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Antibiotics for Muscular Dystrophy?
An antibiotic decreases muscle degeneration in mice with a disorder
resembling a type of muscular dystrophy that makes up about 10 percent of
cases.
No splashdown for moon craft
An initial review of data taken by a slew of telescopes on the ground and in
space reveals no sign that the Lunar Prospector spacecraft dredged up water
when it crashed into the moon, as planned, on July 31.
Fast magnetic pulses trigger bits’
flips
Writing data to conventional magnetic disks might speed up by a factor of
1,000 if industry takes up an experimental, ultrafast way to trigger
magnetization reversals in thin films.
Botanists uproot their old tree of life
A once-obscure shrub appears to represent the first branch on the family
tree of flowering plants.
Fever-induced seizures cause brain changes
A study in rats finds that seizures triggered by heat cause long-lasting
changes in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with adult
epilepsy.
High-protein diets may help hearts
Diets high in protein—whether animal or plant—appear to offer some
protection against heart disease.
Liquid crystal coating controls light
A material that combines a liquid crystal with silicon could one day serve
as the foundation for computer chips that rely on light signals instead of
electric currents.
Shedding light on an ancient supernova
Solving a long-standing puzzle, a new analysis of historical records
suggests that Europeans, as well as Chinese and Japanese astronomers,
witnessed the supernova explosion of A.D. 1054.
Personality Conflicts
A clinical upstart elbows its way into the personality-assessment fray
A new method based on the insights of mental health clinicians challenges
popular approaches to understanding personality.
Fountains of Time
Tossing cold atoms like confetti, atomic-fountain clocks launch a new
era in timekeeping
Atomic-fountain clocks are about to take over—from a hot-atom technology
that has reigned for 50 years—as the world’s most accurate clocks.
Behavior
Biology of social bonds
The hormone oxytocin may play a role in women’s ability to enjoy and
maintain close relationships.
Prescription for restraint in ADHD
Contrary to widespread fears, physicians do not overprescribe stimulant
medications for kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a study
finds.
Biomedicine
Thyroid cancer rose after Chernobyl
Researchers report hard proof that the incidence of childhood thyroid cancer
in northern Ukraine has soared since the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in
1986 released radioactive pollution, including iodine.
Antiviral drug limits heart disease
When given after a heart transplant, ganciclovir seems to reduce the risk of
heart disease later on.
Physics
Ion collider, doomsday fears rev up
The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider—a powerful particle accelerator
designed to probe primordial matter from the Big Bang—is cranking up for
its first experiments, while scientists fend off speculation that its use
may destroy the planet by creating a black hole.
Taking bytes from molecular sandwiches
A sandwich of metals with a filling of synthetic organic molecules called
rotaxanes behaves like a computer bit, raising the possibility of cheap,
extremely powerful computers that use single-molecule components.
