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Monday, May 28, 2012

Science

Science Times: May 29, 2012
DEEP THOUGHTS Jules Verne's classic
Sebastian Raymond/New Line Cinema

DEEP THOUGHTS Jules Verne's classic "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" has inspired several film versions, including one in 2008.

New research suggests the existing models of Earth’s core may not explain its complexities.

In Wild Animals, Charting the Pathways of Disease

Eco-immunology seeks both to understand the immune systems of wild animals and to use that knowledge to gain a better understanding of human immune systems.

Look Now for Venus to Cross the Sun, or Wait Another Century

While no longer of great scientific import, a Venus transit is still a rare and striking event, occurring in pairs, eight years apart, about once a century.

Side Effects

‘What Is’ Meets ‘What if’: The Role of Speculation in Science

Two recent papers about the domestication of dogs take different approaches: one is data-rich, solid science, the other more speculative and inconclusive, seeking to prompt thought.

Health News
Ellen Weinstein

Researchers may have solved a piece of the puzzle surrounding how fish “smell” harm.

Well

Waking Up to Major Colonoscopy Bills

Prices for colonoscopy are far higher than they should be, some experts say, in part because of rising charges for anesthesia.

Books

A Hospital That Gave Its Patients Time to Heal

Dr. Victoria Sweet’s account of the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco laments its transformation from an old-style chronic care facility into a modern center focused on efficiency and early discharge.

More News
The Animal Lifeboat

To Save Some Species, Zoos Must Let Others Die

Zoos are on the verge of giving up on lion-tailed macaques, which once flourished in the tops of rain forests in India.
Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Zoos are on the verge of giving up on lion-tailed macaques, which once flourished in the tops of rain forests in India.

As the number of species at risk of extinction soars, zoos are being called upon to rescue and sustain some animals in favor of others.

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This Week: Venus’s moment in the sun; a canine detective story; and a pilgrimage to the heart of medicine.

Science Columns
Q & A

The Mighty Tick

Ticks do not have a significant role in the food chain, but they are agents of disease and as such may help keep the deer population in check.

Observatory

Babies’ Hunger to Learn Has a ‘Goldilocks Effect’

Infants try to make sense of the world around them by seeking out situations that are neither too simple nor too complex.

Observatory

Organ Helps Coordinate Feeding in Some Whales

Rorqual whales have sensory organs in their chins that help coordinate their rapid jaw movements as they swallow huge amounts of water and filter out tiny prey.

Observatory

A Butterfly Takes Wing on Climate Change

The brown argus butterfly in England has spread north as the warmer climate allows its caterpillars to feed off a new host plant, wild geraniums, researchers say.

Health Columns
Well

When Costly Medical Care Just Adds to the Pain

Expectations and demands of health care must change, and the incentives for tremendous waste must be reckoned with.

Well

Really? Flying Can Cause Mountain Sickness

The aches and uneasiness some passengers experience on long-haul flights may be a result of lower cabin pressure at high altitudes, research shows.

Opinion
Dot Earth Blog

A Memorial Day for War's Fallen, Perhaps Someday for War Itself?

A song about the finite amount of hallowed ground for heroes.

Wordplay Blog

Numberplay: Frog in Well

How many days will it take a frog to get out of a 10-foot deep well?

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Editors' Picks

Welcome to Our Yard

What’s the most surprising species close to home? Readers' photos of wild organisms, large and small.

Profiles in Science

A series of articles and videos about leaders in science like Elizabeth Spelke, Richard Dawkins, Nora Volkow, Eric Lander, Michael Gazzaniga and Steven Pinker.

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