Jul 28, 2010

Have we discovered an alien colony? That’s one sensationalistic but nevertheless awesome possible explanation for the strange “hot spot” discovered on exoplanet Upsilon Andromedae b, 44 light-years from Earth. The planet is a “hot Jupiter,” a gas giant with an extremely high temperature. According to Space.com: The planet is...

Jul 18, 2010

Columns of magma that shove their way into rocks on the surface could help scientists predict where volcanic eruptions may occur, new research suggests. When magma – molten rock that will be known as lava after it reaches the surface – travels through underground chambers, the ground changes, with some surface areas deflating as the magma moves away and...

Jul 17, 2010

Six months after the rig explosion that led to the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, damage to the Gulf of Mexico can be measured more in increments than extinctions, say scientists polled by The Associated Press. In an informal survey, 35 researchers who study the Gulf lowered their rating of its ecological health by several points, compared to...

Jul 15, 2010

Stories about brain research can get a little boring if you just cite an endless stream of academic papers and statistics. So welcome to Healthland’s latest feature: The Lab Rat. Here, I subject myself to the same kinds of psychological and neurological testing that I’ve been writing about for two years. Then I use that personal experience to...

Jul 10, 2010

Soy may be good for the heart, but if you’re trying to keep the ticker healthy and happen to be a breast cancer patient as well, then it’s not so clear how beneficial soy products may be for you. The studies so far haven’t helped. Soy contains isoflavones that are similar to estrogen in chemical structure, and when these isoflavones bind...