"Nanominerals" Influence Earth Systems from Ocean to Atmosphere to Biosphere

The ubiquity of tiny particles of minerals--mineral nanoparticles--in oceans and rivers, atmosphere and soils, and in living cells are providing scientists with new ways of understanding Earth's workings. Our planet's physical, chemical, and biological processes are influenced or driven by the properties of these minerals.So states a team of researchers from seven universities in a paper published in this week's issue of the journal Science: ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111279&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Tiny Torrents

Engineers harnessing the same physical property that drives silent household air purifiers have created a miniaturized device that is now ready for testing as a silent, ultra-thin, low-power and low maintenance cooling system for laptop computers and other electronic devices.The compact, solid-state fan, developed with support from NSF's Small Business Innovation Research program, is the most powerful and energy efficient fan of its size. ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111293&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Tell Them Where it Hurts

EMBARGOED until March 18, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. ET For statues, stress injuries come from standing in place for hundreds of years. Using a novel technique, researchers have now developed a way to predict such fracturing, applying the procedure to Michelangelo's David in an analysis that proved simpler, faster and more accurate than previous methods. In applying the technique to other objects -- including human bones -- the researchers are also gaining new ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111276&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

New Window Opens on the Secret Life of Microbes: Scientists Develop First Microbial Profiles of Ecosystems

Nowhere is the principle of "strength in numbers" more apparent than in the collective power of microbes: despite their simplicity, these one-cell organisms--which number about 5 million trillion trillion strong (no, that is not a typo) on Earth--affect virtually every ecological process, from the decay of organic material to the production of oxygen.But even though microbes essentially rule the Earth, scientists have never before been able to conduct comprehensive studies ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111275&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

"Telework" Benefits Employers, Employees and the Environment

The Telework ExchangeSM, a public-private partnership focused on telework, and the National Science Foundation (NSF), today announced the results of a joint study, "Telework Under the Microscope--A Report on the National Science Foundation's Telework Program."  Based on survey responses from 87 percent of NSF's employees, the study shows that telework is a win-win-win for managers, employees and the environment.Among top-level findings, the study reveals that ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111252&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

High-School Scientists Decode DNA Sequence, Present Findings

Opportunities for high school students to do research as part of a science class are--sadly--all too rare. Where such opportunities do exist, students often find themselves going through the motions of an experiment with a predetermined outcome.Against this backdrop, imagine a project where students can work in a rapidly advancing field, doing original research, then publish their results and share them with the scientific community. About 300 New Jersey high school students have such ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111243&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Memory on Trial

The U.S. legal system has long assumed that all testimony is not equally credible, that some witnesses are more reliable than others. In tough cases with child witnesses, it assumes adult witnesses to be more reliable. But what if the legal system had it wrong?Researchers Valerie Reyna, human development professor, and Chuck Brainerd, human development and law school professor-- both from Cornell University -- argue that like the two-headed Roman god Janus, memory is of two ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111230&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Attend Capital Science 2008, a Premier Showcase of Scientific Talent, at NSF

Do you want to learn about timely, dynamic scientific issues straight from leading experts? If so, attend Capital Science (CapSci) 2008 on Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30, 2008, at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, Va., near the Ballston Metro stop.  This event--which is sponsored by the Washington Academy of Sciences--should appeal to scientists, researchers, professors, students, policy-makers, government professionals, reporters, ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111233&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Tax Rebates Versus Tax Bonuses

On Feb. 13, 2008, the president signed a $168 billion stimulus package designed to give $300, $600 or $1,200 checks to more than 100 million Americans. It was the second time in seven years that lawmakers agreed to return additional tax money in hopes that people would spend it to stimulate a sluggish economy. A key question: Will those receiving checks spend enough to have the desired effect?Economic theory says "yes" -- give people money and they will spend it. ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111197&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Tim Killeen to Become NSF Assistant Director for Geosciences

Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), today announced the appointment of  Timothy Killeen to become NSF Assistant Director for the Geosciences. Killeen, currently director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and president of the American Geophysical Union, will assume his new post July 1."Tim Killeen's vision for the geosciences will be invaluable in guiding NSF during this renaissance period for addressing the ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111199&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Ranger Supercomputer Dedicated by NSF and Texas Computing Center

