Articles by Jim Algar
Moon’s volcanoes give a big surprise: Previous age may be wrong
Moon may have had active volcanoes while dinosaurs roamed the earth, study suggests. Image from lunar orbiter suggests lava may have flowed much more recently than previously believed, they say.
Is grapefruit really the key to dropping weight?
Study with mice suggests grapefruit diet not a fad; those drinking grapefruit juice gained less weight despite high-fat diet than did mice drinking water. More study needed to identify which ingredients in the juice are involved, researchers say.
Join a cosmic ray detector network: All you need is a smartphone
Your smartphone could become part of the world's largest telescope. University of California app turns your phone into a cosmic ray detector.
Broccoli compound alleviates autism symptoms: Study
Chemical in broccoli, by mimicking how a fever affects the body, seems to reduce symptoms of autism, researchers say. Chemical known as sulforaphane already being studied for apparent ability to slow cancers.
Leaky galaxies give clues to start of universe
Galaxy "leaking" ultraviolet radiation into interstellar space yields clues to how light came to the early universe. Astronomers study the galaxy located almost 3 billion light years from Earth.
Clue to fighting cancer hidden in genes of ‘exceptional responders’
Genetic mutations may help identify those whose cancers could respond to drugs not normally considered for their particular kinds of cancer, such as thyroid cancer, researchers say. Such mutations can create "exceptional responders."
Don’t joke about Ebola: This man did and the hazmat team didn’t get the punchline
Flight to Dominican Republic from Philadelphia held on runway after landing when Ebola joke by passenger backfires. Hazmat team meets the aircraft, passenger escorted off.
NASA readies for Mars’ close encounter with comet
Orbiters, rovers and telescopes in space and on Earth await a comet's close flyby of Mars. Comet Siding Spring will be tracked by a dozen observing assets, NASA says.
The cost of fighting climate change detailed in new book
Multiple-disciplinary work attempts to gauge the ongoing economic costs to the world of global warming. "The Oxford Handbook of the Macroeconomics of Global Warming" addresses impact of climate change on both developed and developing countries.
Lung cancer can lie in wait, hiding for up to 20 years
Lung cancer's tendency to remain dormant could provide the best chance of detection and cure, researchers say. Initial genetic errors can evade detection for years as cancer "sleeps" in the body, they say.
Ebola screened for at airports, but what about planes? Cabin cleaners go on strike
Aircraft cabin cleaners at New York airport go on strike over concerns of Ebola exposure. Protest comes at U.S. prepares to start taking temperature of airline passengers arriving from West Africa.
What's nanoscopy, how does it work and why did it win a Nobel?
Researchers win Nobel Prize in chemistry for work that led to microscopes capable of peering into living cells. Nano-microscopes overcome the limitations of optical microscopes.
Type 1 diabetes gets breakthrough stem cell treatment
Stem cell research could create insulin-producing cells that may represent a cure for type 1 diabetes. Harvard University scientists announce success in producing massive amounts of the cells.
Enormous whale washes up on Long Island beach
Large whale identified as a finback found dead on a beach on New York's Long Island, east of New York City. Creature is from the second-largest whale species on Earth.
Doctor kills wife and self on wedding night
Argument over prenuptial agreement may have left newlywed wife and husband dead in possible murder-suicide. Wife told 911 dispatchers here husband was threatening to kill her.
The American life span is longer than ever before
As major diseases succumb to improved treatment and awareness of lifestyle, U.S. life expectancy increases. Figure now stands at 78.8 years, CDC report says.
Bright dead star pulsates with energy of 10 million suns
Dead star is nearby galaxy is "impossibly" bright, brighter than any such object of its mass should be, astronomers say. The object is so powerful it was first thought to be a black hole.
Alyssa Carson is 13, dreams big and acts bigger: First human on Mars?
13-year-old girl aims to put the first human foot on Mars, already in training. NASA says they take her "very seriously."
Stroke patients’ risks stick around for at least 5 years
Stroke survivors still face risks for years after recovering from the effects, a study suggests. Monitoring well past the conventional 90-day "danger period" is warranted, researchers say.
The tide is high and it’s only getting higher: Climate change increases flooding
U.S. coastal cities could see "chronic" high-tide flooding in the next 15 years, report says. Cities on all three U.S. coastlines face threat, researchers say.
Stealing from Mars: Curiosity’s methane-detecting tech finds gas leaks on Earth
California utility company adopting NASA hardware to help ensure safety of natural gas pipeline. Methane detecting technology is taken straight from instruments on the Mars rover Curiosity.
Lab on a chip: Microchip performs mini lab tests to detect early cancer
New chip-based technology could improve the survival chances of cancer patients, researchers say. By testing microfluids, the method offers a minimally invasive, efficient early cancer diagnosis.
Woman with terminal brain cancer chooses date to end life [Video]
Britanny Maynard has been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. She has moved to Oregon, where the state's Death with Dignity Act will allow her to end her life on Nov. 1.
Blue LED light wins Nobel for three scientists' contribution to modern civilization
Blue LEDs, which brought white LED lighting to a wide range of applications, win physics Nobel Prize for researchers. Two Japanese and one American researcher share in 2014 award.
NASA selects astrobiologists to study life origins and extraterrestrial possibilities
NASA funds research teams to look for the where, how and why of extraterrestrial life. Space agency dedicated almost $50 million to the search.
Earth’s oceans: What’s warming, what’s not, and why
Warming of the world's oceans through the end of the 20th century may have been severely underestimated, studies suggest. Better data has led researchers to revise the rate of global warming.
Another probiotic advantage: Bacteria protects against heavy metal poisoning
Probiotic bacteria in yogurt found to protect children and pregnant women from the effects of toxic heavy metals. Yogurt kept arsenic, mercury in the diet from being absorbed into the body, study found.
Can obesity be prevented by daily dinners with the family?
A traditional family meal during adolescence may protect children from obesity during adulthood, a study suggests. Social interaction and eating healthful food are more likely developed during family meals, researchers say.
Terrifying video footage of two great white sharks fight vicious battle
Rare battle between two great white sharks captured on video. Larger shark filmed attacking a smaller one in waters of Australia.
Matthew O'Donnell's nightmare: Hundreds of eggs laid by parasitic flea in foot burst open after Tanzania trip
Parasite hitchhiking inside foot of British man returning home from Africa bursts out with hundreds of eggs. Chigoe flea is a common parasite in Tanzania, experts say.
