Articles by Jim Algar
The Tropics Were No Paradise For Large Dinosaurs
Extremes in climate shifts made Earth's tropical regions inhospitable to large, herbivorous dinosaurs, study suggests. Hot, dry climate and elevated CO2 levels made the vegetation they fed on scarce, researchers say.
Dynamic Camouflage Of Squid-Inspired Artificial Skin Could Lead To Creation Of Cloaking Suits
Researchers have created a thin, skin-like material that can change color and patterns. The technique is modeled on squid, which can control the color and texture of their skin for protection and communication.
'Cold, Icy' Past Is Best Explanation For How Mars Looks Today, Study Says
Surface features seen on the Red Planet are more likely the result of an icy ancient climate than a warmer one with liquid oceans, lakes or rivers, a study suggests. Modeling of both possible scenarios suggests a cold, frozen past for Mars.
'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria Vibrio vulnificus Has Hit Florida Beaches - But Don't Panic
Florida health officials have issued a warning about potentially deadly bacteria growing in warm ocean waters. People with cuts, scrapes or open wounds are cautioned to stay out of the water.
New Photos Of Pluto Snapped By New Horizons Suggest An 'Emerging Puzzle' (Video)
The New Horizons spacecraft approaching Pluto for a July rendezvous has snapped a 360-degree panorama of the dward planet. Scientists say the images show a much more complex surface than expected.
Diver Didn't Really 'High Five' 22-Foot Long Great White Shark: Here's What Happened (Video)
A much-publicized encounter between a great white shark and a diver wasn't a friendly handshake - but it wasn't dangerous either, researchers say. The diver was trying to guide the shark away from the cage to keep it from being injured.
Rosetta's Lander Philae Ends Seven Months In Hibernation: 'Hello Earth! Can You Hear Me?'
Scientists who've had their fingers crossed for months are ecstatic over a comet lander waking up and calling home. Back-to-life Philae should have lots of data for eager researchers to analyze.
Germ Cell Gene Switch In Fish Decides Sperm Or Egg Creation
Researchers have found a gene that tells precursor germ cells whether to become sperm or eggs. When inactivated in female fish, their ovaries began producing sperm.
Climate Change May Leave Many Plants, Crops With Insufficient Time To Grow
Shortened growing seasons as a result of climate change could affect crops millions of people depend on, researchers suggest. Tropical regions, home to the world's poorest peoples, would be most affected, they say.
NASA's 'Voice Of Apollo' Jack King Dies At 84
King, the public voice of NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, has died in Florida. Billions of people around the world listened to his voice during the countdown of the launch of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission in 1969.
Thousands Of Exotic Helium-Shrouded Planets May Inhabit Our Galaxy, Astronomers Suggest
Planets unlike anything in our own solar system may be common in the Milky Way, a study suggests. What would make the 'warm Netpunes' so distinctive is an atmosphere of helium, researchers say.
NASA's Hubble Telescope Finds Distant Planet Has 'Sunscreen' Layer Of Atmosphere
Hubble spots a layer of atmosphere on a massive, boiling-hot exoplanet that works like Earth's stratosphere. The finding ends the debate about whether massive, burning-hot exoplanets could maintain such an atmosphere, researchers say.
Search For Missing Comet Lander Philae Turns Up Hints Of Its Location
Images of Comet 76P taken by a Rosetta comet-surveying spacecraft may contain signs of the missing lander on the comet's surface. A tiny glint of light, just pixels across in the images, could be the washing machine-sized Philae lander, scientists say.
Astronomers Get Closer Look At Galaxy At The Very Edge Of Observable Universe
Gravitational lensing helps astronomers examine the inner structure of a giant galaxy in the far outskirts of the known universe. The massive galaxy is producing new stars at a prodigious rate, researchers say.
Genetics Yield Clues To Modern Eurasia's Origins During The Bronze Age
Researchers sequence ancient genomes to trace mass migrations of Bronze Age peoples. Demographics of modern Eurasians can be traced back to those movements of cultures, they say.
