A Sampling of Clips for
December 21st, 2006
* UCSD faculty and staff may obtain a copy of an article by e-mailing the University Communications Office
Why You Can't Shoot the Same Foul Shot Twice
Scientific American, Dec. 20 -- Most scientists, who over the past decade may have hypothesized why an all-time NBA career free-thrower missed a crucial attempt, would likely have blamed the inconsistency of the neural activity and muscle contractions that occur after he bent his knees and started his motion. A new study in this week's issue of Neuron, however, reports that another factor came into play: the brain does not plan the execution of a shot in exactly the same fashion each step of the way. (Quotes Emmanuel Todorov, a cognitive scientist at UCSD). More
Climate Science: Under a Cloud
Nature, Dec. 21 -- Fuel and biomass burning in India produces brown clouds that reflect the Sun's rays and partially shield the country from the effects of global warming. This has led to suggestions that reducing the burning might cause an acceleration in current temperature increases that would damage rice yields. But a computer simulation by Veerabhadran Ramanathan of UCSD, and his colleagues shows that cutting back on fuel and biomass burning over the period of 1985–1998 would have led to a 10% increase in yields. More
Sleepy with Apnea Could Signal Heart Trouble
Reuters, Dec. 21 -- Daytime sleepiness brought on by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition in which airways become blocked during sleep and breathing frequently stops for brief periods, may go hand in hand with heart problems, a report shows. The cardiac function in these patients was "subtly impaired," perhaps contributing to the perception of sleepiness and fatigue," Dr. Joel E. Dimsdale, of the University of California, San Diego noted in a statement accompanying a report of the study in the journal SLEEP. More