June 15, 2007 (Vol. 27, No. 12)
Rating:
Strong Points: Great news stories
Weak Points: Could use more biology
Summary:
Here’s a site that might slip by most biologists because its name suggests a strong physics component. Physics is indeed one of many science topics covered at PhysOrg, but there is much more. To start, PhysOrg is a science news site whose stated beat is officially described as “Science, Physics, Tech, and Nano.” Physics does in fact play an important role in many of the stories, but this is partly due to the technical considerations so abundant in modern scientific investigation. Take, for example, the article describing the use of magnetic tweezers to learn more about the mechanics of the cell nucleus. Other interesting recent articles of biological note include the role of communication in biological patterning, the incidence of increasing blood pressure around the globe, and recent studies of flies that show links between sleep and the immune system. Don’t be fooled by the name—this isn’t your grandfather’s or even your father’s physics news site.
