Articles by Jim Algar
South Korea Vows To Contain MERS Outbreak: More Than 2,300 People Quarantined, Over 1,800 Schools Closed
South Korea confirms fifth death as battle to contain MERS outbreak continues. Officials have asked the public to calm, saying the outbreak is "controllable."
Gold Artifacts In Ancient Ireland May Have Been Made More For Supernatural Than Economic Value
Ancient Irish goldsmiths may have preferred "exotic" imported gold over gold from local sources, researchers suggest. Gold from Cornwall in England found its way to Ireland as early at 2500 BC, they suggest.
LightSail Spacecraft Has Come Back From The Dead To Unfurl Its Solar Sail
Controllers reestablish contact with experimental solar sail spacecraft and unfurl the sail the size of a basketball court. Bill Nye the Science Guy, head of the Planetary Society, tweets of the success.
California May Raise Smoking Age To 21
The California Senate passes a bill to hike the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21. It also passes a bill that would see 'vapes,' e-cigarettes, regulated as tobacco products.
Small Bird Mimics Warning Calls Of Other Bird Species To Scare Predators Away From Nest
The tiny brown thornbill doesn't 'cry wolf,' it cries 'hawk!' in several different bird dialects to scare off predators, researchers find. The little bird's vocal mimicry becomes a defense against much larger predators.
Stars That Exploded As Supernovae Were 'Exiles' Ejected From Their Cosmic Homes
Three recently observed supernovae exploded outside of any galaxy, researchers say. The events were the death throes of stars 'exiled' from any host galaxy, they explain.
New Test Can Detect Every Virus You've Ever Been Exposed To
A single drop of blood can reveal the entire history of a person's exposure to viruses, researchers say. A simple test can scan for thousands of viral strains people may have been exposed to over their lives.
Parasitic Mites Invade Hives By Copying Bees' 'Chemical Stink'
Parasitic mites trick their way into beehives by smelling exactly like a bee, researchers find. The result is an 'arms race' based on chemical mimicry by the mites versus the bees' evolving ability to detect them, they say.
World's Largest Telescope Gets A Financial Green Light
A giant telescope that will peer deep into the universe from a mountaintop in Chile is given a financial go-ahead. The final price tag of the Giant Magellan Telescope will be $1 billion.
Is There A Link Between Fracking And Low Birth Weight Babies?
Birth records in areas of Pennsylvania with lots of fracking at gas wells suggest an association with lower birth weights, researchers say. Mothers living in close proximity to high densities of such wells are 35 percent more likely to have smaller babies, they say.
Researchers Find 'Strongest Evidence Yet' For Cause Of Schizophrenia
Researchers report zeroing in on the primary cause of schizophrenia. Genetic mutations' impact on brain chemistry strongly implicated as an underlying cause, they say.
We're Throwing Away Perfectly Usable Batteries, Says Maker Of Battery Boost Device
Batteriser, a voltage booster, can yield the 80 percent of a battery's energy that usually gets thrown out, the maker says. A thin sleeve fits over the battery that still fits in most battery compartments.
Nano-Sized Spirals Of Gold Could Protect Against Identity Theft
Tiny spirals of gold too small for the naked eye to see could foil identity theft or counterfeiting, researchers suggest. Only visible under certain kinds of light, they could protect currency and credit or identification cards, they say.
End Of Passwords? Our Brain Activity Might Be All We Need To Unlock Websites, Bank Accounts
How our brains react to certain words could yield a unique signal that could serve as a secure 'password,' researchers say. In an experiment, a computer identified individuals from their brainwaves with 94 percent accuracy, they report.
The Less You Sleep, The More You Eat, The Heavier You Get: Study
Not getting enough sleep can push a person to eat too much, researchers say. All the the factors driving food intake — biological, emotional, environmental — can be affected and heightened by too little sleep.
