All Stories
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NeuroscienceFamous brain surgery patient H.M. retained a chunk of hippocampus
The patient's amnesia was probably due to the loss of other regions and neural connections.
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LifeMolecule stops MERS spread among cultured human cells
The molecule interacts with the protein the MERS virus uses to enter a cell.
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Materials ScienceEtched glass stops cracks in their tracks
Adding wavy lines to glass reduces the material’s notorious brittleness.
By Meghan Rosen -
Health & MedicineNanopackaging biodegrades after delivering cancer drug
DNA binding creates potentially nontoxic tumor-targeting structures.
By Beth Mole -
TechA turkey’s wattle inspires a biosensor’s design
A group of scientists from the University of California, Berkeley have developed a color-changing biosensor inspired by a turkey’s wattle.
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NeuroscienceBig science for lean times
The greatest promises of brain research — a cellular description of thought and behavior and, even more importantly, strategies to battle disorders of the brain — have yet to be fulfilled. Making good on those promises is the motivation behind the federal BRAIN Initiative.
By Eva Emerson -
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Health & MedicineLow semen levels in mice make for fatter sons
Mice without the glands that make semen may sire sons with more body fat.
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EarthEighth century carbon spike not from comet impact
The space rock would have to have been 100 kilometers across and 100 billion to 1,000 billion tons, leaving a disastrous impact not supported by geological or written records.
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AnimalsWindows may kill up to 988 million birds a year in the United States
Single-family homes and low-rise buildings do much more damage than skyscrapers.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsGray seals snack on harbor porpoises
Photo evidence confirms seals' fatal attacks on harbor porpoises in the English Channel, suggesting that declines in the seals' usual fare are forcing the animals to seek out other high-energy food.
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EarthGrand Canyon’s origin dated to 6 million years ago
Even though parts of the canyon are old, the chasm could not have taken on its grand form until erosion from the Colorado River connected all of the smaller canyons, which was roughly 6 million years ago, scientists argue.