News
- Chemistry
Contacts could dispense drugs
Novel contact lens materials use nanoparticles to dispense drugs.
- Chemistry
Matcha green tea packs the antioxidants
A green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies contains much more of a beneficial antioxidant than ordinary green tea.
- Chemistry
Nuclear-waste monitoring gets close to the source
A new prototype device may make monitoring of radioactive contamination cheaper and easier.
- Chemistry
Catnip repels pest
Known to repel cockroaches and mosquitoes, catnip oil also works against termites.
- Health & Medicine
Weight-loss pill carries risks
The drug ephedra and its presumed active ingredient, ephedrine, provide only modest weight-loss effects and pose health risks.
- Astronomy
All-sky survey makes Internet debut
An atlas of some 5 million images from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey is now available online.
- Earth
Mapping watersheds invites comparisons
Computerized maps of environmental features for 154 of the largest river watersheds will soon be available to the public, free of charge.
- Health & Medicine
Microbicide thwarts AIDS virus in monkey test
A microbicidal gel applied vaginally prevents some transmission of the AIDS virus in monkeys.
- Astronomy
Cosmic Blowout: Black holes spew as much as they consume
Supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies can blow out as much material as they swallow, creating high-speed winds that may seed the universe with oxygen, carbon, iron, and other elements essential for life.
- Earth
Wrong Number: Plastic ingredient spurs chromosomal defects
The primary chemical in some plastics causes female mice to produce eggs with abnormal numbers of chromosomes.
- Materials Science
A New Cool: Prototype chills fast and electrifies, too
Researchers have incorporated an efficient thermoelectric material into a prototype device that can cool or produce electricity.
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Autism Advance: Mutated genes disrupt nerve cell proteins
Two gene mutations that cause autism suggest that nerve cell connections called synapses are key to the disorder.
