Mice with fewer insulin-signaling receptors don't live longer

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Scientists studying longevity thought it might be good to lack a copy of a gene, called IGF1 receptor, that is important in insulin signaling. Previous studies showed invertebrates that lacked the copy lived longer, even if their bodies were less responsive to insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar.

A new study from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio challenges this. Knocking out one copy of the gene failed to increase the life span of male mice, and it only modestly increased the life span of female littermates.

Martin Adamo, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry, and Arlan Richardson, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology, lead the laboratories that conducted the study. "Our data show insufficiency of this insulin-signaling gene does not produce a robust increase in life span as previously reported in invertebrates," Dr. Richardson said.

Dr. Adamo said: "This demonstrates that reducing insulin signaling through the IGF1 pathway in mammals does not play the same role in aging that is observed in invertebrates."

A receptor is a molecule on a cell's membrane that receives chemical signals. Knocking down the genetic instructions that make IGF1 receptors results in reduced insulin signaling.

###

The study is described Nov. 23 in the journalPLoS ONE.

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio: http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews

Thanks to University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115462/Mice_with_fewer_insulin_signaling_receptors_don_t_live_longer

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Biden to target traditional battleground states in 2012 election: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida (Star Tribune)

Longhorns beat Aggies 27-25 in thriller

--> AAA??Nov. 25, 2011?12:09 AM ET
Longhorns beat Aggies 27-25 in thriller
KRISTIE RIEKENKRISTIE RIEKEN, AP Sports Writer?THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES?

Texas head coach Mack Brown, left, talks with Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman before an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Texas head coach Mack Brown, left, talks with Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman before an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Texas marching band acknowledges the Texas A&M marching band with a formation honoring the historic rivalry between the universities during halftime of an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Texas A&M defensive lineman Spencer Nealy (99) reacts after making a tackle during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Texas, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Texas quarterback Case McCoy (6) is sacked by Texas A&M linebacker Steven Jenkins during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Texas A&M defensive back Trent Hunter, left, breaks up a pass intended for Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley (8) during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

(AP) ? Texas spoiled Texas A&M's going away party.

Justin Tucker kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give the Longhorns a 27-25 victory over Texas A&M on Thursday night in the likely end of a more than century-old rivalry.

Texas A&M's last Big 12 game and the 118th meeting between these bitter rivals before the Aggies depart for the Southeastern Conference next season was a thriller befitting one of college football's oldest and most storied matchups.

The Aggies were down 24-19 before Ryan Tannehill found Jeff Fuller on a 16-yard touchdown pass with less than 2 minutes left. But the 2-point conversion failed, leaving A&M ahead 25-24.

The Longhorns' winning drive was helped by a 15-yard personal foul penalty and a 25-yard run by quarterback Case McCoy.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-25-FBC-Texas-Texas-AandM/id-11885b7e409f49149ad9e465289be60d

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William S. Becker: Let's Talk About the Future We Want

Here are some questions for the Occupiers, the Tea Party demonstrators, the people engaged in the Arab Spring and those around the world who are too hungry, too tired, too discouraged or too occupied with basic survival to protest.

These are questions, too, for the young people who will inherit the future we are setting in motion today, and the elders who are concerned about the world they are leaving their grandchildren.

Most of us want things to be better. We don't want the kind of world we'll get if we allow global climate change, resource conflicts, resource constraints, environmental degradation, overwhelming population growth, helter-skelter urbanization, war, social injustice and other looming problems to go unaddressed.

We have a pretty good idea what we should avoid. But what should we build?

We have incredible technologies and tools today - arguably all we need to create communities that are resource efficient, resilient, safe and prosperous while treading lightly on the environment. How would our lives be improved if we deployed the best sustainable development technologies and practices? How would it impact future generations?

Those questions are at the heart of a campaign called "The Future We Want", announced this week by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations. The UN has chosen "The Future We Want" as the tagline of Rio+20, its international conference next June on sustainable development. Coming on the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Summit, the conference has symbolic importance. We hope it will have concrete significance, too.

