Wednesday, 23 May, 2012

How do tsunami warning systems work? How quickly could one be built in the Indian Ocean?

Climatologist instructed to obey NASA minder when talking with media. Political appointee wants to review web postings, journal articles, requests for interviews. What happens when science and politics mix?

Stress can interfere with working memory and judgment by changing a chemical messenger. What is the role of stress in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia?

Old museum collection sheds light on vanishing land snails of Polynesia.

Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology given to inventors of MRI machine — but were these guys really the inventors? Meet an unprecedented PR campaign to change the Nobel.

Edward Teller helped invent the hydrogen bomb, then pushed missile defense. By public advocacy and secret research, he changed the 20th century.

Chandra links gamma-ray bursts to supernovas. What really causes these gigantic explosions?

Scientific journals choose self-censorship, decide not to publish articles related to biological weapons, bioterrorism and national security. Is this a necessary change in scientific tradition, or an over-reaction to a fearful political climate?

Space shuttle Columbia has crashed, raising questions about research on the space shuttle and the International Space Station. Should we do space science by robots or manned vehicles?

What was learned on Columbia’s last, tragic mission?