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Science News Archive 2005 - Page 161


Page 161 of 165

Spying on black-hole eating habits with LISA

The LISA mission will detect low-frequency gravitational waves from the merger of compact objects like stellar-size black holes and neutron stars. By measuring tiny changes in the motion of freely falling test masses, scientists can study these events with unprecedented precision.

Study finds disparity in land protection

Temperate grasslands like the Great Plains suffer from inadequate land protection, with species-rich ecosystems and habitats for imperiled species at risk. Temperate conifer forests in regions like the Northwest U.S. exhibit robust conservation efforts, even amidst relatively low levels of development.

SourceBlackwell Publishing Ltd.·JournalEcology Letters·DateJan 13, 2005

Dusting for clues: Gemini discovers evidence for recent planet-forming collisions around nearby star

Astronomers using the Gemini South telescope in Chile have observed new details in the dusty disk surrounding Beta Pictoris, showing a large collision between planetary-sized bodies may have occurred as recently as the past few decades. The mid-infrared observations provide evidence for energetic encounters during planetary formation.

Measurements at CERN help to re-evaluate the element of life

Researchers at CERN and European universities have re-evaluated the primary reaction creating carbon in stars, modifying the rate of this process. The findings suggest that the amount of carbon produced in the first stars was twice as fast as previously thought, with implications for element production in supernovae.

SourceCERN·JournalNature·DateJan 13, 2005

January-February GSA Bulletin media highlights

This article discusses distal fluvio-lacustrine volcaniclastic resedimentation in central Japan and its tectonic implications. Additionally, sedimentology on Macquarie Island reveals fossil ridge-transform intersections, while high-resolution C-isotope stratigraphy sheds light on mid-Neoproterozoic climate change in the Grand Canyon. T...

SourceGeological Society of America·JournalACM SIGSAM Bulletin·DateJan 13, 2005

Clam embryo study shows pollutant mixture adversely affects nerve cell development

A scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory has published a study showing that a combination of pollutants bromoform, chloroform, and tetrachloroethylene can alter nerve cell growth in clam embryos. The study found increased production of an enzyme involved in neural development, which may be linked to neurological disorders such a...

SourceMarine Biological Laboratory·JournalEnvironmental Toxicology and Pharmacology·DateJan 13, 2005

Exposed: Tobacco industrys' efforts to cast doubt

A study reveals tobacco companies' strategies to counteract research linking tobacco smoke to cancer-causing mutations in the p53 gene. The industry supported studies that appeared to cast doubt on this link, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and the integrity of scientific research.

SourceThe Lancet_DELETED·JournalThe Lancet·DateJan 13, 2005

Complementary & alternative medicine use

A study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy use remained steady among US adults between 1997 and 2002. The total number of Americans using any CAM therapy remained at 72 million, with changes seen in the choice of therapies used.

NYU physicist isolates first source

A NYU physicist has isolated the first source of ultra-high energy cosmic particles using a new analysis technique. The discovery provides a breakthrough for cosmic ray astronomy, allowing researchers to study material particles from the distant universe in greater detail.

Study shows nanoshells ideal as chemical nanosensors

Researchers at Rice University have discovered that nanoshells can amplify the Raman signature of molecules, allowing for the detection of as little as a few molecules of a target substance. The individual nanoshells act as independent Raman enhancers, creating opportunities for all-optical nanoscale sensors.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 11, 2005