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Sound Off
By using bits of RNA to eliminate the effects of selected genes, scientists are developing new ways to study gene function and treat diseases.
- Humans
Letters from the July 2, 2005, issue of Science News
Chlorine’s fate? “Special Treatment: Tiny technology tackles mega messes” (SN: 4/23/05, p. 266), on the reaction of nanoparticles of iron with trichloroethane (TCE) contaminating an aquifer, states that the TCE is converted “into ethane.” What happens to the chlorine stripped off the TCE? Is it converted into insoluble inorganic compounds or is it available to […]
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- Humans
From the June 22, 1935, issue
Beauty in a police radio transmitter, a new aid in controlling diabetes, and mathematical help for cake bakers.
- Animals
Save the Tapir
Tapirs are relatives of horses and rhinos. Sometimes known as “living fossils,” these unusual animals inhabit jungle and forest lands in Central and South America and Southeast Asia. The Tapir Gallery provides information about tapirs, including images and an extensive bibliography. A student section of the Web site, produced by the Tapir Preservation Fund, provides […]
- Materials Science
Lube Tune-Up: Motor oil from recycled plastic could improve automotive-fuel efficiency
Chemists have developed a technique for making high-performance lubricating oils from recycled plastic.
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Personable Brain Cells: Neurons as virtuosos of face, object recognition
Individual neurons in one part of the brain may assist in forming memories for specific sights, including the faces of famous people and images of well-known buildings.
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Grow in the Dark: Bottom-dwelling bacterium survives on geothermal glow
A newly described species of photosynthetic microorganism uses light from hydrothermal vents in the deep sea to power its metabolism, making it the first such organism to use a light source other than the sun.
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Making a Muscle: Engineered fibers grow in the lab and in mice
Scientists have created slivers of muscle that produce their own network of blood vessels.
- Health & Medicine
Attack on Elephantiasis: Antibiotic offers weapon against tropical scourge
An antibiotic called doxycycline can cure people of elephantiasis, a parasitic disease, by killing the bacterium that the parasite needs to survive.
- Animals
Dee for Danger: Chickadees add notes as threat grows
Chickadees change their alarm calls depending on how serious a lurking predator seems.
- Paleontology
Killer Bite: Ancient, tiny mammal probably used venom
Paleontologists have unearthed the remains of an ancient, mouse-size mammal that seems to have had a venomous bite.
