NYT > Science

• Beijing’s Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue
  For the world’s Olympians, Beijing’s air is a performance issue. For the city’s estimated 12 million residents, pollution is an inescapable health and quality-of-life issue.
• New Zealand Builds a Nest Big Enough to Save Kiwis
  Kiwi numbers have declined rapidly over the past century, as populations struggled with the twin threats of shrinking habitat and expanding legions of new predators.
• Finding Alzheimer’s Before a Mind Fails
  Alzheimer’s seems to strike suddenly in old age, but scientists believe it begins long before symptoms occur.
• Both Sides Cite Science to Address Altered Corn
  A proposal to ban the planting of a genetically modified corn strain sets up a bitter war within the European Union.
• On the Ground and in the Water, Tracing a Giant Wave’s Path
  Dr. Harindra Joseph S. Fernando studies the human activities that make a natural disaster even more deadly.
• Brain Cells, Doing Their Job With Some Neighborly Help
  How does the brain process all of the information being taken in by our senses every second of every day?
• The Lure of Treatments Science Has Dismissed
  Exploring the reasons people swear by treatments that have no scientific evidence backing them.
• When the Senses Become Confused
  After a stroke, the brain tries to reorganize itself. However, sometimes this process goes awry, leaving one woman to feel sounds on her skin.
• The Claim: Calories From Alcohol Go to Your Midsection
  But do calories from alcohol congregate at the midsection at a greater rate than others?
• The Silent Scream
  Can your hearing be harmed by a loud, high-frequency noise you cannot hear?
• Birthing: Elective Caesareans Tied to Breathing Problems
  Babies delivered by elective Caesarean sections are significantly more likely to have respiratory problems than those delivered vaginally or by emergency surgery, a new study finds.
• Hazards: More Transfusions Mean More Risk for Women
  Women are more likely than men to die after heart surgery, and one reason may be the use of a common medical procedure: blood transfusions.
• Insights: Clinical Trials May Not Represent Population
  The randomized clinical trial, widely considered the most reliable biomedical research method, can have significant drawbacks, a new study suggests.
• Treatments: Talking Out the Choices for Breast Cancer Surgery
  Most surgeons fail to mention the possibility of breast reconstruction before their patients choose between mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery, researchers have found.
• Even Top Performers Have Flaws, and That Might Be a Good Thing
  A virtuoso musician may seem to nail every note, but actually there are tiny variations in even the most skilled performance.
• Researchers Find Animal That Links Whales to Land
  Researchers think they have found the modern whale’s closest evolutionary ancestor.
• Arecibo Radio Telescope Is Back in Business After 6-Month Spruce-Up
  After a fresh coat of paint, the most sensitive radio telescope on the planet should be good for 30 or 40 more years.
• Pope Makes Appeal to Protect the Environment
  In the traditional midnight Christmas Mass, the pope bemoaned an “ill-treated world” in a homily given to thousands of pilgrims.
• Pleasure Without Guilt: Green Hotels With Comfort
  A selection of California hotels balance luxury and sincerity in their environmental friendliness.
• Conserving Cuba, After the Embargo
  Environmentalists are thinking ahead to the effect of tourists and investors on a landscape of crucial habitats.
• Birds, Bugs Named as Steroid Users!
  Baseball players may not be the only animals looking to gain an advantage by using steroids.
• A Question of Blame When Societies Fall
  Who or what is to blame when a once-powerful society collapses?
• On the Same Wavelength With the Doctor
  Feel like going to the doctor is a waste of time? With a little preparation, your next doctor’s visit can be a lot more productive.