Recent items - Science
[News of the Week] Around the World
24/05/2013 00:57
In science news around the world, five Asian countries gained observer status to the Arctic Council, the Kepler spacecraft can no longer point in a specified direction, and a new report says that the risk H7N9 avian influenza virus poses to humans is
24/05/2013 00:57
In science news around the world, five Asian countries gained observer status to the Arctic Council, the Kepler spacecraft can no longer point in a specified direction, and a new report says that the risk H7N9 avian influenza virus poses to humans is
[News of the Week] Random Sample
24/05/2013 00:57
Scientists have now confirmed a long-held suspicion: Penguins prefer to swim because being both a diver and a flyer is costly and inefficient. And researchers have determined that French King Louis XVI carried genetic risk factors for diabetes, obesi
24/05/2013 00:57
Scientists have now confirmed a long-held suspicion: Penguins prefer to swim because being both a diver and a flyer is costly and inefficient. And researchers have determined that French King Louis XVI carried genetic risk factors for diabetes, obesi
[News & Analysis] Epidemiology: Report Reignites Battle Over Low-Salt Diets
24/05/2013 00:57
The Institute of Medicine calls into question recommendations advising people to consume less sodium, reviving a passionate debate.Author: Kai Kupferschmidt
24/05/2013 00:57
The Institute of Medicine calls into question recommendations advising people to consume less sodium, reviving a passionate debate.Author: Kai Kupferschmidt
[News & Analysis] Animal Cognition: Can Animals Envision the Future? Scientists Spar Over New Data
24/05/2013 00:57
Two researchers who coined the phrase mental time travel, using past memories to construct visions of the future that may never come true, insisted that animals couldn't do it. But now, one of them is changing his tune.Author: Michael Balter
24/05/2013 00:57
Two researchers who coined the phrase mental time travel, using past memories to construct visions of the future that may never come true, insisted that animals couldn't do it. But now, one of them is changing his tune.Author: Michael Balter
[News & Analysis] Biology of Genomes: Long Noncoding RNAs May Alter Chromosome's 3D Structure
24/05/2013 00:57
Abundant but mysterious molecules called long noncoding RNAs have long puzzled scientists, but some now think they could be influencing the shape of chromatin.Author: Elizabeth Pennisi
24/05/2013 00:57
Abundant but mysterious molecules called long noncoding RNAs have long puzzled scientists, but some now think they could be influencing the shape of chromatin.Author: Elizabeth Pennisi
[News & Analysis] Biology of Genomes: In Latino Genomes, a Rich Source of History
24/05/2013 00:57
Analyses of DNA of Latinos in South Florida traced their African, European, and South American ancestries.Author: Elizabeth Pennisi
24/05/2013 00:57
Analyses of DNA of Latinos in South Florida traced their African, European, and South American ancestries.Author: Elizabeth Pennisi
[News & Analysis] U.S. Science Policy: NSF Says No to Legislator Seeking Reviewer Comments
24/05/2013 00:57
The National Science Foundation rebuffed a request from the chairman of the House of Representatives science committee for reviewer comments that helped the agency decide to fund five projects in the social sciences.Author: Jeffrey Mervis
24/05/2013 00:57
The National Science Foundation rebuffed a request from the chairman of the House of Representatives science committee for reviewer comments that helped the agency decide to fund five projects in the social sciences.Author: Jeffrey Mervis
[News & Analysis] Mathematics: Two Proofs Spark a Prime Week for Number Theory
24/05/2013 00:57
The most dramatic progress has been made on the twin prime conjecture and Goldbach's conjecture in more than a century and a half of trying.Author: Dana Mackenzie
24/05/2013 00:57
The most dramatic progress has been made on the twin prime conjecture and Goldbach's conjecture in more than a century and a half of trying.Author: Dana Mackenzie
[News Focus] Hubs Aim to Reinvent DOE Research Culture
24/05/2013 00:57
The U.S. Department of Energy has funded a series of energy innovation hubs to tackle big energy challenges from start to finish. But their future is uncertain.Author: Adrian Cho
24/05/2013 00:57
The U.S. Department of Energy has funded a series of energy innovation hubs to tackle big energy challenges from start to finish. But their future is uncertain.Author: Adrian Cho
[News Focus] Ecology: Are Isle Royale's Wolves Chasing Extinction?
