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Read articles, including Science News stories written for ages 9-14, on the
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- Fuzzy future: Kids may suffer impaired vision from spending too little time outdoors, studies suggest
- Building with moon rocks: Working on the moon with lunar soil and grit could prove easier, more efficient and less costly than using earthly materials
- Major twister hits Oklahoma: Its speed, which largely determines the damage it causes, is still unknown
FOR KIDS: Whale-free perfume
Tree gene trick is good news for people who like perfume made without sperm whale waste
Web edition: July 11, 2012
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Ambergris: It’s waxy, flammable, comes from the belly of a whale — and it might be in your favorite perfume.
P. Kaminski
Expensive perfumes come in tiny bottles, but many hide a whale-sized secret.
To perfect a particular smell, perfume makers often use an ingredient that comes from sperm whales with upset tummies. The whale waste, called ambergris, is solid and greasy on its own. Studies on plant chemicals, however, point to a new way to make high-end perfume without ambergris.
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