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Science News for October 27, 1997


Brains Of Bad Readers May Work Differently, Wake Forest Study Shows

A Wake Forest University study found that poor readers' brains differ physiologically from normal readers, with the thalamus being less active. This could lead to pre-clinical diagnosis and understanding of reading genetics, stages of reading, and potentially therapeutic interventions for dyslexia.

SourceAtrium Health Wake Forest Baptist·DateOct 27, 1997

Sandia Releases Nitty Gritty Details Of Downhole Oil Well Environment

Sandia National Laboratories has released a CD-ROM containing over 60 megabytes of data gathered from downhole diagnostic tools used in 80% of domestic oil wells. The new tool provides valuable information about well bore dynamics and mechanical stresses on sucker rod strings, leading to equipment fatigue and rod failure.

SourceDOE/Sandia National Laboratories·DateOct 27, 1997

New Experiments Show Genes Play Significant Role In Fear

Researchers found a substantial genetic component underlying differences in fear response, particularly on chromosome 1, which may contain hundreds of genes. This discovery has implications for developing new pharmacological agents to target human genes implicated in fear-related disorders.

SourceUniversity of Colorado at Boulder·JournalNature Genetics·DateOct 27, 1997