Science and society

Galapagos: off the danger list, still in danger

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 17:41
The decision to take the Galapagos off UNESCO's danger list suggests the islands are in the clear – but conservationists say that's far from true


Reptilians were the earliest North American pioneers

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 16:58
The oldest reptile prints ever found suggest that reptiles were the first creatures to venture into continental interiors


Are cloned steak and milk on European menus?

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 16:03
Reports suggest that meat and dairy products from the offspring of cloned cattle are already on sale in Europe, says Jessica Griggs


Dog brains rotated by selective breeding

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 16:02
Thanks to thousands of years of skull morphing, the brains of some domestic dogs have shifted and a key component relocated


Graphene bubbles mimic explosive magnetic field

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 15:43
Electrons trapped inside strain bubbles in graphene act as if they were in an incredibly powerful magnetic field – good news for future electronics


Team-working robots huddle together to boost comms

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 15:12
Combining radio transmissions can help robots maintain communications, confounding hostile jammers and overcoming obstacles


Cosmic Trojans may sneak comets towards Earth

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 12:37
A collection of asteroids that orbit the sun along roughly the same path as Neptune may be a source of comets that could hit Earth


US food waste worth more than offshore drilling

HIV and AIDS - Fri, 2010-07-30 11:31
A study of the energetic value of food wasted in the US each year shows the scale of the problem


Regulation could save genome scanning, not kill it

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 23:00
The personal genomics industry has been bruised by the US Congress, but embracing sensible regulation could shift it to the heart of clinical medicine


E. coli engineered to make convenient 'drop-in' biofuel

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 20:00
Genetically modified bacteria that munch on sugar to produce refinable oil could bring down the cost of switching to cleaner liquid fuels


Today on New Scientist: 29 July 2010

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 19:00
All today's stories on NewScientist.com, including: doubts over shaken baby syndrome, a new take on Alzheimer's and the decline of Phytoplankton


Galapagos off the Danger List – but why?

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 17:30
The World Heritage Committee has taken the Galapagos off its Danger List, says Michael Marshall. In other news, mice have nothing to fear from cats


Satellite quantum communication circles closer

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 16:03
A trick used in 3D-movie theatres could enable totally secure quantum communication with satellites


Phytoplankton in decline: bye bye food chain?

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 15:30
Tiny marine plants that help support life in the oceans are declining in numbers – and that's worth worrying about, says Michael Marshall


Inside TRAK: a new robot shows us how we think

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 15:10
A new robot called TRAK has been programmed to map its surroundings – but it could also tell us more about the human brain


Spinning black holes could expose exotic particles

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 14:30
If a potential dark matter particle – the axion – exists, it could reveal itself in explosions around black holes


Doctor gagged for doubting shaken baby syndrome

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 13:28
A pathologist in the UK who argues that symptoms of "shaken baby syndrome" can have an innocent cause has been prevented from testifying in court


Alzheimer's unlocked: New keys to a cure

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 12:26
Attempts to treat the world's most common form of dementia may have been attacking its symptoms, not its root cause


Aurora mission makes detour to moon

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 06:07
Two satellites that were doomed to die if they remained in orbit around Earth are heading to the moon for a life extension


Did planet hunter leak data about other Earths?

HIV and AIDS - Thu, 2010-07-29 00:21
An online talk by a member of NASA's Kepler mission fuels speculation that the telescope has found Earth-like planets