News
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HumansObama pledges 3 percent of GDP for research
BLOG: Highlights of what the president announced to the National Academy of Sciences.
By Janet Raloff -
SpaceMost distant known object in the universe
Astronomers have discovered a gamma-ray burst emanating 13.035 billion light-years from Earth, making it the universe's most distant known object.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineSwine flu outbreak likely to continue, officials say
Even as public health data on the new outbreak change daily, biological information on the mysterious virus remains scant.
By Nathan Seppa -
AnimalsCaterpillars’ chirp could be scary
Larvae of great peacock moths might signal that they’ll put up a fight.
By Susan Milius -
PlantsClimatic effects of tree-killing hurricanes
A new analysis suggests storm damage returns millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year.
By Sid Perkins -
LifeFunction for green fluorescent protein
Scientists find that the glowing molecule also passes electrons, offering a new clue about the natural function of a protein that's become ubiquitous in molecular biology.
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PsychologyMales, females swap sex-role stereotypes
Analysis finds that mating strategies are not universal
By Bruce Bower -
PlantsLandscaper’s darling hybridizes into an environmental nuisance
Variation underlies the Callery pear tree’s transformation .
By Susan Milius -
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Health & MedicineMorning birds buckle under sleep pressure
Sleep pressure helps set the circadian clocks of early birds and night owls.
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PlantsOops, missed that tree
Until now, an acacia common in its African homeland had no scientific name
By Susan Milius -
ChemistryYeast bred to bear artificial vanilla
Researchers have co-opted fungi to produce the flavor more efficiently.