Uncategorized

  1. 19876

    Researchers may only recently have discovered that female zebra finches are more likely to flirt with strangers when background noise goes up, but young male humans seem to have known that about females of their species for eons. Jim SchneringerDallas, Texas

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Infectious Obesity: Adenovirus fattens stem cells

    Some cases of obesity may result from infection by a virus that can transform adult stem cells into fat-storing cells.

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  3. 19875

    This article states that “those who get the [bariatric] surgery live longer than those who don’t.” That raises the question whether liposuction to reduce a disproportionately large waistline in a nonobese person would yield medical benefits such as a reduced risk for coronary heart disease. Angela LamberthIndian Island, Maine

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  4. Health & Medicine

    If You Can Stomach It: Obesity surgery extends life span

    Drastic weight loss achieved through gastric bypass and other stomach surgeries improves long-term survival for very obese people.

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  5. Physics

    Frizzed molecular carpets

    Measurements of the speed with which heat travels along single hydrocarbon molecules could aid in the design of molecular electronics.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Vaccine targets ovarian-cancer cells

    A vaccine for ovarian cancer enables some women who've undergone chemotherapy to stay in remission.

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  7. Archaeology

    Map yields new view of ancient city

    A new map shows that Angkor, the world's largest preindustrial city, covered more than 1,000 square kilometers of what is now Cambodia and possessed an elaborate canal system.

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  8. Computing

    Squashing Worms

    Defeating computer worms that mutate will take some smart defense strategies.

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  9. Humans

    Letters from the August 25, 2007, issue of Science News

    Where did the chicken cross? “Chicken of the Sea: Poultry may have reached Americas via Polynesia,” (SN: 6/9/07, p. 356) states, “The most likely sea route ran north of Hawaii and down America’s Pacific coast.” The Polynesians were master mariners, so anything is possible, but continuing east from Tonga to South America is an extension […]

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Lithium might help bone healing

    In mice, treatment with lithium assists in the production of a bone-repair protein and improves the healing of fractures.

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  11. Earth

    Cat disease associated with flame retardants

    An epidemic of hyperthyroidism in house cats may be the result of environmental exposure to certain flame retardants.

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  12. Earth

    It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature

    Throwing tiny particles into the atmosphere to counteract global warming could cause extended droughts and other weather disruptions.

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