Researchers unearth 4,300-year-old chimpanzee technology
...e of chimpanzee technology, adding credence to the theory that some of humanity's behavioural hallmarks were actually inherited by both humans and great apes from a common ancestor. Dr. Julio Mercader, one of the few archaeologists in the world who studies the material culture of great apes, especially ch...Fighting to keep Darwin in the classroom
... Museum of Natural History (AMNH) since 1969. His theory of "punctuated equilibria" (co-authored with Steph...ringer, said, "Springer stands behind evolutionary theory as a fundamental component of modern science education, especially now since the 'intelligent design...Pitt professor contends biological underpinnings
...gaps in the fossil record could bolster Schwartz's theory because, for Schwartz, there is no "missing link."...cal Theory. The MA became a veritable scientific theory when, in 1962, biochemists Emil Zuckerkandl and Linus Pauling demonstrated species similarity throug......sting defence against cancer. Evidence for this theory has been mounting for the past year. On January 10, 2007, Dr. Sheila Fraser of St. James's University Hospital in Leeds, U.K. delivered a paper at the Society of Academic & Research Surgery Conference in Cambridge, U.K., in which she described a test...Fighting influenza and co. with 40,000 blood samples
...en the body's immune system with increasing age, a theory which is being investigated by RWTH Aachen. ...Good for the goose, not so great for the gander
...ry function. In the so-called "oxidative stress" theory of aging, biologists surmise that the whips and scorns of time arthritis, dementia, cancer and all the rest are caused in part by a steady accumulation of such damage. Anyone thinking about how oxidative stress might promote aging would be drawn...For some species, an upside to inbreeding
...easily propagated through populations in this way, theory predicts that under some circumstances, the benefits of inbreeding may outweigh the costs. Researchers have now reported real-life evidence in support of this theory. Studying an African chiclid fish species, Pelvicachromis taetiatus, in which both p...Scientists identify pancreatic cancer stem cells
...t of some, if not all, cancers, Simeone said. That theory suggests that only cells that have the properties of "stemness" -- that is, cells that can self-renew and differentiate into other types of cells -- are the only ones capable of producing tumors. These "cancer stem cells," could derive from normal ad...How does your brain tell time?
...knows how the brain does it." The most popular theory assumes that a clock-like mechanism which generates and counts regular fixed movements -- underlies timing in the brain. In contrast, Buonomano suggests a physical model that operates without using a clock. He offers an analogy to explain how it w...Noise echoes in cell communications
...g, the Rutgers-Camden research team's mathematical theory improves previous knowledge by offering a single explanation of the properties of noise in hearing under different conditions. To develop the theory, Hong used a variation on the wavelet technique, which he says is responsible for clarifying the JPG ...Thinking with the spinal cord?
.... The new discovery enables researchers to use the theory on cortical networks to explore how spinal cords generate movements. Still puzzled by movement How humans are able to move at all remains a puzzle. Our muscles are controlled by thousands of nerve cells in the spinal cord. This entire, complex sy...Linheng Li Lab documents the development of cancer stem cells
...the Nature Genetics Web site on January 21. The theory that cancer stem cells initiate and drive cancer cell growth has been gaining popularity in both clinical and basic research. Recent studies have identified cancer stem cells and shown that they may cause tumors when transplanted into a secondary hos...Cells passed from mother to child during pregnancy live on and make insulin
...volved in any way in Type 1 diabetes. "Our initial theory was that perhaps, in some situations, too many cells cross from mother to fetus in pregnancy. Could diabetes result because the child lost tolerance to those cells because they are genetically half foreign? Our research appears to disprove this," sai...A Cross-Disciplinary Look at Scientific Truth: What's the Law to Do?
... should we require before we can say that our best theory is good enough? Who should decide? What inferences...ts to look at such factors as whether the expert's theory can be tested; whether the underlying studies were published and subjected to peer review; whether t...The hitchhiker's guide to altruism -- Study explains how costly traits evolve
...ast, two theories have addressed this problem. The theory of hitchhiking suggests that genes that confer a c...eing favored by natural selection. Conversely, the theory of kin selection suggests that costly traits can be favored if they lead to benefits for relatives o...More women students choose engineering -- but not as a career
...al of content, assessment methods, and emphasis on theory in their college courses, and wanted instead a more practical and relevant curriculum. The study says that the transition from education to work can be difficult for students in terms of adjusting to the practicalities and routines of work, as well a...Academy honors 18 for major contributions to science
... Stanford, Calif., "for innovative research on the theory and applications of photonic crystal devices." The award, presented since 1981, was established by AT&T Bell Laboratories in honor of William O. Baker, and is supported by Alcatel-Lucent. NAS AWARD IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY a medal and a prize of $2...Water theory is watertight, researchers say
...d that in a real system more complicated that the theory assumes the theory does capture the essence," Granick said. "The next time I see water beading on a raincoat, my vision...Quantum biology -- Powerful computer models reveal key biological mechanism
...The secret is quantum mechanics -- the much-touted theory from physics that explains the inherent "weirdness" of the atomic realm. Reporting in the February 2007 issue of Biophysical Journal, the researchers describe a mechanism to explain how an intein -- a type of protein found in single-celled organism......work gives more evidence that the cancer stem cell theory is valid," Prince says. That theory suggests that a small subpopulation of cancer cells are the critical cells in cancer growth and prog...