Sundance Channel

Naked news: prosthetic testes that actually work are in the works

Em and Lo — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:00:58 +0000

In sci-fi news, scientists are working on a prosthetic testicle that creates and ejects human sperm for men missing one or both testicles who want to procreate. Yale Sex Week, once banned, is in full swing right now. Ron Paul says abortion is okay only when it’s an “honest rape,” you know, as opposed to all [...]

Today is World AIDS Day

Em and Lo — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:00:26 +0000

Today marks "the beginning of the end of AIDS":

"Getting to Zero" is the theme of the UNAIDS efforts (the joint United Nations program on AIDS/HIV).
Bono was on The Daily Show last night promoting his activist organization, One, and his fundraising one, Red.
Add a patch to the One and Red campaigns' 2015 Quilt, pledging to buy at least one Red gift this holiday season, and you'll get to choose one of The Killers six consecutive Christmas songs benefiting Red for free.

How different are girls’ and boys’ brains?

Em and Lo — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:00:54 +0000

It's a favorite question of ours...okay, of mine (i.e. Lo's), and my personal answer is that yes, there are differences, but not as many or as great as our culture presumes. The bias we have as a society actually influences the development of boys' and girls' brains (which are elastic) so significantly as they grow that by the time they're adults there's much more difference than there would be if we lived in a more egalitarian, less Men-Are-From-Mars world. In other words, it's a self-fullfilling prophecy. So while there are differences, we would do better to celebrate our similarities, or at least our potential for overlapping skills and desires and tendencies, so that both sexes don't feel limited by narrow gender roles...

Best of Kickstarter, 11/14

Blair Pfander — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:44:41 +0000

We scoured the pages of Kickstarter to bring you this week’s best projects. Have a great Kickstarter project of your own or see one you think deserves some extra attention? Let us know about it the comments and we may just feature it in our weekly roundup. BOOKS "Plaster of Paradise": One of my all-time favorite books, "I'm With the Band," a groupie memoir authored by the legendary Pamela Desbarres, contains frequent mention of Cynthia Plaster-Caster. Cynthia, a fellow groupie, infamously cast rock stars' private parts in plaster to be immortalized for all time. Now, she's taken to Kickstarter to fund her memoir. The only bummer is that book stores will have to close forever after this thing hits shelves, because no book will ever be as awesome...

Autotune mash-up of Stephen Hawking and his science buds

Matthew Rodriguez — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:24:33 +0000

I know the autotuned thing jumped the Internet shark awhile ago, but I couldn't not share this "musical investigation into the nature of atoms and subatomic particles," created by sampling autotuned clips from science documentaries that examine the minute and infinitesimal quantum world and universe.

Best of Maker Faire, NYC: day one

Perrin Drumm — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:17:27 +0000

For anyone who secretly looked forward to their annual grammar school science fair - whose heart leapt at the prospect of thinking up a hypothesis, testing it through a series of experiments conducted with whatever household products you could rummage together, recording your results and then pasting them up on your beloved tri-fold poster board - the Maker Faire is for you. Of course, if you're one of those people then your inner nerd has probably been unleashed by now, and you're too busy framing your Maker Faire weekend pass to even read this. But for everyone who didn't spend their Saturday and Sunday learning how to solder or watching a life-size, Rube Goldberg-inspired mousetrap, here are the first five of the ten best things I saw at Maker Faire, NY, 2011.

New research shows we still have no f-ing clue about the female orgasm

Em and Lo — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:00:07 +0000

The female orgasm is a mystery, and not just in that how-the-hell-can-I-make-my-girlfriend-climax kind of way. Scientists just can't seem to figure out what it's there for. The most recent theory - popularized in the 2005 book The Case of the Female Orgasm - was that it was just an accidental evolutionary by-product of the male orgasm. Meaning, the orgasm is important for men (no shit) and women share biology with them in the same way that men have non-functioning (unless you count orgasm via nipple clamps) nipples. But anyway, a recent study of thousands of twins and how they do or don't orgasm, failed to prove this theory.

