Towering volcanic plumes are among the dazzling images taken during the New Horizons spacecraft's recent swing past Jupiter
Males of some duck and geese species often sexually force themselves on females, who have evolved defensive vaginal features as a result
The objects scientists think are black holes could instead be wormholes leading to exotic cosmic locales, a new study argues
Liquid Center: Mercury has a molten core, radar reveals
Mercury is hot stuff: It's got a core that's at least partially molten, a new radar study of the planet's spin reveals.
Less Is More (Bone): Yearly osteoporosis drug reduces fractures
Older women with osteoporosis who received yearly infusions of a drug that prevents bone loss had far fewer fractures than did peers who didn't get the drug.
More Than Bit Players: Snippets of RNA might sway pancreatic cancer
Small pieces of genetic material called microRNA might provide a preview of pancreatic cancer's aggressiveness and offer targets for combating the usually deadly disease.
Peru's Sunny View: Solar observatory dates back 2,300 years
Researchers have found the oldest solar observatory in the Americas, a group of 13 towers first used around 300 B.C. to mark the positions of sunrises and sunsets from summer to winter solstice.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Extrasolar planet with the potential for life
In the Zone: Extrasolar planet with the potential for life
Astronomers this week announced that they had found Earth's closest known analog outside the solar system, an object with an average temperature that may allow water to be liquid on its surface.
Inherited Burden? Early menarche in moms tied to obesity in kids
Women who reach puberty at an early age are more likely to have children who are overweight.
Pregnancy and Pollution: Women living in areas with poor air quality have babies with lower birthweights
Pregnant women exposed even to moderate amounts of several common air pollutants tend to have babies with low birthweights.
A hexagon on the ringed planet
NASA scientists are puzzled by a giant, hexagon-shaped feature that covers Saturn's entire north pole.
Uncommon cancer gets start in muscle cells
Synovial sarcoma, a cancer thought to arise from joint tissue, actually forms in nascent muscle cells, a mouse study shows.
Babies with eczema that were breast fed hours after the mothers were laughing had milder allergy symptoms
Astronomers this week announced that they had found Earth's closest known analog outside the solar system, an object with an average temperature that may allow water to be liquid on its surface.
Inherited Burden? Early menarche in moms tied to obesity in kids
Women who reach puberty at an early age are more likely to have children who are overweight.
Pregnancy and Pollution: Women living in areas with poor air quality have babies with lower birthweights
Pregnant women exposed even to moderate amounts of several common air pollutants tend to have babies with low birthweights.
A hexagon on the ringed planet
NASA scientists are puzzled by a giant, hexagon-shaped feature that covers Saturn's entire north pole.
Uncommon cancer gets start in muscle cells
Synovial sarcoma, a cancer thought to arise from joint tissue, actually forms in nascent muscle cells, a mouse study shows.
Babies with eczema that were breast fed hours after the mothers were laughing had milder allergy symptoms
Sunday, June 17, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
new reading
Ug99 is a virulent strain of black stem rust fungus that attacks wheat plants - a crop that feeds more people than any other food source on Earth. Since the Green Revolution of the 1960s, farmers have been successfully growing disease-resistant wheat varieties. But Ug99 has evolved. There are now precious few wheat crops anywhere that are resistant to it. The blight has already crossed from Africa into Asia and there are fears it will spread further into regions where a billion people depend on wheat for their survival.
A warming climate has improved the birds' Siberian nesting site, leading to plagues of the birds invading the Washington state town of Stanwood.
Pollution far below the level seen as dangerous for aquatic life has nevertheless dramatically altered animal behaviour in North American lakes.
Mushrooms in England are starting to pop up earlier and staying around later than they used to, according to 55 years of amateur naturalists' records.
Drug-Resistant Flu Detected: Japanese strains appear transmissibleFor the first time, researchers report drug resistance in type B influenza virus and say the drug-resistant strain may jump from person to person.
No Escape: There's global warming on Mars tooThe overall darkening of Mars' surface in recent decades has significantly raised the Red Planet's temperature, a possible cause for the substantial, recent shrinkage of the planet's southern ice cap.
Kill-save gene combo might fight malariaA technique that might someday enlist mosquitoes in the fight against malaria has passed an early test.
Freeze-thaw cycles: How not to mix soilThe repeated cycles of ground freezing and thawing that occur in many places don't do a surprising poor job of churning the soil.
A warming climate has improved the birds' Siberian nesting site, leading to plagues of the birds invading the Washington state town of Stanwood.
Pollution far below the level seen as dangerous for aquatic life has nevertheless dramatically altered animal behaviour in North American lakes.
