Articles by Jim Algar
Scientists Find Latest Inspiration To Build Flexible And Tougher Robots From Seahorse's Square Tail
Seahorse-inspired robot technology is just the latest in a series of robot designs inspired by nature. Birds, turtles, cats and even cockroaches have inspired designers in their quest for more versatile robots.
July 4th Fireworks May Cause Stress To Veterans With PTSD: Be Courteous
The loud noises of fireworks can cause frightening flashbacks for veterans suffering from PTSD, health experts explain. Fourth of July explosions can 'trigger you right back to something,' says one veteran.
Temperature Determines Sex Of Australian Bearded Dragon
As temperature, not genetics, begins to determine the sex of lizard offspring, researchers worry about all-female populations leading to species extinction. Study is first to confirm sex reversal driven by climate change.
No Mating Partner? No Problem: This Flatworm Injects Sperm Directly Into Own Head To Reproduce
A tiny worm with a 'hypodermic' penis can inject sperm into itself to sef-fertilize, researchers find. The reproductive strategy is known as 'selfing.'
Saber-Toothed Cats Grew Dagger-Like Fangs Faster Than You Think
Ancient cats had impressive teeth to hunt with, and they grew them at an impressive rate, researchers say. Sharp canine teeth seven inches long made the saber-toothed cat a fearsome hunter, they suggest.
Cuba First Country In World To Eliminate Mother-To-Child HIV And Syphilis Transmission
Improved testing along with prenatal and postnatal care has been credited with ending childhood HIV and syphilis infections in Cuba. Officials call it an important step toward 'an AIDS-free generation.'
Gun Culture More Than Doubles Gun Ownership Rates, Study Finds
A survey highlights gun ownership and gun culture in the U.S. More than 300 million guns are in the country, researchers say.
2.4 Billion: Number Of People Who Still Lack Access To Safe Sanitation Facilities
Despite gains in access to safe water, health goals are being undermined by a lack of similar access to sanitation, a UN report says. One of every three people on the planet is without adequate access, the UN says.
California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Tough Vaccine Bill Into Law Amid Cheers And Fears
California parents can no longer seek vaccination exemption based on religious or personal belief grounds under a new measure. 'Science is clear' on the protection vaccines can provide, Gov. Brown says.
FDA Cloud Hovers Over E-Cigarette Sales Following Uptick In Nicotine Poisoning Cases
FDA mulls new rules that would allow it to regulate e-cigarette sales and marketing just as it does traditional cigarettes. Agency says it wants to warn the public about the dangers of nicotine exposure from 'vaping.'
Sugary Drinks Killing 184,000 People Worldwide Each Year: How Does Your Country Fare?
Consumption of sweetened beverages is linked to obesity, a contributing factor in many diseases, researchers say. They call for efforts to remove sugary drinks from the world's diet.
California Legislature Passes Bill That Requires Mandatory Vaccinations For School-Going Kids: What You Should Know
Bill that would end religious and personal belief exemptions from California vaccination requirements awaits the governor's signature. Parents would face choice of vaccinating their children or home-schooling them if it becomes law.
Best Opportunity To See Jupiter And Venus Get Cozy: Don't Miss Star Of Bethlehem Moment
Our solar system's two brightest planets as seen from Earth will meet up in the night sky. The alignment known as a conjunction will provide a dramatic sight in the night sky just after sunset.
High Intake Of Citrus Juice May Increase Risk Of Melanoma
People who drink lots of orange juice or consume grapefruit may be facing a higher risk of skin cancer, researchers suggest. Study finds a link between daily consumption of citrus and increased risk of melanoma.
Memory And Thinking Tests May Reveal Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms Up To 18 Years Before Official Diagnosis
Tests could reveal physical, biological changes linked to Alzheimer's much earlier than previously thought, researchers say. Those changes could be detectable even in middle age, they suggest.
More Than One-Third Of US Kids And Teens Suffer Physical Abuse, Shocking Study Reveals
Assaults on children, usually at the hands of siblings or peers, are called a 'peril of childhood.' Children are the most-victimized group in the U.S., researchers say.
Lions Returning To Rwanda After Getting Wiped Out By Genocide 20 Years Ago
Lions will be reintroduced to Rwanda, where they disappeared two decades ago following the country's genocide. Conservationists say lions from South Africa will be transported to a national park in Rwanda.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Carrying 4,000 Pounds Of Cargo Explodes Shortly After Liftoff, Probe Underway
Explosion of launch vehicle a setback for SpaceX, could put timing of future launches of crew to the space station in doubt. SpaceX and NASA will conduct a joint investigation of the failure.
Mystery Of How Planets Form Around Young Stars May Have Been Solved
A study describes the gravitational tug-of-war between a young star and its surrounding disk of material out of which planets form. Planets can begin to form when they survive that confrontation, a scientist says.
LGBT Health Study To Make Use Of iPhone App
Researchers will use an iPhone app and the Internet in the first large-scale study of health issues facing the LGBT community. The community has, up to now, been 'understudied and underserved in health care settings,' they say.
Black Hole Wakes Up From Decades-Long Sleep, Starts Chowing Down On Companion Star
A black hole known to take long cosmic 'naps' has awakened for the first since 1989. X-rays have begun pouring out of the system where it resides with a companion star, which it has been busy consuming.
'Genetic Rescue' Could Save Coral Reefs Threatened By Global Warming
Heat-tolerant genes in some corals could be cross-bred into species less able to deal with global warming, researchers suggest. Species with such genes show a greater ability to adapt as oceans warm, they say.
Genetically Engineered Wheat Designed To Fight Pests Is a Failure
A genetically modified strain, nicknamed 'wiffy wheat' for its pheremone smell, failed to repel damaging pests in field trials. The research had raised protests from anti-GM groups.
'Behemoth' Hydrogen Cloud Found Boiling Off Distant Planet
Extreme radiation from its host star is stripping the hydrogen atmosphere from an exoplanet, astronomers discover. The result is a giant comet-like tail 50 times the size of the star, they say.
Earliest Example Of Teeth Found In Fish Fossil
A fossil rescued from the obscurity of a museum box shows that the earliest teeth began to evolve more than 400 million years ago. An X-ray examination shows tiny teeth that probably evolved from fish scales.
Corals Put On A Fluorescent 'Light Show' Deep Under The Red Sea
Corals deep in the Red Sea, far down where sunlight doesn't reach, glow with a rainbow of fluorescent colors. Researchers suggest that their pigments could have applications in medical imaging.
Rosetta Spacecraft Detects Patches Of Possible Exposed Frozen Water On Comet's Surface
A European Space Agency comet probe captures images of bright spots on the surface of Comet 76P. All evidence points to it being water ice, they suggest.
Ancient Shell-less Ancestor Of Turtles Discovered
A fossil found in Germany fills a gap in the evolutionary family tree of turtes, paleontologists say. Dubbed the 'grandfather turtle,' it shows the first signs of how turtles could have evolved shells.
Your Sense Of Smell Is Unique To You As Your Fingerprint
The nose knows; every person has a sense of smell that's theirs and unique to them, a study finds. Finding could have applications in medicine, and a person's "olfactory fingerprint" could even be a security aid, researchers suggest.
Insecticide Used To Treat Head Lice May Cause Cancer, Experts Say
Lindane, an insecticide found in some head lice treatments such as shampoos, has been linked to cancer risk. The World Health Organization has classified it as 'carcinogenic to humans' after a scientific review.
