* Bullies may enjoy others' pain:
Brain scans suggest unusually aggressive youth find
pleasure in others' suffering, scientists say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081107_bullies


* Scientists: cancer genome decoded:
Researchers report success with a new strategy for
identifying mutations involved in cancer.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081106_cancer


* Giant simulation could help solve "dark matter" 
mystery:
A search for the mysterious substance making up most
of the material in the universe may be over before
long, cosmologists claim.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081105_darkmatter


* Kids' music practice may pay off in other skills:
Children who study an instrument outperform others
even in non-musical skills, a study has found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081105_practice


* One gene, many results:
Scientists are learning to their surprise that a
single gene very often functions differently in
different parts of the body.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081102_genes



****************************************************

 

* "Real" Crusoe's isle said to yield clues to 
sojourn:
The tale of the marooned Robinson Crusoe is thought
to be based on the actual story of sailor Alexander 
Selkirk.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081030_selkirk


* Two asteroid belts for solar system's young 
"twin":
A nearby star has two rocky belts, an outer icy ring
and probably unseen planets, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081027_eridani


* Study: red enhances men's attraction to 
women:
Something many players of the love and dating game
have long suspected, now has scientific confirmation.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081029_red


* World's smallest storage space: an atomic 
nucleus:
A study describes yet a new step toward quantum 
computing.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081024_storage


* Thin line between love, hate? Science 
explains why:
Brain scans suggest a certain overlap between hate
and romantic love, experimenters say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081029_lovehate


* Green space better for kids' waistlines, 
health:
In an era of rampant obesity, researchers see a
brighter outlook for youth in leafy neighborhoods.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081028_green



****************************************************

 

* Warm hands, warm hearts:
Just holding a hot cup of coffee can improve one's
attitude toward a stranger, researchers have found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081023_warmth


* Dancing molecules "trapped":
New technology aims to better show how molecules
move, rather than just how they're made.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081021_molecules


* Key to fighting poverty: toilets:
More toilets and safer water would do more to
improve world health than any other possible
measure, a report says.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081019_water


* Dino crests may have had communication 
role:
Scientists are taking a new look at strange, bony
crests on the heads of some duck-billed dinosaurs.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081016_lambeosaur


* Scientists: one brain cell may reverse 
muscle paralysis:
Activation of a single brain cell may help restore
muscle activity, researchers report.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081015_interface



****************************************************

 

* "Other half" of Darwin's theory passes test:
Some flirtatious microbes have confirmed Darwin's 
view of how sexual advertising evolves, biologists 
say.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/081013_selection


* Craft "ready" to map outer solar system:
A NASA satellite is to image and map processes at
the regions where a hot wind from the Sun hits cold
outer space.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081006_ibex


* "Peacenik" chimps not always so nice:
A study on bonobo hunting habits challenges
traditional ideas of how aggression originates.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081014_bonobo


* Study: narcissists tend to lead, but not 
better:
Self-centered, overconfident types often take
control -- and others tend to accept it, scientists
claim.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081008_narcissism


* Why some kids suffer chronic bullying:
Researchers say factors identifiable in infancy
predict later victimization.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081008_bullied



****************************************************

 

* Found: earliest known animal tracks?:
Scientists claim to have found possibly the earliest
animal footprints, but admit their report will stir
skepticism.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081005_prints


* Religion can spur goodness -- sometimes:
Belief in God has fostered cooperation that aided
the rise of some large, stable societies,
researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081002_religion.htm


* AIDS pandemic may be a century old:
A study suggests the most pervasive strain of HIV
began spreading among humans between 1884 and 1924.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/081001_hiv


* "Nanoparticles" may seep through skin:
The health implications of tiny, artificial
objects in the body are uncertain, investigators 
note.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080930_nanoparticle

* NASA: snow found in Martian skies:
It's not certain whether the flakes ever reach
ground, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080929_snow


* Something beyond visible universe 
detected?:
Scientists have measured an unexpected motion in
distant clusters of galaxies.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080923_wmap


