News
- Earth
If It’s Wet in Malaysia . . . : Afghan droughts linked to rain in Indian Ocean
An analysis of nearly 2 decades of weather patterns suggests a link between an abundance of precipitation in the eastern Indian Ocean and a lack of rain in portions of southwestern Asia.
- Health & Medicine
Full Pipeline: Success of experimental AIDS drugs offers promise of future therapies
Three experimental drugs—a monoclonal antibody, a protease inhibitor, and a fusion inhibitor—performed well in early tests on AIDS patients.
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Cult Anthrax: Stored slime reveals why release went undetected
A U.S. anthrax geneticist tells the story behind his work figuring out how Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo released anthrax into Tokyo but people didn't notice anything except a nasty smell.
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Dirty RATS: Campaign ad may have swayed voters subliminally
Psychological research sparked by a controversial campaign advertisement aired during the 2000 presidential election suggests that the 30-second spot—which briefly flashed "RATS"—may have negatively affected viewers’ opinions of Democratic candidate Al Gore.
- Planetary Science
Martian Gullies: Carved by melting snow?
Melting snow may have sculpted the recently formed gullies found at midlatitudes on Mars.
- Anthropology
Evolution’s DNA Fusion: Hybrid gene forms clue to human, ape origins
A gene of mixed evolutionary pedigree may have transformed mammalian reproduction, leading to the evolution of apes and humans.
- Health & Medicine
Hold the Phone? Radiation from cell phones hurts rats’ brains
A single 2-hour exposure to the microwaves emitted by some cell phones kills brain cells in rats.
- Health & Medicine
Carbon monoxide may limit vascular damage
Carbon monoxide given in small doses to rats can prevent injury to blood vessels caused by surgery.
- Archaeology
Farming sprouted in ancient Ecuador
Analyses of microscopic plant remains from two archaeological sites indicate that people began to grow squash in Ecuador's lowlands between 10,000 and 9,000 years ago, when agriculture was also taking root in Mexico.
- Animals
Sibling Desperado: Doomed booby chick turns relentlessly violent
The first known case among nonhuman vertebrates of so-called desperado aggression—relentless attacks against an overwhelming force—may come from the underling chick in nests of brown boobies.
- Health & Medicine
Huntington’s Advance: Drug limits disease effects in laboratory mice
A compound that inhibits enzymes that act as stop signs for genes counteracts the movement disorders brought on by Huntington's disease, a mouse study suggests.
- Tech
Light Splash: Transparent pipes shape microstructures
A new technique using fluid dyes in microplumbing to create miniature fluid-carrying chips improves the 3-D topography of these microstructures and makes that topography relatively easy to modify.
