Articles by Jim Algar
IBM's Watson to help conduct months of medical research in just hours
Watson supercomputer to help researchers wade through massive amounts of data looking for connections to advance science. What used to take months could be accomplished in hours.
Walking fish tell us how our ancestors walked out of water
Evolutionary steps that brought life out of water and onto dry land are mimicked in modern "walking fish," researchers say. Differences match what is seen in the fossil record, they say.
How do Death Valley rocks walk? Scientists finally have answer
Mystery of Death Valley's "sailing rocks" solved. Take a winter storm, freezing temperatures and high winds, and voila! -- stones that move.
Say goodbye to the monarch butterfly
Increasing use of herbicides on U.S. farmland is decimating monarch butterfly numbers, conservation groups say. They've petitioned the Obama administration to declare monarch a "threatened" species.
Japan lab still trying to replicate controversial stem cell study, reboots stem cell lab
Japanese research institute announces restructuring of stem-cell unit in controversy surrounding retraction of published studies. Papers appearing in journal Nature were retracted amid allegation of poor research ethics.
Telescope teamwork, 'lensing' galaxy give us view of galactic collisions
Astronomers, with the aid of a cosmic "magnifying glass," witness collision of two distant galaxies. Light from the objects began its journey to Earth when the universe was just half its current age.
Curiosity roves onward after canceled attempt at drilling on unstable rock
Mars mission controllers decide against drilling of rock considered as science target for Curiosity rover. In preliminary test the rock showed signs of being unstable, they say.
New fossil likely displays the earliest origin of muscles in animals
Fossil found in Canada called earliest ever found with muscle tissue. The vital evolutionary adaptation in underwater animals would have led to a subsequent explosion of life on land, researchers say.
Parents are blind to their kids’ obesity problems
Parents increasingly likely to consider their overweight children as being healthy, a study finds. That creates a "vicious cycle" of denial leading to lack of action and further obesity, researchers say.
China’s supersonic sub will be able to speed to California in 100 minutes
Chinese researchers say putting a submarine in its own giant air bubble could let if "fly" through water. Speeds of thousands of mile per hour are envisioned.
Illinois protects its mountain lions, bears and wolves from being hunted and killed
Recent encounters in Illinois with cougars, wolves and bears lead lawmakers to give them protected status. Although rare in the state, occasional animals are spotted.
Hypersonic U.S. Army weapon destroyed right after launch
Weapon meant to strike anywhere on Earth at hypersonic speeds destroyed after detection of launch malfunction. Weapon was being launched at Alaskan test site.
Fishing spiders are super-arachnids: They swim, dive and walk on water
Giant spiders that prey on small fish and tadpoles are seen in increasing numbers in Wisconsin. So-called "fishing spiders" found on all of world's continents with the exception of Antarctica.
Breakfast is no longer 'most important meal of the day'
In terms of both nutrition or as an aid to weight loss, eating breakfast or skipping it seems to make little difference, studies find. It's "just another meal," researchers say.
Bardarbunga Iceland volcano eruption may affect aviation industry
Airlines put on alert after new activity detected under Icelandic volcano. Ash alert if escalated to red, high level on the warning scale.
Combining two vaccines may put an end to polio
The best way to combat polio globally rests in combining the two available vaccines, WHO study says. Injectable Salk vaccine and oral Sabin vaccine together a stronger weapon than either alone, researchers say.
Hummingbirds evolved to love sweet stuff: Here's how
While most birds have lost the ability to perceive sweetness in foods, hummingbirds are noted for their sweet tooth. Study shows its down to evolution and genes.
SpaceX rocket blows up over Texas: 'Rockets are tricky,' says Musk
Test of rocket designed to land back on Earth after missions goes awry as spacecraft explodes during launch. Exact malfunction not clear, rocket maker SpaceX says.
Reduced nicotine levels will not prompt smokers to puff more cigarettes
Reducing amounts of nicotine in cigarettes could be effective in combating tobacco addiction, study suggests. Fears smokers would just increase daily intake to make up for it are unfounded, researchers say.
Go to Utah to walk in dinosaurs’ shoes…or tracks
Utah site of unique dinosaur tracks, kept secret so scientists could study them, to open to the public. Site with more than 200 tracks in Utah will be opened for visitors in October.
Pomegranates might delay Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
Chemical compound found in pomegranates could slow progression of neurological diseases, researchers say. Compound known as punicalagin seen as potential Alzheimer's treatment.
Astronauts can grab a taxi to space with Boeing’s new design
Boeing completes design review of its candidate for NASA "space taxi" crew vehicle. Company beats several competitors to the punch in finishing NASA-mandated review process.
Neptune’s exotic moon Triton looks good in NASA’s best map yet
Restoration of 1989 flyby footage yields best look ever at Neptune's moon Triton. New images shows similarities to Pluto, a target for another NASA flyby in 2015.
Weird jellyfish-like creatures still taking over West Coast beaches
Blue sea creatures at the mercy of the winds are being driven ashore on beaches along the West Coast. The creatures are Velella velella, also known as "by-the-wind-sailors"
Picky young fish can detect good and bad reefs
Sea creatures like fish and coral can "smell" the health of an ocean reef, will avoid dead or dying ones, study finds. Chemical signal of seaweeds invading a dying reef enough to drive fish and young coral larvae away, researchers find.
One of universe’s oldest stars leaves behind remnant for scientists
Astronomers find possible signature of one of the earliest stars to form in the Universe. Violent explosions of such stars would have seeded the universe the heavy elements found everywhere today.
Russian officials claim sea plankton on surface of ISS: True or not?
NASA says it has no confirmation of Russian claims of discovery of sea plankton, other microorganisms on outside of the International Space Station. Previous studies have shows organisms can survive the harsh conditions found in space.
Therapy plus meds often equals best treatment for depression
Combination of antidepressants with cognitive therapy shows promise in treatment of depression. But type and length of depression must be considered, study suggests.
Rats are the new astronauts: NASA to send rats to space to test microgravity effect
NASA plans long-term stay on space station for some four-legged astronauts. Rats will spend up to 3 months aboard the orbiting science facility.
Western US rising (literally) to meet drought challenge: GPS confirms
Ongoing drought in the U.S. West is causing the entire region to spring upwards, scientists say. GPS stations show uplift throughout the western states.
