World Science

Fatigued surgeons should alert patients, experts propose
An editorial in a leading medical journal proposes a sweeping response to a thorny problem. (Dec. 29, 2010)

“Oldest” modern human remains identified in Israeli cave
The finding undermines a traditional view that our species emerged from Africa, some researchers say. (Dec. 30, 2010)

Neanderthals had Siberian kin, study finds
Scientists have used DNA from a finger bone to decode an ancient genome. (Dec. 24, 2010)

New gene "encyclopedias" delve deeper into life's mechanics
Sweeping new research seeks to explain how genes really work, using simple animals as models. (Dec. 22, 2010)

Sham pills may help us-even without the sham
Fake pills known as placebos are used in countless medical studies, but apparently they still have the potential to surprise us. (Dec. 22, 2010)

Sticks appear as "dolls" in hands of chimps
Some chimpanzees have been sighted playing with sticks in a manner reminiscent of doll play, scientists are reporting. (Dec. 20, 2010)

A lost civilization under the Persian Gulf?
A fertile land, now submerged, may have hosted some of the earliest human populations outside Africa, according to a new report. (Dec. 15, 2010)

Burning debate lights up over safety of electronic cigarettes
Supposedly safer substitutes for cigarettes are themselves under fire, but some researchers call health concerns overblown. (Dec. 17, 2010)

"Drop" of blood still enough to get you perceived as minority?
The "one-drop rule" dating to 1662 Virginia lives on in our modern mentality, research suggests-but many biracial people are today pleased to highlight their minority side. (Dec. 14, 2010)

Our gold was a crash delivery from space, study finds
Gold prices seem otherworldly these days-which may be fitting in light of a new study. (Dec. 10, 2010)

Old leaf-cutter ants "retire" to more manageable jobs
When their razor-sharp jaws wear out, the six-legged agriculturalists find a new way to be productive, scientists say. (Dec. 13, 2010)

Safe drug touted as able to cure "Rain Man"-like mice
Researchers have announced a possible major advance in treating autism spectrum disorders. (Dec. 9, 2010)

Scientists work to make livestock happier-even if it must die
Making sure farm animals feel good is increasingly becoming a research priority, not entirely for altruistic reasons. (Dec. 8, 2010)

Low dose aspirin cuts cancer risk, study finds
But its authors cautioned that not everyone should take aspirin, as it can boost the risk of serious bleeding. (Dec. 7, 2010)

Religion gives happiness because of the social ties, study claims
Research suggests spirituality might not be the main reason pious folk report greater life satisfaction. (Dec. 7, 2010)

"Forests" detectable even in distant solar systems, scientists suggest
Once humans start imaging Earth-like planets in other solar systems, tree-like life forms might also be detectable, a study proposes. (Dec. 4, 2010)

Microbes made partly of "toxic" chemical found
A discovery highlights the possibility that even planets with seemingly the wrong ingredients could host life. (Dec. 2, 2010)

AIDS falling off media radar, but environment rising: study
A new analysis tracks trends over the past two decades in newspaper coverage of health, environmental and related issues. (Nov. 30, 2010)

Finding "triples" number of stars in universe
Little stars called red dwarfs are surprisingly common, and tend to be good candidates for hosting inhabited worlds, astronomers say. (Dec. 2, 2010)

Could being too clean lead to allergies?
Young people may suffer more allergies if they're overexposed to antibacterial soaps with a common ingredient, a study indicates. (Nov. 29, 2010)

Dinos out of way, mammals ballooned to record sizes
The giant reptiles' demise paved the way for mammals to eventually grow over a thousandfold, biologists report. (Nov. 26, 2010)

Astronomers puzzled by galaxies that formed "too early"
Some of the biggest galaxies may have formed billions of years earlier than current scientific models predict, scientists say. (Nov. 25, 2010)

Test could estimate age of crime suspects from bloodstains
The new method works to within an accuracy of nine years, researchers report. (Nov. 22, 2010)

Are the poor better at reading emotions?
People of low socioeconomic status are better at reading others' emotions than are upper-class folk, a study finds. (Nov. 23, 2010)

Molecule said to underlie benefits of light drinking
A well studied molecule called Notch may be behind the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol drinking on the heart, biologists say. (Nov. 21, 2010)

"Gangster" bird found to charge for protection
An avian species in Africa runs what some scientists are likening to a protection racket. (Nov. 19, 2010)

U.S. scientists more likely to publish fake research?
A new study suggests U.S. researchers are more likely to publish fraudulent studies than scientists from other countries. (Nov. 16, 2010)

Microbes attack each other with "poison-tipped swords"
Battles among bacteria are more complex than once imagined, scientists say. (Nov. 17, 2010)

