Latest science news in Mathematics & Economics
Space Transfer at Hannover Messe 2008
Technology spin-offs from European space programmes were showcased at the SpaceTransfer08 event at the world's leading industrial trade fair Hannover Messe 2008. Vodcast
Sticker Shock in the Organic Aisles
Rising prices for organic groceries are prompting some consumers to question their devotion to food produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or antibiotics.
City Room: Court Delays Posting of Calories
A federal appeals judge delayed the enforcement of new city rules requiring calorie counts to be posted in some restaurants.
Personal Best: Cheating Starts Before the Race Does
Why does the Boston Marathon make it so hard to enter? And how often do runners sneak in by trading or buying one another’s entries?
Personal digital assistants in space
Can tiny and ubiquitous devices like Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) be of use for space applications? The answer is a definite yes. Recent tests have demonstrated current and future uses...
Science and Galileo - working together
Galileo is a promising tool for the scientific community, even though it is mainly intended for a set of practical services such as guiding cars, supporting safe aircraft landings or...
Efficiency of satellite telecommunications for civil protection agencies
Enhancing interoperability during European civil protection operations is the objective of an ESA project named Decision. In the context of this project, field trials were held in Chartres, France, focusing...
Absinthe's Mind-Altering Mystery Solved
A new analysis could end the controversy over absinthe's ingredient.
Bats can put on the loudest rock concert — ever
Bats that weigh no more than a handful of coins screech 100 times louder than rock concerts, a discovery that could help design advanced robots.
Moondust and Duct Tape
Going to the Moon? Don't forget your duct tape. Thirty-six years ago when Apollo 17 astronauts found themselves a quarter million miles from home with a damaged moonbuggy,...
Q&A: Baltimore's pointers for science in developing nations
David Baltimore, Nobel laureate and last year's AAAS president, tells SciDev.Net what it takes to develop good scientific institutions.
New initiative puts ICTs into Arab teaching
Global computer giant Intel has teamed up with an Arab foundation to train two million teachers in interactive learning in 16 countries.
Access to export markets 'requires policy rethink'
Southern African livestock farmers will miss out on access to export markets unless international trade restrictions are adjusted.
Citizen scientists an untapped resource
Volunteer citizen scientists are an important resource — particularly for developing countries, argue Nigel Winser and Raghu Saxena.
Train experts to support development, says university dean
The dean of a Dominican Republic university has called for intensification in the training of postgraduates, to aid science development.
Nature grants free access for biomedical journals
More than 65 Nature biomedical journals have been made free to access for readers in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Chinese scientists push for science in schools
Chinese scientists have submitted a letter to the country's education authorities, calling for an increase in primary school science education.
When Language Can Hold the Answer
Does language shape what we perceive or are our perceptions pure sensory impressions?
Port Authority Plans a Web Site to Help Offset Pollution
The interstate agency is setting up a Web site where drivers and airline passengers can buy credits to offset carbon emissions created by the trips they take.
PETA’s Latest Tactic: $1 Million for Fake Meat
The group is offering $1 million to the first person to create a method to produce commercially viable quantities of in vitro meat at competitive prices by 2012.
In Lean Times, Biotech Grains Are Less Taboo
Governments, consumers and food companies are feeling pressures to relax resistance to genetically engineered crops.
Europe Turns Back to Coal, Raising Climate Fears
European countries plan to use coal, generally the dirtiest fuel on earth, in new power plants.
Study Suggests Math Teachers Scrap Balls and Slices
The real-world examples incorporated more and more by educators in recent years can impede math learning, an experiment found.
Insurer Says Economy Has Dented Its Prospects
The UnitedHealth Group posted lower-than-expected first-quarter earnings and sharply reduced its outlook for 2008, saying fewer businesses and employees were signing up.
Life Expectancy Is Declining in Some Pockets of the Country
A new study finds a growing disparity in mortality depending on race, income and geography.
Cyberfamilias: How to Live Longer Without Really Trying
You can learn how to creatively apply the rule of longevity by using your computer.
Programs promise to end PDF paper-chase
Software makes article control a virtual reality.
Demonstrably wrong
Public#19;private demonstration projects are a good way to test technology in the field. But the driving force is often more political than scientific, argues David Goldston.