Science

Bryan Ulring (left), ranch hand Graham Fulton (right) and Nature Conservancy ecologist Nathan Korb (center) install a pipe on a new well dug for the cattle Ulring manages for J Bar L Ranch. The ranch is working with The Nature Conservancy to try to preser

In Montana Wilds, An Unlikely Alliance To Save The Sage Grouse

1:46pm July 10, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

The chicken-size sage grouse is as much a part of America's Western range as antelopes and cowboys. The birds nest beneath sagebrush, and as it disappears, so do the grouse. Biologists hope to protect the bird without starting a 21st century range war.

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This artist's illustration shows Pluto and one of its moons, Charon. A global consortium of astronomers sets the rules for naming things like asteroids and moons throughout the solar system.

Science

Why You Can't Name New Moons And Planets Anything You Want

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

Pluto's two newest moons received their official names this week, and the name that led in the popular vote was Spock's home planet, Vulcan. But it was rejected by the international team of astronomers who must approve every title bestowed upon the universe.

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Streptococcus bacteria, like this strain, can be found in our guts.

Gut Bacteria We Pick Up As Kids Stick With Us For Decades

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Rob Stein

An experimental "gut check" test can tell us more about the bacteria that live inside us. By studying the way the microbial populations change over time, researchers think they may have a new tool for monitoring health.

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Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey sample water in Goodwater Creek, Mo., for pesticides and other chemicals that may have run off from the surrounding land.

What Is Farm Runoff Doing To The Water? Scientists Wade In

12:37pm July 09, 2013

by Abbie Fentress Swanson

Across the Midwest this summer, scientists are wading into 100 streams to collect water samples and check cages for fish eggs. It's part of a large study to understand how pesticides and agricultural chemicals from farms are affecting the nation's streams.

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Abundance Of Elephants Strains South African Game Reserves

12:36pm July 09, 2013

by Willow Belden

While most of the news about elephants out of Africa concerns poaching and falling numbers, South Africa has the opposite problem. Its elephant populations have grown greater than the country can manage.

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Anne Jones, 62, and Robin Jones, 73, at their home in Menlo Park, Calif. He took a test that revealed proteins typical of Alzheimer's disease.

Finding Simple Tests For Brain Disorders Turns Out To Be Complex

1:17pm July 08, 2013

by Amy Standen

There are tests for heart attacks and diabetes, but few for brain disorders. Researchers are trying to change that, but are finding the hunt for biomarkers for mental illness to be a tough slog. Tests on the market, like ones for Alzheimer's, are not conclusive.

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An ancient wild barley sample recovered from Chogha Golan, Iran.

Farming Got Hip In Iran Some 12,000 Years Ago, Ancient Seeds Reveal

11:46am July 08, 2013

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Archaeologists had considered Iran unimportant in the history of farming – until now. Ancient seeds and farming tools uncovered in Iran reveal Stone Age people there were growing lentils, barley and other crops. The findings offer a snapshot of a time when humans first started experimenting with farming.

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"Liver buds" grow in petri dishes. The rudimentary organs are about 5 mm wide, or half the height of a classic Lego block.

Scientists Grow A Simple, Human Liver In A Petri Dish

9:48am July 04, 2013

The tiny organs created from stem cells aren't complete, but they act like regular livers when transplanted into mice, Japanese scientists say. Still, it will be years before the synthetic organs could help people with liver problems, even if further research all works out as hoped.

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Artistic reconstruction of Archicebus achilles in its natural habitat of trees.

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Tiny, Ancient Tree-Dweller Was One Of Earth's Earliest Primates

10:26pm July 03, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

About 55 million years ago, a teacup-sized critter in China was helping to pave the way for apes and humans. This insect eater had fingernails and stereo vision, a newly published analysis of a fossil suggests. And it weighed just 1 ounce.

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Sound World Solution's hearing device lets a user customize its settings using a Bluetooth connection and a smartphone.

To Make Hearing Aids Affordable, Firm Turns On Bluetooth

10:38am July 02, 2013

by John Ydstie

Traditional hearing aids can be too expensive for many people. But a new type that uses Bluetooth technology costs only about $300. The company that makes the new devices aims to reach millions of people around the world who need hearing aids but have trouble paying for them.

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