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Science News for February 11, 2004


Regrets, we've really had a few

A new study suggests that people are surprisingly good at avoiding self-blame and may be better at avoiding regret than they realize. The research found that individuals tend to blame external circumstances rather than themselves when faced with failure or near-miss situations, contradicting their initial expectations of self-blame.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·DateFeb 11, 2004

Bighorn sheep threatened by climate change

A study published in Conservation Biology found that climate change is consistently correlated with extinction among desert bighorn sheep. The researchers identified higher temperatures and decreased precipitation as key factors contributing to the decline of these populations, which are already living on a knife's edge.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalConservation Biology·DateFeb 11, 2004

Cities built on fertile lands

Research shows that cities built on fertile lands account for a significant decline in global food production, despite covering only 3% of US land area. Urbanization leads to a 1.6% reduction in annual Net Primary Productivity, offsetting gains from increased agricultural lands.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalRemote Sensing of Environment·DateFeb 11, 2004

Nano-origami

Researchers at Scripps Research have created a single, clonable strand of DNA that folds into an octahedron with potential applications in biomedical science, electronics, and computing. The structure can be amplified and replicated using standard molecular biology tools.

SourceScripps Research Institute·JournalNature·DateFeb 11, 2004