Scientific American - Observations

Women should undergo fewer Pap tests for cervical cancer, medical group says

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:25:00 EST

Just days after the release of controversial new guidelines recommending against routine mammograms for most women under 50, a different group of medical professionals has announced that the frequency of Pap tests for cervical cancer detection should also be decreased for most women. [More]

Embarrassing security leaks prompt bill to clamp down on government P2P use

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:07:00 EST

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networking has emerged as a vastly popular way for computer users to democratize the transfer of information, allowing faster and easier sharing of images, documents and other files without the need for a centralized server. Unfortunately, and ironically, P2P is a little too democratic for the U.S. government, which has been victimized several times by the public disclosure of sensitive documents via file-sharing networks. [More]

Spirit rover's first dash for freedom is a short one

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:48:00 EST

A NASA rover mired in soft soil on Mars made its first escape attempt in months Tuesday, but the maneuver lasted less than a second before safety precautions shut it down. [More]

Government panel recommends fewer and later mammograms, no self-exams

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:25:00 EST

Most women would do fine to hold off until age 50 for their first mammograms and skip self-exams for breast lumps altogether, according to new government recommendations released Monday that came as a surprise to many in the medical community--and women in general. [More]

Hackers indicted for 12-hour ATM attack that netted $9 million

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:36:00 EST

One year after pulling off one of the most audacious cyber crimes in history --a 12-hour spree during which more than 2,100 cash-dispensing machines in at least 280 cities on three continents were drained of a total of more than $9 million--a group of hackers is facing dozens of years in prison and millions of dollars in fines. [More]

More important than Copenhagen? U.S.-China deal on energy and climate

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:31:00 EST

When the presidents of the two nations that are responsible for 40 percent of Earth's climate-changing greenhouse gases sit down to talk, big things can happen. In the case of Barack Obama and Hu Jintao on Monday and Tuesday, that meant flatly stating that emission reduction targets should be set at an international negotiation on climate change in Copenhagen this December, along with financial assistance figures to help poorer countries mitigate emissions and adapt to a changing climate. Oh, and the world should cut back on deforestation. [More]

The AMA eases its stance on marijuana

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

The Obama administration announced last month that people who buy or sell medical marijuana in the growing number of states that have decriminalized its therapeutic usage should not be targeted for arrest or prosecution by federal authorities. Now, the American Medical Association (AMA) has called for the federal government to go one step further in easing restrictions, the Los Angeles Times reported last week . [More]

Qapla' ! Christie's Star Trek auction [Re-Post]

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:54:00 EST