More Stories from the April 17, 2004 issue
- Materials Science
Nanotubes take on the Grand Canyon
A new technique can turn forests of carbon nanotubes into a foamlike material with ideal properties for making lightweight shock absorbers.
- Tech
Bacteria churn out new type of electronic paper
Researchers have developed a new way of making flexible electronic paper displays using cellulose derived from bacteria.
- Health & Medicine
A drug to stop diabetes’ onset?
Individuals susceptible to developing type 1 diabetes may find hope in a vaccinelike drug that is showing promise in mouse studies.
- Chemistry
Flame-retardant cotton gets a boost from clay
Mixing cotton fibers with nanoparticles of clay increases the materials' heat tolerance, ultimately rendering new cotton fabrics flame retardant.
- Anthropology
Rock-solid choices of first toolmakers
Human ancestors who took up stone toolmaking in Africa around 2.6 million years ago already showed a proclivity for choosing high-quality pieces of rock, a new study finds.
- Archaeology
Israeli cave yields Stone Age kills
A recently discovered Israeli cave has yielded some of the earliest known evidence of hunting by humans or our evolutionary ancestors, from around 300,000 to 200,000 years ago.
- Astronomy
Sizing up a black hole
Astronomers are closing in on the size of the supermassive black hole that lies at our galaxy's center.
- Health & Medicine
Drug for preemies linked to problems
A steroidal drug used to combat lung inflammation in premature infants appears to have long-term negative effects.
- Earth
Weather Wise: Model may predict El Niño up to 2 years in advance
A new version of a climate-prediction model that includes detailed interactions between the oceans and the atmosphere could be used to foresee the onset of the climate-altering phenomenon known as El Niño.
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Get Mellow, Fellow: Male baboons cooperate after cultural prodding
Researchers say they have found a troop of wild baboons in which females somehow transmit peaceful attitudes to males who transfer into the group.
- Astronomy
Rare Passage: Crab’s X rays probe Titan
Observing a rare celestial alignment, astronomers have made the first X-ray measurement of the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan.
- Health & Medicine
Slimmer Ticks, Less Disease: Tick-semen protein is potential vaccine
An antitick vaccine using a protein that causes female ticks to engorge on blood may control tick populations, a new study suggests.
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Fat Chance: Hormone boosts metabolic rate, induces weight loss in mice
Fat cells secrete a hormone that tells the brain to boost the body's metabolic rate.
- Health & Medicine
Categorizing Cancers: Gene activity predicts leukemia outcome
By dividing acute myeloid leukemia into subtypes on the basis of which genes are abnormally active in a given patient, doctors may be able to predict outcomes and make better treatment decisions.
- Chemistry
Materials Factory: RNA manufactures palladium particles
Chemists have evolved RNA fragments in the lab that spontaneously synthesize highly uniform, hexagonal-shaped nanoparticles of palladium.
- Astronomy
Shades of Venus
On June 8, for the first time in 122 years, the silhouette of Venus will move across the face of the sun.
- Tech
Reinventing the Yo-Yo
No longer simple toys, today's pricey yo-yos sport high-tech features—such as ball bearing transaxles and precision string-snagging mechanisms—that permit dazzling new styles and complex tricks.
- Humans
Letters from the April 17, 2004, issue of Science News
Sphere criticism In “Candy Science: M&Ms pack more tightly than spheres” (SN: 2/14/04, p. 102: Candy Science: M&Ms pack more tightly than spheres), I read that an orb of a given size, when slightly flattened, will pack more densely than when perfectly round. No kidding? Do you suppose if we were to crush cars into […]
