Articles by Jim Algar
Sleep apnea affects memory: Video games prove it
Sleep apnea can diminish spatial memory formation by disruption REM sleep, researchers find. Study uses video game performance to gauge memory problems.
Should we go to asteroids as a practice run for Mars?
Asteroids could be stepping-stones to Mars for manned mission, planetary scientist says. However, NASA's proposal and capturing and retrieving one would be an expensive distraction, a "costly stunt," scientist says.
Unmanned Air Force rocket sending GPS into space
Next-generation GPS satellite launched, joins orbiting network. Improvements will mean more precise results for GPS users around the world.
Scientists bring a virus back to life from old poo
Ancient plant virus resurrected from caribou poo frozen for centuries in Arctic ice. Finding raises possibility ancient viruses still capable of infection might come back to life.
Space weather secrets unlocked by physicists
Scientists probe the secrets of the solar winds that can batter Earth's magnetic field. The winds can cause geomagnetic storms that can knock out satellites, power grids, cell phone networks.
Technology aboard the space station: Forum highlights advancements
NASA researchers provided updates on their technology experiments aboard the ISS. Front and center are three free-flying robotic "assistants" for astronauts.
African lions: The last big endangered cat
U.S. proposes to list African lions as a threatened species. Listing under the Endangered Species Act would regulate hunting, sale of lions or lion parts.
Great Barrier Reef protection plan is inadequate, say scientists
Australia's announced plant to protect the Great Barrier Reef draws negative response from scientists. Plan fails to address climate change, seen as biggest threat to the natural wonder, they say.
NYC train crash result of engineer’s sleep disorder: When sleep apnea goes untreated
Undiagnosed case of sleep apnea blamed on crash of NYC commuter train that killed four. NTSB report also highlights maintenance, inspection flaws.
Jonas Salk: Google celebrates the brilliance behind the polio vaccine
Google doodle celebrates 100th anniversary of the birth of Jonas Salk, polio vaccine pioneer. Salk's vaccine led the way to virtually eliminating the disease in the U.S.
Wonder what Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko smells like? Think rotten eggs
Scientists say a spacecraft has been "sniffing around" a comet to gauge its "perfume." The result? Definitely not pleasant, they say.
Century-old notebook discovered in Antarctica, belonging to explorer Robert Scott's team member: 'An exciting find'
Notebook from ill-fated 1912 expedition to reach the South Pole survives a century encased in ice. Notebook belonged to a member of expedition led by "Scott of the Antarctic."
Cancer-killing stem cells engineered in lab a step forward for cancer therapy
Genetically engineered, toxin-packing stem cells could bring new therapies to treat brain tumors, researchers report. Stem cells could be "mini-pharmacies" inside a patient's brain, they say.
NYC, NJ impose mandatory Ebola quarantine rules: We are ready
Ebola quarantine policies announced in New York, New Jersey. Mandatory quarantines go beyond CDC recommendation of voluntary quarantines.
Alan Eustace hits 822 mph to shatter Felix Baumgartner skydive record: Here's how Google beat Red Bull (Video)
Google executive sets new record for highest parachute jump. Free fall from almost 25 miles up lasted more than 4 minutes.
Australian doctors transplant 'dead' heart in breakthrough surgery
A donor heart that had already stopped beating was used in a successful transplant, doctors report. The procedure could lead to an increase in the number of available donors.
Miraculous virgin birth? World's longest snake gives birth with no male contact
Giant snake in U.S. zoo has six offspring in virgin birth. No father required, thank you very much. Researchers say they've seen the first documented case of virgin birth in the world's longest species of snake, as a 20-foot reticulated python at the Louisville, Ky.
Iceland volcano sits on hottest bit of North Atlantic mantle plume: A magma hotspot
A huge eruption of a volcano in Iceland gives researchers clues as to what is going on deep beneath the Earth's surface. High-temperature magma plumes are key to such eruptions, they say.
Green business and industry will duke it out to meet EU climate goals
The greenhouse gas emission goal set by the European Union leaves almost no one happy. A target of 40 percent reduction by 2030 is sparking debate on all sides.
Lowly carbon-gobblers are great defense against warming…if they survive
Phytoplankton in the world world's oceans, a bulwark against climate change, are under increasing threats, studies find. Rising sea temperatures, ocean viruses represent risks to the carbon-storing, single-celled organisms.
Megalodon sharks, terror of the oceans, became extinct 2.6 million years ago and whales grew
Whales only began to evolve to their current massive sizes with the disappearance of a fearsome ancient predator, researchers suggest. Whales may have been a preferred prey of prehistoric, 50-foot shark known as Medalodon.
NASA gets groovy with free sound library
NASA puts the 'greatest hits' of space exploration sounds online. The collections include rocket sounds, mission communications and more.
Does a wandering mind actually improve mental performance?
The parts of your mind that concentrate and the parts that tend to wander can work together, researchers find. The result is often the quickest way to accomplish a mental task, they say.
Surprising connection between Easter Islanders and Native Americans revealed from genes
Genetic studies show Easter Island people not as isolated as long believed. DNA shows mixing between island's Rapanui people and Native Americans as early as AD 1300.
Watch cell division with new, remarkable resolution: Nobel winner Betzig strikes again
Researcher who shared Nobel Prize for microscope work unveils new instrument for looking even deeper into living cells. Technology gives high-resolution images of rapidly-occurring living processes.
Farm raided at night by thieving…chimps: Primate neighbors getting comfortable in the dark?
Chimps in Africa filmed by hidden cameras as they make raids into farmers' cornfield. Nighttime forays are a new behavior for the chimps, researchers say.
Rotten eggs in space? That’s what comets smell like
European spacecraft has been "sniffing" around a comet as it approaches the sun. The verdict? It stinks, say scientists, but they're intrigued.
Pollution and autism: Does breathing toxic air raise risk?
Studies add evidence to possible link between air pollution, autism. Associations found between the disorder and traffic-related air pollution, researchers say.
Recalled supplements still contain banned drugs, still for sale
Voluntary recalls are ineffective, often leave dangerous drugs available for purchase, researchers find. Dietary supplements purchases online were found to contain dangerous, banned ingredients.
Two families, hundreds of comets: ‘Exocomets’ found circling distant star
Groups of comets circling a distant start may yield clues to our own solar system's formation, astronomers say. Young star is host to the comets and a newly-formed planet, they say.
