Science in the News Weekly

Alzheimer's 'Jumps' Across Brain Cells

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:22:00 EST

A new study suggests that Alzheimer's disease spreads through the brain like an infection, jumping from one cell to another. ...

Global Warming Coverage Continues to Drop

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:21:00 EST

The Columbia Journalism Review took a closer look at the quantity of climate coverage in 2011 and came to the broad conclusion that it was even scarcer than in the year before. ...

Mediterranean Seagrass 'Tens of Thousands of Years Old'

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:44:00 EST

Scientists say that meadows of seagrass found in the Mediterranean are likely to be thousands of years old. They found genetically identical samples of the seagrass up to 15km apart, which suggested that the species was extremely long-lived. ...

Insulator Blamed for Illinois Reactor Shutdown

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:43:00 EST

Officials believe they may have traced the cause of an Illinois nuclear reactor shutdown to a piece of equipment at a switchyard. ...

Kepler Data Suggest That 'Solar Systems' Are Common

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:42:00 EST

NASA's Kepler mission has added 26 new planets in 11 star systems to the list of confirmed exoplanets. The find tripled the number of known planet systems with multiple worlds that transit--or pass in front of--their stars. A new study concludes that such multiplanet hauls will become more common, because multiple-planet systems are much less likely than single candidates to turn out to be false positives. ...

Science at the Top of the News for January 30-February 3

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:42:00 EST

It wasn't the vaccine, so why did the baby have seizures? That was the most-viewed article last week by subscribers to Science in the News Daily. Other popular news stories involved evidence for why a good massage makes you feel better and a beautiful beach in Mexico that is cursed by plastic. Subscribe now for free daily updates.

Vision Treatment 'A Big Step Forward for Regenerative Medicine'

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:07:00 EST

A treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells might have improved the vision of two patients with an eye disease called macular degeneration, researchers reported last week. ...

NAS Panel Recommends Further Study of Nanomaterials

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:06:00 EST

As nanomaterials move into the marketplace, a panel of the National Academy of Sciences is concerned that not enough is known about their potential health and environmental risks. ...

Winners and Losers Under Climate Change

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:06:00 EST

Some areas could find global warming beneficial. Countries that are cold right now could see very real benefits from a few extra degrees. Consider the Northern Sea shipping route, which runs through the Arctic waters north of Europe and Asia. Climate change could open the route earlier and keep it clear later. ...

Fomalhaut B May Be a Dust Cloud

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:05:00 EST

It may not be a planet at all. A reassessment of the Hubble space telescope's first photo of a planet, Fomalhaut b, orbiting a nearby star, suggests that it may actually just be "scattered dust." ...

Hadza Social Networks Similar to Our Own

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:04:00 EST

Researchers mapped out the relationships among a remote group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania who live as humans did about 10,000 years ago and found that their social networks are very much like ours, even though they don't have Facebook or cell phones. ...

Science at the Top of the News for January 23-27

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:03:00 EST

An article from the Economist on why exercise is good for us was the most-viewed article last week by subscribers to Science in the News Daily. Other popular news stories involved the digital camera revolution and an assessment of "one-way evolution." Subscribe now for free daily updates.

B Cells Show Promise Against Sepsis

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:54:00 EST

A new study shows that immune cells known B cells forestall sepsis in mice, a discovery that may help researchers devise better treatments for the illness. Despite antibiotics and other treatments, about 25% of sepsis patients die. ...

The Earliest Modern Humans

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:52:00 EST

The fossil evidence for the earliest examples of Homo sapiens is scarce. But there are several candidates for the earliest known members of our species. Smithsonian magazine made a case for the leading contender. ...

A Bit of Mars Falls in Africa

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:50:00 EST

Fifteen pounds of rock collected recently in Morocco fell to Earth from Mars during a meteorite shower last July, scientists confirmed last week. No NASA or Russian spacecraft has returned bits of Mars, so the only samples scientists can examine are those that come here in a meteorite shower. ...

Electromagnetic Weapons on Tomorrow's Battlefield

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:49:00 EST

Military technologists are building electromagnetic weapons that work by zapping the enemy's electronics, rather than blowing him up. The result could be conflict that is less bloody, yet more effective, than what is now considered conventional warfare.

White House Denies Pipeline Permit

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:46:00 EST

The Obama administration has denied a permit for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. The builder can reapply this year, but it will undoubtedly prolong a bitter political fight that has raged for months. ...

Science at the Top of the News for January 16-20

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:17:00 EST

An exploration of epigenetics by Scientific American was the most-viewed article last week by subscribers to Science in the News Daily. Meanwhile, New Scientist recommended 10 books for the new year, and the Guardian proposed nine ways in which scientists demonstrate that they don't understand journalists. Subscribe now for free daily updates.

In the Polio War, a Tricky Endgame

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:36:00 EST

The long campaign to eradicate polio faces a crucial turning point this month. In January, the 34 countries represented on the World Health Organization's executive board will be asked to ditch the vaccine that has cut polio cases by 99 percent since 1988. The aim is to prevent the vaccine itself from defeating the whole effort. ...

Power Plants Are Top Source of Greenhouse Gases

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:20:00 EST

According to a report released Wednesday, the most detailed data yet on emissions of heat-trapping gases show that U.S. power plants are responsible for the bulk of the pollution blamed for global warming. ...