So Much to Learn About the Oceans From Sand

Interactive Map: The World, Grain by Grain

A look at some of the samples of sand in Rob Holman’s international collection.

Japan Seeks Australia’s Help to Thwart Whaling Opponents

By MERAIAH FOLEY and MARK MCDONALD

Japan said Tuesday that it would formally ask Australia to keep anti-whaling activists and their ship, the Steve Irwin, from refueling at Australian ports.

Basics

A Large-Size Focus on Life Lived Small

By NATALIE ANGIER

The Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans is the largest museum in the nation devoted solely to insects and their arthropod relations.

Orbiter, Finishing a Mission, Offers a Peek at Mars’ Wrinkles

By KENNETH CHANG

Last month, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter wrapped up its two-year primary science phase, and Mars geologists are wallowing in a bounty of data.

• Slide Show: Postcards From Mars

Dot Earth

China’s Power Slowdown

By ANDREW C. REVKIN

China’s recent explosive growth in generation of electricity has reversed, and emissions of carbon dioxide are presumably dropping, too.

Data Uncover Bigger Galaxy in Cosmos, and It’s Ours

By KENNETH CHANG

Astronomers said Monday that the Milky Way is more massive than previously thought, expanding Earth's galaxy to roughly the heft of Andromeda.

Food Dance Gets New Life When Bees Get Cocaine

By PAM BELLUCK

To learn more about the biochemistry of addiction, scientists are giving bees cocaine and have found the insects react much like humans do.

At the Stove, a Dash of Science, a Pinch of Folklore

By KENNETH CHANG

Shirley O. Corriher, a biochemist turned folksy food scientist, helps answer some kitchen curiosities.

• Recipe: Fish Braised in Chili Bean Sauce

Second Opinion

Should Patients Be Told of Better Care Elsewhere?

By DENISE GRADY

The quality of cancer care at different hospitals is uneven and raises thorny questions about what informed consent should mean.

• Readers' Comments
• Health Guide: Cancer »

Mind

Some Protect the Ego by Working on Their Excuses Early

By BENEDICT CAREY

Recent research has helped clarify not just who is prone to self-handicapping but also its consequences -- and its possible benefits.

Cases

The Instincts to Trust Are Usually the Patient’s

By SANDEEP JAUHAR, M.D.

Doctors can’t explain it, but every day in medicine there are people who know they are near death, no matter what the tests show.

Blood Sugar Control Linked to Memory Decline, Study Says

By RONI CARYN RABIN

As the body loses its ability to regulate glucose, parts of the brain involved in memory lose blood flow, researchers find.