Science

Return of wheat rust on the horizon
An old nemesis is threatening wheat crops around the world. Wheat stem rust epidemics have been controlled for decades, but a new outbreak in Africa has scientists in the Midwest working overtime to breed new resistant wheat plants.
Central nervous system goes techno
A dream of people working in prosthetics is to have artificial limbs respond to brain waves, so the artificial one responds almost as smoothly as the lost limb. A new recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" grant says the technology shows promise in monkeys.
Study: Heavy construction materials, added pavement brought down 35W bridge
The 35W bridge was over-weighted with concrete pavement and construction materials, causing an under-sized gusset plate to fail, according to a study conducted by University of California-Berkeley structural engineering professor Hassan Astaneh.
Baby Boom mothers text their kids
Time --and technology-- are marching on. Commentator Peter Smith has noticed what he sees as a disturbing new trend: Baby Boom moms who are texting their young adult kids.
Out with the old, in with the new
Every New Year's Eve we make resolutions to change our ways, but rarely do we follow through, because habits are hard to break. But one expert says creating new habits isn't as daunting as it seems.
Why science needs art
Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, and Gertrude Stein are all known for their contributions to the arts, but writer Jonah Lehrer says that their work also showed profound scientific insight. And he argues that without art, science will never be able to answer our most essential questions.
Return to Mars
NASA's Phoenix is the first spacecraft to attempt a landing on Mars since the crash of their Mars Polar Lander nearly a decade before. Midmorning discusses the search for ice and life in the Martian atmosphere.
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