Wednesday, 23 May, 2012

What would happen to the global climate after a nuclear war between India and Pakistan? Study says the planet would be dark and cool for 10 years. How much would food production decline?

It’s a fact of life: Hurricanes and floods happen. So why are people rebuilding in the path of storms and floods? Is there a smarter way to plan development?

People pray for the health of friends and family. Can science prove these prayers work? Should it try? Random, double-blind studies tread the natural-supernatural schism.

Study: Drug companies advertise new diseases to push their product. How do journalists respond to the media blitz? How have newspapers reported on restless leg syndrome?

Trucks create a lot of turbulence at the rear. Can a simple set of plates reduce this turbulence and save 10 percent on an 18-wheeler’s fuel bill?

The solar clock doesn’t quite line up with the atomic clock. We use leap seconds to make them match. Should we dump the leap second?

As weapons proliferate, we wonder: exactly how do you make a nuke? How many nations have this ability? How can we track proliferators?

Are software filters for the Internet censorship — or common sense? How do filters work? We take a filter for a test drive and ask, what are the intellectual stakes?

An international team of scientists selected the Homestake goldmine to be the world’s deepest underground lab, but the project may sink.

Chandra, the X-ray astronomy telescope, is three years old. We ogle some of its greatest hits. Caution: These bangs are BIG!