NYT > Science

Space Shuttle Lands

By WILLIAM HARWOOD — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:30:22 GMT

The shuttle landed in the Mojave Desert, diverted from a planned Florida landing by low clouds and high crosswinds.

Egyptian-Born Scientist Leaves U.S. After Losing Suit

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:25:11 GMT

The scientist, Abdel Moniem Ali el-Ganayni, had filed a lawsuit saying the revocation of his security clearance was punishment for criticizing the Iraq war and President Bush.

In Maryland, Focus on Poultry Industry Pollution

By IAN URBINA — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:24:47 GMT

As officials seek new rules on how farmers can spread or store chicken manure, the industry is fighting back.

A Land Rush in Wyoming Spurred by Wind Power

By FELICITY BARRINGER — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:02:14 GMT

Residents are forming associations to bargain with developers looking to buy land rights for wind farms.

Space Shuttle Undocks From Space Station

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:15:06 GMT

Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of seven departed the International Space Station on Friday.

Asian Beetle Spells Death for Maples So Dear

By ARIANA GREEN — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:59:33 GMT

A number of maple trees in Worcester, Mass., will be chopped down because of an infestation of Asian long-horned beetles that is plaguing thousands of trees.

NYC: Tickling Worms Leads to Discoveries, and a Measure of Fame

By CLYDE HABERMAN — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:33:05 GMT

Dr. Martin Chalfie, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is learning that winning one of the world’s most prestigious prizes does come with perks.

Investment Funds Push an Environmental Agenda

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:24:19 GMT

Investing with the idea of improving the environmental actions of corporations is catching on among some big pension funds.

Edwin E. Salpeter, Leader in Astrophysics Study, Dies at 83

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 10:24:33 GMT

Dr. Salpeter was an astrophysicist known for his studies of chain reactions in stars and as a developer of the “Salpeter-Bethe equation” describing how helium changes to carbon.

Arduous Space Mission in the Homestretch

By JOHN SCHWARTZ — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:25:07 GMT

The shuttle Endeavour will separate from the International Space Station on Friday and will land as early as Sunday at 1:18 p.m., weather permitting.

The Great White Way Tries to Turn Green

By STEVEN McELROY — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:57:31 GMT

Broadway Goes Green is a new partnership between the city and Broadway that is meant to shrink the Shrek-size carbon footprint of the Great White Way.

World Briefing | The Americas: Canada: Hawking Takes Post at Physics Institute

By IAN AUSTEN — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:39:46 GMT

Stephen Hawking will become the first distinguished research chair at Canada’s leading scientific trust, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario.

Basics: In an Age of Robots, One to Clean the House? Still but a Dream

By NATALIE ANGIER — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:57:50 GMT

Today’s experimental robots bear little physical resemblance to our fantasy androids.

Bald Eagles in Catskills Show Increasing Mercury

By ANTHONY DePALMA — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:18:10 GMT

An environmental organization has found high levels of 0f mercury in the blood and feathers of bald eagle chicks in the Catskill Park region of New York.

Books: Magnificent Medical Miracles, and Everyday Ones, Too

By ABIGAIL ZUGER, M.D — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:54:52 GMT

Two new health books go a long way toward explicating medical miracles pursued and those that unfold against all expectations.

Books of The Times: Polly Wanna Cracker? Squawk! Do Better, That’s So Bush League

By MICHIKO KAKUTANI — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:19:05 GMT

Irene M. Pepperberg describes her three-decade-long relationship with Alex the African gray parrot — and her struggle to win recognition from the scientific establishment.

Slump May Limit Moves on Clean Energy

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:18:16 GMT

A poor global economy and plunging prices for coal and oil are upending plans to curb the use of fossil fuels.

Observatory: Once Thought Invasive, Some Galápagos Plants Can Call the Place Home

By HENRY FOUNTAIN — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:19:24 GMT

Some plants that were thought to be invasive species in the Galápagos Islands predate humans by thousands of years.

Observatory: Blanket of Soil May Hide Vast Martian Glaciers

By HENRY FOUNTAIN — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:20:35 GMT

New evidence suggests that pure ice in the form of glaciers may be buried under a thin layer of soil and rock on the red planet.

Vital Signs: Safety: Helmets’ Face Shields Found to Be Sturdy

By ERIC NAGOURNEY — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:27:38 GMT

Plastic face shields that attach to helmets are strong enough to protect players’ eyes from even the most powerful blows, a new study finds.

Q & A: Old and Cold

By C. CLAIBORNE RAY — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:16:52 GMT

Does age affect people’s ability to endure cold?

Vital Signs: Nostrums: Ginkgo Biloba Found Not to Avert Dementia

By ERIC NAGOURNEY — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:28:38 GMT

Ginkgo biloba appears to do nothing to prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says.

Observatory: Studying Rare Penguin, Scientist Finds New Species

By HENRY FOUNTAIN — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:21:07 GMT

The most unusual aspect of the scientists’ discovery of a new species of penguin is that it’s extinct.

Statins May Lower Odds of Pneumonia Death

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:24:36 GMT

Statins, the drugs widely used to control cholesterol, may have another beneficial effect: lowering the risk of death from pneumonia.

A Whisper, Perhaps, From the Universe’s Dark Side

By DENNIS OVERBYE — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:07:06 GMT

Recent results from a number of experiments have led some scientists to suspect that they are getting signals from a shadow universe of dark matter.

A Soldier, Taking Orders From Its Ethical Judgment Center

By CORNELIA DEAN — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:53:28 GMT

Some scientists propose that fighting robots have benefits, but moral questions linger.

The Evidence Gap: New Arena for Testing of Drugs: Real World

By GINA KOLATA — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:00:35 GMT

There is a growing movement to gather evidence to explore what treatment is best for typical patients with complex symptoms.