Science Buzz Lunch in Mixer Room, Bldg 1, December 17, 2012

Topics discussed included

A recent paper by  R. C. Shaw and N. S. Clayton in Proceedings of the Royal Society B

titled

"Careful cachers and prying pilferers: Eurasian Jays (Garrulu glandarius) limit auditory information available to competitors"

The authors conclude that their results "... raise the possibility that jays both understand and can attribute auditory perception to another individual".

Science Buzz Lunch in Mixer Room, Bldg 1, Dec. 11, 2012

Science Buzz Lunch in Mixer Room, Bldg 1, Dec. 11, 2012

Topics discussed included:

A study showing that OOI nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture may be located above an active geological fault line

Science Buzz Lunch in Bldg 1, Mixer Room, Dec. 10, 2012

Science Buzz Lunch in Bldg 1, Mixer Room, Dec. 10, 2012

Topics discussed included:

A study of relocation of "problem" Asian Elephants to national park protected regions in Sri Lanka, with tracking of the elephants with GPS-tracking collars. Conclusion: relocation resulted in poorer outcomes for both the elephants (injuries and death of elephants) and humans (injuries to crops, buildings and humans) than did simply leaving the problem elephants without intervention 

Science Buzz Lunch in Mixer Room (Rm 214) Bldg 1, Dec. 3 & 4, 2012

Science Buzz Lunch in Mixer Room (Rm 214) Bldg 1, Dec. 3 & 4, 2012

Topics discussed included:

1) Collapse of ceiling panels in a highway tunnel in Japan this weekend, and the contribution of inadequate safety testing of the panels to this accident

2) The question of whether participants think it is likely that there will be cures or preventative methods for all cancers 50 years from now

3) A recent paper by Christos G. Gkogkas et al. in Nature demonstrating the reversal of autism symptoms in mice by reducing "neural hyperconnections"

Autism-related deficits via dysregulated eIF4E-dependent translational control

Nature  2012/11/21/onlineadvance online publication


4) Causes and possible cures of autism and schizophrenia

5) The importance of appropriate drug delivery for treating diseases