Articles by Jim Algar
The Search For Dark Matter May Find Its Answer In Black Holes, Computer Simulation Indicates (Video)
Black holes could be extreme natural 'laboratories' to reveal the existence of dark matter, researchers suggest. Collisions of dark matter particles near black holes could create a detectable, observable signal, they say.
X-Ray Echoes Give Astronomers Cosmic 'Yardstick' To Measure Star Distances
Powerful X-ray bursts from a 'Lord of the Rings' cosmic object allows researchers to accurately determine its distance from us. A unique 'X-ray binary,' a double-star system, gives up its secrets to a NASA X-ray observatory.
Notoriously Destructive Invasive Worm Shows Up In Florida
A flatworm included on the "100 Worst Invasive Species" list has been detected in Florida. Considered a threat to native species, the invader is sparking fears that it could spread throughout the country.
Veteran NASA Spacecraft Approaches 'Marathon' Milestone In Its Travels Around Mars
NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft is on the verge of completing 60,000 laps around the Red Planet. Odyssey has done important planetary science and has served as a 'call home' link for rovers on the Red Planet's surface.
Our Brains' GPS System Leaves Us Vulnerable To This Optical Illusion
Our brains use algorithms to track motion — and are pretty good at it — but they can be tricked, researchers find. That's why we think we see a curveball curve — even though it doesn't, they say.
Star Trek-Like 'Tricorder' Laser Instrument Can Detect Malaria Through Skin
A new diagnostic technique can quickly diagnose malaria in seconds with no need to draw blood samples, researchers say. Instruments based on the technique could lower costs of testing and diagnosis to just cents, they suggest.
Obese People In America Now Outnumber Those Merely Overweight
A study finds three-quarters of U.S. men are overweight or obese. Nearly as many women also fit those categories, researchers find.
New Way To Optically Observe Exoplanets Successfully Tested
Exoplanets hidden in the glare of their parent stars can now be directly observed with new technology, astronomers say. An instrument known as a coronograph can block out starlight, revealing such a planet's presence.
Parkinson's Disease Linked To 16 Different Types Of Cancer In Study Of East Asian Population
The first study in an East Asian population shows associations between Parkinson's and a number of different cancers. The study shows the importance of genetic factors in estimating cancer risks.
Thousands Of Druids And Revelers Gather At Stonehenge To Celebrate Summer Solstice Festival
Crowds gathered at the ancient Neolithic standing stone site to celebrate the longest day of the year and the official start of summer on Sunday. Stonehenge is one of Britain's most popular attractions.
Millions Worldwide Take Part In International Yoga Day As New Delhi Crowd Sets Two World Records
Crowds at a yoga celebration in India over the weekend were estimated at 35,000. The event was addressed by India's prime minister, who lobbied the United Nations to declare an International Yoga Day.
A Little Chocolate A Day May Keep Cardiovascular Disease And Strokes At Bay
Research finds a little chocolate consumed daily can benefit heart health. Study finds reduced risk of heart disease and stroke among chocolate eaters.
Self-Repairing System In Moon Jellyfish Helps Them Regain Symmetry
Moon Jellyfish don't bother to re-grow missing limbs; they just move ther remaining limbs around to become symmetrical again, researchers find. It's a king of survival strategy never observed before, they say.
Saturn's Moon Titan Has Earth-Like Polar Winds
Polar winds are driving Titan's atmosphere, ejecting tons of it into space every day, researchers find. Our Earth is the only other body in the solar system where the phenomenon has been observed, they say.
Ancient Teeth Show Earliest Evidence Of Man-Made Environmental Pollution
Analyis of dental plaque on ancient teeth shows evidence indoor cooking fires in caves created a polluted atmosphere breathed by ancient humans. Analysis of teeth shows carbon from charcoall, evidence of earliest man-made air pollution.
Baboon Troops Sometimes Make Democratic Decisions Despite Hierarchy
Although dominant males control much of baboon behavior, when it comes time for the troop to move baboons 'vote with their feet,' researchers find. In the case of group movement, neither sex nor rank confers leadership, they say.
Diet That Mimics Fasting Appears To Slow Aging, Improve Memory
A study with mice suggests periodic cycles of a diet similar to fasting can let you live longer, researchers say. In a human study, a fasting mimicking diet resulted in decreased risk of many health problems associated with aging, they say.
Kangaroos Have A Dominant Hand And Are Mostly Lefties
Preference for using one hand over the other is not strictly a human trait as once assumed, researchers find. Kangaroos display it too, a study shows, although almost all are lefties.
First Animal Detector For Earth's Magnetic Field Identified In Tiny Worm
Scientists searching for the internal compass used by animals to navigate say they've pinpointed it in the brain of a tiny earthworm. Structure attached to brain neurons may be the way many species navigate, they suggest.
Trans Fat May Hurt More Than Your Waistline: Study Links It To Memory Loss
Men age 45 and younger with high levels of trans fat in their diets do worse in memory tests than men who consume less, researchers find. The finding comes just as the FDA moves to have trans fats taken out of our foods.
Drug Overdose Is Now Biggest Cause of Injury-Related Deaths In The U.S., Report Says
Deaths from drug overdoses now exceed motor vehicle-related deaths, a new report shows. Around 44,000 people die from drug overdoses each year, it says.
Our Moon's Clouds Are Made Of Dust, Not Water
The moon carries its own permanent cloud of dust, as illustrated by a moon probe. The impacts of cosmic particles continually throw up fine lunar dust from the surface.
Brightest Galaxy Ever Seen May Be Evidence Of Universe's First Stars
Signs of the first stars to form after the Big Bang birth of the universe may have been observed in a distant galaxy, astronomers say. We are seeing this galaxy as it existed just 800 million years after the Big Bang, they explain.
News Coverage Of US Ebola Outbreak Caused Panic Through Social Media, Study Finds
During the U.S. Ebola cases, social media behavior closely followed trends in news media coverage, a study finds. The level of public panic as, reflected in Google searches and tweets closely tied to the media, put an emphasis on the outbreak, researchers say.
World Is Running Short Of Water, Many Groundwater Resources 'Overstressed,' Study Warns
Many of the world's groundwater aquifers are past a sustainable tipping point, researchers say. Global demand is pulling water out faster than it can be replaced, they warn.
Fears Of Toxic 'Red Tide' Cause Shutdown Of US West Coast Fisheries
Huge algae blooms containing high levels of a toxin have been detected as stretching along much of the U.S. West Coast, scientists say. Fear of health risks leads to a ban on crab and clam harvesting.
Arctic Ocean Becoming So Acidic It May Start Dissolving Shells Of Marine Life
Regions of the Arctic Ocean are experiencing acidification at a rate that could soon threaten marine life, a study suggests. In as little as 15 years, shellfish and even crabs could have difficulty creating and maintaining their shells, researchers say.
Methane In Mars Meteorites Suggests Life Is Possible On The Red Planet
Methane, which could support rudimentary forms of life, has been found in Martian meteorites, researchers report. While not necessarily hard evidence of life on the Red Planet, it suggests conditions there may have been friendly to life at some point in the planet's history, they say.
Bloodhound Supersonic Car's Record Attempt Won't Happen This Year, Team Says
Problems with the rocket motor on a 1,000 mph car pushes its record attempt into 2016. The car will make its public debut for some slow-speed trial runs in the U.K. in November, team says.
Half Of Deaths From Major Cancers Involve Smoking, Research Shows
Although lung cancer has the strongest link to smoking, many other cancers can be blamed at least in part on cigarettes, a study indicates. Nearly half of 346,000 cancer deaths in 2011 were linked to smoking, researchers say.
