New life discovered in deep ocean floor
...e been exposed to," said Delwiche. "This makes us wonder if the microbes originated farther down in the earth where it's warmer, and then slowly migrated upwards," said Colwell. One thing is becoming clear, however. "The true rates of methane production in deep sediments are likely much lower than values o...From da Vinci to Monet: Understanding how artists can manipulate the human visual system
... Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, and continues to wonder whether she is smiling or frowning, neuroscientist Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University Medical School today revealed some of the science behind human visual perception of art at the 2003 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAA...The human eye can self-correct some optical faults
... vision, where so many things can go wrong, it's a wonder we can see at all. Now we're coming to realize," Howland says, "that visual acuity is a result of various component parts 'wanting' to see better, if you will. They seem to be able to sense aberrations and to change shape and function, to some exte...Genome of a major member of gut bacteria sequenced
...ct for natural products that may become tomorrow's wonder drugs."......s should be used for research, they would probably wonder why you asked the question in the first place. In many of these cultures, the notion that early human embryos have a social and legal status independent of their parents simply does not exist in a typical person's mind. Indeed, with so many pressing ...Without enzyme catalyst, slowest known biological reaction takes 1 trillion years
..., from microbes to humans," he said. "It makes you wonder how natural selection operated in such a way as to produce a protein that got off the ground as a primitive catalyst for such an extraordinarily slow reaction."Experimental methods used to observe very slow reactions can generate important informatio...New biography details adventures of 'Fritz Muller, A Naturalist in Brazil'
...o camouflage them in their environment, so it's no wonder butterflies have evolved to mimic toxic butterflies to save themselves from predators. In Batesian mimicry, non-toxic butterflies mimic toxic ones for protection. In Mllerian mimicry, toxic butterflies mimic other toxic butterflies to further ensure...Ancient Inca road in desperate need of protection
...cial and even spiritual importance of this ancient wonder of engineering demands that the international community seriously study the establishment of protected areas along the route," said Miguel Pellerano, the IUCN's regional director for South America. "By protecting the Gran Ruta Inca we can also safegu...UMHS researchers find clues to growing new jawbones in cancer patients after radiation therapy
...ults with jaw deformities. Surgeons next began to wonder about its applications after cancer. Radiation often destroys or compromises the soft tissue in the head and neck. That makes bone grafts difficult after radiation therapy because the bone graft needs a new blood supply, which the irradiated tissue c...With nature's help, a better vision system for smart weapons
...s may "see" targets with a manmade version of that wonder of the natural world, the insect eye. Inspired by the panoramic and precise vision of flies and other insects, researchers at several universities and institutions are working on biologically-inspired "eyes" for smart weapons and other self-guided m...Lifestyle accounts for difference in chimp, human genome
...tes of their sense of hearing. This leads Clark to wonder whether one of the difficulties in training chimpanzees to understand human speech is that their hearing is not quite up to the task. Although studies of chimpanzee hearing have been done, detailed tests of their transient response have not been car...Chimp vs. human DNA: what's in the 1% difference
...tes of their sense of hearing. This leads Clark to wonder whether one of the difficulties in training chimpanzees to understand human speech is that their hearing is not quite up to the task. Although studies of chimpanzee hearing have been done, detailed tests of their transient response have not been car...Mars mission scientist will live a 25-hour day
...ing duties, with an energetic ease that makes some wonder if he has found the secret to a 25-hour day. Well yes, actually, he has. Not 25 hours, to be exact, but 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds, the length of one Martian day, or "sol." Squyres is preparing to live on Mars time for the duration of the ...Winter weather turns on flowering gene
...hen flower buds spring up from the ground, you may wonder how plants know it's time to bloom. This question has baffled plant biologists for years. Now, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have an answer: a gene that functions as an alarm clock to rouse certain plants from a vegetative state i...AGI announces the winners of Earth Science Week 2003 contests
...m natural disasters, and appreciate the beauty and wonder of the natural world. This annual event, celebrated during the second full week in October, offers students opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and provides geoscientists and Earth-science organizations the opportunity to share their knowled...Dirty air from Asia can push U.S. air pollution to unhealthy levels
..., Jaffe said. "If you were driving in this, you'd wonder what was going on. It's a noticeable aerosol loading," he said. He noted that particulates of 2.5 microns or smaller can begin having health effects at concentrations of 40 micrograms per cubic meter. Since roughly half the particulates arriving fro...First flavors form a lasting impression
Philadelphia, PA -- Ever wonder why your child loves to eat macaroni and cheese while her best friend likes nothing better than a steaming bowl of cauliflower curry? The answer may lie in part with what they were fed as young infants. Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Cen...Newer drugs more effective at curing strep throat than penicillin
...o need to come back for additional treatments, who wonder why the antibiotic their child took didn't work. "In my own practice, given the results of our analysis, I find it very difficult not to prescribe cephalosporin drugs to my patients," Casey says. "I am hopeful that organizations such as the American......y," says Degani. "The method is so logical, it's a wonder it had not been applied before." ...New research explores 'early bird' and 'night owl' sleep patterns
...annoyed by cheerful "morning people?" Do you ever wonder how "night owls" can keep going? Most of us ask these questions because we are in between these two extremes, and take a while to get going early in the morning and tire long before midnight. This entire spectrum reflects the broad, normal variatio...