U.S. scientists more likely to publish fake research?
A new study suggests U.S. researchers are more likely to publish fraudulent studies than scientists from other countries. (Nov. 16, 2010)

Report of ancient meat-fest by human ancestors disputed
Some researchers are skeptical of a study finding that ancestral humans butchered animals over three million years ago. (Nov. 15, 2010)

Depressing reverie fills almost half our waking lives: study
It may be best to try to live in the moment-just as some religions advise, psychologists say. (Nov. 13, 2010)

Bilingualism may delay Alzheimer's
Speaking two or more languages may help delay Alzheimer's disease symptoms by as much as five years, research has found. (Nov. 12, 2010)

Giant "bubbles" lurk at heart of Milky Way
Astronomers are trying to understand a huge, mysterious structure newly identified in our galaxy. (Nov. 9, 2010)

"Johnny has two daddies" may have been common in Amazon cultures
Widespread promiscuity was tied to some surprising ideas about paternity in many ancient societies, anthropologists say. (Nov. 10, 2010)

Bars may kill spiral galaxies
Some lovely cosmic structures may eventually come undone, say researchers aided by citizen volunteers. (Nov. 8, 2010)

Looking older than your age may not mean bad health
A study suggests people must look at least 10 years older than their real age before assumptions about their health can be made. (Nov. 5, 2010)

Moving 3D images may be inching toward real-life use
Scientists claim that a concept from science fiction could enter real life thanks to a breakthrough in holographic imaging. (Nov. 3, 2010)

Goose eggs may help save warmth-battered polar bear
As cold-adapted polar bears flounder for survival in a warming Arctic, scientists predict a new resource may be opening up for them. (Nov. 4, 2010)

Galaxies detected by "shadows"
Previously unseen cosmic structures are turning up thanks to a new technique, astronomers say. (Nov. 2, 2010)

Friendships seen as key to success for dolphin moms
Female dolphins who have help from female friends are far more successful at raising surviving offspring, research has found. (Nov. 1, 2010)

"Liberal gene" identified
People with a specific gene variant tend to grow up into liberals if they also had many friends as teenagers, a study suggests. (Oct. 28, 2010)

Scientists work on sun-charged "heat battery"
A new type of rechargeable battery would store heat absorbed from the sun instead of electrical charge. (Oct. 27, 2010)

Daily vibration may help protect aging bones
Whole-body vibration may reduce the bone density loss that occurs with age, researchers report based on a mouse study. (Oct. 26, 2010)

Obese kids said to show sign of "middle-age" heart disease
Obese children have stiff blood vessels typical of much older adults with cardiovascular disease, according to a study. (Oct. 25, 2010)

Peace of mind may close health gap for less educated
Good psychological health may erase the bad long-term health effects of low socioeconomic status, research suggests. (Oct. 25, 2010)

Storied "monster" is just a furry victim of mites
As Halloween approaches, tales of monsters and creepy crawlies abound. Among the more insidious is the legendary chupacabras. (Oct. 22, 2010)

Forecast: global warming may bring giant drought
The United States and many other populous lands face a growing threat of long, harsh drought in the next 30 years, a study indicates. (Oct. 19, 2010)

Astronomers peer into primordial cosmic "fog"
Scientists say they have confirmed the discovery of the furthest galaxy known. (Oct. 21, 2010)

Would you sleep on a chunk of ice? Building your "experience résumé"
Some people can't resist a chance to collect experiences, a study suggests. (Oct. 18, 2010)

Societies evolve a bit like creatures, study concludes
Increases in political complexity are usually gradual, as is the case with the complexity of living things, researchers propose. (Oct. 13, 2010)

Get them some sleep, scientists say of young delinquents
Many high-school age delinquents get too little snooze time, research suggests. (Oct. 12, 2010)

Butterflies "treat" sick young
Monarch butterflies seem to use plants to treat their yet-unborn offspring for an infection, biologists say. (Oct. 11, 2010)

T. rex was a cannibal, scientists report
The fearsome "king" of the dinosaurs ate not just other dinosaurs but also its own kind, paleontologists claim. (Oct. 15, 2010)

Falling U.S. life expectancy rank blamed on health system
Smoking, obesity and murders don't explain the United States' drop in global rankings of life expectancy, scientists claim. (Oct. 9, 2010)

Artificial white light may become eye-friendly
Scientists aim to make the harsh, artificial-looking light of today's energy-efficient light bulbs a thing of the past. (Oct. 6, 2010)

Could ingredients of life have formed over a moon of Saturn?
The types of molecules necessary to build living things could have formed in Titan's hazy atmosphere, scientists say. (Oct. 7, 2010)