24/05/2013 00:57
Wolves in an iconic predator-prey study are not producing pups, leaving scientists to confront a genetic rescue—or the project's demise.Author: Christine Mlot
24/05/2013 00:57
Wolves in an iconic predator-prey study are not producing pups, leaving scientists to confront a genetic rescue—or the project's demise.Author: Christine Mlot
[News of the Week] Around the World
17/05/2013 07:00
In science news around the world, the U.S. Supreme Court backed the agribusiness firm Monsanto on its soybean patents; the Institut Pasteur has denied accusations by a government watchdog that it misleads research donors; and a director at Charité U
17/05/2013 07:00
In science news around the world, the U.S. Supreme Court backed the agribusiness firm Monsanto on its soybean patents; the Institut Pasteur has denied accusations by a government watchdog that it misleads research donors; and a director at Charité U
[News of the Week] Random Sample
17/05/2013 07:00
Last week, the National Science Foundation announced the winners of the unique Graduate 10K+ initiative addressing President Barack Obama’s call for U.S. high-tech companies to help train 1 million more STEM graduates by 2020. And according to a ne
17/05/2013 07:00
Last week, the National Science Foundation announced the winners of the unique Graduate 10K+ initiative addressing President Barack Obama’s call for U.S. high-tech companies to help train 1 million more STEM graduates by 2020. And according to a ne
[News of the Week] Newsmakers
17/05/2013 07:00
R. Graham Cooks, a chemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, has been awarded the 2013 Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences. And biochemist Christian de Duve, who helped reveal the internal organization and operation of cells, died o
17/05/2013 07:00
R. Graham Cooks, a chemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, has been awarded the 2013 Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences. And biochemist Christian de Duve, who helped reveal the internal organization and operation of cells, died o
[News & Analysis] Biomedicine: Human Stem Cells From Cloning, Finally
17/05/2013 07:00
This time it looks like it's for real: Researchers have made personalized human embryonic stem cells with a method similar to how Dolly the sheep was cloned—though with an added jolt of caffeine.Author: Gretchen Vogel
17/05/2013 07:00
This time it looks like it's for real: Researchers have made personalized human embryonic stem cells with a method similar to how Dolly the sheep was cloned—though with an added jolt of caffeine.Author: Gretchen Vogel
[News & Analysis] Influenza: Synthetic Vaccine Strain May Speed Up Pandemic Response
17/05/2013 07:00
Researchers publish technique that could shave up to 4 weeks off vaccine production time, which during a pandemic could save tens of thousands of lives.Author: Kai Kupferschmidt
17/05/2013 07:00
Researchers publish technique that could shave up to 4 weeks off vaccine production time, which during a pandemic could save tens of thousands of lives.Author: Kai Kupferschmidt
[News & Analysis] Glaciology: Melting Glaciers, Not Just Ice Sheets, Stoking Sea-Level Rise
17/05/2013 07:00
A new study says that although field measurements were painting an accurate picture of the few glaciers being monitored, they were not representative of the world's glaciers.Author: Richard A. Kerr
17/05/2013 07:00
A new study says that although field measurements were painting an accurate picture of the few glaciers being monitored, they were not representative of the world's glaciers.Author: Richard A. Kerr
[News & Analysis] Human Evolution: More Genomes From Denisova Cave Show Mixing of Early Human Groups
17/05/2013 07:00
Analyses of three fossil samples using a powerful new method paint a complex picture of mingling among different ancient human groups.Author: Elizabeth Pennisi
17/05/2013 07:00
Analyses of three fossil samples using a powerful new method paint a complex picture of mingling among different ancient human groups.Author: Elizabeth Pennisi
[News & Analysis] U.S. Science Policy: Lawmakers Await NSF's Response to Query About Grants
17/05/2013 07:00
