Uncategorized
-
From Here to Infinity: A Vision for the Future of Science by Martin Rees
An astrophysicist proposes ways for scientists and the public to tackle problems together, from climate change and energy to health care and population growth. W.W. Norton & Co., 2012, 144 p., $23.95
-
A Field Guide to Radiation by Wayne Biddle
From “absorbed dose” to zirconium-95, this alphabetical collection of essays makes an interesting guide to the nuclear age. Penguin, 2012, 258 p., $16
- Planetary Science
Planetary Peekaboo
Astronomers aren’t playing games when it comes to spotting an exoEarth.
- Tech
When Networks Network
Once studied solo, systems display surprising behavior when they interact.
- Chemistry
Too-young caterpillars like scent of sex
Larvae respond to mate-attracting pheromones, raising evolutionary questions about what a very grown-up chemical signal could mean to them.
- Humans
Herders, not farmers, built Stonehenge
Farming’s temporary demise in ancient Britain may have spurred the creation of the iconic stone circle.
- Planetary Science
Voyager chasing solar system’s edge
On the 35th anniversary of the spacecraft’s launch, scientists ponder when it will move beyond the sun’s reach.
- Life
Team releases sequel to the human genome
ENCODE reveals the machinery that switches genes on and off.
- Health & Medicine
MRI spots silent heart attacks
Scanning elderly population finds many people with telltale cardiac damage that was not diagnosed.
- Earth
Earth & Environment
Soot’s contributions to global warming may be overestimated, and unusual source of oceans’ methane discovered.
- Health & Medicine
Military combat marks the brain
Regions involved in memory and attention changed after soldiers' deployment, though most eventually returned to their pre-combat state.
- Space
Another potentially habitable world emerges
The newfound planet orbits a common type of dwarf star, suggesting even more may be out there.
