Grazing by herbivorous mammals like bison increases biodiversity in North American grasslands, says National Science Foundation (NSF) ecologist Scott Collins, even during periods of frequent burning and other stresses. In fact, loss of species diversity in these grasslands due to frequent burning was reversed by bison grazing, according to Collins.
Researchers at Lucent Technologies have built microscopic "trampolines" to help measure a material's magnetic properties when placed in a strong magnetic field. The novel technique will provide researchers with a very powerful method to study new materials.
High-temperature superconducting materials have almost limitless potential but are often less "super" in real performance, since they lose as much as 95 percent of the current running through them. A University of Wisconsin-Madison experiment has found a surprising contributor to this energy sink, by pinpointing tiny defects that clog electrical flow through the wires.
This month, scientists with the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) will install one of many planned Geophysical Ocean Bottom Observatories (GOBO), in which a permanent seismograph station will be established on the sea floor for monitoring earthquake activity. ODP is funded in large part by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a new model of atomic forces that may solve a long-standing problem in particle physics.
The first census in 40 years of Grauer's gorillas has revealed a surprisingly stable population despite human pressures, according to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, and published in the recent issue of Oryx.
1) Technology Transfer -- the Wonder Hinge, 2) Genetics -- Angelman Syndrome Model Developed, 3) Energy -- Popeye Power, 4) Physics -- Quantum Growth of Thin Films and Magic Numbers
Researchers at Ohio State University are helping NASA scientists develop computer systems that communicate important information as flexibly and efficiently as people do.
The "nose on a chip" is being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Microsensors will be able to sniff out mercury, natural gas, carbon monoxide and other chemicals.
New Computer Technology Provides Interface Based On Eye Movement; Consumer Interactive Music Product Delivers Creative Expression
Neal Lane, director of the National Science Foundation and Clinton nominee to the White House Science Adviser post, will deliver a lecture, "Science, Technology and Human Interest: Our Greatest Challenge," April 29 in conjunction with the dedication ceremonies of the new E. Dell Butcher Hall, home to Rice's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. The formal dedication of the new building will be held April 30.
Advance warning can spell the difference between life and death for persons living in a tornado's path. But forecasters in the Southeast have long worked at a disadvantage. Their forecast tools and training are based largely on tornado research in the Midwest, where the super-cell storms that spawn most twisters are different than tornadic storms here. Meteorologists at North Carolina State University and the National Weather Service at Raleigh are identifying those differences and developing new tools and training programs geared specifically to forecasting Southeastern tornadoes.
A new modified corn starch developed at Iowa State University could prevent problems associated with digesting sugar. The new starch can replace sugar as a carbohydrate source in many solid and liquid foods, leading to more sustained blood sugar and insulin levels. The starch is flavorless, highly digestible and water soluble, which allows its use in liquids.
Even though Americans enjoy the world's safest food supply, highly publicized occurrences of bad hamburger, tainted raspberries and other contaminated foods have shaken public confidence in recent years. Heat, chemical washes, refrigeration and preservatives are among the most common weapons used to combat the germs that cause these occurrences. But scientists at North Carolina State University are taking a different tack: They're fighting fire with fire, by using beneficial bacteria to stop the growth of harmful bacteria on fresh produce.
Strong indications from Antarctica suggest we may be on the verge of global cooling rather than global warming.
Three tips from Los Alamos: 1. Better spectral anlysis of impurities in steel. 2. Radiation detector takes tour of Iraqi palace. 3. Membranes that signal breaches.
America's first street-ready fuel-cell car is a cherry-red, pint-sized coupe that emits no exhaust except pure water. Produced at Humboldt State University for the city of Palm Desert, the fuel-cell-powered neighborhood electric vehicle carries two people, runs at a top speed of 35 mph, has a range of 30 miles, runs on hydrogen, and can be refueled in two minutes.
A Johns Hopkins undergraduate has located the part of the brain that processes sounds while we sleep, a function that wakes a mother when her infant cries but lets her sleep on when a truck roars by.
Scientists report they have produced an accurate record of northern hemisphere temperature for the past 600 years. Accurate reconstructions of past global temperatures are a boon for climatologists trying to explain how and why world climate changes.
A new study by marine scientists at the University of Georgia has discovered that bacteria from the so-called "marine alpha group" dominate the near-shore waters and estuaries of the Georgia coast.
A new technique that rejuvenates expired or inactive proteins at a significantly higher rate than other methods has received a U.S. patent. Central Michigan University researchers have found that cyclodextrins--naturally produced, non-toxic compounds that consist primarily of glucose--produce biologically active proteins that can be used for processing food and treating medical conditions such as diabetes, blood clots and cystic fibrosis.
1) Newly Discovered Molecule Will Aid Cell Study, May Lead to New Class of Cancer Drugs; 2) Aquaculture Facility May Help Revitalize Native American Fishing Industry; 3) Laser Sheds Light On Pollution In Boston Harbor
Nuclear Energy Institute Bemoans Interminable Licensing Process in Louisiana Energy Case
A Purdue University professor and two of her doctoral students have designed the trajectory for an upcoming space mission, which may shed light on the composition of the sun.
