Articles by Jim Algar
Astronomers Capture First-Ever 'Baby Pictures' Of A Planet Being Born
The formation of a planet from the dust and gas around a star is directly observed and imaged for the first time. A gas-giant planet is being born around a young star 450 light-years from Earth, astronomers say.
Sleeping In On The Weekend May Be Bad For Your Health, Researchers Find
Differences between our work week and weekend sleep habits can increase health risks, researchers find. So-called 'social jetlag' can up risks of diabetes, heart disease or obesity, they say.
Vocal Cords Grown In A Lab May Someday Cure Voice Or Speech Impairment
People whose voices are impaired because of severely damaged vocal cords could someday get help from bioengineered cords, researchers suggest. Cords grown from donor cells show promise, they say.
As Fewer Men Get Screened For Prostate Cancer, Early Detection Figures Also Drop
A debate on PSA screening for prostate cancer continues, as new studies show a decline both in testing and detection. New guidelines recommending less screening are at the center of the controversy.
Guinea Enters Countdown Toward Official Declaration Of The African Nation Being Ebola-Free
A three-week-old baby girl called the 'last patient' of the Ebola epidemic has tested free of the virus, officials say. If no new cases are found in six weeks, Guinea will be considered officially free of the virus, they say.
Half The Natural History Specimens In The Word's Museums May Be Misnamed, Scientists Say
Years of accumulating mistakes leave a significant portion of museum specimens with the wrong name, a study finds. Incorrect identification presents a big problem for science, researchers say.
Researchers Reveal First Map Of All The World's Available Groundwater
Immense amounts of groundwater beneath the Earth have been mapped for the first time. A study finds only a small percentage is accessible to us, and we're using it at an unsustainable rate, researchers report.
Super Laser Providing Temperatures Hotter Than The Sun Could Bring Fusion Energy One Step Closer
Researchers suggested that ultra-powerful laser heating materials to 10 million degrees Celsius could create fusion like that occurring in our sun. This technique could bring us closer to fusion reactors providing limitless energy.
Speed Of Ancient Climate Change Has Been Consistently Underestimated, Study Suggests
The assumption that climate change is more rapid today than it has been in the past is flawed, researchers said. Difficulty in examining the geologic record of the past Earth has led to that assumption, they added.
Short Circuit Degrades Space Station Power, May Need Spacewalk For Repair
Electrical problems cut one of the space station's eight power channels and a spare part will have to be sent up from Earth for the repair spacewalk. The crew is in no danger, NASA says.
DNA Reveals 'Fourth Strand' Of European Ancestry In Ancient Tribe, Researchers Say
Genetic study shows ancient populations of hunter-gatherers sheltering in the Caucasus Mountains during the ice age contributed to a significant portion of the genome of modern Europeans. The discovery rounds out our knowledge of European ancestry, researchers say.
Earth's Water May Be As Old As Our Planet Itself, Present When Our World Formed
The chemistry of water found deep within the Earth suggests it has been there since our planet formed. Majority of Earth's water may not have come from comets or asteroids as some scientists have argued.
Push For More Exercise And Less Junk Food Not Working: US Obesity Rates Still Rising, CDC Says
Despite significant efforts to combat obesity, more Americans are becoming overweight, a CDC report says. Age is a factor: the older we get, the more we face the risk of obesity, researchers say.
Huge Greenland Glacier Crumbling Into The Sea Has Enough Ice To Raise Global Sea Levels
A massive glacier in northeast Greenland is in retreat, breaking up into the sea. Warmer air above and warmer sea water below is accelerating the process, researchers say.
Fossil Of 'Superduck' Dinosaur Shows How Some Species Evolved Distinctive Head Crest
A duckbilled dinosaur fossil found in Montana shows the development of the unique head crest beginning in this 'transitional species.' Later duckbilled dinosaurs sported even larger crests.
