the eye of Nova's mind

Judge strikes down Virginia gay marriage ban

NY chief judge proposes clearing court records of old misdemeanors, low-level felonies

Thomas Speaks . . . Blindly About Race -- Yes, Clarence Thomas . . . not that you had to ask.

6 reasons female nudity can be powerful: A reporter's question about Lena Dunham's nudity pointed to a bigger issue: Naked women can threaten the status quo

Ancient star helps scientists understand universe's origins -- "'This star was formed shortly after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago,' [Dr. Stefan] Keller said."

Brain's preparation center gets 'juiced' by prospect of winning -- "[T]he left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, located in the brain approximately two inches above the left eyebrow, is a key area that both predicts a win, or successful outcome, and prepares the motivational cognitive control network to win again."

Brain gene expression changes when honey bees go the distance -- "Tricking honey bees into thinking they have traveled long distance to find food alters gene expression in their brains[.] [...] Foraging honey bees make unique research animals in part because they communicate in a language humans can decode[.] After a successful hunt, a forager performs a highly stylized 'dance' that tells her peers what direction to go to find the food, how good it is and how far away it is. The bee does a 'round dance' if the food is close to home, while a 'waggle dance' indicates it is farther away."

Brain Connections Break Down as We Age -- corpus callosum & "cross-talk"

Scripps Research scientists uncover possible cocaine addiction trigger -- "The results from the new study strongly suggest that a protein known as methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) interacts with a type of genetic material known as microRNA [specifically, microRNA-212] to control an individual's motivation to consume cocaine."

Spinal cord regeneration success in mice

Fate of Universe revealed by galactic lens -- "A 'galactic lens' has revealed that the Universe will probably expand forever."

Fears Influence Actual Risk of Falls

It's not lunacy, probes find water in moon dirt -- Was there a copyeditor involved in this title? *sigh* The article's content is decent, however (despite the fact that one of the scientists interviewed has a name that would befit an erotic dancer). Here's NYT's take.

A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection -- "The vaccine--a combination of two previously unsuccessful vaccines--cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent."

Charge dropped against black Harvard scholar | Analysis: Gates arrest a signpost on racial road | Gates Arrest Resonates Through Black America (thanks, davidfcooper)

Tonight: Longest total solar eclipse of the century -- visible in Asia

Aussie stargazer spots scar from Jupiter collision

How Media Brings Out the Idiot in Teens -- "The first reports of car surfing as a phenomenon emerged in the 1980s. Copycats were inspired by the 1985 movie 'Teen Wolf,' in which the lead character hops on the hood of a moving car to the tune of 'Surfin' USA.' Mercifully, 'Teen Wolf' faded quickly from everyone's memory, and car surfing faded, too."

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Tuesday Morning

Meteor showers on the way -- I hate that Ann Arbor has so much light pollution.

New Duck-Billed Dino Discovered in Mexico

Tiny Pterodactyl Fossil Found in China

Blind Fish Still Able to 'See'

Farthest Galaxy Found, Perhaps

First stars might have been powered by dark matter

Scientists reprogram human skin cells into embryonic stem cells

Researchers find the root of the evolutionary emergence of vertebrates

Prions link cholesterol to neurodegeneration -- "Prion infection of neurons increases the free cholesterol content in cell membranes."

Are you feeling lucky?: How superstition impacts consumer choice

Young voters influenced by negative political ads, says study

Chameleons and copycats: How mimicry affects interpersonal persuasion