Winter 2006

Some of our earliest ancestors possessed a rather unsteady stride due to subtle anatomical differences in their ankles and feet. The bones are providing clues about how people began walking upright. --by Michael Price

Creativity is considered an attractive trait by both men and women. Research from ASU shows that the reverse is also true—feelings of attraction inspire the imagination. People automatically become more creative when they have a romantic partner in mind. --by Diane Boudreau

Clay has been associated with home cures since Roman times. But there have been very few scientific studies to investigate such claims--until now. Researchers at ASU have found that French green clay can kill pathogenic bacteria. --by Margaret Coulombe

The flesh of a rotting saguaro cactus is 90 percent water, a moist organic soup that is teeming with life. The whole thing is moving, heaving with bugs, worms, and all sorts of microorganisms. It also sparkles with a stunning variety of crystals--some rare, some completely new to science. --by Adelheid Fischer

Photosynthesis may hold the key to curing humans of their addiction to oil and other fossil fuels. --by Diane Boudreau

Predicting how the smallest details of a golf ball's design will make it act in flight is a painstakingly complex task. --by Joe Kullman

"Fences/Borders-USA Mexico" is a multimedia exhibit depicting the US/Mexico border using satellite images, video, and sculpture.

Why study computational fluid mechanics? Julia Muccino says that her ultimate goal is not really the work that she does. Rather, it is the work she can help people do better in the future. --by Jessica McCann

The discovery of a 3.3 million-year-old juvenile skeleton will fill an important gap in understanding the evolution of a species thought to be among the earliest direct ancestors to humans. --by Dan Jenk

Are you tired of being unable to pack liquids in your carry-on bag? Scientists at the Biodesign Institute have developed technology to rapidly detect liquid peroxide explosives. --by Joe Caspermeyer