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Dirty RATS: Campaign ad may have swayed voters subliminally
Psychological research sparked by a controversial campaign advertisement aired during the 2000 presidential election suggests that the 30-second spot—which briefly flashed "RATS"—may have negatively affected viewers’ opinions of Democratic candidate Al Gore.
By Sid Perkins -
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This article fails to mention the very plausible explanation that was offered at the time by those who produced the Republican campaign ad. Namely, that they were using a graphics-software program that produces the effect in question for any word. The validity of the research isn’t affected by whether the appearance of “rats” in this […]
By Science News - Planetary Science
Martian Gullies: Carved by melting snow?
Melting snow may have sculpted the recently formed gullies found at midlatitudes on Mars.
By Ron Cowen - Anthropology
Evolution’s DNA Fusion: Hybrid gene forms clue to human, ape origins
A gene of mixed evolutionary pedigree may have transformed mammalian reproduction, leading to the evolution of apes and humans.
By Bruce Bower -
19224
In reference to the hands-free headsets mentioned in your article, it has been shown that on the wire to a cell phone, a standing wave can exist that can penetrate deep into the brain. Peter L. NelsonAvoca Beach, Australia
By Science News - Health & Medicine
Hold the Phone? Radiation from cell phones hurts rats’ brains
A single 2-hour exposure to the microwaves emitted by some cell phones kills brain cells in rats.
- Ecosystems
Lab ecosystems show signs of evolving
An ambitious test of group selection considers whether natural selection can act on whole ecosystems as evolutionary units.
By Susan Milius - Paleontology
Was it sudden death for the Permian period?
The massive extinctions that came at the end of the Permian period could have occurred within a mere 8,000 years, which suggests a catastrophic cause for the die-offs.
By Sid Perkins -
Possible Alzheimer’s vaccine seems safe
A vaccine intended to slow or prevent the devastation of Alzheimer's disease appears promising, according to preliminary tests in people.
By John Travis - Tech
Technique boosts data rate in light pipes
Turning a liability into an asset, a new technique for passing information through optical fibers increases the data flow by exploiting the very trait that has long held that flow back.
By Peter Weiss -
Mental ills attract alternative therapies
A substantial minority of people suffering from mental ailments seek out alternative treatments, such as herbal medicines and nutritional regimens, usually without telling their physicians.
By Bruce Bower - Materials Science
Ancient seal technology shows its age
Modern technologies reveal than an ancient method of engraving tough quartz in Mesopotamia was adopted some 1,500 years later than scholars had thought.