More Stories from the May 11, 2002 issue
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Boys take a tumble
A long-term study of children from grades 1 through 12 finds a disturbing tendency for boys to report much larger declines in appraisals of their academic abilities than do girls.
- Health & Medicine
No benefit from screening
Two large studies confirm that a urine test for a common childhood cancer—neuroblastoma—offers no benefit.
- Physics
Detector spots solar chameleons
A new measurement of the sun's emission of ghostly neutrinos indicates that the prevailing theory of particle physics needs repair.
- Astronomy
Physics-astronomy merger wins big
A new report recommends fostering the extraordinary collaboration taking place between particle physics and astronomy.
- Health & Medicine
With this bait, TB won’t play possum
An oral tuberculosis vaccine, designed to help curtail the spread of the disease in wildlife populations, may also find use in people.
- Health & Medicine
Fetal stress begets adult hypertension
Intense stress during pregnancy may program the baby's development in ways that foster high blood pressure during adulthood.
- Health & Medicine
Could nicotine patch fight depression?
Chronic nicotine administration blocked a symptom of depression in an animal model of the disease.
- Earth
September’s Science: Shutdown of airlines aided contrail studies
The shutdown of commerical aviation within the United States for 3 days after Sept. 11, 2001, provided scientists with a unique opportunity to study the influence of high-flying jet aircraft on Earth's climate.
- Animals
Dogged Dieting: Low-cal canines enjoy longer life
The first completed diet-restriction study in a large animal shows that labrador retrievers fed 25 percent less food than those allowed to eat as much as they desired tend to live longer and suffer fewer age-related diseases.
- Physics
Unexpected Boost: A superconductivity killer’s silver lining
Among superconductors—materials able to conduct electricity without resistance—an effect that normally diminishes current-carrying ability surprisingly turns out to sometimes enhance it.
- Chemistry
Minimotor: Single molecule does some work
A single molecule has performed mechanical work—pulling and releasing a cantilever tip—when exposed to light.
- Health & Medicine
Hidden Damage: Parkinson’s harm to nerves in heart may explain dizziness and fainting
Parkinson's disease patients have damaged nerve endings in the heart, kidneys, and thyroid gland, suggesting the disease harms the autonomic nervous system that regulates involuntary functions of these and other organs and glands.
- Health & Medicine
Feel the Burn: Alcohol sets pain-sensing nerves aflame
Alcohol makes certain pain-generating nerves trigger more easily than normal.
- Animals
No Tickling: Common caterpillars deploy defensive hair
The caterpillars of the European cabbage butterfly have a chemical defense system that scientists haven't documented before.
- Math
Filling In Blanks
Researchers are developing automated methods based on differential equations to reduce the time and effort required to fix digital images, not only to fill in blank areas but also to remove extraneous objects.
- Earth
Tornado Alley, USA
A new model that simulates 30,000 years worth of tornadoes in the United States finds that the place not to be if you fear funnel clouds is southeastern Oklahoma, where any particular spot can expect to get damaged once every 4,000 years.
