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Study uncovers important strategy for increasing performance

What truly inspires individuals to perform at their very best? When it comes to motivating others and ourselves, it turns out offering rewards in defined categories, even when they are largely meaningless, can heighten motivation.

30 May 2013

Wiley publishes new book on meat consumption

Meat eating is often a contentious subject, whether considering the technical, ethical, environmental, political, or health-related aspects of production and consumption.

24 May 2013

Tomatoes made more tasty and longer-lasting with purple GM varieties

Tomatoes, said to be the world's most popular fruit, can be made both better-tasting and longer-lasting thanks to UK research with purple GM varieties.

24 May 2013

Mercury conference in Edinburgh to confront contentious topics

One of the panel sessions at the ‘Mercury 2013’ International Conference in Edinburgh (28th July – 2nd Aug) “will be highly contentious and should result in a heated debate,” says Prof. K. Clive Thompson who will be chairing the session with Eric Uram from SafeMinds.

24 May 2013

Study finds gender gap when it comes to behavior, self-control in American young children

A new study shows there is a gender gap when it comes to behavior and self-control in American young children - one that does not appear to exist in children in Asia.

24 May 2013

Alcohol advertising pre-disposes young people to have favorable attitudes toward drinking

In order to avoid exposing vulnerable groups such as children and young adults to alcohol advertising, industry groups have developed their own self-regulation guidelines. However, these guidelines have been criticized for possible conflict of interest, lack of objectivity, and unresponsiveness to complaints about violations.

18 May 2013

Wheat Initiative: 60% increase in wheat production needed by 2050

By 2050, a 60% increase in wheat production will be needed to meet the demand of a growing population. The Wheat Initiative, an international consortium gathering public institutions and private companies, was created as part of the 2011 action plan of the G20 Agricultural Ministries to coordinate global wheat research and participate to global food security.

18 May 2013

European weather harder to predict, says new study

Weather forecasters have a tougher job predicting winter conditions over Europe in some years over others, concludes a new study carried out by the National Oceanography Centre.

17 May 2013

Humans: The primary cause of global climate change

Do most scientists agree that human activity is causing global climate change? Yes, they do, according to an extensive analysis of the abstracts or summaries of scientific papers published over the past 20 years, even though public perception tends to be that climate scientists disagree over the fundamental cause of climate change.

17 May 2013

Scientists develop eco-friendly flame retardants with dual effects

Amid concerns over the potential health effects of existing flame retardants for home furniture, fabrics and other material, scientists are reporting development of an "exceptionally" effective new retardant that appears safer and more environmentally friendly.

16 May 2013

Consumers experiencing relationship problems prefer aesthetic experiences

Consumers experiencing relationship problems are more likely to prefer aesthetic experiences that reflect their negative mood, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

15 May 2013

New book explores resistance against harsh policing of sexuality in some Muslim societies

With the Arab Spring came massive social upheaval. As citizens continue to rise up and autocratic regimes fall, challenges to women's rights cross borders unimpeded. From community-based oppression to state-sanctioned legal battles, women rights are being challenged at multiple levels.

10 May 2013

Concordia professor publishes new findings on cross-cultural commonalities associated with suicide

Just over a month ago, a young high school student from Halifax committed suicide after photos of her being raped were posted on the Internet. Her story wasn't just about bullying. It was also about the complex feelings her friends and family faced with her decision to take her own life.

7 May 2013

Persons married to older or younger spouses are less educated, have lower earnings

Despite the popular image of the rich older man or woman supporting an attractive younger spouse, a new study shows those married to younger or older mates have on average lower earnings, lower cognitive abilities, are less educated and less attractive than couples of similar ages.

7 May 2013

Royal Society elects scientists from JIC for advances in antibiotic discovery and in crop improvement

Two scientists from the John Innes Centre have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, the premier scientific accolade in the UK. Their breakthroughs in fundamental research have pioneered advances in antibiotic discovery and in crop improvement from which we all benefit.

6 May 2013

Experts report new outbreaks and increased spread of Cassava Brown Streak Disease

Cassava experts are reporting new outbreaks and the increased spread of Cassava Brown Streak Disease or CBSD, warning that the rapidly proliferating plant virus could cause a 50 percent drop in production of a crop that provides a significant source of food and income for 300 million Africans.

6 May 2013

Metallurgists use microwave oven to produce nanocrystal semiconductors

University of Utah metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and LED lights, biological sensors and systems to convert waste heat to electricity.

6 May 2013

Farming practices for food safety threaten valuable ecological systems

Meticulous attention to food safety is a good thing. As consumers, we like to hear that produce growers and distributers go above and beyond food safety mandates to ensure that healthy fresh fruits and vegetables do not carry bacteria or viruses that can make us sick.

6 May 2013

U.S. proposes talks aimed at improving food security at upcoming WTO meeting

"The United States said on Tuesday it was prepared to examine how agricultural policy reform could boost global food security as part of a package of commitments at the World Trade Organization's [WTO] upcoming meeting in December," Reuters reports.

2 May 2013

Editorial, opinion pieces address proposed food aid reform

The following is a summary of an editorial, opinion pieces, and a blog post addressing proposed reform to the U.S. food aid program contained in President Obama's FY 2014 budget request.

30 Apr 2013