Morbid Medical Antiques at Musée Dupuytren

Blair Pfander — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:07:46 +0000

Maybe I've been watching too many re-runs of "Oddities," but there's something really great about ogling gross, old medical samples and morbid doctoring equipment - if only for the spine-tingling "eeeew!" that they often illicit. Paris' Musée Dupuytren is like mecca for connoisseurs of creepy curiosities and antiques. Established in 1835 by "the father of toxicology," Mathieu Orfila, the collection of weird wax figures and diseased body parts was originally compiled in an unused wing of the old Cordeliers Convent, intended for use by medical students and faculty at the University of Paris. Accumulating most of their pieces between 1836 and 1842, the collection was reported to house over six thousand samples by the end of the 19th century. Tragically, financial strife closed its doors in the 1930s, and the collection sat rotting for thirty years.

Why is sex fun?

Em and Lo — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:00:41 +0000

The Discovery Channel is in the middle of airing a series called Curiosity. Current and upcoming episodes include "What Sank the Titanic" and "Is There a Parallel Universe?" Not sure how we missed the last one, "Why Is Sex Fun?" hosted by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Time-Lapse auroras over Norway

Matthew Rodriguez — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:50:34 +0000

The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo. NASA’s feature for their daily “Astronomy Picture of the Day” today is breathtaking. Instead of a photograph, they posted this time lapse shot by Terje Sorgjerd “in and around Kirkenes and Pas National Park bordering Russia” during -25 degree Celsius (-13 degree Fahrenheit) temperatures. NASA explains: ….earlier this [...]

A kiss can be ten times more effective than morphine in reducing pain

Matthew Rodriguez — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:24:33 +0000

GOOD put together this fantastic supercut of famous kiss scenes from cinema history along with pop-up scientific facts about one of our favorite activities.

Like surveys? Take this one about porn

Em and Lo — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:00:39 +0000

Whether you're not really into porn and only enjoy the occasional romance novel sex scene or you're an addict whose love of Barely Legal Asian Sluts is jeopardizing your career and family life, there are three researchers from across the pond who'd love to hear from you. Clarissa Smith, Feona Attwood and Martin Barker have put together an online pornography survey that they say is "unlike almost all the previous research that has been conducted on pornography.":

In the past, pornography has overwhelmingly been assumed to be a ‘problem’, and the only really important questions to ask about it are – how much do people (and especially children) encounter it, and how great is the ‘harm’ that it does? This research is different. Our project is concerned with the everyday uses of pornography, and how the people who use it feel it fits into their lives. Pornography is of course a highly topical issue, subject to many opposing views and ‘strong opinions’. And we are not saying that there are no moral or political issues. But we are saying that the voices of users and enjoyers have been swamped. In fact, there is very little research that engages with the users of pornography, asking how, when and why they turn to it.

Supermoon this Saturday

Em and Lo — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:00:56 +0000

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore! So brace yourself for love this Saturday night (March 19th) when, according to Space.com, “the moon will swing around Earth more closely than it has in the past 18 years, lighting up the night sky from just 221,567 miles (356,577 kilometers) away.” [...]

The science/poetry of kissing

Em and Lo — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:00:15 +0000

We recently heard an interview on NPR with Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of the new book "The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us" (timed perfectly to come out about a month before this recent Valentine's Day). The question came up: Are we the only species that kisses?

NPR: Why Can’t We Walk Straight?

Matthew Rodriguez — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:44:46 +0000

A Mystery: Why Can’t We Walk Straight? from NPR on Vimeo. Watch this wonderfully animated short film from NPR that explores the puzzle of the “profound inability in humans to stick to a straight line when blindfolded or when there is no fixed point.” This is true for swimming as well. It’s a really interesting [...]

Green tech finds (1/13/11)

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:31:54 +0000

From green tech at the auto show in Detroit to a potential standard for eco cell phones... your green tech finds for the week.

Green tech in Detroit: Lots of green technology at the North American International Auto Show; The Street gives a run-down of seven developments worth watching...
Crowdsourced environmental video: Dialogue Earth, an organization tied to the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment, has completed a pilot involving "crowdsourcing" environmental science video content (specifically on ocean acidification). See the winner above...

Research shows a woman’s tears kill a man’s libido

Em and Lo — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:00:28 +0000

Scientists have long pondered the mystery of why humans, unlike other species, cry emotional tears. A new study provides a few answers -- as well as raising a whole bunch of new questions. Basically, researchers found that men who sniffed drops of women's emotional tears became less sexually aroused than when they sniffed a saline solution that had been dribbled down women’s cheeks. The sexual arousal was measured in a number of ways, including testosterone levels, skin responses, brain imaging and also self-reporting (i.e. this study wasn't just a bunch of guys claiming that "teary chicks are a boner killer").

