Its so nice when you come across a little something that fills you with happiness. This makes me happy....a new scientific data search engine to add to my collection.

Scirus - For Scientific Information Only

"The Manipulation of Single Biomolecules
published in Physics Today, October 2001

By monitoring the response of individual protein and DNA molecules to pulling and twisting, biophysicists can learn much about their structure and their interactions.

Twenty-five years ago, neurophysiology was revolutionized by the invention of a clever way to record the electrical activity of a single ionic channel across a membrane. This so-called patch-clamp technique earned its inventors, Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann, a Nobel Prize. The statistical analysis of the current flowing like a noisy telegraphic signal through such a channel yielded precious and unique information on the dynamic states of these channels. That information had previously been blurred or lost when, as was the prior custom, one simply measured the average current flowing through a large ensemble of channels.

Biophysics is undergoing a similar transformation, thanks to the development of new tools for manipulating, visualizing, and studying single molecules and their interactions. The statistical analysis of the measured signals (often a sequence of noisy steps) lets the biophysicist learn about the step size of molecular motors, their energy consumption, and the rate-limiting transitions in their enzymatic cycles. One can thus build and verify better models of how these enzymes function."

Physics Today October 2001

"...the Army had staged a mock biological attack on San Francisco, secretly spraying the city with Serratia and other agents thought to be harmless. The goal: to see what might happen in a real germ-warfare attack."

This is a scary thing to think about. Why they hadn't discovered that Serratia was harmful yet is something I am going to research.

The military, microbes and secret tests using the United States public

This is a cool thing that Tom first brought my attention to. Folding@home is a screensaver program that uses your pc to do research on how proteins fold (and now misfold) and then sends the data to Stanford. I have had this running on my laptop for a few weeks now, and not only does it look neat, but you are progressing science. :)

Intel Backs Protein Project

Here is the other side of the Hawking debate. I am not sure who's side to be on. Biotechnology and genetic engineering get slammed on a regular basis, and I think it is because people don't have enough information. I am confused by Hawking lately, because a few months ago, he was a proponent of genetic engineering, and now it seems he has changed his mind. Is that because of the recent bioterrorism scare? And if thats the case, why is genetic engineering the evil tool that is going to bring the human race to its knees? Things that threaten human life like anthrax, smallpox, and a host of other goodies already exist. Also, if Hawking does turn out to be right, and some doomsday virus is created that will swipe out human life, I don't think it is going to be created in a known scientific lab.....

BBC News | SCI/TECH | Scientists criticise Hawking 'hype'

Cool...so there really is a reason for me to make it through organic chem:)THese are impressive. Molecular-Scale Transistors.

Bell Labs: Bell Labs Scientists Usher in New Era of Molecular-Scale Electronics

physics is science on crack...I love it

Quantum Stew: How Physicists Are Redefining Reality's Rules

It could be worst...you could be on Mars right now.

Mars Engulfed by Massive Storm

Hmmm....Robots able to "fix" themselves...this is just getting scary

New Scientist | Technology Special Report

This is just cool on so many levels. A pest control system that seems to be more environmentally sound then pesticides, and it uses the slugs to generate electricity.

{oh yeah...Credit is due...Tom and Nick (the geniuses that they are) came up with this awhile back}

SlugBot: Enemy of Slugs