Archive: Science
Scientists Debate "Hobbits"
Keywords: Science, Java Sea, Indonesia, Flores, Evolution, Genetics, Hobbits, Florida State University, Field Museum, Primatology, Paleoanthropology, Biology, Ancient CivilizationScientists are contentiously debating the existence of race of ancient "hobbits" and this has nothing to do with Frodo. 1 1/2 years after the grapefruit-sized skulls were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores, primatologists and paleoanthropologists can't decide whether it's a genetic mutation or a race of little people. In Friday's issue of the journal "Science" the 2 sides go head-to-head, dueling it out with academic papers. Full Story: Scientists Debate the Normalcy of Ancient 'Hobbits'...
By Emil Steiner | May 19, 2006; 12:22 AM ET | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The Man-Chimp Hybrid
Keywords: MIT, Harvard, Evolution, Chimpanzees, Primates, Fossils, Nature, Genetics, Biology, Statistics, ScienceA team of MIT and Harvard scientists theorize that though humans and chimps split 6.3 million years ago, members of each group continued "having relations" for at least 1.2 million years. If this theory proves correct, it will mean modern people are descended from some kind of chimp-human hybrids. It would not however clarify the ending of "Planet of the Apes" which is really, really confusing.Full Story: Human Ancestors May Have Interbred With Chimpanzees...
By Emil Steiner | May 18, 2006; 09:32 AM ET | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
What A Bottlenose Knows
Keywords: Bottlenose, Dolphins, Language, Biology, Mammals, Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesAccording to a new paper, bottlenose dolphins can call one another by name when they whistle. The findings, published in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, make them the only animals other than humans known to recognize such identity information.Full Story: Dolphins Whistle One Another's Names...
By Emil Steiner | May 9, 2006; 12:03 AM ET | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Ozone Healing
Keywords: Ozone Layer, Pollution, Climate Change, Environment, CFCs, Ultraviolet rays, Global Warming, ScienceA new study published in the journal Nature, contends that the ozone layer--earth's natural UV blocker--is showing signs of recovery. According to the findings, it's getting better as a direct result of the 1987 Montreal Protocol which banned the use of CFCs. That being said, scientists caution that people should still protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet rays.Full Story: Study: Ozone Layer Improving...
By Emil Steiner | May 4, 2006; 06:02 AM ET | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Puppy Love
Keywords: Sea Lions, Puppy, Washington, DC, National Zoo, Mammals, Animals, CuteOn Wednesday, Calli and Summer, 2 infectiously adorable sea lion pups, go on public display at the National Zoo in Washington DC. Fight it all you like you can't resist their cuteness.Pic & Full Story: Sea Lion 'Puppy Love' at National Zoo & Duo in the Swim at Beaver Valley...
By Emil Steiner | May 3, 2006; 12:23 AM ET | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Universal Stem Cell Principles Proposed
Keywords: Stem Cell Research, Universal Principles, Law, Ethics, Genetics, Biology, Science Last week, an international group of scientists and ethicist released the first set of universal principles for stem cell research. Although they will not supersede national or state laws, the principles can serve as guidelines to help codify rules in what is currently "the wild west" of science.© 2006 washingtonpost.comFull Story: Universal Stem Cell Principles Proposed...
By Emil Steiner | March 3, 2006; 12:28 AM ET | Comments (0)
Venter's New New New Thing
Key People: J. Craig Venter, George Bush, Alfonso Romo GarzaKeywords: Human Genome, Celera, Microbe, Biology, Genetics, Chemistry, Oil, Microbes, Ethanol, Business, Science, Hydrogen, Cars, Alternative FuelJ. Craig Venter, who mapped the human genome during the bubbly '90s has a new focus for this decade: use microbes to create alternative fuels. The maverick biologist is taking up the President's challenge to break America's addiction to oil by creating a designer microbe and adding in genes that can turn crops into ethanol.© 2006 washingtonpost.comFull Story: J. Craig Venter's Next Little Thing...
By Emil Steiner | February 28, 2006; 12:14 AM ET | Comments (0)
Invasive Species Threaten Galapagos
Key People: Charles DarwinKeywords: Galapagos Islands, Chile, Invasive Species, Evolution, Ecology, Conservation, Environment, Goats, Zoology, Biology, Science, Philosophy, ReligionAlien species, brought by humans, pose the greatest threat to native plants and animals on the Galapagos Islands. Although 95% of native species still exists since Charles Darwin turned the Chilean Islands into an evolutionary tourist trap, conservationists list dozens on the "red list" as threatened.© 2006 washingtonpost.comFull Story: Invasive Species Threaten Galapagos's Diversity...
By Emil Steiner | February 28, 2006; 12:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Small Fish Debate
Keywords: Guinness Book of World Records, Marine Biology, Smallest Vertebrate, Oceanography, Ichthyology, Paedocypris, Photocorynus Spiniceps, Schindleria Brevipinguis A spate of recent discoveries is heating up a debate among marine biologists over the definition of the word "small." It began 3 weeks ago with a report in a British journal claiming the discovery of "the world's smallest vertebrate." Now scientists and Guinness World Records are engaged in an war of definition over whether smallest means shortest? Skinniest? Or Most lightweight?© 2006 washingtonpost.comFull Story: Finds Raise Debate Over World's Smallest Fish...
