Articles by Jim Algar
Beech-Nut Recalls Baby Food After Piece Of Glass Found In Jar
Beech-Nut announces a recall of 'Stage 2 Beech-Nut CLASSICS sweet potato and chicken' for possible contamination. The FDA says the recall is Class I, presenting a 'reasonable possibility' of a health risk.
Astronomers See First Evidence That Dark Matter May Not Be Entirely Dark After All
Astronomers say they may have observed dark matter revealing itself through something other than its gravitational influence on the visible universe. It's the first evidence that dark matter 'notices the world around it,' they say.
Long Trails Of Ice Seen In Saturn's Rings Have Been Traced To Their Source
Saturn's distinctive rings are being 'fed' material by Enceladus, one of the ringed planet's moons, astronomers say. Icy geysers erupting from the moon's surface eject material that spreads into the rings, they say.
Doctors Basing Cancer Treatments On Genomic Tests May End Up Prescribing Ineffective Drugs, Study Suggests
Genetic sequencing of a cancer patient's tumors without comparing it to their normal tissues can lead to misdirected treatment, researchers suggest. Not all mutations seen in a tumor are necessarily driving the cancer, they say.
Stone Age Axes Show Evidence Of Early Humans Using High-Level Cognitive Functions
Early humans were using sophisticated thinking, not rote actions, when creating tools such as hand axes, study suggests. Brain activity of study participants recreating Stone Age tools shows complicated, complex brain activity, researchers find.
Mesh With Nano-Particle Coating Could Be Effective, Cheap Tool For Oil-Spill Cleanup
Researchers turn to nature to develop material that could be effective tool for pollution cleanup. Natural coating of lotus leaves inspires nanotechnology that can separate oil from water.
Divorce Is Hard On The Heart — Literally, As It Increases Heart Attack Risk
People who divorce face a higher risk of heart attacks, a study finds. Women face greater risks, and the risk remains high even if they remarry, researchers say.
Why Is The US West Drying Out? The Answer May Lie In The Pacific Ocean
Changing wind patterns over the Pacific Ocean are bringing droughts to the Western U.S., a study suggests. Storms that would bring desperately needed rainfall will never make it to the region, researchers say.
Search For Alien Life In 100,000 Galaxies Draws A Blank
The search for galactic emissions of radiation which could signal the presence of advanced alien civilizations has failed to find any, researchers say. Survey of data from NASA satellite failed to find any radiation 'smoking gun' of such a civilization's existence, they report.
Spider Silk May One Day Help Regrow Damaged Human Hearts
Researchers turn to nature and spider webs to create a foundation for growing heart tissue outside the body. The technique could lead to organ transplants without rejection fears.
Biosynthesis Could Be The Path To Renewable Propane As A Next-Generation Biofuel: Study
Scientists use genetic engineering to create renewable, clean-burning propane. Such a biofuel could complement dwindling supplies of fossil fuel, currently the only source of propane.
Project To Map Universe's Dark Matter Releases First Results
A map showing concentrations of elusive, mysterious dark matter across the cosmos has been revealed. Photographs of 2 million galaxies helped researchers create a picture of the invisible substance that makes up much of the universe's mass.
Eat Out A Lot? You Could Be Risking High Blood Pressure
People who eat meals out on a regular basis show a greater tendency to develop hypertension, researchers find. More calories and higher levels of fats and salts consumed when dining out are blamed.
Baboon Bone Found In Famous Lucy Skeleton Of Early Human Ancestor
The famous skeleton of Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old human ancestor, includes a bone that shouldn't be there, researchers say. Although of the right age, the vertebra bone is likely that of a baboon and not part of Lucy at all, they say.
Lung Cells Can Regenerate Themselves, Finding Could Bring New Disease Cures
Cells in lung tissue show a surprising ability to regenerate and differentiate to repair lung damage, study finds. Such a process might be stimulated to help sufferers of various lung diseases, researchers suggest.
'Probabilistic' Programming Lets Computers Think More Like Humans And Do It Quickly
Short computer programs written in a new programming language let computers 'infer' how to do much of a task, researchers find. In the short programs, fewer than 50 lines of code can do the work of thousands of lines.
Asteroid Has Earth In Its Crosshairs: Collision Or Near-Miss In 2017?
An asteroid that made a close approach to Earth in 2012 is coming back in 2017 for another pass, astronomers say. Chances of a collision are slight but can't be completely ruled out, they say.
Astronomers Find Distant Exoplanet With Hot, Windy 'Inferno' Atmosphere
Distant planet has an atmosphere hot enough to melt iron, astronomers say. Winds high above the planet blow at 500 mph, they find.
NASA Instruments Scan Forests Ravaged By Wildfire, Help In Planning Recovery Efforts
Highly detailed maps of recent California megafires, created with data from airborne NASA instruments, can improve restoration efforts, researchers say. The understanding of how such fires start and spread may be improved using such maps, they believe.
Possible Contamination Prompts Recall Of Sabra Hummus
Discovery of deadly Listeria bacteria in a random sample led to a recall of 360,000 containers of hummus. Maker Sabra said the voluntary recall was put in place after the FDA informed the company of the test.
Our Sun Was A Late Bloomer In The Milky Way Star Nursery
Our home galaxy had an early 'baby boom' of stars, but our own sun was a bit tardy for the party, researchers say. Still, that may have been a good thing — otherwise we might not be here.
Short People May Be At Greater Risk For Heart Disease, Study Finds
Our height, as determined by our genes, may also have a link to our risk of coronary artery disease, researchers find. Every 2.5 inches taller you are brings a 13.5 percent reduction in that risk, they suggest.
California Drought Could Up Risk Of Disease For State Residents
As California dries out in ongoing drought it could see an increase in diseases usually found in hotter, drier climates, officials suggest. The state has already seen a record number of deaths from mosquito-borne West Nile Virus.
Acidic Oceans Caused Earth's Greatest-Ever Extinction Event
Thousands of years of volcanic eruptions turned the world's oceans acidic 250 million years ago, leading to a Great Dying, scientists say. Mass extinction killed of 90 percent of marine species and two-thirds of land species, they estimate.
Americans Are Worried About Climate Change But Don't Consider It The Highest Priority
A majority of Americans agree that climate change is real, though few attribute it to 'human causes' — two new polls show surprising variation in opinion on global warming.
Spotting A Narcissist Is Tougher Than You Think: Study
Just because a person talks a lot about themselves doesn't make them a narcissist, researchers find. Hearing 'I' and 'me' a lot in a person's speech won't help you to easily spot one, they say - look instead for argumentative and arrogant types.
New Source Of Greenhouse Gases Identified - And It's Hospital Operating Theaters
Anesthetic gases escaping into the atmosphere have a greenhouse effect out of proportion to their overall levels, researchers say. Pollution levels created by the entire health care industry also a concern, they say.
Two New Ebola Vaccines Have Successfully Passed Critical Tests
Tests in monkeys show single-dose vaccines can protect against the Ebola virus. Successful testing means human trials could begin shortly, researchers say.
Organic Molecules Found Circling Nearby Star — Possible Building Blocks Of Life?
Complex molecules, similar to what started life on Earth, were found circling a young, distant star.
Utah Teen Struggles To Deal With A Rare Allergy — To Water!
Utah teenager Alexandra Allen is one of just 50 or so people who've ever been diagnosed with aquagenic urticaria — an allergic reaction to ordinary water. She has had to make lifestyle changes to cope.
