Raising the Bar: Engineering the New East Span of the Bay Bridge

In just a few days the San Francisco Bay Area will have a brand new symbol of engineering brilliance and it comes not a moment too soon. If you are like me, scenes from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake still seem fresh in the mind. Perhaps this is because my Dad was watching the world … Read more

Your Smart Device is Making You Weird: Human Augmentation

Your Smart Device is Making You Weird – A series where ScienceBlog.com blogger joebowman takes a look at new technologies and the ways they affect people and society. In a world where continually evolving technology is changing the way people interact with the digital and physical worlds, the first genuine hands-free technology may be just … Read more

The Wrathful Planet: Fracking the Future

The Wrathful Planet – In recent decades, a technique for natural gas exploration and extraction known as ‘fracking’ has emerged which has had a ‘game changing’ impact for energy producers worldwide.  In existence since the 1940’s the current technique involves a modernized combination of several preexisting techniques: horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in combination with … Read more

Gallery: Curiosity Photo Mashup

Highlights from NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity):

 

Your Smart Device is Making You Weird: Voice Text Replaces Voice Talking

Your Smart Device is Making You Weird – A series where ScienceBlog.com blogger joebowman takes a look at new technologies and the ways they affect individuals and society. I was with a group of friends the other day and someone in the group was the proud bearer of a new mobile phone, an Android-powered device … Read more

Can Music Aid Patients Recovering from Actue Brain Injury?

I recently met up with a friend of mine who is a music teacher and as we chatted she began to tell me about one of her students.  Unexpectedly, an amazing story unfolded about a young woman whose life was marred by tragedy. The student was a vibrant 19 year old who had a passion … Read more

Is Phobos-Grunt just the latest victim of the ‘Mars Curse’?

Contact was briefly established last week with the wayward Phobos-Grunt probe, still hobbling through low Earth-orbit since failing to fire its thrusters to escape orbit and send it on its way to Mars on November 9th. Unfortunately, this setback is just the latest in a string of disasters in Earth’s decades old struggle for the … Read more

Nanosatellites may mean Bigger Opportunities in Space

When we think of satellites in orbit, one conjures up images of lumbering behemoths careening through space with out stretched arms of solar panels.  Since the last shuttle flew back to Earth and straight into a museum I’ve been interested in what kinds of projects are in utero for our friends over at NASA. My interest in … Read more

Improved Compliance Needed to Ensure Long-term Efficacy of Transgenic Crops

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera or western corn rootworm is a serious threat to corn farming causing widespread destruction to the roots of plants from feeding larvae. Transgenic strains of corn were developed to leverage toxin producing genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) as an insecticide. Bt delta endotoxin has been in use since the 1960’s as a direct … Read more

Your Smart Device is Making You Weird: GPS Induced Stupidity

When a technology becomes reliable to a certain level people tend to free themselves from thought and responsibility to varying degrees.  Take for example the Global Position System (GPS), once an important tool limited to military applications, GPS is now standard and rightfully expected by consumers purchasing mobile devices, vehicles and more. Whether you are … Read more

Your Smart Device is Making You Weird: Digital Youth

Here we are with another installment of ‘Your Smart Device is Making you Weird’ where I bring you my observations on the subtle changes in people and society as a result of Convenience Technology:  Tablets, Phones, and Pads. joebowman.scienceblog.com – If you want to know what the future holds for a given population you need … Read more

Your Smart Device is Making You Weird: Family Norms

joebowman.scienceblog.com – Like clockwork, new devices and technology come along to enhance and enrich our lives.  Smart phones and tablets are the laptops and PDA’s of our Age.  Small, usually pocket sized gadgets are more powerful now than ever before. I was leaving a restaurant recently and I noticed a young family at a table … Read more