Uncategorized
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		PhysicsSilk and soap settle a century-old flap
The leading explanation for why flags flap in the breeze has run afoul of new experimental findings.
By Peter Weiss - 			
			
		Health & MedicineAntibiotics, vitamins stall stomach cancer
A 6-year study shows that vitamin C, beta-carotene, and antibiotics can reverse premalignant conditions that could otherwise lead to stomach cancer.
By Nathan Seppa - 			
			
		EarthNew accord targets long-lived pollutants
Negotiators drafted an agreement to ban or phase out some of the world's most persistent and toxic pollutants.
By Janet Raloff - 			
			
		First Plant Genome Thrills Biologists
The unveiling of the genetic blueprint of the tiny thale cress ushers in a new era in plant biology.
By Laura Sivitz - 			
			
		PaleontologyPlenty of dinosaurs yet to be found
Despite a dramatic surge in dinosaur discoveries in recent years, paleontologists won't soon run out of interesting new fossils to unearth, a new analysis suggests.
By Sid Perkins - 			
			
		Paleontology. . . and the big bird that didn’t
The California condor, one of today's largest and rarest birds, may have survived the last ice age because of its varied diet.
By Sid Perkins - 			
			
		PaleontologyThe big fish that went away . . .
Fossils found near Charleston, S.C., suggest that an extinct species of billfish related to today's swordfish and marlin would easily exceed the lengths documented for world-record specimens of those oft-sought sports fish.
By Sid Perkins - 			
			
		Health & MedicineStaph receptor as drug target
A receptor molecule on the surface of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus might present an exploitable weak spot in the microbe's defenses.
By Nathan Seppa - 			
			
		Health & MedicineA vaccine for cervical cancer
A vaccine against human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer, has proved 94 percent effective in preventing the virus from infecting women.
By Nathan Seppa - 			
			
		EcosystemsOne-Celled Socialites
A wave of research on the social lives of bacteria offers insights into the evolution of cooperation and may lead to medical breakthroughs that neutralize virulent bacterial strains.
By Bruce Bower - 			
			
		19482
What will happen to the Huygens probe when it plunges through Titan’s atmosphere? Will we have a PHHT or a BOOM? My late father, a chemist, always admonished me to beware of acetylene, propane, and ethane, as they were highly volatile. Caroline L.C. GoldsmithHackettstown, N.J. ” There is no molecular oxygen on Titan,” responds Jonathan […]
By Science News - 			
			
		Planetary ScienceA Titan of a Mission
On Jan. 14, a space probe will plunge through the thick atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan, looking for insights into the origins of life on Earth.
By Ron Cowen