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After the Deluge
October 3, 1998 | Volume 154 | Number 14
Cover: On July 17, one of the most deadly tsunamis
of the century swept the north shore of Papua New Guinea, carrying away most all traces of
habitation from this beach. The four posts leaning in the foreground are all that
remain of a house destroyed by the waves. In the background, a pail hangs in a tree,
showing that water reached at least 7 meters above sea level. (Photo: Costas Synolakis) |
 Click on this icon listed by each article to get full references and
sources. |
News of the Week:
Asian DNA Enters Human Origins Fray
A new genetic
analysis of blood samples from half of China’s 58 official ethnic groups and 11 other
groups indicates that East Asian populations derive from a lineage in Southeast Asia that
originated in Africa.
Where there’s smoke,
there are sprites
Smoke from
massive forest fires in Mexico this spring altered the polarity of lightning thousands of
miles away over the central United States.
Killer toxin’s punch lies below the belt
The newly
determined three-dimensional structure of the toxin that causes botulism reveals a
surprising feature that may require new approaches to development of treatments for the
deadly, muscle-paralyzing disease.
Exposure to smoke yields fetal mutations
Babies born
to mothers who were exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke have more cancer-related mutations
in a key gene than babies born to unexposed mothers.
Amazon forests caught in
fiery feedback
A thin ribbon
of flame creeping through an Amazon forest can trigger a vicious cycle, in which
successive fires cause much greater damage.
Probing the heart of extragalactic jets
By
identifying the composition of high-speed jets of material that stream out from quasars
and other active galactic nuclei, astronomers are beginning to home in on processes just
outside a massive black hole.
Another slinky candidate for galaxy seeds
Supercomputer
simulations bolster a theory that writhing strands of magnetic energy called semilocal
strings may have helped shape the early universe.
Brain cell death remains unsolved mystery
New data
challenges the theory that abnormal clumps of mutant proteins cause the cell death
characteristic of neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington’s disease.
Chemistry
Dryer lint snares more than just fuzz
Analyzing
laundry dryer lint appears to be an easy, nonintrusive way to screen homes for elevated
lead levels.
All we need now is a nanocable guy
Researchers
have made a miniature, mulitlayer wire less than 50 nanometers in diameter.
Silver flashes red, yellow, and green
Tiny grains
of silver glow in different colors depending on their size.
Environment
Keeping methyl bromide under wraps
Covering soil
with tarps doesn’t keep methyl bromide, a common pesticide and ozone-depleting gas,
from causing an environmental problem.
Chernobyl linked to autoimmune disease
Children
exposed to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident have developed autoimmune thyroid
abnormalities at seven times the rate of children living upwind of the reaction.
Computers
Chaotic route to computation
A network of
chaotic systems can operate as a computer to add numbers or process information.
Factoring reaches new heights
Researchers
factored a 186-digit number—the largest yet cracked—using 88 computers running
42 days and a technique called the special number field sieve.
The Priests’ Chromosome?
DNA analysis supports the biblical story of the Jewish priesthood
An analysis
of Y chromosomes, which pass from father to son, indicates that Jewish priests, or
cohanim, may stem from an ancestor who lived several thousands years ago.
Waves of Death
Why the New Guinea tsunami carries bad news for North America
The recent
disaster in Papua New Guinea teaches that earthquakes need not be large to produce
devastating ocean waves.
Letters: A
Selection from Letters to the Editor
