantis on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station will mark the end of an era in the U.S. manned spaceflight program.
But veteran former astronauts say the space program is in "disarray" and fear the end of the shuttles could mean a permanent decline in U.S. space leadership as well.
Even one senior NASA official voiced pointed criticism recently about what he described as "poor policy" and the lack of any coherent leadership from Washington.
The White House and NASA's leaders have insisted, however, that America still has a bright future in space.
I have more to say about this on Crazy Eddie's Motie News in
The end of an era: last space shuttle mission.
University of Michigan: Poll: Michigan citizens, officials agree local government should tackle global warming
July 6, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—A large majority of Michigan citizens and local government leaders agree that local governments have a responsibility to help reduce global warming, a new University of Michigan survey says.
The view was shared by 70 percent of the citizens and 68 percent of the local officials, although the officials’ opinions were divided about the seriousness of global warming, says the poll by U-M's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP).
The study is unique because it combined findings from two different partnering surveys: one focused on Michigan's citizens and another focused on Michigan's local government leaders. The findings are significant because global warming is a relatively new issue. It has been unclear whether citizens and their leaders believe they should help fight the problem at the local level or leave it up to the state and federal governments.
"This study firmly establishes that most Michiganians and their local leaders share a common view that reducing global warming is a public responsibility to be addressed at all levels of government, including the local level," said Brian Jacob, professor of public policy and director of CLOSUP.
Michigan State University: MSU researcher helps Detroit tackle problem of untested rape kits
July 8, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. — A noted researcher from Michigan State University is helping Detroit authorities to determine why more than 10,000 sexual assault kits spanning two decades went untested and to develop practices to prevent the problem in the future.
Rebecca Campbell, a psychology professor and veteran sexual assault researcher, is the independent evaluator for the three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. Campbell has been given unprecedented access by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Detroit Police Department and Michigan State Police to interview staff at all levels and review policies and procedures related to the 10,559 untested sexual assault kits in Detroit.
“If everything goes the way it is supposed to, Detroit will be positioned to be a national leader in being able to help other communities deal with this,” said Campbell, who started her work in April. “It means that the research we do will assist police and prosecutors in bringing criminals to justice."
The untested sexual assault kits, also known as rape kits, were discovered in a Detroit police property storage facility in August 2009. The kits date back to the 1980s.
University of Wisconsin: Innovation marks UW-Madison contribution to vitamins, drugs, medical supplies
by David Tenenbaum
July 6, 2011
With a long tradition of exploration of medicine and biology, and a research budget that has passed $1 billion, University of Wisconsin-Madison builds on a rich history of discoveries related to drugs and nutrition: Vitamin A and B were discovered here in 1914.
In 1941, Karl Paul Link discovered dicumarol, an anti-coagulant and poison. From dicumarol, Link synthesized coumadin (Warfarin), the first widely effective rat poison. Coumadin, the first safe medical anticoagulant, is still widely prescribed.
Ever since biochemist Harry Steenbock discovered how to enrich the vitamin D content of foods through irradiation in 1923, the vitamin and its many derivatives have been a mainstay of UW-Madison pharmaceutical research. Facing considerable commercial interest in the vitamin, Steenbock believed the university should benefit, and together with Dean Slichter, he founded the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which opened in 1925 as the nation's first university technology transfer office.
Sustainability news from national commercial sources for the week ending July 9, 2011
Purdue University: Executive director of Purdue's Discovery Park to join IBJ life sciences panel discussion
July 7, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS - Purdue University Discovery Park executive director Alan Rebar will join a panel of experts in a discussion next week about the outlook for Indiana's life sciences industry.
Rebar, also senior associate vice president of research, will participate in the Indianapolis Business Journal Power Breakfast Series on Life Sciences at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday (July 13), at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, 10 S. West St.
Other featured panelists are Richard DiMarchi, the Cox Professor of Biochemistry and the Gill Chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University; David Johnson, president and chief executive officer at BioCrossroads; and Oscar Moralez, managing partner at Stepstone Business Partners.
"Indiana's research universities - including Purdue, Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame - give us a strong advantage when it comes to growing, attracting and supporting our state's $44 billion life sciences industry," said Rebar, who was named to the list of Who's Who in Life Sciences by the business journal in May. "Yet we must realize the global pressures we face in strengthening and expanding the bridge that brings together established life sciences employers, research universities, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and local and state business constituents."
Science Education
The Peak (Canada): Scientists peel back time
Field school broadens its scope to Harwood Island
by Laura Walz | editor@prpeak.com
Published: Friday, July 8, 2011 3:00 PM PDT
A scientific exploration of the area’s ancient history continues to unearth evidence of settlements throughout the region. Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation and Simon Fraser University are in the fourth year of a collaborative heritage program that is systematically creating a picture of the rich and sophisticated culture of the ancient people who populated the coast.
While Tla’Amin members have extensive oral knowledge of their history, the area was largely unexplored from an archaeological perspective, until the Tla’Amin-SFU Archaeology and Heritage Stewardship Program launched in 2008. The project brings together oral traditions with information from archaeological field work conducted in the summer and archival investigations.
Hat/Tip to annetteboardman for this story.
Michigan State University: Field days showcase latest in ag research
July 6, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Leading-edge research and demonstration projects ranging from advances in fruit, vegetable and grain production to cattle-breeding techniques, high-yield forage testing, robotic milking and biofuels research will be featured throughout the summer at a number of Michigan State University AgBioResearch center field days and open houses.
MSU AgBioResearch is the new name of the former Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.
