In Brief, February 2009

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

Subsurface Glaciers On Mars

Vast glaciers lie buried below thin layers of crustal debris on Mars, according to ground-penetrating radar from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Because current conditions on the Red Planet at the regions measured—between 30 and 60 degrees south latitude—do not support the development office, the glaciers probably took shape in the distant past, when Martian climate patterns were different. The debris covering protected the ice and kept it from sublimating into water vapor. The ice formations could constitute the largest stores of water on Mars outside its polar areas.—John Matson

Exoplanetary Carbon Dioxide

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system. The exoplanet, called HD 189733b, is roughly the mass of Jupiter and orbits a star 63 light-years away. Scientists determined its atmospheric components by comparing the light spectrum from the star with that from the star and planet combined. Besides CO₂, the data reveal the existence of carbon monoxide, and previous findings indicate the presence of water vapor and methane. Although HD 189733b, which orbits very close to its parent star, is much too steamy for life as we know it, the finding shows that techniques exist to find markers of life on other worlds.—John Matson

Weak On The Nano Risk

The plan of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) to ensure the safety of nanomaterials contains serious weaknesses, according to a December 10, 2008, report by the National Research Council. The NNI has a strategy to assess the risks of these substances, which include carbon nanotubes for strong materials and silver particles for antibacterial activity. But the council has found several flaws—for instance, the NNI has neither a summary of current safety knowledge nor an adequate way to hear from industry, academia and consumer advocates. The NNI says that it has begun pursuing some fixes but that it will need Congress to implement others.—Philip Yam

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American