By Emil Steiner | February 14, 2006; 12:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
Grand Daddy of All T-Rexes
Key People: Xing Xu, James M. Clark, Mark A. Norell, Keywords: Junggar Basin, Gobi Desert, China, George Washington University, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Guanlong Wucaii, American Museum of Natural History, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology, Dinosaurs Paleontologists have uncovered the oldest tyrannosaur ever found, in the barren deserts of northwestern China. Called Guanlong wucaii (crown dragon from the land of five colors), the predator predates T. Rex by 90 million years.© 2006 washingtonpost.comFull Story: Scientists Unearth Oldest Ancestor Yet of T-Rex...
By Emil Steiner | February 9, 2006; 12:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
Lost World Discovered
Key People: Bruce Beehler, Stephen Richards, Jared DiamondKeywords: Foja Mountains, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Asia, Discovery, Eco-System, Biology, Species, Animals, Plants, Echidna, Birds, Naturalists, Conservation International, Ornithology A team of scientists has discovered a "lost world" atop the Foja Mountains in Papua, Indonesia. Accessible only by helicopter, the jungle contains more than 40 previously unknown species, including a tree kangaroo and an egg-laying mammal called an echidna. Scientists are calling it the most pristine natural ecosystem in the entire Asia-Pacific region--"a spectacularly beautiful Garden of Eden."© 2006 washingtonpost.comFull Story: A Lost World in Indonesia Yields Riches for Scientists...
By Emil Steiner | February 9, 2006; 12:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
WTO Backs US on Gene-Altered Crops
Key People: Gregory Conko, Mary BottariKeywords: World Trade Organization, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Genetically Modified Crops, European Union, United States, Canada, Biotechnology, Science, Agriculture According to anonymous sources, the World Trade Organization has ruled that Europe's ban on genetically engineered crops violates international trade rules. The judgment may only be a symbolic victory for U.S. and Canadian farmers though, as most E.U. stores refuse to stock gene-altered crops because of customer resistance.© 2006 washingtonpost.comFull Story: WTO Sides With U.S. in Biocrop Dispute With Europe...
By Emil Steiner | February 8, 2006; 12:29 AM ET | Comments (0)
Bees Follow Scout Leader
Key People: Thomas D. SeeleyKeywords: Honey Bees, Scouts, Biology, Insects, Group Behavior, Animal Psychology, Swarms, Science Scientists at Cornell have found that when a honey bee colony splits into two, the swarm which follows the team of scout bees to a new location, does so by sight, not smell. This a major discovery for bee people. Full Story: How Honey Bees Follow Scouts...
By Emil Steiner | January 31, 2006; 12:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
New York's Human Chop-Shop
Key People: Michael Mastromarino, Mario Gallucci, Robert Rigney, Alistair CookeKeywords: Fort Lee, New Jersey, Brooklyn, New York, FDA, Biomedical Tissue Services, Body-Harvesting, Dentist, Funeral Home, Medicine, Transplant, Crime, Drugs, Science The FDA is investigating an ex-dentist who allegedly went to dozens of funeral homes in New York City and extracted body-parts from corpses without the consent of relatives. Investigators say Michael Mastromarino, (who lost his dental license after being caught shooting up during an operation), then sent the harvested body-parts to hospitals around the country where they were transplanted into living patients. A dead body can be worth tens of thousands of dollars when it is dissected for parts. Full Story: In New York, a Grisly Traffic in Body Parts...
By Emil Steiner | January 30, 2006; 12:10 AM ET | Comments (0)
Irreversible Climate Change
Key People: James E. Hansen, Michael Oppenheimer, Hans Joachim SchellnhuberKeywords: Climate Change, Tipping Point, CO2 Emissions, Environment, Pollution, Princeton University, NASA, Goddard Institute of Space Studies, Ice Sheets, Oceanography, Science The debate over climate change has shifted from whether it's happening to whether it can be stopped. Proponents of the so-called "tipping point" scenario, believe that if global carbon dioxide emissions aren't cut soon, the changes will be irreversible. In case you hadn't noticed, 2005 was the warmest year ever recorded on Earth. Full Story: Debate on Climate Shifts to Issue of Irreparable Change...
By Emil Steiner | January 30, 2006; 12:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
Breath of Fresh Diabetes Treatment
Key People: Robert A. Rizza, Frederick Banting, Charles BestKeywords: Insulin, Food and Drug Administration, Nobel Prize, Medicine, Exubera, Inhaleable, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Diabetes, Blood Sugar, Health, Science, Biology On Friday, the FDA approved an inhaleable form of insulin to treat diabetes. Manufactured by Pfizer, the drug called Exubera, marks the first new way to get the hormone into the body since it's discovery in 1921. Doctors are hoping this new less painful treatment will make controlling blood sugar easiear for the more of 21 million Americans who suffer from diabetes. Full Story: FDA Approves Inhalable Insulin...
