Shuttle astronaut invents zero-gravity cup
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – Future space travelers may be drinking their own urine, thanks to the International Space Station’s new water recycler, but they can now do so with a touch of class. Endeavour astronaut Don Pettit, a self-described tinkerer who served as the space station’s flight engineer in 2003, invented a zero-gravity cup that wicks liquids along the sides of a piece of folded plastic, eliminating the need for a straw.

Common Cold Virus Came From Birds About 200 Years Ago, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2008) — A virus that causes cold-like symptoms in humans originated in birds and may have crossed the species barrier around 200 years ago, according to a new article published in the Journal of General Virology. Scientists hope their findings will help us understand how potentially deadly viruses emerge in humans.

Dry Skin? Don’t Let Winter Win
Here are tips for keeping supple in the cold season

A Surgeon You Can Swallow
ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2008) — In the future, tablet-shaped robots could perform some surgical operations without injuring the body.

Ultrasound Waves Aid In Rapid Treatment Of Deep Vein Thrombosis
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2008) — The use of ultrasound waves for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may help dissolve blood clots in less time than using clot-busting drugs alone, according to researchers.

New Screening Halves Number Of Children Born With Down Syndrome
ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2008) — A new national screening strategy in Denmark has halved the number of infants born with Down’s syndrome and increased the number of infants diagnosed before birth by 30%, according to a study published on the British Medical Journal.

Specific DNA Variations Of The Serotonin Transporter Gene Can Influence Drinking Intensity
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2008) — The brain’s serotonergic system plays an important role in alcohol preference and consumption. New findings show that specific DNA sequence variations of the serotonin transporter gene can influence drinking intensity among alcohol-dependent individuals.

Uninsured Likely Organ Donors, But Not Recipients
Study suggests that transplant centers aren’t catering to those with fewer resources

Research on mice links fast food to Alzheimer’s
LONDON (Reuters) – Mice fed junk food for nine months showed signs of developing the abnormal brain tangles strongly associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a Swedish researcher said on Friday. The findings, which come from a series of published papers by a researcher at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, show how a diet rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol could increase the risk of the most common type of dementia.

Study Recruiting From Alzheimer’s-Prone Families
The findings might boost understanding of the disease generally, researchers say

Three Esophageal, Stomach Cancer Subtypes Linked To Smoking; One Associated With Alcohol Use
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2008) — Researchers who have been following the health of more than 120,000 residents of the Netherlands for more than two decades have found that smoking is associated with two forms of esophageal cancer as well as a form of stomach cancer, and that drinking alcohol is strongly linked to one form of esophageal cancer.

Does Hormone Treatment Predispose Patients To Breast Cancer?
Researchers … have just discovered the cause of 50% of sporadic breast cancers.

New Excavations Strengthen Identification Of Herod’s Grave At Herodium
ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2008) — Analysis of newly revealed items found at the site of the mausoleum of King Herod at Herodium (Herodion in Greek) have provided Hebrew University of Jerusalem archaeological researchers with further assurances that this was indeed the site of the famed ruler’s 1st century B.C.E. grave.

Explorers find ancient boat in Black Sea
A well-preserved wooden dugout canoe, likely dating back to the prehistoric age, has been discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea, scientists said Saturday.

Searchers find remains of fireball meteor
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) – Searchers have found the remains of a 10-ton meteor that produced a dramatic fireball in the skies over the Canadian Prairies this month, researchers said on Friday.

NASA’s Shuttle Endeavour Glides Home After Successful Mission
Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew landed at 1:25 p.m. PST Sunday at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing a 16-day journey of more than 6.6 million miles.

Spectacular Sky Scene Monday Evening
Every once in a while, something will appear in the night sky that will attract the attention of even those who normally don’t bother looking up. It’s likely to be that way on Monday evening, Dec. 1. A slender crescent moon, just 15-percent illuminated, will appear in very close proximity to the two brightest planets in our sky, Venus and Jupiter.