More Stories from the March 19, 2005 issue
- Astronomy
Puzzling radio blasts
Astronomers are stumped by powerful radio waves emanating from the center of our galaxy.
- Math
New largest prime discovered
Computers have discovered a new largest prime number with a whopping 7,816,230 digits.
- Animals
Picky-eater termites choose good vibes
Good vibrations may have a lot to do with which pieces of wood a termite attacks.
- Health & Medicine
Tungsten-alloy shrapnel might cause cancer
Wounds caused by shrapnel comprising tungsten alloyed with nickel and cobalt cause cancer in rats, raising questions about the wisdom of using tungsten in munitions.
- Tech
Remembering, on the cheap
A new type of cheap plastic memory bit that stays set even when electrical power is off could facilitate the spread of flexible, radio-equipped tags as price tags, identity labels, and surveillance sensors.
- Tech
Silicon chips land a lasting laser
The first microchip-size silicon lasers promise to boost the maximum speeds of ordinary computers and electronic gadgets.
- Health & Medicine
Hepatitis B link to cancer is clarified
A kind of hepatitis B called genotype C is more likely to lead to liver cancer than are other genotypes of the hepatitis virus.
- Materials Science
Nanostructures mimic Inuit stone sculptures
Chemists have created nanoscale versions Inuit rock sculptures, an advance that could facilitate the development of next-generation sensors and electronic devices.
- Chemistry
Parrot plumage has exclusive pigmentation
The spectacular colors of parrot feathers owe their vibrancy to a set of pigments found nowhere else in nature.
- Planetary Science
Saturn says ‘cheese’
Astronomers have assembled the largest and most-detailed global portrait of the ringed planet ever made.
- Earth
Nano Hazards: Exposure to minute particles harms lungs, circulatory system
Inhaling microscopic nanospheres and nanotubes, as might occur during their manufacture or commercial use, could trigger damage well beyond the lungs.
- Animals
Vampires Run: Bats on treadmills show high-speed gait
The first test of vampire bats on a treadmill shows that they've evolved their own style of running.
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Schizophrenia Syncs Fast: Disconnected brain may lie at heart of disorder
A misalignment of electrical outbursts by large numbers of neurons may play a major role in schizophrenia.
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Sugar Coated: Molecular dress-up may disguise gut bacteria
The mammalian immune system doesn't attack native gut bacteria as foreign invaders because the bacteria disguise themselves with sugar molecules.
- Humans
Student Scientists to Watch: With diverse ideas, young talents win big in annual competition
With science projects by 40 of the nation's brightest high school students arrayed before them last week, judges had the task of weighing the merits of undertakings as diverse as the study of deep-sea volcanism and the development of a promising new antibiotic.
- Health & Medicine
Vitamin E Loses Luster: Nutrient tests show disappointing results
In people who have a history of heart disease or diabetes, vitamin E supplements don't improve overall health and might even boost heart-failure risk.
- Physics
Light’s Hidden Holdup: Reflected laser beams loiter a little
Using an ultrashort pulse laser, physicists have measured a minuscule time delay that affects light reflecting off many surfaces.
- Animals
Cops with Six Legs
Insects commit crimes against their colonies, and researchers are taking a closer look at how these six-legged criminals get punished.
- Earth
A Whiff of Danger
Synthetic fragrance chemicals can inhibit the activity of molecules that cells depend on to eject harmful substances.
- Humans
Letters from the March 19, 2005, issue of Science News
Chew on this As an occasional betel nut chewer, I note that the report “Palm-Nut Problem” (SN: 1/15/05, p. 43) doesn’t touch on possible positive aspects of the habit. Chewing sapari (coarsely powdered, sweetened, and clove-flavored areca nut) at the end of a meal leads to a sense of satisfaction and well-being, induces salivation, and […]