"Field days are excellent opportunities to provide exposure to the novel research taking place at the research centers," said AgBioResearch director Steve Pueppke. "These facilities supply Michigan growers and commodity groups with the latest information, enabling them to provide Michigan residents with more efficient production strategies, improved foods and plants and a better quality of life."
Michigan State University: College of Human Medicine expanding Upper Peninsula campus
July 8, 2011
MARQUETTE, Mich. — Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, in conjunction with Marquette General Health System, is expanding the college's Rural Physician Program, increasing the number of medical students training each year in the Upper Peninsula.
Since 1974, the college has been training medical students in the U.P. Eight to 10 students are accepted annually into the program, spending their third and fourth years of medical school at CHM's Marquette campus. The program now seeks to place up to 16 students per class year at the campus and expand training sites across the region.
"We extend an invitation to the physicians of our Upper Peninsula to join us in teaching the next generation of physicians," said Marsha D. Rappley, dean of the College of Human Medicine. "We also are pleased to strengthen our relationship with Marquette General Health System and Superior Health Partners as we work together to address the physician work force issues of the Upper Peninsula and all of rural America through a quality-driven health care system."
Michigan State University: Program to focus on natural resources and resource management
July 6, 2011
People interested in the outdoors, natural resources, conservation and local environmental issues are invited to attend the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program Aug. 25-Oct. 13 at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.
Lectures and field experiences offer hands-on learning opportunities focused on ecological foundations, making decisions for natural resources, forests, grasslands, stream ecosystems and management, wetlands, agriculture and land use. There will also be a volunteer expo highlighting conservation opportunities available in southwest Michigan.
The 40-hour course includes Thursday evening lectures and three Saturday field experiences 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 27, Sept. 10 and Sept. 24. The field experiences will travel to unique locations to explore different habitats, including the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute and Michigan State University's Kellogg Forest, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and Lux Arbor Reserve.
"Conservation Stewards gives people the chance to learn from local and statewide experts about local natural resources and efforts to protect them," said Shari Dann, MSU Extension conservation specialist. "Participants don’t need to have a background in conservation, just an interest in our great Michigan natural resources and in having fun learning more about the environment with others who share that interest."
Wayne State University: Wayne State University engineering student receives American Tinnitus Association award
July 8, 2011
DETROIT - Na Zhu, a Wayne State University College of Engineering student, has received the 2011 American Tinnitus Association Student Research Grant Program award. The program financially supports scientific studies that investigate and aim to find a cure for tinnitus.
Zhu, a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Sean Wu, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is developing an innovative, 3-D computer-aided diagnostic system to pinpoint the exact locations of the tinnitus-related neural network activities in the brain's auditory structure. This system will monitor changes in tinnitus-related neural network activities at the identified locations following noise exposure and through auditory cortex electrical stimulations. This will aid in determining the correlation in the locations where tinnitus-related neural network activities are most active.
University of Wisconsin: Benson appointed sustainability research and education director
by Jill Sakai
July 7, 2011
Craig H. Benson, Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of geological engineering and civil and environmental engineering, has been named the first director for sustainability research and education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In this new role, Benson is charged with the primary goal of developing and coordinating a campus-wide effort to align UW-Madison teaching and research on sustainability with campus operations. He will also play a critical role in building a UW-Madison Office of Sustainability, a key element of the ongoing cross-campus Sustainability Initiative, which he will co-direct with Faramarz Vakili.
"The goal is to make sustainability a philosophy of operation for the entire university," says Vakili, the campus director for sustainability operations. "Our products are the students we graduate and the research we produce. It's important for these to come together with how the university operates to maximize the sustainability of the campus."
Purdue University: Purdue ROV team excels at international competition
July 7, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University student team earned second place in an international competition to design and build a remotely operated underwater vehicle and perform a simulated mission to cap a leaking offshore oil well.
"We've had a phenomenal year," said Seth Baklor, team captain and a junior in industrial engineering. "Our second-place finish puts Purdue ahead of many top-ranked institutions such as Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Arizona State and teams from Russia, China, India, Egypt, the UK and Canada."
The team competed in the 10th annual Marine Advanced Technology Education Center's International ROV Competition on June 16-18 at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"The challenge this year was to create and deploy an oil cap, collect biological specimens and collect a non-diluted water sample," said Baklor, who led the Purdue IEEE ROV Team.
Science Writing and Reporting
Michigan State University: Jobless in journalism: Grads create own online news service
July 8, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich. — After graduating from journalism school and unable to find jobs in their chosen fields, two Michigan State University alumni did the next best thing: Founded their own news website.
Developing the Michigan River News website allowed Andrew McGlashen and Jeff Brooks Gillies to bring together their love of the outdoors and journalism.
“Mostly we just like doing journalism and don’t have jobs in journalism,” said McGlashen, a 2009 graduate of a master’s program at MSU’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. “We have the training and needed a place to use it, and if we learned anything at the Knight Center, it’s that nowadays journalists need to create their own opportunities.”
Science is Cool
The Garden City Telegram: Passion for paleontology: Man unearths hobby at excavation
By ANGIE HAFLICH
ahaflich@gctelegram.com
Published 7/7/2011 in Local News
Many people dream of going on expeditions through strange and foreign lands and uncovering mysteries such as those portrayed in the movies, but most stop there.
Mark Singhisen, program resource coordinator for Mosaic, actually found a way to live that dream.
Singhisen always has been interested in archaeology, which explains his love for such movies as "Raiders of the Lost Ark." So he began an online expedition of sorts to research the subject.
"I Googled archaeology and up came up a map," he said.
The map he found was on the American Institute of Archaeology's website — www.archaeological.org — which had information about how he could participate in an actual archaeological excavation.
Hat/Tip to annetteboardman for this story.