Martian sunset

Matthew Rodriguez — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:09:20 +0000

The still plugging away Mars Exploration Rover recorded this brilliant footage of a sunset from the viewpoint of a Martian. It seems like the loneliest view in the galaxy. And if you’re wondering why it’s so blue (as opposed to our Earth’s red-orange-ish sunsets) here’s your answer: The red dust in the atmosphere scatters red [...]

Earth gazing: best view of Earth ever

Matthew Rodriguez — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:35:49 +0000

I love this photo posted at NASA’s Astronomy Photo of the Day of astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson gazing out the window from the International Space Station. I agree with Madeleine Robins that this picture is “the perfect cover for the perfect unwritten/unread SF novel I wanted to read when I was thirteen.” Also, is it [...]

The flaws in the science of sex differences

Em and Lo — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:00:04 +0000

One of our biggest pet peeves is our society's automatic acceptance -- the giddy embrace, even -- of the theory that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, with nary a space shuttle between them. We've written before on the lazy scientists who are suckers for a sexy headline about the "innate" differences between men and women, while touting the seemingly lone, reasonable voice of neuroscientist Lise Eliot in her book "Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps — and What We Can Do About It." Fortunately, there are now a few other voices of reason voice that have jumped into the fray as of late: First, Barnard professor Rebecca Jordan-Young in her new book "Brain Storm: The Flaws in the Science of Sex Differences"; and then "Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society and Neurosexism Create Difference" by academic psychologist Cordelia Fine. Slate has a great review of "Brain Storm" here, and below is Publisher's Weekly succinct starred review of it:

Purdue University archives Gulf oil spill video

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:31:24 +0000

The BP oil spill's over right? Nothing more to see here... That certainly seems to be the mainstream narrative regarding one of the US' largest environmental disasters (even as new reports of large oil slicks reappear). But while the well is capped, the Gulf of Mexico region will be feeling the effects of this disaster for years... and scientists and engineers will be studying the spill to see what went wrong.

Amazonia: art meets science to celebrate Amazon’s biodiversity

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:45:32 +0000

For environmentalists, scientists, and even celebrities, the Amazon rainforest has served as a vivid symbol of ecological and social degradation created by rapid global development. Artists Lucy and Jorge Orta traveled Peru in 2009 to see this environment for themselves in 2009, as well as to assist scientists in data collection. Their experience with the region's biodiversity inspired them (of course); the Natural History Museum in London commissioned them to work with this inspiration, and is now has the resulting work on display.

Emergency Bras at the 20th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony

Em and Lo — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:00:09 +0000

The 20th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, which honors achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think,” was held Harvard University last Thursday. On hand to help honor the 2010 prize laureates was Dr. Elana Bodnar, last year’s winner of the Ig Nobel Public Health Prize for her Emergency Bra, a [...]

How to survive being dunked into liquid nitrogen

Matthew Rodriguez — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:20:50 +0000

So I thought this is kind of crazy: this science writer submerges his hand into liquid nitrogen, which is something like -320 degree Fahrenheit. His hand emerges unharmed thanks to the Leidenfrost effect, which he explains here: I hadn’t realized that my hand was quite so deep into the liquid. Amazingly, I barely felt the [...]

“Tomb-Bot” to Explore Secret Chambers in the Great Pyramid at Giza

Kultur Kritik — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:21:51 +0000

Add this article to the “nerdy but cool” category: Two unexplored shafts originally discovered in the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in 1872 will finally be accessed thanks to a small camera-equipped robot. Dubbed “The Djedi Project,” a robotics team at Leeds University is designing a “Tomb-bot” to drill through two limestone doors in [...]

Ancient dildo dug up

Em and Lo — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:00:30 +0000

We've come a long way, baby. Check out this penis-shaped....shall we call it a "tool"? It was just unearthed in Sweden during an archeological excavation by the country's National Heritage Board. Carved out of antler bone and probably dating back to sometime between 4000 to 6000 B.C., the dildo-like object measures 4-inches long without much, um, girth (which makes sense since people were a lot smaller back then). The scientists aren't saying definitively what it was used for, but we know what you're thinking: it was probably a tool for chipping flint, or better yet, a back massager to relieve stress.