Sugarcane Used To Create Environmentally-Friendly Jet Fuel
Sugarcane can be a source of biomass for producing 'green' alternative jet fuel, researchers say. The resulting fuel burns cleaner than fossil fuel, they report.
Gene Found In Former Brain-eaters Provides Resistance To Human Version Of 'Mad Cow' Disease
A genetic mutation that may protect people from brain-destroying Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has been identified. A mutation was found in a Papua New Guinea tribe that ate human brains as part of funeral feasts.
Hubble Space Telescope Caputres Detailed Images Lonely Galaxy 'Lost In Space'
The Hubble space telescope captures images of a galaxy in lonely isolation from any cosmic neighbors. Galaxy NGC 6503 sits at the edge of a mysterious region of space known as the Local Void.
Scientists Warn Of Climate Change 'Time Bomb' Locked In World's Permafrost
As nations gather for climate talks, researchers warn of a vicious global warming cycle that could be triggered by the thawing of permafrost. Northern Hemisphere permafrost holds twice the carbon already in the atmosphere, they say.
Officials Scramble To Locate People Exposed To Rare Form Of TB
A woman arriving in the U.S. from India was diagnosed with a rare, drug-resistant form of tuberculosis. Officials work to locate anyone who may have been come in contact with the woman on her airline flight or her subsequent travels through three states.
Chimps Have A Liking For Alcohol, It Turns Out, And Get Drunk On Palm Wine
In western Africa, chimpanzees with a taste for alcohol help themselves to palm wine made by Guinea villagers, researchers find. Both male and female chimps like to toss back a refreshment or two, a study shows.
Wales Joins World's Club Of Dinosaur Countries With Fossil Discovery
A small fossil discovered on a Welsh beach is the first carnivorous dinosaur to be found in the country. Experts say the small dinosaur, a distant cousin of the T. rex, is one of the earliest of all Jurassic-era dinosaurs.
Puzzle Of 'Milky' Rainfall In The Pacific Northwest Solved
Researchers say extreme weather was behind the strange, 'dirty' rain that fell from the sky. 'Milky' rain left windows and vehicles streaked and coated in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Legendary Swordsman Isao Machii Trains Industrial Robot Motoman-MH24 To Become Super Samurai (Video)
Using motion-capture technology, a Japanese company programs an industrial robot to wield a samurai sword. Robot could exactly mimic the moves of a master swordsman, becoming a slicing and dicing machine.
Solar Storm Warning Satellite Takes Up Its Final Position In Deep Space
A satellite meant to watch for solar activity that could threaten Earth takes up its position a million miles from us. The spacecraft will provide Improved forecasting of possible geomagnetic storms that could play havoc with Earth systems, officials say.
Study Suggests Creativity And Mental Illness May Have Common Genetic Origins
Researchers find DNA mutations raising risks of conditions such as schizophrenia in some people may boot creativity in others. A study looked at the genetic makeup of people engaged in artistic endeavors, comparing them to people at risk for mental illness.
Glass Detected On Mars Could Hold Signs Of Ancient Life Within It
Molten glass created in impacts on Mars could have captured and preserved signs of ancient life on the Red Planet as it cooled, researchers suggest. A NASA spacecraft has confirmed the presence of large amounts of glass in Martian impact craters.
Big Data Suggests Health Might Be Linked To Your Birth Month
Study finds correlation between birth month and some types of disease. Researchers used a computer algorithm to sift through medical database of millions of patients for links.
Drought Is Killing Joshua Trees, Icons Of California's Deserts
California's worst drought in a millennium is accelerating the loss of the iconic Joshua trees, long a symbol of the state's deserts. Climate change and drought could wipe out 90 percent of the trees' range by the end of the century, researchers say.
DARPA Robotics Challenge: South Korean DRC-Hubo Robot Beats Rivals To Take Home $2 Million
South Korean robot successfully accomplishes tasks that could help deal with disaster situations. Competition was inspired by Japan's 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster, where robots could have helped in conditions too dangerous for humans.
