Scientists know that air pollution particles from mid-latitude cities migrate to the Arctic and form an ugly haze, but a new University of Utah study finds surprising evidence that polar explorers saw the same phenomenon as early as 1870.
Without a ripple in the water, alligators dive, surface or roll sideways, even though they lack flippers or fins. University of Utah biologists discovered gators maneuver silently by using their diaphragm, pelvic, abdominal and rib muscles to shift their lungs like internal floatation devices: toward the tail when they dive, toward the head when they surface and sideways when they roll.
The University of Utah was ranked second in the nation at starting technology companies based on its research. Ranking is based on the latest survey of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM). The University started 20 new companies in 2006 from its diverse and varied research.
University of Utah scientists developed a new crime-fighting tool by showing that human hair reveals the general location where a person drank water, helping police track past movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims.
A new species of dinosaur unearthed in Mexico is giving scientists fresh insights into the ancient history of western North America, according to an international research team led by scientists from the Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah.
From the vast universe to subatomic particles, scale influences what we see, know and dream in science, art, poetry, architecture, economics, music and philosophy. The influence of scale on how we experience the world will be the focus Feb. 21-23 during the Utah Symposium in Science and Literature at the University of Utah. The theme is "Measuring Scale: A World in a Grain of Sand."
The University of Utah has been given software valued at $21.2 million from Landmark, a product service line of Halliburton's Drilling and Evaluation Division. The donation provides students and researchers with advanced software used to help find oil and gas resources more efficiently.
Muscles usually contract when a neurotransmitter molecule is released from nerve cells onto muscle cells. But University of Utah scientists discovered that bare subatomic protons can act like larger, more complex neurotransmitters, making gut muscles contract in tiny round worms so the worms can poop.
Motorists who talk on cell phones drive slower on the freeway, pass sluggish vehicles less often and take longer to complete their trips, according to a University of Utah study that suggests drivers on cell phones congest traffic. "At the end of the day, the average person's commute is longer because of that person who is on the cell phone right in front of them," says psychologist Dave Strayer.
Scientists long have focused on how climate and vegetation allowed human ancestors to evolve in Africa. Now, University of Utah geologists are calling renewed attention to the idea that ground movements formed mountains and valleys, creating environments that favored the emergence of humanity.
About 20 faculty members from the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law will participate in a program to train Afghan prosecutors, helping the Afghan people develop fair, equitable and effective legal institutions and processes.
Researchers discovered genetic evidence that human evolution is speeding up "“ and has not halted or proceeded at a constant rate, as had been thought "“ indicating that humans on different continents are becoming increasingly different.
Perhaps the first stars in the newborn universe did not shine, but instead were invisible "dark stars" 400 to 200,000 times wider than the sun and powered by the annihilation of mysterious dark matter, a University of Utah study concludes.
Society's attitudes toward different drugs and its ways of regulating them are often "inconsistent," "incoherent" and ultimately unjust, says "Drugs and Justice," a new book by a team of University of Utah scholars.
The S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah announced today that Professors Amos Guiora, who served for 19 years in the Israel Defense Forces, and Chibli Mallat, a longtime peace activist and candidate for the presidency of Lebanon, are available to provide informed commentary and analysis on the Israeli-Palestinian summit, which begins Tuesday, Nov. 27 in Annapolis, Maryland.
The Yellowstone "supervolcano" rose at a record rate since mid-2004, likely because a Los Angeles-sized, pancake-shaped blob of molten rock was injected 6 miles beneath the slumbering giant, University of Utah scientists report in the Nov. 9 issue of the journal Science.
The most energetic particles in the universe "“ ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays "“ likely come from supermassive black holes in the hearts of nearby active galaxies, says a study by scientists from nearly 90 research institutions worldwide, including the University of Utah.
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's trade delegation to India will initiate a long-term international collaboration with that country and the University of Utah. An agreement between the university and Pregna International, will focus on the commercialization of cutting-edge anti-HIV and contraceptive delivery products for the Indian marketplace, possibly including a so-called "molecular condom."
University of Utah biologists genetically manipulated nematode worms so the animals were attracted to worms of the same sex "“ part of a study that shows sexual orientation is wired in the creatures' brains. "They look like girls, but act and think like boys," says Jamie White, first author of the new study. "The [same-sex attraction] behavior is part of the nervous system."
University of Utah scientists discovered a strange reproductive method in primitive cycad plants: The plants heat up and emit a toxic odor to drive pollen-covered insects out of male cycad cones, and then use a milder odor to draw the bugs into female cones so the plants are pollinated. This may represent an intermediate step in the evolution of plant pollination, the researchers report in the journal Science.
The newest dinosaur species to emerge from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument had some serious bite, according to researchers from the Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah. "It was one of the most robust duck-billed dinosaurs ever," said museum paleontologist Terry Gates, who is also with the U.'s Department of Geology and Geophysics. "It was a monster."
Contrary to arguments by critics, a University of Utah-led study found that legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands did not result in a disproportionate number of deaths among the elderly, poor, women, minorities, uninsured, minors, chronically ill, less educated or psychiatric patients. Only AIDS patients used doctor-assisted suicide at elevated rates.
University of Utah mathematicians have arrived at a new understanding of how salt-saturated ocean water flows through sea ice "“ a discovery that promises to improve forecasts of how global warming will affect polar icepacks.
The University of Utah Seismograph Stations recorded a magnitude-1.6 seismic event at the time of a Thursday, Aug. 16 "bump" that killed and injured rescuers at a Utah coal mine where six miners were trapped by an Aug. 6 collapse.
Researchers at the University of Utah and elsewhere have developed a new way to predict when vegetation dries to the point it is most vulnerable to large-scale fires in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles. This year's forecast says the highest-risk fire period will begin July 13 "“ weeks earlier than usual.
