Saturday 28 January 2012

Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

Is this email not displaying properly?
View it in your browser.

Dear Google user,

We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.

We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.


One policy, one Google experience
Easy to work across Google Tailored for you Easy to share and collaborate
Easy to work across Google

Our new policy reflects a single product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether you're reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.

Tailored for you

If you're signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries – or tailor your search results – based on the interests you've expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We'll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you're searching for and get you those results faster.

Easy to share and collaborate

When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.


Protecting your privacy hasn't changed

Our goal is to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, through products like Google Dashboard and Ads Preferences Manager, alongside other tools. Our privacy principles remain unchanged. And we'll never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances like valid legal requests).

Got questions?
We've got answers.

Visit our FAQ at http://www.google.com/policies/faq to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two.)


Notice of Change

March 1, 2012 is when the new Privacy Policy and Terms will come into effect. If you choose to keep using Google once the change occurs, you will be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Please do not reply to this email. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered. Also, never enter your Google Account password after following a link in an email or chat to an untrusted site. Instead, go directly to the site, such as mail.google.com or www.google.com/accounts. Google will never email you to ask for your password or other sensitive information.

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


NASA sees a weakening Cyclone Funso's 'closed eye'

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:48 PM PST

Powerful Cyclone Funso's eye has been clear in NASA satellite imagery over the last several days until NASA's Aqua satellite noticed it had "closed" and become filled with high clouds on January 27.

NASA eyes cyclone Iggy's threat to western Australia

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:48 PM PST

NASA satellites are providing valuable data to forecasters as Tropical Cyclone Iggy nears Western Australia. NASA's Aqua satellite provided visible and infrared data on Iggy, observing colder cloud tops and strengthening storm. Iggy has already triggered warnings and watches along coastal areas.

Possible new treatment for Rett Syndrome

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:48 PM PST

Researchers have discovered that a molecule critical to the development and plasticity of nerve cells – brain-derived neurotrophic factor -- is severely lacking in brainstem neurons in mutations leading to Rett syndrome, a neurological developmental disorder. The finding has implications for the treatment of neurological disorders, including Rett syndrome that affects one in 10,000 baby girls.

Space weather center to add world's first 'ensemble forecasting' capability

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:39 PM PST

Leaner, greener flying machines for the year 2025 are on the drawing boards of three industry teams under contract to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project.

New ideas sharpen focus for greener aircraft

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:37 PM PST

Leaner, greener flying machines for the year 2025 are on the drawing boards of three industry teams under contract to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project.

NASA study solves case of Earth's 'missing energy'

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:32 PM PST

Two years ago, scientists released a study claiming that inconsistencies between satellite observations of Earth's heat and measurements of ocean heating amounted to evidence of "missing energy" in the planet's system. Where was it going? Or, they wondered, was something wrong with the way researchers tracked energy as it was absorbed from the sun and emitted back into space? An international team of atmospheric scientists and oceanographers set out to investigate the mystery.

Mars-bound instrument detects solar burst's effects: RAD measures radiation from solar storm

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:27 PM PST

The largest solar particle event since 2005 hit Earth, Mars and the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft traveling in-between, allowing the onboard Radiation Assessment Detector to measure the radiation a human astronaut could be exposed to en route to the Red Planet.

NuSTAR spacecraft arrives in California

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:23 PM PST

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, mission arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Jan. 27 after a cross-country trip by truck from the Orbital Sciences Corporation's manufacturing plant in Dulles, Va. The mission is scheduled to launch from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean on March 14.

The pupils are the windows to the mind

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:28 PM PST

The eyes are the window into the soul -- or at least the mind, according to a new article.

The amygdala and fear are not the same thing

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:27 PM PST

In a 2007 episode of the television show Boston Legal, a character claimed to have figured out that a cop was racist because his amygdala activated – displaying fear, when they showed him pictures of black people.

Mind over matter: Patients' perceptions of illness make a difference

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:27 PM PST

Whenever we fall ill, there are many different factors that come together to influence the course of our illness. Additional medical conditions, stress levels, and social support all have an impact on our health and well-being, especially when we are ill. But a new report suggests that what you think about your illness matters just as much, if not more, in determining your health outcomes.

