plants on alien worlds

For plants on alien worlds, it isn't easy being green
Depending on the planet's atmosphere and its host star's light, the foliage sprouting up on other Earths may look yellow, orange - or even black

'Axis of evil' a cause for cosmic concern
Evidence is growing that an apparent pattern imprinted on the radiation left behind after the big bang may be real, posing a threat to standard cosmology

First sign of water found on an alien world
Hubble turns up what may be water in the atmosphere of a well-studied exoplanet, just two months after infrared observations failed to find any hint of it

'Rebuilt' immune system shakes off diabetes
Rebuilding patients' immune systems from scratch with their own bone marrow stem cells may free type 1 diabetics of the chronic condition

Bug versus Bug: Insect virus makes a viable flu vaccine
A new influenza vaccine churned out by caterpillar cells infected with a genetically engineered virus effectively prevents the flu.

Quantum Capture: Photosynthesis tries many paths at once
The wavelike behavior of energy in chlorophyll might explain how plants are so efficient at using solar energy.

Cavernous findings from Mars
Images taken by a Mars-orbiting spacecraft show what appear to be caves on the Red Planet.

Even outdoors, generators pose risks
Portable electricity generators are frequently the culprit in domestic carbon monoxide poisonings--even when the devices sit outside the home.

Color-tunable sunglasses
Engineers have developed sunglasses that can change from dark, filtering hues to clear--and back--at the flip of a switch.