NYT > Science

• As Earth Warms Up, Tropical Virus Moves to Italy
  Aided by global warming and globalization, Italy suffered the first outbreak of a tropical disease in modern Europe.
• Everyday Items, Complex Chemistry
  Holiday shoppers may worry about whether the toys they buy contain lead, but some scientists are urging consumers to focus on the thousands of chemicals in everyday household items.
• Rare Tiger Skinned in Chinese Zoo
  Police were searching for the culprits behind the beheading and skinning of a rare Siberian tiger at a zoo in central China, state media reported Sunday.
• Budget Cuts Will Mean Layoffs at Fermilab
  The nation’s premier center for plumbing the mysteries of the universe in the tiniest bits of matter is planning to lay off more than 10 percent of its employees.
• Mars Shot Is Put Off for 2 Years, NASA Says
  NASA has delayed the launching of a mission to Mars to 2013 because of an undisclosed conflict of interest involved in one of two final proposals, officials said.
• The Recalls’ Aftershocks
  What happened to all the lead-tainted products that have been recalled recently? Most, it turns out, may still be in consumers’ hands.
• No Joke, Bulb Change Is Challenge for U.S.
  When 2012 hits, stores will no longer be able to sell the cheap but inefficient incandescent light bulbs that are fixtures in most homes.
• Russia Signs Deal for Gas Pipeline Along Caspian Sea
  Analysts say Russia’s pipeline deal with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan could strengthen its monopoly on Central Asia’s energy exports.
• Plan on Airline Emissions Hints at U.S.-Europe Rift
  E.U. countries scaled back a proposal to regulate airline emissions, but agreed on measures likely to intensify a battle with the United States over environmental regulation.
• Scientists Weigh Stem Cells’ Role as Cancer Cause
  A debate over a hypothesis that cancers are fed by cancerous stem cells could affect the path of research.
• Orphanages Stunt Mental Growth, a Study Finds
  Giving credence to the long-held belief that orphanages stunt children’s mental development, a study shows that infants placed with foster families have higher I.Q.’s on average than those who remain in institutions.
• Japan Halts Plan to Kill Humpback Whales
  Japan is dropping its plan to kill humpback whales in the seas off Antarctica, the country’s top government spokesman said.
• The Green House as Classroom
  Green show houses are appearing across the country, spreading a message about environmentally conscious building.
• E.P.A. Says 17 States Can’t Set Emission Rules
  The E.P.A. said the proposed California rules were made moot by the energy bill signed into law by President Bush on Wednesday.
• Europe Proposes Binding Limits on Auto Emissions
  E.U. officials told leading automakers to make deep cuts in emissions or face fines that could reach billions of euros. But automakers promised a fight.
• Personal Health: Teenage Risks, and How to Avoid Them
  Why is risky behavior so common among teenagers and what might be done to curtail it?
• Well: Can a ‘Fertility Diet’ Get You Pregnant?
  A new book suggests that among other things, eating ice cream and cutting back on meat may help raise your fertility.
• Laws of Nature, Source Unknown
  Which came first: the order or the universe? And can science ever supply an answer?
• Findings: Why Nobody Likes a Smart Machine
  We and our machines are about to go through a rocky transition as the machines get smarter and take over more tasks.
• Pet Ferret Hit by an Arrow? Here’s a Book for You
  The new Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health: Home Edition is a 1,345-page book likely to find readership in an animal-crazed nation.
• At 71, Physics Professor Is a Web Star
  Walter H. G. Lewin, a physics professor at M.I.T., has found devotees across the country with his online lectures.
• For NASA, Repair Work on Ground and in Space
  Astronauts and engineers spent Tuesday troubleshooting problems in space and on the ground.
• A Conversation With Alan Rabinowitz: Zoologist Gives a Voice to Big Cats in the Wilderness
  Alan Rabinowitz has persuaded dictatorships and democracies alike to protect their felines.
• Essay: Darwin’s Era, Modern Themes: Science, Faith and Publication
  “Trumpery,” a play that opened this month in New York, explores a period teeming with religiosity and controversy.
• Signs of TB in Ancient Skull Support Theory on Vitamin D
  Scientists have found evidence of a peril that human ancestors encountered in their migrations out of Africa: tuberculosis.
• Mind: Brought on by Darkness, Disorder Needs Light
  More than winter blahs, seasonal depression is recognized and treatable.
• In the Trenches | The Health Insurance Counselor: Doggedly Persistent, Untying Medicare Knots for the Elderly
  Frederic Riccardi is an attack dog disguised as a health insurance counselor.
• Cosmic Clash
  Astronomers have released an image of what looks like galactic warfare.
• Observatory: A Comet Is Missing, So Spacecraft Will Go to NASA’s Next Choice
  NASA has given its Deep Impact spacecraft a new mission.