Society & Culture - Nov 9, 2011 11:55 - 4 Comments

Ranked-choice voting: Does the math add up?

STANFORD (US) — “Instant runoff” voting, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, is an increasingly popular alternative to voting for only one candidate in each race, but there’s disagreement about the validity of the results. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Nov 4, 2011 8:41 - 1 Comment

Risk varies for women in breast cancer families

U. MELBOURNE (AUS) / STANFORD (US) — Mothers, sisters, and daughters from breast cancer families with known genetic mutations do not all share the same high risk of developing the disease. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 3, 2011 12:19 - 2 Comments

OMG! Twitter has roots in the 17th century

STANFORD (US) — The explosion of information via social media is nothing new. Europeans were similarly bombarded with an avalanche of new communication forms during the 17th and 18th centuries. (more…)

Science & Technology - Nov 1, 2011 7:00 - 0 Comments

Free software models how humans move

STANFORD (US) — An open source software application modeling human motion is helping medical professionals and bioengineers study, diagnose, and correct abnormalities in how people move. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 26, 2011 10:59 - 0 Comments

Pull skin-like sensor. Watch it bounce back

STANFORD (US) — A transparent sensor that is so stretchy it can be pulled to twice its original length and then bounce back perfectly has potential for use with prosthetic limbs, robotics, and touch-sensitive computer displays. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Oct 24, 2011 10:02 - 3 Comments

No real warming from urban ‘heat island’

STANFORD (US) — The urban ‘heat island’ effect contributes less than 5 percent to overall global warming, far less than greenhouse gas or black carbon, new research shows. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 7, 2011 11:34 - 2 Comments

Sulphur gives battery 10x more storage

STANFORD (US) — By combining sulfur-coated hollow carbon nanofibers and an electrolyte additive, researchers have designed a battery that overcomes the storage challenges of current lithium-ion versions. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 2, 2011 14:28 - 4 Comments

Be warned: Seismologists on trial in Italy

STANFORD (US) — The manslaughter trial of six Italian seismologists highlights the need for scientists to put more effort into explaining their work to the public, says geophysicist Greg Beroza. (more…)

Society & Culture - Sep 29, 2011 11:31 - 3 Comments

‘People can change’ key to Mideast peace

STANFORD (US) — Fostering the belief that people are capable of change could be a powerful tool in resolving political conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians, according to a new study. (more…)

Society & Culture - Sep 28, 2011 11:53 - 5 Comments

Why class societies are rule, not exception

STANFORD (US) —The disproportionate suffering of the poor may have been a driving force behind the global spread of class structure during early human civilization, according to a new study. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 28, 2011 11:28 - 1 Comment

Nonlinear laser light at the nanoscale

STANFORD (US) — By harnessing plasmonics to intensify light, engineers have created an ultra-compact, nanoscale light source that could ultimately find applications in data communications. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 20, 2011 11:23 - 1 Comment

Portable microscope fits on fingertip

STANFORD (US) — Researchers have built a portable microscope so small it can fit on a fingertip—perfect for use in the lab or in the field. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Sep 20, 2011 10:33 - 0 Comments

Gene activity may predict trauma outcome

PRINCETON (US) — Gene activity may help predict which patients recovering from trauma will suffer inflammation and infection, complications that can often be as deadly as the trauma itself. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 19, 2011 11:47 - 2 Comments

To read words, brain detects motion

STANFORD (US) — Motion, not just the black-and-white contrast of the printed word, can help us recognize words, and thus to read, a new study shows. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 16, 2011 12:36 - 3 Comments

In dry times, ‘loner’ elephants buddy up

STANFORD (US) —When resources are scarce, some male bull elephants band together into a social group with a clearly defined hierarchy, much the way females do, a new study shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 13, 2011 10:26 - 0 Comments

Volcanic vents belch pure CO2 into sea

STANFORD (US) — Rare volcanic vents in the Mediterranean Sea bubble carbon dioxide, making the water more acidic—a glimpse of how marine ecosystems may be affected as global warming intensifies. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Sep 13, 2011 10:08 - 0 Comments

Mouse mirrors severe form of autism

U. BUFFALO (US) — The first transgenic mouse model of a rare and severe type of autism is expected to improve understanding of the disorder and help researchers design more targeted treatments. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 12, 2011 17:09 - 1 Comment

Illusion explains how we view motion

STANFORD (US) — Flies like watching computer screens as much as the next animal. Set them on a trackball in front of a monitor, and they’ll follow the action. (more…)

Posts Tagged ‘Stanford University’