Are we bad at forecasting our emotions? It depends on how you measure accuracy

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:27 PM PST

How will you feel if you fail that test? Awful, really awful, you say. Then you fail the test and, yes, you feel bad -- but not as bad as you thought you would. This pattern holds for most people, research shows. The takeaway message: People are lousy at predicting their emotions.

New information for flu fight: Researchers study RNA interference to determine host genes used by influenza for virus replication

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:27 PM PST

Influenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-viral drugs used to treat it. By first understanding the complex host cell pathways that the flu uses for replication, researchers are finding new strategies for therapies and vaccines, according to a new study.

Most people fudge numbers on weight and height surveys

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:24 PM PST

When people in the U.S. are asked to provide their weight for research surveys, they underestimate their weight and overestimate their height, despite numerous public reports about increasing rates of obesity. Whites are more likely to do so than Blacks or Hispanics, finds a new study.

Making memories last: Prion-like protein plays key role in storing long-term memories

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:24 PM PST

Memories in our brains are maintained by connections between neurons called "synapses." But how do these synapses stay strong and keep memories alive for decades? Neuroscientists have discovered a major clue from a study in fruit flies: Hardy, self-copying clusters or oligomers of a synapse protein are an essential ingredient for the formation of long-term memory.

Grape seed extract kills head and neck cancer cells, leaves healthy cells unharmed

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 11:09 AM PST

In both cell lines and mouse models, grape seed extract kills head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed, new research shows.

New drug release mechanism utilizes 3-D superhydrophobic materials

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 11:09 AM PST

There is a new mechanism of drug release using 3-D superhydrophobic materials that utilizes air as a removable barrier to control the rate at which drug is released.

Kitchen gadget inspires scientist to make more effective plastic electronics

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 11:09 AM PST

A kitchen gadget that vacuum seals food in plastic inspired a physicist to improve the performance of organic transistors for potential use in video displays.

Discovery of new vaccine approach for treatment of cancer

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 11:05 AM PST

Scientists have developed a new vaccine to treat cancer at the pre-clinical level. They developed a new approach for treating the disease based on manipulating the immune response to malignant tumors.

What really happened prior to 'Snowball Earth'?

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 11:05 AM PST

The large changes in the carbon isotopic composition of carbonates which occurred prior to the major climatic event more than 500 million years ago, known as "Snowball Earth," are unrelated to worldwide glacial events, a new study suggests.

Making poisonous plants and seeds safe and palatable: Canola now, cannabis next?

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 11:00 AM PST

Every night millions of people go to bed hungry. New genetic technology can help us feed the world by making inedible seeds edible and tasty.

Research on vitamins could lead to the design of novel drugs to combat malaria

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:59 AM PST

New research could lead to the design of more effective drugs to combat malaria. The research will enable scientists to learn more about the nature of the enzymes required for vitamin biosynthesis by the malaria causing pathogen Plasmodium. Vitamins are essential nutrients required in small amounts, the lack of which leads to deficiencies. Many pathogenic microorganisms produce vitamins, and these biosynthetic pathways may provide suitable targets for development of new drugs.

Heart of silk: Scientists use silk from the tasar silkworm as a scaffold for heart tissue

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:59 AM PST

Damaged human heart muscle cannot be regenerated. Scar tissue grows in place of the damaged muscle cells. Scientists are seeking to restore complete cardiac function with the help of artificial cardiac tissue. They have succeeded in loading cardiac muscle cells onto a three-dimensional scaffold, created using the silk produced by a tropical silkworm.

How cholera bacterium gains a foothold in the gut

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:59 AM PST

Biologists have made an important advance in our understanding of the way cholera attacks the body. The discovery could help scientists target treatments for the globally significant intestinal disease which kills more than 100,000 people every year.

