…because it’s your cup of coffee.

Although advertisers may assure us that America runs on Dunkin’, the more technically minded among us would say that the country runs on caffeine. And scientists say that caffeine does a lot more than get us through the day and keep us awake at night. In fact, there’s so much new science brewing in this area that a new journal devoted to the substance, dubbed the Journal of Caffeine Research, launched this week.

There’s no shortage of studies touting the benefits of caffeine. Last June, scientists at Coventry University in central Britain found that in mice, high amounts of caffeine boosted muscle performance by 6%. And regular coffee drinkers are 65% less likely to experience cognitive decline.

Caffeine-rich energy drinks might be all the rage, but there’s reason to be bullish about caffeine in the lab as well. The compound can help cells churn out about three to eight times as much specially tailored viruses for use in gene therapy, according to a paper published in January.

In the past, physicians expressed concern that excessive use of caffeine-rich drinks could result in serious harm. However, recent studies suggest that moderate coffee drinking even for expectant mothers does not increase the risk of miscarriage or the incidence of birth defects and may actually impart some health benefits.

So drink up while you’re pouring over the new caffeine journal.

Image: Marieke Kuijjer, Flickr

Posted for Laura Starr

Yesterday, the crew of China’s Shenzhou-7 spacecraft safely touched down by parachute in Inner Mongolia. The taikonauts were greeted as heroes, having victoriously carried out a historical landmark achievement – a spacewalk – a moment of pure symbolism marking a milestone in the nation’s space discovery. Their triumph has been greeted with substantial enthusiasm across the world.

What comes next for the conquering nation? China’s manned space program spokesman, Wang Zhaoyao, announced plans to set up a simple space lab in 2011 and a manned space station by 2020 (Xinhua report).

Nature reported earlier this year that China does not yet have any official plans to place a man on the moon. However, recent developments show that this moon landing is still something many are keen on. Zhaoyao stated that “The moon landing is an extremely challenging and sophisticated task, and it is also a strategically important technological field. It is necessary for China to achieve something in this field.”