* Researchers explore amnesia, sex link:
Investigators are puzzled by reports suggesting
sexual intercourse may occasionally lead to
temporary amnesia.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080928_amnesia


* One more terror for ancient fish: monster 
ducks
Duck-like birds almost the size of small airplanes,
armed with tooth-like spikes, once skimmed ocean
waters, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080925_dasornis


* Possible oldest-known rocks found:
A section of Canadian bedrock more than four billion
years old may help shed light on Earth's early evo-
lution, geologists claim.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080925_nuvvuagittuq


* Temporary collider shutdown a "blow":
Technical problems have struck a giant particle-
smasher whose recent launch scientists hailed 
as historic.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080924_lhc


****************************************************

 

* Fingers originated in fish ancestors: study
Previous findings on the subject were mistaken, a
report claims.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080921_digits


* "Smoothest" mirror could lead to new 
microscopes:
Physicists say they have created unusual surfaces
that could help image biological samples more
precisely without destroying them.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080922_mirror


* Demystifying spider sex cannibalism:
There's no deep, complex reason why females eat the
males -- they're just hungry, two researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080914_spider


* World's largest study of near-death experiences 
to start:
New research aims to establish whether people may
have thoughts for a time while clinically "dead."
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080911_neardeath


* Sensitivity to sudden noises may predict your 
politics:
Our political views come from places deeper inside
of us than many had suspected, a study suggests.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080917_physiology


* "Relic" ant said to hail from lost past:
A bizarre predatory, blind, underground ant probably
descends almost straight from the first ants,
scientists say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080916_ant



****************************************************

 

* "Historic" collider operation begins:
The first beam in the world's newest and largest
particle collider was switched on this morning,
physicists announced.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080910_lhc


* On-and-off floods formed Mars valleys, 
study finds:
Floods that created distinctive features of Mars
were not of a catastrophic sort, scientists claim.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080908_mars-valleys


* Report: cells "from space" have unusual 
makeup:
A lineage of mysterious microbes found in some rain
give off colors in a strange way, two scientists are
reporting.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080908_redrain


* "Junk DNA" key to human evolution?:
Genetic material once dismissed as useless might
have contributed to our upright walking, researchers
say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080904_upright



****************************************************

 

* Robotic helicopters teach themselves stunts:
The research is a prelude to designing choppers that
search for land mines or fight fires, scientists
predict.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080902_robot-helicopter


* Cancer cells may "prepare" earlier than thought:
New studies on mice suggest disturbing conclusions
but also could inspire new therapeutic strategies,
researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080829_cancer


* New collider promises to transform physics:
A massive particle smasher to start operation this
month will reveal deeper laws, physicists say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080821_collider


* Why are flies so hard to swat? Chalk it up to 
good planning:
Fast, high-resolution video imaging is revealing
secrets of the wily insects.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080828_flyswat


* Scientists report converting cells to new type 
directly:
Research described as a major advance sidesteps
previous complications with the production of stem
cells for medical treatment.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080827_cells


* A surprising new way to discourage risky 
behaviors?:
Linking a risky behavior with groups of "other"
people is an effective way to discourage it,
researchers claim.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080825_outgroup



****************************************************

 

* Washington's doctors absolved:
The statesman was beyond help when his much-
maligned doctors found him one fateful morning,
a study concludes.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080819_washington


* Computer helps reassemble a lost past:
Rebuilding shattered artifacts can be like solving
jigsaw puzzles of bewildering proportions.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080815_comp-archaeology


* Scientists: century-old drug might cure
Parkinson's, more:
A study with mice suggests a century-old drug could
slow or even cure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
disease, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080818_blue


* Stone-Age graveyard reveals life in a 
"green Sahara":
Scientists in Niger report having found the Sahara
Desert's largest known Stone-Age graveyard.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080814_sahara


* A bit of dazzle to throw off predators:
Bright patterns may really work to protect animals
from becoming a meal, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080813_coloration


