All Stories
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SpaceSupernova Outbreak
Thanks to a lucky break and an overactive galaxy, astronomers report the earliest detection yet of a normal supernova—the explosive death of a massive star.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineNonstick toxicity
By mimicking the action of estrogen, a widely used nonstick chemical promotes cancer development in animals.
By Janet Raloff -
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LifeThese colors don’t run
A chameleon employs different color-changing defenses depending on its predator.
By Susan Milius -
Health & MedicineDonor dilemma
Blood donors age 16 or 17 are more apt to faint than older donors.
By Nathan Seppa -
ChemistryHelp the Climate: Empty the Fridge
Yesterday, I reported that in hopes of slowing down global warming, some nations were interested in strengthening the Montreal Protocol – a United Nations treaty to curb releases of chemicals that endanger stratospheric ozone. But I didn’t really get into what they had up their sleeves. It turns out they want signatory nations to eliminate […]
By Janet Raloff -
LifeReviving extinct DNA
For the first time, scientists have resurrected a piece of DNA from an extinct animal — the Tasmanian tiger. The researchers engineered mice with a piece of the long-gone marsupial's DNA that turns on a collagen gene in cartilage-producing cells.
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TechI, computer
Bacteria that can "flip pancakes" with their DNA are the first microbes engineered to be living computers.
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Health & MedicineItchy and scratchy
People with a close relative who has had shingles face a heightened risk of getting the skin disease, and should probably be first in line to get the vaccine.
By Nathan Seppa -
ClimateWhen Is a Consensus on Climate Not a Consensus?
A protein chemist reported he had assembled a list of more than 30,000 scientists who challenge the idea that human releases of greenhouse gases are warming Earth's climate.
By Janet Raloff -
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PhysicsCatching the cell in action
A light microscope with high resolution may enable scientists to view the 3-D structures within living cells.
By Tia Ghose