Report: Sleep Cleans the Brain

An article which will appear in the journal Science cites recent research findings that suggest sleep enables the brain to clear toxins from its neural connections. A synopsis and third-party commentary on the story appeared in today's online editions of the BBC.

I would write more about this, but I'll wait until my brain's plumbing clears up. In other words, I'm going to sleep: tomorrow is another day.

Italian Court Convicts Seismologists for Inaccurate Earthquake Prediction

Enzo Boschi
(Image: laquila.blog.rainews24.it)

Four years ago, an earthquake scrambled L'Aquila, an Italian mountain city possessing some historic pedigree. Over 300 people died as a result of the quake. Subsequent events included Italian prosecutors bringing manslaughter charges against a half-dozen seismologists and a government official. Amazingly, a year ago a court found the Earthquake Seven guilty.

The complicated, slow-moving creature known as the Italian judicial system has given the convicted scientists time to rouse international awareness of their plight. A recent Los Angeles Times story noted how one of the seismologists, Enzo Boschi, wrote a Science piece stating his case. One quote from the article articulates the scientist's position:

I have been sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment for failing to give adequate advance warning to the population of L'Aquila, a city in the Abruzzo region of Italy, about the risk of the 6 April 2009 earthquake that lead to 309 deaths. I have been found guilty despite the illogical charges and accusations that set dangerous precedents for the future of the scientific process.

Apparently, prosecutors did not grasp that seismologists cannot predict earthquakes. Can they suggest where earthquakes are more likely to occur than other areas? Yes. That's a far cry from an "X marks the spot" prediction expectation. Yet, the Italian, Inquisition-style prosecution seems far more in tune with rulings from religiously oriented kangaroo courts than enlightened jurists. Does this Italian court decision sound like a glorious moment in the "rule of law"?

Plant, Animal Migration To Cooler Climates Accelerates

A report published in the most recent edition of the journal Science asserts that plants and animals are accelerating their migration to cooler climates. The story was reported in today's Washington Post.

The report's researchers studied the movement of animals and plants in Malaysia, Europe, Chile, and North America. Their findings noted what were in many cases striking, dramatic mobility from warmer to cooler environments. However, opportunities for species movement are complicated. In a poignant observation, the climate science director for the Center for Biological Diversity said "mountain species, in particular, 'are struggling to keep pace' with global warming...'We're concerned many species won't be able to move quickly enough' -- or that they will run out of mountaintop to flee to."

Ironically, humans are going in the opposite direction of plants and animals. More people want to live in warmer climates, such as Florida's, versus Minnesota's. However, what if the plants and animals have the right idea?