SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
from Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
Today's Headlines - March 13, 2008

Olympians Air a Gripe about Beijing

from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required)

BEIJING -- Matt Reed was 1,500 meters into the last segment of the
triathlon when he found himself gasping for oxygen. His legs were still
pounding away at the pavement, his body pumped up after cruising through
the swimming and cycling contests, but his lungs were shutting down.

The 32-year-old triathlete from Boulder, Colo., blames air pollution for
triggering his asthma attack during the September track meet. If he
returns
to Beijing for the Olympics, he says, he will wear a mask except while
competing. And he'll try to avoid showing up here until the second week
of
the Games, when the triathlon is held, even though that would mean
missing
the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies.

An increasing number of athletes are threatening to skip part or all of
the
Olympics because they believe the air is unsafe.

To read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-fg-
olyair12mar12,1,1018765.story

Or: http://snipurl.com/21lw2


Industry Scrambles to Find a 'Greener' Concrete

from the Christian Science Monitor

We drive our cars on it, we build skyscrapers with it. But concrete, one
of
the most common building materials in the world, has an ugly secret:
It's a
major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which contribute to
global
warming.

Roughly 5 to 10 percent of global CO2 emissions are related to the
manufacture and transportation of cement, a major ingredient of
concrete.
With cement production expected to grow exponentially in coming decades,
the industry is trying to address its environmental challenges.

"There is not one single cement company on this planet that is not
thinking
about how to [reduce emissions]," says Franz-Josef Ulm, a professor of
civil engineering who researches concrete at the Massachusetts Institute
of
Technology in Cambridge, Mass.

To read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0312/p14s01-stgn.html

Or: http://snipurl.com/21lv3


Americans May Be Getting Enough Sleep After All, Report Says

from the Washington Post (Registration Required)

Americans are not as sleep-deprived as they think they are and, in fact,
appear to be getting more Z's these days than they got a few years ago,
according to an independent analysis of government statistics.

The new findings run counter to the widespread public perception that
Americans are getting less and less sleep because of increasing
workplace
demands and the plethora of distractions available around the clock on
the
Internet and cable television.

"Many Americans work too much, but most do not seem to be cutting
corners
on their sleep to do so," said John P. Robinson, a sociologist at the
University of Maryland, who led the analysis with faculty colleague
Steven
Martin.

To read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031102537.html

Or: http://snipurl.com/21ltu


Cassini to Make Audacious Flyby

from BBC News Online

Such is the interest in Enceladus that Nasa has directed its Cassini
spacecraft to pass just 50km from the Saturnian moon on Wednesday. The
flyby will take the probe through the plumes of icy particles emanating
from the enigmatic cracks at the south pole dubbed the "tiger stripes."

The cause of this activity has developed into the big scientific
question
of the flagship mission. The pass will allow Cassini instruments to
directly sample the plume particles.

This should help scientists address the tantalising issue of whether
there
is an ocean under Enceladus' icy crust. However, commanding a probe more
than a billion km from Earth to fly so close to this 500km-wide moon is
no
small feat.

To read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7289670.stm

Or: http://snipurl.com/21ltb


Mining Claims Rise Near Western Cities

from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required)

WASHINGTON -- Propelled by soaring prices for gold, copper, uranium and
other metals, new mining claims on federal land are surging near heavily
populated areas in the West, according to an analysis of federal
records.

More than 16,000 such claims have been staked in the last five years,
including nearly 1,700 in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said a
report released Tuesday by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

The new activity brings the total of active claims within five miles of
Western population centers to nearly 51,600, the report said. The total
number of mining claims has doubled in the last five years, from 207,540
in
2003 to 414,228 in January 2008.

To read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/scimedemail/la-na-
mining12mar12,0,1818106.story

Or: http://snipurl.com/21lrx


For Advancing Cancer Research, N.C. Teenager Wins National Award

from the San Diego Union-Tribune (Registration Required)

RALEIGH, N.C. (Associated Press) - A North Carolina high schooler beat
out
1,600 others nationwide to win a $100,000 scholarship Tuesday for
developing a model she used to identify stage II colon cancer patients
at a
high risk for recurrence.

The model created by Shivani Sud, 17, also focused on identifying what
may
be the most effective drugs for treatment for those with a high risk of
recurring tumors, according to organizers of the annual Intel Science
Talent Search.

Sud, a senior at Jordan High School in Durham, was named the winner of
the
competition at an awards banquet in Washington, D.C., where 40 finalists
have been showing their projects in competition for top honors.

To read more: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20080311-2036-
scienceaward.html

Or: http://snipurl.com/21lwh


'Expatriates' from Physics Careers Find Funding in Medicine

from the Boston Globe (Registration Required)

Brian Winey was headed for a successful research career in physics. The
nuclear physics student had worked at Cornell's linear accelerator and
was
halfway through a doctorate in quantum optics four years ago when his
adviser's grant money ran out. With no job and no funding, Winey had to
reconsider his career options.

This year, hundreds of researchers in the United States may face a
similar
crisis. Congress's 2008 omnibus bill in December wiped out funding for
two
major projects in high-energy physics and clouds the future for
individual
researchers who rely on National Science Foundation funding.

The cutbacks are driving physicists like Winey from basic research and
academia into other fields, according to students and researchers. Winey
turned to radiation oncology, a field that uses physics principles to
provide radiation treatment for cancer patients.

To read more:
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/03/10/expatriates_from_
phys
ics_careers_find_funding_fulfillment_in_medicine/

Or: http://snipurl.com/21lx8


Priest-Cosmologist Wins $1.6 Million Templeton Prize

from the New York Times (Registration Required)

The $1.6 million Templeton Prize, the richest award made to an
individual
by a philanthropic organization, was given Wednesday to Michael Heller,
72,
a Roman Catholic priest, cosmologist and philosopher who has spent his
life
asking, and perhaps more impressively answering, questions like "Does
the
universe need to have a cause?"

The John Templeton Foundation, which awards grants to encourage
scientific
discovery on the "big questions" in science and philosophy, commended
Professor Heller, who is from Poland, for his extensive writings that
have "evoked new and important consideration of some of humankind's most
profound concepts."

Much of Professor Heller's career has been dedicated to reconciling the
known scientific world with the unknowable dimensions of God.

To read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/science/13prize.html

Or: http://snipurl.com/21ntq


EPA Toughens Smog Limits, but Not Enough for Some Advocates

from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required)

Federal regulators imposed tougher limits on smog pollution Wednesday,
but
the Bush administration rejected pleas from independent scientists and
children's health experts for even more stringent standards.

New rules announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will
tighten air quality standards set a decade ago, reflecting a growing
amount
of research indicating that smog poses greater health risks than
previously
thought.

The air in Chicago, which met federal smog standards for the first time
last year, will fail again under the new limit.

To read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-smog-
13mar13,0,7874603.story

Or: http://snipurl.com/21nud


Mysterious Meteorites Stymie Scientists

from National Geographic News

A pair of mysterious meteorites discovered in Antarctica is baffling
scientists who are struggling to determine the origin of the space
rocks.

The meteorites, dubbed GRA 06128 and GRA 06129, were found in the Graves
Nunataks region of Antarctica in 2006. The rocks were oddly rusty and
salty
and smelled like rotten eggs, their discoverers said.

Initially, a team at the University of New Mexico (UNM) caused a stir
when
its analysis hinted that the pair may hail from Venus or the moon. But
other teams then hurried to get pieces of the space rocks for analyses
of
their own - and for the most part, they disagree.

To read more: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080312-
meteorites.html

Or: http://snipurl.com/21nus