Articles by Jim Algar
Large Hadron Collider Recreates Primordial Cosmic Goo: What Is Quark-Gluon Plasma?
Physicists recreate a unique form of matter that existed in the first microseconds following the Big Bang. The experiment could lead to better understanding of the very early universe, they say.
Boys And Girls With Autism Exhibit Developmental Disorder Differently: Study
Girls and boys with autism show different behaviors and level of symptoms, researchers say. They also describe brain differences between autistic girls and autistic boys.
Salmonella-Tainted Cucumbers Kill 1, Sicken Almost 300 In 27 States: Are You Safe?
A California company distributing cucumbers from Mexico has issued a recall after the CDC tracked infections clusters and identified the company as a "common supplier" to areas of illness.
Discovery Of Fossils Of Ice Age Animals At California Construction Site Delights Paleontologists
Grading of site for hundreds of homes uncovers trove of ancient fossils. Bison, mammoth, horse and turtle fossils have scientists excited.
Mutant TNT-Chomping Plant Could Clean Up Ground Contaminated With High Explosives
A plant relative of cabbage with a particular mutation has shown an appetite for TNT residue in soil, researchers find. The finding could lead to a simple, low-cost method of cleaning up huge tracts of contamination in the ground, they say.
Ancient Creature With Lizard-Like Features Was In Fact World's Earliest-Known Turtle
Although missing a shell, an ancient creature from 260 million years ago marks the emergence of the turtle branch of the tree of life, researchers say. Advanced scans of a fossil put it firmly in place as an ancestor of modern turtles, they say.
Smartphone Meets Stethoscope In New Device To Monitor Heart Health
A traditional medical instrument meets new technology to aid cardiologists in monitoring patients' health. The stethoscope attachment beams heart sounds and rhythms to a smartphone app.
World's Smallest 3D Camera Could Bring Revolution In Brain Surgery
A new 3D camera could allow surgeons to operate inside the brain quickly and safely. The minuscule camera would enable minimally invasive neurosurgery.
Number Of Cases Of ADHD Diagnosed At Earlier Age On The Rise
More children under the age of six are being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a report finds. Experts are split over whether overdiagnosis may be a factor.
Fragments Of World's Oldest Quran May Predate Life Of Muhammad
The dating of an early Quran raises the possibility it was in existence before the founder of Islam was born, researchers say. Others dispute the possibility, saying the dating is imprecise.
Companies Selling Powdered Caffeine Get New Warnings From The FDA
FDA sends warning letters to five distributors of powdered caffeine. Companies are selling in bulk without providing any guidance on safe amounts that can be consumed, FDA says.
How Many Trees On Our Planet? The Numbers Will Stagger You
Researchers have used satellite imagery, forest inventories and supercomputers to estimate the number of trees in the world. Previously thought to be in the billions, the new estimate puts the number in the trillions.
'Watch And Wait' May Be Best Approach In Most Cases Of Prostate Cancer, Study Suggests
Men diagnosed with slow-growing prostate cancers might consider active surveillance rather than immediate treatment, according to a new study. The researchers found that only a small number of such cases are the cause of death.
How To Steady A Drone Camera? Swans And Geese Have The Answer, Engineers Find (Video)
Learning how large birds keep their heads - and their vision - steady while they flap and fly could mean better video from flying drones, researchers say. High-speed video shows how the birds do it.
Fossil Hunters Find Ancient Ancestor Of River Dolphins
A fossil shows characteristics of modern freshwater dolphins, researchers say. Dated to around six million years ago, the fossil comes from a time when North and South America were separate, before the Isthmus of Panama formed, they suggest.
World's Most Advanced Digital Camera Will Be Eye Of New Sky-Surveying Telescope
A giant 3.2 gigapixel camera to photograph billions of stars and galaxies gets a financial green light. The camera will scan the southern heavens from a mountaintop in Chile.
NYC Bill To Require Healthier 'Kids Meals' At Fast Food Restaurants
A study shows a bill for better nutrition in fast food kids' meals will help in the fight against childhood obesity. The bill will require more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less salt and fewer calories.
Best Way To Avoid Catching A Cold? Get Enough Sleep
Not getting enough sleep can make you four times as likely to catch a cold, according to a latest study. These new findings provide more evidence of the importance of sleep for our immune systems.
Africa's Only Penguin Species Facing Risk Of Extinction, Experts Warn
Penguin numbers plummet while biologists debate the causes with mostly blaming loss of fish food source. However, closure of fishing grounds to commercial operations has not halted the penguin decline.
Dying Stars Can Display 'Irregular Heartbeats,' Astronomers Find
Scientists have found a distant dying star with a wildly erratic "pulse." Most such stars pulse at a steady rhythm, never missing a beat over decades, they say.
Confirmation Of Ebola In Woman Who Died In Sierra Leone A Setback In Efforts To Declare Country Ebola-Free
Tests on body of woman who died in northern Sierra Leone come back positive for the virus. The country had just begun 42-day coundown toward being declared Ebola-free.
FDA Approval Of Repatha Cholesterol Drug A Big Win For Amgen
New drug works differently from statins to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol. Approval could bring billions into Amgen's coffers.
Experimental Blood Test Can Accurately Predict Relapse Of Breast Cancer And Potentially Save Lives
A blood test may give doctors notice of returning cancer months before it would show up on conventional medical scans, researchers report. This could improve the chances of a cure, they say.
Dust In Your House Can Give Away Your Secrets: Study
Researchers can tell a lot about you - where you live and who you live with - from studying what you swept under the carpet. Bacteria and fungi will vary from home to home and region to region, they say.
Scientists Manage To Successfully Replicate Less Than Half Of 100 Recent Psychology Studies: Surprised?
A study suggests more diligence in checking reproducibility of study results before journal publication. The finding comes amid several recent high-profile retractions of published scientific papers.
Panspermia: Scientists Mull If Alien Life Can Travel Between Stars Like Epidemic Outbreak
Discovery of life on other planets could be evidence of panspermia, the theory that life on Earth had cosmic origins, scientists suggest. Life may have spread through our galaxy like a virus, they suggest.
Hubble Space Telescope Captures Cosmic 'Butterfly'
Twin Jet Nebula shows off its distinctive shape in new space telescope images. The unique nebula created by a binary pair of stars sits 2,100 light-years from Earth.
Have Archaeologists Unearthed The Lost Palace Of Sparta?
A finding in southern Greece near Sparta could reveal insights into the ancient Mycenaean civilization. The mysterious disappearance of the civilization around 1200 B.C. has long puzzled scientists.
UN-Backed Carbon Credit Scheme Actually Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Study Finds
Companies in Russia and Ukraine allegedly created excess greenhouse gas they could then destroy for carbon credits. Researchers say the activity amounts to 'damaging the climate for profit.'
NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Gets A Crayfish Named After Him
German researchers dub a newly-identified species 'Cherax Snowden.' Scientists who identify a species new to science traditionally have free reign in choosing a name.
