Science in the News
Category: I have a subscription to Science News magazine. The magazine is a weekly, summarizing important journal articles and other findings from a wide range of scientific disciplines. These are some highlights:
1. G.W.’s FY07 budget cuts ~3 million from EPA’s library budget, forcing multiple libraries to close and limiting EPA scientists’ and the public’s access to environmental documents. The kicker - the library system brings in a profit of close to ~30 million a year. Um, you do the math!
2. A group of ecologists and economists measured the energy effectiveness of producing biodiesels from soybeans and corn. Accounting for the costs of production, including farming equipment, pesticide and soil treatment use; and the manufacturing costs to refine the product, then comparing those figures to the amount of energy yielded, corn ethanol provides 25% more energy then it consumes and soybeans provide 93% more energy than the process uses. Additionally, soybeans per unit of energy gained require 1% of the nitrogen, 8.3% of the phosphorus and 13% of the pesticides required to grow corn. Compared to burning traditional gasoline, corn ethanol reduces greenhouse emmisions by 12%, soybean diesel reduces emmisions by 41%. So why do American car companies favor corn? Could it be all the subsides we give the corn farmers (I mean the big businesses that own the corn fields - and some of the car companies - and some of the mainstream media).
Not mentioned in this article, but also interesting: sugarcane biodiesel is supposedly the best out there. Countries in South America are producing more than they can use, so why don’t they import to the U.S.? Oh yeah, we have a 100% tariff on sugarcane biodiesel! Um, protecting the corn field owners again?
3. Scientists have created a new atomic clock based around the ultraviolet electromagnetic wave oscillation of a mercury ion. Compared to the gold standard cesium atomic clock, this new clock is 10 times more precise, erring only 1 second every 70 million years. This new clock has all sorts of applications.
4. Just incase you were worried, you will be happy to know that a group of chemists have developed a taste sensor that can distinquish among 18 commercial beers.