47, an environmental scientist, Italian-American, married, 2 sons, originally a Catholic from Philly, now a Taoist ecophilosopher in the South due to job transfer. Enjoy jazz, hockey, good food and hikes in the woods.
Not as closely related as previously thought: Approximately 6 percent of human and chimp genes are unique to those species, report scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and three other institutions. The new estimate takes into account something other measures of genetic difference do not — the genes that aren’t there.
Scientists have made a breakthrough in their understanding of the genetics behind human eye color. They found that just a few “letters” out of the six billion that make up the genetic code are responsible for most of the variation in human eye color. The genetic variations are located near a gene called OCA2. This gene produces a protein that helps give hair, skin and eyes their color. And mutations in OCA2 cause the most common type of albinism.
The timing of this story is a little suspicious: The largest lizards in the world are capable of “virgin births”. Scientists report of two cases where female Komodo dragons have produced offspring without male contact. Tests revealed their eggs had developed without being fertilized by sperm – a process called parthenogenesis, the team wrote in the journal Nature.
Slackers rejoice! Apparently practice does not make perfect: Contrary to conventional wisdom that movement variability is caused by muscle activity, researchers found that neural activity accounts for about half the variations. In other words, training muscles to perform a certain way through practice, such as countless hours teeing off or shooting a basketball, will not produce the same shot every time because the brain’s behavior is inconsistent. After an initial training period, the experimental monkeys’ reach accuracy did not improve over time, suggesting that lots of practice can only improve movement control so much, researchers said.
This story may not be popular with our proprietor, but I just report `em as I find `em: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s antismoking crusade in New York City has saved hundreds of lives, health officials said. Smoking-related deaths in NYC fell by more than 800 a year from 2000 to 2005–over 10%.
Airlines that fly within the European Union will have to trade pollution allowances beginning in 2011, the European Commission said Wednesday, which could see travelers pay more for popular short-break trips. Expanded rules covering all airlines that fly into the EU will take effect the next year, a move that would hit U.S. airlines on their lucrative trans-Atlantic routes. It also angered U.S. officials. [which in itself is a good indicator that it’s a wise idea – K.P.] The U.S. mission to the EU warned that the “non-consensual” inclusion of foreign airlines could break international aviation laws and “will undermine rather than support international efforts” to limit carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft. European airlines are generally in favor of the plan, since EU officials had warned them that refusing to back an emissions trading program would result in an aviation tax.
Science Headlines will be back 12/27/06.
Happy Holidays everyone!!
But environmentalists claimed the EU plan was too weak, citing a report from the British think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, that said airlines could make up to £2.7 bn (€4 bn; $5.26 bn) in profit because they will get emissions allowances for free and pass on the costs in higher ticket prices.
One group, Transport and Environment, said the plan would barely reduce overall emissions and more measures were needed such as a tax on fuel and sales tax on tickets.
Britain to Construct World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm
LONDON, UK, December 20, 2006 (ENS) – Two enormous offshore wind farms are to be built in the outer Thames Estuary, the Blair Government said Monday. When completed, the larger of the two, known as the London Array, will be the biggest offshore wind farm in the world.
The London Array and Thanet wind farms together total 1.3 gigawatts of green electricity, enough to power a third of London’s three million households when fully operational, the government said.
Environment Secretary David Miliband said more offshore wind farms are in Britain’s future. “We expect this announcement will be the first of a number of large-scale offshore wind farms in the UK and will provide real impetus for the continued developments in the offshore renewable energy sector that will benefit generations to come,” he said.
On Monday I linked to Professor Juan Cole’s outrage over the White House censoring former Flynt Leverett’s NYT op-ed, – a news item that gained worldwide attention. Here’s is what’s under the cover-up-what they hope we’ll never learn White House Now Grows Skittish Over Iranian Demarche of 2003.
But via Professor Juan Cole while the Brits say ‘brainwashed’ Iraq’s vice president Hashimi says “Bush “blackmailed” Blair on timetable for withdrawal.”
Slowly, incrementally, the realisation that a new strategy is needed for Iraq finally is dawning on U.S. policy-makers. It was about time. By underscoring the U.S. intervention’s disastrous political, security, and economic balance sheet, and by highlighting the need for both a new regional and Iraqi strategy, the Baker-Hamilton report represents an important and refreshing moment in the country’s domestic debate. Many of its key – and controversial – recommendations should be wholly supported, including engaging Iran and Syria, revitalising the Arab-Israeli peace process, reintegrating Baathists, instituting a far-reaching amnesty, delaying the Kirkuk referendum, negotiating the withdrawal of U.S. forces with Iraqis and engaging all parties in Iraq.
But the change the report advocates is not nearly radical enough, and its prescriptions are no match for its diagnosis. What is needed today is a clean break both in the way the U.S. and other international actors deal with the Iraqi government, and in the way the U.S. deals with the region: in essence, a new multinational effort to achieve a new political compact between all relevant Iraqi constituents.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) Dec. 21 — A judge overturned the state auditor’s election after a recount showed the Democratic challenger had actually beaten the Republican incumbent by 102 votes. It was the first time in Vermont that a statewide election was overturned in a recount, the state archivist said.
Washington Superior Court Judge Mary Miles Teachout declared Democrat Thomas M. Salmon the winner over Auditor Randy Brock after reviewing the results of a hand recount conducted by county clerks after the November election.
“It’s a great honor. I’m humbled,” Salmon, the son of a former governor, said after the judge ruled.
The secretary of state’s office had certified Brock the winner by 137 votes a week after the election after tallying each town clerk’s votes. Salmon asked the judge for a recount, and it turned out that some of his votes had been mistakenly attributed to Liberty Union candidate Jerry Levy on the first count.
