A few science news snippets:
- Mumps vaccination and teenage swelling – Clinical evidence suggests that we should best avoid mumps in teenagers, could a booster vaccine at age 12 or thereabouts be the answer?
- Martin Gardner RIP – Debunker of quacks and pseudoscientists and an unequalled mathematical raconteur, he will be missed.
- Electronic blast for superbug killers and more… – This week, an electronic blast could kill superbugs and give us sweeter smelling socks, the Alchemist learns. Models could improve our understanding of volcanic ash and oil spills while analytical instrumentation for atmospheric studies is improved with a low-noise controller. In the technological field, a new nano material based on titanium pentoxide could one day outshine Blu-ray, and molecular bubbles could deliver drugs more effectively than conventional polymer capsules. Finally, emergency NSF funding could help in the cleanup after the Gulf of Mexico oil release.
- A Question Of Identity – Who's Wong? Who's White? ResearcherID on the way?
- A new spin on extending battery life – A team at Bar-Ilan University is working to make existing batteries last ten times longer and existing processors work ten times faster using spintronics.