Facts of the Matter Premium http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium RSS Feed for Facts of the Matter Premium en-us Fri, 17 May 2013 11:30:00 GMT LED bulbs shine in search for better energy efficiency http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130517_LED_bulbs_shine_in_search_for_better_energy_efficiency.html When cave dwellers hunkered around the fire pit, fire was a source of heat as well as light and there was nothing to read so the low luminous efficiency did not matter. Decades-old discoveries power touch-screen tech http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130503_Decades_old_discoveries_power_touchscreen_tech.html Touch screens are everywhere: smartphones, laptop screens, supermarket checkouts, restaurant tills, ATMs, airport check-in kiosks, museum information-booths and GPS devices, to name a few. Genome sequencing grows faster and more economical http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130419__Genome_sequencing_grows_faster_and_more_economical.html It was exactly 10 years ago, April 14, 2003, that the human genome project reported the first complete sequence of human DNA. Now the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments over whether certain human gene sequences can be patented, a ruling that could affect how science and law intersect for years, if not decades. Sugar shares similarities with addictive substances http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130405_Sugar_shares_similarities_with_addictive_substances.html Folk wisdom has recognized the role of empty calories in weight gain and obesity for years, but there has not been much public discussion about the addictive qualities of sugar. GMO crops could trigger another Green Revolution http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130315_GMO_crops_could_trigger_another_Green_Revolution.html For six millennia we humans have deliberately manipulated genes; modern corn is as distantly related to its wild ancestor as a Chihuahua is to a wolf. In 1944, American biologist Norman Borlaug began 30 years in Mexico developing new strains of wheat. A rainbow is a full circle, but we see only part of it http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130301__A_rainbow_is_a_full_circle_but_we_see_only_part_of_it.html Rainbows are both beautiful and rare, but we see more than our fair share of them in Hawaii because our mountains and tradewinds combine to produce rain on the slopes of the mountains. Studying countless stars sheds light on progression http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130215_Studying_countless_stars_sheds_light_on_progression.html Stars have an average lifetime of 5 billion years, so we obviously cannot study one from birth to death. Shorter telomeres indicate aging, higher risk of disease http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20130201_Shorter_telomeres_indicate_aging_higher_risk_of_disease.html How long are your telomeres? A telomere shortening mechanism limits cells to a fixed number of divisions, and animal studies suggest that this is responsible for aging on the cellular level. In other words, it may be the mechanism that sets a limit on life spans. Worriers have misguided view of Mayan calendar http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20121221_Worriers_have_misguided_view_of_Mayan_calendar.html Don't wait until tomorrow to read this column. If the Mayan calendar is correct, the world will end at 1:11 p.m. today, Hawaii time. Adapting fluorescent lights for wide use took decades http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/factsofthematterpremium/20121116__Adapting_fluorescent_lights_for_wide_use_took_decades.html Fluorescent lights have been the primary source of industrial lighting indoors since the 1930s, but recent advances have put compact fluorescent lights in the spotlight for home use.