 |
"Greenhouse" Bees Spread Disease to Wild Bees
Jul 24 2008 - Reuters
Disease spread to wild bees from commercially bred bees used for pollination in agriculture greenhouses may be playing a role in the mysterious decline in North American bee populations, according to researchers.
Transcending Boundaries
Jul 24 2008 - National Science Foundation
From understanding climate change to predicting infectious disease outbreaks to engineering solutions to address disability, scientific research is increasingly crossing the boundaries between disciplines.
Gates, Bloomberg Pledge $500 Million for Antismoking Programs
Jul 24 2008 - The Wall Street Journal
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged to invest $500 million in antismoking programs in developing countries, building on a continuing effort by Mr. Bloomberg to end what he calls "the global tobacco epidemic."
A Load of Parasites
Jul 24 2008 - ScienceNow Daily News
Long overlooked by ecologists, parasitic Trematodes and other moochers constitute more than 1% of the total biomass in some environments, a new study shows. That dwarfs the contribution of many birds and other top predators. The findings could dramatically change our view of how food webs work.
Singapore Will Study Kidney Trading
Jul 22 2008 - ABC News
Singapore is considering legalizing kidney trading to help meet demand for kidney transplants, the city-state's health minister said. The Health Ministry will examine the feasibility of providing payments to unrelated donors to augment the supply of kidneys, acknowledging that the suggestion has stirred controversy.
ECS Responds to National Demand for Science and Math Workforce
Jul 22 2008 - Education Commission of the States
The Education Commission of the States has launched two key resources for policymakers. The first focuses on increasing the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The second responds to a projected, growing national demand for students with advanced skills in career and technical fields.
The Thinking Bladder
Jul 22 2008 - ScienceNow Daily News
Frequent trips to the bathroom are a regular annoyance for one of every six people in the United States. Now, new research in rats suggests that the bladder may actually influence various brain areas, including those responsible for memory and concentration.
Scholars Will Piece Together Oldest Copy of New Testament Online
Jul 22 2008 - USA Today
The oldest surviving copy of the New Testament, a 4th century version that had its gospels and epistles spread across the world, is being made whole again--online. The British Library says the full text of the Codex Sinaiticus will be available to Web users by next July, digitally reconnecting parts that are held in Britain, Russia, Germany, and a monastery in Egypt's Sinai Desert.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Jul 22 2008 - Inside Higher Ed
Institutional researchers, champions of data-driven assessment, seek to balance interests of policy makers who often want facile, external measures--and faculty who sometimes want none.
Amazon River Powers Tropical Ocean's Carbon Sink
Jul 22 2008 - ScienceDaily
Nutrients from the Amazon River spread well beyond the continental shelf and drive carbon capture in the deep ocean, according to the authors of a multi-year study. The finding does not change estimates of the oceans' total carbon uptake, but it reveals the surprisingly large role of tropical oceans and major rivers.
Ocean of Learning for Science Teachers
Jul 21 2008 - The Boston Globe
A group of 26 Boston-area teachers had barely finished the school year before their own intensive learning about marine science and the Boston waterfront started. The group of educators was part of a workshop about marine science, complete with a trip to the Harbor Islands and a visit to the New England Aquarium, as a way to bring science to life in their classrooms.
Dwarf Planet Near Pluto Named for Polynesian God
Jul 21 2008 - Reuters
A dwarf planet orbiting beyond Neptune has been designated the third plutoid in the solar system and given the name Makemake, according to the International Astronomical Union. The red methane-covered dwarf planet formerly known as 2005 FY9 or "Easterbunny" is named after a Polynesian creator of humanity and god of fertility.
Mideast Facing Choice Between Crops and Water
Jul 21 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Global food shortages have placed the Middle East and North Africa in a quandary, as they are forced to choose between growing more crops to feed an expanding population or preserving their already scant supply of water.
Principals Must Be Better Leaders, Educators State
Jul 21 2008 - Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Three of Arkansas' past and present education chiefs said that the role of a school principal must evolve from building manager to instructional leader if student achievement is to climb.
Animal Tissue Rejection Advance
Jul 21 2008 - BBC News
Scientists have found a way to overcome the problem of the human body rejecting animal parts used in transplants. The work means the use of animal tissue such as blood vessels, tendons, and bladders may become common in surgery.
Dead Penguins Washing Ashore in Brazil
Jul 21 2008 - CBS News
Hundreds of baby penguins swept from the icy shores of Antarctica and Patagonia are washing up dead on Rio de Janeiro's tropical beaches, rescuers and penguin experts said Friday. Experts are divided over the possible causes.