Neanderthals had feelings too, researchers say
Neanderthal people had a deep-seated sense of compassion, their brutish reputation notwithstanding, archaeologists claim. (Oct. 5, 2010)

Marine census shows ocean life "richer" than expected
The project also generated an array of beautiful photographs of sea creatures, some of them new to science. (Oct. 4, 2010)

Did volcanoes wipe out Neanderthals?
The stocky cave men may in large measure have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, a study suggests. (Oct. 1, 2010)

Candidate "habitable" planet described as most promising yet
Two other candidates were possibly too cold and too hot, but this one seems just right, astronomers claim. (Sept. 29, 2010)

Many dinosaurs were taller than thought, study concludes
Many dinosaur joints contained thick layers of cartilage that haven't been accounted for, according to some researchers. (Sept. 30, 2010)

Over a fifth of plant species may face extinction threat
Plants are at risk globally, mainly because of human-induced habitat loss, scientists say. (Sept. 28, 2010)

Just bad boys, or malfunctioning brains?
Antisocial boys who abuse drugs, break laws and act recklessly aren't just "bad," according to a new study. (Sept. 26, 2010)

Gorillas may have given us malaria
A scourge of warmer parts of the world, the microbe that causes malaria evolved from a gorilla parasite, new research concludes. (Sept. 23, 2010)

Worried about kids getting fat? Maybe get a dog
Children with dogs spend on average 11 less minutes per day sitting on their behinds than kids without, a U.K. study has found. (Sept. 21, 2010)

Bizarre dinos found
A fossil with a stupendously multi-horned face and another likened to a giant rhino with a supersized head have reportedly turned up in Utah. (Sept. 22, 2010)

AIDS virus ancestor over 32,000 years old, study finds
New data suggests AIDS won't stop killing anytime soon, researchers say. (Sept. 20, 2010)

Brain region linked to introspective thinking
People vary in their skill at reflecting on their decisions, a key aspect of consciousness, according to scientists. (Sept. 16, 2010)

Dummy pill may improve women's sex life
A pill containing no medicine at all may help improve the sex life of women with low sexual arousal, scientists have found. (Sept. 17, 2010)

Freshwater turtles in "catastrophic decline"
Habitat loss, hunting and a pet trade is decimating the world's freshwater turtle populations, environmentalists say. (Sept. 16, 2010)

Solar system's distant ice-rocks come into focus
Beyond where Neptune circles the Sun, there lurk countless faint objects with ancient stories to tell. (Sept. 14, 2010)

Physicists claim first true random number generation
Most seemingly random events aren't really random. But in the quantum world, things may be different. (Sept. 13, 2010)

Giving robots the ability to deceive
A robot tricks an enemy soldier by creating a false trail, then hiding. This may sound like a scene from a movie, but it's actually the scenario of a recent experiment. (Sept. 9, 2010)

Money CAN buy happiness, within limits: study
Up to an income of about $75,000, Americans rate their everyday experiences more highly with increasing income, researchers found. (Sept. 8, 2010)

A "fundamental" number may be shifty
New findings may imply that the universe is infinite, and also stir up controversy, some astronomers say. (Sept. 7, 2010)

In war on germs, "backstabbers" might be our friends on the inside
Some microbes just drag down companions that are working to keep an infection going, researchers say. (Sept. 6, 2010)

Evolution rewritten, over and over
Scientists always seem to be saying some new fossil is about to "rewrite evolutionary history." But are these big, frequent revisions happening? Not really, a study finds. (Aug. 31, 2010)

Organic farms have better fruit, soil, environment, study finds
A research group compared conventional and organic strawberry farms in California. (Sept. 2, 2010)

Biggest black holes formed early, study finds
New simulations suggest the first "supermassive" black holes arose shortly after the birth of the universe. (Aug. 26, 2010)

Drug-resistant germs found to help their brethren through the attack
Confronting assault by antibiotics, some bacteria help each other out, researchers say. (Sept. 1, 2010)

First "clear evidence" of feasting
Scientists are reporting what they call the earliest clear signs of one of humans' most universal and important social behaviors. (Aug. 30, 2010)

Designing the smells that sell household products
Putting a smell that sells into consumer products is much like composing a symphony, according to a top fragrance designer. (Aug. 24, 2010)

Attacked, plant calls for its enemy's enemy
When caterpillars chomp on wild tobacco plants, it triggers a special SOS signal from the victims, a study has found. (Aug. 27, 2010)

World money meltdown can start in surprising places, physicists say
Researchers used concepts from "statistical physics" to draw up a list of countries that could trigger a global economic crisis. (Aug. 25, 2010)

