Uncategorized
- Genetics
Why animals often ‘stand in’ for people
Rats, birds, fish — even flies and worms — can stand in for people in laboratory testing. This allows scientists to safely evaluate harmful chemicals as well as to identify and test potential new drugs. But such tests will never be a foolproof gauge of effects in people.
- Chemistry
Thirdhand smoke poses lingering danger
The pollutants in cigarette smoke can linger indoors for hours. Indeed, they may pose risks long after any visible smoke is gone.
- Animals
Bat signals jammed
Mexican free-tailed bats can jam each other’s signals while hunting at night. The interference makes snagging an insect supper even more competitive for the flying mammals.
- Genetics
How ‘bugs’ in our bellies impact our health
Gut bacteria can play a powerful role in human health, new studies show. In one, bacteria turned a nutrient in red meat into a chemical that boosts the risk of a heart attack. Another study shows that our genes play a role in whether we are fat or thin, probably by affecting which bacteria prefer to live in our intestines.
- Climate
The worst drought in 1,000 years
The 1934 drought, during a period in American history known as the Dust Bowl, was the worst in a millennium, a new study finds. While the drought had natural origins, human activities made it worse.
- Science & Society
A teacher’s guide to mentoring in STEM
Many people in STEM careers credit mentors for their success. But a good mentor is more than just a teacher.
- Brain
Can soft drinks speed aging?
A new study suggests a reason why daily sugary-soda drinkers are more prone to disease: Guzzling these drinks shortens the protective caps on chromosomes. If the caps get too short, cells die.
- Brain
IQ is in the genes
Previous research that suggested parenting affects a child’s IQ is flawed, researchers now conclude.
- Health & Medicine
The secret of fast runners: symmetry
Science had shown that animals and people with symmetrical bodies tend to be stronger and healthier. Now researchers find they can predict the best sprinters by measuring the top runners’ knees.
- Tech
Wind power is looking up — to the clouds
Placing wind turbines high in the sky could let them harvest power from the faster, more reliable winds found at altitude.
- Climate
Lightning strikes will surge with climate change
Warming temperatures will lead to 50 percent more lightning strikes across the 48 U.S. states in the next century, researchers report. That increase could lead to more warming, more fires and even more deaths.
- Earth
Artificial sweeteners pollute streams
Fake sugars sweeten foods without adding calories. But most pass right through the body, down the toilet, into water treatment plants — and from there, right into lakes and streams.
