Chemicals used to disperse marine oil spills are more harmful to coral than the oil itself. (p. 67)

A man who spent 6 years in a minimally conscious state regained the ability to talk, eat, and move after doctors implanted electrodes deep in his brain. (p. 67)

Clouds of smoke and soot that blanket many regions of Asia heat the lower atmosphere by the same amount that rising greenhouse gases do. (p. 68)

The Cassini spacecraft has discovered the source of particles that make up Saturn's G ring. (p. 68)

Stem cells that discredited researcher Woo Suk Hwang claimed as the first example of human cloning actually came from embryos that contained only the mother's genetic material. (p. 69)

A chemical in urine reveals a person's exposure to diesel exhaust. (p. 69)

Wrinkles reveal a thin film's thickness and elasticity. (p. 69)

Variants of two genes encoding immune system proteins may confer a higher risk for multiple sclerosis. (p. 70)

Wild orangutans regularly walk upright through the trees, raising the controversial possibility that the two-legged stance is not unique to hominids. (p. 72)

Life's effects on a planet's terrain show up only in surprisingly subtle ways. (p. 74)

A popular anticholesterol drug reduces older adults' chances of developing dementia. (p. 77)

A supernova lights up its surroundings, revealing evidence of what made the star explode. (p. 77)

An antibiotic once used to treat tuberculosis may offer relief from chronic pain. (p. 77)

In a remote part of the southeastern Pacific where marine life is sparse, ultraviolet light penetrates to unprecedented depths. (p. 77)

Taking more math in high school improves students' college grades in physics, chemistry, and biology. (p. 78)

A new adhesive that borrows tricks from the gecko and the mussel can stick and detach repeatedly and works even when wet. (p. 78)

A study in Stockholm says that tires and brake pads emit a variety of metal pollutants despite European regulations aimed at cleaning up these parts. (p. 78)

Early dinosaurs didn't quickly eclipse the creatures they evolved from, but lived alongside them for perhaps 20 million years. (p. 78)

(p. 79)