I am part of a group of visual artists, policy wonks, technology experts, urban designers, civil society leaders and former public officials who have been working on a Future We Want campaign the past three years. We brought the idea to the UN and it embraced the theme. We have volunteered to support the campaign over the next several months. We are not part of the United Nations. Our part of the campaign is supported by private donations from philanthropists, foundations and corporations interested in producing what we need for greater sustainability.

First, we have launched a global conversation to learn what people want their communities to be like in 2030. We want everyone -- all ages, cultures, religions, genders and countries - in the conversation. If we finally confront head-on the economic, social and environmental challenges we face, and if we get busy building more just, peaceful, and sustainable communities, what would ours look like?

We're starting with a simple tool to gather comments on our web site. Over the winter, we'll add more dynamic ways for people to share their ideas, including a crowd sourcing exercise next February.

"Look" is the operative word in this campaign. At a conference where "The Future We Want" idea was born three years ago, we asked: What's missing in the dialogue about change? Why aren't more people excited about sustainable development? Why isn't everyone insisting that our leaders, neighbors and families take action?

One answer, we decided, is that people need to see sustainability, to experience it. Dry policy documents, esoteric science and abstract concepts don't stir everybody's blood. So, The Future We Want is all about vision.

Second, based on the ideas you submit and the comments they receive, a team of world-class visual artists and subject-matter experts will select the most promising ideas for sustainable communities in a variety of cultures. We will turn those ideas into life-like, high-definition videos and computer animations.

Third, we'll unveil the visualizations in an exhibit at Rio+20, and broadcast them worldwide on the Internet and with social media.

Fourth, after Rio we will put up links to the latest tools to help urban planners, architects, local officials and citizens build more sustainable communities around the world.

A demonstration of vision-power took place 70 years ago at the New York Worlds Fair. During the Great Depression, with World War II looming, General Motors sponsored its "Futurama" pavilion, in which hundreds of thousands of visitors were submersed in an exhibit of what life would be like 20 years later in a highly mobile, car-centered society. At a time people needed to know there was a path out of despair, GM used the best communications techniques available to show a dynamic future.

There are a few things we'd like people to understand as the conversation begins.

o The Future We Want will grow into an exercise that uses many of the amazing technologies today that permit a global conversation. But we'll also reach out to people not connected to the Internet and invite them to send us letters, essays, drawings, videos and photographs.

o We are not looking for utopian fantasies, or life with the Jetsons. We want you to base your visions on the technologies and information available today. How can we use them to build the communities we want our families to live in 20 years from now? We want visions that show us we can get there from here.

o Some will wonder why we're having a conversation at a time we need so much more than talk. We do indeed need concrete action by national and international policy makers. We believe that to motivate our leaders, we must motivate the people; to help motivate the people, we need the power of vision -- the same power that informs, entertains, shocks and inspires us in the media and that sells ideas and products in the marketplace.


Clear vision is a precursor to coherent action. As one good book has put it, without vision we perish. I've argued before that in this latest time of trouble, we have come to another teachable moment. We see evidence nearly every day that the old vision of prosperity and progress isn't working. We need a new one.

It starts with a global grassroots brainstorming session. That session is just getting underway at www.futurewewant.org, at facebook.com/futurewewant, at @futurewewant on Twitter, and at the UN's web site http://www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture.

We want everybody in this conversation. Spread the word and jump in.

Bill Becker is a senior associate at the London-based sustainability think tank E3G (Third Generation Environmentalist) and at Natural Capitalism Solutions in Colorado. The co-director of The Future We Want project is Jonathan Arnold, an urban design expert who uses computer animations and videos to help developers conceive and build projects that achieve the principles of green design and smart growth.

?