A moment on the lips, a year on the hips
Just a few weeks of overeating may affect your weight and fat storage years later-even if you lost the initial excess weight, scientists say. (Aug. 24, 2010)

"Terror bird" jabbed like an agile boxer: scientists
Researchers produced what they called the most detailed study of the attack style of a fierce ancient hunter. (Aug. 19, 2010)

The Moon may be slowly shrinking
Our companion world has seen its crust sink inward by up to a thousandth of a millimeter yearly, estimates suggest. (Aug. 20, 2010)

"Psychedelics" could find new lease on life-in the doctor's office
Sometimes touted as spiritual aids, certain illegal, hallucination-inducing drugs are now being discussed as potential medicines. (Aug. 18, 2010)

Battle against barnacles goes genetic
Understanding one gene could help engineers keep pesky barnacles off ships without harming the environment, researchers say. (Aug. 16, 2010)

Adolescent obesity may finally be sliding, but not for all groups
A study in California found encouraging trends, but researchers are concerned about some minorities. (Aug. 15, 2010)

Solar activity seen restarting after long lull
Scientists say they have "sub-visual" evidence that a new cycle of solar activity is starting. (Aug. 14, 2010)

Earliest signs of tool use, meat eating ID'd among human forebears
A new find could rewrite the history of the human lineage, researchers say. (Aug. 11, 2010)

Robots designed to develop emotions through relationships
A new breed of machines is programmed to form emotions in much the way that children do, the makers claim. (Aug. 10, 2010)

What hit the Moon? New crater makes a splash
NASA scientists are avidly studying a new crater that formed on the Moon within the past 39 years, as photographs show. (Aug. 2, 2010)

Watery moon claims off base, study says
Recent studies purporting to reveal unexpectedly high lunar water content are mistaken, a research group says. (Aug. 6, 2010)

Company floats giant balloon concept as space junk fix
NASA estimates that over half a million bits of refuse are orbiting the planet, increasingly threatening to damage costly satellites. (Aug. 4, 2010)

Tracks may tell tale of reptilian land conquest
Scaly pioneers were the first to inhabit continental interiors, some scientists say. (July 30, 2010)

Men, not just ladies, in red may gain allure
New research has documented a "red effect" that works in a direction opposite to that typically expected. (Aug. 2, 2010)

Planets found sharing strange dances
Most planets orbit in a solitary sort of majesty around their host star, too far from other planets to be affected by their gravity. (July 29, 2010)

"Best-ever" Mars map online; public invited to work on it
What researchers call the best Mars map is on view for planetary scientists and armchair astronauts alike. (July 24, 2010)

Birds may boost offspring survival through infidelity
Scientists have been investigating possible reasons why infidelity is common throughout the animal kingdom. (July 28, 2010)

Exiled stars may have merged to form speeding giant
The Hubble Space Telescope has detected a hypervelocity star, a rare object moving three times faster than our Sun. (July 23, 2010)

Do cleaning products cause breast cancer?
Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly, a small study suggests. (July 20, 2010)

Newfound stars seen shattering known size limits
One monstrous star would make our Sun look as dull as the Moon by comparison, astronomers say. (July 21, 2010)

Strange crystals found to twist as they grow
New research points to a much more varied process of crystal growth than was previously known, chemists say. (July 18, 2010)

Superstition may boost performance-through confidence
Don't scoff at those lucky rabbit feet: having some kind of "lucky" token can actually improve your performance. (July 14, 2010)

Unusual electrons go with the flow
Scientists seeking new states of matter have found that on some surfaces, charged subatomic particles act like tiny superheroes. (July 15, 2010)

Ovarian transplant found to lengthen mouse lives 40%
Some scientists are asking themselves whether ovarian self-transplants in women might have similar benefits. (July 13, 2010)

Drug said to thwart mental decline, grow brain cells in rodents
Research has turned up clues to a mechanism that could lead to a for Alzheimer's disease treatment, scientists claim. (July 8, 2010)

Longevity findings in question
Some geneticists doubt the validity of a new study on genes that are said to predict who will live longest, a newspaper reports. (July 9, 2010)

Right whales forced to shout over people's noise, scientists say
There is a limit to how much background din North American right whales will be able to take, researchers warn. (July 7, 2010)

Once-in-a-lifetime eclipse by asteroid to treat Europe
In a rare event next Thursday, some skywatchers will be able to see a star be "eaten" by an asteroid. (July 5, 2010)

Group of genes may predict longevity with 77% accuracy
Researchers have identified a group of genes that they say can be used to foretell whether people will live to near or past 100. (July 2, 2010)

From brain science, new questions about free will
Subconscious thoughts are a starting point for much of our decisionmaking, some researchers argue. (July 1, 2010)

