Articles by Jim Algar
Ancient Teeth Show 'Out-Of-Africa' Humans Arrived In China Before They Got To Europe
The finding may be reason to re-examine the accepted date for modern humans' migration out of Africa. It may also help explain why Homo sapiens took so long to reach Europe, researchers say.
Scientists Take Dinosaur Temperatures To Solve 150-Year-Old Mystery
Fossils help researchers determine body temperatures of dinosaur species, helping answer a long-standing question: warm- or cold-blooded? The answer, they say, falls somewhere in between.
New Hubble Images Delve Deep Into Jupiter's Mysterious Red Spot [Video]
An annual 'portrait' of the giant planet shows its famous Red Spot is shrinking. Images also capture unique atmospheric waves, similar to ones sometimes seen on Earth.
California Coastal Commission Rules Against Orca Breeding At SeaWorld
The Commission approved expansion of the orca habitat at the marine park but attached a breeding ban as a condition. SeaWorld currently has 11 orcas, whose shows are the park's top attraction.
Kids Born In Summer Tend To Grow Into Healthier Adults: Study
Babies born in summer months have higher birth weights and tend to be taller and healthier as adults, researchers find. Expectant mothers' exposure to more summer sunlight means more vitamin D for unborn babies, they suggest.
Dissolving Heart Stent Passes First Major Test On Path To US Approval
Like dissolving stitches, an arterial stent can break down and disappear after helping keep a repaired artery open, its maker says. A trial with 2,000 patients taking part is seeking FDA approval.
Cracks Are Opening In The Moon, And It's Our Fault, Scientists Say
Earth's gravity is opening cracks on the moon by tugging and pulling at its surface, researchers say. Our gravity affects the lunar surface just as the moon's gravity creates tides here on Earth, they explain.
The UK Is The Best Place To Die...And These Are The Worst
Study ranks end-of-life palliative care in 80 countries around the world. High-income countries score best, although much remains to be done, researchers say.
Tiny Flies Suspected In Turning Honeybees Into 'Zombees'
Parasitic flies laying eggs inside honeybees cause the bees to become zombie-like and abandon their hives, researchers find. Finding adds to concern over colony collapse disorder, they suggest.
Roche Drug Ocrelizumab Proves Effective Against Multiple Sclerosis In Three Late-Stage Studies
Results of clinical trials show promise in reducing the progression of the disease, researchers say. New drug could be on the market by 2017.
Elephants' Resistance To Cancer Could Lead To Ways To Protect Humans From The Disease
Researchers find a genetic clue to why elephants display a significant resistance to cancer. The finding could lead to ways to better protect people against cancer, they suggest.
Ancient Martian Lakes May Have Been Incubators For Life
Curiosity rover on Mars find evidence of ancient freshwater lakes that could have existed long enough for life to develop, researchers say. Liquid water on the surface may have persisted for long periods of time, they say.
Firstborn Kids More Likely To Be Nearsighted And Parents May Be To Blame
Moms and dads pushing firstborns to hit the books hard may be leading to increased cases of myopia, researchers say. Firstborn kids are 10 percent more likely to be nearsighted, they say.
Fossil Find May Solve Question Of When Earliest Birds Took To The Sky
A fossil of a bird wing found in Spain shows anatomical similarities with modern-day birds, researchers say. The 125-million-year-old fossil suggests an ability to fly on a par with today's avian creatures, they say.
Dieting Frustration? Losing Weight Harder Now Than It Was 25 Years Ago, Experts Say
Even with dieting and exercise, it's harder to lose weight than it used to be, a study finds. Americans are heavier today than they were decades ago, and it's down to weight management becoming more complex, researchers say.
Oxygen In Ancient Rocks Suggests Photosynthesis Began 3.2 Billion Years Ago
Photosynthesis may have started putting oxygen into the Earth's oceans much earlier than previously thought, a new study suggests. Photosynthesis may have been occurring as early as 3.2 billion years ago, shortly after life appeared on Earth, researchers say.
Millions Of Boxes Of Cheerios Cereal Recalled Because Of Allergy Risk
Boxes of General Mills' Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios marked 'gluten free' may contain wheat. An error at a California production facility led to the introduction of wheat flour into the product, the company says.
Being Tall May Have A Downside: An Increased Risk Of Cancer
Researchers find a link between height and a person's risk of developing cancer. Cancer risks go up with every extra 4 inches of height, they find.
Fusion Reactors, Seen As 'Holy Grail' Of Energy Search, Are Economically Viable, Study Says
Although challenges remain, fusion reactors could compete with fission nuclear power plants in providing electricity, analysis suggests. New advances in technology could make them economically feasible, researchers say.
Cracking A Mystery About Neutrinos Brings Nobel Prize In Physics
A Japanese and Canadian scientist share the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics. Giant neutrino observatories in both countries were used to confirm the elusive particles have mass, and can switch 'flavors.'
Hands, Feet Of Human Ancestor Suggest Talent For Walking, Tree Climbing And Tool Use
Fossilized feet and hands of an early human ancestor show surprisingly modern features, researchers say. Feet in particular were more advanced that other parts of its body, they say.
Animals Thriving In Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Exclusion Zone With Absence Of Humans
Radiation may be less of a threat to wildlife than human encroachment, say researchers conducting animal census near Chernobyl. With humans gone, mammal populations are bouncing back, they say.
Fossil Find Is Ancient Beaver-Like Mammal That Outlived The Dinosaurs
A fossil unearthed in New Mexico is of a mammal that managed to survive the asteroid impact that that pushed dinosaurs to extinction, researchers say. The large size of the creature shows mammals started to thrive and evolve without the competition dinosaurs represented, they say.
Poaching And Illegal Trading Threatens Third Of World's Cactus Species With Extinction
Vital for sustaining arid global ecosystems, cacti are under pressure from human activities, researchers find. Illegal collection for the ornamental plant trade has put many cactus species in the endangered category.
Mathematics Lets Scientists Puts Distant Stars On A Scale For A 'Weigh-In'
Researchers combine observations of distant pulsars with knowledge of nuclear physics to determine their mass. Mathematical model lets them figure the mass based on a pulsar's rotation, they say.
Study: Asking Humans To Monitor Computers In Airline Cockpits A Recipe For Disaster
Increasing automation on the flight deck puts strain on human pilots tasked with monitoring automated flight, a study suggests. The results of loss of attention can be disastrous, they suggest.
United Kingdom Bans Smoking In Cars When Kids Are Passengers
Adult drivers or passengers can be fined $75 for smoking when children under 18 are riding in the car, officials say. Hope is the ban can change people's behavior, health experts say.
Smile, Charon! Pluto's Largest Moon Gets Its Turn In the Spotlight In New NASA Images
The dwarf planet's moon shows signs of a violent past, NASA scientists say. High-resolution images show unique and unexpected surface features.
Asteroid Impact + Earthquakes + Volcanoes = Goodbye Dinosaurs
Impact of an asteroid 66 millions years ago may have just been the opening act in the extinction of the dinosaurs, a study suggests. A one-two punch of impact and volcanic eruptions may have overwhelmed them, researchers say.
Killer Bees Found In San Francisco Bay Area For The First Time
A discovery near Oakland marks the farthest north that Africanized bees have been found in California, researchers say. It's likely that more than one colony exists in the area.
