The perils of popping pills
The number of Americans who have died or suffered severe illness from prescription or over-the-counter medications nearly tripled between 1998 and 2005, a new study has found. Reports of death or injury to the Food and Drug Administration shot up from 34,966 to 89,842 during the study period. Among the offending drugs, the Associated Press notes: the painkiller Oxycontin, arthritis drugs Vioxx and Remicade and the antidepressant Paxil. (Archives of Internal Medicine; AP)

Antimatter laser draws nearer
Attention, sci-fi nerds. Researchers have finally achieved an elusive state of matter—or rather, matter-antimatter—bringing them a step closer to more powerful lasers capable of sparking fusion reactions. The substance, called di-positronium, consists of pairs of linked positronium, atomlike objects made of an electron fused with a positron, its antimatter counterpart. When matter and antimatter meet head on, they annihilate each other and release gamma rays, which at high enough levels might serve as the basis for a laser—although di-positronium also sounds like a fine name for starship fuel. (Nature; editorial)

Russia to U.S.: Any bomb you can make, we can make bigger
In other explosive news, Russia's military this week announced it had tested what it claimed to be the largest nonnuclear bomb ever detonated. So-called thermobaric, or fuel-air bombs ignite the oxygen in the surrounding air and were used during the Vietnam War to clear jungle for helicopter landings. The Russians dubbed their explosive the "father of all bombs," a jab at the previous record holder, a U.S. weapon nicknamed the "mother of all bombs." (The Guardian)

Oh what a tangled (giant) web they weave
An enormous spider web that once spanned 200 yards of trail at Lake Tawakoni State Park in Texas is an unusual collaborative effort spun by thousands of spiders of many species, scientists said this week. Heavy rains and the resulting bloom of mosquitoes encouraged normally solitary spiders, in particular the orb-weaver family Tetragnathidae, to join forces. Winds and rain have torn the web down several times, but the spiders keep rebuilding, according to news reports. (AP; Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Texas Entomology)

Bubble fusion still roiling
Allegations of misconduct against a physicist who claimed to produce nuclear fusion in a beaker "merit further investigation," according to a statement this week by Purdue University. Five years ago, nuclear engineer Rusi Taleyarkhan announced he had achieved "bubble fusion" by blasting liquid with ultrasound, but other researchers suspected fraud when they were unable to replicate his work. A Purdue panel last year cleared Taleyarkhan of wrongdoing, but a House of Representatives subcommittee this May criticized the investigation, prompting a fresh look. (Purdue University)

Road ready: nonstick chewing gum
A new nonstick chewing gum that dissolves in water may soon grace store shelves, but you won't find it on pavement. British researchers chewed regular gum and Rev-7, the nonstick gum they plan to market, and stuck each one to paving stones at six locations in England and Wales. Whereas most normal gum wads stuck around for more than a week, Rev-7 dissolved within a day. Unfortunately, the magic ingredient, a polymer that sticks to water, still clings to leather-soled shoes. (BA Festival of Science; Revolymer)

1 Comments

1. 1. lowndesw 07:19 PM 6/22/10

   Taming the Baywatch effect .
   
   Pictures. We need pictures.

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