Science

BP Bows Out Of Solar, But Industry Outlook Still Sunny

12:50pm March 07, 2013

by Jeff Brady

The energy giant says it has "thrown in the towel on solar." The industry has evolved since BP entered the ring, currently emphasizing cheap production rather than research and development. BP says it just wasn't making money, though it will continue investing in other renewable resources.

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Scientists say that understanding how the cocktail party effect works could help people who have trouble deciphering sounds in a noisy environment. Guests make it look easy at a Dolce and Gabbana Lounge party in London in 2010.

Hear That? In A Din Of Voices, Our Brains Can Tune In To One

11:49am March 07, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists are beginning to understand how people focus on a single voice in a crowded, noisy room. This ability, known as the "cocktail party effect," appears to rely on areas of the brain that have completely filtered out unwanted sounds.

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American Electric Power's natural gas-burning plant in Dresden, Ohio, is one of the energy company's new investments in alternatives to coal-burning plants.

Natural Gas Dethrones King Coal As Power Companies Look To Future

8:01pm March 01, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

It's a brave new energy world, with two major opponents: natural gas and coal. As prices fluctuate and renewables, such as wind and solar, fight for a share of energy generation, there's heated competition for access to your wall socket.

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Rats share information via brain implants, say researchers.

Science

Researchers Connect Rats' Minds Via Internet

3:31pm March 01, 2013

by Bill Chappell

An experiment that used rats to create a "brain-to-brain interface" shows that instructions can be transferred between animals via cortical implants, according to scientists. The research could help create "novel types of social interaction and for biological computing devices," says Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University.

Mapping The Effects Of The Sequester On Science

1:03pm March 01, 2013

On Friday March 1, automatic cuts known as the 'sequester' go into effect across the federal budget. Michael Lubell of the American Physical Society discusses what scientific programs will likely be affected, in fields from medical research to renewable energy development.

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Science

Robert Langer, Father Of Invention

1:03pm March 01, 2013

Biotech pioneer Robert Langer has over 800 patents to his name and has launched two dozen companies, which develop everything from tumor-fighting nanoparticles to anti-frizz hair products. Yet Langer says his proudest accomplishment is teaching some 500 students and post-docs, now professors and start-up leaders themselves.

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Science

A Natural Particle Accelerator, Far Above The Planet

1:03pm March 01, 2013

In 1958, James Van Allen described two belts of radiation that surround Earth. Daniel Baker says that when a satellite was launched to study the belts in 2012, it saw a third belt form, which lasted for about a month before being blasted away by an interplanetary shock wave.

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A natural gas drilling rig just east of downtown Fort Worth, Texas. A new decade-long study finds the region's Barnett Shale formation has sufficient gas reserves to last another 25 years.

Texas Study Points To A Longer Natural Gas Boom

6:59pm February 28, 2013

by Wade Goodwyn

A new study of the Barnett Shale formation in Texas shows that the natural gas reservoir there will last for at least another two decades. "Turns out, what we learned is that there's a lot of good rock left to drill," says geology professor Scott Tinker, the study's author.

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Younger Women Have Rising Rate Of Advanced Breast Cancer, Study Says

8:19am February 27, 2013

by Richard Knox

Only about 800 women younger than 40 get the kind of breast cancer that has spread to bones or other organs by the time it's diagnosed. But that number tripled in a generation, and scientists are left wondering what's the cause.

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For some kids who grow up in poverty, the bond developed with Mom is especially important in dealing with stress.

To Spot Kids Who Will Overcome Poverty, Look At Babies

6:25am February 27, 2013

by Alix Spiegel

Researchers say that the heartbeats and breathing of babies may help identify the kids most likely to struggle with poverty later on. Biology matters, the scientists say, but so does baby's relationship with Mom.

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