NASA launching tools to forecast solar activity

Top Stories | February 8th, 2010 | Comments

EVE2

The Solar Dynamics Observatory—scheduled for launch on Feb. 10—is part of a larger mission designed to investigate the causes of solar variability and its effects on Earth. The Extreme Ultraviolet Variablity Experiment (above) will measure the solar extreme-ultraviolet irradiance with unprecedented spectral resolution, temporal cadence, and precision. (Credit: SDO/NASA)

U. COLORADO (US)—An instrument package set for launch by NASA on Feb. 10 is expected to give scientists a better understanding of the sun’s impact on space weather.
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Society & Culture - Feb 8, 2010 - 0 Comments

Seniors struggle with stock picks

It’s not memory loss or senility that leads to mistakes, but increased “noise” in parts of seniors’ brains, Stanford psychologists say. In a recent study, seniors more frequently picked the stock with worse performance, usually because they made their choices before having a full picture of the stock’s ups and downs.

STANFORD (US)—Older investors make more errors when picking stocks, but not because of senility or memory lapses. The problem rests with a senior’s ability to estimate value. Continue…

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Health & Medicine - Feb 8, 2010 - 4 Comments

Second opinion: Health blogs viewed skeptically

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Melanie Haberstroh Researchers found that study participants were more likely to believe—and make use of—information on a Web site from a source identified as an expert than from a layperson. Participants also believed that editors and moderators help Web sites present accurate and complete information. Blogs, homepages, and social networking sites were seen as lacking such gatekeeping. (Courtesy: iStockphoto)

PENN STATE (US)—Health information written by a doctor is rated as more credible when it appears on a Web site rather than in a blog or an individual’s homepage, according to a study of college students. Continue…

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Science & Technology - Feb 8, 2010 - 0 Comments

Afraid to gamble? Blame your amygdala

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“We think this shows that the amygdala is critical for triggering a sense of caution toward making gambles in which you might lose,” explains Colin Camerer, the Robert Kirby Professor of Behavioral Economics. This function of the amygdala, he says, may be similar to its role in fear and anxiety. The amygdala registers rapid emotional reactions and is implicated in depression, anxiety, and autism. (Courtesy: iStockphoto)

CALTECH (US)—Neuroscientists have tied the human aversion to losing money to a specific structure in the brain—the amygdala. Continue…

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