Feature
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MathKnot Possible
Knot theorists are getting closer to their goal of developing practical procedures for distinguishing knotted curves from unknotted ones.
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AnimalsThe Tropical Majority
The abundant studies of temperate-zone birds may have biased ornithology when it comes to understanding the tropics.
By Susan Milius -
EarthTough Choices
Federal programs to preserve water in streams during droughts have prompted lawsuits and new pressures on endangered species and the law that protects them.
By Janet Raloff -
EarthThe Mountain
Tall, steep slopes, a crest of glacial ice that's larger than that on any other mountain in the lower 48 United States, and a burgeoning population in its surrounding valleys combine to make Washington state's Mt. Rainier the most dangerous volcano in America.
By Sid Perkins -
Health & MedicineThings Just Mesh
Researching are studying ways to make stents, which prop open arteries, even better at keeping these channels open.
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ComputingSneaky Calculations
The same communication system that brings you the Web page of your choice can be exploited to perform computations.
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Health & MedicineThe Science of Secretin
The discovery that a gut hormone also exists in the brain may shed light on the origins of autism.
By John Travis -
Health & MedicineTrans Fats
Increasing evidence links trans fats to health problems, and some researchers are looking for ways to reduce the fats in food.
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Health & MedicineThe Seeds of Malaria
By studying the molecular footprints of evolution in parasites and human hosts, geneticists are casting light on when and how malaria became the menace it is.
By Ben Harder -
Health & MedicineAttacking Alzheimer’s
Some researchers now suggest that the so-called amyloid hypothesis is overstated and that other entities, including tau tangles, are as important as beta-amyloid in Alzheimer's disease.
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Health & MedicineBrain Food
New food labeling will identify foods rich in choline, a nutrient that plays an integral role in learning and brain health.
By Janet Raloff -
Plight of the Untouchables
Stigma's largely unexplored effects on the health of people sufering from ailments ranging from AIDS to schizophrenia attracted much interest at a recent conference.
By Bruce Bower