February 11th, 2012

In the February 25 Issue:

February 11th, 2012

Deep Life

Teeming masses of organisms thrive beneath the seafloor (p. 18)
Emblems of Awareness

Brain signatures lead scientists to the seat of consciousness (p. 22)
Self as Symbol

The loopy nature of consciousness trips up scientists studying themselves (p. 28)
Amazon may become greenhouse gas emitter

South America’s massive rain forest may soon release more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs. (p. 5)
Diet of a dying star

Astronomers pinpoint what feeds a type of stellar explosion. (p. 8)
New maps of the cosmic dark

Probing galactic distortions reveals web of invisible matter. (p. 8)
Big score for the hot hand

Hot hands exist in professional volleyball and influence game strategy. (p. 9)
Babies lip-read before talking

Tots acquire the gift of gab by matching adults’ mouth movements to spoken words. (p. 9)
Rhino beetle’s horn may be cheap

Outrageous-looking head spikes on the male of the species may not cost much in evolutionary terms. (p. 10)
Green gleam helps fish see violet

A deep-sea fish's eyes apparently use fluorescence to pick up hard-to-detect hues, researchers conclude. (p. 10)
Eight-legged evolution exploits editing

Octopuses adapt to water temperature with tweaks to how genes are copied, not DNA itself. (p. 11)
Small efforts to reduce methane, soot could have big effect

Simple measures could slow global warming and reduce premature deaths. (p. 12)
Recirculation aided Gulf plume’s degradation

Two new studies help explain fate of pollutants released in the biggest offshore spill in U.S. history. (p. 12)
Light pot smoking easy on lungs

Infrequent marijuana users show a slight improvement in breathing capacity and middling smokers had no change, a 20-year study shows. (p. 14)
Drug gives rats booze-guzzling superpowers

Rodents that consume alcohol along with a compound derived from an ancient herbal remedy get less drunk, recover faster and appear less prone to addiction. (p. 14)
Europeans' heartfelt ignorance

Many people in nine countries don't know how to recognize or react to heart attacks and strokes. (p. 15)
Proteins may warn of diabetic kidney disease risk

Patients who have high levels of compounds called TNF receptors in their blood have a heightened risk of developing renal failure, two studies suggest. (p. 15)
Intel Science Talent Search names top 40 finalists

More than 1,800 high school students entered the 2012 competition. (p. 16)
Memory: Fragments of a Modern History by Alison Winter

(p. 31)
A Great Aridness: Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest by William DeBuys

(p. 31)
Science Past from the issue of February 10, 1962

(p. 4)
Science Future for February 11, 2012

(p. 4)
SN Online

(p. 4)
Letters

(p. 31)
Plant something new

Better produce and protecting food staples at the USDA. (p. 32)

Blogs:

On the Scene Archaeoacoustics: Tantalizing, but fantastical
By Science News Staff Feb 17th 2012

Science & the Public Faulty comparisons
By Janet Raloff Feb 8th 2012

Deleted Scenes Moony shot
By Science News Staff Oct 31st 2011

Columns:

Comment Mind the gap: Genetic knowledge and medical power
By James P. Evans Apr 22nd 2011

Not to Miss:

Special Report: Consciousness

Special edition: Cosmic questions

Special edition: Quantum

Science News Prime website

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