Genetic variation that raises risk of serious complication linked to osteoporosis drugs identified

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:58 AM PST

Researchers have identified a genetic variation that raises the risk of developing serious necrotic jaw bone lesions in patients who take bisphosphonates, a common class of osteoclastic inhibitors.

Bedwetting can be due to undiagnosed constipation

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:57 AM PST

Bedwetting isn't always due to problems with the bladder. Constipation is often the culprit; and if it isn't diagnosed, children and their parents must endure an unnecessarily long, costly and difficult quest to cure nighttime wetting.

Body location plays part in scratching pleasure

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:57 AM PST

New research from a world-renowned itch expert shows that how good scratching an itch feels is related to the itch's location.

Making better electronic memory

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:54 AM PST

A rare combination of electric and magnetic properties in a now readily producible material could improve electronic memory devices.

Giant cell reveals metabolic secrets

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:54 AM PST

Chemical reactions within the cell produce intermediate and end products in the form of small molecules called metabolites. Using an approach called metabolomics, researchers have elucidated the localization and dynamics of 125 metabolites within a single giant cell of the freshwater alga Chara australis1. The team's findings provide important insights into the fundamental processes of cells in general.

New biodiversity map of Andes shows species in dire need of protection

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:39 PM PST

The Andes-Amazon basin of Peru and Bolivia is one of the most biologically rich and rapidly changing areas of the world. A new study has used information collected over the last 100 years by explorers and from satellite images which reveals detailed patterns of species and ecosystems that occur only in this region. Worryingly, the study also finds that many of these unique species and ecosystems are lacking vital national level protection. Endemic species are restricted to a specific area and occur nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to climate and environmental changes because they require unique climates and soil conditions.

Scientists illuminate cancer cells' survival strategy during dangerous dissemination

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:39 PM PST

Scientists have discovered key elements of a strategy commonly used by tumor cells to survive when they spread to distant organs. The finding could lead to drugs that could inhibit this metastasis in patients with tumors.

Can the economy bear what oil prices have in store?

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:36 PM PST

The economic pain of a flattening oil supply will trump the environment as a reason to curb the use of fossil fuels, say scientists.

Brain receptor in eyes may link epilepsy, cataracts and antidepressants

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:36 PM PST

Researchers have discovered that the most common receptor for the major neurotransmitter in the brain is also present in the eye, which may explain links between cataracts, epilepsy and use of a number of antiepileptic and antidepressant drugs.

Multiple births lead to weight gain, other problems for mouse moms and offspring

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:36 PM PST

Study in model that mimics human effects of multiparity (giving birth more than once) finds mouse moms who gave birth 4 times accrued significantly more fat vs. primiparous females (those giving birth once) of similar age. Multiparous moms also had more liver inflammation.

Diagnostic brain tumor test could revolutionize care of patients with low-grade gliomas

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:36 PM PST

Researchers have developed what they believe to be the first clinical application of a new imaging technique to diagnose brain tumors.

How a parent's education can affect the mental health of their offspring

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST

Could depression in adulthood be tied to a parent's level of education? A new study by a medical sociologist suggests this is the case.

Friday 27 January 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


How viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:45 PM PST

Researchers have demonstrated how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.

Visual nudge improves accuracy of mammogram readings

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:45 PM PST

False negatives and positives plague the reading of mammograms, limiting their usefulness. Computer scientists have now shown that the accuracy of novice readers can be improved by nudging them visually to follow the scanpath of an expert radiologist. The "nudge" is a brief change in the brightness or warmth in the image in the peripheral field of view.

NASA satellites see cyclone Funso exiting Mozambique Channel

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:45 PM PST

Powerful Cyclone Funso is now beginning to exit the Mozambique Channel, and NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning image of the storm that shows the depth and extent of it.

NASA infrared satellite instrument sees tropical storm Iggy growing in strength

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:45 PM PST

The AIRS infrared instrument that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite has been providing forecasters with the cloud top temperatures in the Southern Indian Ocean's ninth tropical cyclone, which has officially been renamed Iggy. AIRS data showed that the area of strong thunderstorms around Iggy's center has expanded in area over the last day.

