Uncategorized
- Animals
Hybrid Power: Salamander invader ups survival of rare cousin
Mixed offspring of the endangered California tiger salamander and an invasive cousin survive better than either pure-bred species, raising tricky questions for conservationists.
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Aiding and Abetting: A longevity gene also promotes cancer
A gene that normally helps cells overcome stress can also promote cancer, perhaps offering a new target for cancer treatment.
- Anthropology
Walking Small: Humanlike legs took Homo out of Africa
Newly discovered fossils, 1.77 million years old, show that the earliest known human ancestors to leave Africa for Asia possessed humanlike legs, feet, and spines, but strikingly small brains and primitive arms.
- Math
The Essence of Group Conflict
Eruptions of open conflict between ethnic or religious groups have a lot to do with the way communities are geographically distributed.
- Humans
Letters from the September 22, 2007, issue of Science News
Personnel question In “E-Waste Hazards: Chinese gear recyclers absorb toxic chemicals” (SN: 7/14/07, p. 20), researchers found “astronomical concentrations” of deca-BDE in the residents of Guiyu, and the article cites studies showing that related PBDEs harm brain development in mice and rats. So, has any actual increase in brain-development problems been found in people in […]
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One tall gene
The first reported gene for height can account for almost a centimeter of difference among people who have different versions of it.
- Earth
Meteor dust layers taint Antarctic ice
Two layers of deep Antarctic ice, each hundreds of thousands of years old, are rich in meteoritic dust.
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SSRI use declines, youth suicides rise
In the United States and the Netherlands, youth suicides have increased as the number of antidepressant prescriptions for children and teenagers has fallen, raising concerns that regulatory warnings about these drugs have backfired.
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- Health & Medicine
Warming to a Cold War Herb
Benefiting from decades of research that took place behind the Iron Curtain, Western physicians are discovering Rhodiola rosea, a cold-weather herb that purportedly fights fatigue and boosts energy.
- Humans
From the September 11, 1937, issue
A sad story of feathered romance, observation of the 16th supernova in recorded history, and an underwater earthquake down under.
- Chemistry
Kitchen Chemistry
Play with your food. That’s encouraged at this Countertop Chemistry site. Its kitchen-based teaching projects have been compiled by the Science House, an educational outreach program of North Carolina State University. Go to: http://www.science-house.org/learn/CountertopChem/