When we lie online, at least we do it consistently

Em and Lo — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:00:33 +0000

It's not exactly breaking news that people lie like rugs in their online dating profiles. "Recent" photos are a couple years (at least) out of date; the weight someone lists is kind of like that pair of jeans they keep around, hoping they'll fit again; and the height listed would probably be accurate if the person was standing on a box, like Tom Cruise in his wedding photos.

10 ways giving up on perfection may save your (sex) life

Em and Lo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:00:28 +0000

Recent studies show that the personality trait of perfectionism is linked to poor physical health and an increased risk of death -- in particular when it's what psychologists call "socially prescribed perfectionism," i.e. where you feel like other people expect you to be perfect (as opposed to "self-oriented perfectionism," when you impose the high standards on yourself -- apparently not quite such a health risk). Then again, is it possible to completely separate what you think others expect of you and what you expect of yourself? Where does one end and the other begin?

Dubious sex studies of the week

Em and Lo — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:00:21 +0000

Okay, we know we've been guilty in the past of drumming up sex research into juicy, slightly misleading headlines. But we're trying to be better people, we promise! (In our defense, who can possibly resist reporting on a study claiming that wearing socks leads to better sex?) In the meantime, here are some recent "scientific" headlines that gave us pause...

The headline: "Women Freeze Eggs to Wait for 'Mr Right.'" The reality: This story is based on a study of fifteen women. Can you even call that a "study"? Sounds more like a girls' night out gossip session to us.
The headline: "Shopping Is Bad for Men's Fertility." The reality: Trace amounts of BPA have been found in cash register receipts -- and BPA is known to suppress male hormones in the body. Okay, yes, BPA is bad. But it's bad for all of us -- men, women, and especially children and babies. But "Licking Cash Register Receipts Bad for Babies" isn't nearly as catching.

Will teary-eyed, face-holding, baby-making sex become obsolete?

Em and Lo — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:00:56 +0000

According to a new report in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine (what, you're not a subscriber?), IVF conception could become routine for thirty-somethings within a decade. Buh-bye, baby-making sex, hello doctor! The report claims that IVF technology is advancing so quickly that soon it will be possible to produce embryos with almost a 100% success rate -- and even horny 16-year-olds who are being stupid about birth control don't have that kind of outcome. "Natural human reproduction is at best a fairly inefficient process," says John Yovich, a co-author of the report. "Within the next five to ten years, couples approaching forty will access the IVF industry first when they want to have a baby."

Neill Blomkamp’s TED talk

Matthew Rodriguez — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:51:30 +0000

Neill Blomkamp, director of DISTRICT 9, gave an interesting talk at TED where he articulately provides a lucid overview on the possibility of extraterrestrial life that had my inner geek utterly swooning. Sparked by an interviewer's question about whether he believed the aliens in his film accurately represented what he believed aliens looked like, he responded absolutely not. He explains that the film was an allegory for identity and racism, and not about science fiction. However, he is fascinated by the search for extraterrestrials and the science behind it. His talk reminds me of my own late night peregrinations on Wikipedia where one page can lead me down the geek rabbit hole, such as the rare earth hypothesis versus the principle of mediocrity theory, Type 1 and Type 2 civilizations (Earthlings are a type 0), Dyson spheres, the technological singularity, and why we haven't seen evidence of other civilizations. Watch the talk and prepare for your mind to be blown.

How to use science to improve your marriage

Em and Lo — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:00:26 +0000

Since the 19th century, scientists have been proving that marriage is good for your health. But as recent research has shown, it's not as simple as tying the knot to ward off the Grim Reaper. It turns out that "it is the relationship, not the institution, that is key," as marriage historian Stephanie Coontz tells the New York Times. Good marriages are good for your health; bad marriages, not so much. And even within happy, loving marriages, the way that you handle conflict can impact your health. In other words, you may be head over heels in love, but if you fight dirty, then you're a cigarette habit to your partner's heart. (Literally: One recent study showed that a stressful marriage can be as bad for the heart as a regular smoking habit.) Some other interesting tidbits from the NYT magazine article that nicely summarized the recent research in this field:

"Despite years of research suggesting that single people have poorer health than those who marry, a major study released last year concluded that single people who have never married have better health than those who married and then divorced."
"Married people are less likely to get pneumonia, have surgery, develop cancer or have heart attacks. A group of Swedish researchers has found that being married or cohabiting at midlife is associated with a lower risk for dementia. A study of two dozen causes of death in the Netherlands found that in virtually every category, ranging from violent deaths like homicide and car accidents to certain forms of cancer, the unmarried were at far higher risk than the married."
"The results [of a recent test] showed that the women in unhappy relationships and the women who remained emotionally hung up on their ex-husbands had decidedly weaker immune responses than the women who were in happier relationships (or were happily out of them)."

