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Evolution has been the foundation and guiding theory of biology since Darwin gave the theory its proper scientific debut in 1859. But Darwin probably never dreamed that researchers in 2005 would still be uncovering new details about the nuts and bolts of his theory — how does evolution actually work in the world of influenza genes and chimpanzee genes and stickleback fish armor? Studies that follow evolution in action claim top honors as the Breakthrough of the Year, named by Science and its publisher AAAS, the nonprofit science society.

In the bizarre and rule-bound world of quantum physics, every tiny spec of matter has something called “spin” – an intrinsic trait like eye color – that cannot be changed and which dictates, very specifically, what other bits of matter the spec can share quantum space with. When fermions, the most antisocial type of quantum particle, do get together, they pair up in a wondrous dance that enables such things as superconductivity. For the first time, researchers have succeeded in creating and observing an elusive and long-sought quantum state – a superfluid of fermions with mismatched numbers of dance partners.

Regular didgeridoo playing reduces snoring and daytime sleepiness, finds a study published online by the BMJ today. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome are common sleep disorders caused by the collapse of the upper airways. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy is effective, but is not suitable for many patients.

Astronomers have found “light echoes” from three ancient supernovae by detecting their faint, centuries-old light reflected in the clouds of interstellar dust. The finding, to be published this week in Nature, means astronomers will, for the first time, be able to study these important but rare events that appeared hundreds to thousands of years ago.

A compound isolated from a cyanobacterium, a type of blue-green algae known as Nostoc, shows promise of becoming a natural drug candidate for fighting Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to an in vitro study by researchers in Switzerland. It is believed to be the first time that a potent agent against Alzheimer’s has been isolated from cyanobacteria, commonly known as ‘pond scum.’

A low-glycemic-load diet enhanced weight loss among certain volunteers on a reduced-calorie diet for six months. The significant level of weight loss was limited to those among the study participants who where considered “high-insulin-secreting.” The findings could lead to more customized weight-loss strategies in the future, though the results must be replicated in a larger study before being considered definitive.

Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have determined how a promising drug candidate attacks the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the finding may help scientists optimize the drug candidate, PA-824, which targets Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have published an interesting study that sheds light on the fate of a familiar pharmaceutical as it enters the waste stream. In work initially described last year, NIST chemists investigated probable chemical reactions involving acetaminophen when the drug is subjected to typical wastewater processing. Acetaminophen is the most widely used pain reliever in the United States, and a study of 139 streams by the U.S. Geological Survey found that it was one of the most frequently detected man-made chemicals.

Records from four European countries show that, on average, survivors of generations with rampant childhood infection – measured by cohort mortality rates at young ages – were shorter and died sooner than counterparts from generations with less childhood disease.

An article published in the January 2006 issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics examines the remains and depiction of dwarfs in ancient Egypt, concluding that they were assimilated into daily life and their disorder was not seen as a physical handicap.

Astronomers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., have recorded a small but powerful meteoroid strike in the night on the moon’s surface. On Nov. 7, using a 10-inch-diameter telescope, astronomers recorded a tiny blip northwest of Mare Imbrium, the moon’s “Sea of Showers.” Such impacts are not uncommon, but it was only in 1999 that scientists first recorded a lunar strike as it happened.

On the one hand, farmed salmon has more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than wild salmon. On the other hand, it also tends to have much higher levels of chemical contaminants that are known to cause cancer, memory impairment and neurobehavioral changes in children. What’s a consumer to do?

In experiments with mice, scientists from Johns Hopkins’ Institute for Cell Engineering have discovered the steps required to integrate new neurons into the brain’s existing operations. For more than a century, scientists thought the adult brain could only lose nerve cells, not gain them, but in fact, new neurons do form during adulthood in all mammals, including humans, and become a working part of the adult brain in mice at the very least.

Duke University scientists have used the self-assembling properties of DNA to mass-produce nanometer-scale structures in the shape of a 4×4 grids, on which patterns of molecules can be specified. They said the achievement represents a step toward mass-producing electronic or optical circuits at a scale 10 times smaller than the smallest circuits now being manufactured.

Arsenic from treated lumber used in decks, utility poles and fences will likely leach into the environment for decades to come, possibly threatening groundwater, according to two research papers published online Wednesday. Researchers from the University of Miami, the University of Florida and Florida International University examined arsenic leaching from chromated copper arsenate, or CCA-treated wood, from a real deck as well as from simulated landfills.

I just watched the “March of the Penguins”

My unlearned opinion is this,

If man is to explore the possibilities of DNA cross-transfer to other species. We should do it with a species that closely resembles the traits we hold most high, most civilized in respects to ourselves. I vote to give human dna to the Emperor Penguins. To study them over time, teach them as they transition to an intelligence that resembles our language. To give them a chance at helping us learn more about ourselves and the nature of our world.

TEHRAN, Nov. 1–An Iranian college professor at Khajeh Nassireddin Tousi Industrial University has created the world’s fastest operating transistor, an invention poised to bring about unprecedented developments in the way advanced electronic equipment function.

Neuroscientists at Princeton University have developed a new way of tracking people’s mental state as they think back to previous events — a process that has been described as “mental time travel.” The findings, detailed in the Dec. 23 issue of Science, will aid efforts to learn more about how people mine the recesses of memory and could have a wide-ranging impact in the field of neuroscience, including studies of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.