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sublumjack1

The Environment

New Plastic Bags Biodegrade in Four Months

By Posted on 4.18.2008 10 Comments
On the heels of our reporting about Canada's probable move to ban BPA plastics comes a story about researchers working at Missouri University of Science and Technology to develop hybrid plastics that would biodegrade in landfills within four months. As our editor Nicole Dyer pointed out in a comment to the BPA post, the larger and more important issue facing plastics is their propensity to stick around forever.

4.19.2008 at 02:07pm - Comment by sublumjack1

i dont understand why so many people seem to think that the more we use food products for non food related purposes (biofule, etc) the less food the world will have to eat? Last time i checked, not every ounce of freeland has been converted into farmland people. its called supply and demand....sure if we only had X ammount of food to use this might be an issue...but guess what? once there is more demand or a need, something magical will happen! More people will go into farming, more land will be converted to farmland, more food will be grown. Obviously its a bit more complex then that, but still, thats the gist of it.
Technology

The Human Luck of the Draw

By Posted on 4.18.2008 13 Comments
We've talked in this space in the past few months about detecting the existence of Earth-like planets in other solar systems, and on the educated guesswork which goes into putting a number on the probability of intelligent life existing out there as well. You may remember that the discovery of terrestrial planets is well on its way as technology improves; and that the Drake equation—with all its assumptions—has proved to be remarkably accurate.

4.19.2008 at 01:57pm - Comment by sublumjack1

Now assuming these predictions of probability are relativly accurate, seems to me that there would be a huge chance of intelligent life being out there (finding/contacting is a different issue). .01% means that if we could find some 10 000 earths there should be an extremely good chance that one of them has developed intelligent life. yea, yea, 10 000 seems large when you consider the parameters needed for a planet to qualify as an "earth", but on the grand scheme of the universe, 10 000 is a pretty small number.....Think about how many billion stars/plantets/galaxies have already been identified and that is still only a miniscule peice of the whole pie.
Cars

Racing the Nissan GT-R: In Any Other Car, You'd Be Dead Now

By Posted on 4.14.2008 5 Comments
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Racing_The_2009_Nissan_GT_R'; This is the first post by PopSci's new Contributing Editor and automotive blogger, Mike Spinelli. An automotive-focused writer, blogger, and Sirius radio host, Mike left a career in technology market research to become founding editor of New York-based automotive website Jalopnik.com in 2004. Check back each day for his blog posts on PopSci.com, and watch for his byline in the magazine as well. —Eds. Get on the brakes right here, says the voice in my head. Move to the inside and let the car drift outward to the right. Then cut in hard and itll set you up for this next tight bit. Now get right on the speed again. The voice was that of New Zealander Steve Millen, veteran race driver and instructor of journalists gathered to sample the 2009 Nissan GT-R. Earlier, with Millen at the wheel, wed shot through the same section of Nevadas Reno-Fernley raceway -- a 200-degree banked left called the Horse Shoe followed by a quick right that opens into a nearly straight run -- while he narrated the action as casually as if over a pot of Earl Grey. Now I was doing it solo and, I might add, astonishingly well.

4.11.2008 at 07:46pm - Comment by sublumjack1

When your ass-end is kicking out, isent that usually termed oversteer, not understeer? I could be wrong, just curious.
Entertainment & Gaming

The Unenhanced Performance Is not Worth Testing For

By Posted on 4.4.2008 3 Comments
If cheating doesnt help you win, is it still cheating? Probably. But, if cheating doesnt help you win, should anybody care? The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced this week that it has purchased thousands of kits to blood test athletes for HGH in advance of and during the Beijing Olympics. Yippee? Not so much. While major news organizations have been hailing the breakthrough, they've also been ignoring an article published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine that suggests HGH doesnt actually help cheaters win. The article reviewed 27 studies over the past 40 years and found nothing but a cosmetic enhancement as a result of HGH. The research is consistent with testimony to Congress from a panel of experts, including Dr. Richard Perls with whom we spoke in February.

4.4.2008 at 10:24pm - Comment by sublumjack1

So what are they advocating? that we dont test for HGH simply because there are more dangerous/relevant drugs that athletes might be using? I find it irrelevant whether or not HGH actually improves performance...it could make athletes perform worse and I still think it should be tested for if possible..why? It is the intent of the athlet which is of utmost importance..they dont take HGH thinking that IT WONT help them. Thier intent is to cheat and that is why they should be punished if it is found in thier system (barring some reasonable and logical excuse i suppose). If we say that it shouldent matter simply because HGH doesnt help thier performance, then we might as well say that you not actually a cheater unless you get caught...it pretty much follows the same bad logic.
Science

Preference for Boys Seen Among Asian-Americans

By Posted on 4.3.2008 5 Comments
In many Asian countries, the cultural preference for boys is resulting in lopsided sex ratios. To those who assume theres no prenatal sex discrimination in the United States, think again. The first published analysis of its kind, which appears in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that some—but not most—Asian families in America are choosing to have a son after one or more daughters.

4.3.2008 at 12:06pm - Comment by sublumjack1

Yes...though apprently they are too timid to come out and say that, that is exactly what they are implying. While actual pre-embyonic sex selection techniques exist, they are currently illegal in north america, so the the only way involves finding the sex before the window for abortion closes through an embryonic fluid analysis test or ultra sound and then deciding wether to terminate the child based on those results...hence the corresondng increase in ultrasounds among asian families.
Gadgets

Sony Launches Smallest High-Def Camcorder

By Posted on 7.30.2009 6 Comments
Sony today announced what it claims to be the smallest high-definition camcorder, the 10-ounce HDR-TG1 Handycam. Into this small package (1.3x4.8x2.5 inches), Sony sueezes most of the features that go into bigger models: including 1920x1080i resolution, a 10X optical zoom lens and face-recognition. It’s packed in a titanium shell with a scratch resistant coating that Sony calls “quite fashionable.”

4.3.2008 at 12:01pm - Comment by sublumjack1

Yea..that pretty much sums up 90% of the articles on PopSci