NBA Commissioner David Stern announced a modification of the plan to replace the new microfiber composite balls with traditional leather basketballs. The plan will go into effect on January 1st, as previously reported, EXCEPT in Denver Nuggets games where both balls will be used simultaneously. Stern’s office issued the following statement, “This was the only solution we could find to prevent the inevitable violence that will occur when Allen Iverson and Carmello Anthony are both attempting to take thirty shots a game.”
Not as closely related as previously thought: Approximately 6 percent of human and chimp genes are unique to those species, report scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and three other institutions. The new estimate takes into account something other measures of genetic difference do not — the genes that aren’t there.
Scientists have made a breakthrough in their understanding of the genetics behind human eye color. They found that just a few “letters” out of the six billion that make up the genetic code are responsible for most of the variation in human eye color. The genetic variations are located near a gene called OCA2. This gene produces a protein that helps give hair, skin and eyes their color. And mutations in OCA2 cause the most common type of albinism.
The timing of this story is a little suspicious: The largest lizards in the world are capable of “virgin births”. Scientists report of two cases where female Komodo dragons have produced offspring without male contact. Tests revealed their eggs had developed without being fertilized by sperm – a process called parthenogenesis, the team wrote in the journal Nature.
Slackers rejoice! Apparently practice does not make perfect: Contrary to conventional wisdom that movement variability is caused by muscle activity, researchers found that neural activity accounts for about half the variations. In other words, training muscles to perform a certain way through practice, such as countless hours teeing off or shooting a basketball, will not produce the same shot every time because the brain’s behavior is inconsistent. After an initial training period, the experimental monkeys’ reach accuracy did not improve over time, suggesting that lots of practice can only improve movement control so much, researchers said.
Your personal ecosystem influences your weight: The amount of weight an animal gains from eating depends partly on the types of microbes found in its gut, a new mouse study reveals. Mice with microbes that are better at extracting energy from food end up fatter, researchers say. And when obese people diet, they lose some of these fattening microbes from their guts, according to a related report. The new findings could help nutritionists develop new ways of preventing and treating weight problems.
Bears have stopped hibernating in the mountains of northern Spain, scientists revealed yesterday, in what may be one of the strongest signals yet of how much climate change is affecting the natural world.
This story may not be popular with our proprietor, but I just report `em as I find `em: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s antismoking crusade in New York City has saved hundreds of lives, health officials said. Smoking-related deaths in NYC fell by more than 800 a year from 2000 to 2005–over 10%.
Airlines that fly within the European Union will have to trade pollution allowances beginning in 2011, the European Commission said Wednesday, which could see travelers pay more for popular short-break trips. Expanded rules covering all airlines that fly into the EU will take effect the next year, a move that would hit U.S. airlines on their lucrative trans-Atlantic routes. It also angered U.S. officials. [which in itself is a good indicator that it’s a wise idea – K.P.] The U.S. mission to the EU warned that the “non-consensual” inclusion of foreign airlines could break international aviation laws and “will undermine rather than support international efforts” to limit carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft. European airlines are generally in favor of the plan, since EU officials had warned them that refusing to back an emissions trading program would result in an aviation tax.
Science Headlines will be back 12/27/06.
Happy Holidays everyone!!
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One group, Transport and Environment, said the plan would barely reduce overall emissions and more measures were needed such as a tax on fuel and sales tax on tickets.
EU Emissions Trading
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Link
Lookie who Thinkprogress finds may run for Congress in `08: Ari Fleischer is that true?
America’s biggest cash crop is more valuable than corn and vegetables combined.
On Monday I linked to Professor Juan Cole’s outrage over the White House censoring former Flynt Leverett’s NYT op-ed, – a news item that gained worldwide attention. Here’s is what’s under the cover-up-what they hope we’ll never learn White House Now Grows Skittish Over Iranian Demarche of 2003.
We’ve ‘Brainwashed’ Blair
But via Professor Juan Cole while the Brits say ‘brainwashed’ Iraq’s vice president Hashimi says “Bush “blackmailed” Blair on timetable for withdrawal.”
.
U.S. Needs a Bold Deal with Iran to Halt Nuclear Development and Stabilize the Region
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."International Crisis Group
After Baker-Hamilton: What to Do in Iraq
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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) Dec. 21 — A judge overturned the state auditor’s election after a recount showed the Democratic challenger had actually beaten the Republican incumbent by 102 votes. It was the first time in Vermont that a statewide election was overturned in a recount, the state archivist said.
Washington Superior Court Judge Mary Miles Teachout declared Democrat Thomas M. Salmon the winner over Auditor Randy Brock after reviewing the results of a hand recount conducted by county clerks after the November election.
“It’s a great honor. I’m humbled,” Salmon, the son of a former governor, said after the judge ruled.
The secretary of state’s office had certified Brock the winner by 137 votes a week after the election after tallying each town clerk’s votes. Salmon asked the judge for a recount, and it turned out that some of his votes had been mistakenly attributed to Liberty Union candidate Jerry Levy on the first count.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."good we use paper ballots so there is a recount.
Breaking News from ESPN:
NBA Commissioner David Stern announced a modification of the plan to replace the new microfiber composite balls with traditional leather basketballs. The plan will go into effect on January 1st, as previously reported, EXCEPT in Denver Nuggets games where both balls will be used simultaneously. Stern’s office issued the following statement, “This was the only solution we could find to prevent the inevitable violence that will occur when Allen Iverson and Carmello Anthony are both attempting to take thirty shots a game.”