Articles by Jim Algar
Rare Sea Creature Spotted In South Pacific Waters For The First Time In 30 Years
Rare species of nautilus spotted near Papua New Guinea for the first time in 3 decades. Biologist who made the original find in 1984 went back, and has found the creatures again.
Dramatic Images Show Giant Mountain On Dwarf Planet Ceres
A mountain first described as a 'pyramid' turns out to be more of a cone with mysterious bright streaks that have scientists puzzled. The Dawn spacecraft sends back new images of the largest body in the asteroid belt.
US Government Promises Millions For Fight To Save Monarch Butterflies
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will spend millions to restore habitats for the monarch butterfly. Agriculture, deforestation and development have hit the iconic orange-and-black butterflies hard.
Still Too Few Women, Minorities In Specialized Medical Fields, Study Finds
Lack of diversity in medical specialties may be causing inequalities in U.S. health care, researchers suggest. Women and minorities remain underrepresented in many fields, they find.
Sierra Leone Releases Last Ebola Patient, Begins Countdown To Achieve 'Virus-Free' Status
The country enters a 42-day countdown after which the World Health Organization could classify it Ebola free. Outbreaks in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia claimed more than 11,000 lives.
Our Moon Once Had 'Fountains Of Fire' From Lava Eruptions Like Those On Earth Today
Scientists discover the driving force behind dramatic lava fountains that once erupted from the surface of the moon. It's a gas, they discovered.
Climate Change Could Push World's Northern Forests To 'Tipping Point' Threatening Survival
Warming temperatures could change ecosystem of word's forests faster than they could adapt, researchers say. International action to control climate change may be their only chance, they warn.
US To See First Total Eclipse In Almost 40 Years in 2017: Time To Start Preparing
The shadow path of a total eclipse will sweep through the heart of the 48 continuous states. Millions of American will be in the path of totality for the unique cosmic event.
Coffee Drinkers May Have Better Chance Of Avoiding Colon Cancer Recurrence
Coffee consumption of four cups a day or more could improve odds of colon cancer not returning, a study suggests. Less consumption offers less benefit, researchers find.
New Wolf Pack Makes California Its Home, First One Seen In Almost A Century
Two adults and five wolf pups have been captured on camera in Northern California's Siskiyou County. The so-called Shasta Pack will enjoy protection under the state's Endangered Species Act.
Cosmic Neutrinos Spotted By IceCube Lab Beneath Antarctic Ice
Confirmation of cosmic neutrinos could unlock the secrets of black holes and exploding stars, researchers say. The elusive, almost massive particles revealed themselves to detectors buried deep in Antarctica.
Global Warming Has Worsened Ongoing California Drought: Study
Human activity has made California's drought worse than it would be with just natural climate variability, a study finds. Climate change from anthropogenic warming could be making it as much as 27 percent worse, researchers say.
Behold The Unsustainable Super Predator: Humans
The ecological impact of humans is greater than that of any other natural predator species, researchers find. Our 'predatory dominance' puts a burden on the planet, they suggest.
NASA Curiosity Mars Rover's Latest Exploits: Drilling And Taking Selfie
Mars rover uses a robotic arm as a 'selfie stick' to capture a dramatic image of its surroundings on the Red Planet. The image was taken while Curiosity drilled yet another Martian rock for analysis.
Salamander Discovered In Dominican Amber Helps Ecologists Reconstruct Ancient Events Of Earth's History
The first salamander ever found preserved in amber puts the species in the Caribbean, where no salamanders exist today. The finding gives clues to the past history of the region's many islands, researchers say.
From Tiny Pebbles Do Giant Gas Planets Grow: Study
The largest planets in our solar system may have grown from the tiniest beginnings, new research suggests. 'Pebbles' came together to form the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, scientists suggest.
NASA Spacecraft Confirms Long-Held Suspicion Of Neon In The Moon's Atmosphere
The Ladee lunar orbiter confirms what scientists have believed for decades: there is neon gas in the atmosphere of our moon. However, it's too thin to glow, so don't expect it to 'advertise' its presence.
NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly Captures Aurora Draped Over Earth In Amazing Colorful Veil (Video)
An image of aurora taken from the International Space Station is shared by NASA. The snap of the Earth, aurora, stars and space station goes viral.
Health Officials Investigate Second Case Of Plague In California
A possible second case of plague has been linked to the state's Yosemite National Park. Two campgrounds in the park were closed for treatment after plague was confirmed in rodents.
Confusion Over Coal Means China's Carbon Emissions Lower Than Some Estimates
A study taking into account the quality of coal used in China's power plants yields a lower figure for the country's carbon emissions, researchers say. Levels may have been routinely overestimated by 14 percent, they say.
Discovery Of 1.8-Million-Year-Old Pinky Bone Suggests Modern Human Hand Evolved Earlier Than Previously Thought
A bone fossil could put a date to when our earliest ancestors abandoned a life in the trees for walking upright on open ground, researchers suggest. The 1.84-million-year-old fossil is the earliest evidence yet of a 'modern' hand configuration.
Sunlight And Urban Grime Conspire To Release Dangerous Air Pollutants: Study
Grimy, sooty city buildings and sunlight combine to create a previously-unrecognized source of air pollution, researchers find. Nitrogen oxides and nitric acid thought 'locked' into grime can be 'breathed out' when buildings are hit by sunlight, they say.
Islamic Leaders Issue Declaration On Global Climate Change: Do Not Strut Arrogantly On The Earth
An Islamic climate change declaration calls for the end of fossil fuel use by 2050. Gulf States and rich countries are urged to take a leadership role.
Mythical First Flower: Indiana University Paleobotanist Helps Identify Fossils Of One Of World's Earliest Flowering Plants
Flowering plants from 130 millions years ago, the oldest yet found, could have been growing under the feet of dinosaurs, researchers say. A distant relative of the ancient aquatic plant graces aquariums today, they say.
Central Asia Facing Threat From Glacier Ice Loss: This Is How Bad The Situation Is
Loss of glacier ice could threaten the water supply of a large part of the region, researchers say. Glaciers in the area's mountains could lose half their ice by 2050, they say.
Forget Hard Drives: DNA-Based Storage Solutions Can Last Thousands Of Years
Want to keep your data safe, not for years but for centuries? DNA could be the answer, making hard drives obsolete, researchers say.
This 'Drinkable Book' May Save Lives By Giving Millions Of People Access To Safe Drinking Water (Video)
Every page of the 'drinkable book' can filter and create 25 gallons of safe drinking water, developers say. Field trials have shown the technique can clean even highly contaminated water.
NASA Developing Gecko-Inspired 'Gripper' System That Would Help Robots Climb And Crawl In Space (Video)
Engineers turn to nature and the 'sticky feet' of geckos as inspiration for robots that could climb around the International Space Station. Unlike adhesive tape or Velcro, the feet of such robots would never wear out or lose their 'stickyness,' they say.
Oklahoma Woman Loses Limbs From Tick Bite: What You Should Know About The Deadly Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Deadly bacteria from tick bite destroy arms and legs of victim as doctors amputate to save her life. Flu-like symptoms four days after bite sent Oklahoma woman to the hospital.
142-Million-Year Old Dinosaur Footprints Found In Germany Give Biologist Glimpse Of Their Social Lives
Tracks show two dinosaurs, one large and one small, on a walk along a prehistoric beach, a researcher says. The two creatures may have been a parent and a youngster, she suggests.