4-H'ers and others in search of this year's grand champion hog need to be aware of a swine disease enjoying a resurgence in Indiana and elsewhere.
A team of Trinity College engineering students and their robot, "Phoenix," captured the number-one prize at the fifth annual Trinity College Fire-Fighting Home Robot contest on April 19 on the College campus. The international contest is the largest public robotics competition held in the United States. Over 73 robots competed. Entrants came from across the United States and as far away as Switzerland.
Tip Sheet from New Scientist for 4-22-98
A University of Wisconsin-Madison research team has overturned a central theory about the stability of collagen, a protein that acts like a "solder" to give the body its structure and shape.
Climatologists at the University of Massachusetts have reconstructed the global temperature over the past 600 years, determining that three recent years, 1997, 1995, and 1990, were the warmest years since at least AD 1400. The study, is detailed in Nature's April 23 issue.
The fog may be lifting for Northwest weather prognosticators who struggle to make forecasts without critical data on conditions over the Pacific Ocean. Aeronautical engineers at the University of Washington are launching high-tech unmanned airplanes to gather this missing weather data.
A pioneering satellite called ALEXIS -- sporting six wide-field telescopes for studying celestial extreme ultraviolet emissions -- marks in fifth anniversary April 25. Originally feared lost after it was launched, the robust craft has provided more than four years of productive observations of the EUV sky. An onboard radio experiment also has provided the first-reported detections of powerful atmospheric bursts whose origin remains a mystery.
University of Minnesota ecology professor Craig Packer says evidence from lions and baboons points to menopause as a simple result of aging, but with the timing of menopause set by how long a species needs to raise last-born infants to the age of independence.
A team of about 50 astronomers will train their telescopes on a pulsating white dwarf star with the goal of finding a true gem in the sky. The astronomers believe the object, designated BPM37093 is made up of crystallized carbon and oxygen, making it a diamond with a blue-green tint.
A newly discovered species of a winged dinosaur has been named in honor of Yale paleontologist John Ostrom, one of the earliest proponents of the controversial theory that modern-day birds are descended from dinosaurs. News that the raven-sized creature had been named for him caused Ostrom to laugh with delight.
The Northeastern states saw 109 weather-related records smashed during March and 16 records tied, according to new statistics just released by the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University. It was the warmest March on average in the Northeast since 1973, and the 14th warmest in 104 years of record-keeping.
Cornell University is testing a freeze concentration processor, the only one in the country devoted to milk, to make condensed and powdered milk without the "burned" taste that results from heat evaporation. The dairy industry uses 60 million pounds of heat-evaporated milk each year in making ice cream, sour cream, cheese and other products.
The 1997 storm season has gotten off to an early start, with deadly tornadoes already striking Florida, Minnesota, and the South. Here are some tips to help you cover severe local storms this spring, including a roundup of storm types described in forecast training tools from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
Over the past year, forecasters in Alabama and Florida--where tornadoes have killed more than 75 people--honed their storm-prediction skills with two training modules released by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research on CD-ROM. The modules help users to peg storm types in advance based on a blend of weather ingredients.
The adage that "oil and water don't mix" forms the basis for a newly patented bubble separation process that removes impurities from medicines and agricultural chemicals.
By the year 2008, drinking water will be safer, lighter weight cars will get 80 miles to a gallon and food crops will be engineered genetically to require less pesticide and fertilizer.
1- Coral reef bleaching: Is el nino to blame? 2- When el nino comes, fish go; 3- El nino spells disaster to giant kelp communities.
The University of Michigan College of Engineering has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Army to design an artificial eye on a microchip---a first-of-its-kind optoelectronic device capable of sensing and processing light. The research could help the military conduct the most accurate remote visual sensing yet.
A Cornell University computer scientist has developed a new method of searching the World Wide Web that uses the way sites are linked to one another, rather than their text content, to find the most valuable sites on a given topic.
A Johns Hopkins engineer has developed a method for estimating the speed at which suddenly unleashed river sediment will flow downstream, aiding analysis of the likely environmental damage.
National Science Foundation funded climatologists have reconstructed global temperature over the past 600 years and determined that 1997, 1995 and 1990 were the warmest years since at least 1400 A.D. The study is detailed in the current issue of the journal Nature.
As Egyptians carve out more living space by irrigating the desert, Purdue University researchers are helping inventory and preserve plants that otherwise might be lost as the water flows in.
Most people use eggs to make omelets. North Carolina State University researcher Dr. James N. Petitte wants to use eggs to make drugs. Petitte, associate professor of developmental biology and biotechnology, is developing a process that uses early avian embryo cells to produce transgenic chickens, from which proteins can be extracted for making drugs.
A lighter look at breathing can be found in one of the scientific papers being presented at the 1998 American Lung Association/American Thoracic Society International Conference which is entitled: "Do Wines Breathe?"
Tip Sheet from New Scientist for 4-15-98
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- If you think El Nino produced some of the decade's worst weather, it's nothing compared to what University of Missouri-Columbia astronomer Jack Burns has seen in the far reaches of space. Burns' study will be the cover story for the April 17 edition of Science.
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