en-us Science news and technology updates from Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com Copyright 1996-2013 Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com 45 http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/logo/SAlogo_144px.gif 144 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:30:00 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=california-set-to-lift-restrictions-on-egg-donation <p>California is set to pass a bill that would allow payments over and above &#39;direct expenses&#39; to be made to women who donate eggs for research. The bill promises to increase the supply of eggs to scientists studying reproduction, but will not eliminate restrictions on research supported by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in San Francisco, a major funder of stem-cell research in the state.&nbsp;</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=california-set-to-lift-restrictions-on-egg-donation>[More]</a> Health,Health,Ethics,More Science,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Biology,Society & Policy Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=creation-excerpt-reverse-biological-engineering <p> Excerpted from Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself , by Adam Rutherford. Published by Current/Penguin. Copyright &copy; Adam Rutherford, 2013. Used with permission. </p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=creation-excerpt-reverse-biological-engineering>[More]</a> Evolution,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Evolutionary Biology Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:15:00 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=first-fluorescent-protein-identified-in-a-vertebrate-animal <p>The Japanese freshwater eel ( Anguilla japonica ) has more to offer biologists than a tasty sushi snack. Its muscle fibers produce the first fluorescent protein identified in a vertebrate, researchers report in Cell .</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=first-fluorescent-protein-identified-in-a-vertebrate-animal>[More]</a> More Science,Health,Technology,Biotechnology,More Science,Biotechnology,Biology Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:00:00 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=glowing-plants-controversy-questions-and-answers <p>In April three biohackers from a California Do-It-Yourself biology lab, BioCurious , posted a Kickstarter campaign to crowdsource their plan to bioengineer a glowing plant . They asked for $65,000. But by the close of their campaign at midnight on Thursday, June 6, they had raised a remarkable $484,013. (Meanwhile, BioCurious itself is in financial trouble.) It was the first time anyone had kick-started a genetic engineering project. The group had hit upon a new method for funding biotech, one that&rsquo;s faster, cheaper and requires less expertise than traditional grants or venture capital. Crowdsourcing does require public buy in, however, and this case raises a thorny hitch--ethically, environmentally and perhaps legally.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=glowing-plants-controversy-questions-and-answers>[More]</a> Evolution,Environment,Health,History of Science,Technology,Society & Policy,Biotechnology,More Science,Energy & Sustainability,Ecology,Biotechnology,Biology,Everyday Science Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:00:00 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=plasma-scalpels-surgery-more-precise-less-bloody <p>In medicine, plasma usually refers to the liquid component of blood. Now scientists are researching how to better harness the plasma found in stars and lightning--the fourth fundamental state of matter, alongside solids, liquids and gases--to cut into the body like a blowtorch for bloodless surgery.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=plasma-scalpels-surgery-more-precise-less-bloody>[More]</a> Health,Health,Medical Technology,Everyday Science,More Science,Biotechnology,Biology,Technology Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scientists-chafe-at-restrictions-on-new-stem-cell-lines <p>The announcement last month of a long-awaited breakthrough in stem-cell research -- the creation of stem-cell lines from a cloned human embryo -- has revived interest in using embryonic stem cells to treat disease. But US regulations mean that many researchers will be watching those efforts from the sidelines.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scientists-chafe-at-restrictions-on-new-stem-cell-lines>[More]</a> Health,Health,Ethics,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Biology,Society & Policy Thu, 30 May 2013 06:30:00 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cameron-deepsea-challenger-exploration-science <p><!-- <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cameron-deepsea-challenger-exploration-science>[More]</a> Technology,Environment,Communications,Science Education,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Biology,More Science Fri, 24 May 2013 05:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=eb0f2653abc5e24becb89f9daad4b49d http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=3-d-printed-windpipe <p>Kaiba Gionfriddo was six weeks old when he suddenly stopped breathing and turned blue at a restaurant. Kaiba&rsquo;s parents quickly rushed him to the hospital where they learned that his left bronchial tube had collapsed because of a previously undetected birth defect. During the next few weeks the life-threatening attacks recurred, increasing in number until they became everyday events. Physicians and researchers, however, used some of the most sophisticated bioengineering techniques available to 3-D print a synthetic tube to hold the baby&#39;s airway open. Kaiba had the surgery in January 2012 and hasn&rsquo;t suffered an airway collapse since.