News

  1. Animals

    Oops. Woodpecker raps were actually gunshots

    The knock-knock noises recorded last winter that raised hopes for rediscovering the long-lost ivory-billed woodpecker in Louisiana turn out to have been gunshots instead of bird noises.

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  2. Tech

    Making a Little Impression: New chip-making method may mold the industry

    A simple mechanical means of embossing silicon may offer an alternative to conventional chip-making methods.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Stem Cell Gain: Bone marrow cells seem to have what it takes

    Tests show that a rodent bone marrow cell similar to one found in people acts as a multipurpose stem cell, much as embryonic stem cells do.

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  4. Hostile Intent: Abused kids face up to angry expressions

    Physical abuse at home apparently tunes a school-age child's perceptual system to pick up signs of anger in others' facial expressions.

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  5. Astronomy

    Planetary System in the Making? Stellar eclipse hints at planet-forming debris

    Astronomers reported the first evidence that a young star is periodically eclipsed by a stream of debris, possibly an orbiting belt of asteroids held in place by a massive, unseen planet.

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  6. Chemistry

    Molecule Sorting: Antibody membrane lends a hand

    A new membrane may make it easier to separate mixtures of drug molecules that exist in mirror-image versions into their two components.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Enough Isn’t Enough: An epidemic of vitamin D deficiency

    Many U.S. women of childbearing age, particularly those of African descent, lack sufficient vitamin D even though they consume the recommended amount.

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  8. Humans

    Dangerous Wake: Wing vortices yield a deadly secret

    A new mathematical analysis of an aeronautical hazard known as wake turbulence could someday lead to improved air safety and increase the number of flights at major airports.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Let Them Eat Cake: Altered mice stay svelte on a high-fat diet

    A protein that links gluttony and weight gain may be a novel target for antiobesity drugs.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Chinese chimneys slash lung cancer risk

    People in rural China who replace rudimentary domestic hearths with well-ventilated stoves enjoy both less-smoky homes and a dramatic reduction in their risk of developing lung cancer.

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  11. Chemistry

    A crystal takes on an unusual topology

    A single crystal exhibits the unusual topology known as a Möbius strip.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    New clue stirs up lithium mystery

    Lithium and two other mood-stabilizing drugs may all work by depleting nerve cells of a chemical that the cells use to signal each other.

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