Dec 26th, 2008 · Shade-grown coffee is sometimes called "bird friendly coffee," but a new paper in the journal Current Biology suggests that the plantations also help maintain the genetic diversity of native tree species. Study author Shalene Jha discusses the research and its implications.
Oct 6th, 2008 · The lg Nobel Prizes were announced last week. They are a parody of the Nobel prizes and recognize quirky, funny and sometimes legitimate scientific achievement. The winners? In nutrition: scientists showed people will eat stale chips if they're crunchy. In biology: a French team proved dog fleas jump higher than cat fleas. In cognitive science: researchers showed slime molds can solve puzzles. And the lg Nobel for archaeology goes to the team that showed one armadillo can change the course of history.
Sep 19th, 2008 · It may be possible to predict people's political beliefs based on how strongly a person responds to alarming images and sounds, says a new study. People who had stronger reactions tended to favor things like military spending and the death penalty. But not everyone's onboard.
Aug 12th, 2008 · Army Reserve Capt. Laura Peters, a former high school biology teacher, has been awarded the Department of State's Superior Honor Award for work she did as a Civil Affairs officer in Iraq. She discusses her time in Iraq.
May 23rd, 2008 · Computer logic usually consists of electronic switches, but recently, scientists have been exploring alternative means for conducting calculations. Scientists report that they have created specially-modified E. coli bacteria capable of performing a specific type of calculation.
May 21st, 2008 · Recent research using the newest tools of genetics and molecular biology is giving us answers. That's particularly valuable as we try to predict which strains of the flu virus to use in future vaccines.
May 8th, 2008 · The average age of mothers is steadily rising as more women wait to have children until after attending college and starting a career. But how long is too long to wait?
Oct 16th, 2007 · Once a biology student, Andrea Barrett now weaves science through her fiction. In The Air We Breathe, Barrett writes about poor immigrants at a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Adirondacks on the eve of World War I.