All Stories

  1. Planetary Science

    Pristine fragments of asteroid breakup

    Planetary scientists have for the first time precisely dated a collision that smashed an asteroid into fragments.

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  2. Paleontology

    Fossil leaves yield extinction clues

    Analyses of fossil leaves provide more evidence that the mass extinctions that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago were sudden and probably brought about by an extraterrestrial impact.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Dynamite discovery on nitroglycerin

    Scientists have found a long-sought enzyme that may be behind nitroglycerin's dilation of blood vessels.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Ginseng extract halts diabetes in mice

    Extracts from the berry of the American ginseng plant counter obesity and insulin resistance in mice.

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  5. Earth

    Tomato compound repels mosquitos

    New insect repellents based on a compound that contributes to the smell of crushed tomato leaves are under development.

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  6. Materials Science

    Molecular template makes nanoscale helix

    Using ribbons made of organic molecules as minuscule templates, researchers have coaxed a semiconductor material into tiny helical coils.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Watermelon red means lycopene rich

    Watermelon is a far better source of the carotenoid lycopene than tomatoes are and at least as well absorbed by the body.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Bugged by Foreign Cuisine

    One common experience that tourists encounter while traveling far from home is gut-wrenching diarrhea. In some developing countries, it’s so common that it’s picked up geographic eponyms, like Montezuma’s revenge in Mexico or Delhi belly on the Indian subcontinent. Mexican cuisine typically offers diners tabletop condiments–from spicy chili liquids to diced-veggie salsas and guacamole–to customize […]

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  9. Humans

    From the July 9, 1932, issue

    MODERNISTIC BUILDING SHOWS ACHIEVEMENTS OF SCIENCE Strikingly modernistic in design and construction is the huge Hall of Science building in Chicago which has been dedicated as the key structure for the Century of Progress Exposition next year. Its two floors and mezzanine, containing 9 acres of exhibit space, will illustrate the development of the sciences […]

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  10. Humans

    Building America

    The “Building America” online exhibition by the National Building Museum provides a vividly illustrated overview of U.S. achievements in architecture, engineering, construction, planning, design, and landscaping. Timelines chronicle the evolution of buildings, from houses to skyscrapers, and environments, from historic New England towns to contemporary suburbs. Essays delve into the forces that affected U.S. architecture […]

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  11. Tough Tradeoff: Beetle brains show how sex shortens life

    Brain surgery in beetles reveals yet another way that having sex can shorten life.

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  12. Humans

    Official Concern: U.N. weighs in on acrylamide toxicity

    A United Nations panel concluded that, in fried, grilled, and baked foods, the formation of acrylamide, a carcinogen and nerve poison in rodents, constitutes "a serious problem."

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