Thursday, July 28, 2011

Science

Dr. Gerald F. Joyce with test tubes for synthesizing molecules that are self-replicating.
Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Dr. Gerald F. Joyce with test tubes for synthesizing molecules that are self-replicating.

Chemists and biologists are trying to generate the Frankensteinian spark that will jump the gap separating the inanimate and the animate.

Republicans Seek Big Cuts in Environmental Rules

Republicans have loaded a House appropriations bill with provisions to severely curtail environmental oversight.

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Scientist at Work Blog

The Right Elephant Stuff

Scientists investigating the dynamics of elephant society in Namibia hope that analyzing vibrotactile elephant vocalizations will lead to improved hearing aids for humans.

Precious Waters

Storing Water for a Dry Day Leads to Suits

A small water utility in California sued to challenge the wealthy farming interests that dominate two of the country’s largest water banks.

Colleges Join Plan for Faster Computer Networks

A coalition of 29 universities will reach out to telecommunications companies for suggestions and to corporations for business ideas.

Science Times: July 26, 2011
URBAN LAB Clockwise from top left: An ant trap in a Broadway median; James Danoff-Burg taking notes in Riverside Park; a white-footed mouse in Highbridge Park; Dr. Danoff-Burg collecting ants.
Damon Winter/The New York Times

URBAN LAB Clockwise from top left: An ant trap in a Broadway median; James Danoff-Burg taking notes in Riverside Park; a white-footed mouse in Highbridge Park; Dr. Danoff-Burg collecting ants.

A small but growing number of field biologists study urban evolution — the biological changes that cities bring to the wildlife that inhabits them.

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Basics

A Forbidding Kingdom of Snow Leopards

A wealth of snow leopard images has helped estimate population numbers, identify individuals and track migrations.

On View

It’s Fashionable to Take a Trip to Another Universe

Multiple universes are all the rage these days, and the new film “Another Earth” explores those crisscrossing worlds.

Codebook Shows an Encryption Form Dates Back to Telegraphs

A computer scientist discovered that a form of cryptography, believed to have been invented in the 20th century, actually has older roots.

Health News
News Analysis

Grasping for Any Way to Prevent Alzheimer’s

Scientists have calculated that if people address certain risks, a significant number of Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented, with the operative word being “could.”

Men in Grief Seek Others Who Mourn as They Do

Research increasingly suggests that men and women experience grief in different ways, and the realization has bolstered a nascent movement of bereavement groups geared to men throughout the country.

More Multimedia

Slide Show: Animals at Play

“The Exultant Ark” examines animal pleasure, with surprising, funny, touching, sad, heartwarming pictures by photographers from all over the world.

Interactive Graphic: 30 Years of the Space Shuttle

An interactive timeline of the 135 space shuttle missions.

Video: Nora Volkow

An interview with the neuroscientist in charge of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who also happens to be the great-granddaughter of Leon Trotsky.

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

The Puzzle of Plant-Pollinator Interactions

New tools adopted by ecologists from other fields are adding fresh perspectives to old questions, like "Why do pollinators visit certain flowers?"

Human Run-Ins With Bears May Portend Deeper Changes

Bears are prowling broader areas of the West in closer contact with people than ever, prompting research on bear behavior and how tolerant we are willing to be as humans.

In the Garden

The Permaculture Movement Grows From Underground

The eco-ideology known as permaculture has entered the mainstream.

Science Columns
Observatory

Rocky Surprises on the Far Side of the Moon

Researchers have found dome-shaped volcanic deposits that measure half a mile to three miles across on the Moon.

Observatory

Dolphin Tool Helps to Find Fare on Seafloor

Some dolphins use marine basket sponges to forage for food because it allows them to uncover prey undiscoverable by echolocation.

Observatory

Blame for Extinction Spreads to Methane Gas

The study could be foreshadowing the effect of climate change on Earth, its lead author says.

Q & A

The Rocking Boat

Why do some people become seasick while others on the same boat do not?

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This week: Evolution on a small island, running with the elephants and is Alzheimer's disease preventable?

Health Columns
Personal Health

Sun’s Rays May Leave Mysterious Marks

Many rashes result from a photosensitivity reaction, a combination of the sun’s UVA radiation and exposure to a drug, perfume or another substance.

Really?

The Claim: Air-Conditioning Can Cause Colds

Though colds and other respiratory ailments are caused by viruses, not cold temperatures, there is some evidence that air-conditioning may contribute in some small way to such illnesses.

Opinion
Dot Earth Blog

Innovation from the Bottom Up

A foundation tries an innovative approach to finding places to use its money to foster progress -- through innovation.

Wordplay Blog

Numberplay: The Bart and Lisa Paradox

Joshua Zucker returns with a lemonade stand paradox.

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