Astronomers Puzzle Out Possible Source of Mysterious Bright 'Swirls' On The Moon
Bright, twisty swirls across the lunar landscape may be signs of comet impacts in the moon's distant past, researchers say. Such features match what computer models say could happen when comets slam onto the lunar surface, they report.
Historic Redwood Not Nearly As Old As Scientists Thought
The survey of a redwood grove north of San Francisco shows its trees are younger than previously believed. The age of the tallest tree in the Muir Woods is only half the 1,500 years scientists had thought.
Australian Marsupials Engage In 'Suicide-Sex' Orgies Fatal To Males
Tiny marsupials in Australia mate in extended sex 'binge sessions' that leave half the population - the males - dead. That isn't helping the survival of the already endangered creatures.
Office Workers Should Stand For 2 Hours Every Workday To Reduce Health Risks, Panel Says
Long periods of sitting can increase risks of obesity, diabetes or heart attack, experts say. A new recommendation suggests chair-bound office workers stand and move for at least part of the day.
NASA Working To Improve Aircraft Efficiency By Taking On A Squishy Problem – Bug Guts
NASA and Boeing test non-stick coatings for aircraft wings. The goal is to reduce the problem of bug residue and its effect on an aircraft's drag and fuel consumption.
Earth-Sized Exoplanets Circle Their Stars In Earth-Like Orbits, Astronomers Discover
A finding that Earth-sized exoplanets generally have orbits around their star similar to ours around our sun improves the chances some of them may be hospitable to extraterrestrial life, researchers say. Circular orbits, which make for steady conditions on a planet, are the norm rather than the exception, they say.
Breastfeeding Found To Reduce Risk Of Most Common Childhood Cancer
Infants breastfed for at least six months face reduced risks for childhood leukemia, a study review finds. The risk is 19 percent less than for infants who aren't breastfed, researchers say.
Scientists Cure Mice Of Retrograde Amnesia With Blue Light: Humans Next?
A study suggests that memories considered forever gone may still be intact, locked in our brains, and may be retrievable. The work on mice could have human applications in cases of retrograde amnesia, researchers say.
Scientists Identify Genetic Mutation That Makes People See In Black And White
Researchers have found the genetic basis for achromatopsia, a condition that robs its sufferers of color vision. A mutation in a single gene is involved in this heritable disorder, they say.
Bigotry In Air: United Airlines, Muslim Woman, And Opened Soda Can Stir Social Media Storm
A Muslim woman claimed she was refused an unopened can of soda on a United flight because she 'might use it as a weapon.' Her Facebook post about the incident has gained wide following, but the airlines said it was a 'misunderstanding.'
Cancer Drugs Ipilimumab And Nivolumab, When Paired In Treatment, Significantly Slow Cancer Progression In Melanoma Patients
A combination therapy using two drugs could improve the life expectancy of melanoma sufferers, researchers say. The doubling up of two drugs significantly slows down the progression of the disease compared to when either drug is used alone.
HIV's Voracious Appetite For Sugar Is Its Achilles' Heel
A study finding on how the HIV virus 'feeds' on nutrients in immune cells suggests a way to kill the virus, researchers say. A new compound that can shut down an immune cell's sugar and nutrient pipeline may starve HIV to death.
Forget 'San Andreas'! Southern California Faces Real Earthquake and Tsunami Threat
A system of faults off the Southern California coast presents a real risk of earthquakes that could send tsunamis heading toward the shore, researchers say. Although overshadowed by the San Andreas Fault, they believe these deserve close study.
Study Shows Memories 'Lost' To Amnesia Can Be Recovered Using Light To Activate Brain Cells
Researchers working with mice have successfully recovered lost memories by stimulating brain neurons with light. Results suggest that people with retrograde amnesia might be helped to retrieve memories, they say.
California Museum Plans To Display Space Shuttle Endeavor In Dramatic, Upright Launch Configuration
NASA gives LA museum the last surviving external fuel tank to create a 'full stack' vertical display of Endeavour. Shuttle, tank and solid fuel boosters should make an unforgettable display, museum officials say.
