American Scientist Online

So Much to Learn About the Oceans From Sand

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:15:00 EST

CORVALLIS, Ore.—As a young geophysicist in the 1980s, Rob Holman attended a conference in San Francisco that included a field trip to a beach. Dr. Holman, who grew up inland, in Ottawa, stared at the ocean, assessing the strengths and vectors of the waves and currents. But when he looked around, everyone else was studying the sand. ...

from the New York Times (Registration Required)

Bush to Protect Three Areas in Pacific

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:12:00 EST

President Bush will create three new marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean today, according to his top aides, a move that will help preserve sprawling sea and island ecosystems and cement the one aspect of his legacy that has won praise, sometimes grudgingly, from many environmentalists. ...

from the Washington Post (Registration Required)

Brain Pacemaker Helps Parkinson's, But With Risks

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:09:00 EST

CHICAGO (Associated Press)—Parkinson's sufferers who had electrodes implanted in their brains improved substantially more than those who took only medicine, according to the biggest test yet of deep brain stimulation. ...

from the Houston Chronicle

Baby Jupiter's Huge Weight Gain

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:06:00 EST

The planet Jupiter must have gained mass fast during its infancy, according to astronomers. It had to, because the material from which the planet formed disappeared in just a few million years. After studying other stars, the US team came to the conclusion that gas giants like Jupiter must grow rapidly. ...

from BBC News Online

A Large-Size Focus on Life Lived Small

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:03:00 EST

NEW ORLEANS—Zack Lemann opened the thick acrylic terrarium marked "Dung Beetles" and began poking around in the dirt and, uh, beetle food with the delicate vigor of a practiced surgeon. A moment later he emerged with a piece of live jewelry balanced on his fingertip: Phanaeus vindex, the rainbow scarab. "Isn't it a beauty?" Mr. Lemann said proudly. "Purple, green and gold—as close to Mardi Gras colors as you can get." ...

from the New York Times (Registration Required)

Milky Way as Massive as 3 Trillion Suns

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:59:00 EST

LONG BEACH, Calif.—Hey Andromeda, you’d better watch out. Turns out your little brother, the Milky Way galaxy, isn’t so little after all. In fact, the Milky Way is just as massive, weighing in at the new estimate of 3 trillion suns, according to a new study. ...

from Science News

Darwin Missed 'Earliest' Galapagos Species

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:56:00 EST

It is one of the most studied parts of the world, and played a major part in shaping Darwin's thinking about the origin of species—yet the Galapagos Islands continue to give more to our understanding of biology. ...

from New Scientist

Of Cells and Wires

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:48:00 EST

... While eagerly awaited by people who cannot walk, neuroprosthetics such as implantable electrodes have also captured the imagination of those who fantasize about carrying out actions with their minds alone. Imagine walking into your classroom and turning on the lights, then flicking through your Powerpoint slides with a thought. ...

from the Scientist (Registration Required)

Does Exercise Really Make You Healthier?

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:45:00 EST

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) late last year released its new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, calling for adults between the ages of 18 and 64 to exercise moderately (such as brisk walking or water aerobics) for at least two hours and 30 minutes or vigorously (running, swimming, or cycling 10 mph or faster) for at least an hour and 15 minutes weekly. ...

from the Scientific American

Vitamins Get 'F' in Cancer Prevention

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:41:00 EST

A flotilla of recent studies—including two papers published today—has sunk the notion that individual vitamin supplements prevent cancer. With so many earlier studies suggesting that people can eat their way to longer lives, experts acknowledge that their latest findings may leave people confused and even frustrated. ...

from USA Today

One World, Many Minds: Intelligence in the Animal Kingdom

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:55:00 EST

One of the most common misconceptions about brain evolution is that it represents a linear process culminating in the amazing cognitive powers of humans, with the brains of other modern species representing previous stages. ...

from the Scientific American

Risk Mismanagement

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:49:00 EST

There aren't many widely told anecdotes about the current financial crisis, at least not yet, but there’s one that made the rounds in 2007, back when the big investment banks were first starting to write down billions of dollars in mortgage-backed derivatives and other so-called toxic securities. ...

from the New York Times Magazine (Registration Required)

Easy as 1, 2, 3

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:45:00 EST

"One great blooming, buzzing confusion" was how William James, a 19th-century psychologist, described the way he thought the world looked to a newborn baby. But experiments ... have convinced researchers that, on the contrary, babies are born with many ways of making sense of what they see and hear. ...

from the Economist

Core of the Galaxy in High-Res

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:40:00 EST

LONG BEACH, Calif.—Astronomers have produced the sharpest infrared portrait of the central 300 light-years of the Milky Way, showing details as small as 20 times the length of the solar system. ...

from Science News

History of the Hysterical Man

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:34:00 EST

In his new book, Hysterical Men: The Hidden History of Male Nervous Illness, Mark Micale, a professor of the history of medicine at the University of Illinois, explores the medical tradition of ignoring masculine "hysteria," and its cultural consequences. ...

from Smithsonian Magazine

Mars Rovers Roll on to Five Years

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:28:00 EST

The US space agency's (Nasa) Mars rovers are celebrating a remarkable five years on the Red Planet. The first robot, named Spirit, landed on 3 January, 2004, followed by its twin, Opportunity, 21 days later. ...

from the BBC News Online

Health Fears Grow as Fake Drugs Flood into Britain

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:23:00 EST

They were made in China, labelled in French and then shipped to Singapore. They ended up in Liverpool and from there were sold straight into the heart of the NHS. ...

from the Guardian (UK)

How Underground 'Hot Rocks' Could Power America's Future

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:17:00 EST

Could hot rocks miles below the earth's surface be the "killer app" of the energy industry? ...

from the Christian Science Monitor

Gene Tied to Spread of Breast Cancer Is Found, Study Says

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:09:00 EST

Researchers have identified a gene that appears crucial to the spread of breast cancer while also making the disease resistant to chemotherapy. ...

from the Baltimore Sun

Biggest Known Landslide Found on Mars?

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:04:00 EST

A Texas-size asteroid that hit ancient Mars may have triggered a United States-size landslide—the largest known anywhere—scientists say. ...

from National Geographic News