Observatory
Fossil Sheds Light on the Lizard-Snake Divide
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
A 47 million-year-old lizard specimen found in Germany indicates that snakes and the limbless lizards that superficially resemble them evolved independently.
Cast Adrift in the Milky Way, Billions of Planets, All Alone
By DENNIS OVERBYE
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt
An artist's rendering of an isolated planet.
Astronomers reported that for each of the Milky Way’s 200 billion stars, there are at least two Jupiter-size planets, many on their own or only distantly bound to a star.
In Japan Reactor Failings, Danger Signs for the U.S.
By HIROKO TABUCHI, KEITH BRADSHER and MATTHEW L. WALD
Vents that American officials said would prevent devastating explosions at nuclear plants in the United States were put to the test in Japan and failed.
Maurice Goldhaber, Atomic Physicist, Is Dead at 100
By KENNETH CHANG
Mr. Goldhaber delved into the intricacies of atoms and headed the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island for more than a decade.
Christo’s Colorado Project May Hinge on Sheep
By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF
A federal decision on whether to approve a $50 million art installation in a Colorado canyon depends on how it will affect the state’s 6,900 bighorn sheep.
Deal on Species Protections Is Delayed
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A federal judge on Tuesday put on hold a settlement that would require the government to speed its decision-making on granting protection to imperiled species.
Science Times: May 17, 2011
Control Desk for the Neural Switchboard
By CARL E. SCHOONOVER and ABBY RABINOWITZ
Deisseroth Laboratory
STANFORD Optogenetics, tested in rodents, can control electrical activity in a few carefully selected neurons, and may hold new insights into our disorders.
An emerging technology called optogenetics, which can control electrical activity in a few carefully selected neurons, may hold new insights into an array of disorders.
Video: A Light Switch for Neurons
Viktor Koen
Calculating people’s state of mind now includes asking about their positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment.
Turning to Biomechanics to Build a Kinder, Gentler Rib Spreader
By CARL ZIMMER
Two scientists are using biomechanics to create surgical instruments, like a kinder, gentler rib spreader, that work with the physics of the body, instead of against it.
Endeavour Lifts Off on Its Final Flight
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
Led by Capt. Mark E. Kelly, Gabrielle Giffords’s husband, the mission is headed to the International Space Station.
Slide Show: Endeavour's Final FlightLess Talk, More Action: Improving Science Learning
By BENEDICT CAREY
A study explores improving classroom instruction, using research-backed methods for testing students’ understanding as well as how science is taught.
Health News
One Death Provides New Life for Many
By DENISE GRADY
After Julio Garcia’s widow agreed to donate his organs, five recipients gathered in New York to thank the family.
More Multimedia
Living on Thin Ice
Relentless warming in Antarctica is taking a toll on Adélie and emperor penguins.
Interactive Feature: What Makes Music Expressive?
What makes music expressive? Quiz yourself based on new research.
Readers’ Photos: A Family’s Best Friend?
Photos and stories of pets that were viewed differently by family members.
Rock-Paper-Scissors: You vs. the Computer
Test your strategy against the computer in this rock-paper-scissors game illustrating basic artificial intelligence.
Scientist at Work Blog
Sleep Loggers, Take Two
By BRYSON VOIRIN
After a failed first attempt, sleep researchers try again to waterproof the lightweight device that records the brainwaves of frigate birds in flight.
Under the Ice, Sounds of Spring
May 17, 2011
Watching Whales All the Time
May 12, 2011
Sediments on the Ocean Floor
May 11, 2011
Demanding Hillary Clinton's E-Mail - Now
May 18, 2011
Can Batteries Replace Power Generators?
May 18, 2011
Earth v. Homo Sapiens: A Trial Verdict
May 18, 2011
Science Columns
Observatory
A Lizard That Builds With the Family in Mind
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Researchers have found that great desert skinks build and maintain elaborate tunneled homes, where they live in cooperative multigenerational family groups.
Observatory
Hard-Working Whiskers Are a Yardstick for Seals
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
In experiments with a harbor seal named Henry, German researchers found that he could distinguish the size and shape of objects moving underwater, using only his whiskers.
Observatory
Polite Guests, Ants Pick Host Trees Out of a Crowd
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Pseudomyrmex triplarinus ants, which live in, feed on and defend Triplaris americana trees, can recognize the tree’s chemical signature when faced with several choices.
Podcast: Science Times
This week: Manipulating the brain with light, and an organ transplant saga with a happy ending.
Health Columns
Personal Best
One Runner’s Suffering Is Another’s Inspiration
By GINA KOLATA
An NPR host says pain is why people run, but others beg to differ — maybe because “pain” has more than one meaning.
Personal Health
In Women, Hernias May Be Hidden Agony
By JANE E. BRODY
Unlike hernias in men, those that afflict women are usually small and internal and rarely cause an obvious bulge.
Really?
Does Late-Night Eating Cause Weight Gain?
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
A link between late-night eating and weight gain has been debated for years.
Opinion
Dot Earth Blog
Extinction and its Discontents
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
A mathematical challenge to a formula long used to estimate extinction rates.
Wordplay Blog
Numberplay: The Danger of Praise
By GARY ANTONICK
This puzzle may seem bewildering at first. It was to me. But if you hang with it you might notice some things.
Science, Environment and Health Series | Special Sections
MOST POPULAR - SCIENCE
- Findings: A New Gauge to See What’s Beyond Happiness
- Control Desk for the Neural Switchboard
- Billions of Lonely Planets, Adrift in Space
- Christo’s Colorado Project May Hinge on Sheep
- Turning to Biomechanics to Build a Kinder, Gentler Rib Spreader
- Maurice Goldhaber, Atomic Physicist, Is Dead at 100
- A Conversation With | Stephen Hawking: Life and the Cosmos, Word by Painstaking Word
- Less Talk, More Action: Improving Science Learning
- Observatory: A Lizard That Builds With the Family in Mind
- Observatory: Fossil Sheds Light on the Lizard-Snake Divide
- Billions of Lonely Planets, Adrift in Space
- Findings: A New Gauge to See What’s Beyond Happiness
- Christo’s Colorado Project May Hinge on Sheep
- Maurice Goldhaber, Atomic Physicist, Is Dead at 100
- Control Desk for the Neural Switchboard
- Senate Rejects Republican Bill On Exploration For Oil and Gas
- Turning to Biomechanics to Build a Kinder, Gentler Rib Spreader
- A Conversation With | Stephen Hawking: Life and the Cosmos, Word by Painstaking Word
- Sleep Loggers, Take Two
- National Briefing | Washington: Deal on Species Protections Is Delayed
