Gleanings of the Week Ending June 28, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Enjoy the Wilderness of Saguaro National Park through This Video - I’m remembering the vacation to Tucson last June --- which included a morning at this National Park. Another blurb in the feeds this week about one of my favorite places: Longwood Gardens Unveils 86-acre Meadow. I’m already beginning to think about return visits!

Timeline of Emerging Science & Technology (2014 to 2030+) - From Richard Watson and the Imperial College of London. If you want to look at an enlarged version of the graphic - a PDF is available here. One of my favorite technologies is autonomous cars - and there was a new item on that topic this week too: Demonstrating a driverless future: Promise of driverless cars. Computerworld posted 8 technologies that are on the way out - and one that we’ll never be rid of.

Reproduction later in life is a marker for longevity in women - Hurray! I fit this marker for longevity in women (I was 35 years old!).

Connectivity is Critical: 33 Ways Broadband Boosts Learning - There are lots of positives about connectivity but it takes a level of maturity to not experience the negatives. Like most technology - advocates think only of the positives first; hopefully eventually there are objective perspectives.

Architecture of signaling proteins enhances knowledge of key receptors - The Preventing Chronic Pain course I am taking was focused on the systems biology aspects of pain last week - so I noticed this article more than I might have otherwise. The progress being made in the systems biology arena is gaining momentum now that the technology is available to research questions.  Another systems biology type article: about creating viruses that naturally home in on tumor cells while boosting the body’s immune system was posted by The Scientist.

Interactive Model Skeletons - Free Technology for Teachers has a blurb this week about eSkeletons, from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Texas. The site is focused on primates. What a wonderful way to learn about skeletons!

Mysterious 'magic island' appears on Saturn's moon Titan - Something new on Cassini’s mission radar of Ligeia Mare…a ‘transient feature.’

Do the Rumble-Rump with Peacock Spiders - I’d seen pictures of these spiders before but had not realized how small they are….and the videos (here) are worth a look too!

Few Doctors Warn Expectant Mothers about Environmental Hazards - I hope this change.

Distributed Renewable Energy under Fire - How electric utilities are fighting local renewable energy in 19 states. It’s a frustrating situation. I’m glad Maryland is not one of the 19.