Wednesday, 23 May, 2012

The epidemic fades, with 61 confirmed deaths and 5,251 cases so far. Were the public health warnings overdone? Or did they help stem the pandemic? Your guide to the time of finger-pointing, flu-style.

Don’t know much about Science Education: A new survey shows three out of every four US adults do not feel they have a good understanding of science.

Hybrid cars and plug-in hybrids boost auto efficiency and reduce pollution, but it’s a long struggle from the idea to the reality.

In 1997, Dolly was BIG NEWS. What did Dolly teach? Why did cloning attract so many oddballs, and what is the status of reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning? The Why Files honors Dolly with a 10-year lookback.

To understand and protect the home planet: it’s no longer a key NASA mission. What will we lose as NASA turns its eyes toward the moon and Mars?

Bigfoot film was a fraud, a hoax, says man who played bigfoot in 1967 film. Why do so many people believe in cryptozoology?

Manned space flight is expensive — and risky. What causes accidents? Was the destruction of space shuttle Columbia a result of NASA’s failed safety culture? Are accidents normal?

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?

Genetically modified corn in Mexico starts scientific scandal; journal retracts article. What do we really learn from scientific publications? How have money and patents changed the scientific process?

What is the secret of scientific creativity? What does it take to come up with the big discoveries? How do some institutions come up with more than their share of Nobels?