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New
The latest blog posts to take off on Hacker News. 399 posts.
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Thoughts on the potato diet
Nine observations about what happens when you eat only potatoes
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Why is there no semantic ontology of sentiment in academic citations?
About a million years ago, I was discussing the FOAF (Friend of a Friend) ontology with its early proponents. It allowed you to define a machine-readable semantic relationship like "Alice is married to Bill" and "Bill is Carol's child" and "Carol works for David". That sort of thing. At the time, all the FOAF…
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Physicists discover a “family” of robust, superconducting graphene structures
MIT physicsts identified new multilayered configurations of graphene that can be twisted and stacked to elicit robust superconductivity at low temperatures. The study establishes these configurations as the first known “family” of multilayer magic-angle superconductors.
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I should have loved biology
In biology class, biology wasn't presented as a quest for the secrets of life. The textbooks wrung out the questing.
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Once seen as fleeting, a new solar tech proves its lasting power
Princeton Engineering researchers have developed the first perovskite solar cell with a 30-year lifespan. The new device is the first of its kind to rival the performance of silicon-based solar cells. A pioneering new test method will help industry develop consumer-friendly products.
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Einstein-Bohr debate settled once and for all
In Steven Pinker’s guest post from last week, there’s one bit to which I never replied. Steve wrote: After all, in many areas Einstein was no Einstein. You [Scott] above all could speak…
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Seriously bright light vs. winter blahs
Most SAD light therapy lamps are not bright enough. How to get brighter light than any you can buy!
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Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study
In a proof-of-concept study, researchers from the School of Dental Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science shows that a hands-free system could effectively automate the treatment and removal of tooth-decay-causing bacteria and dental plaque.
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Large Hadron Collider discovers three new exotic particles
The collaboration has observed a new kind of “pentaquark” and the first-ever pair of “tetraquarks”
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New study shows highly creative people’s brains work differently from others'
A new study led by UCLA Health scientists shows highly creative people’s brains appear to work differently from others;, with an atypical approach that makes distant connections more quickly by bypassing the “hubs” seen in non-creative brains.
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High-intensity exercise, some new news
Several months I noticed something interesting (to me!) about my heart rate, and I thought about blogging about it…but I didn’t feel like it would be interesting (to you!) so I’ve been hesitant. But then the NYT published something that is kinda related and I thought OK, what the hell, maybe it’s time for an update…
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How the US Air Force Ditched the Average and Saved Lives
The average is a myth. Understand the pitfalls of the average and how it can conceal useful information. How the US Air Force threw out the average and saved lives. Use distributions to better understand your data.
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Artificial photosynthesis can produce food without sunshine
Scientists are developing artificial photosynthesis to help make food production more energy-efficient here on Earth, and one day possibly on Mars
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MIT engineers fly first-ever plane with no moving parts (2018)
MIT engineers have flown the first silent, fuel-free “ion plane.” The light aircraft is the first plane to fly with no propellers, turbine blades, or other moving parts.
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Humans can't endure temperatures and humidities as high as previously thought
Penn State researchers found that the maximum wet-bulb temperature humans can endure is lower than previously thought — about 31°C wet-bulb or 87°F at 100% humidity — even for young, healthy subjects. The temperature for older populations, who are more vulnerable to heat, is likely even lower.
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US military's mysterious X-37B space plane zooms toward orbital record
That Earth-circling U.S. military X-37B robotic space drone is closing in on a new long-duration record.
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Mouse Heaven or Mouse Hell?
Explore how biologist John Calhoun's controversial mouse experiments sparked debates about overpopulation, urban life, and human society's future.
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Wearable Muscles
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a wearable textile exomuscle that serves as an extra layer of muscles. They aim to use it to increase the upper body strength and endurance of people with restricted mobility.
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Blood pressure e-tattoo promises continuous, mobile monitoring
Blood pressure is one of the most important indicators of heart health, but it's tough to frequently and reliably measure outside of a clinical setting.
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USDA ignoring the science on low-carb diets
Since 2014, the US Dept. of Agriculture has a record of "burying" the science
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Whatever happened to the bee apocalypse?
Science News, Physics, Science, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
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Link found between immune system and hair growth
Founded by polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk, the Salk Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization. We drive foundational, risk-taking research that addresses society’s most pressing challenges, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and agricultural resilience.
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‘Anti-hunger’ molecule forms after exercise, scientists discover
Stanford Medicine researchers and their collaborators have identified a molecule that staves off hunger post-exercise.
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Potato diet community trial
In French, the word for potato is pomme de terre. This literally translates to apple of the earth. By this logic, potatoes are the lowest-hanging fruit of all. More seriously: We keep getting more …