* Mass extinction going on, researchers say:
Great die-offs of amphibians are a sign that a
catastrophe is underway on Earth -- brought on by 
us, some scientists argue.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080812_extinction


* Pride and shame displays "universal":
In both victory and defeat, athletes blind from
birth behave much like their sighted counterparts,
psychologists have found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080811_pride



****************************************************

 

* Dolphins and the evolution of teaching:
By repeating actions many times and seemingly 
"pointing" at things, some dolphins appear to
teach their young to forage, scientists report.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080807_dolphin


* "Extreme" rain follows global warming:
Heavy rain is coming unexpectedly more often as
global warming continues, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080807_rainfall


* Nature's mightiest bites calculated:
The great white shark has the hardest bite of any
living species known -- yet it's a mere nibble
compared to that of an extinct shark, a study finds.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080804_bites


* NASA confirms water on Mars:
The agency's robotic Phoenix Lander "touched and
tasted" the Red Planet's frozen water, a mission
scientist says.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080731_mars-water


* SCIENCE IN IMAGES:
An amateur astronomer has found a new type of 
astronomical object that looks to some like a 
"cosmic ghost."

http://www.world-science.net


ADDITIONAL NEWS
* Road to obesity may begin by age two:
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080802_obesity
* Martian salt not bad for life: scientists
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080806_perchlorates
* U.S. understated HIV infection rate:
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080730_hidden



****************************************************

 

* Drug may trick body into "thinking" it
exercised:
A new study is creating both hope, and worries that
a remarkable substance could be ripe for abuse.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080731_ppard


* Revealing a world of hidden paintings:
Researchers unveiled a new technique for seeing what
lies beneath visible layers of paint.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080730_hidden


* Diamonds may have best friend to earliest
life:
The surfaces of gems may have provided the
conditions for life to evolve, scientists say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080729_diamonds



**************************************************** 

* Earth filmed as "alien" world:
The first spacecraft from Earth to be used to study 
a comet up-close, has taken on a new project.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080725_earth


* Single atoms viewed thanks to super-material:
A recently discovered substance may be both the 
strongest known, and the first to allow the imaging 
of individual small atoms.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080720_graphene


* Baby penguins found dead by the hundreds:
The news comes weeks after a report claimed penguin 
populations are being devastated globally.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080720_penguins


* Robotic mini-snowmobiles ply the Arctic:
Researchers are developing the devices in a bid to 
better understand effects blamed on global warming.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080718_arctic


* Tweaking quantum force lowers barrier to
tiny devices:
Cymbals don't clash on their own -- in our world, 
anyway.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080714_casimir


* Smog may boost storms, NASA finds:
Pollution is being called a likely reason why summer 
storms in the southeastern U.S. are worst at midweek.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080707_rain



* CLARIFICATION

The June 28 article "Red wine may mitigate red 
meat’s dangers" failed to specify that the researchers 
used red turkey meat, rather than ordinary red meat,
in their study. They argued that red turkey meat was 
relevant because it is particularly prone to causing the 
harmful reactions they were investigating; though they 
added that these are common with much meat, and 
red meat in particular.



****************************************************

 

* Tit-for-tat: birds found to repay wartime 
help
Pied flycatchers and red-winged blackbirds share two
traits, studies suggest: they're feisty defenders
and shrewd account keepers.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080706_flycatcher


* Atoms interact unexpectedly, researchers
report:
A surprising process may change our understanding of
chemical reactions in the atmosphere and our bodies.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080702_deuterium


* In mice, "youth" drug seen prolonging vigor 
but not life:
A red wine ingredient can ward off many ill effects
of aging in mice who start taking it at midlife,
researchers have found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080703_resveratrol


* Study finds lasting benefit in banned 
mushroom drug:
The compound psilocybin may bring psychological
benefits, but also harm if taken without proper
supervision, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080701_mushrooms


* Secret of the great violins? The wood, study
suggests:
The elusive key to the unmatched sound of 
Stradivari may lie in uniformity of density, 
a scientist claims.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080701_violins



* CORRECTION

Due to an editing error, the June 26 article "Most 
'primitive' four-legged animal described" stated 
that early animals made a major transition "from 
land to sea." The shift was actually the other way 
around. World Science apologizes for the error.