Mushrooms in England are starting to pop up earlier and staying around later than they used to, according to 55 years of amateur naturalists' records.
Drug-Resistant Flu Detected: Japanese strains appear transmissibleFor the first time, researchers report drug resistance in type B influenza virus and say the drug-resistant strain may jump from person to person.
No Escape: There's global warming on Mars tooThe overall darkening of Mars' surface in recent decades has significantly raised the Red Planet's temperature, a possible cause for the substantial, recent shrinkage of the planet's southern ice cap.
Kill-save gene combo might fight malariaA technique that might someday enlist mosquitoes in the fight against malaria has passed an early test.
Freeze-thaw cycles: How not to mix soilThe repeated cycles of ground freezing and thawing that occur in many places don't do a surprising poor job of churning the soil.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Bags under the eyes
Some people seem to always look like they're refreshed and ready to seize the day; others have bags under their eyes that could dwarf some of the luggage that comes out of JFK airport. These dark circles or bags are formed by fat and fluid that settles into the area, and there are a number of reasons they appear, including genetics, aging, fluid retention, and allergies. Moreover, they can appear darker under the eyes because the skin under the eyes is especially thin; this thin skin sits on top of areas that are dark red or purple in color; and the area is more likely to become puffy, casting shadows that make the bags look even more pronounced.
The way the genetics play out, some people are born into families where the skin color under the eyes is likely to be darker or bags are more likely to appear earlier in life. As people grow older, their skin tends to get thinner and lose some elasticity, making their bags look bigger and darker. The fun doesn't stop there: fluid retention from lack of sleep, monthly hormonal changes, or eating too much salt can make matters worse.
Another possible contributing factor is that when you're tired, your face muscles are tired, too, making the skin around your eyes less toned and droopier.
If hearing this is making you lose even more sleep, the good news is that there are ways to help reduce the swelling and get rid of your excess baggage:
- Reduce the amount of salt you consume.
- Apply cool compresses to your eyes for a few minutes while sitting upright.
- Sleep with your head elevated.
- Cut back on or eliminate dehydrating drinks from your diet, including tea, coffee, and alcohol.
- Drink lots of water.
More.
Bloated and sick around period
Vegetarian wants to bulk up with protein foods
My parents don't believe I'm bi!
First gynecological exam
29 March 2007 Science News
Exclusive environment blog: Fred's Footprint
Fred Pearce is travelling the world investigating his own environmental footprint. This stop: How fair is fair-trade coffee?
Like Goldilocks, mice know a bed that's 'just right'
A set of cells in a mouse's brain start firing when they see a perfectly-sized nesting container - hinting that mice may understand abstract concepts
Asthma soothed by airway radio-blasts
A probe that heats the muscle lining of airways using radiofrequency energy seems to provide some protection against asthma attacks
Shoulder-worn camera acts as a third eye
The system automatically tracks head movements and recognises hand gestures - it could eventually be used to record crime scenes
See yourself as others see you online
What your online profile says about you may not be what you expect
'Inspector Gadget' to star in space tether test
A thermos-flask-sized satellite called Gadget will ride up and down a 1-kilometre-long tether in space, to check its resistance to micrometeoroids
Bizarre hexagon circles Saturn's north pole
A six-sided structure as wide as two Earths lies above the Ringed Planet's north pole and has remained curiously stable for more than 20 years
Equinox challenge to Newton's law
An exquisitely sensitive experiment that can only be performed during equinoxes could test some of the theories that offer an alternative to dark matter
Scientists steal turns of phrase from other papers
Eloquent language has never be the strong point of academic papers, but minor plagiarism is a dubious solution
WHO hails circumcision as vital in HIV fight
Circumcised men are 60% less likely to contract HIV - evidence that the World Health Organization calls "compelling"
Arms are dead giveaway for risky drivers
Monitoring a driver's gaze - as some luxury cars are now designed to do - may not be the best way to ensure a driver is paying attention
Lack of sea ice devastates seal populations
Conservationists warn that an exceptional die-off of seal pups in Canada, combined with the country's annual seal hunts, could spell disaster
Coastal living - a growing global threat
One person in 10 worldwide, including one in eight city-dwellers, lives in an "at-risk zone" for flooding and storms, exacerbated by climate change
Mothers' beefy diet linked to sons' low sperm count
Men born to women who eat more than a serving of beef each day while pregnant might have reduced fertility, a new study warns
Chernobyl-based birds avoid radioactive nests
Some species around the exploded nuclear reactor choose nest sites with lower levels of background radiation, but how they discern is a mystery
Soft splint instantly heat-welds to hold broken limbs
Injured skiers and mountaineers could protect injuries using a flexible plastic bandage that rapidly hardens to form a solid cast
Invention: Brain decoder
This week's patent applications include a way of decoding brain signals, light-controlled skin grafts, and a drug paste that solidifies inside the body
March 24, 2007 Science News
[Earth Science]
Young and Restless: Ancient Earth shows moving crust
The oldest rocks in the world show that Earth's shifting crust began its tectonic movements almost 4 billion years ago.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob1.asp
[Physics]
Closer to Vanishing: Bending light as a step toward invisibility cloaks
Invisibility cloaks may be a long shot, but new optical tricks could help in the design of future computers.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob3.asp
[Astronomy]
Ticket to Ride? Astrophysicists mull a return to the moon
Astronomers are investigating how they might jump on NASA's lunar bandwagon, using the moon or its environs to study distant stars and galaxies.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/bob9.asp
[MATHTREK BLOG]
Computing Photographic Forgeries
Scientists are using mathematical tools to sniff out faked photographs.