Follow William S. Becker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sustainabill

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-s-becker/lets-talk-about-the-futur_b_1111843.html

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Toshiba Portege Z830 Series Ultrabooks now up for sale online

If we got you interested in the Tosh's Portege line earlier this week, you can now snag a Z830 of your own without leaving the house. Depending on your preference of internals, you'll be able to choose between four models ranging from $929 up to $1,429, or opt to build your own ultraportable starting at $1,099. Of course, you can grab a Z835 direct and avoid Best Buy's guerilla marketing we encountered during our time with the lightweight -- but you'll miss out on the exclusive $800 model. If you're looking to place an order for the holidays, hit that source link below and get ready to part with a good bit of that Black Friday fund.

Toshiba Portege Z830 Series Ultrabooks now up for sale online originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PCWorld  |  sourceToshiba  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/25/toshiba-portege-z830-series-ultrabooks-now-up-for-sale-online/

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Mortgage rates for the past 52 weeks, at a glance (AP)

Skip to navigation ? Skip to content ? AP By The Associated Press The Associated Press ? Wed?Nov?23, 1:51?pm?ET
The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage hovered above its record low for the fourth straight week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Here's a look at rates for fixed and adjustable mortgages over the past 52 weeks.
Current week's average Last week's average 52-week high 52-week low
30-year fixed 3.98 4.00 5.05 3.94
15-year fixed 3.30 3.31 4.29 3.26
5-year adjustable 2.91 2.97 3.92 2.96
1-year adjustable 2.79 2.98 3.40 2.81
All values are in percentage points.
Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.
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  • Copyright ? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates_glance

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    Analysis: China gameplan in question as Obama pivots to Asia (Reuters)

    BEIJING (Reuters) ? China's leaders, upstaged by President Barack Obama's "pivot" to Asia, may hope they end up resembling famed basketball player Yao Ming, who while not as nimble as his rivals, smothered them with his size and doggedness.

    During a trip to Asia last week, Obama said the United States was "here to stay," reached a deal to put a de facto military base in northern Australia and chided China for refusing to discuss its South China Sea disputes at regional forums.

    Before the East Asia Summit in Bali, China wagered it could keep the South China Sea off the agenda, but Premier Wen Jiabao bowed to pressure from Asian governments and begrudgingly addressed the maritime territorial disputes.

    China's public reaction to all this has been mild. But in private, Chinese observers say their government had the initiative in Asian diplomacy snatched from its fingers.

    "They have been giving us trouble over and over again," said one source with ties to China's top leaders, referring to the United States.

    "But we will not overreact. We do not want to become entangled in any debate over how to deal with China during the (2012 U.S. presidential) elections," said the source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of elite dealings.

    STABILITY ABOVE ALL

    Considering the range of forces that argue for a mild response -- from the U.S. elections to China's own leadership transition next year -- the lack of a backlash from Beijing should come as little surprise.

    "China will take time to assess what all this means. But for (President) Hu Jintao it's bringing unprecedented pressure on foreign policy," said Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Peking University who specializes in China-U.S. relations.

    In foreign policy, China plays differently. Any policy rethink is likely to take weeks or months, if not longer, to emerge, said Zhu.

    Beijing is still licking its wounds from last year, when loud maritime disputes with Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and other neighbors fanned suspicions about China's intentions.

    For China's leaders, those arguments had an unintended consequence, one they hope to reverse: "It pushed those countries over to the United States' side," said the source close to China's leaders.

    A convergence of other factors also suggests China won't respond forcefully to Obama's overtures in Asia.

    China prizes stable ties with the United States, especially as it faces a Communist Party leadership succession in late 2012, when external crises would be a damaging distraction. Nor does Beijing want to become a focus of campaigning during next year's U.S. presidential race, even if its currency and trade strength has already become a lightening rod for some.

    Chinese Vice Premier Xi Jinping, who is most likely to succeed Hu as top leader, is due to visit the United States early next year, burnishing his leadership credentials and adding further reason to keep ties on track.

    Also, China's top-down decision making would demand an abrupt shift from President Hu himself to recast policy -- a damaging admission that he had set a wrong course. That will mean any adjustments to policy take time.