Experience with different cultures may boost creativity
Creativity can be enhanced by experiencing cultures different from one’s own, according to new research. (June 30, 2010)

Natural “Velcro” binds ant, tree in deadly joint mission
An unusual mechanism helps some tree-dwelling ants attack prey far larger than themselves. (June 29, 2010)

“Standard model” safe as physicists can’t find misbehaving light particles
A distinction between two basic types of particles held firm in a new test, backing up long-held assumptions about space, time and causality. (June 29, 2010)

"Superstorm" detected on planet outside our system
Brutal, nonstop winds roil a hot, distant world that lies toward the constellation Pegasus, according to a report. (June 23, 2010)

Brain structure linked to personality
The size of different parts of people’s brains correspond to their personalities, though experience can mold brain structure, scientists say. (June 28, 2010)

Touch: how a hard chair creates a hard heart
Through textures, shapes, weights and temperatures, the sense of touch influences both our thoughts and actions, researchers say. (June 24, 2010)

Chimps kill each other for territory, study finds
Scientists have wondered what motivates violence among groups of primates closely related to humans. (June 21, 2010)

Coffee may help prevent cancer
Several new studies suggest coffee helps ward off breast, prostate, head and neck cancers. (June 22, 2010)

Star reportedly witnessed in birth
Not yet developed into a true star, the object has just begun pulling in surrounding gas and dust to form a core, according to astronomers. (June 18, 2010)

Sense of direction may be innate
New research suggests the brain comes hard-wired with working navigational cells. (June 17, 2010)

Study points to why stress may affect women more
Studying rat brains, researchers found that females are more sensitive than males to low levels of a stress hormone. (June 15, 2010)

Neighborhood violence may impair kids' thinking
Local violence may impair a child's ability to think, even if he or she didn't see the violence directly, a study finds. (June 14, 2010)

"Trust hormone" may drive aggression between groups
The compound oxytocin's well known role in social relationships may also extend to promoting group defense, a study suggests. (June 15, 2010)

Ocean covered a third of Mars, study concludes
An ancient ocean was probably part of an Earth-like water cycle that included rain, some scientists say. (June 13, 2010)

Surveillance technologies get more powerful
Two new systems might dramatically boost the reach of equipment ostensibly meant to catch terrorists and criminals. (June 9, 2010)

Comets may have come from other solar systems
Many of the best known comets may have been born orbiting other stars, according to a new theory. (June 10, 2010)

"Power-hungry" image may hurt female, but not male politicians
Voters tend to punish female candidates for seeming brazenly ambitious, but let the same quality slide in males, a study suggests. (June 8, 2010)

Cockroaches may share food advice
The pesky insects may use chemical signals to pass along knowledge of food sources in your home and elsewhere, researchers say. (June 6, 2010)

Squirrels found to adopt orphans
Those squirrels you see fighting over food may not seem altruistic, but a study has found they sometimes take in orphaned relatives. (June 1, 2010)

Arctic ice at multi-millennium low: researchers
Less ice covers the Arctic today than at any time in the past few thousand years, a study concludes. (June 3, 2010)

Diversity within species may be as important as among them
Many past studies have focused on diversity of species as a key factor in the health and resilience of a natural environment. (June 2, 2010)

Could banknotes made like butterfly wings deter forgery?
Scientists say they have created artificial surfaces that mimic the stunning colors found on the wings of tropical butterflies. (May 31, 2010)

Study seeks to show how acupuncture really works
A traditional Chinese healing technique may work by activating pain-suppressing molecules in the body, researchers say. (May 30, 2010)

Oil spill threatens iconic fish with saw-like snout
The huge spill spreading in the Gulf of Mexico could finish off a critically endangered sawfish, an expert says. (May 27, 2010)

Hey Jude: Get that song out my head!
Most of us have, at some point, been "infected" with a song we just can't seem to shake off. What does it mean? (May 28, 2010)

Termites, not lions, may be kings in African grasslands
When it comes to actually shaping a landscape, small players sometimes have the edge over attention-grabbers. (May 25, 2010)

Scientists report first cell made with artificial genes
Their "synthetic genome" is a near-copy of a natural one, but researchers say their method can be used to better understand the workings of life. (May 20, 2010)

Off-kilter planetary system surprises astronomers
New findings could complicate the study of how planetary systems evolve, researchers say. (May 24, 2010)

Fuel from sewage can be profitable: study
It costs only a little more to produce biodiesel fuel from sewage sludge than to make conventional diesel fuel, a report says. (May 23, 2010)

Garden birds found to shun organic
Wild garden birds prefer conventional bird seed to organically grown bird seed, according to a study. (May 18, 2010)

