Relief Well to Be Completed in Gulf
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
The government said Friday that work on a relief well will continue to plug the gusher permanently.
Some animals provoke in us a reflexive ugh, yuck or eeww. They are, to put it bluntly, ugly animals. Our readers sent in their best shots.
F.D.A. Approves 5-Day Emergency Contraceptive
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A pill called “ella” works longer than the widely used Plan B pill, but has drawn criticism from anti-abortion groups.
To Cut Demand for Electricity, Some Customers Agree to Unplug
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Energy use in New York State continues to rise, but the peak load has stopped climbing, thanks in part to demand-side management.
Inquiry on Harvard Lab Threatens Ripple Effect
By NICHOLAS WADE
Harvard’s slow-motion inquiry about the laboratory of Marc Hauser has cast a shadow over the several different fields in which he and his students published papers.
Lucy’s Kin Carved Up a Meaty Meal, Scientists Say
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Human ancestors used stone tools and ate meat at least 800,000 years earlier than thought, scientists say.
Huge Ice Island Splits From Greenland
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
An island of ice more than four times the size of Manhattan is drifting across the Arctic Ocean after breaking off from a glacier in Greenland, potentially threatening shipping lanes and oil platforms.
Beyond Fossil Fuels
Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
The country’s experience in converting to renewable power shows rapid progress is achievable, but also highlights the price.
Science Times: Aug. 10, 2010
A Masterpiece of Nature? Yuck!
By NATALIE ANGIER
Scientists are studying why we find some creatures unsightly, even if they aren’t threatening.
A Key for Opening Stunted Egg Cells to Fertilization
By GINA KOLATA
Reproductive biologists may have figured out how to induce immature egg cells that fail to develop to grow into mature eggs that can be fertilized.
Canola, Pushed by Genetics, Moves Into Uncharted Territories
By ANDREW POLLACK
A genetically engineered version of the canola plant is flourishing in the form of roadside weeds, a new study says.
Butter Holds the Secret to the Latest Biodiesel Fuel
By KENNETH CHANG
A small company has developed a process for making biodiesel fuel out of butter.
In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
By JOHN MARKOFF
Thousands of Foldit players who outperformed the best known computer program designed for the task are credited in a new journal article.
Scientist at Work Blog
0.144 Leagues Under the Sea
By JEFFREY MARLOW
On a dive in the Alvin submersible, a researcher sees a spectacular display of deep sea life.
Health News
Spinal-Fluid Test Is Found to Predict Alzheimer’s
By GINA KOLATA
Researchers reported that a test of spinal fluid could identify with great accuracy patients with memory loss who were on their way to developing Alzheimer’s disease.
A Heart Pump Ticks Down, and a Stranger Steps In to Help
By DENISE GRADY
With the batteries running out on his mechanical heart, 67-year-old Christian Volpe was in a panic. That’s where Robert Bump came in.
DNA Test May Speed Colon Cancer Diagnosis
By NICHOLAS WADE
A new generation of tests now in development would evaluate stool samples before a colonoscopy is called for.
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18 and Under: That Middle-of-the-Night Bellyache: Appendicitis?
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Mind: Lessons From a Wounded ‘Star Pupil’
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Anesthetic Said to Aid Depression
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Global Update: Treatments: Drug Schedule Improves Survival Rate of Those With AIDS and Tuberculosis
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Vital Signs: Diet: Low-Fat vs. Atkins: Parallel Results
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Vital Signs: Hazards: Salmonella Is Traced to Dry Pet Food
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Vital Signs: Behavior: Internet Use Tied to Depression in Youths
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Vital Signs: Statistics: Who Visits the Emergency Room? 20 Percent of Americans, Insured or Not
Multimedia
The Wonderful World of Sea Slugs
Photographs from Terry Gosliner's expedition to the Philippines to look for colorful sea slugs called nudibranchs.
Timeline
Interactive Feature: Building Smarter Machines
As computers grow ever smarter, a look at developments in the field of artificial intelligence.
Interactive Feature: On Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’
Evolutionary biologists and historians of science comment on Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species.”
In the Everglades, the Miracle That Wasn't
August 13, 2010
A Mammoth Turbine
August 13, 2010
Energy Funds Went Unspent
August 13, 2010
Opinion
Dot Earth Blog
Lessons in Resilience From New Orleans
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Lessons from New Orleans history on withstanding, or succumbing to, inevitable disasters.
Science Columns
Observatory
Crocodile Fossil Reveals Teeth of a Mammal
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
A fossil of a crocodile from 144 million years ago includes teeth that could chew — unlike the modern version’s — and a body about the size of a house cat.
Observatory
Building a Framework to Read Animal Emotion
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
It is difficult to judge an animal’s emotional state, but researchers have devised a system that attempts to do just that.
Observatory
Water on Moon Unlikely, a New Study Indicates
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
A new study contradicts some recent reports that say the Moon had water at the time of its formation.
Podcast: Science Times
David Corcoran, a science editor, explores some of the topics addressed in this week’s Science Times.
Health Columns
Doctor and Patient
When the Doctor Doesn’t Look Like You
By PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D.
Foreign-trained physicians now account for nearly 30 percent of all primary care doctors, but doubts about the quality of care they provide remain.
Cases Without Borders
Where Millions Need Care, Starting With One
By VICTORIA McEVOY, M.D.
For an American doctor on a mission to teach newborn resuscitation in Sudan, the country’s overwhelming chronic need took stark shape.
Personal Health
Scoliosis Test Lets Children Avoid a Brace
By JANE E. BRODY
Combined with a physical exam, a gene test has been shown to predict whether mild adolescent scoliosis in white children will progress to require surgery.
Really?
The Claim: Smoking Relieves Stress
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Studies have found that lighting up causes long-term stress levels to rise, not fall.
Wordplay Blog
Puzzles That Protrude
By PRADEEP MUTALIK
A set of puzzles on stacking items to protrude over the edge -- of a table, or a canyon.
Letters
MOST POPULAR - SCIENCE
- Readers’ Ugly Animal Photos
- Beyond Fossil Fuels: Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover
- Green: Prince of Tides: A Mammoth Turbine
- A Masterpiece of Nature? Yuck!
- Champagne Fizzics: Science Backs Pouring Sideways
- Green: Energy Funds Went Unspent, U.S. Auditor Says
- Ugly Animals
- In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
- Green: In the Everglades, the Miracle That Wasn’t
- Canola, Pushed by Genetics, Moves Into Uncharted Territories
- A Masterpiece of Nature? Yuck!
- Prince of Tides: A Mammoth Turbine
- Beyond Fossil Fuels: Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover
- In the Everglades, the Miracle That Wasn't
- Lucy’s Kin Carved Up a Meaty Meal, Scientists Say
- Oil, the Loop Current and the Atlantic
- Q & A: Water Safety
- Canola, Pushed by Genetics, Moves Into Uncharted Territories
- In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
- Butter Holds the Secret to the Latest Biodiesel Fuel
Uncertain Principles
What Do You Need to Make Cold Atoms? Part 3: Test and Measurement
August 13, 2010