    "I expect they will seek to counter what they see as U.S. moves to divide China from its neighbors by appealing to those countries' interests in preserving good ties with China, not by seeking to persuade them to weaken their ties with the U.S., which would be counterproductive," said Bonnie Glaser, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C.

    ACTIONS AIMED AT CHINA?

    Still, some in China suspect the United States is seizing an opportune moment to advance its own interests at China's expense.

    "We don't want to put aside all considerations of face, but the U.S. mentality and attitude are different," said a second source close to China's leaders, arguing Washington is taking advantage of Beijing's reluctance to sour ties.

    Despite the Beijing leadership's buttoned-down public reaction to Obama's diplomatic push, there are constituencies in China likely to demand a harder response to U.S. overtures across the region and pressure over sea disputes.

    Last year, pundit-scholars of the People's Liberation Army demanded a hawkish response to U.S. pressure, and some scholars and commentators continue to espouse that line, warning that Beijing is entering treacherous geopolitical waters.

    But in second half of last year, President Hu made clear that he could ill-afford another round of regional tensions that could sour ties with Washington ahead of 2012, a legacy-building year for him that coincides with the U.S. presidential race.

    Hu also admonished the military for letting officers speak loudly on sensitive disputes, such as the South China Sea and tensions between the two Koreas, said a scholar familiar with official discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.

    China is not giving ground on the key disputes with its neighbors, including sea territory quarrels with Japan and with Southeast Asian nations, but nor is it bristling for confrontation, said analysts.

    "We understand that the United States wants to show it has returned to the Asia-Pacific as a priority, and so wants to strengthen ties with allies and so on, but U.S. conduct seems to have gone a bit far," said Yuan Peng, director of American studies at the China Institutes for Contemporary International Relations, a state-run think-tank in Beijing.

    "These actions could be seen as aimed at China, especially when so often they are accompanied by commentary to that effect, and then we'd have concerns."

    Many governments in the region -- and indeed quite a few analysts inside China -- think that it will be extraordinarily difficult for Beijing to expand its power and interests without generating conflict, willfully or not.

    "At the moment, we lose, but in ten years, the U.S. will lose," said Shen Dingli, a professor at the Center of American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.

    "We can be more patient than a U.S. administration."

    (Additional reporting by Benjamin Kang Lim; Editing by Don Durfee, Brian Rhoads and Dean Yates)

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111124/pl_nm/us_china_usa

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    Walesa wife's frank biography shakes Poland

    The wife of Nobel prize-winning Polish Solidarity leader Lech Walesa describes the loneliness and domestic grind she faced as her husband rose to power in a frank biography that is causing a stir in the country even before its official release.

    Danuta Walesa, now 62, was Poland's first lady from 1990 to 1995 when Lech Walesa served as the country's first democratically elected president. He won international acclaim when his Solidarity trade union movement led the fight to topple communism in Poland in 1989.

    But behind the scenes, Danuta faced a daily struggle to bring up their eight children, according to excerpts from her first biography "Dreams and Secrets" obtained by Reuters on Tuesday and due out on Wednesday.

    Graphic novel offers child?s-eye view of Polish communism
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    "We had crowds of labor union members, advisers, politicians, journalists and lunatics pouring into our apartment from dawn until late at night," she writes. "Complete chaos instead of a normal home."

    Danuta says that during Solidarity's hey-day their apartment was constantly under repair, that even when pregnant she was left to care for their children, do the cleaning and cook for everyone, including the constant stream of visitors.

    "I was a mother, a teacher, a cook, a cleaning lady, a nurse, I had no time to do anything else," she said.

    In the book she said she found it harder and harder until she finally broke.

    "My initial powerlessness turned into a rebellion. This opposition grew in me until I exploded. Psychologically, I simply could not take this burden anymore," the 550-page book reads.

    Left out of decisions
    Danuta Walesa was born to a deeply Catholic family in a small village in eastern Poland and later moved to the coastal city of Gdansk, the cradle of the Solidarity movement, where she worked in a florist shop and met her future husband.

