Plastic Brain Outsmarts Experts

Can human beings rev up their intelligence quotients, or are they stuck with IQs set by their genes at birth? Until recently, nature seemed to be the clear winner over nurture.But new research, led by Swiss postdoctoral fellows Susanne M. Jaeggi and Martin Buschkuehl, working at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, suggests that at least one aspect of a person's IQ can be improved by training a certain type of memory.Most IQ tests attempt to measure two types of ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111659&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Study of Glacial Earthquakes Shakes Up Idea of How Ice Streams Move

New research that integrates seismic recordings with Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements indicates that a 7,000-square-mile region of the Whillians Ice Stream in West Antarctica moves more than two feet twice every day in an earthquake-like pattern equivalent to a Magnitude 7 temblor.The findings were published in this week's edition of the journal Nature by a group of scientists that includes investigators from Washington University in St. Louis, Penn State ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111647&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.