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Extrasolar Planets: Out of the
Shadows
Two teams of researchers have for the first time detected the shadow cast
by an extrasolar planet passing in front of the sunlike star it orbits.
DNA furnishes tips to mental retardation
Subtle genetic alterations may represent one of the most common causes of
moderate to severe mental retardation.
First plum pox turns up in North
America
The first North American outbreak of a dreaded fruit-tree virus has
prompted calls for emergency action to control the disease.
Traffic may worsen hay fever and
asthma
Vehicles churn up road dust laden with pollen and molds, polluting urban
air with allergens.
Do offshore wells fight natural pollution?
Some oil and gas wells may help clean up natural pollutants leaking from
the seafloor off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif.
Thalidomide combats myeloma blood cancer
Thalidomide, once banned for causing birth defects, does better than
standard chemotherapy in stopping multiple myeloma in some patients.
Innovative crystal
Chemists have fashioned a sturdy crystal that has organic struts yet is
mostly empty space.
Single-wave sounds streak through air
A steel tube studded with bulb-like protrusions has generated the world’s
first acoustic solitary wave in air.
Smart Outfit
Computers worn like clothes may alter the fabric of everyday life
Wearable computers with an awareness of the environment and mobile access
to the Internet may transform the lives of average people if such devices
can be made powerful and fashionable enough.
Quantum Games
Taking advantage of quantum effects to attain a winning edge
Theorists studying quantum computation offer new perspectives on coin
tossing, chess, and game theory.
Biomedicine
Thymus tissue heals DiGeorge syndrome
Transplants of thymus tissue into babies born without this essential gland
have given these children a functioning immune system.
Large aneurysms may benefit from coil
Frail or elderly patients who have a dangerous blood-vessel bulge might
benefit from surgery that uses a catheter to deliver tiny coils to seal
off the aneurysm.
Environment
Lake herbicides reach onshore wells
A single application of herbicides to lakes can lead to contamination of
inland drinking-water wells for more than 6 months.
Power lines rewire avian hormone
Electromagnetic fields associated with electric-power transmission lines
can subtly affect the production of melatonin in birds, potentially
resetting their biological clocks.
Paleontology
Smuggled Chinese dinosaur to fly home
A fossil taken illegally from China and found at a Utah sale provides a
missing link between birds and dinosaurs.
Technology
Clean-air allies: Rickshaws get a
lift
Improved cycling technology has produced a lighter, easier-to-pedal
rickshaw, which may help perpetuate this nonpolluting, human-powered means
of transport.
Clean-air allies: No-solvent paint spares the air
Because a new type of paint is made in a special manufacturing process and
contains no solvent, it emits none of the troublesome, tightly regulated
toxic chemicals known as volatile organic compounds.