NSF officials must weigh factors such as the preservation of reviewer confidentiality in responding to Representative Lamar Smith's request for the agency to justify five recent research grants.Author: Jeffrey Mervis
17/05/2013 07:00
NSF officials must weigh factors such as the preservation of reviewer confidentiality in responding to Representative Lamar Smith's request for the agency to justify five recent research grants.Author: Jeffrey Mervis
[News Focus] Troubled Waters for Ancient Shipwrecks
17/05/2013 07:00
As archaeologists find new ways to pull precious data from wrecks, they are squaring off against those salvaging ships for profit.Author: Heather Pringle
17/05/2013 07:00
As archaeologists find new ways to pull precious data from wrecks, they are squaring off against those salvaging ships for profit.Author: Heather Pringle
[News Focus] From Quarry to Temple
17/05/2013 07:00
Two thousand years after the Kizilburun shipwreck, excavating archaeologists have figured out exactly where it came from, where it was headed, and why.Author: Helen Pickersgill
17/05/2013 07:00
Two thousand years after the Kizilburun shipwreck, excavating archaeologists have figured out exactly where it came from, where it was headed, and why.Author: Helen Pickersgill
[News Focus] Food Science: Following the Flavor
17/05/2013 07:00
Scientists are beginning to unravel why we love some types of food and hate others. It's a vastly more complex topic than they once thought.Author: Kai Kupferschmidt
17/05/2013 07:00
Scientists are beginning to unravel why we love some types of food and hate others. It's a vastly more complex topic than they once thought.Author: Kai Kupferschmidt
[News Focus] A Floating Lab Explores the Fringes of Science and Gastronomy
17/05/2013 07:00
Ben Reade and the Nordic Food Lab are part of a movement known as molecular gastronomy that started in the 1990s as a project to understand how ingredients are transformed during cooking.Author: Kevin Krajick
17/05/2013 07:00
Ben Reade and the Nordic Food Lab are part of a movement known as molecular gastronomy that started in the 1990s as a project to understand how ingredients are transformed during cooking.Author: Kevin Krajick
[News & Analysis] NASA: Planetary Scientists Casting Doubt on Feasibility of Plan to Corral Asteroid
10/05/2013 01:00
NASA's new plan to capture a tiny asteroid and lodge it in the Earth-moon system is certainly audacious, but many have doubts.Author: Richard A. Kerr
10/05/2013 01:00
NASA's new plan to capture a tiny asteroid and lodge it in the Earth-moon system is certainly audacious, but many have doubts.Author: Richard A. Kerr
[News & Analysis] U.S. Science Policy: Proposed Change in Awarding Grants at NSF Spurs Partisan Sniping
10/05/2013 01:00
Debate continues over a bill that might allow Congress to intrude on the peer-review processAuthor: Jeffrey Mervis
10/05/2013 01:00
Debate continues over a bill that might allow Congress to intrude on the peer-review processAuthor: Jeffrey Mervis
[News & Analysis] Newsmaker Interview: Michael Yaffe: Boston Bombing Victims Aided by Biologist-Surgeon
10/05/2013 01:00
Systems biologist Michael B. Yaffe tells Science how injuries to humans parallel insults to cells and about his "surreal" week.Author: Trisha Gura
10/05/2013 01:00
Systems biologist Michael B. Yaffe tells Science how injuries to humans parallel insults to cells and about his "surreal" week.Author: Trisha Gura
[News & Analysis] Infectious Diseases: Amid Heightened Concerns, New Name for Novel Coronavirus Emerges
10/05/2013 01:00
Pathogen to be christened Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV.Author: Martin Enserink
10/05/2013 01:00
Pathogen to be christened Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV.Author: Martin Enserink
[News Focus] Pesticides Under Fire For Risks to Pollinators
10/05/2013 01:00
As the European Union moves to ban a popular type of pesticide, researchers struggle to assess exactly how dangerous the chemicals are to honey bees and other pollinators.Author: Erik Stokstad
10/05/2013 01:00
As the European Union moves to ban a popular type of pesticide, researchers struggle to assess exactly how dangerous the chemicals are to honey bees and other pollinators.Author: Erik Stokstad
[News Focus] How Big a Role Should Neonicotinoids Play in Food Security?
