Новости науки и техники в "Scientific American"

BOOKSTORE: THE STRUCTURE OF EVOLUTIONARY THEORY by Stephen Jay Gould

When America's best-known scientist publishes his major work, it is an event. And The Structure of Evolutionary Theory is indeed an event, but not one aimed at the general reader. It is a monumental work, both in size (1,400-plus pages) and in scope - it sets out to do nothing less than reformulate Darwin's theory of evolution. "Nothing of Darwin's central logic has faded or fully capsized," Gould writes, "but his theory has been transformed, along his original lines, into something far different, far richer, and far more adequate to guide our understanding of nature." Among the many threads that weave through the book runs a major Gouldian theme, the idea of species selection - that species, not just individuals, compete against one another for survival.

IS NASA LOST IN SPACE?

A series of bad budgeting decisions over the past few decades has left NASA in a serious bind. Both the space shuttle and the International Space Station are facing severe cutbacks, forcing NASA to reallocate funds from unmanned missions that would probably yield greater scientific returns. Can the agency that took us to the moon get back on track?

GM MOSQUITO BLOCKS MALARIA TRANSMISSION

Malaria kills 1 to 3 million people each year and traditional attempts to eliminate the scourge are failing. Now researchers have shown that inserting laboratory-created genes into mosquito DNA reduced transmission of the disease in mice. Scientists hope that such genetically modified mosquitoes could one day be used in the wild to combat the spread of the malarial parasite from infected mosquitoes to unsuspecting humans.

JUPITER'S ENTOURAGE GROWS BY 11

Just as the Roman god Jupiter fathered scores of children in myth, so too does his planetary namesake appear to have a large family. Astronomers recently discovered 11 new moons orbiting the solar system's largest planet, bumping the tally up to 39 - more than that known for any other planet.

COSMIC IMPACT MAY HAVE ENABLED DINOSAURS' ASCENT

We usually think of asteroid impacts as closing certain chapters of life. But new findings indicate that in the case of dinosaurs, just such a collision may have also permitted their rise to power. Researchers report that geological and paleontological evidence points to a bolide impact occurring around 200 million years ago and clearing the world stage for the dinosaurs' ascent.

SOY-BASED INFANT FORMULAS MAY HINDER IMMUNE SYSTEM

In news that may provide advocates of breast-feeding with yet more ammunition, scientists have found that soy-based infant formulas may impair the developing immune system. Infants drinking such formulas take in 10 times as much of an immune-suppressing, hormone-like compound as do adults eating a high-soy diet and 200 times as much as infants consuming breast milk or cow's milk.

ASK THE EXPERTS: WHAT CAUSES LEG CRAMPS?

Mark Andrews, an associate professor of physiology at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, explains.