Men are from Mars, blah, blah, blah…

Em and Lo — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:00:23 +0000

Oh, isn't it fun to talk about how men are from Mars and women are from Venus? It's like we're practically two different species! And once almighty "Science" comes down from on high and explains these differences as natural, well then you better suit up because the inter-galactic, inter-species war of the sexes is going to be fought for a loooong time. And so it is with neuropsychiatrist Louann Brizendine's new book "The Male Brian: A Breakthrough Understanding of How Men and Boys Think," her follow-up to her 2006 "The Female Brain." It's already on it's way to best seller status (it's number #150 on Amazon) -- for this is the stuff talk shows are made of! Why, men are practically born to cheat!

Reports of the G-spot’s nonexistence are vastly exaggerated…

Em and Lo — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:00:03 +0000

photo by liz_noise If you believe the screaming headlines this week, it turns out that after all these years -- drumroll please -- the G-spot does not exist! That's right, ladies and gentlemen, the hunt is off! According to the U.K. Daily Telegraph, "Researchers at King’s College London claim there is no evidence for the existence of the G-spot – supposedly a cluster of internal nerve endings – beyond a woman’s imagination." In other words, please put down your G-spotters and go home. Except. Except. Except. Where to start?

Top 10 “science”-based new year’s resolutions

Em and Lo — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:00:41 +0000

Orgasm diagram by Daquella Manera We'll be the first to admit that "science" is a generous word to use when it comes to some of the sex research out there -- and that if a sex study sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. But that doesn't mean that there aren't kernels of truth to be found in even the flimsiest of surveys. So here are our top 10 new year's resolutions inspired by the year in sex research.

Do more housework -- both of you.
Do your homework and buy decent condoms.
Take up yoga.
Invest in a better mattress.

The Known Universe

Matthew Rodriguez — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:00:18 +0000

Watch this spectacular journey through the known universe created by the American Museum of Natural History with the Rubin Museum of Art, where this is being shown as part of an exhibit running through May 2010. Using data maintained by research astrophysicists, this mesmerizing video starting and expanding from the Himalayas, takes the viewer on [...]

World’s smallest snowman

Matthew Rodriguez — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:36:36 +0000

This adorable snowman is only a wee 10 µm across or for comparison only 1/5th the width of a human hair and was created by brainiacs at National Physical Laboratory. For more background information watch this behind-the-scenes YouTube video that explains that “a nanomanipulation system was used to assemble the parts ‘by hand’ and platinum [...]

Turns out there IS such a thing as too many orgasms

Em and Lo — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:00:55 +0000

Photos via BeautifulAgony.com When we first saw the headlines this past week about a woman who has 300 orgasms a day finally meeting the man of her dreams -- i.e. a man who could keep up with her libido -- we assumed the story would be about Marrena Lindberg, whom we interviewed last year for our U.K. TV show. Lindberg is the author of The Orgasmic Diet: A Revolutionary Plan to Lift Your Libido and Bring You to Orgasm and has persistent sexual arousal syndrome (PSAS), which means that she has hundreds of orgasms a day. Mind you, these aren't dramatic, Meg Ryan-style orgasms -- she demonstrated one for us during the interview (using a photo of Stephen Colbert as her "inspiration," we shit you not) and after it was over, we had to ask, "Did it happen?" And yes, we were just as awkward as you might expect. Exactly where is the polite place to look when one's interview subject is in the midst of an orgasm?

How Consumer Reports tests condoms

Em and Lo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:03 +0000

Consumer Reports recently tested a whopping 15,000 condoms (bought by one dude!) representing 20 models. Alas, there was no actual-use testing done in the lab on the slab, just the boring scientific stuff: packaging examination, stretching, measuring, filling them with liquid to check for leaks, and inflating them with air to the size of 5-gallon [...]

Happy birthday, Carl Sagan!

