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February 26, 2013

How human language could have evolved from birdsong
Boston MA (SPX) Feb 26, 2013
"The sounds uttered by birds offer in several respects the nearest analogy to language," Charles Darwin wrote in "The Descent of Man" (1871), while contemplating how humans learned to speak. Language, he speculated, might have had its origins in singing, which "might have given rise to words expressive of various complex emotions." Now researchers from MIT, along with a scholar from the University of Tokyo, say that Darwin was on the right path. The balance of evidence, they believe, suggests that ... read more

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CSIRO 'solar sponge' soaks up CO2 emissions The breakthrough presents a new way to recycle CO2 emissions using renewable energy. The 'sponge' which is made from a new smart material called a MOF - metal organic framework - adsorbs carbon diox ... more		Using transportation data to predict pandemics In a world of increasing global connections, predicting the spread of infectious diseases is more complicated than ever. Pandemics no longer follow the patterns they did centuries ago, when diseases ... more		Sewage lagoons remove most - but not all - pharmaceuticals 2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which established regulations for the discharge of pollutants to waterways and supported the building of sewage treatment plants. Despite the ... more
				How a microbial biorefinery regulates genes Microorganisms that can break down plant biomass into the precursors of biodiesel or other commodity chemicals might one day be used to produce alternatives to petroleum. But the potential of this " ... more		Stanford researchers develop tool for reading the minds of mice If you want to read a mouse's mind, it takes some fluorescent protein and a tiny microscope implanted in the rodent's head. Stanford scientists have demonstrated a technique for observing hundreds o ... more

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New approach alters malaria maps Identifying areas of malarial infection risk depends more on daily temperature variation than on the average monthly temperatures, according to a team of researchers, who believe that their results ... more		Data paper describes Antarctic biodiversity data gathered by 90 expeditions since 1956 A new peer-reviewed data paper offers a comprehensive, open-access collection of georeferenced biological information about the Antarctic macrobenthic communities. The term macrobenthic refers to th ... more		Breakthrough process converts CO2 and electricity into protein-rich food Floating solar panels could advance US energy goals Fresh, direct evidence for tiny drops of quark-gluon plasma		How predictable is evolution? Understanding how and why diversification occurs is important for understanding why there are so many species on Earth. In a new study published on 19 February in the open access journal PLOS Biolog ... more
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China admits pollution-linked 'cancer villages'

Low snow in winter will prolong drought

Ukraine to join NATO anti-piracy mission

Massive winter storm blankets central US

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