Superfluids, Dolphin Deaths and Dinosaur Thighs

Dinosaur-Hunting Hobbyist Makes Fresh Tracks for Paleontology

Read about a 42-year-old British computer programmer-turned-paleontologist and his latest discovery: “a new dinosaur called Brontomerus mcintoshi, a sauropod with uncommonly large, powerful thighs.” (Sindya Bhanoo, New York Times)

Video: Chandra Captures the First Direct Evidence of Superfluids at the Heart of Neutron Stars

A neutron star has shown signs of a superfluid forming at its core. This Popular Science writer describes superfluids as “strange states of matter, typically forming at very low and very high temperatures, exhibiting gonzo properties like a seemingly gravity-defying tendency to climb up the walls of containers and friction-free superconductivity.” Hard to not keep reading, right? (Clay Dillow, Popular Science)

Researchers Carry a Heavy Load with Dolphin Deaths

An up-close look at a researcher who is collecting tissue and organ samples of the dead dolphins — mostly babies — that have washed ashore on Horn Island, Miss., just south of Ocean Springs. The total number of dolphin deaths in the northern Gulf has climbed to at least 67, and scientists are puzzled as to why. The carcasses thus far have no signs of oil contamination, but that’s a factor in the investigation. (Karen Nelson, Biloxi Sun Herald)

Commerce Dept. Report Clears U.S. Scientists in ‘Climategate’

An independent report – the fifth of its kind – clears scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of any wrongdoing in the so-called Climategate incident. The review came at the request of Sen. James Inhofe, R. Okla. (Brian Vastag, Washington Post)