The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Weeklies


News

Group finds new ancestor

Researchers at the Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Kunming, China this month recovered the remains of what could be another species of prehistoric human. Lead researchers Ji Xueping and Darren Curnoe found the remains in a collection of relics which other researchers had previously discovered in 1979 and 1989, but Xueping and Curnoe did not study until 2009. The collection consists of partial skulls and bone fragments from at least four different individuals, each estimated to be between 11,500 and 14,300 years old.


News

U.Va. physicists seek Higgs boson particle

University physicists working with colleagues from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory made significant advancements last week in their search for the Higgs boson particle, which scientists believe attracts all other particles, causing them to accumulate mass. This particle, first introduced by English physicist Peter Higgs, may prove pivotal in understanding the reasons behind the existence of matter and, therefore, the universe's creation. Researchers use high-energy colliders, such as the Tevatron and Large Hadron, to gather trillions of data points, hoping to find clues which lead to a better understanding of the particle. The Large Hadron collides protons, creating smaller subatomic particles.


News

Students discuss ACA

The University hosted a series of Flash Seminars last month about health care reform and the Affordable Care Act organized by Melissa Rickman, a third-year College and first-year Batten School student. Health care reform is important to both the individual and the nation, Rickman said, and is particularly relevant for students, who will be faced with health care decisions during the coming years. "I thought a Flash Seminar series on health care reform and the Affordable Care Act would be not only interesting, but practical," she said. President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act March 23, 2010.


News

Quigg proposes epilepsy trial

University Medical School neurologist Mark Quigg is working to establish a clinical trial examining the use of Gamma Knife radiosurgery, a method which effectively treats people who suffer from mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. The Gamma Knife surgery uses radiation beams to nullify the lesion in the brain which causes epileptic seizures, and provides patients with an alternative to a craniotomy, a procedure in which the skull is opened to remove the lesion. The National Institutes of Health is funding the project by providing a $20 million grant.


News

Gestures help kids learn

Studies suggest hand gestures have powerful implications for children's cognitive capabilities. When children watch their elders pointing or making hand gestures, they will often respond by gesticulating as well.


News

Recent research performed by the Imperial College London on the effects of "magic mushrooms" suggests psychedelic drugs may not be detrimental to our health.


News

Males endure pain better

Males appear to endure pain better than females in most regions of the body, excluding childbirth, according to analysis of nearly 72,000 medical records by the Stanford School of Medicine,


News

Striving to be sustainable

The Board of Visitors agreed in June to cut the University's greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by the year 2025, citing the school's "tradition of environmental stewardship" and pledging to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions to 250,000 metric tons from 2009 levels of 330,000 metric tons. Concern about lowering the University's environmental impact extends to more than this single issue, however.


News

Sniffing out cancer

The realm of colorectal cancer screening recently has expanded in an unlikely direction; namely, the sense of smell.


News

Tech of the week

What: Fast Food, a dining table car, recently broke the record for the world's fastest furniture speed, traveling at 113.8 mph during two runs on a 500 meter track at Santa Pod in Northamptonshire, England.


News

The best medicine

Researchers at University of Leeds' School of Healthcare have found that laughter and good nursing care may be the more effective in healing the body than the latest medical technologies available, specifically for leg ulcers.


News

A quake to move nations

As Japan continues to cope with the aftermath of the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami, officials from National Aeronatics and Space Administration, the U.S.


News

This week in science

After 10 years of development, a recent study reported researchers now are able to inject stem cells from a patient's bone marrow into the heart, shrinking hearts which are dangerously swollen after heart attacks. The crisis in Japan is spreading doubt worldwide about the viability of nuclear energy as a safe and practical power source.


News

Oscar spotlight: Darren Aronofsky

Although Natalie Portman may be the first name that comes to mind when Black Swan is mentioned, the visionary behind this maniacal yet eloquent dance of a movie is director Darren Aronofsky.

Latest Podcast

From her love of Taylor Swift to a late-night Yik Yak post, Olivia Beam describes how Swifties at U.Va. was born. In this week's episode, Olivia details the thin line Swifties at U.Va. successfully walk to share their love of Taylor Swift while also fostering an inclusive and welcoming community.