http://blog.sciencenews.org/mathtrek/
[FOOD FOR THOUGHT BLOG]
Planting the Seeds for Folate Enrichment
Florida scientists have engineered tomatoes with 20 times the ordinary amount of folate, making them the most concentrated source of this important vitamin ever measured.
http://blog.sciencenews.org/food/
[TIMELINE]
From the March 20, 1937, issue
The real Groundhog Day, microfilm book storage, and turning farm waste into chemical products.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/timeline.asp
[Chemistry]
Waistline Worry: Common chemicals might boost obesity
A family of chemicals implicated in testosterone declines may also be contributing to recent spikes in obesity and diabetes.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob2.asp
[Biomedicine]
Risky Flames: Firefighter coronaries spike during blazes
A disproportionate number of heart disease deaths among firefighters occur during blazes.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob4.asp
[Biomedicine]
Balancing Act: Excess steroids during pregnancy may pose risks for offspring
Heavy amounts of steroids taken during pregnancy can have long-term deleterious effects on offspring, a study of monkeys shows.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob5.asp
[Planetary Science]
Solar-staring spacecraft shows its flare
A new image of the sun's chromosphere, a layer sandwiched between the sun's visible surface and its outer atmosphere, shows a surprisingly complex structure of filaments of roiling gas that promises to shed new light on why the sun erupts.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob6.asp
[Biology]
Not So Wimpy: Antimalarial mosquito has an edge in tests
For the first time, mosquitoes engineered to resist malaria have shed their underbug image and outperformed regular mosquitoes in a lab test.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob7.asp
[Behavior]
Feeling Right from Wrong: Brain's social emotions steer moral judgments
A new study of people who suffered damage to a brain area involved in social sentiments supports the notion that emotional, intuitive reactions typically guide decisions about moral dilemmas.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/fob8.asp
[Anthropology]
Mysterious Migrations: Our prehistoric ancestors journeyed out of Africa on contested roads
New studies report that modern humans from Africa launched cultural advances in Europe at least 36,000 years ago and reached what's now western Russia more than 40,000 years ago, although those conclusions generate much scientific controversy.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/bob10.asp
[Planetary Science]
Radar reveals signs of seas on Titan
The northernmost reaches of Saturn's moon Titan appear to be covered with hydrocarbon lakes or seas that are at least 10 times as large as those predicted by earlier studies.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note11.asp
[Behavior]
Mental fallout among recent-war veterans
Almost one in three veterans of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq receiving medical care at Veterans Affairs facilities displays mental disorders or less-severe problems that still require mental-health treatment.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note12.asp
[Biology]
Novel DNA changes linked to autism
Genetic alterations that occur in children without being inherited from the parents contribute to certain cases of autism and related developmental disorders.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note13.asp
[Biomedicine]
Preemies respond to immunizations
Babies born prematurely rev up an immune response to two routine childhood vaccines as well as babies who are born full-term.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note14.asp
[Paleontology]
Catching evolution in the act
Paleontologists have unearthed fossils that provide direct evidence of something scientists had long suspected: The tiny bones in the middle ears of modern-day mammals evolved from bones located at the rear of their reptilian ancestors' jaws.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note15.asp
[Biomedicine]
Hepatitis B found in wrestlers' sweat
Traces of hepatitis B have turned up in the perspiration of wrestlers, suggesting that the virus could spread to their opponents and teammates.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note16.asp
[Earth Science]
World's climate map gets an update
A century-old system of categorizing the world's climates has been updated to include modern weather data, thereby providing researchers with a tool to better verify results of their computer simulations.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note17.asp
[Biology]
Gene predicts sleepy performance
Variants in a circadian-rhythm gene predict how well people perform mental tasks when sleep deprived.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/note18.asp
[Science & Society]
Letters from the March 24, 2007, issue of Science News
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070324/letter19.asp
Young and Restless: Ancient Earth shows moving crust
The oldest rocks in the world show that Earth's shifting crust began its tectonic movements almost 4 billion years ago.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Physics]
Closer to Vanishing: Bending light as a step toward invisibility cloaks
Invisibility cloaks may be a long shot, but new optical tricks could help in the design of future computers.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Astronomy]
Ticket to Ride? Astrophysicists mull a return to the moon
Astronomers are investigating how they might jump on NASA's lunar bandwagon, using the moon or its environs to study distant stars and galaxies.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[MATHTREK BLOG]
Computing Photographic Forgeries
Scientists are using mathematical tools to sniff out faked photographs.
