Society & Culture - May 17, 2010 16:23 - 7 Comments

Brawn beats beauty to get the girl

PENN STATE (US)—Male physical competition, not attraction, was central in winning mates among human ancestors, according to a Penn State anthropologist. (more…)

Science & Technology - May 12, 2010 10:01 - 0 Comments

Coating reveals geometry of aging fingerprints

PENN STATE (US)—A new coating process can reveal hard-to-develop fingerprints on nonporous surfaces without altering the chemistry of the print. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 11, 2010 11:52 - 0 Comments

Reading leaves to predict climate change

PENN STATE (US)—Fossil plant remains from millions of years ago may be the best predictor of future climate change caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide, according to a new study. (more…)

Health & Medicine - May 7, 2010 15:38 - 2 Comments

Feed kids veggies for starters

PENN STATE (US)—Serving children vegetables as a first course helps them eat healthier throughout the meal, new research shows. (more…)

Science & Technology - May 5, 2010 12:35 - 1 Comment

Pressurized water feature in maya plumbing

PENN STATE (US)—A water feature found in the Maya city of Palenque, Mexico, is the earliest known example of engineered water pressure in the new world, according to a collaboration between an archaeologist and a hydrologist. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 23, 2010 13:11 - 1 Comment

Poultry vaccines making matters worse?

PENN STATE (US)—Live vaccines that protect poultry against Newcastle disease may be altering the genetic makeup of the wild virus strains, which could make future outbreaks unpredictable and difficult to tackle, according to biologists. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Apr 20, 2010 12:36 - 1 Comment

Pollution puts in vitro fertilization at risk

PENN STATE (US)—Exposure to an increased level of air pollutants, especially nitrogen dioxide, has been associated with lower likelihoods of successful pregnancy among women undergoing in vitro fertilization. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Apr 5, 2010 12:21 - 4 Comments

Simple test an early predictor of Alzheimer’s

PENN STATE (US)—An inexpensive and easy test has been developed to test the brain’s capacity for information—a reliable predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. (more…)

Science & Technology - Mar 2, 2010 13:21 - 0 Comments

How nannoplankton hung on by a shoestring

PENN STATE (US)—An asteroid strike may not only account for the demise of ocean and land life 65 million years ago, but the fireball’s path—and resulting dust, darkness, and toxic metal contamination—may explain the geographic unevenness of extinctions and recovery. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Feb 23, 2010 11:05 - 0 Comments

Roots key to second Green Revolution

PENN STATE (US)—Root systems are the basis of the second Green Revolution, and the focus on beans and corn that thrive in poor growing conditions will help some of the world’s poorest farmers, according to a Penn State plant scientist. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 22, 2010 15:50 - 4 Comments

Stress hormone raises obesity risk in girls

PENN STATE (US)—Depression raises stress hormone levels in adolescents, but may also lead to obesity in girls. Researchers say early treatment of depression may help reduce stress and control obesity. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 8, 2010 11:17 - 12 Comments

Second opinion: Health blogs viewed skeptically

PENN STATE (US)—Health information written by a doctor is rated as more credible when it appears on a Web site rather than in a blog or an individual’s homepage, according to a study of college students. (more…)

Science & Technology - Feb 2, 2010 23:43 - 15 Comments

Safe travel: Sending messages by light

PENN STATE (US)—Light is better than radio waves when it comes to some wireless communications, reports a team of engineers. (more…)

Science & Technology - Feb 2, 2010 12:08 - 0 Comments

Virus entices insects to spread infection

PENN STATE—A common plant virus lures aphids to infected plants by making the plants more attractive. When the insects taste the plant, they quickly leave for tastier, healthier ones, rapidly transmitting the disease. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 18, 2010 13:02 - 1 Comment

Thirsty cities should mix it up

PENN STATE—To save money, avoid surpluses, and reduce shortages, urban water planners should combine three approaches to buy water: permanent rights, options, and lease. (more…)

Society & Culture - Jan 4, 2010 13:45 - 6 Comments

Home sweet mobile home

PENN STATE (US)—A majority of Pennsylvania’s mobile home residents say they are overwhelmingly satisfied with their homes despite problems like construction quality, social stigma, and financing. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Dec 28, 2009 11:19 - 1 Comment

Irregular arm swing may point to Parkinson’s

PENN STATE (US)—Too often, by the time Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed, irreparable damage is already done. New research by a team of neurologists finds that gait, or the manner in which people walk—including irregular arm swings—may be a very early marker for the disease. (more…)

Science & Technology - Dec 21, 2009 17:14 - 0 Comments

Brown dwarf pair mystifies astronomers

PENN STATE (US)—Two brown dwarf-sized objects orbiting a giant old star show that planets may assemble around stars more quickly and efficiently than anyone thought possible, according to an international team of astronomers. (more…)