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=3-d-printed-windpipe>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=eb0f2653abc5e24becb89f9daad4b49d&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=eb0f2653abc5e24becb89f9daad4b49d&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Health,Medical Technology,Biotechnology,Technology,Biotechnology Wed, 22 May 2013 07:30:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=4eb322f446795316c0dbe3c1fcaabe09 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=google-ceo-page-vocal-fold-paralysis <p>When Google CEO Larry Page blogged about his struggles speaking and, at times, breathing last week on his Google+ page he spotlighted a rare condition, bilateral vocal cord paralysis , which leaves sufferers short of breath and with few viable treatment options. This is likely to change in coming years. Page has deep pockets and has promised to fund research into the disorder via the Voice Health Institute . In the meantime scientists are experimenting with electrical stimulation technologies to enhance existing voice therapy as well as surgical treatments. <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=google-ceo-page-vocal-fold-paralysis>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=4eb322f446795316c0dbe3c1fcaabe09&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=4eb322f446795316c0dbe3c1fcaabe09&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Technology,More Science,Language & Linguistics,Language & Linguistics,Consumer Electronics,Biotechnology,Medical Technology,Communications,Computing,Health,Biotechnology Wed, 15 May 2013 18:15:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=a70c4c16aeccc928b32c2303e2855f5c http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=patient-specific-human-embryonic-stem-cells-created-cloning <p>From Nature magazine</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=patient-specific-human-embryonic-stem-cells-created-cloning>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=a70c4c16aeccc928b32c2303e2855f5c&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=a70c4c16aeccc928b32c2303e2855f5c&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Health,Technology,Society & Policy,Medical Technology,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Ethics,Health,More Science Sat, 11 May 2013 09:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=d1810055a78c7bc1e839df67f00181c0 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-humans-put-birds-to-work <p>Many of the 10,000 or so bird species on the planet are pretty, melodic or tasty. But birds are much more than that. Over the centuries, humankind has come up with some distinctive and surprising ways to take advantage of the unique abilities of our feathered friends. At various points in the history of civilizations, birds have served as hunters, guides and messengers. And we haven&rsquo;t run out of new things for them to do. Farmers have employed raptors to strike terror into the hearts of crop-destroying birds, such as starlings and seagulls, scattering them back into the wild. With the proper training, birds might one day perform search and rescue.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-humans-put-birds-to-work>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=d1810055a78c7bc1e839df67f00181c0&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=d1810055a78c7bc1e839df67f00181c0&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> More Science,Environment,Health,History of Science,Technology,Biotechnology,Everyday Science,Ecology,Biotechnology,Biology,Society & Policy Fri, 10 May 2013 17:41:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=63ffaf0c70d414f612e0b2211286e48f http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=produce-industry-food-safety-push-toll-environment <p>Clean greens are healthy greens.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=produce-industry-food-safety-push-toll-environment>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=63ffaf0c70d414f612e0b2211286e48f&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=63ffaf0c70d414f612e0b2211286e48f&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Energy & Sustainability,Health,Society & Policy,More Science,Infectious Diseases,Climate,Ecology,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Ethics,Environment,Energy & Sustainability Wed, 01 May 2013 16:45:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=90f70573c4f81ab234fe8f55a92de56a http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=transgenics-a-new-breed-of-crops <p>When the first genetically modified (GM) organisms were being developed for the farm, says Anastasia Bodnar, &ldquo;we were promised rocket jet packs&rdquo; -- futuristic, ultra-nutritious crops that would bring exotic produce to the supermarket and help to feed a hungry world.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=transgenics-a-new-breed-of-crops>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=90f70573c4f81ab234fe8f55a92de56a&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=90f70573c4f81ab234fe8f55a92de56a&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Energy & Sustainability,Environment,Health,Society & Policy,Ethics,Biology,Ecology,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Energy & Sustainability Wed, 01 May 2013 16:30:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=bcd6f0c30bb34a63f7d0de3583ef5230 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-hard-look-at-3-myths-about-genetically-modified-crops <p>In the pitched debate over genetically modified (GM) foods and crops, it can be hard to see where scientific evidence ends and dogma and speculation begin. In the nearly 20&nbsp;years since they were first commercialized, GM crop technologies have seen dramatic uptake. Advocates say that they have increased agricultural production by more than US$98 billion and saved an estimated 473 million kilograms of pesticides from being sprayed. But critics question their environmental, social and economic impacts.