Salem-News.com Science articles

Subtle Matter: Where the physical and spiritual unite

BOOK REVIEW: “Weighing Soul Substance”

(OLDENBURG, Germany) - Dr. Klaus Volkamer’s new book, “Weighing Soul Substance”, builds bridges across the gulf that has separated science from spirituality, materialism from mysticism.

It confirms the reality of auras, clairvoyance, remote viewing, psychokinesis, telepathy, and precognition, and presents empirical evidence that these phenomena have a material aspect.

Leaburg Hydroelectric Project Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places

The powerhouse was designed by Ellis Lawrence, founder of the UO school of architecture.

(LANE COUNTY, Ore.) - The Leaburg Hydroelectric Project Historic District in Lane County is among Oregon's latest entries in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Leaburg Hydroelectric Project was put into service in January 1930 and continues to generate electric power as part of the Eugene Water & Electric Board system, a municipally owned utility located in Lane County, Oregon.

Oregon, Western States Most at Risk for Large Earthquake

The eastern U.S. has the potential for larger and more damaging earthquakes than considered in previous maps and assessments.

(DENVER, Colo. .) - While all states have some potential for earthquakes, 42 of the 50 states have a reasonable chance of experiencing damaging ground shaking from an earthquake in 50 years.

The hazard is especially high along the west coast, and intermountain west.

Oregon State Engineers Create Portable Radiation Detection Device

The system is a miniaturized gamma ray spectrometer, which means it can measure not only the intensity of radiation but also identify the type of radionuclide that is creating it.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Nuclear engineers at Oregon State University have developed a small, portable and inexpensive radiation detection device that should help people all over the world better understand the radiation around them, its type and intensity, and whether or not it poses a health risk.


The device was developed in part due to public demand following the nuclear incident in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011, when many regional residents were unsure what level of radiation they were being exposed to and whether their homes, food, environment and drinking water were safe

Purple Sails Washing Ashore Along Oregon Coast After 10 Year Absence

Purple Sails have a clear 'sail' that catches the wind and pushes them across the ocean’s surface.

(SEASIDE, Ore. ) - Something that hasn't been seen for a while on Oregon beaches has returned – almost as mysteriously as it disappeared ten years ago.

The Purple Sails are back, cast up on the beaches in various areas and getting ready to wear out their initially lovely little welcome as they start to rot and stink.

Greenland Ice Sheet Collapse Began 400,000 Years Ago

A period known as the Marine Isotope Stage 11 resulted in a global sea level rise of about 6-13 meters above present time.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - A new study suggests that a warming period more than 400,000 years ago pushed the Greenland ice sheet past its stability threshold, resulting in a nearly complete deglaciation of southern Greenland and raising global sea levels some 4-6 meters.

The study is one of the first to zero in on how the vast Greenland ice sheet responded to warmer temperatures during that period, which were caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Engineers at Oregon State Develop New Technology to Treat and Prevent Sepsis

With early treatment, sepsis can sometimes be successfully treated with antibiotics.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - The National Science Foundation has just awarded $200,000 to engineers at Oregon State University who have developed a new technology that they believe could revolutionize the treatment and prevention of sepsis.

More commonly called “blood poisoning,” sepsis can quickly turn a modest infection into a whole-body inflammation, based on a dysfunctional immune response to endotoxins that are released from the cell walls of bacteria. When severe, this can lead to multiple organ failure and death.

OSU Becomes Oregon`s First Accredited School of Public Health

“Integration is where the future of public health is headed,” said Tammy Bray, dean of the College of Public Health and Human Sciences.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences was granted accreditation on Tuesday, making it the first school of public health in Oregon to earn that recognition.

The accreditation, from the Council on Education for Public Health, means OSU has the only accredited school of public health between San Francisco and Seattle.

Starfish Along Oregon Coast Headed for Extinction

Today, an estimated 30-50 percent of the Oregon populations of this sea star species in the intertidal zone have the disease.

(NEWPORT, Ore. ) - Just in the past two weeks, the incidence of sea star wasting syndrome has exploded along the Oregon Coast and created an epidemic of historic magnitude, one that threatens to decimate the entire population of purple ochre sea stars.

The ochre sea star, which is the species most heavily affected by the disease in the intertidal zone, may be headed toward localized extinction in Oregon, according to researchers at Oregon State University who have been monitoring the outbreak. As a “keystone” predator, its loss could disrupt the entire marine intertidal ecosystem.

Animal Trapping Records Reveal Strong Wolf Effect Across North America

As coyotes have expanded in North America, they have become a major cause of concern for the livestock industry.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Scientists have used coyote and red fox fur trapping records across North America to document how the presence of wolves influences the balance of smaller predators further down the food chain.

From Alaska and Yukon to Nova Scotia and Maine, the researchers have demonstrated that a “wolf effect” exists, favoring red foxes where wolves are present and coyotes where wolves are absent.