http://blog.sciencenews.org
[FOOD FOR THOUGHT BLOG]
Planting the Seeds for Folate Enrichment
Florida scientists have engineered tomatoes with 20 times the ordinary amount of folate, making them the most concentrated source of this important vitamin ever measured.
http://blog.sciencenews.org
[TIMELINE]
From the March 20, 1937, issue
The real Groundhog Day, microfilm book storage, and turning farm waste into chemical products.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Chemistry]
Waistline Worry: Common chemicals might boost obesity
A family of chemicals implicated in testosterone declines may also be contributing to recent spikes in obesity and diabetes.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Biomedicine]
Risky Flames: Firefighter coronaries spike during blazes
A disproportionate number of heart disease deaths among firefighters occur during blazes.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Biomedicine]
Balancing Act: Excess steroids during pregnancy may pose risks for offspring
Heavy amounts of steroids taken during pregnancy can have long-term deleterious effects on offspring, a study of monkeys shows.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Planetary Science]
Solar-staring spacecraft shows its flare
A new image of the sun's chromosphere, a layer sandwiched between the sun's visible surface and its outer atmosphere, shows a surprisingly complex structure of filaments of roiling gas that promises to shed new light on why the sun erupts.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Biology]
Not So Wimpy: Antimalarial mosquito has an edge in tests
For the first time, mosquitoes engineered to resist malaria have shed their underbug image and outperformed regular mosquitoes in a lab test.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Behavior]
Feeling Right from Wrong: Brain's social emotions steer moral judgments
A new study of people who suffered damage to a brain area involved in social sentiments supports the notion that emotional, intuitive reactions typically guide decisions about moral dilemmas.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Anthropology]
Mysterious Migrations: Our prehistoric ancestors journeyed out of Africa on contested roads
New studies report that modern humans from Africa launched cultural advances in Europe at least 36,000 years ago and reached what's now western Russia more than 40,000 years ago, although those conclusions generate much scientific controversy.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Planetary Science]
Radar reveals signs of seas on Titan
The northernmost reaches of Saturn's moon Titan appear to be covered with hydrocarbon lakes or seas that are at least 10 times as large as those predicted by earlier studies.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Behavior]
Mental fallout among recent-war veterans
Almost one in three veterans of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq receiving medical care at Veterans Affairs facilities displays mental disorders or less-severe problems that still require mental-health treatment.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Biology]
Novel DNA changes linked to autism
Genetic alterations that occur in children without being inherited from the parents contribute to certain cases of autism and related developmental disorders.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Biomedicine]
Preemies respond to immunizations
Babies born prematurely rev up an immune response to two routine childhood vaccines as well as babies who are born full-term.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Paleontology]
Catching evolution in the act
Paleontologists have unearthed fossils that provide direct evidence of something scientists had long suspected: The tiny bones in the middle ears of modern-day mammals evolved from bones located at the rear of their reptilian ancestors' jaws.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Biomedicine]
Hepatitis B found in wrestlers' sweat
Traces of hepatitis B have turned up in the perspiration of wrestlers, suggesting that the virus could spread to their opponents and teammates.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Earth Science]
World's climate map gets an update
A century-old system of categorizing the world's climates has been updated to include modern weather data, thereby providing researchers with a tool to better verify results of their computer simulations.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Biology]
Gene predicts sleepy performance
Variants in a circadian-rhythm gene predict how well people perform mental tasks when sleep deprived.
http://www.sciencenews.org
[Science & Society]
Letters from the March 24, 2007, issue of Science News
http://www.sciencenews.org
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