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Submission + - Pollinators Thwarted by Scent Pollution

Submitted by Rambo Tribble
Rambo Tribble writes: At the same time that bee populations are crashing, researchers have found that another pollinator group, moths, is being adversely affected by chemicals in the air. The moths' ability to discern the floral species they need to target is diminished by other scents from a variety of human-imposed sources. These range from non-native plants to vehicle exhaust. As one researcher succinctly puts it, "The total combination of dynamic odors, including floral signature odors as well as anthropogenic pollutants, can affect the success of olfactory-based resource finding." Link to Science abstract.

Submission + - Seattle Gets Takeout by Amazon

Submitted by Rambo Tribble
Rambo Tribble writes: In their ongoing effort to capitalize on local business, Amazon has unveiled a “VERY gradual expansion unless things go gangbusters,” of their Amazon Local services, namely takeout food ordering in Seattle. Rivalling smaller, more focused firms in the space, it appears the online giant is trying to wrap recommendations, ordering, and payments in a convenient Amazon bundle. And to think, "word of mouth" used to involve actual mouths.

Comment Don't feel too alone, Perl fans ... (Score 1) 283

by Rambo Tribble (#47306271) Attached to: Perl Is Undead
... at about that same time JavaScript was declared to be on its last legs, (Java applets were going to bury it), and COBOL was declared moribund over 40 years ago. Meanwhile, every proclaimed "natural language" phenomenon has proven too cumbersome for actual production.

Submission + - Endorphins Make Tanning Addictive

Submitted by Rambo Tribble
Rambo Tribble writes: Research published in the journal Cell describes a mechanism whereby exposure to UV light leads to endorphin production in the skin. Additionally, they show that rodents exhibit the characteristics of addiction to those substances. This adds to earlier studies which demonstrated withdrawal-like symptoms in frequent tanners One of the researchers, Dr. David Fisher, commented, 'It sounds like a cruel joke to be addicted the most ubiquitous carcinogen in the world,' The researchers conclusions are subject to some scepticism, however. Addiction researcher, Dr David Belin, is quoted as opining, '... their study is going to be seminal even though their conclusions are not supported by their results.' The BBC offers nicely rounded coverage, as well.

Submission + - Researchers Find "Achilles Heel" of Drug Resistant Bacteria

Submitted by Rambo Tribble
Rambo Tribble writes: Researchers in Britain are reporting that they have found a way to prevent bacteria from forming the "wall" that prevents antibiotics from attacking them. "At the heart of the breakthrough is the way 'gram negative' bacterial cells transport the carrier's molecular 'bricks' to the surface of the cell and form a wall." "The number of superbugs are increasing at an unexpected rate. This research provides the platform for urgently-needed new generation drugs."

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