Month: July 2014

Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation

It looks like ancient humans got around.  It's pretty well known now that most of us have Neanderthal DNA, but apparently a lot us also have Denisovan DNA: Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation -- ScienceDaily. Tibetans were able to adapt to high altitudes thanks to a gene picked up when their ancestors … Continue reading Extinct human cousin gave Tibetans advantage at high elevation →

What do you use to keep track of the blogs and sites that you follow?

I'm a big user of RSS feeds, and used to pretty much live in Google Reader before Google killed it.  In the months after GR was shut down, I tried a number of different RSS reading services including Feedly, AOL, Digg, and many others including client based products.  I settled fairly early on Feedly, although it … Continue reading What do you use to keep track of the blogs and sites that you follow? →

Cosmic rays becoming an increasing problem for microchips. Threat to Moore’s Law?

When I first saw the title of this article, I thought it might be an alarmist piece of some kind about passenger safety from higher radiation doses while in the air, but it's actually about a broader and more serious problem: The $8.5M Race to Protect Planes From Cosmic Rays. It’s an invisible, but looming threat … Continue reading Cosmic rays becoming an increasing problem for microchips. Threat to Moore’s Law? →

Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets

I always assumed that NASA had plans to explore other Kuiper Belt objects after the New Horizon's probe flew by Pluto.  But I'm a bit surprised that they're just now working out what those objects will be: Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets -- ScienceDaily. Planetary scientists … Continue reading Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets →

Vitamin D apparently has nothing to do with skin color

This article is a reminder that in science, nothing is certain until you have evidence (even then, nothing is totally certain): In human evolution, changes in skin's barrier set northern Europeans apart -- ScienceDaily. The popular idea that northern Europeans developed light skin to absorb more UV light so they could make more vitamin D -- vital … Continue reading Vitamin D apparently has nothing to do with skin color →

Ancient baby boom holds a lesson in over-population

Along the lines of last week's discussion of Jared Diamond's book 'Collapse': Ancient baby boom holds a lesson in over-population -- ScienceDaily. Washington State University researchers have sketched out one of the greatest baby booms in North American history, a centuries-long "growth blip" among southwestern Native Americans between 500 to 1300 A.D. It was a time … Continue reading Ancient baby boom holds a lesson in over-population →

Court Says Some Employers Don’t Have to Cover Birth Control

There is a lot of discussion over the US Supreme Court's decision: Court Says Some Employers Don't Have to Cover Birth Control | Political Wire. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 split, ruled that "closely held" companies can on religious grounds opt out of a federal health-care law requirement that companies provide contraception coverage for employees, the Wall Street … Continue reading Court Says Some Employers Don’t Have to Cover Birth Control →