New research reveals the root of musical pleasure
Posted by admin in Science on 25. Jan, 2011 | 0 Comments
We all know that certain pieces of music can evoke strong emotional responses in people. Now, a research team from Canada’s McGill University has uncovered evidence that reveals exactly what causes such feelings of euphoria and ecstasy and why music is so important in human society. Using a combination of brain scanning technologies, the study [...]
Researchers discover way to turn off severe allergic reaction to food in mice
Posted by admin in Medicine on 04. Oct, 2010 | 0 Comments
A bowl of nuts – delicious for some, potentially deadly for others There is no known cure for food allergies with sufferers forced to constantly check the ingredients on food packaging and make enquiries at restaurants before digging into a meal. Even taking such precautions it is almost impossible to avoid all food allergen exposure, [...]
Willow Garage’s PR2 robot now for sale
Posted by admin in Robots on 09. Sep, 2010 | 0 Comments
PR2 – short for Personal Robot 2 – is roughly the size of a person and consists of a mobile base sitting upon four steered and driven casters, torso, head, two arms, an array of sensors and sixteen cores for computation. The torso moves up and down relative to the base, to give PR2 a [...]
Computer takes guesswork out of anesthetizing
Posted by admin in Medicine, Science on 22. Feb, 2010 | 0 Comments
Anesthetists cannot take their responsibilities lightly. Too little anesthetic and a patient may feel the whole procedure, too much and a patient might shuffle off this mortal coil. Researchers in the Canary Islands have taken the guesswork out of this thorny dilemma and developed a computer-controlled system that measures a patient’s hypnotic state and applies [...]
Brown Fat Revelations May Lead to New Weight Loss Drugs
Posted by admin in Medicine on 26. Dec, 2009 | 4 Comments
Scientists have found a new way to rev the body’s metabolism: Activate its fat cells. Ultimately, what they envision is a “brown fat pill”—a drug that boosts brown fat activity through molecular means. Here’s the science behind what may be the weight-loss breakthrough of the next decade. Five years ago this February, Aaron Cypess had [...]