Mysterious ball lightning may be brain illusion
A new theory addresses a mysterious phenomenon in which lightning apparently forms into a ball and starts floating around. (May 19, 2010)

Mom's hugs in youth may help keep doctor away later
Warmth and caring from a person's mother seems to reduce the formation of proteins that promote inflammation, researchers say. (May 18, 2010)

Why is breast milk best? It's in the genes, scientists say
Researchers compared breast-fed and formula-fed babies by tracking which genes were at work in their intestines. (May 13, 2010)

Calcium early in life may help prevent obesity later
A study with piglets examined the effect of calcium on stem cells in the bones. (May 14, 2010)

Can a mother's voice spur coma recovery?
A clinical trial is investigating whether repeated stimulation with familiar voices can help repair a coma victim's brain. (May 11, 2010)

"Mozart effect" disputed
Listening to Mozart is great-but it won't make you smarter. So conclude scientists who carried out a new study. (May 9, 2010)

Mice show pain in their faces, study finds
Researchers hope a new "grimace scale" will help eliminate unnecessary pain in lab rodents. (May 9, 2010)

Scientists explore whether some apes shake heads for "no"
Preventing an action by someone else may be one purpose for which bonobos shake their heads, a study suggests. (May 5, 2010)

Study: fleet works 17 times harder for same fish catch of 1880s
A stunning statistic from the U.K. highlights an alarming plunge in European fish stocks, researchers warn. (May 4, 2010)

CEOs who look the part get paid more, researchers say
An online beauty contest staged by economists has identified links between appearance and success in the business world. (April 30, 2010)

Frosty asteroid may hint at origin of oceans
Water-ice has been detected for the first time on an asteroid, along with organic chemicals, researchers say. (April 28, 2010)

International pledge on biodiversity broken, study finds
In 2002, world leaders gathered and pledged to slow the rate of biodiversity loss around the globe by this year. (April 29, 2010)

Scientists marvel at "asphalt volcanoes"
Off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., a series of strange landmarks rise from the sea floor. (April 27, 2010)

Studies probe chimps' awareness of death
Chimps' awareness of death may be more highly developed than is generally believed, some researchers say. (April 26, 2010)

Pressure to publish may bias scientists
The quality of research may be suffering because scholars are judged on how much they get published, a new analysis suggests. (April 24, 2010)

Mostly-male book images may reduce girls' science scores
In a small study, a gender gap in school science scores flipped when students used a text showing only female scientists. (April 23, 2010)

Can't go paperless here: demand for soft toilet paper getting hard to meet
The Internet's rise is making it ever harder for manufacturers to satisfy a common American preference, a report says. (April 22, 2010)

Indoor tanning called possibly addictive
Might gossip magazines soon start featuring tales of TV and Hollywood personalities entering "tanning rehab"? (April 20, 2010)

"Mediterranean diet" benefits partly due to oil: study
Olive oil ingredients that suppress inflammation are partly responsible for the healthy effects of "Mediterranean diets," scientists say. (April 19, 2010)

Did Native Americans contribute to global warming?
Tree-burning by natives seems to have led to copious emissions of heat-trapping gases, researchers say. (April 15, 2010)

Brain circuits for empathy, violence may overlap
Recent findings might help explain why people are both an unusually kind and abnormally vicious species, scientists argue. (April 18, 2010)

You may still have to avoid T. rex
A leech that turned up in a girl's nose has been dubbed the "T. rex" of its kind by scientists. They say its ancestors might have tormented the old T. rex in a like fashion. (April 14, 2010)

Life on Titan? Stand far back and hold your nose!
If life has evolved on Saturn's frigid moon, Titan, it would be strange, smelly-and potentially explosive, new research suggests. (April 12, 2010)

New evidence cited that rocky, watery planets are common
Vaporized remnants of rocky, and possibly watery, bodies hang around many dead stars, astronomers say. (April 13, 2010)

Family tree research can open "Pandora's Box"
While many people find researching their ancestry fulfilling, for some it may unearth unwanted secrets or spark disputes. (April 9, 2010)

Amber yields secrets from dinosaur era
A 95-million-year-old amber deposit is adding newfound fungus, insects, spiders, nematode worms, and bacteria to the portrait of an ancient ecosystem. (April 5, 2010)

Possible new human ancestor revealed
Two partial skeletons unearthed in South Africa are from a previously unknown species, scientists say. (April 8, 2010)

Brain cells shout in unison to get message through
How do you get your say if you are in the minority? (April 1, 2010)

"Artificial leaves" could help power machines of future
Scientists are presenting a design strategy that they say could harness Mother Nature's ability to produce energy from sunlight and water. (March 26, 2010)