10/05/2013 01:00
Proponents of neonicotinoid-treated seeds claim that the chemicals offer many benefits, but how important are they for agriculture?Author: Erik Stokstad
10/05/2013 01:00
Proponents of neonicotinoid-treated seeds claim that the chemicals offer many benefits, but how important are they for agriculture?Author: Erik Stokstad
[News Focus] Genetic Disease: China Heads Off Deadly Blood Disorder
10/05/2013 01:00
To combat the spread of thalassemia, a Chinese province screens millions.Author: Mara Hvistendahl
10/05/2013 01:00
To combat the spread of thalassemia, a Chinese province screens millions.Author: Mara Hvistendahl
[News Focus] Tohoku Disaster: Insistence on Gathering Real Data Confirms Low Radiation Exposures
10/05/2013 01:00
The massive evacuation and strict monitoring of food appear to have successfully limited the amount of radiocesium ingested by Fukushima residents.Author: Dennis Normile
10/05/2013 01:00
The massive evacuation and strict monitoring of food appear to have successfully limited the amount of radiocesium ingested by Fukushima residents.Author: Dennis Normile
[News of the Week] Around the World
10/05/2013 01:00
In science news around the world, the Large Millimeter Telescope will begin its first scientific observation season next week, journals are being asked to help tighten U.S. trade sanctions on Iran, and a new research challenge seeks studies that reve
10/05/2013 01:00
In science news around the world, the Large Millimeter Telescope will begin its first scientific observation season next week, journals are being asked to help tighten U.S. trade sanctions on Iran, and a new research challenge seeks studies that reve
[News of the Week] Newsmakers
10/05/2013 01:00
Science speaks with microbiologist George F. Gao, who is in the trenches of the H7N9 avian influenza outbreak that has killed 27 people in China since March. And after 26 years, Eugenie Scott, the founding executive director of the National Center fo
10/05/2013 01:00
Science speaks with microbiologist George F. Gao, who is in the trenches of the H7N9 avian influenza outbreak that has killed 27 people in China since March. And after 26 years, Eugenie Scott, the founding executive director of the National Center fo
[News of the Week] Random Sample
10/05/2013 01:00
When settlers in the Jamestown, Virginia, colony ran out of food in the winter of 1609, some contemporary records suggest they resorted to eating each other. Now, scientists have found the first physical evidence that they did. And rumors surrounding
10/05/2013 01:00
When settlers in the Jamestown, Virginia, colony ran out of food in the winter of 1609, some contemporary records suggest they resorted to eating each other. Now, scientists have found the first physical evidence that they did. And rumors surrounding
[News & Analysis] Aids Research: More Woes for Struggling HIV Vaccine Field
10/05/2013 01:00
Devastating results from two trials have sent researchers scrambling—again.Author: Jon Cohen
10/05/2013 01:00
Devastating results from two trials have sent researchers scrambling—again.Author: Jon Cohen
[News of the Week] Around the World
02/05/2013 23:24
In science news around the world this week, the largest HIV vaccine study in the world came to a premature halt, the European Commission is banning three widely used pesticides that are potentially harmful to bees, a defamation bill that will help pr
02/05/2013 23:24
In science news around the world this week, the largest HIV vaccine study in the world came to a premature halt, the European Commission is banning three widely used pesticides that are potentially harmful to bees, a defamation bill that will help pr
[News of the Week] Random Samples
02/05/2013 23:24
This week, President Barack Obama delivered a speech at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to celebrate its 150th anniversary, the debate over the "volcanic winter" scenario at Mount Toba continues, and researchers have discovered the original col
02/05/2013 23:24
This week, President Barack Obama delivered a speech at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to celebrate its 150th anniversary, the debate over the "volcanic winter" scenario at Mount Toba continues, and researchers have discovered the original col
[News of the Week] Newsmakers
02/05/2013 23:24
Infectious diseases researcher Jeremy Farrar will take over the reins at the Wellcome Trust, the United Kingdom's most important private funder of biomedical research, on 1 October.
