research

New Molecule for Alzheimer’s Detection

- Agasel 2 Comments

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, an estimated 290,000 Canadians over 65 have Alzheimer’s.  Researchers at UCLA have discovered a new compound that can map the plaques and tangles in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.  This may help detect and treat the disease earlier and more effectively.alzheimer.jpg

 The compound, named FDDNP, may help test new treatments for Alzheimer’s.  There may also be a reduced need for volunteers in clinical trials.

Susan Molchan, M.D., program officer in the United States’ National Institute on Aging (NIA) Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program, said “The ability to image brain changes may allow us to see how drugs affect the accumulation of proteins in the brain that cause Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles, possibly preventing or delaying the progression of Alzheimer’s.”

Heart of the Earth

- Adam Clare

Researches have discovered that the Earth has a heartbeat. This just sounds neat! I wonder where exactly the heart is.

“In the early half of the 20th century, Serbian physicist Milutin Milankovitch first proposed that cyclical variations in the Earth-Sun geometry can alter the Earth’s climate and these changes can be discovered in the Earth’s geological archives, which is exactly what this research team, consisting of members from the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Canada, has done.”

New and Ugly Looking Creatures Found

- Adam Clare

ugly Recently researchers have found some new species of life under Antarctica, and the creepy creatures are ugly. I really like how one day people will say the world is so small thanks to “teh internet’s tubes,” yet we are always discovering new things on this planet.

“This is the sixth year of the marine census, an ambitious project that involves 2,000 researchers from 80 countries trying to get a handle on what is living in the world’s oceans”

Algae is Good Green Goo

- Adam Clare 2 Comments

algaeLong time readers of ThingsAreGood may know that we like to talk about algae. Today is no exception, Living on Earth is running an interview with a man who dearly loves algae, particularly burning algae for biofuels.

“Berzin grows algae because they’re super rich in oil. In some species, oil accounts for half the little creature’s body mass. In fact, algae synthesize 30 times more vegetable oil per acre than plants like sunflowers or rapeseed. The algae biodiesel can be used to run engines, or converted into methane or fermented into alcohol. And here’s the best part: algae eat carbon dioxide for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And one thing the global warming world has too much of is CO2 from fossil fuel burning power plants.”

Future Ships to Float on Air

- Adam Clare

hulledSome researchers are trying to find a way to let ships ride bubbles through the water. Ships built in the future my have a specially built hull that releases tiny bubbles using an air pump to provide less friction than water.

The New Scientist article goes into the technical challenges of designing what they call a slippery ship and the positive impact that these ships can have on the environment.

“A craft that has less friction as it slides through the water will be far more efficient than standard ships. Slippery ships could travel across the sea much faster or carry a bigger load on the same amount of fuel, saving money and reducing pollution. This is crucial, considering that in 2003 more than 90 per cent of all goods that were sent around the globe went by ship – that’s more than 6 billion tonnes, and the figure is set to increase.”

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