    Nearly two decades after they first met, she traveled to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Lech Walesa's behalf in 1983. At the time, they feared Poland's Communist authorities would not let Walesa back into the country if he left to collect the award himself.

    She also describes how her husband made many key decisions, including deciding to run for Poland's presidency in 1990, on his own, without taking her needs into consideration.

    "I wonder, if men's mind-sets come down to such a narrow focus on their own matters, that they don't see another person around? So when I say I was not being noticed as a woman, as a partner, I mean this type of situation and others."

    Danuta, who worked on the book over the past two years, also said she and Lech now live largely separate lives.

    Lech Walesa, 68, has admitted to neglecting his family during his political career and said this week that he has not yet read the book, but plans to buy his wife some flowers.

    "People write letters normally and books too, he told the Polish Press Agency. "I was not expecting that my wife was going to describe our marriage so well. I was brought up that you do not tall what happens in your home."

    To the Polish edition of Newsweek magazine, he said, "My wife has told no lies, but you have to put everything into context ... separate private from public," he said. "In politics, when I was tapped, when I had to make speedy decisions on my own, I had no time for consultations, even with my wife."

    Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45404962/ns/world_news-europe/

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    Vote for the greatest Science Geek Gift

    Bre Pettis

    Uranium marbles glow under ultraviolet light in a picture taken by MakerBot Industries co-founder Bre Pettis.

    By Alan Boyle

    How about a dinosaur skull for the holidays? Or a handful of glow-in-the-dark uranium marbles? Cast your vote and help us crown the geekiest gift for the holiday season.

    The gift suggestions for this year's Science Geek Guide are in line with a proud tradition here at msnbc.com. You can always find guides to Black Friday tech deals, or the top 20?toys of 2011, or the hottest holiday hostess gifts. But where else can get a line on a nuclear-powered?plaything, or a six-dimensional paperweight, or brains to fit your budget?


    Live Poll

    Vote for the top geek gift

    • 169026

      Uranium marbles

      23%

    • 169027

      Dinosaur skulls

      5%

    • 169028

      Elements Vault

      4%

    • 169029

      Magnifying glasses

      2%

    • 169030

      Mars lunchbox

      6%

    • 169031

      USB microscope

      8%

    • 169032

      Plush microbes

      4%

    • 169033

      Wi-Fi T-shirt

      18%

    • 169034

      Star Trek pizza cutter

      25%

    • 169035

      Pi plate

      4%

    VoteTotal Votes: 2411

    Even better, this is a geek gift guide created by geeks for geeks, with some geeky prizes thrown into the bargain. Last week I put out the call for?suggestions, and?it'll be up to you to select the?coolest,?most offbeat prize from the top 10. The geek who made the top-rated suggestion will be eligible to receive a pile of books, including "Science Ink," "The Cult of Lego," "The Physics Book" and "The Case for Pluto" (autographed by?yours truly).

    Here are this year's 10 finalists:

    Uranium marbles:?"Nothing says Merry Christmas like a little bit of radiation," says?Richard-1971294. He'd love to get his hands on some uranium marbles. Back in the old days,?pigments containing uranium oxide were used in?lots of items, including ceramic glazes, green-tinted glassware and, yes, children's marbles. Black Light World, which sells a three-pack of uranium-doped marbles for $9.95, says they're "totally safe" ? even though?radioactive caution?stickers are plastered all over the promotional images. You can also find 'em on eBay.

    Dinosaur Corporation

    A carnotaurus skull is flanked by a scale replica, available from the Dinosaur Corporation.

    Dinosaur skulls: "Dino skull replicas are cool and geeky!" David Flowers tweeted in his response to the call for entries.?The Dinosaur Corporation offers a wide selection of skulls, molded?out of?polyurethane resin?to look like the real thing ...?only smaller. If you're looking for a real dinosaur skull, that'll cost you. A T. rex skull sold for $215,000 in March (and some?dino dung went for $1,200). Flowers also put a naked mole rat plushie on his geek-gift wish list.

