Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Physics
Some ‘ball lightning’ reports may be hallucinations
Magnetic fields generated by real bolts could trigger visual effects in the brain.
- Earth
BP’s estimate of spill rate is way low, engineer suggests
“It’s not rocket science.” That’s how a Purdue University mechanical engineer described his calculations of startling amounts of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from fissures in heavily damaged piping at a BP drill site. During a May 19 science briefing convened by a House subcommittee, Steve Wereley walked members of Congress through his use of particle image velocimetry to explain how he and other engineers track changes in video images of gases or liquids to estimate the volumes billowing before their eyes.
- Chemistry
Exposure of moms-to-be to hormone-mimicking chemical may affect kids years later
In mice, BPA can cause pregnancy complications that can also trigger later metabolic effects in both moms and grown male offspring.
- Humans
Young scientists and engineers get inspired
As I walked around the convention center in San Jose, Calif., last week talking with students at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, I was struck by how many of the projects were inspired by something personal. These young scientists noticed that something was wrong, and then—here’s the best part—they actually tried to fix it.
- Chemistry
A new source of dioxins: Clean hands
Manufacturers have been adding the germ fighter triclosan to soaps, hand washes, and a range of other products for years. But here’s a dirty little secret: Once it washes down the drain, that triclosan can spawn dioxins.
- Health & Medicine
Behavioral therapy can help kids with Tourette disorder
A ten-week course of practicing techniques to countermand tics works better than counseling.
- Health & Medicine
Cell phone-cancer study an enigma
An epidemiological study of a link between cell phone usage and brain cancer proved inconclusive.
- Health & Medicine
Caring for a spouse with dementia leaves caregiver at risk
Wives and husbands who attend to mates have greater chance of developing problems themselves, a new study finds.
- Earth
Interphone study finds hints of brain cancer risk in heavy cell-phone users
A major decade-long international study concludes that, overall, cell-phone users show no increased risk of developing brain tumors. The same study reports that among people who have used cell phones the most and longest — for at least 10 years and on average 30 minutes or more a day — risk of brain tumors is substantially elevated when compared to people who don’t use cell phones. And the real enigma: Tumor risks calculated for each of the lower cell-phone use categories was substantially under that seen in people who use regular, corded phones.
- Earth
Interphone’s data on cell phones and cancer: The spin begins
A May 16 press release by the cell phone industry reports that “The International Journal of Epidemiology today published a combined data analysis from a multi national population-based case-control study of glioma and meningioma, the most common types of brain tumour.” In fact, the journal hasn’t. Yet. But the industry group was anxious to put its spin on the paper’s findings after a handful of UK newspapers reported on this study – well in advance of the scheduled lifting of a news embargo on its data.
- Life
Light shows fMRI works as advertised
Optogenetic method validates assumption underlying brain imaging technique.
- Earth
Gulf spill: BP gets go ahead for full-scale underwater use of dispersants
All week, U.S. federal agencies have been evaluating an unprecedented use of oil dispersants: to break up crude spewing from the seafloor. BP won preliminary approval to try them in limited tests against an ongoing torrent of oil spewing from the base of a devastated exploration rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Late morning on May 15, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Coast Guard issued their joint approval for a scale-up of the novel subsea application of these chemicals.
