A farewell to embryotic stem cells?

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=is-aging-reversible
The science of stem cell research is constantly evolving. This article discusses findings by Shinya Yamanaka and how he has been able to convert adult cells into stem cells. There are some big problems with the current procedure, like a certain protein used in the transformation that can create a tumor on the new organ. As research is continued in this area, more problems should be resolved and hopefully this will be looked back upon as the beginning of a new era in stem cell science.

Science's alternative to an intelligent creator

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/dec/10-sciences-alternative-to-an-intelligent-creator/article_view?b_start:int=0&-C

A great article discussing science's most widely recognized alternative to an intelligent creator: the mulitverse theory. Included in this article is a list of coincidences that make life, and the universe as we know it, possible.

20 things you didn't know about lab accidents

http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/20-things-lab-accidents/?searchterm=10%20things%20you%20didn't%20know%20about%20black%20holes
An interesting article describing some of the more significant scientific discoveries to come about from accidents in the lab.

Big bang or big bounce? The science of how the universe may have started.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=big-bang-or-big-bounce

This is an excellent article that explains and brings to light new research on the beginning of our universe. It explains the need for a quantum theory of gravity to possibly explain how our universe began. The article also includes details on the complex science surrounding this issue.

The future of ethanol

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/oct/03-anything-into-ethanol

This article focuses on the future of ethanol and the science behind it. New companies are testing emerging technologies in the production of ethanol from gases produced by waste products (garbage, wood chips, etc.). Companies like Coskata and Range Fuels are establishing new methods of producing ethanol at higher yields than what corn currently allows and for much cheaper. They claim that the $1 per gallon of ethanol pinnacle is possible with this technology. One of the key elements that allows these companies to bring the price down is using a bacteria to ferment the syngas (product from gasification of the source) into ethanol. As the science involved in this process improves and the projects begin to scale up, this promises to be the future of ethanol production.

New study devles into the science of luck and superstition

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/10/03/feeling-powerless-grab-your-lucky-rabbits-foot/

This study provides interesting insight into the vulnerable human psyche. It tests the correlation between uncomfortable/uncontrollable situations and a person's desire to find meaning. The studies performed showed that subjects who felt they were not in control of a situation were more likely to see patterns (visually or in certain situations) than those who were in control. The study backs the idea that people are more likely to act irrationally when they are in an uncontrollable situation.

Existing anti-obesity drugs may be effective against the flu, hepatitis and HIV

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080928145603.htm
This new study gives promise to fighting these tough diseases. Since viral infections such as diabetes and HIV are multiplied by an increase in a cell's metabolism, current anti-obesity drugs that inhibit this behaviour could stop them from replicating. Two relatively new fields of science, metabolomics and fluxomics have started to take focus on this virus-fighting treatment.