Contrary to popular opinion, feminism and romance are not incompatible and feminism may actually improve the quality of heterosexual relationships. The new study also shows that unflattering feminist stereotypes, that tend to stigmatize feminists as unattractive and sexually unappealing, are unsupported. Read more…

Scientists have hooked a fish that suffers from insomnia in their quest to understand the genetics behind sleep disorders. Even zebrafish - a common aquarium pet - can have a genetic mutation linked to sleep problems. Because most fish lack eyelids, many people have wondered whether fish can even nod off. Read more…

In animals, oxytocin, dubbed 'the hormone of love and bonding,' is critically important for the development of parenting, is elicited during sexual intercourse, and is involved in maintaining close relationships. These findings implicate oxytocin in the bonding process, but little research has been done on this relationship in humans. Now a new study demonstrates the links between oxytocin and bonding in human mothers. Read more…

Progress is being made in coordinated efforts to halt the spread of imported fire ants, according to scientists studying this invasive pest that now inhabits more than 320 million acres in several southern states and Puerto Rico. Fire ants cause millions of dollars in agricultural damage each year. Not only do they build large mounds that damage nearby plant roots and farm equipment, they also cause painful stings to animals and people. Read more…

A new study provides important insight into the mechanisms involved in resistance to treatment of breast cancer patients with trastuzumab (Herceptin). The research identifies markers that may help to identify patients who are unlikely to respond to trastuzumab treatment and provides a potential strategy for treating these patients. Read more…

Computer scientists have designed new computer tools to better understand and potentially thwart the growth of Internet black markets, where attackers use well-developed business practices to hawk viruses, stolen data and attack services. Read more…

Geriatrics researchers argue that primary care doctors, the physicians seen by most older adults, cannot meet the needs of the growing number of older adults with dementia without changing how the primary care system approaches dementia. Read more…

Astronomer Robert Quimby has done it again. Found the most luminous supernova ever, that is. Quimby discovered the current record holder, supernova 2006gy, last year as part of his Texas Supernova Search project. Now he announces that a supernova he discovered earlier in the project is actually twice as luminous. Using follow-up studies to pinpoint its distance, supernova 2005ap peaked at more than 100 billion times the brightness of the Sun. Read more…

Soon after marmosets reach adulthood, the rate at which new neural cells form in the hippocampus region of the animals' brains begins to decline. The hippocampus is associated with both learning and memory. While similar observations have been made previously in the brains of rodents, this is the first time the decrease in new cell growth has been noted in a primate. Read more…

Scientists have identified a new molecular pathway required for normal development of the reproductive, olfactory and circadian systems in both humans and mice. Read more…

If the average cow produces 100 pounds of manure a day, how does a dairy farmer manage all the excess waste? Tom Herlihy, an agricultural engineer, created a unique and environmentally friendly technology to deal with this very problem. Herlihy employs 8 million earthworms in a state-of-the-art facility to transform manure into an environmentally friendly, all organic fertilizer called Worm Power. The worms eat the organic matter and generate castings that serve as a nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer. Read more…

Mental disorders such as anxiety and depressive disorders are disorders of the brain and involve complex patterns of disturbances of cognition (such as perception, attention, memory), affect and emotion (such as depressed mood, panic), somatic functioning (e.g. appetite, heart rate variability) and behaviour. These patterns and disturbances are all associated with disturbances in the transmitter systems of the brain and the central nervous system. Read more…

STATUS REPORT Date Released: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Source: Johnson Space Center NASA JSC Solicitation: J2-X Gas Generator Solid Propellant Igniters Synopsis - Oct 16, 2007 General Information Solicitation Number: NNJ08223147R Posted Date: Oct 16, 2007 FedBizOpps Posted Date: Oct 16, 2007... Read more…

PRESS RELEASE Date Released: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Source: European Space Agency Planet Earth from Space to Place - ESA at UNESCO exhibition ESA has been invited to participate in the exhibition 'Planet Earth: from Space to Place' organised by UNESCO, during its General Conference, starting... Read more…

PRESS RELEASE Date Released: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Source: Science with Integral - five years on Images With eyes that peer into the most energetic phenomena in the universe, ESA's Integral has been setting records, discovering the unexpected and helping understanding the unknown over its... Read more…

PRESS RELEASE Date Released: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Source: European Space Agency Double Star TC-1 completes its mission TC-1, one of the two satellites of the CNSA/ESA Double Star mission, was decommissioned on 14 October as its designed orbit lifetime came to an end. Read more…

AP - Scientists exploring a deep ocean basin in search of species isolated for millions of years found marine life believed to be previously undiscovered, including a tentacled orange worm and an unusual black jellyfish. Read more…

AP - A British explorer said Tuesday he is planning the most accurate survey of the thickness of the Arctic ice during a 1,240-mile trek to the North Pole to gauge the effects of global warming. Read more…

AFP - An animal rights group said Wednesday it was sending flowers to Miss Universe, Riyo Mori of Japan, after she pledged to stop wearing fur. Read more…

AP - Residents and officials have known for decades that this small borough sits on hundreds of poorly sealed natural gas wells believed to be emitting methane gas. Read more…

Scientists speculate that they have found a new species of dinosaurs. The skeleton of a giant, Patagonian plant-eater has been uncovered at more than 32 meters (105 feet) in Argentina. It is among the largest ever found. Scientists from Argentina and Brazil said the Patagonian dinosaur appears to represent a previously unknown species because of the unique structure of its neck. They named it Futalognkosaurus dukei after the Mapuche Indian words for 'giant' and 'chief,' and for Duke Energy Argentina, which helped fund the skeleton's excavation. Read more…

More like inland seas than lakes, the Great Lakes of North America are among the most treacherous bodies of water in the world. Terrible seasonal storms batter ships that choose to sail the lakes at the wrong time of year. These great gales, called the Witch of November, have claimed many lives and ships over the years, the most famous of which was the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. Strange things happen on the lakes that are unique to them, and sailors have long told stories of ghost ships on the great lakes in the same maritime tradition of the salt water ocean. Read more…

Reuters - NASA on Tuesday confirmed it will try to launch the space shuttle Discovery on October 23 on a construction mission to the International Space Station, ruling out a need to replace possibly defective heat shield panels. Read more…

SPACE.com - The space shuttle Discovery will launch next week despite concerns from an independent safety group over slight defects on three of the orbiter's wing-mounted heat shield panels, top NASA's officials said late Tuesday. Read more…

SPACE.com - The best 3-D map of the cosmos just got better, thanks to an astronomer's years of cleaning up old satellite data. Read more…