In the spirit of David Letterman, Science Business offers its very own top 10 list, in this case the most viewed stories in 2011. During the year, Science Business received some 43,000 visits from 37,000 visitors, for which we are deeply grateful and humbled. Here are the 10 individual stories that got the most attention this year …
10. Asian Patents Jump in 2010, Decline in U.S., Mixed in Europe. 9 February
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reports that the number of patent filings under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty increased in 2010, with the largest percentage gains recorded in Asia.
9. Water Cooled Cap Helps Relieve Primary Insomnia. 14 June
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh have developed and tested a cap that cools the brain during sleep, and appears to help people with primary insomnia — sleeplessness not caused by some other condition — find relief.
8. Baxter Sets Up Venture Fund for New Therapies. 28 July
Baxter International in Deerfield, Illinois has established Baxter Ventures to invest in promising early-stage companies developing therapies that complement Baxter’s product lines.
7. Study: Automatic Faucets Carry High Levels of Bacteria. 31 March
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland have found that electronic faucets — the kind that dispense water from an electronic signal — are more likely to become contaminated with high levels of bacteria, compared with traditional manual faucets.
6. HSBC Takes Climate Change Research to the Bank. 19 February
The international financial company HSBC, headquartered in London, has become a champion of climate change, and says its business benefits as a result.
5. Prof. Develops Anti-Microbial Technology for Fabrics. 5 July
A University of Georgia researcher has invented an anti-microbial technology that can turn medical linens and clothing germ-free.
4. New Treatment Fixes Tooth Decay Without Drilling. 24 August
Researchers at University of Leeds in the U.K. have developed a way of treating dental decay that reverses the damage caused by acid and re-builds teeth, without drilling.
3. First Wave Energy Device Connected to Power Grid. 28 September 2010
Ocean Power Technologies in Pennington, New Jersey, says it has completed the first-ever grid connection of a wave energy device in the United States at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Oahu.
2. Non-Narcotic Natural Pain Killer Synthesized. 24 May
Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida have synthesized a rare natural product isolated from the bark of a plant widely used in traditional medicine (pictured at top), that has potential as a non-narcotic pain killer.
And the most-viewed story on Science Business in 2011 …
1. First Flaw Reportedly Found in Advanced Encryption Standard. 17 August
Computer scientists from European universities and Microsoft Research have found a weakness in the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm.
Photo: Srinivasan G/Flickr
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