Detecting detrimental change in coral reefs

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:45 PM PST

Over dinner on R.V. Calypso while anchored on the lee side of Glover's Reef in Belize, Jacques Cousteau told Phil Dustan that he suspected humans were having a negative impact on coral reefs. Dustan -- a young ocean ecologist who had worked in the lush coral reefs of the Caribbean and Sinai Peninsula -- found this difficult to believe. It was December 1974. But Cousteau was right. During the following three-plus decades, Dustan, an ocean ecologist and biology professor at the University of Charleston in South Carolina, has witnessed widespread coral reef degradation and bleaching from up close.

Family history of psychiatric disorders shapes intellectual interests, study suggests

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:43 PM PST

A family history of psychiatric conditions such as autism and depression could influence the subjects a person finds engaging, new research suggests. Although preliminary, the findings provide a new look at the oft-studied link between psychiatric conditions and aptitude in the arts or sciences.

New findings on aging pediatric bruises

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 01:11 PM PST

A multi-university research group has recently published a paper detailing new work on the analysis and dating of human bruises. The research will have particular application to pediatric medicine, as bruise age is often key evidence in child abuse cases.

Leukemia cells are 'bad to the bone', research finds

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 01:11 PM PST

Researchers have discovered new links between leukemia cells and cells involved in bone formation, offering a fresh perspective on how the blood cancer progresses and raising the possibility that therapies for bone disorders could help in the treatment of leukemia.

NASA's Kepler announces 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 planets

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:59 PM PST

NASA's Kepler mission has discovered 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets. These discoveries nearly double the number of verified Kepler planets and triple the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, the star. Such systems will help astronomers better understand how planets form.

Believing the impossible and conspiracy theories

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:21 PM PST

Distrust and paranoia about government has a long history, and the feeling that there is a conspiracy of elites can lead to suspicion for authorities and the claims they make. For some, the attraction of conspiracy theories is so strong that it leads them to endorse entirely contradictory beliefs, according to a new study.

How seawater could corrode nuclear fuel

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:21 PM PST

Japan used seawater to cool nuclear fuel at the stricken Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant after the tsunami in March 2011 -- and that was probably the best action to take at the time, say experts. But researchers have since discovered a new way in which seawater can corrode nuclear fuel, forming uranium compounds that could potentially travel long distances, either in solution or as very small particles.

Rap music powers rhythmic action of medical sensor

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:21 PM PST

The driving bass rhythm of rap music can be harnessed to power a new type of miniature medical sensor designed to be implanted in the body.

Overgrazed grasslands tied to locust outbreaks

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:21 PM PST

Scientists have shown that insect nutrition and agricultural land management practices may partially explain modern day locust outbreaks.

Newer radiation therapy technology improves patients' quality of life, research finds

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:36 AM PST

Patients with head and neck cancers who have been treated with newer, more sophisticated radiation therapy technology enjoy a better quality of life than those treated with older radiation therapy equipment, a study has found.

Are you a happy shopper? Research website helps you find out

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:36 AM PST

Psychologists have found that buying experiences makes people happier than possessions, but who spends their spare cash on experiences? Extraverts and people who are open to new experiences are more likely to make a habit of "experience shopping" and are happier as a result, according to new research.

For the birds: Winged predators seek certain trees when foraging for caterpillars

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:36 AM PST

Location matters for birds on the hunt for caterpillars, according to researchers. Findings suggest that chickadees and others zero in on the type of tree as much as the characteristics of their wriggly prey.

Scientists link evolved, mutated gene module to syndromic autism

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:36 AM PST

Medical researchers reports that newly discovered mutations in an evolved assembly of genes cause Joubert syndrome, a form of syndromic autism.

Ecologists capture first deep-sea fish noises

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:29 AM PST

Fish biologists conducted one of the first studies of deep-sea fish sounds in more than 50 years, 2,237 feet under the Atlantic. With recording technology more affordable, fish sounds can be studied to test the idea that fish communicate with sound, especially those in the dark of the deep ocean.