A Single Boulder May Prove that Antarctica and North America Were Once Connected
Jul 18 2008 - National Science Foundation
A lone granite boulder found against all odds high atop a glacier in Antarctica may provide additional key evidence to support a theory that parts of the southernmost continent once were connected to North America hundreds of millions of years ago.
Governor, Coalition Push Science-Education Center
Jul 18 2008 - The Arizona Republic
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano announced that she is teaming with a coalition of private and public partners to create the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Center. Its goals are to promote teacher recruitment, training and retention, generate interest in math and science among preschool through high school students, and encourage college students to pursue degrees in related fields.
FDA: OK to Eat Tomatoes Again
Jul 18 2008 - MSNBC
It's OK to eat all kinds of tomatoes again, the U.S. government declared Thursday--lifting its salmonella warning on the summer favorites amid signs that the record outbreak, while not over, may finally be slowing. Hot peppers still get a caution.
Trial for Vaccine Against H.I.V. Is Canceled
Jul 18 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Plans for a large human trial of a promising government-developed H.I.V. vaccine in the United States were canceled Thursday because a top federal official said scientists realized that they did not know enough about how H.I.V. vaccines and the immune system interact.
Alzheimer's Drug Trial Promise
Jul 18 2008 - BBC News
A drug once used to treat hayfever "significantly improves" symptoms in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, research suggests.
Cheating on ACT, SAT College Entrance Exams Has Few Consequences
Jul 18 2008 - The Los Angeles Times
If the testing firms suspect fraud, they simply cancel the student's score -- but they never tell schools why.
New Head of Teacher's Union Attacks NCLB
Jul 16 2008 - U.S. News & World Report
Randi Weingarten, the new president of the American Federation of Teachers, called for overhauling No Child Left Behind, saying the education law "has outlived whatever usefulness it ever had" and that "it is too badly broken to be fixed."
As They Get Older, Kids Do Less Exercise: Study
Jul 16 2008 - Reuters
Children turn away from exercise in droves in their early teen years after getting much more exercise when they are younger, according to a study spotlighting a factor in the rise of youth obesity.
Defending Against Disease with Vitamin D
Jul 16 2008 - The Wall Street Journal
It's long been known that D is crucial for strong bones. But new research suggests that it also protects against a wide variety of diseases.
Over 200 Million Years Ago, Lizards Glided and Parachuted
Jul 16 2008 - Discover Magazine
In the primeval forests of Europe, scaly lizards leaped from the treetops and glided safely to the ground, according to a new study.
Getting a Grasp on Student Hackers
Jul 16 2008 - eSchool News
When a group of school district IT chiefs met recently to discuss the challenges of reining in students armed with tech savvy and a determination to wreak network havoc, their tales were cautionary—but their advice could prove valuable as computers become more common in K-12 schools.
Coral Reefs Face Extinction
Jul 16 2008 - Time Magazine
According to a comprehensive survey by the Global Marine Species Assessment, one-third of the more than 700 species of reef-building corals are threatened with extinction. Using criteria established by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, that makes corals the most endangered species on the Earth.
US Science Grad Goals Falling Behind
Jul 15 2008 - Time Magazine
A high-profile push by business groups to double the number of U.S. bachelor's degrees awarded in science, math, and engineering by 2015 is falling way behind target, a new report says.
China Could Reach Moon by 2020
Jul 15 2008 - BBC News
China is capable of sending a manned mission to the Moon within the next decade, according to a NASA administrator. Chinese officials say there is no plan for a Moon landing, but there is a perception among some in the space industry that America's long-held dominance in space exploration is slipping as other nations enter the fray.
Testing Officials Again Tackle Accommodations and Exclusions for Special Student Populations
Jul 15 2008 - Education Week
An ad hoc committee of the board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress is once again looking at the broad discrepancies in the exclusion and accommodation rates of individual states and cities that take part in the heavily scrutinized exam, known as "the nation's report card." These discrepancies continue to spark complaints from those who believe those factors skew the results.
Tropical Biofuels Getting Less and Less Green
Jul 15 2008 - ScienceNow Daily News
A new analysis suggests that biofuels grown in the tropics are not a much greener source of energy than drilling for oil--at least in the short term. The research paints an even gloomier picture of biofuels than previous studies, which have begun to cast doubts on the greenhouse gas benefits that these alternatives to petroleum might provide.
Passive Learning Imprints on the Brain Just Like Active Learning
Jul 15 2008 - Science Daily
According to a study by Dartmouth researchers, people can acquire motor skills through the "seeing" as well as the "doing" form of learning.
