Tech
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Tetris players are not block heads
Playing the geometry-based computer game can boost the brain’s gray matter.
- Humans
Medicare changes threaten access to radiation therapy
Oncologists worry that proposed Medicare cuts could result in dramatically reduced access to radiation therapy, even for non-Medicare patients.
- Earth
Sun is setting on incandescent era
After more than a century, Edison's light bulbs stand poised to go extinct.
- Earth
Cash for clunkers II: Appliances
States could soon roll out programs that help consumers replace energy hogging home appliances.
- Health & Medicine
Feds won’t cover PET scans during isotope crisis
One alternative procedure for scouting bone cancers is theoretically available, but currently may be an option only for people with deep pockets.
- Tech
How medicine is ‘barely managing’ the isotope crisis
Medicine is managing a prolonged and record shortfall in the principal diagnostic-imaging isotope by triaging the most urgent patients, substituting less effective procedures and working longer hours.
- Tech
Isotope crisis threatens medical care
Global production of the feedstock for the leading medical-imaging isotope is low and erratic, putting health care in jeopardy.
- Physics
Casper the Quantum Ghost
Researchers find that a strange kind of imaging relies on quantum mechanics.
- Tech
Scientists propose lab-grade black holes
Creating tiny, artificial black holes could help uncover what happens to particles on the edge of full-sized black holes.
- Computing
Minifridge makes quantum computers last
A new study shows that if ions are kept cool, then the information they hold can be repeatedly manipulated.
- Health & Medicine
BPA: House tries to put feds on the spot
New legislation has a proviso asking for a reanalysis of a widely used plasticizer's safety.
- Health & Medicine
When BPA-free isn’t
A type of plastic that shouldn't contain a hormone-mimicking ingredient may have it anyway, Canadian government scientist find.
