Uncategorized
- Paleontology
Fossils found under tons of Kitty Litter
Excavations at North America's largest Kitter Litter mine have yielded fossils of ancient aquatic reptiles, as well as evidence of a tsunami generated by the extraterrestrial impact that killed off the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.
By Sid Perkins - Health & Medicine
Pregnancy spurs a tumor suppressor
Pregnancy hormones may prime breast cells to maintain a supply of p53, a cancer suppressor protein, thus accounting for why women who have undergone pregnancy generally have a lower breast cancer risk than do others.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Hormone wards off immune cells in womb
A hormone known for its involvement in the brain's response to stress also plays a key role in shielding the developing embryo from its mother's immune system.
By Ben Harder - Health & Medicine
AMA: Drugs are for anthrax, not fear
Doctors should not use antibiotics prophylactically against anthrax unless there is good reason to believe the individual had encountered the germs directly, the American Medical Association advises.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Retail meats host drug-resistant bacteria
Three studies appear to tie livestock growth promoters to risk of serious human disease.
By Janet Raloff - Earth
Lowland tree loss threatens cloud forests
Changes in regional climate brought about by large-scale deforestation in the eastern lowlands of Central America are affecting weather in the mountains downwind, imperiling ecosystems there.
By Sid Perkins - Paleontology
Lemurs reveal clues to ancient Asian roots
A diminutive lemur species inhabited what is now central Pakistan about 30 million years ago, a new fossil find suggests.
By Bruce Bower - Chemistry
Nobel recognizes three for handy chemistry
The 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry honors research that led to new chemicals, materials, and drugs, including widely used heart medicines.
- Ecosystems
Another World Hides inside Coral Reefs
The first systematic survey of crevices inside Red Sea reefs reveals abundant filter feeders that may capture significant nutrients for the reef.
By Susan Milius -
From the October 17, 1931, issue
MATERNAL CARES MULTIPLY WITH COMING OF COLD Winter has breathed a hint of its coming already, in puffs of frosty air that make us forget the heat of summer that is gone, even of the unseasonable hot spell of early September. But the coming of the cold bodes only ill for the cold-blooded creatures of […]
By Science News -
Celebrating Mole Day
Ready to party? If you’re familiar with Avogadro’s number, 6.02 x 1023, you can join the celebration of Mole Day on Oct. 23 from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. Check out the Web site of the National Mole Day Foundation for a history of this event and other tidbits from the not-so-furry realm of chemistry, […]
By Science News - Chemistry
Nobel prize: Chemistry
The 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognizes the development of molecules for catalyzing fundamental reactions used to make countless pharmaceuticals.