02/05/2013 23:24
Infectious diseases researcher Jeremy Farrar will take over the reins at the Wellcome Trust, the United Kingdom's most important private funder of biomedical research, on 1 October.
[News & Analysis] U.S. Science Policy: Bill Would Set New Rules for Choosing NSF Grants
02/05/2013 23:24
The new chair of the House of Representatives science committee has drafted a bill that would alter peer review at the National Science Foundation, angering many.Author: Jeffrey Mervis
02/05/2013 23:24
The new chair of the House of Representatives science committee has drafted a bill that would alter peer review at the National Science Foundation, angering many.Author: Jeffrey Mervis
[News & Analysis] Primate Studies: Research in Limbo as Harvard Moves to Close Center
02/05/2013 23:24
After nearly 50 years, the New England Primate Research Center will close because of financial pressures, officials say.Author: Jocelyn Kaiser
02/05/2013 23:24
After nearly 50 years, the New England Primate Research Center will close because of financial pressures, officials say.Author: Jocelyn Kaiser
[News & Analysis] Newsmaker Interview: Bill and Melinda Gates Talk Science
02/05/2013 23:24
Philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates chat with Science, mostly about two of their passions: eradicating polio worldwide by 2018 and getting modern contraceptives to another 120 million women by 2020.Author: Leslie Roberts
02/05/2013 23:24
Philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates chat with Science, mostly about two of their passions: eradicating polio worldwide by 2018 and getting modern contraceptives to another 120 million women by 2020.Author: Leslie Roberts
[News & Analysis] Science Debate: Scientists Clash Swords Over Future of GM Food Crops in India
02/05/2013 23:24
Science sought to shed light on the future of GM food crops in India by bringing together two prominent scientific voices in a debate. Authors: Pallava Bagla, Richard Stone
02/05/2013 23:24
Science sought to shed light on the future of GM food crops in India by bringing together two prominent scientific voices in a debate. Authors: Pallava Bagla, Richard Stone
[News & Analysis] Climate Change: Hansen's Retirement From NASA Spurs Look at His Legacy
02/05/2013 23:24
Is the prominent climate scientist a role model for younger researchers—or a polarizing figure whose tactics have proved counterproductive?Author: Eli Kintisch
02/05/2013 23:24
Is the prominent climate scientist a role model for younger researchers—or a polarizing figure whose tactics have proved counterproductive?Author: Eli Kintisch
[News Focus] Mr. Borucki's Lonely Road to the Light
02/05/2013 23:24
The father of NASA's Kepler orbiting exoplanet finder had to pioneer new optical techniques and overcome decades of skepticism to get his pet project off the ground.Author: Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
02/05/2013 23:24
The father of NASA's Kepler orbiting exoplanet finder had to pioneer new optical techniques and overcome decades of skepticism to get his pet project off the ground.Author: Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
[News Focus] Taking the Pulse of a Ravaged Ocean
02/05/2013 23:24
The 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc on fisheries and the marine environment. Researchers want to document—and aid—the recovery.Author: Dennis Normile
02/05/2013 23:24
The 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc on fisheries and the marine environment. Researchers want to document—and aid—the recovery.Author: Dennis Normile
[News Focus] The Pacific Swallows Fukushima's Fallout
02/05/2013 23:24
The Tohoku disaster had one unprecedented impact: an enormous amount of radiation was deposited in the ocean.Author: Dennis Normile
02/05/2013 23:24
The Tohoku disaster had one unprecedented impact: an enormous amount of radiation was deposited in the ocean.Author: Dennis Normile
[News & Analysis] U.S. Immigration Reform: More High-Tech Visas, More STEM Education Funds
26/04/2013 00:45
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators unveiled an overhaul to the nation's immigration policies that hopes to create new funding streams to strengthen STEM education.Authors: David Malakoff, Jeffrey Mervis
26/04/2013 00:45
