Tag Archives: Science

Laptops, Wi-Fi & Male Fertility

While browsing Bob Rankins geekly update, came across a study regarding wifi, laptops and fertility.
Study with abstract and conclusions here (full text also in a tab on the linked page)

The conclusion of the study,

To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the direct impact of laptop use on human spermatozoa. Ex vivo exposure of human spermatozoa to a wireless internet-connected laptop decreased motility and induced DNA fragmentation by a nonthermal effect. We speculate that keeping a laptop connected wirelessly to the internet on the lap near the testes may result in decreased male fertility. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to prove this contention.

Cure for Dengue Fever? — Stopping Dengue Fever With Bacteria and Math

Given the current outbreak of Dengue Fever in Pakistan (mostly in Punjab at the moment), the following might be of interest.

Interesting article in Science Daily,

Stopping Dengue Fever With Bacteria and Math

It may be possible to eliminate the deadly dengue fever by infecting mosquitoes with a bacterium called Wolbachia that prevents the mosquitoes from transmitting the dengue virus to humans. A new mathematical model, developed by Nick Barton (Institute of Science and Technology, Austria) and Michael Turelli (University of California, Davis), may be helpful in getting the bacteria established in mosquito populations.

Abstract from Nature.com,
Successful establishment of Wolbachia in Aedes populations to suppress dengue transmission

From The American Naturalist,
http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1086/661247

Interesting Science Stories of the Day

A couple of stories that caught my eye.

Solar Power Without Solar Cells: A Hidden Magnetic Effect of Light Could Make It Possible
A dramatic and surprising magnetic effect of light discovered by University of Michigan researchers could lead to solar power without traditional semiconductor-based solar cells…

Watson Goes to Work in the Hospital
Technology like that inside the Jeopardy! champ is being used to identify when babies are acquiring an infection.

BookBoon: Free PDF Textbooks

Bookboon is providing free PDF textbooks in a number of subjects. The subjects include Engineering, Mathematics, Science, and more. Bookboon states “Our books are legal and written exclusively for Bookboon. They are financed by a few in-book ads.”
When you download a PDF, you have to give your email and as stated above there are in-book ads. From Bookboon’s Facebook Info page,

…
The books are all written by university professors and exclusively written for Bookboon.com. The books are secondary litterature and is aimed at asisting the student when studying for exams. The books are around 100-120 pages and aim at explaining the all the relevant parts of curriculum in a short and precise manner.
…
IMPORTANT: Ventus Publishing and Bookboon.com does not share any information about individuals with any of our advertisers. The advertisers have also had zero influence on the content of the books, in fact the books are written before any advertisers are contacted.

If you have questions to this application, feel free to contact us on bookboon@ventus.dk

In addition to Mathematics sections, there is a separate section for Calculus with a number of PDF books.

How to build muscles?

An interesting article I came across in ScienceDaily which discusses research on heavier weights vs. lighter ones. The key being muscle fatigue.

Building Muscle Doesn’t Require Lifting Heavy Weights, Study Shows

“Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can’t lift it anymore,” says Stuart Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University.

Mahathir Mohamad’s Blog

Mahathir Mohamad Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, a Muslim and an architect of Malaysia’s modernisation drive shares his thoughts on his blog.

Some of his posts include,
BLAIR THE LIAR

9/11 AND REACTIONS
(in which he makes the case for an open and honest inquiry into the event which has had such a big impact on developments across the globe)

SCIENCE AND ISLAM
(discusses the reasons behind decline of science in the Islamic world. A key point being the neglect of non-religious knowledge)

Genetic Engineering Insulin from Safflower

An interesting and promising development regarding Insulin which is of so much importance for diabetics. Scientists at the Univ. of Calgary have successfully produced insulin from Safflower by inserting human insulin gene into the plant. The method is faster than existing traditional methods and crucially is also cheaper. The cheap part should have enormous implications for poorer countries where many are denied diabetic care because of the cost of insulin. Read more below at Popular Science (link below) and also click on the ctv link in that story to get more info as well as a short video. Just 16,000 acres of the flower can meet the world’s annual demand for insulin. The safflower insulin has passed testing on humans and found to be safe so far. The next crucial step will be testing on actual diabetic patients. The tests are scheduled for next year, so this is not a done deal yet. If the insulin successfully helps actual diabetic patients, it could be a most significant and beneficial development.

Insulin Can Now Be Made Cheaply from Flowers

Dark Ages or The Forgotten Years of Muslim Contribution?

Learn about the contributions of muslim scientists & scholars to the world. Engineering, Mathematics, Science, Arts, Medicine, Economy, Education …
In popular history accounts, the rise of European/Western scientific and artists is preceded by the Dark Ages. But, that is not a true depiction of the reality. During these “Dark Ages”, Muslims advanced Continue reading →