When the Three Gorges Dam begins to impound the waters of the Yangtze River in China later this year, dozens of mountains and other elevated areas upstream will become islands—an outcome that will probably devastate the rich diversity of species now living along the river. (p. 323)

Surgery to remove diseased portions of the upper lungs can help emphysema patients breathe more efficiently, depending on the patient's health and where the damaged tissues are. (p. 323)

Honeybees kept just a bit cool when young grow up looking normal but dancing badly, which impedes their ability to communicate with other bees. (p. 324)

From childhood through adolesence, the process of learning to read involves an amplification of specific types of left-brain activity and a dampening of right-brain responses, a new brain-imaging study finds. (p. 324)

Belying its location in the deep freeze of the outer solar system, Neptune may undergo a change of seasons. (p. 325)

A new sensor using gold nanoparticles and tailor-made DNA strands offers simple and reliable detection of lead in paint. (p. 326)

A century after two brothers from Ohio launched the first powered aircraft, more than 1,200 students from 31 countries descended on Cleveland to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. (p. 326)

Beyond their undeniable beauty, images of nearby, starlit clouds of gas and dust, known as HeII nebulae, may reveal properties of the very first stars in the universe. (p. 328)

New research suggests that the ability to infer the thoughts and feelings of others grows out of a capacity for imitation exhibited by human infants and perhaps by other animals, as well. (p. 330)

Malnutrition around the time of conception may promote early delivery of offspring. (p. 333)

The discovery of two new subatomic particles with unexpectedly low masses is making physicists reconsider how fundamental particles called quarks interact. (p. 333)

Small bony growths that developed in the ears of fish more than 65 million years ago are providing a wealth of information about the species’ environment and lifestyle. (p. 333)

Thwarting the production of immune proteins that induce inflammation prevents diabetes-prone mice from developing the disease. (p. 333)

Toxic chemicals can end up in recycled paper, making release of these reused materials into the environment potentially harmful. (p. 334)

Sunlight can break down common flame retardants, now nearly ubiquitous in the environment, into unusual chemicals in the dioxin family. (p. 334)

Reproductive anomalies in eel-like fish may represent good markers of exposure to hormones or pollutants that mimic them. (p. 334)

The highest North American concentrations of at least one air pollutant from Asia can be found in Newfoundland, the continent's easternmost region. (p. 334)