RoundTable.

Back in April, 2009, this podcast covered research finding that a simple writing exercise helped minority students improve their grades. Now, a new study shows that the same exercise can help female college students overcome stereotypes about women in science and improve their performance. The work is in the journal Science . [Akira Miyake et al, Reducing the Gender Achievement Gap in College Science: A Classroom Study of Values Affirmation ]

Women in physics classes tend to do more poorly than men on exams. The researchers wanted to look at the role of psychological issues. They surveyed 399 students of both sexes in an intro physics class about whether they agreed with the stereotype that men are generally better at physics.

Many of the comets in our Solar System might have come from other stars, say NASA supported researchers. Studying these 'alien' comets could reveal new information about stellar systems far, far away.

AP - While excavating the site for a planned new ritual bath for Jews in Jerusalem, Israeli archaeologists uncovered a pool belonging to the Roman legion that sacked the city nearly 2,000 years ago.

Astronomers have recently discovered an exotic star system which has shed some light on the mass and age of one of the systems rare stellar components. Using data from World’s largest optical telescope, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, the team has had a new insight into the properties of the unusual T-dwarf stars. […]

Imagine no cars or fewer, anyway.