Wondering what’s the latest in the synthesis of silk? Curious about the healing capacity of newborn mammals’ hearts? Read to explore these and other topics in this week’s edition of the “Science Times” synthesis. We invite you to weigh in on this week’s news stories by commenting.
March 1, 
2011
Newborn mice’s hearts can heal themselves: For the first time in mammals, scientists were able to observe a newborn heart fully healing itself.
Call it a reversible coma, not sleep: Dr. Emery Neal Brown explains his research examining the mechanism of anesthesia and the ethical considerations of his work.
Having a baby: Stress doesn’t hamper fertility treatment, researchers conclude: Researchers conducting a multicounty review of fertility studies found no association between stress and conception.
Wound care may matter more than antibiotics: A recent study suggests that perhaps it is not antibiotics, but good wound care that is essential to treating infections.
March 8, 2011
The reinvention of silk: Researchers lament their inability to recreate spider silk while others attempt to replicate silkworms’ processes for making silk.
On the left hand, there are no easy answers: Handedness is linked to brain asymmetry; researchers, however, struggle to understand the reason for brain asymmetry.
New tool gives
a virus-level view of the world: A new microscope allows scientists to explore the minute world of viruses in real time.
Leisurely meals don’t curb snacking, study finds: A study out of the Netherlands suggests that meal pace does not impact snacking.
A suggestion for the next "Science Times" post: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/health/23bizcourt.html
The Supreme Court just issued a ruling that companies should use judgment of context in deciding whether information is "material" to investors' assessments and must be disclosed.
This outcome, rather than the case's beginning (alleged adverse events after the use of a homeopathic medication) is why I recommend the article to research administrators. I frequently tell study teams that they get so many "it depends" answers when they ask, "What would the IRB think of XXXX?" because the system of IRB regulation is designed to rely on human judgment of context far more often than on hard and fast good/bad lines.