Uncategorized
- Paleontology
Bumpy Bones: Fossil hints that dinosaur had feathery forearms
A series of knobs on the forearm bone of a 1.5-meter-long velociraptor provides the first direct evidence of substantial feathers on a dinosaur of that size.
- Planetary Science
Muddying the Water? Orbiter drains confidence from fluid story of Mars
New images of Mars diminish the evidence that liquid water has flowed on some parts of the planet, but bolster the case in other places.
- Chemistry
Nanotherapy: Gold-drug combo could target tumors
Clusters of paclitaxel molecules attached to gold nanoparticles could deliver a safer and more effective chemotherapy punch to tumors.
- Animals
Hybrid Power: Salamander invader ups survival of rare cousin
Mixed offspring of the endangered California tiger salamander and an invasive cousin survive better than either pure-bred species, raising tricky questions for conservationists.
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Aiding and Abetting: A longevity gene also promotes cancer
A gene that normally helps cells overcome stress can also promote cancer, perhaps offering a new target for cancer treatment.
- Anthropology
Walking Small: Humanlike legs took Homo out of Africa
Newly discovered fossils, 1.77 million years old, show that the earliest known human ancestors to leave Africa for Asia possessed humanlike legs, feet, and spines, but strikingly small brains and primitive arms.
- Math
The Essence of Group Conflict
Eruptions of open conflict between ethnic or religious groups have a lot to do with the way communities are geographically distributed.
- Humans
Letters from the September 22, 2007, issue of Science News
Personnel question In “E-Waste Hazards: Chinese gear recyclers absorb toxic chemicals” (SN: 7/14/07, p. 20), researchers found “astronomical concentrations” of deca-BDE in the residents of Guiyu, and the article cites studies showing that related PBDEs harm brain development in mice and rats. So, has any actual increase in brain-development problems been found in people in […]
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One tall gene
The first reported gene for height can account for almost a centimeter of difference among people who have different versions of it.
- Earth
Meteor dust layers taint Antarctic ice
Two layers of deep Antarctic ice, each hundreds of thousands of years old, are rich in meteoritic dust.
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SSRI use declines, youth suicides rise
In the United States and the Netherlands, youth suicides have increased as the number of antidepressant prescriptions for children and teenagers has fallen, raising concerns that regulatory warnings about these drugs have backfired.
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