More Stories from the June 22, 2002 issue
- Health & Medicine
Drug cuts risk of seizures in pregnancy
An inexpensive drug treatment lessens the risk of seizures that sometimes strike and even kill women during pregnancy or immediately after delivery.
- Tech
Tiny rockets may advance minisatellites
A new type of miniaturized rocket may bring microspacecraft one step closer to reality.
- Health & Medicine
New clue stirs up lithium mystery
Lithium and two other mood-stabilizing drugs may all work by depleting nerve cells of a chemical that the cells use to signal each other.
- Chemistry
A crystal takes on an unusual topology
A single crystal exhibits the unusual topology known as a Möbius strip.
- Health & Medicine
Chinese chimneys slash lung cancer risk
People in rural China who replace rudimentary domestic hearths with well-ventilated stoves enjoy both less-smoky homes and a dramatic reduction in their risk of developing lung cancer.
- Health & Medicine
Let Them Eat Cake: Altered mice stay svelte on a high-fat diet
A protein that links gluttony and weight gain may be a novel target for antiobesity drugs.
- Humans
Dangerous Wake: Wing vortices yield a deadly secret
A new mathematical analysis of an aeronautical hazard known as wake turbulence could someday lead to improved air safety and increase the number of flights at major airports.
- Health & Medicine
Enough Isn’t Enough: An epidemic of vitamin D deficiency
Many U.S. women of childbearing age, particularly those of African descent, lack sufficient vitamin D even though they consume the recommended amount.
- Chemistry
Molecule Sorting: Antibody membrane lends a hand
A new membrane may make it easier to separate mixtures of drug molecules that exist in mirror-image versions into their two components.
- Astronomy
Planetary System in the Making? Stellar eclipse hints at planet-forming debris
Astronomers reported the first evidence that a young star is periodically eclipsed by a stream of debris, possibly an orbiting belt of asteroids held in place by a massive, unseen planet.
-
Hostile Intent: Abused kids face up to angry expressions
Physical abuse at home apparently tunes a school-age child's perceptual system to pick up signs of anger in others' facial expressions.
- Health & Medicine
Stem Cell Gain: Bone marrow cells seem to have what it takes
Tests show that a rodent bone marrow cell similar to one found in people acts as a multipurpose stem cell, much as embryonic stem cells do.
- Tech
Making a Little Impression: New chip-making method may mold the industry
A simple mechanical means of embossing silicon may offer an alternative to conventional chip-making methods.
- Animals
Oops. Woodpecker raps were actually gunshots
The knock-knock noises recorded last winter that raised hopes for rediscovering the long-lost ivory-billed woodpecker in Louisiana turn out to have been gunshots instead of bird noises.
-
Numbers in Mind
Initial reports of babies' basic counting abilities have inspired a wave of new research and a spirited debate about what infants really know about numbers.
-
Evolutionary Shocker?
A specific protein may help plants and animals store genetic variation and release it at times of stress.
