Ricin is a protein that comes from castor beans that has been used throughout history as a poison, both intentionally and unintentionally. Ricin is poisonous if inhaled, injected or ingested and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, tachycardia, hypotension, seizures and death by stopping protein synthesis in cells. Ricin is classified as an agent of bioterrorism within the U.S. due to its research history for use as a poison during the World Wars (and also in the 1978 assassination of dissident Georgi Markov by the Bulgarian Secret Police). However, researchers are now developing a potential antidote for this poison. These researchers, located in France, have discovered two compounds that may be capable of blocking the pathway through which ricin acts. This may be a promising step towards developing a cure for ricin, and other similar toxins, for which there is currently no antidote. For more information, read http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/science/20obricin.html.

Studies of ancient Egypt have fascinated scientists for decades.  Most recently, researchers revealed the study that makeup used by ancient Egyptians helped prevent infections common at the time.

Researchers found that the makeup was predominantly made by mixing four lead based chemicals: galena, cerussite, laurionite, and phosgenite.  At times when the Nile flooded, Egyptians were plagued by infections caused by particles that entered through the eye.  Scientists argue that the toxic lead based makeup was able to kill the bacteria before it spread.  Although the makeup acted as a toxin, the toxicity of lead compounds also resulted in many cases of lead poisoning.

So the real question is: Will makeup make or break you?

Check out these articles for more news about ancient Egyptian make-up!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/science/19egypt.html?scp=5&sq=&st=nyt

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8447851.stm

Front Page Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/annia316/390543676/sizes/l/

This week, researchers revealed the possibility that Venus is geologically active. The authors of a paper published online in Science used findings based on evidence from the European Space Agency’s Venus Express mission.

Observations of hot spots by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on Venus Express suggest that lava flow on Venus may be fairly recent. The study, led by Suzanne Smrekar, a planetary scientist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, cites “lack of surface weathering” at three hot spots as evidence that Venus continues to resurface itself, as Earth does.

While Venus is considered the “sister planet” of Earth based on relative size and density, the temperature and pressure of Venus’s atmosphere are significantly higher than those of Earth’s atmosphere. The hot spots on Venus observed in this study are, however, similar to those on Earth beneath Hawaii and Iceland.

In the past, there was little evidence to estimate the age of lava flows and volcanic eruptions. But now, based on data from VIRTIS, the authors suggest that the lava flows are younger than 2.5 million years if not younger.

 

Check out data and images here!

Sources:

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/apr/HQ_10-081_Venus_Volcanoes.html

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/science.1186785

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/328/5975/157-a

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/science/space/10venus.html?ref=science

Have you ever considered buying a Kindle? Or an iPad? 

With annual sales of so-called e-readers in the millions, it seems as if the book - the paper paged, front-to-back thing -  may soon be a thing of the past.

What's the big deal about having an e-reader? You could say that its more convenient than reading a book, or that you just like to have a library of books in your pocket. At the very least, an e-reader will save trees, right?

Sure, reading books via e-reader will inevitably save trees that otherwise would have been used for books, but can one really make an argument for e-readers on behalf of their environmental impact?

This New York Times article evaluates the life-cycle of an e-reader (an iPad, to be specific) and a book to determine which is more environmentally friendly.

And if the environment isn't your thing, check out these pictures.