By Emil Steiner | January 27, 2006; 07:32 PM ET | Comments (0)
Parkinson's Genetic Link
Key People: Susan Bressman, Neil Risch, Laurie J. OzeliusKeywords: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, Parkinson's Disease, Neurology, Genetics, DNA, Mediterraneans, Jews, Health, Science On Wednesday, researchers announced that they have identified a genetic mutation that accounts for more than 20% of all cases of Parkinson's disease in Arabs, North Africans and Jews. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, are a major breakthrough in fighting the debilitating disease which affects 500,000 Americans. Full Story:Genetic Link to Parkinson's Is Discovered...
By Emil Steiner | January 27, 2006; 12:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
Earth-Like Planet Found
Key People: Albert Einstein, David P. BennettKeywords: University of Notre Dame, National Science Foundation, Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment, Astrophysics, Outer Space, Science On Wednesday, scientists said they have detected the most Earth-like planet ever discovered outside the solar system. The icy, rocky world which is 5.5 times the size of Earth, orbits a star 28,000 light-years away and has been given the catch name: OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb. Full Story: Earth-Like Planet Found Outside Solar System...
By Emil Steiner | January 27, 2006; 12:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
Al "Sundance Kid" Gore
Key People: Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Larry David, George Bush, Davis GuggenheimKeywords: An Inconvenient Truth, Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah, Vice President, Climate Change, Environment, Smoking, Greenhouse Gases, The Day After Tomorrow, Curb Your Enthusiasm Tuesday night at the Sundance Film Festival, audiences gave a standing ovation to a film about Al Gore compiling a power-point presentation. Although that may sound like the dullest movie ever made, "An Inconvenient Truth" is the former Vice President's attempt to educate people on the dangers of climate change. After the premier Gore was seen schmoozing with Larry David, who helped make the movie. Full Story: Al Gore, Sundance's Leading Man...
By Emil Steiner | January 27, 2006; 12:02 AM ET | Comments (0)
Geometry Comes Standard in Brain
Keywords: Human Brain, Geometry, Language, Inherent Knowledge, Munduruku, Amazon, Psychology, Math, Cognitive Science On Friday, scientists published a study which indicates that the conceptual principles of geometry are inherent to the brain. By studying children in an isolated Amazonian tribe, they found geometric reasoning, much like language skills comes from nature not nurture. Full Story: Geometry Called Inherent Skill ...
By Emil Steiner | January 24, 2006; 12:08 AM ET | Comments (0)
Polluted Evolution
Key People: Diane Nacci, Mark E. HahnKeywords: New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, Killifish, Marine Biology, Pollution, PCB, Evolution, Oceanography, Science, Health, Atlantic, Environment Killifish, three-inch-long Atlantic saltwater fish, thrive in the polluted waters of New Bedford, MA harbor. Despite PCB levels several times higher than EPA safe, killifish have "evolved" according to biologist Diane E. Nacci. In less than 40 years the fish have mutated to block the pathways which turn the pollutants into poisons, allowing them to survive while at the same time giving scientists a lesson in accelerated evolution. Full Story: Toxic Waters Provide 'a Snapshot of Evolution'...
By Emil Steiner | January 24, 2006; 12:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Rocket To Pluto
Key People: Ralph McNutt, Clyde TombaughKeywords: New Horizons, Cape Canaveral, FL, Atlas V Rocket, Pluto, NASA, Space, Technology New Horizons, the fastest spacecraft ever launched, began the first full day of its 3-billion mile journey to Pluto. In 10 years it will arrive at the last unexplored planet in the Solar System where it will photograph the surfaces of Pluto and its large moon, Charon, and dump the ashes of Clyde Tombaugh, the man who discovered the planet in 1930. Full Story: Super Fast Spacecraft Zooms Toward Pluto...
By Emil Steiner | January 20, 2006; 09:38 AM ET | Comments (0)
Vatican Rag Gags ID
Key People: Fiorenzo Facchini, Charles Darwin, Pope Benedict XVI,Keywords: L'Osservatore Roman, Vatican, Rome, Italy, Catholicism, Intelligent Design, Education, Science, Evolution, Religion, Theory An article in the Tuesday edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano states "intelligent design" is not science and that teaching it alongside evolutionary theory in school classrooms only creates confusion. The article echoed similar arguments from Vatican's chief astronomer, George Coyne, who said "intelligent design" had no place in the classroom. Full Story: Vatican Paper Hits 'Intelligent Design'...
By Emil Steiner | January 20, 2006; 08:49 AM ET | Comments (0)
New Face Old Habit
Key People: Jean-Michel Dubernard, Bernard DevauchelleKeywords: Face Transplant, France, Arizona, Medicine, Psychology, Smoking, Health The 38-year-old French woman who received the world's first face transplant is using her new lips to smoke. Doctors fear the habit could interfere with her healing and raise the risk of tissue rejection. Full Story: Face Transplant Patient Smokes Again...
