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Have Milky Way MACHOs Been Found?
Hubble Space Telescope images hint that faint, elderly white dwarfs may
account for a significant fraction of the dark matter in the Milky Way.
Berry good protection for aging
brains
When older rats downed diets supplemented with antioxidant-rich
blueberries, many age-related degenerative changes were reversed.
Insulin attracts immune wrath in diabetes
Immune T cells that attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas of a
person with diabetes are drawn there by a portion of the insulin molecule
itself.
DNA strands connect the quantum dots
DNA can link tiny particles of cadmium selenide to form three-dimensional
arrays potentially useful as biological sensors.
Pheromone cuts down a male’s flirting time
The latest of only a handful of vertebrate pheromones that have been
identified is a protein in a male salamander’s chin that speeds
courtship.
Mentally ill showcase decision abilities
Psychiatric patients may have a greater understanding of research
procedures and involuntary hospitalization than they are sometimes given
credit for.
China yields a flock of downy dinosaurs
A new fossil discovery suggests that many types of predatory dinosaurs had
coats of downlike fibers.
Taking the pop out of cell-like balloons
Adding thickener to solutions containing cell-like vesicles slows down the
shrinking of pores in membranes, suggesting that the same trick may also
make other membrane transformations take longer in living cells.
Sculpting Virtual Reality
3-D models offer new ways of seeing art
Digital imaging enables art historians and other researchers to view large
statues from different heights and angles and in different lighting.
Unraveling the Mystery of Melanin
Does a tan protect skin from sun damage or contribute to it?
By studying melanin’s response to light in test-tube experiments,
chemists hope to unravel how it functions in the skin.
Astronomy
Speeding to the solar system’s edge
Researchers hope to propel a spacecraft to the edge of the solar system by
blowing a magnetic bubble into space.
Looking for alien life from home
Anyone with a desktop computer and downloaded software can help search for
extraterrestrial life.
Mars spacecraft gets a landing site
Gently sloping terrain near the Martian south pole will serve as the
welcome mat for the Dec. 3 arrival of the Mars Polar Lander.
Behavior
Melatonin lag for jet travelers
Taking melatonin to ease the symptoms of jet lag may work no better than
taking placebo pills.
Warning on elderly mental health
A dramatic surge in the number of elderly people with mental disorders
over the next 30 years may swamp the health-care system.
Physics
Maze-like ratchet sorts biomolecules
A novel device that harnesses random jiggling of particles in a liquid can
separate different cell-membrane proteins.
Plastic reaches to meet silicon guide
A new method that may prove useful for creating plastic electronic
circuits entices a melted polymer to grow up to a silicon template,
copying the template’s micrometer-scale bumps and grooves in a plastic
mirror image.
