Everyday Science

An ocean science study from Science Buddies

Farmers testify that certain crop diseases like wheat rust seem to spread much farther and faster after a rainstorm. Researchers had various ideas on why this might be the case.

White House’s move to develop customized care prompts worries about data security and informed consent

The ongoing measles outbreak in the U.S., which has spread to 14 states, has provoked a rising vilification of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children.

Australian stingless bees stage strikingly rare interspecies battles

Researchers have made a secure, waterproof wireless keyboard that gets charged by the action of your fingertips as you type. Larry Greenemeier reports

 

By Janice Neumann (Reuters Health) - Moderate-intensity exercise, or even just walking, can improve quality of life for depressed middle-aged women, a large Australian study suggests.

The U.S. Senate voted 62 to 36 yesterday to build the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline that would bring oil from tar sands in Canada down through the U.S.

Regions that send a team to the Super Bowl saw on average an 18 percent increase in flu deaths among those over 65, probably because of increased transmission due to gatherings of people at parties during the height of the flu season. Karen Hopkin reports     

 

Coinciding with Super Bowl week, the journal Neurology just came out with a study by Boston University researchers that looked at retired professional football players, comparing the cognitive functioning of players who had started tackle football before age 12 with others who hadn’t.

This 2007 photograph of a fire ant brandishing her stinger is among the most heavily circulated images from my collection. Since several people have asked how I managed to coax the animal into such a dramatic pose, I bring you the following recipe.