Articles by Jim Algar
How origami can be used to unfold the future
"Origami robot" developed that can unfold itself from a flat configuration and then carry out tasks. Harvard and MIT researchers envision many uses for the technology.
We have until 2050 to cut emissions, says U.N. draft
Deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions needed to stave off world of global warming, U.N. draft report says. Current commitments to reduction targets won't cut it, report says.
Glowing sharks in twilight zone have amazingly adapted eyes
Sharks use bioluminescence and specially adapted eyes to operate in deep ocean water where sunlight barely penetrates. Sharks use their ability to glow in social interactions like hunting and seeking out mates.
Program incentivizes ships to be kind towards nearby whales
Shippers willing to slow down their ships to reduce deadly strikes on whales will get incentive payments. Environmentalists hail effort to reduce risks to the giant marine mammals.
NASA finds link to 'zombie star'
White dwarf star that survived its own explosion has become a not-quite-alive "zombie star," astronomers say. Discover gives new clues to how such explosion occur, they say.
Pew study predicts robots' role in society: The good and the bad
Experts split on the future impacts of robots on the human workforce. Some foresee widespread joblessness; others see less significant impacts.
Dutch deep-water vehicles to scour ocean for missing Malaysian jet
Dutch firm with underwater exploration experience will take on search for missing Malaysian Airline Flight MH370. Year-long effort to start in September.
2,100-year-old treasure trove found in China
Tomb of ancient Chinese king yields treasure trove of artifacts. Gold, silver, jade and weapons found in tomb dated to 128 B.C.
Diamond imperfections could be key to advancing quantum computing
Atomic-scale defects in diamonds could bring quantum computing a step closer, researchers say. Quantum equivalent of traditional computing bits can be the result, they say.
How did Ohio's drinking water lead to a state of emergency?
Officials struggle with problem of toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie. Toxins in drinking water prompted declaration of state of emergency.
All hell breaks loose on Io as volcanoes erupt
Giant volcanic eruption on Jupiter's moon Io confirms it status as most volcanically active body in the solar system. Images show eruptions ejecting material hundreds of miles into space.
Rosetta's epic journey reaches its monumental destination
Comet-hunting Rosetta spacecraft has reached its target, a comet heading toward Earth. Spacecraft will follow and study the comet for a year.
6,500-year-old skeleton in the closet rediscovered in the Penn Museum
"Mystery skeleton" in storage in Philadelphia Museum identified as coming from 1930 archaeological dig. Skeleton has been stored in unlabeled box ever since.
Mars 2020 rover will do what Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity couldn't: NASA
Next mover headed to Mars in 2020 will carry upgraded instruments with advanced study capabilities. Goal is to survey Red Planet for suitability to sustain future human missions.
Gigantic magnifying glass in deep space? Hubble spots one
Distant lensing galaxy reveals even more remote galaxy hiding behind it. "Magnifying glass" phenomenon lets astronomers gaze 10 billion years into the universe's past.
Giant dinosaurs transformed into flying birds: Shrinking took place for 50 million years
Large, meat-eating dinosaurs had to shrink for millions of years to evolve into modern birds, researchers say. Ongoing downsizing let them find new evolutionary niche.
Ancient whale fossil rescued from Southern California backyard
Fossil of ancient whale that lay in a California backyard for decades recovered, sent to museum. Baleen whale fossil hauled up hillside inside a 1,000-pound rock.
Testosterone level decrease led to humans being nicer and more civilized
Drop in testosterone linked to both male characteristics and aggression may have opened the way for modern civilization, study suggests. More cooperation as people learned to be nicer to each other may have kickstarted human culture, researchers say.
Giant Arctic waves have boffins worried
As Arctic sea ice retreats with warming temperatures, giant waves begin to invade the region. They could represent risk to human activity in the increasingly ice-free waters, researchers say.
Fermi space telescope discovers new exploding gamma-ray sources
Classic nova explosions now confirmed as source of high-energy gamma ray outbursts. Such phenomena previously thought not energetic enough to create such bursts.
Welcome to science, Australian humpback dolphin: Scientists name new species
Scientists comb through massive amounts of data to confirm existence of new dolphin species in waters off Australia. Number of distinct but similar species of humpback dolphins now stands at four.
Jellyfish-like critters amass on California shores
Millions of marine animals washing ashore on west coast beach are turning coastlines purple. Unusual patterns of winds may be driving the floating creatures ashore, scientists say.
Rosetta approaches deep space comet with ‘dark, dusty crust’
Spacecraft takes a comet's temperature, finds it too warm to have a cover of pure ice. Dark dust believed to cover much of its surface, scientists say.
Hubble glimpses most distant ‘lensing’ galaxy, looks back 9.6 billion years
Distant galaxy acts as magnifying glass, revealing another galaxy even farther away. We are seeing the two galaxies as they appeared almost 100 billion years ago, astronomers say.
Atlas V lifts off tonight at Cape Canaveral, Air Force satellite is 7th in series
Atlas V launch will add another GPS satellite to the orbiting constellation of navigational aids. Launch from Florida set for late at night.
Researchers improve cost-effective method to convert CO2 to fuel
New catalyst brings low-cost production of synthetic fuels one step close, researchers say. Process is simple and cost-effective, they say.
And the winner is…nature. Hummingbirds out-hover military’s mini-drones
Researchers say micro-helicopter can't match hovering ability of hummingbirds, but they're getting close. Still a lot to learn from nature, they say.
Dinosaurs went through evolutionary downsizing to become birds
Some dinosaur species went through a "shrink cycle" to get smaller and smaller and evolve into birds, study finds. "Sustained miniaturization" morphed dinosaurs into birds.
Tree-killing invasive insect makes its way through Boulder and Boston
Emerald ash borer beetles continue their deadly march though the country's ash trees. New sighting in Massachusetts and Colorado said to be a cause for concern.
Space rocks pummeled early Earth, computer simulation depicts 'violent past'
Violent impact history in first 500 million years of Earth's existence drove planet's evolution, study finds. Cosmic bombardment may also have set the stage for early life, researchers say.
