Edition: U.S. / Global

Monday, June 4, 2012

Science

Ex-Spy Telescope May Get New Identity as a Space Investigator

Under a plan, equipment left over from a spy satellite program would be used to investigate dark energy and locate planets beyond the solar system.

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Science Times: June 5, 2012

A residential tower in London is one of the tallest timber buildings in the world.

Wood That Reaches New Heights

Cross-laminated timber, a sort of supersize plywood, is already popular in Europe in ever taller buildings that can be a cheaper and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional buildings.

READY Kevaughn Merrill awaits his turn during a lesson in blind tennis at Lighthouse International in Manhattan, an early adopter of the game.
Béatrice de Géa for The New York Times

READY Kevaughn Merrill awaits his turn during a lesson in blind tennis at Lighthouse International in Manhattan, an early adopter of the game.

In blind tennis, invented in Japan and spreading in the United States, players rely on their hearing to follow the trajectory of a foam ball that rattles when it bounces or is struck.

Tree of Life Project Aims for Every Twig and Leaf

A group of scientists is trying to graft existing smaller trees into one huge tree of life that includes every known species, a tree with two million branches and counting.

Out There

Mystery of Big Data’s Parallel Universe Brings Fear, and a Thrill

The world’s bank of digital information is growing at a rate of five trillion bits a second, and there’s a lot going on inside that we don’t know about.

In Winning Definition of ‘Flame,’ Jargon Melts Away

The contest grew out of a question — “What is a flame?” — that the actor Alan Alda asked his teacher when he was 11. The answer — “It’s oxidation” — left him wanting.

Side Effects

In Analysis of Skulls, Following the Path From T. Rex to Falcon

In the course of birds’ evolution from dinosaurs, it appears that their skulls pulled a Peter Pan and stopped growing up.

Health News

The Trouble With ‘Doctor Knows Best’

Brian Stauffer

Many doctors will ignore the findings that tests and procedures have been overused and keep doing what they have been doing all along.

New Epilepsy Tactic: Fight Inflammation

Some patients with epilepsy benefit from treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs, suggesting that brain inflammation plays a larger role in the disease than has been suspected.

More News

Andrew Huxley, Nobel-Winning Physiologist, Dies at 94

Professor Huxley shared the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for a breakthrough discovery that helped better understand the electrical stimulation of nerve cells.

More Multimedia

Video: The Future of Zoos

Zoos are increasingly concerning themselves with conservation and saving endangered species, but the effort has limitations.

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This Week: High-rises made of wood; tennis for the blind; and the culture of cancer screening.

Science Columns
Q & A

Survival in the Nest

Birds that exclusively eat seeds provide their chicks with insects, which contain water; as adults they produce water internally.

Observatory

A Unique Slice-and-Dice Strategy for Chewing

A New Zealand lizard called the tuatara eats like no other animal — sliding its lower jaw forward and backward, it can slice its food like a steak knife.

Observatory

Flowers’ Cells Lay Out a Sticky Carpet for Bees

Cone-shaped cells on most petals act like a surface of Velcro that pollinating bees can cling to, especially when the wind blows strongly, a study finds.

Observatory

Single-Cell Office Mates, by the Tens of Millions

A census of workplace microbes found that men’s offices have significantly more than women’s, and offices in New York have more than those in San Francisco.

Multimedia
A Silhouette of Venus

From sketches of the 1761 transit of Venus to satellite photographs of the 2004 event, a look at historical observations ahead of the June 5 transit.

Health Columns
Personal Health

Slathering on Sunscreen, Early and Often

With studies showing that sun exposure as a child increases risks later on, children must be taught early on about the dangers of sun exposure and make a habit of using sunscreen.

Really?

Always Shave the Patient Before Surgery

The C.D.C. recommends that hair not be removed unless it will interfere with the operation. When shaving is necessary, electrical clippers should be used.

Opinion
Dot Earth Blog

Warming Arctic Tundra Producing Pop-Up Forests

Matted tundra plants are sprouting into forests in a fast reaction to Arctic warming.

Wordplay Blog

Numberplay: 100 Lockers

Can you solve the puzzle of the 100 lockers?

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Welcome to Our Yard

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

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