EurekAlert!'s Top 10 Science Stories of 2006

An international team of researchers discovered that a type of cancer found in dogs today originated from a wolf about 200 years ago. It was the most popular 2006 science story on EurekAlert!, the global science news service sponsored by AAAS, the science society.

The story (which can be found here) was posted to EurekAlert! in August 2006 by Cell Press and was viewed over 70,000 times in its first month, an astounding accomplishment since it competed with 1,200 other science stories posted in August, ranging from gene therapy for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) -- which leaves victims so vulnerable to infection that patients in earlier years were confined to sterile bubbles -- to the benefits of apple juice on memory, to reexamining the theory of evolution.

"Certainly we are delighted at the astounding number of hits for this fascinating paper" says Dr. Orla Smith, editor of Cell's Leading Edge. "The paper discusses a rare transmissible tumor in dogs that is derived from a common ancestral neoplastic cell. The authors used extensive molecular genetic marker studies of tissues from 40 dogs from around the world to establish that the tumor arose 200 to 2500 years ago in a wolf or related East Asian dog breed. This transmissible tumor may be an oddity of nature but it has intrigued cancer biologists because of its remarkable genetic stability. Conservation biologists have also become interested given that a similar but more virulent transmissible tumor has been found in the Tasmanian Devil, an endangered marsupial."

A physics story on how heated water freezes quicker than cold water was the second most widely read science story on EurekAlert! in 2006. The story was submitted by New Scientist, the UK-based weekly science and technology news magazine.

Three of the top 10 most widely read science stories were submitted by non-US institutions. "The number of contributions to EurekAlert! from institutions outside the United States is growing every year. This year's Top 10 Science Stories list is a real reflection of that trend," notes Patrick McGinness, EurekAlert!'s director. In 2006, 25 percent of press releases posted on EurekAlert! were submitted by non-US institutions and roughly half of the science journalists registered with EurekAlert! were working for non-US media outlets.

Jon Keighren, head of media relations at the University of Manchester, whose story made the Top 10 Science Stories list, comments, "This was a very important piece of research from the University of Manchester in 2006. For the first time, scientists were able to positively identify seawater in volcanic gas samples originating from the Earth's mantle. The story was picked up by journalists all over the world, and EurekAlert! helped us to achieve this high level of coverage."

Since EurekAlert!'s debut in 1996, the Web site has continued to serve the global need for breaking science, medicine and technology news. In 2006, EurekAlert! averaged over 20 million hits per month, a 35 percent increase over the previous year's average.

The full list of EurekAlert!'s Top 10 Science Stories of 2006:

Contagious cancer in dogs confirmed; origins traced to wolves centuries ago
A study provides evidence that a form of cancer afflicting dogs has spread from one individual to another by the transmission of the tumor cells themselves.
(Posted by Cell Press; Viewed 80,618 times)

Why water freezes faster after heating
A common chemical process may explain a bizarre property of water that has been a mystery since the time of Aristotle.
(Posted by New Scientist; Viewed 44,697 times)

Pepper component hot enough to trigger suicide in prostate cancer cells
Study finds capsaicin, a part of pepper, kills and inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells.
(Posted by the American Association for Cancer Research; Viewed 41,922 times)

Transistor laser functions as non-linear electronic switch, processor
Electrical and computer engineers invent a transistor laser by combining a transistor and a laser that can be used as a multi-purpose, high-frequency signal processor.
(Posted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Viewed 41,818 times)

New scientific review shows vegetarian diets cause major weight loss
After reviewing 87 published studies, researchers conclude a vegetarian diet leads to weight loss.
(Posted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; Viewed 37,628 times)

World's oldest ship timbers found in Egyptian desert
A research team led by an American anthropology professor discovers 4,000-years-old ship parts in an Egyptian cave.
(Posted by Florida State University; Viewed 30,618 times)

'Thirst for knowledge' may be opium craving
Neuroscientists theorize that seeking knowledge can be an addiction to the brain.
(Posted by the University of Southern California; Viewed 26,874 times)

One big biology question solved
A group of Australian researchers finds why males produce sperm and females produce eggs.
(Posted by Research Australia; Viewed 23,726 times)

Scientists reveal fate of Earth's oceans
Two UK scientists find the answer to a question that has long eluded geologists. Does the Earth absorb or does it not absorb seawater?
(Posted by the University of Manchester; Viewed 23,468 times)

Atoms in new state of matter behave like Three Musketeers: All for one, one for all
Physicists discover a new state of matter by combining existing three state of matters.
(Posted by the University of Chicago; Viewed 23,133 times)

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