Vol. 170 No. #8
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More Stories from the August 19, 2006 issue

  1. Earth

    Rogue alga routed

    An invasive-species action team has eradicated one of the world's worst weeds, a marine alga, from a California lagoon, its only known foothold in North America.

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  2. Physics

    On-chip lamp scores a bull’s-eye

    Etching nanoscale, concentric ridges around a lamp-on-a-chip known as a light-emitting diode, or LED, brightens the device's glow seven-fold.

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  3. Earth

    Air conditioning could heat the world

    Global warming predicted for the coming decades may decrease winter heating bills in some parts of the United States, but producing the extra electricity needed for summertime air conditioning will create increased emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide.

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  4. Tech

    Hydrogen hopes in carbon shells

    Lithium atoms added to buckyball surfaces bestow on these molecules a remarkable capacity to store hydrogen.

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  5. Tech

    Nanotubes signal when engine oil needs changing

    A new, easy-to-fabricate sensor made from carbon nanotubes detects when automobile-engine oil needs replacement.

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  6. Animals

    Seabirds take record summer vacations

    Sooty shearwaters that breed in New Zealand have set a new record for off-season travel, covering 64,000 kilometers between visits to their mating ground.

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  7. Earth

    Grand Canyon fish seem to be rebounding

    The population of humpback chub, an endangered fish found only in the Colorado River and its tributaries, may be stabilizing in some sections of the Grand Canyon.

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  8. Chemistry

    Mulch matters

    Mulch made from recycled construction and demolition wood can release arsenic into the environment.

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  9. Astronomy

    New Solar System? Twelve planets and counting (Updated)

    According to a new proposal, the solar system has 12 planets instead of the familiar 9, with several dozen more to come.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Fewer Drugs, Same Outcome: Simpler HIV regimens are effective

    In two studies, AIDS clinicians found that standard three-drug regimens fight HIV as well as four-drug treatments do, and that a single drug might maintain a patient's health once the virus is suppressed.

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  11. Earth

    Holy Smoke: Burning incense, candles pollute air in churches

    Incense and candles release substantial quantities of pollutants that may harm health.

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  12. Anthropology

    Evolution’s DNA Difference: Noncoding gene tied to origin of human brain

    Investigators have discovered a gene that shows signs of having evolved rapidly in people and of having made a substantial contribution to the emergence of a uniquely human brain.

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  13. Chemistry

    Tricky Transformation: Bubbling gases tighten, then loosen, the grip of novel molecules on grime

    New compounds make oil mix with water, or not, depending simply on which gases are bubbled through the water.

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  14. Health & Medicine

    Origins of Ache: Immune proteins may yield chronic-pain clues

    People with chronic pain that has no underlying disease have low concentrations of proteins in the cytokine family that restrain inflammation.

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  15. Materials Science

    Logos to Go: Hydrogel coatings provide removable color

    A biodegradable coating could add a temporary splash of color to sports fields, buildings, or even people's bodies.

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  16. Astronomy

    The Sun’s Halo in 3-D

    A new computer map of the sun's outer atmosphere and spacecraft ready for launch are expected to shed new light on the origin of solar eruptions and provide more accurate warning of their impact on Earth.

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  17. Health & Medicine

    The Screen Team

    New and experimental methods of screening for colorectal cancer that patients find less unpleasant than current tests could take a bite out of the malignancy's toll.

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  18. Humans

    Letters from the August 19, 2006, issue of Science News

    Aye carumba Math isn’t the only science that makes it into The Simpsons (“Springfield Theory,” SN: 6/10/06, p. 360). In one episode a few years ago, a meteorite landed near Bart. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. Although most people are under the impression that meteorites are extremely hot, they’re not. […]

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