Online Editorials
Mind your Head!
(May 15th, 2012) Taking constant, violent blows to the head is part of a boxer's professional life. But even if there aren't any immediate symptoms, the brain does suffer as Swedish researchers including a former pro boxer recently revealed.
more...Transparency is Key
(May 11th, 2012) Coca Cola keeps its 'secret formula' safely hidden in a vault in Atlanta. Life science companies, too, can be very secretive about the ingredients of their products, much to the disservice of science.
more...The Scienticks (7): The Boss's Right Hand
(May 8th, 2012) The mysterious Ixod makes an unexpected appearance, she feels something is wrong in the lab. Enjoy reading the seventh episode of our science thriller The Scienticks by Nanür.
more...Illuminating the Emergence of Consciousness
(May 4th, 2012) What's the neurological basis of the conscious state? That's what Finnish and US-American researchers asked themselves and recently they found some answers...
more...Twenty Thousand Leagues and 400 Meters Under the Sea
(May 1st, 2012) Not even Jules Verne could have imagined something like this: a world of thousand year old prokaryotes at the sub-seafloor. The question is: "Are they really alive and metabolising?"
more...Our Maternal Past
(April 27th, 2012) Radical changes are sometimes necessary, also in phylogenetics. Recently, a pan-European group of researchers updated the foundation of human evolutionary research.
more...How Ants Keep Fungal Pathogens at Bay
(April 24th, 2012) The discovery of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner in 1796 revolutionised human medicine. But did you know that some of the tiniest members of the animal kingdom figured out the benefits of immunisation much before us?
more...
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From the Content
Analysis: Slow Science movements
Do you ever have the impression that the system of scientific research is getting out of control? That you don’t have time to keep up with constant demands to publish more, write more grant applications, perform administra- tive duties, produce ‘economic value’ and yet still, incidentally, do some meaningful research? You’re not alone! Nourished on Slow Food, Slow Science calls for a healthy rethinking of research. Jeremy Garwood investigates its spreading influence... moreObservations of The Owl -
Who’s Worth What?
I was just dozing off after another stressful night of ‘mouse massacring’, when sudden- ly Homer, our carrier pigeon, swift- ly landed beside me, passed me a letter and immediately shot off again. It was only a matter of sec- onds and, when I had finally re- alised what had happened, Hom- er was already out of sight again. “Damned early birds”, my shriek followed his tail wind. But before getting completely caught up in a real rant, my tired, foggy brain noticed the letter. It appeared to be a fan letter... morePublication Analysis 1999-2010: Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience Research
In European behavioural and cognitive neuroscience research, England’s dominance culminated in a rather striking fact: the ten most-cited researchers all come from London and Cambridge. The first difficulty in tackling this publication analysis of behavioural and cognitive neuroscience was compiling as comprehensive a list as possible of journals that really do represent the field... moreTips and tricks of the trade: Speeding up Fly Staining
Staining or labelling internal organs of flies or other model organisms is a tedious and tough business. A new vacuum-assisted staining protocol may ease the pain of repetitive and laborious staining procedures... more