Obesity and pain linked, study of one million Americans shows

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 11:29 AM PST

A clear association between obesity and pain -- with higher rates of pain identified in the heaviest individuals -- was found in a study of more than one million Americans.

Making sense of sensory connections: Researchers identify mechanism behind associative memory by exploring insect brains

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 10:40 AM PST

A key feature of human and animal brains is that they are adaptive; they are able to change their structure and function based on input from the environment and on the potential associations, or consequences, of that input. To learn more about such neural adaptability, researchers have explored the brains of insects and identified a mechanism by which the connections in their brain change to form new and specific memories of smells.

Life beyond Earth? Underwater caves in Bahamas could give clues

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 10:15 AM PST

Discoveries made in some underwater caves by researchers in the Bahamas could provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth millions of years ago, and perhaps give hints of what types of marine life could be found on distant planets and moons.

Viruses con bacteria into working for them

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 09:37 AM PST

Researchers have discovered that certain photosynthetic ocean bacteria need to beware of viruses bearing gifts. These viruses are really con artists carrying genetic material taken from their previous bacterial hosts that tricks the new host into using its own machinery to activate the genes, a process never before documented in any virus-bacteria relationship. The con occurs when a grifter virus injects its DNA into a bacterium living in a phosphorus-starved region of the ocean.

Rotational motion of cells plays a critical role in their normal development, researchers find

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 09:37 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a rotational motion that plays a critical role in the ability of breast cells to form the spherical structures in the mammary gland known as acini. This rotation, called "CAMo," for coherent angular motion, is necessary for the cells to form spheres. Otherwise, cells undergo random motion, leading to loss of structure and malignancy.

Scientists map one of life's molecular mysteries: Visualisation of the molecular gateway across and into cellular membranes

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 09:37 AM PST

All living organisms are made up of cells, behind these intricate life forms lie complex cellular processes that allow our bodies to function. Researchers working on protein secretion -- a fundamental process in biology -- have revealed how protein channels in the membrane are activated by special signals contained in proteins destined for secretion. The results help explain the underlying mechanism responsible for the release of proteins such as hormones and antibodies into the blood stream.

Following genetic footprints out of Africa: First modern humans settled in Arabia

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 09:37 AM PST

A new study, using genetic analysis to look for clues about human migration over sixty thousand years ago, suggests that the first modern humans settled in Arabia on their way from the Horn of Africa to the rest of the world.

Radical theory explains the origin, evolution, and nature of life, challenges conventional wisdom

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 08:51 AM PST

Earth is alive, asserts a revolutionary scientific theory of life. The trans-disciplinary theory demonstrates that purportedly inanimate, non-living objects -- for example, planets, water, proteins, and DNA -- are animate, that is, alive.

Graphene: Supermaterial goes superpermeable

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:06 AM PST

Wonder material graphene has revealed another of its extraordinary properties Scientists have now found that it is superpermeable with respect to water. Graphene is one of the wonders of the science world, with the potential to create foldaway mobile phones, wallpaper-thin lighting panels and the next generation of aircraft. The new finding gives graphene's potential a most surprising dimension – graphene can also be used for distilling alcohol.

Tiny crooners: Male house mice sing songs to impress the girls

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:06 AM PST

It comes as a surprise to many that male house mice produce melodious songs to attract mates.  Unfortunately for us, because the melodies are in the ultra-sonic range human ears cannot detect them.  Through spectrographic analyses of the vocalizations of wild house mice, researchers have found that the songs of male mice contain signals of individuality and kinship. 

Microbubbles provide new boost for biofuel production

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 06:25 AM PST

A solution to the difficult issue of harvesting algae for use as a biofuel has been developed using microbubble technology.

Speed limit on the quantum highway: Physicists measure propagation velocity of quantum signals in a many-body system

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 12:15 PM PST

A quantum computer based on quantum particles instead of classical bits, can in principle outperform any classical computer. However, it still remains an open question, how fast and how efficient quantum computers really may be able to work. A critical limitation will be given by the velocity with which a quantum signal can spread within a processing unit. For the first time, a group of physicists has succeeded in observing such a process in a solid-state like system.