By Emil Steiner | January 20, 2006; 12:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Ex-EPA Chiefs Warn Bush of Climate Change
Key People: Russell E. Train, Lee M. Thomas, Mike Leavitt, Carol M. Browner, Stephen L. Johnson Keywords: EPA, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas, Emissions, Republicans, Government, Bush Administration, White House, Politics, Global Warming, Environment, Science On Wednesday, six former administrators of the EPA, including five Republicans, agreed the Bush administration should impose mandatory controls on greenhouse gas emissions to curb global warming. According to the group, the White House is not moving fast enough to address the global threat of human-generated climate change. Full Story: Ex-EPA Chiefs Agree on Greenhouse Gas Lid...
By Emil Steiner | January 20, 2006; 12:03 AM ET | Comments (0)
Breathing Ear
Key People: Martin D. Brazeau, Per E. Ahlberg, Mark W. WestneatKeywords: Ear, Fossil, Paleantology, Breathing, Fish, Evolution, Sound, Sweden, Uppsala University, Panderichthys, Hyomandibula, Upper Devonian Period, Tetrapods, Riga, Latvia A 380 million-year-old fossil of a half-evolved ear indicates that the sound-conducting organ of land animals began as a tube ancient shallow-water fish used to breath of air, according to Swedish researchers, Martin D. Brazeau and Per E. Ahlberg. Their controversial conclusion is a radical reinterpretation of how the ear developed in land-based animals. Full Story:Evolution of Ear Is Noted in Fossil...
By Emil Steiner | January 20, 2006; 12:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
Cali School Cans I.D. Class
Keywords: Frazier Mountain High, El Tejon, California, Intelligent Design, Evolution, Religion, Science, Education, Constitution, Law On Tuesday, Frazier Mountain High, in rural California, canceled an elective philosophy course on "intelligent design". A group of parents had sued the El Tejon school system the week before, accusing it of violating the constitutional separation of church and state. Full Story: Calif. School Scraps 'Intelligent Design'...
By Emil Steiner | January 18, 2006; 12:24 AM ET | Comments (0)
Ant Teachers
Key People: Nigel R. Franks, Marc D. Hauser, Tim Caro, Tom RichardsonKeywords: Ants, Teaching Behavior, Animals, Education, Biology, Psychology, Science, Learning English researches are reporting that the Temnothorax albipennis ant is the very first example of a non-human animal exhibiting teaching behavior. The claims have sparked debate because defining even common behaviors such as teaching is complex. Still Nigel R.Franks, who authored the paper, said careful analysis, and a great many hours of videotape, proved that the ants were teaching one another. Full Story: Ants Are First Non-Humans to Teach, Study Says...
By Emil Steiner | January 17, 2006; 12:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Flu Foils Medicine
Keywords: Influenza, Amantadine, Rimantadine, Taniflu, Relenza, Medicine, Health, Science Officials yesterday advised doctors against using the two commonly prescribed influenza drugs, amantadine and rimantadine, because nearly all the U.S. flu outbreaks are resistant. The elimination leaves practitioners with only two licensed influenza antivirals, Tamiflu and Relenza. Full Story: 2 Common Flu Drugs Called Ineffective Against Virus...
By Emil Steiner | January 14, 2006; 09:16 PM ET | Comments (0)
Dark Forces Challenge Einstein
Key People: Bradley E. Schaefer, Albert Einstein, Richard Ellis, Edwin HubbleKeywords: Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Dark Energy, Physics, Science, Space On Wednesday, Louisiana State University astronomer Bradley E. Schaefer, presented new research that suggests "dark energy" exerts a force that may vary over time. The suggestion casts new doubt on the validity of Albert Einstein's "cosmological constant". The force of dark energy is a concept that emerged in 1999 (if you don't count the 1977 work of George Lucas) as a way to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe. Full Story: A Challenge to Evolution of Universe...
By Emil Steiner | January 13, 2006; 12:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
Global Warming Kills Frogs
Keywords: Global Warming, Climate Change, Biology, Environment, Science A team of scientists is reporting that rising temperatures over the past 30 years, have pushed dozens of frog species over the brink of extinction. The study, published in the journal Nature, helps solve the international mystery of why as many as 112 species of amphibians around the globe have been vanishing from their usual habitats. Full Story: Warming Tied To Extinction Of Frog Species...
By Emil Steiner | January 13, 2006; 12:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
Celera's Strategy Mutates
Key People: Craig Venter, Bill Clinton, Tony L. White, Kathy C. OrdonezKeywords: Celera Genomics, Human Genome, Bio-Tech, Science, Business, Health Celera Genomics, one of the hottest bio-techs of the "New-New Thing" era, is dropping drug development and shifting focus to creating diagnostic tests that it hopes will be on the forefront of the emerging field of targeted medicine. Since 2000, the company, which helped map the human genome, has spent nearly $400 million but only generated $31 million in revenue last year. Full Story: Celera Changes Business Strategy...
