Epidemics followed the Spanish arrival in the New World, but the worst killer may have been a shadowy native—a killer that could still be out there. Continue reading…
Category Archives: Science, Technology & Medicine
Rogue Waves
the physics of pure hell at sea by bruce stutz Alfred Osborne’s style is not to do one thing at a time. At the moment he is trying to get a major wave experiment going at a huge tank in Trondheim, Norway. But his PC […]
Are Cell Phones Safe? The Verdict is Still Out
While some studies have suggested that frequent use of cell phones causes increased risk of brain and mouth cancers, others have found no such links. But since cell phones are relatively new and brain cancers grow slowly, many experts are now recommending taking steps to […]
Companies Put Restrictions On Research into GM Crops
A battle is quietly being waged between the industry that produces genetically modified seeds and scientists trying to investigate the environmental impacts of engineered crops. Although companies such as Monsanto have recently given ground, researchers say these firms are still loath to allow independent analyses […]
A Controversial Drilling Practice Hits Roadblock in New York
Hydro fracturing is a profitable method of natural gas extraction that uses large quantities of water and chemicals to free gas from underground rock formations. But New York City’s concerns that the practice would threaten its water supply have slowed a juggernaut that has been […]
Finding New Species: The Golden Age of Discovery
Aided by new access to remote regions, researchers have been discovering new species at a record pace — 16,969 in 2006 alone. The challenge now is to preserve threatened ecosystems before these species, and others yet unknown, are lost. by bruce stutz Even as biodiversity […]
Pumphead: Does the heart-lung machine have a dark side?
One man’s experience with cognitive impairment after open-heart surgery Continue reading…
A Mussel-bound Robot
At a time when robots build cars, perambulate mars, vacuum homes, and serve drinks, one that lies motionless on a shoreline and takes its own temperature may not seem to have much going for it. But a sessile robo-mussel, the creation of University of South […]
Self-Nonmedication
Seven years ago, not long after my father died, with my editing job lost, my finances frail, my 26-year marriage failing, a child in college and a mortgage to pay, my brain seemed to lose its way. Sometimes it could barely think at all. Sometimes […]