For three years, IBM scientists have been developing Watson, the world's most advanced "question answering" machine. It is designed to be able to understand a question posed in normal speech, and respond with a precise, factual answer.

This is more than what search engines like Google and Bing do -- it has to find the correct answer itself. Software firms have produced question-answering systems for years, but they have been limited to simply phrased questions.

Watson, however, was able to handle the format of the game show "Jeopardy!", even though the clues are puzzling and the breadth of trivia is wide.

The New York Times reports:

"With Watson, IBM claims it has cracked the problem -- and aims to prove as much on national TV. The producers of "Jeopardy!" have agreed to pit Watson against some of the game's best former players as early as this fall. To test Watson's capabilities against actual humans, IBM's scientists began holding live matches last winter."

And it's often been winning.

• New York Times June 14, 2010

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Some patients in a study got relief from depression by taking omega-3 fats. The ones who improved -- about half the group -- were those who didn't also have a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder.

Depressed people who also had anxiety disorders didn't get any clear benefit from taking the supplements compared to placebo.

Reuters reports:

“These findings ... add to the confusion about whether omega-3 fatty acids really help depression ... At least some of the confusion is due to the fact that researchers rarely test these substances in any standard way. Some studies have looked at omega-3 as a stand-alone therapy; others have tested it in combination with antidepressants. The formulations often vary, too.”

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New research shows that an extract made from a food plant in the Brassica family is effective in alleviating signs of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel condition, in mice.

The study will move on to examine the potential use of the plant extract against colon cancer.

Newswise reports:

“A plant-derived compound called Phenethylisothiocyanate, or PEITC ... showed potential anti-inflammatory activities ... PEITC is found in the Brassica genus of plants, which includes cabbage, cauliflower, watercress and broccoli. Barbarea verna, also known as upland cress or early wintercress, a herb that is used in salads, soups, and garnishes, is one of the richest sources of dietary PEITC”.

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People who eat a diet high in fructose are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension. The results of a study suggest that cutting back on foods and beverages containing a lot of fructose might decrease your risk of developing hypertension.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart and kidney diseases. An increase in the general consumption of fructose, which is used to sweeten a wide variety of processed foods, has occurred at the same time as a rise in the prevalence of hypertension.

According to Newswise:

“The study involved 4,528 US adults 18 years of age or older with no prior history of hypertension. Study participants answered questions related to their consumption of foods and beverages such as fruit juices, soft drinks, bakery products, and candy.”

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About a quarter of the H1N1 vaccine produced for the U.S. public has expired. This means that 40 million doses, worth about $260 million all told, are being written off as trash.  Another 30 million more doses will expire later, for a total of 70 million.

The outdated vaccine will be incinerated. The amount is more than twice the usual amount of leftover vaccine, and likely sets a record.

Local Techwire reports:

“If all that vaccine expires, more than 43 percent of the supply for the U.S. public will have gone to waste.”

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