A twist on planetary origins: Meteorites were byproducts of planetary formation, not building blocks — ScienceDaily

23 Jan 2015

Meteors that have crashed to Earth have long been regarded as relics of the early solar system. These craggy chunks of metal and rock are studded with chondrules — tiny, glassy, spherical grains that were once molten droplets. Scientists have thought that chondrules represent early kernels of terrestrial planets: As the solar system started to … More A twist on planetary origins: Meteorites were byproducts of planetary formation, not building blocks — ScienceDaily

People conform to the norm — even if the norm is a computer — ScienceDaily

23 Jan 2015

Often enough, it is human nature to conform. This tendency makes us follow the lead of computers, even if the machines give us the wrong advice. This is the finding of a study that investigates how people make judgment calls after playing role-playing video games. Real-life encounters and face-to-face contact with other people are on … More People conform to the norm — even if the norm is a computer — ScienceDaily

Neuroprosthetics for paralysis: Biocompatible, flexible implant slips into the spinal cord — ScienceDaily

9 Jan 2015

New therapies are on the horizon for individuals paralyzed following spinal cord injury. The e-Dura implant can be applied directly to the spinal cord without causing damage and inflammation, scientists report. via Neuroprosthetics for paralysis: Biocompatible, flexible implant slips into the spinal cord — ScienceDaily.

Chapter 5: In Search of a Sensory Health Model

2 Jan 2015

Time is timeless and knowledge priceless if you believe you are the breath of life versus the embodiment of life. – Cindy Blackstock Highly sensitive children are often healthy. Unfortunately, in our modern world, their ability to notice subtle changes in the environment can trigger major sensory stress. As we saw in chapter 4, the … More Chapter 5: In Search of a Sensory Health Model

Ted Talk: The wonderful and terrifying implications of deep learning

16 Dec 2014

What happens when we teach a computer how to learn? Technologist Jeremy Howard shares some surprising new developments in the fast-moving field of deep learning, a technique that can give computers the ability to learn Chinese, or to recognize objects in photos, or to help think through a medical diagnosis. (One deep learning tool, after … More Ted Talk: The wonderful and terrifying implications of deep learning

Do you speak cow? Researchers listen in on ‘conversations’ between calves and their mothers — ScienceDaily

16 Dec 2014

Researchers have been eavesdropping on ‘conversations’ between calves and their mothers — measuring the process of how cows communicate using detailed acoustic analysis for the first time. via Do you speak cow? Researchers listen in on ‘conversations’ between calves and their mothers — ScienceDaily.

50 Educational Video Games That Homeschoolers Love

9 Dec 2014

Video games often get a bad rap. Some of that criticism may be deserved (many don’t exactly encourage kids to get active), but video games aren’t all bad. In fact, there are a number that are pretty darn educational and can help students young and old learn new things, develop problem-solving skills, and get creative, … More 50 Educational Video Games That Homeschoolers Love

Kids who play video games do better as adults | Penelope Trunk Education

9 Dec 2014

So much of the discussion of school comes down to video games. Especially for boys. And here’s why: in most cases, if you tell boys they can spend their time doing whatever they want, and they can learn whatever is interesting to them, they will learn a lot about video games. read more via Kids … More Kids who play video games do better as adults | Penelope Trunk Education

Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds

9 Dec 2014

WASHINGTON — Playing video games, including violent shooter games, may boost children’s learning, health and social skills, according to a review of research on the positive effects of video game play to be published by the American Psychological Association. The study comes out as debate continues among psychologists and other health professionals regarding the effects … More Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds

Dopamine helps with math rules as well as mood — ScienceDaily

8 Dec 2014

Rule-applying neurons work better under the influence of the happy hormone, researchers have found. The chemical messenger dopamine – otherwise known as the happiness hormone – is important not only for motivation and motor skills. It seems it can also help neurons with difficult cognitive tasks, they report. via Dopamine helps with math rules as … More Dopamine helps with math rules as well as mood — ScienceDaily

In world first, researchers convert sunlight to electricity with over 40 percent efficiency — ScienceDaily

8 Dec 2014

Australia’s solar researchers have converted over 40 percent of the sunlight hitting a solar system into electricity, the highest efficiency ever reported. A key part of the prototype’s design is the use of a custom optical bandpass filter to capture sunlight that is normally wasted by commercial solar cells on towers and convert it to … More In world first, researchers convert sunlight to electricity with over 40 percent efficiency — ScienceDaily