A University of Utah study shows how various regions of North America are kept afloat by heat within Earth's rocky crust, and how much of the continent would sink beneath sea level if not for heat that makes rock buoyant. New York City would sit 1,427 feet underwater and Los Angeles would rest 3,756 feet beneath the Pacific.
Genes account for only 2.5 percent of DNA in the human genetic bueprint, yet diseases can result not only from mutant genes, but from mutations of other DNA that controls genes. University of Utah researchers report in the journal Nature Genetics that they have developed a faster, less expensive technique for mutating those large, non-gene stretches of DNA.
University of Utah physicists developed small devices that turn heat into sound and then into electricity. The technology holds promise for changing waste heat into electricity, harnessing solar energy and cooling computers and radars. "We are converting waste heat to electricity in an efficient, simple way by using sound," says Orest Symko, a University of Utah physics professor who leads the effort.
American Indian voters are poised to begin playing a much bigger role in election politics, if past trends are any indication. That's just one of the conclusions in a new book titled "Native Vote," co-authored by Daniel McCool, Susan Olson and Jennifer Robinson of the University of Utah.
University of Utah geneticists have engineered mice that can develop synovial sarcoma "“ a significant early step toward developing new treatments for the aggressive, deadly cancer that most often kills teenagers and young adults. The mice were used to determine that synovial sarcoma develops in muscle cell precursors known as myoblasts, the researchers report in the journal Cancer Cell.
Soon after humans began domesticating dogs 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, they started breeding small canines. Now, scientists from the University of Utah and seven other institutions have identified a piece of doggy DNA that reduces the activity of a growth gene, ensuring that small breeds stay small.
Modern technology uses many frequencies of electromagnetic radiation for communication, including radio waves, TV signals, microwaves and visible light. A University of Utah study shows how far-infrared light "“ the last unexploited part of the electromagnetic spectrum "“ could be harnessed to build much faster wireless communications and to detect concealed explosives and biological weapons.
Ape-like human ancestors known as australopiths had short legs because a squat physique helped males fight over access to females, a University of Utah study concludes. "The old argument was that they retained short legs to help them climb trees," says biologist David Carrier. "My argument is that they retained short legs because short legs helped them fight."
A 17-year University of Utah study of ground movements shows that the power of the huge volcanic hotspot beneath Yellowstone National Park is much greater than previously thought when the giant volcano is slumbering. Findings show gradual ground movements overpower quake movements at Yellowstone, and the hotspot makes the Teton fault behave unexpectedly.
Terrorism, values and violence will be the theme of an international conference on human rights, human dignity and international cooperation, to take place March 1-2 at the University of Utah. Topics include female terrorists, a critique of the war on terror and much more.
If you bend a knee, the nerves stretch but don't break. A University of Utah study suggests why: A gene produces a protein that keeps nerve cells flexible. When the gene was disabled in worms, their nerve cells broke. That may provide a new explanation for a disease identified in 11 generations of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's family.
University of Utah scientists designed a "molecular condom" women could use daily to prevent AIDS by vaginally inserting a liquid that would turn into a gel-like coating and then, when exposed to semen, return to liquid form and release an antiviral drug.
A University of Utah study suggests that memories are held in our brains because certain proteins serve as anchors, holding other proteins in place to strengthen synapses, which are connections between nerve cells.
A University of Utah physicist took a step toward developing a superfast computer based on the weird reality of quantum physics by showing it is feasible to read data stored in the form of the magnetic "spins" of phosphorus atoms.
A brand new approach to treating severe nerve pain "“ by aiming drugs at a previously unrecognized molecular target "“ has been discovered by University of Utah scientists who study the venoms of deadly, sea-dwelling cone snails.
Using material similar to bathtub caulk, University of Utah engineers invented a tiny, inexpensive "micropump" that could be used to move chemicals, blood or other samples through a card-sized medical laboratory known as a lab-on-a-chip. The goal is to make medical test results available to patients while they are in the doctor's office.
University of Utah scientists improved a method of testing fossil teeth, and showed that early human relatives varied their diets with the seasons 1.8 million years ago, eating leaves and fruit when available in addition to seeds, roots, tubers and perhaps grazing animals.
University of Utah biologists invented a chemical-free, hairdryer-like device "“ the LouseBuster "“ and conducted a study showing it eradicates head lice infestations on children by exterminating the eggs or "nits" and killing enough lice to prevent them from reproducing.
University of Utah History Professor Bob Goldberg, author of the 2001 "Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America," is available for comment and analysis on theories of conspiracy relating to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
University of Utah historian Martha Sonntag Bradley is available for comment and analysis on stories related to Warren Jeffs and the FLDS' practice of polygamy. Bradley can provide perspective on the many complex legal and religious issues surrounding the history and practice of polygamy in Utah.
University of Utah researchers isolated an unusual nerve toxin from the venom of an ocean-dwelling cone snail, and say its ability to glom onto the brain's nicotine receptors may be useful for designing new drugs for Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, nicotine addiction and perhaps even schizophrenia.
While primary and secondary students may still be enjoying the dog days of summer, the countdown to the start of school has begun. Less than three weeks of summer vacation are left for most primary and secondary students across the nation. Should parents spend these weeks focusing on fun"”or multiplication tables?
The regions near international borders often suffer from unique problems. The air quality along the United States/Mexico border region is an excellent example. To address this issue, a group of University researchers has been selected by the Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP) to search for solutions.
Three years after the preliminary results first were presented at a scientific meeting and drew wide attention, University of Utah psychologists have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.
Instead of punching ballots in this summer's primary elections, voters will use new touch screen voting machines. This will be the first time the technologies, touted as more accurate, will be put to the test in official elections. Nationally recognized voting expert Thad Hall is available for comment and analysis.
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