News
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SpaceWet, almost, all over
The Red Planet held much more water than previously thought, and the wet environments had the potential to support life early in the solar system’s history, a new study suggests.
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SpaceCeres may be an asteroid impersonator
The largest asteroid in the solar system may not be an asteroid at all but a cometlike relative of Pluto that came in from the cold several billion years ago.
By Ron Cowen -
SpaceCentral star is no dim bulb
Observing the dusty center of the Milky Way, astronomers have the second brightest star known in the galaxy
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineAsthma oddity
Helicobacter pylori, a common microbe that colonizes the stomach, might protect against asthma.
By Nathan Seppa -
LifeYoung tasmanian devil moms
Tasmanian devils have started mating much earlier in response to an epidemic, called facial tumor disease, that is wiping out much of their population.
By Tia Ghose -
Health & MedicineThe two faces of prion proteins
Scientists are learning more about the protein behind mad cow and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, including how to interfere with the protein’s production in the brains of mice.
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ClimateAnother climate ailment
Global warming may turn out to be more than just a pain in the neck: Rising average temperatures could trigger an increased prevalence of kidney stones.
By Sid Perkins -
SpaceSaturn’s moon may host an ocean
The Cassini spacecraft has found what may be the strongest evidence yet that Saturn's tiny moon Enceladus has an ocean beneath its icy surface.
By Ron Cowen -
Materials ScienceSolar panels to dye for
Scientists show that cheap chemical dyes may one day help with the efficient capture of the sun's energy
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LifeAstrocytes are rising stars
Astrocytes, brain cells previously thought to be support cells for neurons, regulate blood flow in the brain and may aid neuron signaling. The regulation of blood flow makes visualizing brain activity with fMRI possible.
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AnimalsNot-OK Coral
First big species audit finds coral extinction risks severely under-reported
By Susan Milius -
SpaceAn early record-breaker
A remote galaxy is churning out up to 4,000 newborn stars a year, making it the star-forming champ among galaxies in the early universe.
By Ron Cowen