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Science News for February 3, 2006


Spyware poses a significant threat on the Net

A new study by University of Washington researchers found that more than one in 20 executable files contain piggybacked spyware, with game and celebrity sites posing the greatest risk. Drive-by download attacks also frequent pirated software sites. The density of spyware decreased from spring to fall last year but remained substantial.

Detection of hot halo gets theory out of hot water

Astronomers detect a vast hot halo extending over 60,000 light years around the massive spiral galaxy NGC 5746. This discovery resolves a long-standing issue in galaxy formation theory, suggesting that large spiral galaxies should be immersed in halos of hot gas left over from the galaxy formation process.

SourceChandra X-ray Center·JournalNew Astronomy·DateFeb 3, 2006