More Stories from the August 29, 2009 issue
- Space
Jupiter takes it on the chin
Images reveal that an object has recently bashed into Jupiter, 15 years after the first of 21 chunks of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 struck the giant planet and created a memorable display of dark spots, waves and plumes.
- Life
Allergy meds slim down obese mice
Animal study shows over-the-counter medications lower weight and treat type 2 diabetes. The study is one of four to link type 2 diabetes with the immune system.
- Chemistry
Brilliant blue for the spine
A study in rats suggests the blue dye similar to that found in popsicles and sports drinks may prevent cell death after spinal cord injury.
- Space
Galaxies going green
An unusual group of green, pea-shaped galaxies may be nearby analogs of remote galaxies undergoing a high rate of star formation.
- Health & Medicine
Throat cancer from HPV proves treatable
Cancer of the throat caused by the human papillomavirus isn’t as deadly as such cancer that arises from other causes.
- Health & Medicine
Creating fat that burns calories
Researchers find a way to make energy-using brown fat from skin cells.
- Ecosystems
Churning the numbers
Some of the ocean’s small swimmers may be having a big impact on ocean mixing.
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- Life
Bent innards give orchid its kick
Violent pollen delivery in Catasetum flowers gets its power from temporarily deformed inner strip
- Earth
On plant invaders and bat fungus
Researchers discuss invasive species and bat-infecting fungi at the Botany & Mycology 2009 meeting
- Health & Medicine
Twin towers fallout lingers
People who were near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, have high asthma and post-trauma stress rates years later.
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- Math
Cable boxes identify bargain and lemon commercial slots
Analysts get a closer look at television viewing habits with second-by-second data.
- Health & Medicine
Adult mouse gut makes new neurons
Scientists find newborn nerve cells in the intestines of adult mice, suggesting a new line of research for treating intestinal disorders.
- Life
Death-grip fungus made me do it
Infection may be driving ants to set their jaws in low-hanging leaves before they die.
- Animals
Tool use to crow about
A pair of new studies indicates that crows can employ tools in advanced ways, including using stones to displace water in a container and manipulating three sticks in sequence to reach food.
- Earth
A source of haze
Scientists identify how a hydrocarbon commonly emitted by plants is converted to light-scattering aerosols.
- Math
Baseball by the numbers
A new study evaluates the success of statistical analyses in determining the player with the golden glove.
- Earth
Spotting danger from on high
Airborne sensors can identify mineral outcrops and soil that may contain natural asbestos.
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Science Future for August 29, 2009
September 29 MESSENGER spacecraft expected to make its third and final flyby of Mercury. Learn more at messenger.jhuapl.edu October 4–10 Celebrate World Space Week. Find local events and activities at www.worldspaceweek.org October 18–21 The Geological Society of America hosts its annual meeting in Portland, Ore. Visit www.geosociety.org/meetings/2009
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The Mathematical Mechanic: Using Physical Reasoning to Solve Problems by Mark Levi
A Pennsylvania State University professor reveals how physics can simplify proofs, illustrate theorems and offer quick mathematical solutions. THE MATHEMATICAL MECHANIC: USING PHYSICAL REASONING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BY MARK LEVI Princeton Univ., 2009, 186 p., $19.95.
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Summer World: A Season of Bounty by Bernd Heinrich
A naturalist’s observations reveal that the animal world is abuzz with activity during the summer. SUMMER WORLD: A SEASON OF BOUNTY BY BERND HEINRICH Ecco, 2009, 253 p., $26.99.
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Kinematics: The Lost Origins of Einstein’s Relativity by Alberto A. Martínez
This often-overlooked branch of mechanics, which describes objects’ motion, provided the foundation for special relativity, a historian argues. KINEMATICS: THE LOST ORIGINS OF EINSTEIN’S RELATIVITY BY ALBERTO A. MARTíNEZ Johns Hopkins Univ., 2009, 464 p., $65.
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The Wonders Inside: Bugs & Spiders by Jan Stradling
Illustrations for a young audience detail the anatomy and the ecosystems of these creatures. THE WONDERS INSIDE: BUGS & SPIDERS BY JAN STRADLING Silver Dolphin Books, 2009, 90 p., $19.95.
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Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution by Nick Lane
Review by Sid Perkins.
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Dark Side of the Moon: Wernher von Braun, the Third Reich, and the Space Race by Wayne Biddle
Review by Rachel Zelkowitz.
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Balancing gains and threats in cardiovascular care
Clyde W. Yancy, a cardiologist and medical director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute in Dallas, became national president of the American Heart Association on July 1. He recently spoke with Science News writer Nathan Seppa. Dramatic gains in cardiovascular care in the United States risk being negated by an epidemic of obesity, diabetes […]
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Pearls Unstrung
For a while, the Great Lakes weren’t connected by rivers and Niagara Falls was just a trickle.
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What do you see?
Emotion may help the visual system jump the gun to predict what the brain will see.
- Earth
Shaky Forecasts
Despite past failures, geophysicists think earthquake prediction might still be possible.
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Letters
Conspiratorial skepticism After achieving two degrees in psychology, I concluded that the field is largely bereft of genuine insight and simple common sense, and that it masquerades as a science, with notable exceptions here and there. Articles such as “Tracing the inner world of suspicion,” (SN: 6/20/09, p. 11) confirm and underline psychology’s essential mindlessness. […]
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Science Past from the issue of August 29, 1959
Fetal sex still unknown — Expectant mothers still face the ancient and perplexing problem of whether to knit blue or pink booties, despite the advances of this scientific age. Although scientists appear to be near to perfecting a reliable method of predicting the sex of unborn babies, the present “wait and see” policy remains the […]
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Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher
Reality consists of what you pay attention to, and new research is unraveling how the brain chooses some things over others. Penguin Press, 2009, 256 p., $25.95. Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher
