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Observatory: Falklands Wolf First Appeared in North America, Researchers Say

The Falklands wolf has puzzled evolutionary biologists since Charles Darwin first encountered it during the voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s. It was the only native land mammal on the Falkland Islands, which are 300 miles off the coast of Argentina. ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  4 Nov 2009

Related Topics: University of California, Los Angeles

Observatory: Odor-Controlling Silver Exits Textiles in the Wash

When it comes to killing bacteria, fungi and the like, silver is a thing of beauty. Silver ions are such effective antimicrobial agents, in fact, that there are now hundreds of consumer products that contain small amounts of the metal, in the form of ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  2 Nov 2009

Observatory: Sending Drugs to Specific Spots in a Tiny Cage

For years, biomedical engineers have been trying to develop ways to deliver tiny amounts of a drug to a specific target anticancer compounds directly to tumors, for example. Much of the work involves microscale capsules or other hollow structures with ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  2 Nov 2009

Related Topics: Washington University in St. Louis

Observatory: The Role of Air Pressure in Starting a Landslide

Rain can set off landslides, as can earthquakes. But what about air? More precisely, what about the weight of air, better known as atmospheric pressure? Researchers have found strong evidence that atmospheric tides, slight changes in air pressure ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  2 Nov 2009

Related Topics: United States Geological Survey

Vibrations Keep Water Out of Lotus Leaves

Scientists have solved a longstanding mystery about the water repellency of lotus leaves, and in doing so might have discovered a way to make better self-cleaning and low-drag materials. The secret, according to a study in Physical Review Letters by ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  26 Oct 2009

Related Topics: Lotus,  Duke University,  RadioShack

Observatory: The Alluring Power of Blood in Spiders

What drives a jumping spider wild? A certain fragrance among members of the opposite sex, apparently, that is acquired by eating blood. That is the finding of a study of the jumping spider Evarcha culicivora by Fiona R. Cross and Robert R. Jackson of ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  26 Oct 2009

Observatory: Research at the Source of a Pennsylvania Flood

Like many people who come to Johnstown, Pa., Carrie Davis Todd, a hydrologist who was hired to teach at a local university a little over a year ago, was curious about the great Johnstown Flood of 1889, in which 2,209 people were killed when a dam ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  26 Oct 2009

Related Topics: University of Pittsburgh

Observatory: 2-Pound Dinosaur Holds a North American Record

Small dinosaurs are big these days. Last month, researchers announced the discovery of mini-rex, a tiny prototype of a Tyrannosaurus from China. And now paleontologists are reporting the smallest dinosaur ever found in North America. The animal, ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  22 Oct 2009

Related Topics: Royal Society

Observatory: Color of Fabric Matters When Protecting Skin From Ultraviolet Rays

It takes more than sunscreen to keep the sun’s ultraviolet rays from harming your skin. The type of clothing you wear can offer protection, too or not. Studies have shown that some lightweight fabrics do not provide enough UV protection. But it is not ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  19 Oct 2009

Related Topics: Polytechnic University

Observatory: A Whisker as a Record of Life’s Adventures

Every whisker tells a story. That is the thinking behind a study of the migration patterns and foraging strategies of Antarctic fur seals. Whiskers, like human hair, are made primarily of the protein keratin and grow from the base. Keratin is stable, ...

From HENRY FOUNTAIN, The New York Times,  19 Oct 2009

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