Learning
Some States Buck National Trend of Stagnant Incomes: How Did Your State Do?
In one state, a high-school dropout can land a six-figure job. In another area of the country, only college graduates can compete for that kind of salary. Nevada's median household income fell 9 percent to $51,230 between 2008 and 2013, the largest percentage decrease among states. Maryland has the top median income in the nation, at $73,022, followed by Alaska at $72,626 and New Jersey at $70,223. Since 2008, Alaska has overtaken New Jersey and Connecticut to become the state with the second highest median income, thanks to a 6 percent increase. more »
OptoGenetics: Using Light to Control the Activity of the Brain
An idea that started as a long shot — using light to control the activity of the brain — has earned Karl Deisseroth the Keio prize in medicine. The technique, called optogenetics, is now widely used at Stanford and worldwide to understand the brain's wiring and to unravel behavior. Many researchers expect it will lead to medical discoveries. more »
Fearing Nothing: Dreadnoughtus schrani, A Gigantic, Exceptionally Complete Sauropod Dinosaur
"Dreadnoughtus schrani was astoundingly huge. It weighed as much as a dozen African elephants or more than seven T. rex. Shockingly, skeletal evidence shows that when this 65-ton specimen died, it was not yet full grown. It is by far the best example we have of any of the most giant creatures to ever walk the planet. This is far more complete than all previously discovered giant titanosaurian dinosaurs. "Imagine a life-long obsession with eating." more »
A Perfect Weekend Diversion: New Sites From the Scout Report Including A Brief History of the Hashtag and Cyberbullying
Next time a child visits: The Sci Show, an entertaining series of quirky YouTube videos, tackles topics ranging from "How Do Polarized Sunglasses Work" to "Strong Interaction: The Four Fundamental Forces of Physics", "Today’s Mass Extinction," "World's First See-Through Animal," "The Truth About Gingers" and "The Science of Lying." Then, move onto "6 Ways Social Media Will Change in 2014", cyberbullying or "What Digitization Will Do for the Future of Museums?" more »