By Emil Steiner | January 12, 2006; 12:29 AM ET | Comments (0)
Turkish Bird Flu Spreads
Keywords: H5N1, Bird Flu, WHO, Ankara, Turkey, Europe, Health World Health Organization authorities confirmed a new human case of bird flu in Turkey, bringing the total number to 15. The announcement, Tuesday, comes as the region rushes to defend itself against the disease, which international health officials say spread more quickly than originally believed. Full Story: 15th Turk Is Found to Have Bird Flu...
By Emil Steiner | January 12, 2006; 12:09 AM ET | Comments (0)
Monitoring Diabetics in the City
Key People: Lawrence O. Gostin, Wendy K. Mariner, Diana K. BergerKeywords: New York City, Diabetes, Health Department, Blood Sugar, Privacy, Medicine New York City is launching a program to monitor the blood sugar levels of its diabetic residents. Starting Sunday, the city's 120 laboratories will be required to report results directly to the health department. The unprecedented step is being hailed as a bold attempt to improve care for diabetes but some public health experts, and privacy advocates say it raises serious concerns about confidentiality. Full Story: New York City Starts To Monitor Diabetics...
By Emil Steiner | January 12, 2006; 12:02 AM ET | Comments (0)
Nanotech: Small Particles Big Risks?
Key People: J. Clarence Davies, E. Clayton Teague, David Rejeski, Keywords: Nanotechnology, Resources for the Future, EPA, FDA, Science, Health An independent report being released Wednesday, concluded that current U.S. laws do not adequately protect the public against the risks of nanotechnology--the rapidly growing science of making invisibly small particles and molecular devices by manipulating atoms. Some say nanoparticles' peculiar characteristics are potentially hazardous, though several government officials and industry reps dispute the findings. Full Story: Stricter Nanotechnology Laws Are Urged...
By Emil Steiner | January 12, 2006; 12:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
What's Behind a Loogie?
Key People: Sean Taylor, Michael Pittman, Ross Coomber, Foxy BrownKeywords: Spit, Loogie, Sociolgy, History, The Washington Redskins, NFL, Sports "Spitting your bodily fluids at someone is seen as more offensive than hitting them," according to Ross Coomber, a British sociologist who has written on the meaning of spit (gotta love sociology). Given the $17,000 Redskin Sean Taylor had to cough up for hawking a loog at Michael Pittman during last Saturday's playoff game, we decided to examine the history and sociology of spitting. Full Story: I've Got a Secretion: The Sociology of Spitting...
By Emil Steiner | January 11, 2006; 12:28 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Cloned Dog Tale
Key People: Hwang Woo Suk, Chung Myung Hee,Keywords: Stem Cells, South Korea, Fraud, Embryos, Science, Health South Korean stem cell scientist Hwang Woo Suk largely falsified one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of the decade. An academic panel concluded Tuesday that Hwang never obtained stem cells from cloned embryos, as he claimed, but did produce the first cloned dog ever. Full Story: South Korean Panel Debunks Scientist's Stem Cell Claims...
By Emil Steiner | January 11, 2006; 12:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
Turkish Bird Flu
Keywords: H5N1, Bird Flu, Ankara, Turkey, Europe, Health Five more people in Turkey have tested positive for bird flu. This raises the total number of cases to at least 14 since the outbreak was first identified there last week. Full Story: Five More Turks Test Positive for Bird Flu...
By Emil Steiner | January 11, 2006; 12:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
Iran To Reopen Nukes
Key People: Jack Straw, Tony Blair, Mohammad Saeedi, Melissa Fleming, Gregory L. SchulteKeywords: Tehran, Iran, Nuclear Facilities, IAEA, Vienna, Austria, The Middle East Iran reopened it's nuclear facilities Tuesday, ending a two-year freeze on its production of nuclear material which could be used in weapons. The United States and other countries concerned about Tehran's nuclear ambitions, have condemned the action. Full Story: U.S., Other Nations Rebuke Iran Over Seals...
By Emil Steiner | January 11, 2006; 12:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
DNA Used in Cat Killing
Key People: Marylin ChristianKeywords: DNA Evidence, CSI, Pets, Crime, Virginia Marylin Christian hired a California DNA laboratory to analyze evidence on her dead cat Cody. After animal control officials dropped the case, Christian took a cue from CSI and proved through saliva and fur DNA that a 4-year-old German shepherd named Lucky was linked to the murder. Full Story: Cat Owner Turns to DNA in Pet Whodunit, but Case Isn't Closed...
By Emil Steiner | January 10, 2006; 12:29 AM ET | Comments (0)
Bird Flu Migrates West
Keywords: H5N1, Bird Flu, Ankara, Turkey, Europe, Health Two children and an adult in Turkey tested positive Sunday for a lethal strain of bird flu as the virus continued to spread west from its source in East Asia toward Europe. Doctors reported that the two children were playing with a dead bird. Full Story: Bird Flu Appears to Spread West...
By Emil Steiner | January 10, 2006; 12:10 AM ET | Comments (0)
Vitamin D Builds Bone
Keywords: Vitamin D, Prenatal Care, Pregnancy, Health, Science According to a new study, children of women who maintained high Vitamin D levels while pregnant have bigger, stronger and more calcium-rich bones than those of other children at age 9. Full Story: Vitamin D Helps From the Start...
