Articles by Jim Algar
Kiribati, a tiny Pacific island, focus of commercial fishing ban
Island nation of Kiribati announces plan to end all commercial fishing within vast marine sanctuary. Plan announced at ocean conference that saw U.S. President Obama propose similar marine protections.
Bachelor party group makes startling discovery and it's not what you think
Bachelor party forgoes usual entertainment, unearths ancient fossil instead. Skull found of ancestor of wooly mammoths and elephants.
Wyoming Loon population dwindling, just 14 pairs left
Study seeks to find reason for decline in aquatic nesting loons in Wyoming. Dwindling populations could signal problems in wetland environments.
Hobby Lobby case: Supreme Court to rule on religious belief versus employee's right to healthcare debate
Supreme Court to rule if for-profit companies can defy federal health care law on religious grounds. Suit brought by Christian-owned arts-and-crafts chain Hobby Lobby.
NASA can now sniff out distant planets and moons: Here's how
Scientists use data from spacecraft orbiting Saturn to recreate the "smell" of the ringed planet's moon Titan. Aromatic hydrocarbons dominate, they say; think of the smell of a gas station here on Earth.
Pluto moon Charon may once have hidden giant, warm oceans beneath its surface
Scientist await arrival of NASA spacecraft at Pluto to test theory of possible oceans under surface of one of its moon. Moon Charon may show evidence of ancient liquid water
Quantum tunnel effect studied in unique experiment by Austrian scientists
Strange behavior of quantum particles confirmed in Austrian experiment. Quantum tunneling sees particles moving through barriers in violation of classical physical mechanics.
Beautiful photos of 'The Beast' asteroid captured by NASA radar
NASA captures radar images showing detailed features of huge space rock that passed close by the Earth. Asteroid was seen spinning slowly as it flew by.
New planets discovered near very old star
Planet orbiting 'next door' to our sun may be habitable with liquid water on its surface, astronomers say. The planet and its sun are 'extragalactic' visitors, they say.
Dinosaur's blood not hot, not cold but somewhere in between like any mesotherm
'Just right' body temperature allowed dinosaurs to compete, rule the Earth for millions of years. Neither cold-blooded nor warm-blooded, researchers suggest they were what is known as mesotherms.
Fire ants survival tactic: They build a raft when water danger looms
Scientists probe mystery of how ants form living 'lifeboats' to escape when flooding threatens. Entire colonies form rafts of thousands of ants when rising water arrives.
Japanese eels now on endangered list, culinary delicacy under seige
Listing of Japanese eels as endangered to hit the country's diners hard. They've been a summertime delicacy eaten in Japan for thousands of years.
Friday 13th full moon won't hit again til 2049, last time was back in 2000
Rare cosmic coincidence has full moon falling on Friday the 13th, which won't happen again until 2049. Event stirs up superstitious beliefs for many.
Horned frog's tongue has super-frog powers for capturing heavy prey
South American frog with super-sticky tongue can capture prey heaver than it is, researchers say. Its voracious feeding ability has earned it the nickname 'Pac Man' frog.
Vast ocean lays under Earth mantle, may be wellspring for world's oceans
Huge reservoirs of water may exist 400 miles beneath Earth's surface, study suggests. Water may be bound up in minerals deep in the planet's mantle, researchers find.
Peru sea lion released back to island after six weeks intensive care
Sea lion wounded in suspected beating by fishermen is treated and released back to the wild. A Peruvian wildlife group says such incidents are not rare.
Great White super predator cannibal? Disappearance of large shark stymies researchers, scientists
Scientists seek a 'super predator' that may have eaten large great white shark. The hunt is the subject of a Smithsonian Channel documentary.
Scientists uncover paddle mud tracks, discovery may reveal how ancient reptiles moved, caught prey
Fossil tracks show ancient marine reptiles 'rowed' themselves through ancient oceans. The fossil finds in China shed light on their behaviors.
High protein diet, including some fish, could stave off that future stroke
Increasing protein in the diet can reduce the risk of stroke, an analysis of previous studies finds. Lean protein from sources like fish are the best bet, researchers say.
NASA offers peek at faster-than-light spacecraft design
Images of a proposed faster-than-light ship with a 'Star Trek' look have become an Internet sensation. The design was created in collaboration with NASA scientists.
ViiV, Janssen team up on new single-pill treatment for HIV patients
Two pharmaceutical firms are to cooperate in developing single-tablet, two-drug treatment for HIV. Clinical studies could begin in 2015.
Weather conditions at Hawaiian launch site prompt postponement of NASA 'flying saucer' test
A test of saucer-shaped re-entry vehicle for Mars missions is postponed because of weather, NASA says. Device may someday help put astronauts on the surface of Mars.
Google spends $500M for digital imaging player Skybox
Google buys satellite imagery firm, looks to improve maps and Internet access. Price for Skybox a reported $500 million.
Dwarf galaxies aren't exactly a model of cosmology, say astrophysicists
Current standard model of cosmology can't explain formation of dwarf galaxies, astrophysicists say. Model doesn't match what's being observed, they say.
Solar flare hits again, three flares in two days and interrupts radio transmission
Massive solar flare erupting from the sun is the third of such power in two days, NASA says. Burst caused brief radio blackout on Earth.
Feds put New Mexico jumping mouse on endangered species list
Tiny mouse living on just a few acres in New Mexico put on endangered species list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will also designate protected habitats.
Chimps outwit human opponents when it comes to computer game play
Chimpanzees better at figuring out how to outwit opponents in competitive setting than humans are, researchers say. That's a handy skill in chimps' daily lives, they suspect.
Cisco: Video, Internet-of-Things, mobile are prime drivers of Internet use
More users with more devices to push Internet traffic into the zettabuty range by 2018, survey finds. Video, the "Internet of Things" to lead the increase.
Underground volcanoes spur Antarctic glacier melt
More than warm ocean water melting Antarctic glacier, researchers say. Heat from volcanic activity far below is like stove-top burners and is adding to the melting, they said.
Nanoparticles advancement makes for cheaper solar cells
New kind of nanoparticle could bring solar power to millions at an affordable cost. Technology could have other uses as well, Canadian researchers say.
