All Stories
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The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Vol. 12
The latest volume of Einstein’s collected works, containing hundreds of letters and transcripts of lectures and interviews. Princeton Univ., 2009, 609 p., $125. THE COLLECTED PAPERS OF ALBERT EINSTEIN, VOL. 12
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Pluto Confidential: An Insider Account of the Ongoing Battles over the Status of Pluto by Laurence A. Marschall and Stephen P. Maran
Two astronomers report on the controversies surrounding Pluto’s planethood or lack thereof. BenBella Books, 2009, 223 p., $14.95. PLUTO CONFIDENTIAL: AN INSIDER ACCOUNT OF THE ONGOING BATTLES OVER THE STATUS OF PLUTO BY LAURENCE A. MARSCHALL AND STEPHEN P. MARAN
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Armadillo Trail: The Northward Journey of the Armadillo by Stephen R. Swinburne
The story of an armadillo and her pups introduces young readers to the mammals. Boyds Mills Press, 2009, 32 p., $16.95. ARMADILLO TRAIL: THE NORTHWARD JOURNEY OF THE ARMADILLO BY STEPHEN R. SWINBURNE
- Humans
A gene critical for speech
Scientists argue a newly discovered stretch of DNA essential for larynx development may have allowed the evolution of language.
- Life
Humpback whale alters song if another one sings along
Acoustical study of male songs shows first evidence of the whales responding musically to each other.
- Planetary Science
Mercury, As Never Seen Before: MESSENGER visits innermost planet
The first spacecraft to visit Mercury in 33 years imaged 25 percent of the crater-pocked surface that had never before been seen close-up.
- Space
Panel says planned NASA rocket won’t do the job
The Ares 1 set to replace the space shuttle is too expensive and won’t be ready soon enough, the Augustine Committee concludes.
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Missing genes? Sometimes, it’s not a problem
Chunks of the genome appear to be disposable and many healthy people do without substantial stretches of DNA, Science News reports from the American Society of Human Genetics meetings in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Chemistry
How leaves could monitor pollution
Trees near high-traffic areas accumulate tiny particles.
- Life
Estrogen helps ward off belly fat
Hormone is one reason that men and women carry weight differently
- Life
Fossil find sparks debate on primate origins
A 37-million-year-old jaw suggests the famous fossil Darwinius does not, as had been suggested, fill a gap in human evolution.
