All Stories

Life

Central dogma of genetics maybe not so central

In thousands of genes, RNA frequently fails to accurately transcribe DNA.

Tech

Election projections for science investments

The November 2, mid-term election results are in (mostly) and pundits are billing it as a historic turnabout. With a divided Congress, passing legislation — never an easy task — risks becoming harder still. And with fiscal austerity having been a leading campaign issue for the newbies, R&D is unlikely to see a major boost in federal funding during the next two years.

Space

Magnetars may fuel briefer bursts

Rapidly spinning neutron stars could be the source of some short gamma-ray explosions, astronomers propose.

Planetary Science

New rock type found on moon

Odd spots on the lunar farside could be ancient material that originated deep inside the moon.

Tech

Coming soon: Holographic Skype

The creators of the fastest telepresence system to date predict real-time 3-D TV in a decade.

Tech

Plenty of foods harbor BPA, study finds

Some communities have banned the sale of plastic baby bottles and sippy cups that are manufactured using bisphenol A, a hormone-mimicking chemical. In a few grocery stores, cashiers have already begun donning gloves to avoid handling thermal receipt paper whose BPA-based surface coating may rub off on the fingers. But how’s a family to avoid exposure to this contaminant when it taints the food supply?

Health & Medicine

MRIs pinpoint time of stroke

Doing a magnetic resonance scan promptly when a patient arrives at a hospital could render more patients eligible for a time-sensitive clot-busting therapy that can limit brain damage.

Chemistry

Skin is no barrier to BPA, study shows

The new finding suggests handling store receipts could be a significant source of internal exposure to the hormone-mimicking chemical.

Earth

Arctic lake yields climate record

A Siberian drilling project goes to great lengths to capture an ancient climate record in a 3.6 million-year-old crater.

Humans

BP gusher left deep sea toxic for a time, study finds

In the early weeks after the damaged BP well began gushing huge quantities of oil and gas, a toxic brew was developing deep below the surface in plumes emanating from the wellhead. Finned fish and marine mammals probably steered well clear of the spewing hydrocarbons. But planktonic young — larval critters and algae that ride the currents — would have been proverbial sitting ducks.

Physics

Entanglement loophole closed

A long-distance experiment rejects a challenge to quantum physics.

Tech

Trading places

As the pace of financial transactions accelerates, researchers look forward to a time when the only limiting factor is the speed of light.