More Stories from the October 11, 2008 issue
- Neuroscience
Highly wired
Men’s brain tissue shows higher density of neuron connections than similar tissue from women.
- Life
Female frogs play the field
A female frog insures a safe home for her young by mating with many males.
- Life
Giant honeybees do the wave
Giant bees coordinate and make waves that would rival those in any football stadium. Predators of the bees don’t find it cheering.
- Life
This bite won’t hurt a bit
A team dissects the physics of a mosquito bite, working to find a way to design gentler needles.
- Humans
Teen depression: No genes required
The family-shattering effects of a mother’s depression can prompt the same mood disorder in her children, independent of any genetic risk.
- Space
Snapshot of a planet beyond the solar system
After years of false alarms, astronomers may finally have recorded the first image of a planet orbiting a sunlike star beyond the solar system.
- Health & Medicine
Late nights and disease
Getting too little sleep may lead to health problems. A new study shows that after only one night of sleep deprivation, women have higher levels of an inflammatory molecule linked to cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.
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- Health & Medicine
Plastics chemical linked to heart disease, diabetes
Study is based on data collected from human adults and matches urine concentrations of bisphenol A with type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver enzyme problems
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Immune cell plays good cop, bad cop
Immune cells called macrophages aid neuron regeneration in some parts of the nervous system, but hinder regeneration in the brain and spinal cord.
- Humans
Pain relief to believe in
Religious believers shown pictures that evoke spiritual responses display brain activity that may contribute to feeling relief from physical pain, a new study finds.
- Life
First lipid hormone discovered
An omega-7 fatty acid made by fat and liver cells acts as a hormone, even mimicking the health benefits of insulin.
- Health & Medicine
Lo-Cal bones hold up
One study of many recent investigations of how calorie restriction affects people shows that bone density does not necessarily suffer when a person loses weight quickly.
- Earth
Continental clash cooled the climate
The collision between India and Asia set off events that caused long-term cooling in Earth’s climate, new research suggests.
- Earth
New contender for Earth’s oldest rocks
Observing rare isotopes in rocks along the Hudson Bay in Northern Quebec suggest the rocks have remained intact for 4.28 billion years, making them Earth's oldest.
- Space
With a twinkle, pulsating stars could deliver signals from E.T.
Neutrino beams may turn Cepheids into messengers for advanced alien civilizations.
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- Humans
The Science Vote: Linking energy to greenhouse risks
Science and technology have not played out as major presidential campaign issues this year. And following Sen. John McCain’s unexpected announcement that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would be his running mate, even foreign policy and major energy issues have been relegated to the back seat as the media feverishly probe the views, background and administrative […]
- Humans
The Science Vote: Spending priorities differ
Federal funding for academic research — a major engine of innovation — has experienced an “unprecedented” two-year decline, the National Science Foundation reported in late August. Between fiscal years 2005 and 2007, Uncle Sam’s share of academic research funding fell from 64 percent to 62 percent. To take up the slack, universities turned to industry […]
- Humans
The Science Vote
Science News runs down what the two presidential candidates and their campaigns have been saying about science and technology issues.
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