HOMERUN!!!
By applying an old theory that has been used to explain water flow through soil and the spread of forest fires, researchers may have an answer to a perplexing ecological and evolutionary problem: why locusts switch from an innocuous, solitary lifestyle to form massive swarms that can devastate crops and strip fields bare.

It Can Disrupt Our Biological Clock
Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms – everyone’s 24-hour biological clock, Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have shown.

New improved ways to preserve our Organs for Transplants
Chemists in Canada have developed a new approach for producing more effective medical antifreeze fluids for preserving kidneys, hearts, and other organs donated for transplantation. These next-generation antifreezes can decrease damage to organs caused by ice crystals, and thus prolong the time a donated organ will remain [...]

 
Communicating with submarines under the surface of the water has always been tricky. How do you stay in contact without having to surface? The Navy believes that a form of text messaging may be the answer.

 
Believe it or not, moods are contagious and spread like ripples through friends, according to a new research.

 
A microscopic bio-sensor that detects Salmonella bacteria in lab tests has been developed by an agricultural scientist.

 
The emerging field of nutrigenomics, which aims to identify the genetic factors that influence the body’s response to diet and studies how the bioactive constituents of food affect gene expression, is explored in a series of provocative, interdisciplinary reports and analyses in the December 2008 Special Issue (Volume 12, number 4) of OMICS: A Journal [...]

 
 Times Square Ball
Last year, the Times Square Ball got an LED makeover for its 100th anniversary. This year that tradition continues, all 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs of it (and don’t forget the 2,668 Waterford crystals). The 12-foot-wide, 11,875-pound ball is capable of displaying “16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns” – did you [...]

Tiny Abode

MIT researchers have built a tiny microhabitat to study the food chain of marine microbes. The microbial ecosystem is about the size of a piece of chewing gum, or microscope slide. From the MIT News Office:
The MIT study is one of the first detailed explorations of how sea creatures so small — 500,000 can [...]

Oh Give Me A Home Where The Carniverous Plush Animals Roam…

 
If you’re sick of all the cute, sweet plushies out there, then these great toys are for you. They’re by artist Patricia Waller who has a ton of other awesome designs as well. These specific toys belong to her “Accident” series and the “How to [...]

Uncle Jay at his best
It’s been a whole year since Uncle Jay has sung an entire episode, and here’s the reminder why! It’s the year-end review of the news, and maybe it’ll seem a little better with music. Second video after the jump.