Articles by Jim Algar
Possible discovery of exomoon circling alien planet reveals how little we know about the universe
Possible sighting of exomoon orbiting distant planet both excites and frustrates, and positive proof eludes scientists.
U.S. sends spy satellite into space aboard Russian-powered Atlas V rocket
U.S. spy satellite has launched with help of Russian rocket engine has some U.S. officials concerned
Hubble Space Telescope extends our cosmic 'tape measure,' looks farther into our galaxy
Hubble Space Telescope used updated version of surveyors' technique to make precise measurements of most distant stars. It improved accuracy in measuring the distance to stars 10 times farther away.
Famous T. rex fossil skeleton takes a road trip from Montana to Smithsonian
T. rex fossil from Montana on its way to Washington, D.C., to be star attraction at Smithsonian museum. It's one of the most complete T. rex skeletons discovered.
Robot aboard International Space Station to get legs, NASA says
New legs for robotic space station crewmember will make it mobile, able to move around both inside and outside
Proof of success of U.S. Clean Air Act shows up in Greenland ice
Ice cores retrieved from Greenland ice cap confirm four decades of cleaner air thanks to 1970's U.S. Clean Air Act
Odds very much against global warming being due to natural factors, scientists say
Study of historical world temperatures may put nail in the coffin of "natural warming" climate change argument.
Selfie bug bites Instagram-loving NASA astronaut, Earth photobombs him
The selfie goes from "world-wide" to "orbital" phenomenon, as astronaut posts selfie from the International Space Station.
Blood moon set for Monday night: How and when to watch this celestial wonder
Almost all of North America will get opportunity to watch spectacular total lunar eclipse. Set your clocks so you can live stream, chat or gasp - go outside!
Supposedly 'safer' synthetic gases replacing ozone-destroying CFCs could be a climate risk factor
Little-studied class of synthetic gases, considered 'safer' for Earth's ozone layer, could still be a risk in climate change.
Desert-friendly crops grown on solar energy farms could yield 'win-win' energy solution
Biofuel crops planted within solar energy farms could bring 'two-for-the-price-of-one' energy bounty.
Otters can get the flu, too; human flu virus found in otters living off Washington coast
Flu virus that caused a human pandemic also found in sea otters, suggesting human viruses can infect them.
New software can automatically show how a child will look as he or she ages
Automated age-progression software gives uncannily accurate images of how a child will look as they age.
Crater on Mars once held a 'here today, gone tomorrow' lake of water, scientists say
A crater on Mars could once have held a lake of water, analysis shows, and it may have done so more than once.
Spit on this: Tiny power generator utilizes unexpected fuel source in human saliva
Micro-sized fuel cell powered by human saliva could lead to tiny implantable medical devices with many uses.
Fossils from La Brea Tar Pits show climate change drove evolution of ice age predators
Fossils from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles show climate's effect on ancient saber-toothed cats and huge, ferocious wolves. What really happened?
Giant pandas and red pandas in 'peaceful coexistence' while competing for same bamboo food source
Giant pandas and red pandas have a 'shoots and leaves' difference in bamboo diet that allows them to coexist
Ancient 'spider' went one better than a pair of eyes, researchers find. Call it 'four-eyes'
The 305-million-year-old distant relative of modern spiders had more eyes than its modern descendants.
Trying to swat a fly? Scientists find out why you missed
Flies found capable of maneuvering like a fighter jet to avoid the fly swatter. When threatened, they roll as they turn, five times faster than usual.
Scientists reconstruct ancient impact event bigger than 'dinosaur killer' blast
Ancient asteroid's impact on Earth dwarfed the better-known 'dinosaur-killer' event, scientists say. The asteroid was as big across as Rhode Island and may have carved out a crater in the Earth's crust around 300 miles wide.
Scientists genetically engineer 'designer' trees to make production of paper and biofuel easier
Genetically modified trees will yield more paper while reducing energy and chemicals needed to produce it.
What makes one photo out of millions on Facebook go viral? Computer scientists think they can tell
Computer scientists say they think they can predict when a Facebook photo will go viral. Predicting when one of millions of photographs uploaded to Facebook will leap from the crowd and become viral is difficult, but U.
Scientists discount 'permanent' El Niño theory, say tropics could get even hotter in future
El Niño conditions in the Pacific are not a 'permanent thermostat' that will keep future ocean temperatures stable, researchers say.
Hummingbird evolution accelerated in the 'Eden' of South America starting millions of years ago
Evolutionary explosion of hummingbirds into today's 140 species began when the tiny birds arrived in South America, research shows
Don't try to fake pain, computers beat humans at spotting it: Study
Saying Ouch! to a computer-vision system? Better not be faking, researchers say; computers are better than humans at catching false expressions.
Scientists eagerly await chance to watch a black hole in a feeding frenzy
Astronomers watch avidly as cloud begins 'death spiral' into the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
Outside contact 'disastrous' for indigenous Brazilian societies although rebound possible: Study
European colonization brought collapse to indigenous peoples of Brazil that continues to this day, researchers say, but there's hope for recovery
Evidence of explosive volcanic activity on Mercury a surprise, may shed light on how the planet formed
Photos of Mercury from NASA space probe show surprising evidence of significant volcanic activity scientists say they didn't expect to find.
NASA says new satellite will measure CO2 emission levels, help humans deal with climate change
U.S. satellite to monitor effect of human activity on carbon dioxide emission levels, climate change.
Rainy weather can lead to less flattering online review of food and service: Study
Restaurants hoping for good online reviews of food and service can be tripped up by bad weather encountered by diners on the way in.
