News
- Planetary Science
Eyeing a Saturn storm
The Cassini spacecraft recently captured an image of the most powerful storm ever seen on Saturn.
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Hunger for Knowledge: Appetite hormone may stimulate memory
A hormone that's been tied to promoting hunger may also play a pivotal role in creating and retrieving memories, according to a new study in mice.
- Materials Science
Busy Little Recyclers: Chemical process, microbial metabolism transform trash-bound plastics
A two-step approach that converts a common plastic into a biodegradable polymer may cut the number of packing peanuts and Styrofoam cups that end up in landfills.
- Physics
Easy Answers: Quantum computer gives results without running
Quantum physics enables a computer to arrive at correct answers without actually running, a new experiment shows.
- Health & Medicine
Birth Deterrent: Stress hormone cited in early miscarriages
High levels of a stress hormone in newly pregnant women might make them more likely to have miscarriages.
- Anthropology
Big Woman with a Distant Past: Stone Age gal embodies humanity’s cold shifts
A 260,000-year-old partial skeleton previously found in China represents the largest known female among human ancestors and underscores the ancient origins of large, broad bodies adapted for survival in cold conditions.
- Earth
Rome at Risk: Seismic shaking could be long and destructive
If a large earthquake struck Rome, ground motions could rock the city for up to a minute, threatening many of the city's ancient landmarks.
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Degrading a Defense: Bacteria use enzyme to escape trap
Some bacteria have evolved an enzyme that enables them to escape the body's defenses.
- Health & Medicine
Saw palmetto flunks prostate exam
An herbal supplement used by 2.5 million men in the United States has failed to outperform a dummy capsule taken for urinary problems.
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Smart shoppers use unconscious tactics
Consumers make better decisions about major purchases if they heed the power of their unconscious minds.
- Astronomy
Tiny planet orbits faraway star
Taking advantage of some gravitational sleight of hand, astronomers have found indirect evidence of the smallest planet known to exist outside the solar system.
- Earth
Species-aid budget looks fishy
State and federal governments spent $1.4 billion in 2004 on conserving endangered and threatened species, with one-third of that sum going to protect fish.
