Earth & Environment - Sep 30, 2009 16:14 - 2 Comments
Largest quakes weaken fault zones worldwide
RICE (US)—The massive 2004 earthquake that triggered killer tsunamis throughout the Indian Ocean appears to have weakened at least a portion of California’s famed San Andreas Fault, according to a new report by U.S. seismologists. (more…)
Best of 2009 - Sep 30, 2009 15:37 - 15 Comments
BEST OF 2009: Tai chi lowers glucose
FLORIDA (US)—A regular tai chi exercise program can help people better control their diabetes and lower glucose levels, new findings show. (more…)
Society & Culture - Sep 30, 2009 14:28 - 1 Comment
Separating historical fact from film fiction
WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS (US)—Showing popular historical dramas in a classroom setting can be a double-edged sword when it comes to helping students learn and retain factual information found in textbooks, a new study finds. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 30, 2009 12:41 - 1 Comment
‘Beautiful’ stellar jet recreated in lab
U. ROCHESTER (US)—Certain stars stream vast amounts of matter into space, creating some of the most beautiful—and inexplicable—objects in the universe. Now, astrophysicists have replicated the physics of a stellar jet in a laboratory. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Sep 30, 2009 12:40 - 3 Comments
Hyenas in cahoots outperform primates
DUKE (US)—Spotted hyenas may not be smarter than chimpanzees, but a new study shows they perform better than primates on cooperative problem-solving tests. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 29, 2009 17:52 - 2 Comments
Brain may crave fast-food fix
VANDERBILT (US)—Researchers are investigating the disruptive effect high-fat, high-sugar foods may have on insulin signaling in the brain, and its regulation of neurotransmitters involved in mood and behavior. The findings could lead to new ways to treat obesity and diabetes. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Sep 29, 2009 14:42 - 0 Comments
Map synthesizes total threats to Great Lakes
U. MICHIGAN (US)—Researchers are developing the first regional “threat map” of the Great Lakes. The project, which focuses on the effects of human activity, is designed to help planners and conservation groups in the United States and Canada make decisions and prioritize activities for years to come. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 29, 2009 13:29 - 0 Comments
Twenty-somethings opt out of health care
U. ROCHESTER (US)—Young adults are far less likely than adolescents to visit the doctor or use ambulatory or preventive care despite an increase in risky behaviors such as drug use and unprotected sex. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 29, 2009 11:52 - 0 Comments
Messenger makes final Mercury flyby
U. COLORADO (US)—NASA’s Messenger spacecraft will zip by Mercury for the third and final time today, September 29, cruising within 142 miles of the planet’s surface at more than 100,000 mph. Messenger will take high-resolution color images of the surface terrain before making a clever gravity-assist maneuver that will steer it into orbit around the rocky planet beginning in March 2011. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 29, 2009 10:59 - 2 Comments
Team solves tricky triangle problem
NYU (US)—An international team of mathematicians has resolved the first one trillion cases of an ancient problem on congruent numbers. The quantity of numbers involved in this calculation is significant—if their digits were written out by hand, they would stretch to the moon and back. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Sep 29, 2009 4:09 - 2 Comments
Fertilizer not a cure-all for African poverty
CORNELL (US)—Researchers have linked poverty in sub-Saharan Africa with poor soil health, but two new studies find that the recommended practice of applying more fertilizer may not help the poorest farmers. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 28, 2009 18:21 - 1 Comment
Monkey brain signals mental wanderlust
DUKE (US)—Knowing when to stay with what’s familiar or when to search for something new can be tricky, especially for those with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Using brain scans, researchers are able to predict when monkeys will switch from exploiting a known resource to exploring their options. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 28, 2009 17:31 - 2 Comments
E. coli travel using kayak-paddle motion
YALE (US)—Engineers have for the first time observed and tracked E. coli bacteria moving in a liquid medium with a motion similar to that of a kayak paddle. The findings offer a clearer picture of how bacteria move from place to place and, potentially, how to keep them from spreading. (more…)
Society & Culture - Sep 28, 2009 15:16 - 1 Comment
Homeless addicts: Next door, worlds away
U. PENN (US)—Homeless heroin addicts are far closer than most people realize, according to research by medical anthropologist Phillippe Bourgois. (more…)
Society & Culture - Sep 28, 2009 13:25 - 0 Comments
Private forces hurting efforts in Afghanistan?
NYU (US)—A recent report suggests over-reliance on private security—above all, on local militia groups—by international military forces is harming stabilization efforts in Afghanistan. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 28, 2009 11:50 - 1 Comment
Therapy breaks barrier to repair brain damage
U. IOWA (US)—Researchers have discovered a nonsurgical way to treat a specific type of brain damage by turning the very blood vessels surrounding brain cells into a production and delivery system. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Sep 28, 2009 11:17 - 0 Comments
Portable device uses lasers to detect pollutant
PRINCETON/RICE (US)—A newly developed portable device could make it much easier to detect nitric oxide, a serious pollutant that plays a role in the body, affecting heart rate, blood flow, nerve signals, and immune function. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 28, 2009 10:36 - 3 Comments
Wonder drug may treat cancer, addiction
UC IRVINE (US)—A drug in development to treat cancer could have the added benefit of helping prevent relapse in people trying to overcome cocaine addiction. (more…)
