Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
Stem cells, show your face
As researchers develop ways of reprogramming adult cells, such as skin cells, to have the same flexibility as embryonic stem cells, this new test shows that the reprogrammed stem cells are truly capable of becoming any cell in the body.
- Chemistry
Turning CO2 into chalk and sand
Removing carbon dioxide from smokestacks and storing it permanently is one of the possible solutions to global warming, but remains expensive to do. A new technique could make carbon sequestration economical on a large scale, while producing useful materials on the side.
- Psychology
World of hurt
Treatments shown to diminish psychological problems in traumatized youngsters often don’t get used, an exhaustive research review concludes.
- Health & Medicine
How mice smell fear
Mice may use a cluster of neurons known as the Grueneberg ganglion to detect alarm pheromones.
- Psychology
Undecided voters not so undecided
A measure of unconscious attitudes predicts the opinions that undecided people eventually reach on a controversial issue.
- Health & Medicine
Ear infections make fatty food sound good
A history of middle ear infections could give people an affinity for fatty foods and leave them twice as likely to become obese.
- Health & Medicine
Dopamine fends off zzzzz’s
A reward chemical in the brain helps keep sleep-deprived people awake.
- Chemistry
FBI reveals more details of anthrax investigation
A panel of scientists involved in the anthrax investigations released new details.
- Astronomy
Preserving digital data for the future of eScience
From the August 30, 2008 issue of Science News.
- Health & Medicine
Immune cells show long-term memory
Survivors of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic still make antibodies against the virus, revealing a long-lived immunity previously thought impossible.
- Archaeology
Saharan surprise
A chance discovery in the Sahara leads to the excavation of a Stone Age cemetery containing remains from two lakeside cultures.
- Health & Medicine
Heart to heart
Successful heart transplant experiment in infants draws attention to debate on defining death of organ donors.
