News
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Health & MedicineMeningitis vaccine stops ear infections
A vaccine for meningitis and pneumonia also prevents many childhood ear infections and the complications that they cause.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicinePatches take sting out of canker sores
Small patches that exude licorice extract can speed healing of canker sores.
By Nathan Seppa -
EarthOn the move
A new study suggests how prions, the infectious agents that cause such disorders as chronic wasting disease, behave in soil and landfills.
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EarthNew solutions for unused drugs
Pharmacists and federal scientists have launched a program to discourage consumers from flushing unused prescription drugs down the toilet.
By Janet Raloff -
EarthFreeze-thaw cycles: How not to mix soil
The repeated cycles of ground freezing and thawing that occur in many places don't do a surprising poor job of churning the soil.
By Sid Perkins -
Kill-save gene combo might fight malaria
A technique that might someday enlist mosquitoes in the fight against malaria has passed an early test.
By Susan Milius -
EarthWave’s-eye view of a hurricane
Strong hurricanes aren't as effective at transmitting their energy to the ocean's surface as weak ones are, a counterintuitive finding that may help researchers estimate the size of storm surges.
By Sid Perkins -
Rare flower needs prickly neighbors
A flowering plant found only in Mauritius makes more fruit if dense stands of pandanus trees grow nearby.
By Susan Milius -
EarthPollution Fallout: Are unattractive males Great-gram’s fault?
Pollutant exposures in rodents can have behavioral repercussions that persist generation after generation.
By Janet Raloff -
TechIs Your Phone Out of Juice? Biological fuel cell turns drinks into power
A new type of fuel cell uses natural enzymes to produce small amounts of electricity from sugar.
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AnimalsToo Few Jaws: Shark declines let rays overgraze scallops
A shortage of big sharks on the U.S. East Coast is letting their prey flourish, and that prey is going hog wild, demolishing bay scallop populations.
By Susan Milius -
Family Feud: Genetic arms race between parents benefits male offspring in a surprising way
A gene in mice that benefits the father at the mother's expense appears to help offspring of both sexes.