Eye-operated video game developed for the disabled
College students have developed a computer game operated by eye movements. (March 30, 2010)

Power prompts less accurate time predictions, research finds
Having more power may lead to greater errors in predicting how long a project will take to complete. (March 26, 2010)

"Last Supper" got ever bigger in paint: study
An analysis suggests a trend of growing portion sizes, today often blamed on fast-food places, might have really started long ago. (March 24, 2010)

New species of extinct humans identified?
A previously unknown lineage of humans has been identified based on genes extracted from a bit of bone, scientists say. (March 25, 2010)

Eyes may betray numbers in our heads
It might be harder to lie about your age, or your poker hand, after new research. (March 23, 2010)

Method would "revolutionize" dating of ancient treasures
Scientists say they have found a way to estimate the ages of ancient relics without damaging them. (March 23, 2010)

Bizarre "quantum" behavior noted in device large enough to see
The tiniest objects have been found able to behave in two opposite ways at once. Physicists are trying to show similar tendencies in bigger things. (March 22, 2010)

Media focuses on positives in covering cancer, study finds
Too much good news can be misleading, the authors of a new report suggest. (March 19, 2010)

New anti-cancer strategy: make tumors age
Researchers have identified a chemical chain of events that leads cancer cells to stop reproducing because they get old. (March 17, 2010)

Ladies second: are we sexist in writing?
Romeo and Juliet. Antony and Cleopatra. Porgy and Bess. Jack and Diane. What unites all these famous couples, real or fictional? (March 16, 2010)

Psychopaths' brains wired to seek rewards at any cost, researchers say
New research is said to clarify the role of the chemical dopamine in psychopathy. (March 15, 2010)

Repeated anesthesia may affect kids' learning
A study with rodents shows repeated anesthesia wipes out memory-forming cells, but exercise may help undo the damage, scientists say. (March 15, 2010)

It seems we're all more human than average
A widespread tendency for people to consider themselves "better" than the norm is well known. Now scientists say another odd human conceit may be coming to light. (March 14 , 2010)

Repeated anesthesia may affect kids' learning
A study with rodents shows repeated anesthesia wipes out memory-forming cells, but exercise may help undo the damage, scientists say. (March 11, 2010)

Quake moved whole city
The massive earthquake that struck Chile last month moved an entire city at least 10 feet (3 meters) to the west, scientists say. (March 11, 2010)

Exposure to letters A or F may affect test scores
Seeing the letter "A" before a test can improve a student's score, while noticing an "F" may reduce it, according to a study. (March 10, 2010)

Scientists learning how monkeys fend off "monkey AIDS"
The findings could be useful in the quest to design a vaccine for people, biologists say. (March 10, 2010)

At sentencing, some murder victims "matter" more than others
A defendant is much more likely to get a death sentence if he or she kills a "high-status" victim than if not, a study claims. (March 8, 2010)

Darkness promotes dishonesty, researchers find
Lack of light may foster a feeling of impunity even when there is no basis for it, a study suggests. (March 3, 2010)

Exotic antimatter detection may clarify cosmic symmetries
Physicists say they have detected the heaviest "anti-nucleus" to date, a rare specimen of a sort of mirror-image form of ordinary matter. (March 4, 2010)

Snakes preyed on dino hatchlings, study concludes
A primitive snake couldn't eat hard dinosaur eggs-but it could lie in wait for a treat to emerge from them, scientists say. (March 2, 2010)

Laser surgery method gets new life in art restoration
A laser technique used to remove unwanted tattoos is finding new applications. (Feb. 26, 2010)

Gene therapy may reverse deadly muscle wasting: scientists
A deadly muscle-wasting disorder that afflicts children was reversed in mice by partially replacing a missing gene, researchers say. (Feb. 27, 2010)

Can promiscuity save a species?
Promiscuous females may be key to a species' survival, at least among certain fruit flies, according to a study. (Feb. 25, 2010)

Cricket babies "warned" about spiders before birth
Just because cricket moms abandon their eggs before they hatch doesn't mean they can't pass wisdom along to their babies. (Feb. 22, 2010)

The science of Hollywood blockbusters
Hollywood films have over time converged toward a special mathematical pattern, some researchers maintain. (Feb. 23, 2010)

Happiness may protect against heart disease
People who are usually happy, enthusiastic and content are less likely than others to develop heart illness, according to a new study. (Feb. 21, 2010)

UV color a hidden signal for butterflies
The insects may use unusual hues to tell each other apart while confusing predators. (Feb. 17, 2010) (Feb. 17, 2010)

