Scientific Method / Science & Exploration

Week in science: World Series of superstition edition

A look back at the week's biggest science stories.

Placebo-ball: the science of baseball's magical necklaces: The World Series starts tonight, and if you tune in, you'll notice the colored titanium necklaces that have become popular with major league baseball players. Their maker claims that they adjust the "energy flow" of those wearing them, but the necklaces appear to rely on the placebo effect for any good they do.

When did the giant impact that formed the Moon take place?: We're pretty sure that the Moon was created when a Mars-sized object hit the early Earth, but we're a bit less certain of when, exactly, that happened.

It's official: to protect baby's brain, turn off the TV: A decade ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations on television consumption by infants were based as much on common sense as science. The research has finally grown up—and the verdict is harsh.

Texas agency censors scientific report to remove references to reality: A report on Galveston Bay mentioned sea level rise, and the state's environmental agency apparently doesn't like references to climate change.

Redesign improves energy efficiency of supermarket cold food cases: Engineers used physics to improve the designs of open-air refrigerated display cases (in supermarkets), and showed that a 10-15 percent improvement in energy usage is possible with minor changes to existing designs.

Springy yoyos turn buildings into sources of energy: Researchers show that hanging a yoyo off a skyscraper might be a great way to harvest power from its natural swaying motion.

Oxygen kept out of atmosphere until volcanoes rose above the ocean surface: Oxygen began to build up in the atmosphere about 2.5 billion years ago, during what is referred to as the Great Oxygenation Event. We've long understood this to be tied to the onset of photosynthesis performed by cyanobacteria, but that doesn't tell the whole story. There seem to be other factors in play.

Stars that shouldn't be there form by stealing material, not smashing: Blue stragglers are stars that are like teenagers in a retirement home: young and hot, in contrast to their neighbors who have aged gracefully. A new study indicates that blue stragglers hold on to their youth by sucking gas away from their companions.

Cold temperature inversions actually help warm the Arctic: As the Earth warms, the change seen at high northern latitudes is greater than any other part of the planet—a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. A paper published this week in Nature Geoscience identifies another factor behind that amplification: atmospheric temperature inversions.

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