By Emil Steiner | January 10, 2006; 12:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
Collecting Stardust
Key People: Donald Brownlee, Michael F. A'Hearn, Tom DuxburyKeywords: Dugway Proving Ground, Stardust Spacecraft, NASA, Comets, Space, Science On January 15th, the first-ever mission to fly to deep space and steal samples of cosmic dust will return. Barring mishap, a capsule containing samples from NASA's Stardust spacecraft which flew through the halo of gas, dust and debris, enveloping comet Wild 2, will land in the Utah desert. Full Story: Spacecraft to Bring Home Comet Dust and Clues...
By Emil Steiner | January 10, 2006; 12:05 AM ET | Comments (0)
India Digitizes Against Bio-Piracy
Key People: Nighat Anjum, V.K. Gupta, Mark GraysonKeywords: New Dehli, India, Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, Health, Medicine To defend traditional health remedies from theft by multinational drug companies, India is employing 150 doctors and techies in a four-year, $2 million database project, cataloging everything from Yoga poses to herbal cures. Full Story: India Digitizes Age-Old Wisdom...
By Emil Steiner | January 9, 2006; 08:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
Freaky Snake for Sale
Key People: Leonard SonnenscheinKeywords: St. Louis World Aquarium, Snake, Biology, Science Looking for a medical oddity to tie your room together? A St. Louis Aquarium may have what you need. President Leonard Sonnenschein announced Monday, that The World Aquarium will sell, We, a two-headed, albino rat snake. The bidding starts at $150,000. Full Story: Two-Headed Snake for Sale for $150,000...
By Emil Steiner | January 4, 2006; 08:10 AM ET | Comments (0)
Medically Testing to Death
Keywords: Medical Research, SIDS, Ethics, Medicine, Science When does medical testing cross the line from careful to wasteful? As tidiness is to obsessive compulsive disorder, repetitive clinical studies cost unnecessary money and lives. The "indefensible state of affairs" has spurred medical journals to start only publishing papers that show the authors performed a meta-analysis of previous research. Full Story: Superfluous Medical Studies Called Into Question...
By Emil Steiner | January 3, 2006; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Mutating Stomach Bug
Keywords: Clostridium Difficile, Bacteria, Health, Medicine, Science Stabbing cramps, immobility and violent diarrhea--symptoms of c-diff, a stomach bug once found only in the elderly and hospitalized has cultivated a new home in the guts of healthy adults. Doctors are baffled why the relatively benign bug has mutated into such a terror. Full Story: Stomach Bug Mutates Into Medical Mystery...
By Emil Steiner | January 3, 2006; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
The New Space Race
Key People: Philippe Douste-BlazyKeywords: GPS, EU, Galileo Program, Satellite, Space, Communication, Business, Military Like a flashback to Sputnik, the European Union launched its first satellite of the $4 billion Galileo Global Positioning System program, Wednesday, effectively breaking the U.S. monopoly on space-based networks. The system, scheduled to begin operating in 2008, will double the world's satellite coverage now provided by the U.S. military-controlled GPS. Full Story: EU Launches Galileo Satellite...
By Emil Steiner | December 29, 2005; 08:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
An Extra Tick
Key People: Ronald Beard, Judah Levine, Dennis McCarthy, Ken SeidelmannKeywords: Leap Seconds, Time, Physics, Astronomy, Science For all of us feeling a little pressed for time this year, physics has a gift, just in the nick of well... time. At 11:59, on New Year's Eve, a "leap second" will be added, to sync earth time with the more accurate atomic time. This will be the 22nd such bonus since the dawn of atomic time, some 47 years ago, and the first since 1998. But as the Earth continues to slow down, scientists admit "leap seconds" will become increasingly more frequent. Full Story: Added Ticktock of the Clock Restarts Time Debate...
By Emil Steiner | December 27, 2005; 07:56 AM ET | Comments (0)
An Evolving Battle
Key People: Michael J. Behe, John E. Jones III, Richard Land, Karl RoveKeywords: Evolution, Intelligent Design, Dover School Board, Science, Religion Like cold blooded animals during an ice-age, Intelligent Design advocates may be facing extinction, after a chilling defeat in Federal Court. Though they have vowed to fight on, their only choice for survival may be to adapt their argument to fit the climate of the scientific community. Full Story: Advocates of 'Intelligent Design' Vow to Continue Despite Ruling...
By Emil Steiner | December 23, 2005; 08:10 AM ET | Comments (0)
University To Run Los Alamos
Key People: Samuel W. Bodman, Danielle BrianKeywords: Los Alamos, Nuclear Weapons, New Mexico, University of California, Bechtel National Inc. The birth place of the atom bomb is under new management. Wednesday, the Energy Department announced it had selected the University of California and Bechtel National Inc. to oversee the legendary but strife-ridden facility. Full Story: Los Alamos Management Named...