    The Elements?Vault: "Physics is hot these days, but for lovers of chemistry, this kit from Theodore Gray will be a real treat." says KGill. "His gorgeous book about the elements, 'The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe,' showcased the elegance of the periodic table, and the beauty of the elements. This collection incudes new text and photographs, reproductions of historic documents, a pop-up model of an atom, and samples of several elements."

    Magnifying glasses and other optics: "Nothing beats a brand new magnifying glass," says?Jennifer Hancock, a Humanist author and speaker. "They get cruddy after a while, always nice to have a new one." Here's the set she has her eye on. Oh, and she wouldn't mind?getting a hand-held microscope and illuminator, plus a snazzy pair of binoculars. In her Twitter profile, Hancock calls herself a dork, but she sounds like?a bona fide geek to?me.?There is a difference.

    NASA / JPL

    Flaunt your Martian pride with a JPL lunchbox.

    Mars rover lunchbox: Lights in the Dark blogger Jason Major says anything from ThinkGeek will do the trick, but he'd sure like to get a $20?Mars Exploration Rover lunchbox from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's online store. Space geeks of the female persuasion might consider some Red Planet earrings in honor of the about-to-be-launched Mars Science Laboratory mission.

    USB microscope: "A USB microscope, with the ability to capture images digitally, is a great geek gift!" says Paliniasky. There's a mind-boggling selection, ranging from less than $20 to astronomical prices.

    Plush microbes:?"GiantMicrobes are way awesome and super cute ? stuffed animal versions of microorganisms," says biology student?Kelsey Plesniak, a member of the Cosmic Log corps on Facebook. As we head into flu season, what better gift could you give a microbiology geek than ... a cuddly flu bug?

    Wi-Fi detector shirt: This $14.99 ThinkGeek T-shirt has a?decal that glows to indicate the signal strength of wireless networks in the area. "My son the math teacher bought one of these earlier this year," George Buddy?Dow says on Facebook. "Inexpensive and practical." Just don't forget to remove the decal and the battery pack before you put it in the wash. Dow also puts in a plug for the "Ant Farm Revolution," which sounds like an entomological Occupy movement.

    ThinkGeek

    Cut a slice with the starship Enterprise.

    Star Trek pizza cutter: Joel Davis casts his vote for a $29.99 ThinkGeek?kitchen accessory that promises to "boldly?cut pizza where no man has cut before." It's as if you're?holding a miniaturized starship Enterprise in the palm of your hand. Come to think of it, I've seen that episode.

    Pi plate: "A pi plate is available. To make pies in," Jan Smith writes. "Has a large pi symbol in the center and the numbers 3.14159...?etc., all around the edge of the plate. I got one for my son." Here's an alternate design for the pi plate. Any way you slice it, this will be a good kitchen item to have around for March 14 ...?Pi Day.

    Extra credit: You'll find all sorts of geeky (and not-so-geeky) gift ideas by following the links below,?and?you'll also want to check out our holiday book?roundup. You might also consider supporting The Illuminated Origin of Species, an effort by artist/naturalist Kelly Houle to create?an illuminated manuscript of Charles Darwin's masterwork in the spirit of the Book of?Kells. To support the effort, Houle is offering sets of Darwin-themed greeting cards, beetle prints and an adopt-a-beetle program.

    Don't forget to cast a vote for your favorite gift among the top 10, and may the best geek win!

    Previous Science Geek Gift Guides:

    More science gifts:

    Update for 4:45 p.m. ET Nov. 23: Thanks so much for your votes. Looks like it could be a close contest.?The top Science Geek Gift of 2011 will be selected based on the tally as of noon ET Sunday, and announced in a follow-up item on Monday.


    You don't need to buy me a present. All I ask is that you connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.?

    Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/23/8960430-cast-your-vote-for-the-geekiest-gift

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