Новости науки и техники в "Scientific American"

BACK TO THE MOON?

Scientists who study Earth's moon have two big regrets about the six Apollo missions that landed a dozen astronauts on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. The biggest regret, of course, is that the missions ended so abruptly, with so much of the moon still unexplored. But researchers also lament that the great triumph of Apollo led to a popular misconception: because astronauts have visited the moon, there is no compelling reason to go back.

PROTEINS MAY BE KEY TO PAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

When it comes to pain, guys may be tougher than gals because they have more of a particular type of protein, new research suggests. Two studies of mice implicate proteins known as GIRKs in sex-based differences in pain sensitivity.

BOOKSTORE: WATER FOLLIES: GROUNDWATER PUMPING AND THE FATE OF AMERICA'S FRESH WATERS by Robert Glennon

In the high plains of Texas the farmers who grow cotton, alfalfa and other crops are entitled by law to as much underground water as they can reasonably use. No matter that this water comes from the Ogallala Aquifer, that vast underground reservoir whose levels have dropped precipitously since 1940. No matter that the overpumping threatens eventually to put thousands of farmers across seven states out of business. The illusion, codified in the law not just in Texas but in much of the U.S., is that groundwater is somehow boundless, or in a category apart from lakes, rivers and streams, and ought not be regulated, even for the common good.

COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND RADIATION'S POLARIZATION DETECTED AT LAST

Although it was discovered less than 40 years ago, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation has been around a lot longer than that. A relic from the early days of the Universe more than 14 billion years ago, the CMB is the oldest radiation on record. Current cosmological models posit that the CMB should be slightly polarized but this property has never been observed - until now. Researchers have finally detected the CMB's polarization and found that it agrees with theoretical estimates.

ICY LAKE HOUSES EXTREME ECOSYSTEM

Beneath nearly 20 meters of solid Antarctic ice lies a salty lake that has been sealed off from the atmosphere for close to 3,000 years. Lake Vida contains the thickest nonglacial lake ice cover on earth. And that ice, scientist have found, houses centuries-old bacteria - a discovery that could inform the hunt for evidence of life in other extreme environments, such as Mars.

ZEBRAFISH MEND BROKEN HEARTS

The tiny zebrafish had already impressed scientists with its ability to regenerate damaged spinal cord, retina and fin tissues. Now research shows that the fish can also regrow missing and injured heart muscle. The finding might aid the development of strategies for healing impaired human hearts.

ASK THE EXPERTS: WHAT EXACTLY IS THE NORTH STAR?

Rich Schuler of the University of Missouri-St. Louis explains.