Matthew Rodriguez — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:32:11 +0000

YouTube user “MelodySheep” gained attention recently for their brilliant auto-tune remixing entitled “A Glorious Dawn” of pioneering astronomer Carl Sagan lecturing, with an appearance by Stephen Hawking, on the magnificance of the universe in a manner that is both soothing and educational. There’s a new remix “We Are All Connected” that features yet more auto-tuned [...]

50 years of space exploration in a giant poster

Matthew Rodriguez — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:43:49 +0000

National Geographic released an amazing gigantic online infographic depicting our humankind’s exploration of space over the past 50 years. The geekier corners of the Internet, including this one (being a geek is a badge of honor, friends! Or at least that’s what I told myself while growing up) went predictably agog over this. There have [...]

Mechanical tumor

Matthew Rodriguez — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:03:47 +0000

Looking like something out a bio-mechanical experiment run amok, interactive media artist Mio I-zawa’s lifelike “mechanical tumor” is one of the more grotesque things I’ve seen. The pulsating tumor, “equipped with a series of motors and pneumatic actuators” responds accordingly to the stress experienced by the computer to which it is connected. View the must-watch [...]

They Might Be Giants teach science

Matthew Rodriguez — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:57:30 +0000

Science class is in session with Grammy award winning band They Might Be Giants as they teach the periodic table elements in this animated music video for “Meet the Elements” which debuted on Boing Boing. This song is from their new album Here Comes Science, which is aimed at entertaining and educating (or “edumataining”) children [...]

Body Worlds is going XXX

Em and Lo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:54 +0000

When last we mentioned Body Worlds, the international exhibition of skinless cadavers with their muscles, nerves, and tendons intact displayed in various theatrical poses, people were in a huff over one pair of corpses caught in flagrante delicto (specifically, in the Reverse Cowgirl position). Well, we’re assuming since there’s no such thing as bad publicity, [...]

MRI sex

Em and Lo — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:54 +0000

Improbable Research is an organization which collects (and sometimes conducts) improbable research (i.e. “research that makes people laugh and then think”), publishes a magazine called the Annals of Improbable Research, and administers the Ig Nobel Prizes. These mock Nobels are held once a year in a fun, goofy ceremony to honor the most unusual recent [...]

Spices that kill

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:23:39 +0000

Killer spices: Rosemary, Mint, and Thyme

If you like to cook, or just enjoy a good meal, than you're probably a fan of spices such as rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint. Turns out these seasonings can be deadly... to bugs. A group of Canadian scientists are researching the insecticidal value of these spices, and that could be good news for farmers looking to meet growing demand for organic fruits and vegetables.

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale

Sundance Channel — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:08:10 +0000

The World Science Festival has just begun to release some clips from this year’s festival which was held in June 2009. One of the most notable is from “Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus” where Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation. World Science Festival 2009: Bobby [...]

If sex studies sound too good to be true, they probably are

Em and Lo — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:00:13 +0000

photo by I_See_AEE We have a love-hate relationship with sex studies. On the one hand, they're the bread and butter of this Naked Love blog (to wit: Study shows even cheaters' guilt is selfish; Study shows the car doesn't maketh the man; Study shows father knows best; Study shows some playas are just spreading the love; et al). But on the other hand, the science behind some of the sex studies out there appears flimsy to say the least. Take this "research", which one site recently reminded us of: An Italian scientist by the name of Dr. Maria Cerruto claimed that wearing high heels improves a woman's sex life. Hmm...an Italian woman looking to justify her Pradas? Color us suspicious.

MIT’s Sixth Sense, a wearable interface straight out of MINORITY REPORT

Andrew Hearst — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:54:54 +0000

On his excellent blog, the user-experience expert Nick Finck shares a TED video demonstration of Sixth Sense, a wearable gestural interface that grabs data from the Internet and allows you to interact with it in countless real-world ways. You can draw a watch onto your arm to check the time; pull up Amazon ratings for [...]

“Daily sperm liberation” may increase fertility

Em and Lo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:41 +0000

The big sexual health news this week was that a guy can increase the quality of his sperm by having sex every day for a week, and thus improve his fertility; he might have fewer sperm on his team when he goes for the gold, but the ones he does have will be stronger players. (In contrast, many fertility experts recommend that guys abstain for a few days before her ovulation to increase sperm count.) Reading about this study brought two questions to mind: