Uncategorized
- Physics
Abuzz about uranium
A type of atomic vibration never before seen in ordinary solid materials has been observed in uranium.
- Materials Science
Microbe holds fast
A common aquatic microbe makes a sticky substance that produces the strongest biological adhesion ever discovered.
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Mutation blocks fat absorption
A newly discovered gene in zebrafish seems to prevent the animals from absorbing fat molecules from their diets.
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Stimulant use eases in U.S. children
The sharp increase in youngsters taking prescribed stimulants that was noted a decade ago largely leveled off between 1997 and 2002.
- Archaeology
Ancient text gives Judas heroic glow
Researchers have announced the restoration and translation of a 1,700-year-old papyrus document containing the Gospel of Judas, an account that portrays Judas Iscariot as a hero, not as Jesus' betrayer.
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19672
Something mystified me about this article. Apparently, preservation experts are concerned that microorganisms could wipe out Stone Age cave paintings, as if this were an urgent threat. Has something altered the caves in which these paintings appear that has invited intensified bacterial growth? Don McMillanModesto, Calif. What threatens the paintings is a modern scourge: tourists. […]
- Earth
Buried Treasures
Geologists have long understood the chemical processes that sculpt many cave formations, but they've only recently come up with a physical model that explains some of their shapes.
- Health & Medicine
Ultrasound’s New Focus
No longer limiting the use of sound waves to diagnostic medicine, researchers are studying high-intensity focused ultrasound as a treatment for uterine fibroids, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers.
- Math
Papercraft Polyhedra
Constructing intricate polyhedra requires considerable skill and artistry. For more math, visit the MathTrek blog.
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Finding Form
Biologist Sean Carroll maintains a site devoted to the genetics of animal body designs and evolution. Read about advances in the emerging field of evolutionary developmental biology and watch brief movies of embryo formation in fruit flies, butterfly wing development, and other natural wonders. Go to: http://www.molbio.wisc.edu/carroll/index.html
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Babies Prune Their Focus: Perception narrows toward infancy’s end
Between the ages of 6 months and 8 months, infants lose the ability to match the vocalizations and facial movements of monkeys shown in video clips, signaling a temporary perceptual narrowing as babies focus on the human social realm.