By Emil Steiner | December 23, 2005; 07:53 AM ET | Comments (0)
Taming Diabetes
Key People: David M. Nathan, Judith E. Fradkin, Robert RizzaKeywords: Diabetes, Obesity, Health, Medicine, Science As Americans get fatter, an increasing number are at risk for diabetes. The good news is that a long-awaited, study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has found Diabetics who tightly control their blood sugar levels can cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes in half. Full Story: Strict Control Key to Taming Diabetes...
By Emil Steiner | December 23, 2005; 07:50 AM ET | Comments (0)
Gum For Gamers
Keywords: Mad-Croc, Energy Drinks, Caffeine, Video Games, Health, Science Now-a-days you can have your Red Bull and chew it too. Mad-Croc, a caffeinated gum marketed to video gamers, gives you the caffeine equivalent of 1 cup of coffee in two sticks, but without the java breath. Full Story: Gum for Gamers...
By Emil Steiner | December 21, 2005; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
PA Rejects Intelligent Design
Key People: John E. Jones III, Charles Darwin, Michael J. BeheKey Words: Dover, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Intelligent Design, Education Despite the Jayhawk's annual, hardwood drubbing of the Quakers, Pennsylvania can now claim a lead over Kansas in the evolution debate. A federal judge ruled Tuesday, that Dover school district violated the Separation of Church and State, by requiring the inclusion of "intelligent design" in biology classes as an alternative to evolution. Full Story: Judge Rules Against Pa. 'Intelligent Design' Policy...
By Emil Steiner | December 21, 2005; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Idea Rockets to Mars
Key People: Scott J. Horowitz, Michael D. Griffin, George BushKeywords: NASA, Scotty-Rocket, Space, Engineering, Technology The best ideas often come too soon, like that of astronaut Scott Horowitz who came up with a replacement for space shuttles after the Columbia disintegration. At first no one listened, but with NASA retiring the shuttles in 2010, his Scotty-Rocket will now be the cornerstone of America's Space Program. Full Story: NASA's New Spaceship Builder Has Sights on the Moon, Mars...
By Emil Steiner | December 20, 2005; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Clogging America's Brain-Drain
Key People: George Bush, Nancy Pelosi, Lamar Alexander, Joe LiebermanKeywords: Math, Science, Education, Government, Politics It's no surprise that Europe and Asia are outwitting America in science and math. After all, government funding for the sciences has declined 50% since 1970, while Asia and Europe graduate thousands more engineers who garner almost half the U.S. patents. What might be a surprise though, is that that lawmakers are calling for a coordinated and sustained attack on the problem. Full Story: Math and Science Test for Bush...
By Emil Steiner | December 19, 2005; 01:17 PM ET | Comments (0)
New Mexican Heights
Key People: Bill Richardson, Richard Branson, Ben LujanKeywords: New Mexico, Virgin Galactic, Space Travel, Aviation Will spaceship air marshals dress like storm troopers? Until Wednesday, that may have been a ridiculous question, but with New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, agreeing to build the first Virgin Galactic Launchpad, and more than 100 tickets sold, space tourism is no longer science fiction. Full Story: N.M. Plans Launchpad for Space Tourism...
By Emil Steiner | December 16, 2005; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Prescription For Racism?
Key Figures: Lee Bailey, Al Czap, Kimberly Rawlings, Keywords: Perfusia, BiDil, Racism, FDA, Cardiovascular Disease, Medicine, Science A recent drug ad in Jet Magazine is begging the very un-PC question: Are black people medically different? The answer is yes, but only from the warped perspective of an advertising exec. Perfusia, a dietary supplement marketed to African American audiences as a cheap alternative to expensive cardiovascular disease medication, is giving a lot of doctors palpitations--but more for the possible side effects than the implied racial differences. Link: The Race to Market...
By Emil Steiner | December 14, 2005; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Big Losers
Key Figures: Robert Saper, Michael McGuffin, Tod CoopermanKeywords: Diet, Ephedra, Hoodia, Obesity, Medicine, Health, Science If you haven't heard of Hoodia, your spam filter is better than most. Since Ephedra's downfall, it's become the hottest quick-fix for the estimated 200 million overweight Americans. But with possibly lethal health risks, doctors fear America's hunger for weight loss may cost more than the 2 billion spent annually on over-the-counter diet pills. Link: Pills for Losers...
By Emil Steiner | December 14, 2005; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Of Mice and Mankind
Key Figures: Fred Gage, Henry Greely, Alysson R. Muotri, Kinichi NakashimaKeywords: Stem Cells, Parkinson's, Neurology, Health, Science, Ethics You've probably seen the pictures of a mouse with an ear growing out of its back, but how about a mouse growing a human brain? According to the proceedings of the National Science Academy, scientists at the Salk Institute injected stem cells into the brain cavity of 14-day-old mouse fetuses and created living mice with working human brain cells. Link: Human Brain Cells Are Grown In Mice...
By Emil Steiner | December 14, 2005; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Love Hormone
Keywords: Love, Psychology, Science The saying "love conquers all" has been confirmed by German scientists. In a paper published in last week's Journal of Science, researchers found that volunteers who had oxytocin (dubbed the hormone of love) sprayed in their noses, were less fearful than those given a placebo. Link: Love Hormone Conquers All ...