****************************************************

 

* Penguin populations falling steeply: 
biologist
Like the proverbial canary in the coal mine,
penguins are sounding the alarm for possible
environmental disaster, an expert warns.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080701_penguins


* Epic crash may explain two faces of Mars:
Scientists have been hard-pressed to explain why the
red planet's two halves look very different.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080625_mars


* Red wine may mitigate red meat's dangers:
Chemicals in wine may thwart formation of harmful
substances during digestion of fat in meat,
researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080628_polyphenols


* Most "primitive" four-legged animal described:
New findings may further close the already shrinking
gaps in in the fossil record of the epochal transition, 
from land to sea.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080626_tetrapod


* Brain region for adventurousness reported 
found:
Located in a primitive part of the brain, it's
activated when we choose unfamiliar options,
according to neuroscientists.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080625_adventure


* On brink of collapse, Neanderthals may 
have flourished:
Newfound stone tools offer a snapshot of ancient
technological change, experts say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080624_neanderthal



****************************************************

 

* The Odyssey astronomically accurate?:
The ancient Greek epic of adventure at sea and
long-awaited homecoming may have more truth than
suspected, scientists say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080623_odyssey


* From the egg, baby crocs call out:
Pre-hatching calls actually mean something to the
siblings and mothers, researchers have found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080622_crocs


* Planes with glass wings?:
A new insight into the nature of glass might make it
possible, according to some scientists.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080621_glass


* In distant universe, the same laws:
Nature's laws appear to be the same far off as they
are here, helping to resolve a scientific debate,
physicists report.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080620_laws


* Faked research data common, survey suggests:
Scientific misconduct may be much more widespread
than hitherto suspected, U.S. government researchers
warn.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080619_misconduct



****************************************************

 

* Study: gays' brain symmetry resembles other 
sex
Researchers have found that gay people's brains
resemble those of the opposite sex in some ways.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080616_gaybrain


* Eat the parents:
In a practice thought to be over 100 million years
old, some creatures feed on their mothers' skin.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080613_dermatophagy


* Some "dwarf planets" are now "plutoids":
Newly introduced terminology further complicates the
once-simple concept of "planet."

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080612_plutoid


* Just-launched telescope scans gamma-ray sky:
The cosmos looks much different outside the narrow
range of colors our eyes see.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080611_glast


* Drug found to cure alcoholic rats:
Scientists say the research suggests a potential
treatment for human boozers.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080609_gdnf


* Taming volcanoes:
Chunks of limestone might be key to stopping lava in
its tracks, a study proposes.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080608_volcano




****************************************************

 

* Parasite turns host into bodyguard:
Among those nasty creatures that live as unwanted
guests inside others, some are particularly
sinister.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080605_glyptapanteles


* From cracks to catastrophes:
A field known as singularity theory explores hidden
complexities in events both everyday and
extraordinary.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080604_singularity


* Obesity may not be directly due to eating:
A study of worms suggests the nervous system
controls eating and fat separately, researchers
say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080603_obesity


* Brain abnormalities seen in heavy pot smokers:
Two important brain structures appear smaller in
long-time, heavy pot smokers, a study has found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080602_marijuana



****************************************************

 

* Almost "uncontacted" tribe revealed in photos:
Rare photos were released to highlight the perils 
facing peoples living remote from the modern world.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080531_tribe


* Gender gap in math erasable, studies suggest:
New research may shed light on a long, bitter
debate: are boys better at math than girls?

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080531_math


* Monkey controls robotic arm with thoughts:
Scientists reported what they said was a smoothly
working system that might help paralyzed people.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080528_bci


* Big quakes found to spark jolts worldwide:
Bumps even on the opposite side of the globe can
follow a large earthquake, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080527_quakes


* Mars craft lands in search of ice:
The event marks the start of what scientists hope
will be the first in-depth robotic exploration of
water ice, and perhaps life, on the planet.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080525_phoenix


* Crystal skulls are fake: study
As Indiana Jones races to find an ancient artefact
in the new film, he might want to take a moment to
check its authenticity.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080523_crystal



****************************************************



Invite friends to join World Science for free!
Just click here to open an invitation email that you can 
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the subscription instructions unchanged.)

