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  1. Science Future

    Through June 15 “Darwin’s Garden: An Evolutionary Adventure,” at the New York Botanical Garden. Visit the New York Botanical Garden online. September 27 Scheduled opening of Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Visit The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History online. 2009 International Year of Astronomy, a UNESCO […]

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  2. Humans

    From the May 24, 1958 issue

    Ancient Skull Puzzles — The 45,000-year-old Neanderthal skull recently assembled from fragments found in Shanidar Cave in Iraq presents a real scientific puzzle to anthropologists because, although his face was very primitive, the back of his head was more like modern man. The description of Shanidar Man as a being who appeared to be a […]

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  3. Space

    Martian sands

    Sandy soil on the Red Planet hints at an ancient mix of volcanic activity and water, a potent breeding ground for life.

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  4. Space

    Gamma-ray bling!

    A recent, unusually luminous gamma-ray burst is shedding new light on these stellar explosions and the visible light they produce.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Vacillating stem cells

    Unsuspected, ever-changing variation among stem cells in bone marrow helps determine the development path the cells will follow during differentiation.

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  6. Humans

    Butting out together

    Cigarette smokers who know one another tend to kick the habit all at once, highlighting the importance of social forces in smoking-cessation treatment.

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  7. Chemistry

    Slippery when dry

    Surfaces that mimic the back of an African beetle can collect water from fog.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Trust again

    The ability to trust others even after violations of trust is regulated by the hormone oxytocin.

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  9. Earth

    Asbestos-like nanotubes

    Some carbon nanotubes show signs of asbestos-like toxicity.

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  10. Space

    Supernova Outbreak

    Thanks to a lucky break and an overactive galaxy, astronomers report the earliest detection yet of a normal supernova—the explosive death of a massive star.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Nonstick toxicity

    By mimicking the action of estrogen, a widely used nonstick chemical promotes cancer development in animals.

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  12. Animals

    Courting both ways

    Some extra dopamine, and male fruit flies like boys too.

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