More Stories from the September 24, 2011 issue
- Humans
Big fish return to Mexican marine park
Most effects of overharvesting reversed within a decade.
- Planetary Science
White dwarfs gobble Earthlike treats
Astronomers have found elements in the dead stars’ atmospheres that suggest rocky planetary bodies once orbited the stars.
- Humans
Financial world dominated by a few deep pockets
Analysis suggests a small number of firms control a big share of global wealth.
- Life
Early stress is contagious in adulthood
A zebra finch’s tough childhood shortens both its life and its mate’s.
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- Anthropology
The Iceman’s last meal: goat
Two decades after he was discovered sticking out of an Alpine glacier, a famous 5,300-year-old mummy’s diet details and hiking habits are revealed.
- Humans
Stress spears deployed service personnel
Supply officers draw as much or more emotional fire as combat soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Life
Lager’s mystery ingredient found
After scouring the globe, researchers find the missing ancestor of the yeast used to make cold-brewed beer in an unexpected place.
- Astronomy
Galactic bull’s-eye came naturally
A strange cosmic object isn't the result of a galactic crash, a new study suggests.
- Life
Genes may explain who gets sick from flu
People who stay well even after being exposed to the flu have a strong immune reaction to the virus, but in exactly the opposite way as those who get sick.
- Humans
Recession-sensitive parenting
Economic downturn led to temporarily more severe parenting tactics among genetically predisposed mothers.
- Space
Atom & Cosmos
Planets born with off-kilter orbits, the planet formerly known as a star and more in this week's news.
- Chemistry
Pooping pandas may make better biofuels
Gut microbes break down bamboo efficiently, inspiring new approaches to process raw plant materials for fuel.
- Astronomy
Star goes boom, telescopes zoom
Astronomers have spotted a supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy, the nearest such stellar explosion in decades.
- Chemistry
Fighting flames with greener materials
New, nano-thin coatings for fabrics and plastics are relatively nontoxic flame retardants.
- Humans
Middle school scientists recognized
The first class of 30 finalists in the Broadcom MASTERS will convene in Washington, D.C., this fall to compete in new national science competition geared to younger students.
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SN Online
ATOM & COSMOSJapan’s Hayabusa spacecraft has returned to Earth with the first-ever scrapings taken from an asteroid. Find out what the specks of dust reveal in “Asteroid sample nails meteorite source.” LIFEA young elephant shows off its ability to have an “aha” moment by finding a way to reach fruit just out of reach. Learn […]
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Science Future for September 24, 2011
October 1 Afraid of the dark? The Boston Museum of Science’s “In the Dark” exhibit shows the wonders of caves, the deep ocean and more. Visit www.mos.org October 9–15 Earth Science Week explores “Our Ever-Changing Earth” with events and activities around the world. Learn what’s near you at www.earthsciweek.org October 14–21 The Imagine Science Film […]
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Science Past from the issue of September 23, 1961
ALGAE COULD PROVIDE OXYGEN FOR SPACEMAN — Minute plant life that form the common green scum found on the surface of stagnant ponds and in river beds, Chlorella algae, assisted by the sun, may provide the future man in space with the oxygen essential to maintain life. A new gas exchange device operating on the […]
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Future Science: Essays from the Cutting Edge (Vintage Original) by Max Brockman, ed.
Essays by 19 young scientists explore how science will answer questions ranging from nature versus nurture to understanding infinity. Vintage Books, 2011, 247 p., $15.95
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Among African Apes: Stories and Photos from the Field by Martha M. Robbins and Christophe Boesch, eds.
Tales and photos from primate researchers give readers a vivid look into the lives of apes. Univ. of California Press, 2011, 182 p., $29.95
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Virtual Water: Tackling the Threat to Our Planet’s Most Precious Resource by Tony Allan
Learn why it takes 140 liters of water to make a cup of coffee in this exploration of the water use hidden in everyday life. I.B. Tauris, 2011, 368 p., $18
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The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape Who We Are Today by Rob Dunn
A biologist explores how “clean living” has made people sicker in some ways. Harper, 2011, 290 p., $26.99
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Tumor Tell-All
Unraveling complex genetic stories in cancer cells may lead to personalized treatment.
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Science From On High
Google Earth gives researchers new access.
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Letters
New light on sunshine vitamin Regarding the article “The power of D” (SN: 7/16/11, p. 22), I was very surprised that there was no mention of the positive effects of this vitamin on the debilitating effects of depression. I have lived in northern latitudes between upstate New York and now Vermont since my birth in […]
- Life
Evolution should be taught to all students
The antievolution movement in science education, which gained national attention in the 1920s, lives on in different forms.
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On the Origin of Tepees: The Evolution of Ideas (and Ourselves) by Jonnie Hughes
An entertaining tour of the American West shows how ideas spread through the cultural landscape. Free Press, 2011, 302 p., $25
