Feature
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PhysicsThrough the Looking Glass
A proposed universe of unseen material, where every ordinary particle has a shadowy counterpart, could explain several conundrums in cosmology.
By Ron Cowen -
AnthropologyThe Forager King
A celebrated anthropologist surprises and inspires his biographer.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsLife Without Sex
The search is on for creatures that have evolved for eons without sex.
By Susan Milius -
AstronomyMystery in the Middle
The Milky Way's core is loaded with seemingly young stars, which have no business being there.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineTarget: Celiac Disease
With the aim of releasing people with celiac disease from a strict, lifelong diet that lacks the wheat protein gluten, researchers are working to identify molecular targets that could block the disease’s hallmark, the degeneration of the lining of the small intestine.
By Ben Harder -
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EarthNew Concerns about Phthalates
Boys may face an eventual reproductive risk from exposure to some of the ingredients that go into many common plastics, cosmetics, and medical supplies.
By Janet Raloff -
EarthOceans Aswirl
Whirls of ocean water up to hundreds of kilometers across create biological oases, transport heat from tropical climes to cooler latitudes, and affect everything from offshore oil platforms to long-distance yacht races.
By Sid Perkins -
MathIf It Looks Like a Sphere…
A Russian mathematician has proposed a proof of the Poincaré conjecture, a question about the shapes of three-dimensional spaces.
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ChemistryDanger Detection
Analytical chemists are exploring ways to improve chemical and biological weapons detection.
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Health & MedicineHerbal Lottery
Many herbal-product makers aren't maintaining adequate quality control, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to propose rules that mandate good manufacturing practices.
By Janet Raloff -
PhysicsReflections on Art
By dissecting famous paintings in new ways, scientists are testing the veracity of artist David Hockney's controversial theory that some masters of Renaissance art secretly used optical projection devices.
By Peter Weiss