NASA affirms its sobriety
An internal NASA investigation failed to confirm allegations brought last month by an independent panel that an astronaut and a cosmonaut had on separate occasions shown up for a mission a bit tipsy, the agency reported this week. NASA safety chief Bryan O'Connor, a former astronaut and shuttle accident investigator, scanned more than 40,000 records dating back to 1984 but did not turn up evidence of any such incidents, according to a 45-page report. Nevertheless, agency administrator Michael Griffin announced that NASA was reviewing its mental health policies for possible improvements. (Findings of NASA Safety Review Following Astronaut Health Reviews)

Warning: Smoking permanently damages genes
Heavy smoking may trigger long-lasting changes in gene activity, possibly explaining the persistently higher risk of lung cancer and disease in those who kick the habit, according to a new study. Researchers scanned the genes of lung cells scraped from 24 smokers, abstainers and former pack-a-dayers who puffed for 30 years or more. Former smokers showed more activity than nonsmokers in 124 genes, including several associated with lung disease—despite having quit up to 32 years earlier. (Effect of active smoking on the human bronchial epithelium transcriptome | BMC Genomics)

Spider spins giant web
Hikers at Lake Tawakoni State Park in northern Texas have been gawking at—or steering clear entirely of—a mammoth cobweb that has cocooned 200 yards of park trail, the Associated Press reports. (See photo here.) The Lord of the Rings-size web, which changed color from cottony white to mosquito brown, has confounded park officials, but spider experts say it's not that unusual. John Jackman, an entomologist for Texas A&M University, told the AP he hears similar reports every couple of years: "There are a lot of folks," he says, "that don't realize spiders do that." (Spider Web Engulfs Texas Park Trail | AP)

China to scientists: if at first you don't succeed, no big whoop
The Chinese government has apparently decided it can nip scientific fraud in the bud by alleviating the fear of failure. Xinhua, the country's state media agency, this week announced that proposed legislation would guarantee researchers continued funding after failed experiments if they can show they "tried their best." Fraud is no stranger to Chinese science: Shanghai Jiaotong University fired U.S.-educated chip researcher Chen Jin in 2006 for fabricating high-profile claims, and China's national science agency blacklisted 13 scientists earlier this month for fraud, Xinhua reports. (China legislates to tolerate scientific failures | Xinhua)

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