By Emil Steiner | December 13, 2005; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Dangerous Curves
Keywords: Running, Physics, Sports, Science Unlike greyhounds, human beings can't corner. Because of the "duty factor", runners have to keep their feet on the ground longer to counter-act centripetal force when going around curves. The more our feet are on the ground, the slower we run. Link: On Curves, Dogs Have the Edge...
By Emil Steiner | December 13, 2005; 08:29 AM ET | Comments (0)
If Books Could Kill
Key Figures: Marjorie Rogers, Jeffrey Selman, Robert E. LangKeywords: Cobb Co. Georgia, Darwin, Evolution, Intelligent Design, Science, Religion Cobb County Georgia, an affluent suburbia northwest of Atlanta, has laws requiring heads of households to own a firearm and ammunition, frowns on gay lifestyles, and is fighting to put the Ten Commandments in its courthouses. Now, to make sure kids don't get the wrong idea, the school board is putting a sticker into ever biology textbook warning them that evolution is a theory, not a fact. Link: Warning Label on Darwin Sows Division in Suburbia...
By Emil Steiner | December 12, 2005; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Wagging The DNA
Key Figures: Francis S. Collins, Eric S. LanderKeywords: DNA, Genetics, Dogs, MIT, Harvard, Science In the future, dogs will do more than just bring you your slippers. According to scientists at Harvard and MIT, who have mapped the K-9 genome, they will probably become the chief tool for understanding genectic diseases in people. Link: In Dog Genome, Scientists See Man's Best Hope...
By Emil Steiner | December 9, 2005; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Iran Goes Nuclear
Keywords: Iran, Nuclear, U.N., Russia Despite Western protests and possible U.N. sanctions, Iran is building two nuclear power plants in addition to the reactor which goes on-line next year. Link: Iran Goes Nuclear...
By Emil Steiner | December 6, 2005; 01:40 PM ET | Comments (0)
Beethovan's Autopsy
Key Figures: Ludwig Van BeethovenKeywords: Argonne National Laboratory, Science, Music Looks like it was lead poisoning and not syphilis that did in Beethoven. Using the most powerful x-ray beam in the western hemisphere, scientists blasted 6 of the composers hairs with subatomic particles traveling at 99.99% of the speed of light. Link: Beethoven's Autopsy...
By Emil Steiner | December 6, 2005; 01:01 PM ET | Comments (0)
Big Little Problem
Keywords: Nanotechnology, Environment, Health, Business A nanosphere retarding cell growth or activating suicide genes sounds like something out of a Michael Crichton novel. But with the market for nanotechnology expected to exceed $1 trillion a year, scientists and environmentalists are scratching their heads over how to handle the cleanup of dangerous microscopic particles. Link: Nanotech Trouble...
By Emil Steiner | December 5, 2005; 08:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
Naturally Gay
Keywords: Nature VS. Nurture, Homosexuality, Catholic Church, Gay Rights Gay rights is no longer about Democrats VS. Republicans but Nature VS. Nurture. Those who think human beings are born with a sexual orientation support gay rights, those who think it's a choice do not. Link: Nature VS. Nurture...
By Emil Steiner | December 5, 2005; 07:31 AM ET | Comments (0)
Conventional Wisdom: Makeup Week
Keywords: President Bush, Iraq, health, medicine, media, hollywood, movies, music Key figures: George W. Bush, Joan Rivers, Katie Couric, Grateful Dead Arrowed in this week's Conventional Wisdom: W., fake Iraq news, face transplants, Katie Couric as anchor, Hollywood's last rites, and the Dead. Link: CW: Saving Face Edition...
By nicksummers | December 5, 2005; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Patagonian Penguin Party
Keywords:Penguins, Argentina, Birds, Biology, Science "March of the Penguins" showed the bleak struggle of the Antarctic birds, but go a few hundred miles north and you'll find that penguins know how to have a good time too. On a cloudy afternoon in Ponto Tumbo, Argentina, thousands of them visited neighbors, held hands and flirted shamelessly. Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/30/AR2005113002074.html...
By Jim Brady | December 2, 2005; 09:44 AM ET | Comments (0)
Face-off
Keywords: Facial Transplant, Plastic Surgery, Medicine, France, Science Science fiction became well, just science yesterday in Lyon, France. Doctors there say they preformed the first ever partial face transplant, (no, Michael Jackson doesn't count) on a 38-year-old woman. Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/30/AR2005113000636.html...
By Jim Brady | December 2, 2005; 09:19 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Design of Darwin's Intelligence
Key Figures: Charles Darwin, Robert DarwinKeywords: Evolution, Science, Intelligent Design If you're parents call you lazy don't sweat it, Charles Darwin's father once said: "You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and your family." Darwin under the Microscope examines his evolution from slacker to scientific revolutionary. Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801889.html...
By Jim Brady | December 1, 2005; 10:58 PM ET | Comments (0)