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-hard-look-at-3-myths-about-genetically-modified-crops>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=bcd6f0c30bb34a63f7d0de3583ef5230&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=bcd6f0c30bb34a63f7d0de3583ef5230&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Energy & Sustainability,Health,Society & Policy,Ethics,Ecology,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Environment,Energy & Sustainability Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=19163d99ff956f5b7f2cec24a315e91e http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=soft-circuits-cyborg-tissues <p>Seamlessly integrating powerful, 3-D computer circuits into soft materials such as rubber has been an elusive goal in engineering. Now researchers say they have developed a type of circuit that is soft and porous--more like a net than a chip. Manufacturers could weave these circuits into an extraordinary range of materials to create &ldquo;smart matter&rdquo; that scans and reacts to its surroundings or even &ldquo;cyborg tissues&rdquo;--human skin and organs that could report on their own health.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=soft-circuits-cyborg-tissues>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=19163d99ff956f5b7f2cec24a315e91e&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=19163d99ff956f5b7f2cec24a315e91e&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Technology,Health,Technology,Computing,More Science,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Communications,Biology,Everyday Science Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=cf12368be33df2f49b37ad75b6d073c0 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=liver-hormone-offers-hope-for-diabetes-treatment <p>Biologists have found a hormone in the liver that spurs the growth of insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas, a discovery they hope will lead to new treatments for diabetes.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=liver-hormone-offers-hope-for-diabetes-treatment>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=cf12368be33df2f49b37ad75b6d073c0&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=cf12368be33df2f49b37ad75b6d073c0&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Health,Health,Pharmaceuticals,Biotechnology,Infectious Diseases,Biology,Biotechnology Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=08a159d9b80a15345699747c0188020d http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=3-d-printing-next-generation-manufacturing <p> &quot;Additive manufacturing&quot; offers manufacturers a powerful set of tools for making any number of products cost-effectively and with little waste, a groundbreaking development that promises to help revitalize the U.S. manufacturing sector . But what will it take to get the process out of the lab and onto the factory floor? A generous cash infusion, perhaps unsurprisingly, will help--and it is now in the offing. <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=3-d-printing-next-generation-manufacturing>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=08a159d9b80a15345699747c0188020d&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=08a159d9b80a15345699747c0188020d&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Technology,Physics,Society & Policy,More Science,Consumer Electronics,Biotechnology,Automotive Technology,Communications,Computing,Chemistry,Biotechnology Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:05:08 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=521d3a919f4719a38a1b29519f4623c1 http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=mary-roach-cruises-the-alimentary-c-13-04-16 <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=mary-roach-cruises-the-alimentary-c-13-04-16>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=521d3a919f4719a38a1b29519f4623c1&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=521d3a919f4719a38a1b29519f4623c1&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> More Science,Health,History of Science,Everyday Science,Infectious Diseases,Thought & Cognition,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Biology,More Science Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=e19345df848663496252711f03863dff http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lab-grown-kidneys-transplanted-into-rats-and-become-functional <p>Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have fitted rats with kidneys that were grown in a lab from stripped-down kidney scaffolds. When transplanted, these &#39;bioengineered&#39; organs starting filtering the rodents&rsquo; blood and making urine.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lab-grown-kidneys-transplanted-into-rats-and-become-functional>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=e19345df848663496252711f03863dff&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=e19345df848663496252711f03863dff&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Health,Health,Medical Technology,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Biology,Technology Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:00:00 EST http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=1ca58e51ed8b9beaaf6e121731044eed http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=friction-over-function-encode <p>Twelve years after the completion of the Human Genome Project, its successor made a big splash with one big number: Around 80 percent of the human genome is &quot;functional,&quot; the researchers leading the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project said. Their claim drew immediate criticism from biologists, many of whom said it is evolutionarily impossible for so much of the genome to truly function for human health.</p> <a href=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=friction-over-function-encode>[More]</a><br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=1ca58e51ed8b9beaaf6e121731044eed&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=1ca58e51ed8b9beaaf6e121731044eed&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://tags.bluekai.com/site/5148"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://insight.adsrvr.org/track/evnt/?ct=0:taxnzvo&adv=wouzn4v&fmt=3"/> Health,Medical Technology,Biotechnology,Biotechnology,Biology,Society & Policy