* Tests back up theory of hot springs on Mars:
Mars may have experienced life-giving processes
similar to those that occur at Yellowstone National
Park, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080522_hydrothermal


* Robot follows in cricket's footleaps:
A tiny new robot weighs little more than a
medium-sized coin and can jump more than 27 times
its body size.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080521_microbot


* For once, a supernova is seen at birth:
A stroke of luck may provide valuable insight into
massive stellar explosions.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080519_supernova


* Spray said to turn people to pushovers:
Researchers have identified brain centers activated
by betrayal of trust -- and a way to keep them quiet.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080521_oxytocin



****************************************************

 

* Extinct gene resurrected:
Scientists say they have gotten a gene from the
now-lost Tasmanian tiger to work in a mouse.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080519_extinct-genes


* Erectile woes may portend heart disease:
Erectile dysfunction is always a matter of the
heart, but new research suggests more than romance
is at stake.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080519_erectile


* A brighter universe seen: ours
Dust has tricked scientists into thinking the cosmos
is half as bright as it really is, astronomers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080516_universe-bright


* U.S. to list polar bears as threatened:
But because climate change is thought to be
involved, there are big questions as to whether the
ruling will spark decisive action.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080514_polar



**************************************************** 

* Musical genes may be coming to light:
Musical ability seems to share genetic roots with
language, scientists report.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080429_music-genes


* Mega-storm continues on Saturn:
Saturnian electrical storms resemble Earth
thunderstorms, but much larger, with lightning
10,000 times stronger.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080430_saturn-storm


* Training may boost type of intelligence:
General problem-solving ability may be improved
through a series of exercises, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080429_fluid


* Fateful signature may haunt unsuspecting
patients:
When you tell your doctors to cut life support --
then forget you did and change your mind -- there
may be a problem.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080428_directives


* Gene therapy success reported in blindness
cases:
Clinical trial results are being called one of the
first clear successes for gene therapy.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080428_genetherapy



****************************************************

 

* The inbred -- betrayed by scent?
Female mice can sniff out inbred males, and the same
might be true of other species, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080417_inbred


* Step toward man-made lightning reported:
Scientists say they have touched off electric
discharges in thunderclouds by shooting powerful
lasers.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080414_lightning


* Brain found to prepare decisions in advance:
New research casts fresh doubt on whether we have
free will.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080415_brain


* SCIENCE IN IMAGES:
A colorful new photo gives a striking view of a
galaxy's rarely-seen outlying regions, and the
starbith unfolding there.

http://www.world-science.net


**************************************************** 

* Dinosaurs along the Grand Canyon?:
Arizona's giant gorge may be 55 million years
old or more, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080410_canyon


* Drug may limit radiation damage:
A newly developed drug is reported to protect
animals' bone marrow and gastrointestinal cells from
destructive radiation.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080410_cblb502


* Understanding of superconductivity may be
nearing:
A strange effect called superconductivity offers
hopes of a new electrical golden age. But scientists
don't quite know how to get there.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080410_superconductivity


* Nuke exchange would shred ozone layer:
study
The atmosphere's ozone layer blocks cancer-causing
ultraviolet rays from the sun.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080407_nuke-ozone

ADDITIONAL NEWS:

* Unproven genetic tests called health threat
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080409_genetic-tests

* Strange animal finds: Lungless frogs, crawling fish
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080407_species

* Meteorites left "seeds" of Earth's left-handed life
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080406_chirality



****************************************************



Invite friends to join World Science for free!
Just click here to open an invitation email that you can 
send your friend or colleagues. Feel free to change the 
text of the invitation (although you might want to leave 
the subscription instructions unchanged.)

