More Stories from the August 4, 2007 issue
- Health & Medicine
Statin reduces dementia risk
A popular anticholesterol drug reduces older adults' chances of developing dementia.
- Astronomy
Shedding light on the precursor to a supernova
A supernova lights up its surroundings, revealing evidence of what made the star explode.
- Health & Medicine
TB medication offers pain relief
An antibiotic once used to treat tuberculosis may offer relief from chronic pain.
- Earth
Light reaches deep in southeast Pacific
In a remote part of the southeastern Pacific where marine life is sparse, ultraviolet light penetrates to unprecedented depths.
- Humans
More math helps young scientists
Taking more math in high school improves students' college grades in physics, chemistry, and biology.
- Materials Science
Gecko adhesive gets added mussel
A new adhesive that borrows tricks from the gecko and the mussel can stick and detach repeatedly and works even when wet.
- Earth
Metal spews from tires and brake pads
A study in Stockholm says that tires and brake pads emit a variety of metal pollutants despite European regulations aimed at cleaning up these parts.
- Paleontology
Dinosaurs’ gradual rise to dominance
Early dinosaurs didn't quickly eclipse the creatures they evolved from, but lived alongside them for perhaps 20 million years.
- Earth
Slick Death: Oil-spill treatment kills coral
Chemicals used to disperse marine oil spills are more harmful to coral than the oil itself.
- Health & Medicine
Waking Up: Brain stimulator spurs dramatic improvement years after injury
A man who spent 6 years in a minimally conscious state regained the ability to talk, eat, and move after doctors implanted electrodes deep in his brain.
- Earth
Asian Forecast: Hazy, Warmer—Clouds of pollution heat lower atmosphere
Clouds of smoke and soot that blanket many regions of Asia heat the lower atmosphere by the same amount that rising greenhouse gases do.
- Planetary Science
G Whiz! Craft identifies source of faint Saturnian ring
The Cassini spacecraft has discovered the source of particles that make up Saturn's G ring.
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Fatherless Stem Cells: Scientific fraud involved an accidental advance
Stem cells that discredited researcher Woo Suk Hwang claimed as the first example of human cloning actually came from embryos that contained only the mother's genetic material.
- Chemistry
Soot Sense: Test tallies exposure to diesel pollution
A chemical in urine reveals a person's exposure to diesel exhaust.
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- Health & Medicine
New Clues: Gene variations may contribute to MS risk
Variants of two genes encoding immune system proteins may confer a higher risk for multiple sclerosis.
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- Anthropology
Red-Ape Stroll
Wild orangutans regularly walk upright through the trees, raising the controversial possibility that the two-legged stance is not unique to hominids.
- Humans
Letters from the August 4, 2007, issue of Science News
Here comes the sun When “Reaching for Rays: Scientists work toward a solar-based energy system” (SN: 5/26/07, p. 328) says that “scientists don’t expect traditional silicon-based solar cells to become competitive with fossil fuels,” one has to ask, “Ever?” Can anyone accurately predict the future price of polysilicon or of fossil fuels? Peter A. KaczowkaLenox, […]