Do oil and gas "boomtowns" attract sex offenders?
Environmental damage and social ills sometimes go hand-in-hand where economies depend on energy extraction, a study suggests. (Feb. 19, 2010)

Physicists report creating hottest temperatures ever in lab
The work is aimed at unveiling the fundamental structure of atoms. (Feb. 16, 2010)

"Quantum chemistry" a new window into lives of molecules
Physicists have detected molecules still interacting when they "should" be too cold to move. (Feb. 12, 2010)

Vitamin cocktail found to extend youthfulness in mice
A complex mix of ingredients available in many drug stores was noted in a study to help keep mice vigorous into old age. (Feb. 15, 2010)

Challenge to dino-bird evolution theory not dead yet
A new study suggests birds descend from something that lived in trees, not from ground-dwelling reptiles, some researchers say. (Feb. 10, 2010)

How did religion evolve?
Religion arose as a byproduct of pre-existing mental capacities, two scientists conclude. (Feb. 8, 2010)

Child obesity: It's the TV food ads, not the TV, study finds
Steer your kids toward programming without the junk-food commercials, researchers suggest. (Feb. 9, 2010)

Leap toward quantum computing reported
Researchers say they have passed a major hurdle in a quest to create a new kind of super-fast computer. (Feb. 6, 2010)

Too much Internet linked to depression
People who spend a lot of time on the Internet are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to a large study. (Feb. 3, 2010)

Study maps acupuncture's effects on brain
New research may shed light on the complex mechanisms of this Eastern healing technique, scientists say. (Feb. 4, 2010)

Device might allow "spider-man" walk
A palm-sized device that exploits the stickiness of plain water might one day let us walk on walls, its developers claim. (Feb. 2, 2010)

White roofs may cool cities
Painting rooftops white might cool off cities and counter some effects of global warming, a study suggests. (Jan. 29, 2010)

Mystery rays probably from burst stars, scientists say
The origins of high-energy particles that bombard Earth from space has been a puzzle for almost a century. (March 30, 2010)

Riddle of the sexless rotifer solved, biologists say
A microscopic freshwater creature has gotten by without sex for millions of years. (Jan. 28, 2010)

Some dino feather colors identified
The color of some feathers on dinosaurs and early birds is now known for the first time, some scientists say. (Jan. 27, 2010)

Study: recognition of facial expressions not universal
Caucasians and Asians don't examine faces in the same way, according to new research. (Jan. 26, 2010)

"Survival of the cutest" said to back up Darwin
Domestic dogs have followed a unique evolutionary path, according to a new study. (Jan. 22, 2010)

Almost never-seen bird resurfaces in Afghanistan
A species with just a handful of documented human sightings in its past has turned up in a war-torn land, scientists say. (Jan. 25, 2010)

Post-traumatic stress diagnosed using magnetism
Post-traumatic stress disorder, which afflicts war veterans and others, was previously detectable only through psychological screening. (Jan. 21, 2010)

Scientists: docs don't feel your pain much-and that may be best
If you've ever felt like you've had a doctor who just didn't care, researchers now have an explanation. (Jan. 20, 2010)

Snail's armor could offer human protection
The robust, efficient shell of a deep-sea snail could provide inspiration for advances in human body armor design, researchers say. (Jan. 19, 2010)

Report: cancer studies used wrong cells
A study raises questions about over 100 published studies, two clinical trials and possibly much additional research. (Jan. 14, 2010)

Stress may cause cancer, study suggests
The research also points to new ways to attack the deadly disease, scientists say. (Jan. 13, 2010)

For healthy mental aging, brain games may fill in for schooling
People with less education can avoid the increased risk of memory loss, a study suggests. (Jan. 12, 2010)

Distant solar system forming from mysterious dust, scientists say
A far-off solar system seems to be forming from a strange dust whose makeup is unlike that of our and other solar systems. (Jan. 11, 2010)

Baby temperament found to predict adult brain structure
Four-month-old infants' temperament predicts some aspects of their brain structure at age 18, researchers say. (Jan. 9, 2010)

"Punisher" of the seas is a little finned janitor
For small fish known as cleaner wrasse, stepping into the line of fire reaps huge rewards, according to a new study. (Jan. 8, 2010)

"Golden ratio" hints at hidden atomic symmetry
A hitherto undiscovered order can be found in solid matter at very small scales, physicists are reporting. (Jan. 7, 2010)

Hubble reveals "uncharted" cosmic zone
The space telescope has uncovered a primordial population of small, ultra-blue galaxies, according to astronomers. (Jan. 5, 2010)

"Lifeless" molecules found to evolve, adapt
Prions-infectious molecules that cause fatal brain diseases-can evolve in a Darwinian fashion, biologists say. (Jan. 4, 2010)

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