February 2007


Tooth implant ‘to release drugs’
Researchers are developing a tooth implant which automatically releases medicine.

Simulator ‘conquers quake stress’
Earthquake simulators can reduce post-traumatic stress in people who have survived the real thing, a study suggests.

Sustainable Developments: Threats of War, Chances for Peace
Preventing the spread of war will depend on strategies that recognize the shared interests of adversaries
Jeffrey D. Sachs

Mass Extinction
What caused the mother of all extinctions 250 million years ago?
NOVA

Threat to ocean sharks increases
Several species of ocean-going shark are more threatened than previously thought, scientists conclude.

Hunting Meteorites
Meteorite hunter Rob Matson invites Neil deGrasse Tyson to the Mojave Desert.
NOVA scienceNOW

News: Hormonal Surge During Pregnancy Repairs Faulty Brain Signaling

Nikhil Swaminathan

Bio Snapshot | Oil Spill on the Lebanese Coast

Oil Spill on the Lebanese Coast
Mediterranean Sea

The conflict in Lebanon has caused an oil spill feared to be the worst environmental disaster in the country’s history.

On July 13 and 15, bombs hit storage tanks at an oil-fueled power plant. Between 10,000 and 15,000 tons of oil leaked from the tanks and is drifting in the Mediterranean Sea. Satellites have helped monitor the spill, but due to the instability of the area, site visits and initial cleanup began only recently.

Scientists are concerned about the hazards the oil poses to biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea. It may coat bluefin tuna eggs floating in the water, and block young green sea turtles from swimming out to sea after hatching.

Image Credits 
Middle East, August 2004 (Blue Marble Next Generation: satellite: NASA Terra, sensor: MODIS)
Lebanon, July 16, 2006 (Satellite: NASA Terra, sensor: MODIS)
Lebanon/Syria (satellite: NASA Landsat 7, sensor: ETM+)
Oil slick data July 21/Aug 3, 2006 (Satellite: ENVISAT, sensor: ASAR, map: ©DLR 2006)
Oil fire and spill (AP)
Bluefin tuna (Tuna Research & Conservation Center, Stanford University)
Green sea turtle (U. Keuper-Benett/P. Bennett, www.turtles.org)

Related Science Bulletins
Massive Oil Spills Stain Louisiana (September 26, 2005)
Alaskan Oil Spill Cleanup Continues (January 17, 2005)

1918 Flu
A virus that killed up to 50 million people is brought back to life to decipher its deadliness.
NOVA

Record power for military laser
A laser developed for military use is close to hitting a power threshold necessary to turn it into a battlefield weapon.

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