Science News / October 19th, 2002

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In This Issue

Sequencing the dead to save the living: Reviving ancient genomes of long-extinct creatures offers a window into past extinctions—and may help prevent future die outs
No gene is an island: Even as biologists catalog the discrete parts of life forms, an emerging picture reveals that life’s functions arise from interconnectedness
The decider: Informing the debate over the reality of ‘free will’ requires learning something about the lateral habenula
This week's table of contents

October 19th, 2002

Final Word? Breast surgeries yield same survival rate

Women with breast cancer who undergo partial-breast removal are just as likely to survive for at least 20 years as are women who have their entire breast removed. (p. 243)
Dear Mummy: Rare fossil reveals common dinosaur's soft tissue

A mummified dinosaur unearthed in Montana a year ago is giving scientists a rare peek at what the creature's muscles and other soft tissues may have looked like. (p. 243)
Less Crying in the Kitchen: Tasty, tearfree onions on the horizon

The discovery of a new enzyme responsible for creating the tear-inducing chemicals found in onions may herald the arrival of genetically modified tearfree onions. (p. 244)
Celestial Divide: Finding two families of galaxies

By analyzing data from a mammoth sky survey, astromoners have found that galaxies divide into two distinct families, depending on their stellar mass. (p. 244)
Contraceptive-Patch Worry: Disposal concern focuses on wildlife

Some scientists now worry that discarded contraceptive patches may leak synthetic estrogen into the environment, potentially harming wildlife. (p. 245)
Nobel Chemistry: Laureates' techniques enable researchers to probe large biomolecules

The 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized the work of three scientists who created tools for analyzing proteins and other large biological molecules. (p. 245)
Snowball Melting? Ancient formation shows glacier activity

An ancient, well-preserved glacial formation in Oman provided evidence that Earth experienced intermittent ice ages like those in Earth's more recent history. (p. 246)
Spying on Plant Defenses: Insects monitor toxin ramp-up

A common caterpillar can sense when a plant is gearing up to manufacture insecticidal toxins and respond by starting up its own detoxification system. (p. 246)
Shifting Sands

Sand dunes can provide scientists with clues about ancient patterns of wind and precipitation. (p. 248)
Spreading Consciousness

A reanalysis of brain-imaging data links conscious visual experience to activity patterns throughout the brain, challenging the popular view that specific brain areas coordinate this mental state. (p. 251)
Haze clears on sooty climate conditions

The results of a new study suggest that soot plays a bigger role in regional climate changes than scientists had previously realized. (p. 253)
Fossil skull spurs identity dispute

A dispute has broken out over whether a recently discovered, 7-million-year-old fossil skull represents the earliest known member of the human evolutionary family or an ancient ape. (p. 253)
Tests revise image of kangaroo rats

An ecological study of kangaroo rats has revised thinking about how these desert dwellers cope with their stressful home. (p. 253)
Drought-tolerant plant mined for survival genes

A drought-resistant South African plant is revealing its genetic secrets. (p. 254)
Sea squirt's DNA makes a splash

The DNA sequence of a sea squirt may reveal the origins of vertebrates. (p. 254)
Bacterial diet quiets worm genes

Genetically engineered bacteria help biologists turn off worm genes. (p. 254)
Long live the Y?

Researchers have identified a means by which the Y chromosome may forestall, or at least delay, the gradual degradation that some biologists argue will ultimately delete it from the human genome. (p. 254)

Blogs:

Science & the Public Is Your Fish Oil Polluted?
By Janet Raloff Nov 20th 2008

Columns:

Comment Debates over definition of planet continue and inspire
By Alan Stern Nov 21st 2008

Math Trek How to (really) trust a mathematical proof
By Julie Rehmeyer
Mathematicians develop computer proof-checking systems in order to realize century-old dreams of fully precise, accurate mathematics. Nov 14th 2008

Bulletin Board: