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Why New York has the best bagels in the world (video)
2015-05-18
(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, May 18, 2015 -- This week, Reactions takes on New York City's bagel supremacy. Many agree that the Big Apple has the best bagels in the world, but many also disagree on why. Some say it's the tap water, others say it's the dough, and a few say it's purely attitude. We dive into the chemistry of these tasty breakfast treats with the help of a top chef. Take a bite of the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrjLz207SzY.
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Going my way? We think so, if we really want to get there, NYU study finds
2015-05-18
Whether we're buying a ticket to a movie, catching a train, or shopping for groceries, the more committed we are to achieving that goal, the more likely we are to assume others have exactly the same objective, a study by New York University psychology researcher Janet Ahn shows.
The findings, which appear in the European Journal of Social Psychology, point to the types of assumptions we make about others' behavior, which may have an impact on social interaction. It may be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/1bZJf1D.
"If we're fixated on seeing that blockbuster film or purchasing ...
Poll finds many Americans know someone who has abused prescription painkillers
2015-05-18
Boston, MA - In response to a new national poll on prescription painkiller abuse by The Boston Globe and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a live webcast with key government decision makers and the lead pollster will be broadcast on Monday, May 18 to discuss what the federal government and public health officials can do to mitigate the national problem of prescription painkiller abuse. Webcast details are below:
WHAT: Live webcast, "Opioid Painkiller Abuse: Ending the Crisis"
WHEN: Monday, May 18, 12:30-1:30 PM ET
WHO: Michael Botticelli, Director of National ...
Penn researchers develop liquid-crystal-based compound lenses that work like insect eyes
2015-05-18
The compound eyes found in insects and some sea creatures are marvels of evolution. There, thousands of lenses work together to provide sophisticated information without the need for a sophisticated brain. Human artifice can only begin to approximate these naturally self-assembled structures, and, even then, they require painstaking manufacturing techniques.
Now, engineers and physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have shown how liquid crystals can be employed to create compound lenses similar to those found in nature. Taking advantage of the geometry in which ...
Why don't we recycle Styrofoam? (video)
2015-05-18
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2015 -- You might be eating your lunch out of one right now, or eating your lunch with one right now. Polystyrene containers and utensils are found throughout the foodservice industry. The products are recyclable, so why does so much of this material end up in a landfill, and why have so many cities banned its use? Sophia Cai has the answers in this week's Speaking of Chemistry. Check it out here: http://youtu.be/OzTJ-SFbO2o
Speaking of Chemistry is a production of Chemical & Engineering News, a weekly magazine of the American Chemical Society. The ...
Stanford scientists discover how microbes acquire electricity in making methane
2015-05-18
Stanford University scientists have solved a long-standing mystery about methanogens, unique microorganisms that transform electricity and carbon dioxide into methane.
In a new study, the Stanford team demonstrates for the first time how methanogens obtain electrons from solid surfaces. The discovery could help scientists design electrodes for microbial "factories" that produce methane gas and other compounds sustainably.
"There are several hypotheses to explain how electrons get from an electrode into a methanogen cell," said Stanford postdoctoral scholar Jörg ...
Temper, anxiety, homework trouble are medical issues? Many parents don't realize it
2015-05-18
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Parents often bring their school-aged children to check-ups or sick visits armed with questions. What should he put on that rash? What about her cough that won't go away?
But when children's temper tantrums or mood swings are beyond the norm, or they are overwhelmed by homework organization, do parents speak up?
Today's University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health finds that many parents of children age 5-17 wouldn't discuss behavioral or emotional issues that could be signs of potential health problems ...
Report recommends new approach to college drinking
2015-05-18
Social media messaging, screening and interventions offer new tools to help colleges prevent and reduce excessive drinking, according to a report authored by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher, working with a group of experts.
The report recommends that colleges use mobile technology to address heavy drinking on campuses as part of a comprehensive approach that includes consistent enforcement of drinking age and consumption laws, trained intervention specialists, and a crackdown on low-priced serving methods such as kegs and "happy hours."
"Low prices ...
Diagnostic errors linked to high incidence of incorrect antibiotic use
2015-05-18
New research finds that misdiagnoses lead to increased risk of incorrect antibiotic use, threatening patient outcomes and antimicrobial efficacy, while increasing healthcare costs. The study was published online today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
"Antibiotic therapies are used for approximately 56 percent of inpatients in U.S. hospitals, but are found to be inappropriate in nearly half of these cases, and many of these failures are connected with inaccurate diagnoses," said Greg Filice, ...
Imagination beats practice in boosting visual search performance
2015-05-18
Practice may not make perfect, but visualization might. New research shows that people who imagined a visual target before having to pick it out of a group of distracting items were faster at finding the target than those who did an actual practice run beforehand. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
"The idea that we can train our brains to work better is all the rage across society, but our research suggests that the human brain may benefit as much, or even more, from imagining performing a task, ...
Dartmouth team creates first hidden, real-time, screen-camera communication
2015-05-18
HANOVER, N.H. - Opening the way for new applications of smart devices, Dartmouth researchers have created the first form of real-time communication that allows screens and cameras to talk to each other without the user knowing it.
Using off-the-shelf smart devices, the new system supports an unobtrusive, flexible and lightweight communication channel between screens (of TVs, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other electronic devices) and cameras. The system, called HiLight, will enable new context-aware applications for smart devices. Such applications include smart glasses ...