* Hunting was just final straw for mammoth, 
study finds:
Does the human species have mammoth blood on its
hands? Scientists have long debated it.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080331_mammoth


* Scientist: "superbugs" resist all drugs, portend
pandemic:
Doctors are resorting to drugs once abandoned due to
harsh side effects -- and even that has stopped
working in some cases.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080331_superbug


* Paranoia rife among us, researchers say:
Exaggerated fears of others afflict as many as one
in three people, scientists claim.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080331_paranoia


* Organic chemicals detected at Saturn moon:
A surprising "brew" is erupting like a geyser from
Saturn's moon Enceladus, according to researchers.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080326_enceladus


* Preterm birth tied to lifelong problems:
Premature birth leads to health issues more varied
and lasting than was known, scientists report.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080325_preterm


* Uniqueness in human brain's language zone:
Human cells have more complex interconnections in
and around language-linked brain areas, researchers
say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080324_language



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* The evolution of drug abuse:
New research challenges traditional explanations of
why we wallow in chemical gratification.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080321_drug-evolution


* Blast called furthest thing visible to naked eye:
Halfway across the known cosmos, scientists say, a
massive stellar explosion March 19 was briefly
visible to unaided eyes.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080320_grb


* Distant moon may have hidden ocean:
Scientists are reporting evidence of a vast body of
water and ammonia inside Saturn's moon Titan.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080320_titan


* Money might buy happiness -- when you spend 
on others:
People report greater happiness if they spend money
on gifts or charity, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080320_happiness


* Drive to complexity seen in animal evolution:
A study claims to clarify a longtime debate: does
evolution have long-term trends?

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080317_evolution


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* Estimates for peopling of Americas getting earlier:
Humans appear to have first entered the Americas
some 22,000 years ago, according to some archaeologists.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080313_americas


* More "little people" fossils found:
A finding may renew and complicate a debate over
whether miniature, island-dwelling people once
evolved.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080310_micronesia


* That habitable planet might not be so far:
We just might have neighbors among the closest stars
to our sun, scientists say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080310_planet


* Butterflies may keep memories of caterpillar youth:
Scientists have wondered for over a century whether
memory survives metamorphosis.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080306_butterfly


* Grand Canyon 20 million years old, study says:
The canyon's "incision history" has been disputed
for more than a century.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080306_canyon

* Pollution may make birds change their tune:
Nothing like a birdsong to remind you of nature's
glory, right? Maybe not quite, according to rather
creepy new findings.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080228_birdsong


* After jeers, some recognition for "reverse
evolution" theorist:
A leading scientific journal is set to publish work
by a controversial researcher of people who walk on
all fours.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/080303_unertan


* Study: media misconstrues blues as 
"chemical imbalance"
An ancient, but unsupported notion about depression
still finds its way into many news reports, a study
has found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080304_depression


* Dark energy, or just dust? Findings raise 
questions:
Tiny whiskers of carbon in space may explain
puzzling observations usually attributed to a
mysterious force, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080301_graphite


* Brain workings linked to parental instinct:
Infant faces spark a flurry of activity in a key
brain region, researchers have found.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080228_parent



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* Robot arms race seen underway:
Proponents of robot weapons say they could keep
soldiers out of harm's way. Critics say the machines
raise troubling questions.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080226_robots


* "Noah's Ark" seed vault opens:
A remote chamber designed to protect seeds for 
posterity took in its first shipments.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080226_vault


* Pirates had "democratic" ways:
The pirates of old produced impressive examples of
self-rule and mutual fairness -- largely because
they had no choice, a researcher says.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080222_pirates


* Expert: obesity, global warming could be 
fought together
Redesigning cities to curb excess driving could
reduce both warming and waistlines, a physician
claims.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080226_obesity-warming


* Computers learn "regret":
New programs imitate human decision-making in
strategy games by looking backwards.

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080221_regret


* SCIENCE IN IMAGES:
Among the disguises in the animal kingdom, the
swallowtail caterpillar's is surely one of the most
unappetizing.

http://www.world-science.net



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