The active ingredient in cigarettes in nicotine, and its extremely addictive nature is reflected by the fact that it is used by approximately 35% of the US population.1 Nicotine works by binding to one type of acetylcholine receptor in the body.

Currently on view at the New York Academy of Sciences Art Gallery is an exhibit of the molecular illustrations of Kenneth Eward. I followed the links to Kenneth’s website and found one of the most captivating animated illustrations of the molecular development of human life. His “A Window Into Human Life” won an honorable mention at the 2008 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. 

The term “clean coal” is an oxymoron; even if the clean coal technologies do manage to “wash the coal” or bury carbon emissions deep in the ground, coal-fired power plants are the single largest source of mercury pollution in the U.S. And the mercury released pollutes the nation’s water resources, posing a serious public health threat to the population.

On May 25, 2007 a bill was proposed, and eventually passed, in the New York State Assembly to turn the sale of a violent and/or sexually explicit video game to a minor into a class E felony. The possible punishments in New York for a class E felony are $1000-$5000 fine and/or 1-3 years in jail. Other class E felonies include (but are not limited to):

Act One
From the moment we see a huge, ghostly projection of the periodic table, to the conclusion of Doctor Atomic with the haunting voice of a Japanese woman repeatedly asking for water, this opera demands that viewers search their souls. We do so along with the scientists and soldiers of The Manhattan Project, their spouses, and those who worked for them. The opera takes place after the German surrender and delves into events one month before, and the day of, the test blast in Los Alamos in July, 1945.
I saw …

By Sheril Kirshenbaum and Chris Mooney
The box jellyfish. A fascinating critter with powerful venom, this one’s not for the faint of heart.
Alternatively known as sea wasps and marine stingers, these animals serve up a frightening cocktail of toxins that attack the nervous system, heart, and skin. Generally they prey on fish and shrimp, but humans have also been killed as the result of encounters, which can lead to heart failure, shock, and drowning. Those who survive suffer through weeks of severe pain and scarring.
Box jellies are unique because they …

Canadian-born Dara Bratt won the Imagine Science Film Festival’s People’s Choice award for In Vivid Detail (runtime 18 minutes). The short explores the impact on a budding romance of a man’s childhood brain injury, a disorder called prosopagnosia. The phenomenon prevents him from recognizing faces; features appear to be mere lines. At first his girlfriend is skeptical that he really has this neurological disorder, but then struggles to understand and accept it. After watching a street artist draw a portrait of a girl, the man, who is an architect, tries …

By Sheril Kirshenbaum and Chris Mooney
Today marks the launch of the National Academy of Sciences’ Science and Entertainment Exchange, an initiative that will work to connect producers, directors, writers and others in need of scientific information for their productions with science, medical and engineering experts. We’re here in Los Angeles headed to the first symposium. So will this initiative–to be directed by Physics of the Buffyverse author Jennifer Ouellette–correct everything that’s problematic in the entertainment media’s portrayal of science? Of course not. But it’s a very important start.
We …

By Sheril Kirshenbaum and Chris Mooney
Amid a flurry of last minute rule changes introduced by President George W. Bush on his way out of office came last week’s announcement of a plan to sell the rights to oil and gas off Virginia’s coast.
This attempted policy change doesn’t represent a big surprise, given the strong influence of fossil fuel interests during Bush’s two terms. These last minute regulations are plainly motivated by the desire to reward the President’s campaign contributors and corporate interests. The Virginia plan provides no benefits, royalties, or …

With mountains, skiing, and good weather it’s no surprise that people are moving to the Rocky Mountain States in droves. However, with a rising population comes an increasing demand for more water. And, right now, water is a dwindling resource.