More Stories from the May 25, 2002 issue
- Astronomy
More evidence for a revved-up universe
By studying the clustering pattern of galaxies, astronomers have obtained additional evidence that cosmic expansion is accelerating.
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Would-be brain boosters need data lift
Research has yet to confirm that the herb Ginkgo biloba and other nonprescription nutrients enhance memory and intellect.
- Health & Medicine
Freeing up the mouse genome
Scientists have assembled the DNA sequences from a strain of the common lab mouse and made the draft genome available for free over the Internet.
- Physics
Tiny tungsten beams lord over light
By filtering radiated heat, a novel microstructure of crisscrossed tungsten beams promises to improve the efficiency of light bulbs and of heat-to-electricity conversion devices.
- Math
Prime Effort: Powerful conjecture may be proved
A mathematician may have finally proved Catalan's conjecture, a venerable problem in number theory concerning relationships among powers of whole numbers.
- Health & Medicine
High elevation linked to hormone dearth
Elderly Peruvian women living at very high altitudes have lower blood concentrations of some key hormones than do their lowland counterparts.
- Health & Medicine
Surgical Option: Removal of ovaries can prevent cancers in women at risk
In women who harbor mutations in one of the BRCA genes, ovary removal reduces the risk of developing ovarian, peritoneal, and breast cancers.
- Materials Science
Beyond Jell-O: New ideas gel in the lab
Researchers have created a new class of hydrogels that might prove useful in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and other biomedical applications.
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Better Mosquito: Transgenic versions spread less malaria
Genetic engineers for the first time have made a mosquito that's wonderfully bad at transmitting malaria.
- Health & Medicine
Look Ma, Too Much Soy: Hormone in infant food reduces immunity in mice
Large doses of the estrogenlike hormones that occur naturally in soybeans weaken the immune systems of mice.
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Verbal Brains: Neural word paths take a mature turn
A new brain-scan study indicates that the pattern of brain responses associated with word knowledge in adults has not fully matured by age 10.
- Humans
Science Derby: Student research and inventions nab awards
On May 12, more than 1,200 high school students came to Louisville, Ky., to vie for more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
- Chemistry
Carbon nanotubes burn when flashed
Carbon nanotubes can ignite when exposed to an ordinary camera flash.
- Anthropology
Searching for the Tree of Babel
Researchers are using new methods of comparing languages to reveal information about the ancestry of different cultural groups and answer questions about human history.
- Tech
Bugs on Mars
Undaunted by the hurdles on flight posed by thin air and a lack of oxygen, aerospace engineers are devising extraordinary flying machines resembling giant insects and windmills to make the exploration of Mars more rapid and effective.