Astronomers Find The Closest Earth-like Planet Ever Discovered [Video]
A rocky planet just 39 light-years from Earth, similar to our world in size and mass, is being hailed as the 'most important planet ever found outside the solar system.' Scorching temperatures of its atmosphere make it more like Venus, though.
Dust Devils On Mars Could Reveal Secrets Of The Red Planet's Interior And Climate, Scientists Say
A seismic signature of dust devils on Mars could help in understanding processes occurring on and below the planet's surface, scientists suggest. Experiments in the California desert have allowed researchers to identify such signals.
Stone Age Farmers 9,000 Years Ago May Have Been The First Beekeepers, Researchers Discover
Pieces of Stone Age pottery show signs of having been used to store beeswax, scientists discover. The finding suggests prehistoric farmers were benefiting from honeybees thousands of years ago.
Signs Of Heart Disease Seen In Obese Children As Young As 8
Tests on young obese children show evidence of potential heart disease, researchers say. Thickening of the heart muscle, which can interfere with the heart's ability to pump blood, has been seen in obese children as young as eight years old.
When Is A Planet Not A Planet? UCLA Prof Suggests A Simple Test
As discoveries of distant objects increase, we need a simple test to help define what is or isn't a planet, a UCLA scientist says. The current official definition works for our solar system but not for possible distant exoplanets, he says.
Astronomers Struggle To Explain 'Pandemonium' Of Orbits of Pluto's Tiny Moons
The behavior of tiny moons in orbit around the dwarf planet puzzles astronomers. Data from a New Horizons mission shows they orbit in a way not seen anywhere else in the solar system, astronomers say.
Martian Moon Slowly Being Ripped Apart By The Red Planet
Phobos, a tiny moon orbiting Mars, is slowly cracking up and could disappear entirely in millions of years, scientists say. Already almost shattered by an ancient cosmic impact, the fragile moon is slowly breaking up under the stress of Mars' gravity.
Modern-Day 'Indiana Jones' Using Satellites To Find, Protect Ancient Sites Wins $1 Million Science Prize
Sarah Parcak wins a TED prize grant for her work using satellite imagery to locate hidden ancient archaeology sites. The technology also is being used to help combat looting at such sites.
Greenhouse Gases In Atmosphere Reach All-Time Record High
A United Nations weather agency says CO2 reached record levels in 2014. Sustained greenhouse gas levels above 400 ppm could create long-term disruptions of our planet's climate, experts warn.
Volcanoes May Be Erupting On Pluto, But These Volcanoes Are Spewing Ice
The New Horizons spacecraft sends back images of mountains on Pluto that may be ice volcanoes, NASA says. Circular mountains near the dwarf planet's south pole show crater-like central depressions, scientists say.
Climate Change Could Push 100 Million People Into Extreme Poverty In Coming Years, Experts Warn
World action on climate change is needed if millions are to be saved from poverty, a World Bank report says. Climate change and global warming are deemed a 'significant obstacle' to eliminating poverty.
One Of The Oldest Trees In Europe Is Changing Its Sex After 5,000 Years
An ancient yew tree in a Scottish churchyard is showing signs of a sex change, botanists say. After centuries of being identified as male, it's producing berries on one branch – strictly a female thing.
World Health Organization Says Sierra Leone Officially Ebola-Free
After 42 days with no new cases diagnosed, Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free. Crowds held bittersweet celebrations in the country's capital.
Hubble Gazes Into The Heart Of The Milky Way To Gather Clues About Its Early History
Ancient white dwarf stars in the central bulge of our Milky Way provide clues to how our home galaxy was formed, astronomers say. Dwarf stars are the dim remnants of some of the galaxy's earliest stars, they say.
Study Finds Link Between Human-Caused Climate Change And Extreme Weather Events
Human activities and greenhouse gas emissions had influence on some extreme weather events in 2014, researchers find. Human-caused climate change has been linked to cyclones, rainfall and heat waves, they say.
