News
- Astronomy
Starry eruption on a grand scale
Monitoring the bloated star Rho Cassiopeiae, astronomers report they witnessed an explosion that blasted more material into space than any other stellar explosion ever observed.
- Physics
Streams plus nanostrands equals electricity
A dense bundle of carbon nanotubes develops a voltage difference along its length when immersed in a slow-flowing liquid.
- Chemistry
Synthetic molecule may treat anemia
Researchers have created a new form of the protein erythropoietin (EPO) using synthetic chemistry techniques.
- Earth
9/11 ash, and more, found in river muck
Sediment cores pulled from the Hudson River near the World Trade Center site contain a thin layer of metal-rich ash and pulverized debris.
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Catch of the day for cancer researchers
Scientists are using glowing tumor cells inside zebrafish to study how cancer spreads.
- Health & Medicine
Mind Numbing: Anesthesia in baby rats stunts brain development
General anesthetic drugs commonly used in pediatric surgery, when given to baby rats, trigger brain cells to commit a cellular form of suicide that leads to lasting memory and learning deficits.
- Humans
Budget Boosts and Busts: R&D for Defense, NASA garner funding rise
The President's $2.23 trillion federal budget proposal contains nearly $123 billion to fund federal research and development, an increase of about $8 billion over last year’s proposal.
- Agriculture
Bt Cotton: Yields up in India; pests low in Arizona
Two cotton-growing centers that could hardly differ more—small farms in India and industrial fields in Arizona—provide case studies that show the bright side of a widespread genetically engineered crop.
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Bad Sleepers Hurry Death: Snoozing soundly staves off the Big Sleep
Healthy elderly people who experienced difficulty falling or staying asleep die from natural causes at a much higher rate than those who slept well.
- Health & Medicine
Exonerated? Foods’ acrylamide risks appear low
A new study downplays the likelihood that people will develop cancer from eating foods naturally tainted with acrylamide, a building block of many plastics and an animal carcinogen.
- Tech
Columbia Disaster: Why did the space shuttle burn up?
The space shuttle Columbia, which tore apart killing all seven of its crew on Feb. 1 just minutes before it was scheduled to land, may have been doomed since its liftoff.
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Cell phones distract drivers, hands down
Laboratory experiments indicate that using a hands-free cell phone while driving markedly interferes with the ability to maneuver a vehicle safely.
