Putting extra copies of the gene for a cellular growth factor into the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease appears to slow the degenerative condition. (p. 275)

The ability to get by on little sleep may have a strong genetic component, according to a new study in fruit flies. (p. 275)

In the hands of Chinese farmers, varieties of rice genetically modified to fend off insects reduce pesticide use and increase crop yields. (p. 276)

The secret to better popcorn popping is the crystalline structure of the kernel's hull. (p. 276)

The relative proportions of rocks of various sizes in gravel-lined streams remain constant, even during substantial floods. (p. 277)

The largest high-tech tag study yet of Atlantic bluefin tuna suggests that two groups mix on feeding grounds but spawn on opposite sides of the ocean. (p. 277)

A new X-ray portrait of a supernova remnant suggests that this shell of hot gas may be hard to discern if the interstellar medium around the exploded star has extremely low density. (p. 277)

Nerve cells located toward the back of a monkey's brain appear to assist in discerning the goals of specific actions. (p. 278)

Brain studies and cross-cultural investigations indicate that the neural path to becoming a good reader varies, depending on a person's inherent capacity for assessing print and on the design principles of his or her native writing system. (p. 280)

After several months of painstaking work analyzing data from the Huygens probe, planetary scientists are able to see the surface of Saturn's moon Titan in greater detail than ever before. (p. 282)

A tiny mammal that lived in Colorado about 150 million years ago had hollow teeth that lacked enamel, a characteristic that didn't reappear in mammals for another 100 million years. (p. 285)

A compound in licorice homes in on lab-grown cells infected with a herpes virus and induces them to self-destruct. (p. 285)

A brain-damaging toxin, once believed to come only from a group of tropical plants and their live-in microbes, turns out to be much more widespread. (p. 285)

A study in mice shows that a shortage of stomach acid can lead to cancer, apparently as a result of bacterial overgrowth and inflammation. (p. 285)

New measurements show that the planetoid Sedna spins more rapidly than earlier observations had suggested. (p. 286)

The quirks of two kinds of European corn borers are giving researchers a way to study how a single species might split in two. (p. 286)

With global warming, some polluted waters could become graveyards for certain shellfish. (p. 286)

Zinc fortification improved mental skills in children with normal healthy diets, suggesting that the recommended intake for this mineral may need to be raised. (p. 286)

(p. 287)