Uncategorized
- Humans
Skeptical Brains
At the Web site of the McDonnell Foundation, a private funder of scientific research, peruse examples of recent media misinterpretations of brain studies—as chosen by foundation staffers—at a page titled “BAD Neuro-Journalism.” Go to: http://www.jsmf.org/about/s/badneuro/index.htm
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Pinpointing Poachers: Gene sleuths map illicit elephant kills
A new, genetics-based technique for determining ivory's place of origin is geographically precise enough to aid forensic pursuit of African elephant poachers.
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Two-Headed Memories: Collaboration gives recall lift to elderly
Collaboration with a spouse improves the accuracy of older people's memories on tasks such as remembering items on a shopping list or identifying familiar landmarks on a local map.
- Animals
Beat Goes On: Carp heart keeps pace when fish lacks oxygen
Without oxygen, a Scandinavian fish not only can survive but also maintains a normal heartbeat for days.
- Earth
Humming Along: Ocean waves may cause global seismic noise
The slow and nearly constant vibrations of Earth's crust stem from severe winter weather over some of the world's oceans.
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I would have thought that it is more likely that Earth’s hum creates the weather patterns than the other way around. Judy AngelGlasgow, Scotland
- Physics
Wake Up, Little Surfers: Riding waves toward tabletop accelerators
Prospects that today's giant particle accelerators could shrink to the size of rooms look better than ever, now that new experiments have produced electron pulses of uniform energy from laser-powered accelerators that act over millimeter distances.
- Astronomy
Big Smash: Galaxy clusters in collision
Astronomers have unveiled the most detailed image ever taken of the collision of two clusters of galaxies.
- Chemistry
Buckyballs at Bat: Toxic nanomaterials get a tune-up
The soccer-ball-shaped carbon molecules known as buckyballs are toxic to human cells, yet coating the particles can switch off their toxicity.
- Planetary Science
Tiny scope spies distant planet
Using a telescope not much bigger than Galileo's, astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting a star 500 light-years from Earth.
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As a decaf drinker, I found myself shouting, “What about caffeine”?” as I read your article. How can any report not, at least, mention its involvement or lack thereof? Greg TulloRaleigh, N.C. Researcher Pertti Happonen suspects that caffeine was responsible for the effects seen in his study, but since Finns don’t drink much decaf, he […]
- Health & Medicine
Coffee’s curious heart effects
Very high or low daily consumption of coffee appears to pose far more of a heart risk than drinking moderately.
