Articles by Jim Algar
Wobbly or tilting planets may host alien life-forms, new study suggests
Less-than-steady planets that 'wobble' around their stars may be candidates for sustaining life, scientists say. That 'wobble' could keep them from freezing solid.
Western U.S. should brace for more, bigger wildfires, study says
Rising temperatures and ongoing droughts have caused a 30-year increase in wildfires in the U.S. West, researchers say. With global warming, it's likely to continue.
Forget silicon: Next-generation computers may boast plastic chips
Flexible plastic processor chips could replace expensive silicon in computing devices, researchers say. The result could be cheap, almost "throwaway" electronics.
Peru's Ubinas volcano eruption gets worse: 4,000 people and 28,000 llamas and alpacas from evacuated from vicinity
People and livestock evacuated in surrounding regions as Peru's most active volcano still erupting. State of emergency declared by officials.
Blind Luck: It's what saves Earth from getting destroyed from asteroid impact, say former NASA astronauts
Network meant to detect nuclear testing is picking up massive asteroid impacts instead, former astronauts say. The number is much higher than previously thought, they say.
Nebula Gum 41 blushes around hot young stars
Dramatic red hue of distant nebula shows effects of bright, new stars being formed within. Special photographic techniques have revealed its scarlet glow, astronomer say.
Illinois proposes $100 patient card for medical marijuana users, drops gun ban
Illinois regulators have proposed new rules for medical marijuana users - patient ID cards to be cheaper, and firearm ownership will be allowed.
RIP LADEE: NASA lunar spacecraft ends moon mission on triumphant note
Moon orbiting satellite crashes into lunar surface after completion of mission. Impact site was chosen to avoid historic Apollo mission artifacts.
Viper gulps monster centipede, which chews its way out of reptile stomach
Small snake takes on large centipede, doesn't live to regret it. Attempted escape by the centipede out of the snake's stomach ends in death of both.
Japan will launch Pacific whale hunt next week despite ICJ ruling, environmental activists fume
Japan has announced plans to resume 'scientific' whaling in the Pacific Ocean and Antarctic waters in defiance of global ban. Environmentalists have slammed the decision as a cover for commercial whaling.
Free drug samples for doctors may end up costing patients a lot: Study
Free drug samples may be pushing doctors to prescribe expensive medications over cheaper generic options, study finds. The result can be higher costs for both patients and health insurers.
Chimps like their beds firm and stable, preferably Ugandan ironwood: Study
Chimps are picky when it comes to building material for their nighttime sleeping nests, scientists find. In fact, only one kind of wood will do.
Food texture determines what (and how much) we choose to eat
People perceive hard, rough-textured foods as lower in calories than soft, smooth ones. Mouthfeel may affect our dieting choices.
SpaceX cargo mission sets sights for Friday launch but weather gods may play spoilsport
Private space launch firm SpaceX is all set to launch cargo craft to the International Space Station. However, the launch attempt could face problems with the weather as thunderstorms and showers are being predicted.
Kepler-186f exoplanet may hold liquid water and signs of alien lifeforms
Planet around distant star is first Earth-size world found in habitable zone, scientists say. It could possess the liquid water necessary for life.
Neotrogla females have penis, can have sex for up to 70 hours: Discovery of Brazilian insect stuns scientists
Insects in Brazil have reversed their roles when it comes to sex, researchers say. The females have a "penis-like" organ with which they penetrate the males.
Titanic remembered on 102nd anniversary, echoes some of the deadliest maritime disasters in the last century
Sinking of the Titanic took more than 1,500 lives in April, 1912. Still, it was not the worst maritime disaster ever.
Floating nuclear plants may withstand dangerous tsunamis
Nuclear power plants built on floating ocean platforms could survive earthquakes and tsunamis, researchers say. Surrounding seawater could cool fuel rods and prevent any meltdowns.
Nothing to fear: Bleeding irregularities are common during menopause
Heavy and extended menstrual bleeding during menopause are common, study finds. Women who experience heavy and extended menstrual bleeding as a result of entering menopause should not be concerned as it is a common occurrence, a study has found.
New imaging technology may help us see microscopic images sharper and clearer
Technology borrowed from astronomy yields sharper microscopic images of biological material. A technique borrowed from astronomy is helping sharpen microscopic imaging of complex biological subjects that can present obstacles to even very high-tech light microscopes.
Antidepressant use during pregnancy may lead to autism in babies: Study
Study finds possible association between antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism. The use of one class of antidepressants during pregnancy has been linked to a possible increase of the risk of autism in boys, a study suggests.
FDA approval of Tanzeum drug is good news for type 2 diabetes patients
FDA approves new drug for type 2 diabetes, a once-a-week injection treatment. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tanzeum, a diabetes drug developed as a once-a-week injection treatment for type 2 diabetes, drug maker GlaxoSmithKline has announced.
Tiny fossils discovered in China may be rare 500-million-year-old embryos
Tiny fossilized embryos found in China could be an animal unknown to science. Tiny fossils shaped like spheres found in rocks of southern China could be the embryos of an animal previously unknown to science that lived 500 million years ago, scientists say.
Chance to vote for new NASA spacesuit ends today
NASA letting public vote on proposed designs for future astronaut spacesuits. NASA says it is ready to wrap up a campaign to let the public vote on the best design for a prototype spacesuit that could be a step toward the first human mission to Mars.
Look out, it's the attack of the killer sponges. And it's no joke.
Scientists found four new species of carnivorous sponges deep in pacific waters. "Killer sponges" may sound like a bad B-grade horror film on the bottom of a double bill at the local drive-in theater in the 1950s, but they do exist -- and in fact four new species have been discovered on the deep seafloor of the Pacific Ocean, scientists say.
Astrophysicists hope to identify distant black holes by watching for a 'cosmic slurp'
Scientists use supercomputers to help identify when a supermassive black hole 'snacks' on a star that comes too close.
Just turned 24? Sorry, your age-related decline in cognitive motor skills has just begun
Study of players in StarCraft 2 computer game shows cognitive motor performance peaks at a young age -- just 24. Does older but wiser count?
Solar power without sunshine? MIT, Harvard scientists made it possible!
Solar facilities can still be a source of power even when the sun is not shining, thanks to a new "wonder" material developed by U.S. researchers.
Cosmos 'Deeper, Deeper, Deeper Still': Neil deGrasse Tyson takes us to the subatomic level in latest episode
"Cosmos" changes direction, takes of from the universally large to the atomically small The "Cosmos" television series took a different turn in its latest episode, reversing course from out into the far reaches of space to turn inward to the world of molecules and atoms that make up the world around -- and inside -- all of us.
NASA gets go-ahead to build spacecraft for asteroid sampling mission
NASA to begin construction of spacecraft to visit Earth-approaching asteroid, collect and return surface material.
