Monthly Archives: March 2004

Once upon a time, the only known forms of carbon were graphite and diamond. Buckyballs and nanotubes have been invented relatively recently, and now an international team of researchers has created yet another structure, which they have dubbed nanofoam. The … Continue reading →

Studies suggest that green tea has protective effects against many different kinds of cancers, including lung, breast, and prostate. The tea’s benefits have been widely attributed to a powerful antioxidant called EGCG, but researchers were unsure exactly how it worked. … Continue reading →

It’s been known for decades that an animal’s lifespan could be extended by severely reducing its calorie intake, while avoiding malnourishment. Calorie restriction slows the rate of aging, as well as the development of age-related diseases. (A few hardy, if … Continue reading →

British researchers have reported dramatic declines in plant and animal species in the United Kingdom and suggest it’s evidence that the earth may be experiencing “the sixth major extinction event in its history.” (Major extinction event number five is whatever … Continue reading →

In contrast to most other animals, who reproduce until they die, human females live long after their childbearing years are over. Researchers offer proof in the March 11 Nature why this anomaly makes evolutionary sense: grandmothers, by helping their own … Continue reading →

If you have any ideas about what to do with the massive, orbiting Hubble Space Telescope now that its final servicing mission has been canceled, here’s your chance to tell NASA what you think. Even while lawmakers and researchers are … Continue reading →

The Amazonian rainforests are changing, even in areas untouched by human activities such as logging, clearing, or burning — and rising levels of carbon dioxide may be to blame. Over the past 20 years, the species composition of the “pristine” … Continue reading →

In many cultures, people repetitively finger strands of beads to help them deal with their worries. Now British researchers may have figured out why this kind of distraction works. A report by Emily Holmes of University College London and her … Continue reading →

It appears that astronomers are in a hot race to discover the most distant galaxy in the universe. Just a few weeks ago, astronomers using the Hubble and Keck telescopes announced a record-holder — a galaxy 13 billion light-years away. … Continue reading →

When your girlfriend tells you she feels your pain, she’s not lying. British researchers from University College London have found that feeling empathy activates regions of the brain involved with processing pain. Tania Singer and her colleagues used 16 heterosexual … Continue reading →