Ranger, the most powerful supercomputing system in the world for open science research, entered full production on Feb. 4. Open science research makes clear accounts of methodology, along with data and results extracted therefrom, freely available. Ranger, which will enable the leading researchers in the country to advance and accelerate computational research in all scientific disciplines, was dedicated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Texas Advanced ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111179&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

NSF Partners With Google and IBM to Enhance Academic Research Opportunities

Today the National Science Foundation's Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate announced the creation of a strategic relationship with Google Inc. and IBM. The Cluster Exploratory (CluE) relationship will enable the academic research community to conduct experiments and test new theories and ideas using a large-scale, massively distributed computing cluster.In an open letter to the academic computing research community, Jeannette Wing, the ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111186&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

And the Oscar Goes To...a Professor?

Daniel Day-Lewis, Tilda Swinton and the Coen brothers weren't the only ones honored at last night's Academy Awards. Ron Fedkiw, an associate professor of computer science at Stanford University also received a coveted gold statuette this year for his groundbreaking work in liquid simulations. While people don't usually associate computational scientists with movie stars, Fedkiw's honor shows the impact of computer science on Hollywood and the rest of our lives. You've ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111178&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Scientists Say Tropics Are Next Emerging Disease Hotspot

Scientists from four well-known institutions say the next major disease like HIV/AIDS or SARS could occur in any of a number of developing countries concentrated along the equator.  They encourage increased surveillance to prevent the spread of a potential outbreak.Using global databases and sophisticated computer models to analyze patterns of emerging diseases, the researchers -- from the Consortium for Conservation Medicine (CCM) at Wildlife Trust, N.Y., the Institute of ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111127&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Leading Engineers and Scientists Identify Advances that Could Improve Quality of Life Around the World

A diverse committee of experts from around the world, convened at the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), announced 14 grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century that, if met, would improve how we live."Tremendous advances in quality of life have come from improved technology in areas such as farming and manufacturing," said committee member and Google co-founder Larry Page. "If we focus our effort on the important grand challenges of our age, we ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111158&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

NOVA Documentary About Percy Julian Wins AAAS Science Journalism Award

"Forgotten Genius," a two-hour documentary about the life of chemist Percy Julian, funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) has received a prestigious award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The AAAS Science Journalism Award (SJA) recognizes outstanding reporting for a general audience and honors individuals for their coverage of the sciences, engineering and mathematics. Among this year's winners are the producers of ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111126&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Scientists Discover "Giant Fossil Frog from Hell"

A team of researchers, led by Stony Brook University paleontologist David Krause, has discovered the remains in Madagascar of what may be the largest frog ever to exist. The 16-inch, 10-pound ancient frog, scientifically named Beelzebufo, or devil frog, links a group of frogs that lived 65 to 70 million years ago with frogs living today in South America. Discovery of the voracious predatory fossil frog -- reported on-line this week in the journal Proceedings of ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111119&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

A Newly Discovered Solar System Contains Scaled-Down Versions of Saturn and Jupiter

A team of international astronomers reports in the Feb. 15 issue of Science the discovery of a solar system nearly 5,000 light years away containing scaled-down versions of Jupiter and Saturn. Their findings suggest that our galaxy could conceivably contain many star systems similar to our own. The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored the research. "NSF is delighted to have played a role in enabling such an exciting discovery," said Michael Briley, a ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111093&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Scientists Reveal First-Ever Global Map of Total Human Effect on Oceans

More than 40 percent of the world's oceans are heavily affected by human activities, and few if any areas remain untouched, according to the first global-scale study of human influence on marine ecosystems. By overlaying maps of 17 different activities such as fishing, climate change and pollution, the researchers have produced a composite map of the toll that humans have exacted on the seas.The work, published in this week's issue of Science, was conducted at the ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111113&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Volunteers Across Nation to Track Climate Clues in Spring Flowers

A nationwide initiative starting this week will enable volunteers to track climate change by observing the timing of flowers and foliage. Project BudBurst, operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and a team of partners, allows students, gardeners and other citizen scientists in every state to enter their observations into an online database that will give researchers a detailed picture of our warming climate.The project, which will be launched tomorrow, ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111117&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.