Mystery Insect Bugging Experts at London Museum
Jul 15 2008 - Yahoo! News
The experts at London's Natural History Museum pride themselves on being able to identify species from around the globe, from birds and mammals to insects and snakes. Yet they can't figure out a tiny red-and-black bug that has appeared in the museum's own gardens.
Ads Press Candidates on Education
Jul 14 2008 - USA Today
Strong American Schools, a nonpartisan group supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, will begin airing ads this week seeking to nudge Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama on ways to improve the standing of U.S. schools compared with other industrialized nations.
Elementary Science Unhurt by Focus on Math, Reading
Jul 14 2008 - NSTA Reports--Lynn Petrinjak
The emphasis placed on math and language arts by high-stakes testing does not lead to lower scores in science, at least at the elementary level, according to a paper released by the Center for Civic Innovation at the Manhattan Institute.
Scientists Uncover Deadly Ebola Virus's "Achilles' Heel"
Jul 14 2008 - Scientific American
In a breakthrough that could eventually help tame one of the deadliest virsuses known to humans, researchers have laid bare the key to Ebola's power: a lone protein that resides on its surface. The discovery paves the way for new treatments that target and destroy the designated culprit, rendering impotent a virus that can kill up to 90% of the people it infects.
Colorful Dyes Can Turn Regular Windows into Solar Panels
Jul 14 2008 - Discover Magazine
Coating an ordinary sheet of glass with dye could be the key to cheaper, more efficient solar panels, according to a new study. Researchers say the dye absorbs visible light and transmits it to the edges of the glass sheet, where strips of photovoltaic cells convert the light into electricity.
Breakthrough in Malaria Fight
Jul 14 2008 - BBC News
Australian scientists have identified a potential treatment to combat malaria, which kills more than a million people each year. Malaria is preventable and curable, but can be fatal if not treated promptly.
Herculean Device for Molecular Mysteries
Jul 11 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
A privately financed team of scientists and engineers is nearing completion of a special-purpose supercomputer intended to offer more than a thousandfold increase in performance for complex molecular simulations.
New Faculty Members Say Graduate School Left Them Underprepared
Jul 11 2008 - The Chronicle of Higher Education
Many young faculty members fresh out of graduate school who have been teaching for less than five years feel their graduate educations left them underprepared for faculty positions, according to a recently released survey.
Secondhand Smoke Inhalation Down
Jul 11 2008 - Time Magazine
Nearly half of nonsmoking Americans are still breathing in cigarette fumes, but the percentage has declined dramatically since the early 1990s, according to a government study.
Methane Formation in the Oceans: New Pathway Discovered
Jul 11 2008 - National Science Foundation
A new pathway for methane formation in the oceans has been discovered, with significant potential for advancing our understanding of greenhouse gas production on Earth, scientists believe.
Gas Prices Boost Online Learning
Jul 11 2008 - The Boston Globe
Online enrollment has been steadily growing for years, but college administrators say the spike in gas prices--to more than $4 a gallon in most places--has fueled a surge in students seeking classes without the cost of commuting.
Genes from Middle East Families Yield Autism Clues
Jul 11 2008 - Yahoo! News
Researchers have discovered half a dozen new genes involved in autism that suggest the disorder strikes in a brain that can't properly form new connections. The findings also may help explain why intense education programs do help some autistic children--because certain genes that respond to experience weren't missing, they were just stuck in the "off" position.
New Vaccine Sneaks Into Body, Then Self-Destructs
Jul 10 2008 - Reuters
A new type of vaccine that sneaks into the body and then self-destructs, all without needles, may offer a new way to protect against a range of diseases, researchers report.
Photos Reveal Volcanoes on Mercury
Jul 10 2008 - National Geographic
Mercury is full of volcanoes and other surprises, reveals initial data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft--the first to conduct an in-depth investigation of the solar system's smallest planet in more than 30 years.
Ritalin Dose Changes Effect
Jul 10 2008 - Scientific American
Research with rats finds that Ritalin at low doses encourages neurons to fire together, but at high doses it's just another stimulant.
Ex-Science Director Sues Texas Agency in Creationism Tiff
Jul 10 2008 - USA Today
A former science curriculum director for the Texas Education Agency has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was illegally fired for forwarding an e-mail about a speaker who was critical of teaching a controversial alternative to evolution.
California Mandates Testing Every Eighth-Grader in Algebra--Ready or Not
Jul 10 2008 - The Los Angeles Times
Every California eighth-grader will be tested in algebra under a policy that could make the state the first in the nation to require an upper-level math class before high school. Critics say the expected three-year time frame for implementing the rule is unrealistic.
For more
stories, click on a tab above or a subcategory on the
right (scroll up).
|
|
