Science of the Week, 1/25/13

Here we are at the end of January already. When you're busy, time flies quickly.

Here are some of the most interesting articles from Science Blog this week:

Immune cells engineered in lab to resist HIV infection

"Quadruple helix" DNA found in human cells

Martian underground could contain clues to life's origins

Dung beetles use stars for orientation

Orangutans go ape for apps

DNA isn't just for proteins anymore; scientists are now able to encode Shakespeare's sonnets, audio, and scientific papers into the molecule. DNA is ideal for compact, long-lasting storage. You can find out more in this article.

I finished reading the February 2013 issue of Scientific American this week. Some of the most interesting articles are about high-speed battery-operated cars, concept brain cells, and anti-oxidants.

Finally, on a personal note, I took my son to a cryogenics demonstration at our library last night. I wasn't able to get pictures, but we watched a scientist from Fermilab dip things into liquid nitrogen. He shrank balloons, used a banana hammer and a rubber nail, and blew up a cardboard box. It's been cold this week, but fortunately not liquid-nitrogen cold.

Did your science teacher ever freeze things? If not, did you ever see a science demonstration?