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators unveiled an overhaul to the nation's immigration policies that hopes to create new funding streams to strengthen STEM education.Authors: David Malakoff, Jeffrey Mervis
[News & Analysis] Archaeology: Deep Dig Shows Maya Architecture Arose Independently of Olmec's
26/04/2013 00:45
Arrangement of urban ceremonial space reveals Maya sophistication that was probably not adopted from the Olmec.Author: Heather Pringle
26/04/2013 00:45
Arrangement of urban ceremonial space reveals Maya sophistication that was probably not adopted from the Olmec.Author: Heather Pringle
[News & Analysis] Physics: Dark-Matter Mystery Nears Its Moment of Truth
26/04/2013 00:45
Physicists working with an ultrasensitive particle detector deep underground reported three blips that could be particles of dark matter—suggesting that weakly interacting massive particles might not be far off.Author: Adrian Cho
26/04/2013 00:45
Physicists working with an ultrasensitive particle detector deep underground reported three blips that could be particles of dark matter—suggesting that weakly interacting massive particles might not be far off.Author: Adrian Cho
[News & Analysis] Latin America: In Quest for Synchrotron, Brazil Tests Homespun Ingenuity a Second Time
26/04/2013 00:45
Early next month, scientists will break ground on Sirius, a synchrotron x-ray source whose energy and brightness will rival those of the best machines in the world.Author: Lizzie Wade
26/04/2013 00:45
Early next month, scientists will break ground on Sirius, a synchrotron x-ray source whose energy and brightness will rival those of the best machines in the world.Author: Lizzie Wade
[News & Analysis] Intellectual Property: In a Flurry of Metaphors, Justices Debate a Limit on Gene Patents
26/04/2013 00:45
The U.S. Supreme Court is trying to determine whether patents on the cancer-linked genes BRCA1and BRCA2 are legitimate.Author: Eliot Marshall
26/04/2013 00:45
The U.S. Supreme Court is trying to determine whether patents on the cancer-linked genes BRCA1and BRCA2 are legitimate.Author: Eliot Marshall
[News Focus] Public Enemy Number One
26/04/2013 00:45
North Korea has one of the highest TB rates outside sub-Saharan Africa and a burgeoning drug-resistance problem. A remarkable unusual collaboration is hoping to turn the tide.Author: Richard Stone
26/04/2013 00:45
North Korea has one of the highest TB rates outside sub-Saharan Africa and a burgeoning drug-resistance problem. A remarkable unusual collaboration is hoping to turn the tide.Author: Richard Stone
[News Focus] American Association of Physical Anthropologists | 9–13 April | Knoxville, Tennessee: When Early Hominins Got a Grip
26/04/2013 00:45
Paleoanthropologists announced a modern feature in a rare, 1.4-million-year-old hand bone from Kenya, filling a 1-million-year gap in the fossil record and showing when key adaptations to toolmaking arose. Author: Ann Gibbons
26/04/2013 00:45
Paleoanthropologists announced a modern feature in a rare, 1.4-million-year-old hand bone from Kenya, filling a 1-million-year gap in the fossil record and showing when key adaptations to toolmaking arose. Author: Ann Gibbons
[News Focus] Paleoanthropology Society | 2–3 April | Honolulu: Following the Males' Trail, 1.5 Million Years Later
26/04/2013 00:45
A team described 1.5-million-year-old footprints of at least six individuals walking together across the sand at Ileret, Kenya. Coupled with experiments with living people, the researchers concluded that the size and direction of the prints suggest a
26/04/2013 00:45
A team described 1.5-million-year-old footprints of at least six individuals walking together across the sand at Ileret, Kenya. Coupled with experiments with living people, the researchers concluded that the size and direction of the prints suggest a
[News Focus] Ardi's a Hominin—But How Did She Move?
26/04/2013 00:45
Researchers gave Ardi, the oldest and most complete skeleton of a potential human ancestor, new recognition as a hominin. They agreed with the discoverers that Ardi walked upright—albeit in a weird way—and that features in her teeth and skull mak
26/04/2013 00:45
Researchers gave Ardi, the oldest and most complete skeleton of a potential human ancestor, new recognition as a hominin. They agreed with the discoverers that Ardi walked upright—albeit in a weird way—and that features in her teeth and skull mak