News
- Humans
Physicist steps up to be science adviser
President Bush has announced that he intends to nominate John Marburger, the head of Brookhaven National Laboratory, as his science advisor.
-
Tree pollen exploits surrogate mothers
An Algerian cypress releases pollen that can develop without fertilization, using another tree species' female organs instead of a mate's.
- Health & Medicine
Nicotine spurs vessel growth, maybe cancer
Test-tube and mouse experiments show that nicotine induces angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels.
- Astronomy
Andromeda feasts on its satellite galaxies
A new study reveals that the Andromeda galaxy, the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way, is a cannibal, devouring its tiny galactic neighbors.
- Earth
Is Nessie merely a bad case of the shakes?
An Italian scientist makes the controversial suggestion that the original source of the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, as well as blame for many of the modern encounters with the supposed beast, may be seismic activity beneath the lake.
- Health & Medicine
Have a heart: Turn on just a single gene
One gene appears to act as the master switch in embryonic heart formation.
- Earth
Landfills Make Mercury More Toxic
Landfill disposal of mercury-containing products can chemically transform the pollutant not only to make it more potent but also to foster its release into air.
-
Textbooks brace for nuclear challenge
New data threaten to shake up 30 years of scientific dogma regarding how a cell carries out one of its most basic tasks: the translation of the genetic code into proteins.
-
Killer yeast win epic battle of toxins
Researchers have discovered the molecular mechanism that keeps a yeast cell programed by a virus to spew a toxin that kills neighboring yeast cells from killing itself.
- Earth
A foamy threat to ozone
Shredding the foam insulation in discarded refrigerators can release significant quantities of chlorofluorocarbons, which pose a threat to Earth's protective ozone layer.
- Earth
Blood points to pollution’s heart risks
As airborne concentrations of fine dust particles climb, so do three blood factors that increase an individual's heart attack risk.
- Health & Medicine
Vitamin E benefits cattle, too
Vitamin E aids immune system function and prevents growth declines in cattle, offering an alternative to potentially dangerous use of low-dose antibiotics.
