All Stories

  1. Math

    Orbiting in a figure-eight loop

    Three gravitationally interacting bodies of equal mass can, according to precise calculations, trace out a figure-eight-shape orbit in space.

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  2. Fading to black doesn’t empower fish

    Field studies of three-spined stickleback fish dash a textbook example of the theory of how one species can take on a competitor's characteristics.

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  3. Hey, we’re richer than we thought!

    The latest inventory of life in the United States has turned up an extra 100,000 species of plants, animals, and fungi.

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  4. Earth

    Titanic iceberg sets sail from Antarctica

    An iceberg about the size of Connecticut recently split off from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica.

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  5. Planetary Science

    Reviewers see red over recent Mars programs

    NASA's two most recent missions to Mars failed because they were underfunded, managed by inexperienced people, and insufficiently tested, according to a report released March 28.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Cell mixture attacks pancreas tumors

    White blood cells injected into patients with pancreatic tumors incite an immune response that blunts the cancer in some patients and extends survival.

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  7. Lady-killing genes offer pest control

    Two new fruit fly lines—with females that die on cue—could lead to changes in pest control.

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  8. Math

    Stepping Beyond Fibonacci Numbers

    Trying variants of a simple mathematical rule that yields interesting results can lead to additional discoveries and curiosities. The numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and 55 belong to a famous sequence named for the Italian mathematician Fibonacci, who lived more than 700 years ago. Each consecutive number is the sum […]

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  9. Math

    Stepping Beyond Fibonacci Numbers

    Trying variants of a simple mathematical rule that yields interesting results can lead to additional discoveries and curiosities. The numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and 55 belong to a famous sequence named for the Italian mathematician Fibonacci, who lived more than 700 years ago. Each consecutive number is the sum […]

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  10. Ecosystems

    State of U.S. Agro-ecosystems

    About one-quarter of the United States’ land cover, excluding Alaska, is farmed–some 430 million to 500 million acres. A massive new project has just assessed this and other food-producing environments, such as coastal waters, fresh waters, and rangelands, to tally factors contributing to health. Released on Sept. 24, it indicates that most ecosystems are undergoing […]

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Are varsity athletes prone to ALS?

    A survey of patients treated for neurological problems reveals that those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) are more likely to have been varsity athletes and remained slim all their lives.

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  12. 19133

    This article implies there are only three options for carpal tunnel syndrome: medicine, wrist splints, or surgery. I’ve had virtually complete relief from a fourth option suggested by a physician: exercise to widen the carpal tunnel. I know of yet another treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome: a shot of cortisone in each wrist. That worked […]

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