Uncategorized
- Chemistry
Stopping wool from shrinking
Treating wool with a fungal enzyme not only prevents the fibers from shrinking but also is more environmentally friendly than using conventional chemical treatments.
- Health & Medicine
Molecular decoy thwarts Alzheimer’s
Biomedical engineers have developed polymer molecules that bind to and block the activity of proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.
- Planetary Science
Assault on Mars
A Mars rover has discovered a patch of soil that's the saltiest place known on the Red Planet, an indication that water once coursed through the region.
- Earth
Volume of glaciers and ice caps is estimated
New topographic data have enabled scientists to estimate the volume of water trapped in the ice caps and glaciers outside of Antarctica and Greenland and to predict how high the sea level would rise if this ice melted.
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- Animals
Why a turkey helps a pal find a mate
A new study shows how the classic idea of kin selection could explain why male turkeys cruise in pairs, even though only one of them will win a mate.
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19534
This article showed several reasons why stem cell research is a good thing: Stem cells from embryos might cure cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and many other diseases. But the article should have included the fact that stem cells may help with transplanting organs. Stem cells may be used to “grow” organs for patients […]
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Full Stem Ahead
Before stem cells can fulfill the promise of treating deadly diseases, problems with the cells' biology and government regulations limiting their use must be solved.
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19533
I was interested to read about factors influencing the “hunger hormone’s” —ghrelin’s—effectiveness. One factor not considered but seemingly very significant is physical activity. I suggest that it is more useful to understand and encourage the positive effects of physical activity on overall well-being than to develop new drugs that artificially manipulate the release of hormones […]
- Health & Medicine
Still Hungry?
New research indicates that diet and lifestyle can affect the body's production of a hunger hormone in ways that might unwittingly foster overeating.
- Humans
Letters from the April 2, 2005, issue of Science News
Zoom in, drop out On reading the interesting research on droplets (“Dial-a-Splash: Thin air quells liquid splatter,” SN: 2/12/05, p. 99), I noticed that the two droplets shown in the photos at the moment of first contact have different shapes. In air at normal pressure, the droplet has the characteristic hamburger-bun shape. In contrast, the […]
- Astronomy
Worlds of Astronomy
British astronomer and writer David Darling has created an impressive, online encyclopedia devoted to topics in astronomy, astrobiology, spaceflight, space physics, and much more. From the Abell cluster to the Zwicky Catalogue, the site provides clear, straightforward explanations of a variety of concepts, along with brief biographies and much other material, including relevant images. Go […]
