In 2003, Marlene Nusbaum learned firsthand how differently the world can appear to someone undergoing cancer treatment. Diagnosed with stage II breast cancer, the 54-year-old business executive–turned–French teacher dutifully reported to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, near her home in Newton, Mass. “I had the best care and the best providers in the world,” […]
Teaming up for better treatment Read More »
Fly free! Fly fast! Just not too fast… This show aired August 31 on the Loh Down on Science.
A speed limit for birds Read More »
The tiniest, most complicated set of instructions just got a little easier to read, thanks to a giant scientific project called ENCODE, which recruited more than 400 scientists from all over the world. Those instructions reside in a long molecule called DNA. And one copy of this DNA resides within almost every
The rest of your DNA Read More »
The potential benefits of taking aspirin every day to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes are well-known. Now a trio of reports, two from the Lancet and one from Lancet Oncology, suggest that a daily dose of aspirin may also reduce the risk of developing and dying of cancer. The researchers caution, however, that
Aspirin for cancer prevention? Read More »
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, reminding us once again of the deadly threat icebergs can pose to life. Still, the bad reputation icebergs sometimes have isn’t entirely deserved — even if the scientists who study these floating islands of ice are the first to admit just how risky th
Icy inns at Earth’s end Read More »
Climate scientists concerned about global warming keep a close eye on Antarctica. There, some of the ice shelves that extend from the continent into the ocean are melting, adding freshwater that boosts sea level. Like other scientists, Tore Hattermann of the Norwegian Polar Institute wants to understand how that watery environment is changing.
Almost anyone can tell the difference between a liquid and a solid. A liquid flows. A solid stays put. You pour a liquid and push a solid. The difference seems as clear as water and ice. But some stuff doesn’t fit neatly into either group, like the goop you get by dissolving cornstarch in
Almost every device that needs energy also wastes energy. Cars get their zip by burning gasoline, but that process heats up the car — and that heat is wasted energy. Computer batteries get hot when they’re in use; so do cell phones and kitchen appliances. All that hot air adds up: The U.S. Department of Energy estimates
If aliens ever sent us a message, scientists hope to pick it up in a remote part of northern California. There, in a clearing nestled amid the volcanoes of the Cascade Range, 42 radio dishes point together at the sky. The dishes, each 20 feet across, form a single, giant scientific instrument called
As the world waits for the next installment of news in the hunt for the Higgs boson, a simple smart phone game encourages players to hide, not hunt, the world’s favourite particle. Read more in this New Scientist article.
Agent Higgs game turns real particle hunt on its head Read More »
