Tallying Nitrogen's Increasing Impact

Human activities have doubled the natural background rate of nitrogen fixation on land.

Car phones jack up risk of collisions

Both driving while phoning and driving while intoxicated at least quadruple a driver's risk of having a collision.

Younger stars and an older, bigger cosmos

Using the Hipparcos satellite to measure stellar distances, astronomers find that the oldest stars in the Milky Way are considerably younger than believed and the universe slightly older.

Fish oil gets a garlic chaser for the heart

Garlic supplements erase a cardiovascular risk that had tarnished fish oil's otherwise heart-friendly image.

Combat vets show shifting trauma memories

Memories of combat-related traumatic events have changed considerably over time among Operation Desert Storm veterans, although the implications of this finding for the veracity of recovered memories of past traumas remains unclear.

New gene clearly resolves an eye debate

The activity of a recently discovered gene reveals that a vertebrate's two eyes originate from a single region within the embryo rather than independently.

Science Funding Slips in 1998 Budget

In President Clinton's 1998 budget proposal, total funding for research and development would drop by 0.4 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Research Notes:

Chemistry:

How antioxidants defend cells

Two recent studies shed light on how cells protect themselves against free radical damage by using antioxidants that are both outside the cell and part of the cell proteins themselves.

Earth Science:

Ocean's impact on climate predictions

A computer model illustrates how the North Atlantic has a stabilizing effect on climate in Europe and western Asia.

Gauging gas reserves

A new measuring technique suggests there may be larger reserves of natural gas beneath the ocean floor than previously thought.

Articles:

Jomon Genes

Using DNA, researchers probe the genetic origins of modern Japanese

The distribution of a Y chromosome segment among Asian populations offers new clues about the origin of the Jomon, the first inhabitants of Japan.

The Birth of a Breast Cancer

Do adult diseases start in the womb?

Factors in the womb may boost the future risk of breast cancer and other chronic diseases.

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Letters:

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