Monday, February 8, 2010

Science

Shuttle Blasts Off for Space Station

The space shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday on its way to the International Space Station.
Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The space shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday on its way to the International Space Station.

It was the second attempt to launch the Endeavour, 24 hours after Sunday’s attempt was scrubbed because of clouds over the launching pad.

News Analysis

For Human Spaceflight, Can Measured Beat Bold?

The Obama administration is trying to keep humans flying in space, but will its measured proposals succeed?

Geoffrey Burbidge, Who Traced Life to Stardust, Is Dead at 84

Dr. Burbidge was one of the last giants of the postwar era of astronomy, when big telescopes revealed a universe more diverse and violent than anybody had dreamed.

Hadron Collider Set for Half Power

CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is going to operate at half power for the next two years and then shut down for a yearlong repair session.

As Shuttle Flights Dwindle, a Series of ‘Lasts’ Begins

The final planned nighttime liftoff is scheduled for the early hours of Sunday with Endeavour carrying the last major piece of the International Space Station.

Google Asks Spy Agency for Help With Inquiry Into Cyberattacks

The collaboration with the N.S.A. raises questions about how much Google knew when it said it might end its operations in China.

Evidence Builds on Color of Dinosaurs

For the second time in two weeks, paleontologists provided insight into what the prehistoric creatures looked like.

U.S. Scientists Given Access to Cloud Computing

The National Science Foundation and Microsoft Corporation announced a three-year deal that would give American researchers much-needed computing power.

When Windmills Don’t Spin, People Expect Some Answers

Plans to use wind turbines in Minnesota to provide power have run into a problem: apparently, it’s too cold this winter.

Science Times: Feb. 2, 2010
Serge Bloch

Researchers have found that the body embodies abstractions the best way it knows how: physically.

Up in the Air, and Down, With a Twist

For aerialists with the United States Freestyle Ski Team, their high-flying feats are a matter of physics, and plenty of preparation.

Saving Tiny Toads Without a Home

Conservationists who have worked for years to sustain the Kihansi spray toad are unsure it can survive if it is returned to the wild.

Books on Science

Tale of an Unsung Fossil Finder, in Fact and Fiction

Two books examine the life of Mary Anning, who rarely got the credit she deserved for her early contributions to paleontology.

If You Swat, Watch Out: Bees Remember Faces

Researchers determined that the insect, like humans, used a technique that pieces together the elements of a face to form a recognizable pattern.

Health News
Scientist at Work | Andrew Witty

Ally for the Poor in an Unlikely Corner

Through his work in poor countries, Andrew Witty, chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, has positioned his company as the leader among drug makers in advancing world health issues.

In Haiti, Practicing Medicine From Afar

A video hookup between a patient on the scene and a doctor far away can save lives.

Update

Recovery Matches a Marathon Operation

After a surgeon removed a huge cancerous tumor from his abdomen, Robert Collison, 59, spent eight weeks in the hospital with infections and other complications.

Multimedia
Inside the Action

Video Feature: Aerial Skiing

United States Olympic aerialist Ryan St. Onge and science reporter Henry Fountain break down the “double full full full,” a jump St. Onge may perform in Vancouver.

Slide Show: A Guide to the Cosmos, in Words and Images Dazzling and True

In his new book "Far Out, A Space-Time Chronicle," photographer and journalist Michael Benson has reprocessed images from the Hubble Space Telescope and other telescopes to take readers on a lush tour of some of time's creations.

Interactive Feature: On Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’

Evolutionary biologists and historians of science comment on Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species.”

Opinion
Opinionator Blog

Rock Groups

Treating numbers concretely - think rocks, for instance - can make calculations less baffling.

From Week in Review

The Riddle of Consciousness

Patients in a “vegetative” state showed some bright blips on brain scans, but there’s still no real answer to what’s behind blank eyes.

Podcast: Science Times
Science Times Podcast
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David Corcoran, a science editor, explores some of the topics addressed in this week’s Science Times.

Science Columns
Q & A

Meeting the Heat

What causes hot flashes in menopausal women?

Observatory

Why Asexual Organisms Are on Their Last Legs

One hypothesis is that asexual organisms have locked up their genome, while their pathogenic enemies are constantly evolving to defeat them.

Observatory

How Seabirds Follow Fishing Boats’ Routine

Researchers report that fishing-boat discards can affect seabirds’ patterns of movement on large scales.

Observatory

No Place Like Foam for Tropical Frogs

There are hundreds of species of frogs that build their nest out of foam, as a home for eggs or larvae.

Health Columns
18 and Under

When to Worry if a Child Has Too Few Words

Every pediatrician knows the frustration of trying to quantify the speech and language skills of a screaming toddler.

Really?

The Claim: 3-D movies can induce headaches and sickness.

Can 3-D movies like “Avatar” cause motion sickness?

Personal Health

Less Invasive Hip Surgeries Make Inroads

Orthopedic surgeons across the country are using techniques for hip replacement that reduce complications and speed recovery in patients.

Cases

A Walking Magnet for Odd, Minor Ills

Sue Eisenfeld, a 38-year-old afflicted with maladies like carotidynia and mucocele, has given herself the title Queen of Minor Ailments No One Has Ever Heard Of.