Futurity.org » New York University

Erotic wall art dates back 37,000 years

James Devitt-NYU — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:05:06 +0000

NYU (US) — A 1.5 metric ton block of engraved limestone constitutes the earliest evidence of wall art, report anthropologists working in southern France.

Their research, published in the most recent edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows the piece to be approximately 37,000 years old and offers rich evidence of the role art played in the daily lives of Early Aurignacian humans.

In 1812, winning the war meant making babies

James Devitt-NYU — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:22:46 +0000

NYU (US) — Media coverage of the War of 1812 emphasized “good feelings,” and even pushed American families toward a patriotic baby boom, according to a historian’s new book.

The War of 1812 was the first constitutionally declared war in the history of the United States and the first war to be fought in a modern democracy, but it was also a conflict fueled by family-oriented appeals, says Nicole Eustace, associate professor of history at New York University.

Biologists poke holes in ‘tiger stripe’ theory

James Devitt-NYU — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:07:35 +0000

NYU (US) — Findings about mechanisms that control how proteins are expressed in different regions of embryos have biologists reconsidering a long-held theory.

The morphogen theory posits that proteins controlling traits are arranged as gradients, with different amounts of proteins activating genes to create specified physical features.

When art touches a nerve, brain lights up

James Devitt-NYU — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:03:02 +0000

NYU (US) — The brain network activated during an intense response to art overlaps with the brain network associated with inward contemplation and self-assessment.

A study from researchers at New York University sheds new light on the nature of the aesthetic experience, which appears to integrate sensory and emotional reactions in a manner linked with their personal relevance.

We all have strong aesthetic reactions to works of art, even though the images that move us vary across individuals. Moreover, we are moved by particular images for very different reasons. Nonetheless, the ability to be aesthetically moved appears to be universal.

To read DNA, try molecular ‘Braille’

James Devitt-NYU — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:17:52 +0000

NYU (US) — Researchers have developed a way to detect sequence differences in individual DNA molecules by taking nanoscopic pictures of the molecules themselves.

Using the approach they call “Direct Molecular Recognition,” the New York University and University of California, Los Angeles researchers used nanoparticles to turn the DNA molecules into a form of molecular “Braille” that can be read in the scale of nanometers, or one billionth of a meter, using high-speed Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The work is reported in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

The leaders of the study are: Jason Reed, a research professor, and Professor Jim Gimzewski, nanotechnology pioneer, both at UCLA’s California Nanosystems Institute, and Professor Bud Mishra, genomics expert, at NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

In tough economy, nurses report job satisfaction

Christopher James-NYU — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:26:20 +0000

NYU / U. BUFFALO (US) — Nurses licensed during the most recent economic recession report a higher commitment to their employers than those licensed during better economic times.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Nursing, are part of the RN Work Project, a ten-year longitudinal study of newly licensed registered nurses that began in 2006.

Schools of fish follow the robot leader

James Devitt-NYU — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:30:18 +0000

NYU (US) — With the right tail movements, a robotic fish becomes the leader in a group of live ones.

Through a series of experiments, researchers from Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) aimed to increase understanding of collective animal behavior, including learning how robots might someday steer fish away from environmental disasters.

How brain choreographs eye-arm moves

James Devitt-NYU — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:50:09 +0000

NYU (US) — A mechanism in the brain appears to coordinate the timing of eye and arm movements, a finding that could be key for rehab and prosthetics.

Researchers have sought to understand the neurological processes behind eye and arm movements. For example, when you reach for an object, what goes on in our brains so that our eyes and arms are in sync?

Death penalty may not impact murder rate

James Devitt-NYU — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:01:40 +0000

NYU (US) — Use of the death penalty does not affect subsequent murder rates, says a study of over 50 years of crime statistics in Trinidad and Tobago.

“Our analysis of homicides and serious crimes in Trinidad and Tobago seriously undermines the contention that capital punishment offers a solution to Trinidad and Tobago’s soaring homicide rate,” write the study’s co-authors, David Greenberg, professor of sociology at New York University and Biko Agozino, professor of sociology at Virginia Tech.

MRI allows peek into faulty batteries

James Devitt-NYU — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:55:24 +0000

NYU (US) — Researchers have developed a way to use MRI technology to see inside batteries without destroying them.

There is an ever-increasing need for advanced batteries for portable electronics, such as phones, cameras, and music players, as well as to power electric vehicles and to facilitate the distribution and storage of energy derived from renewable energy sources.