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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Neuroscience

    Rocking puts adults to sleep faster and makes slumber deeper

    People sleep better when their beds are gently rocked, a small study finds.

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  2. Animals

    Young emperor penguins brave icy, winter waters in their first year

    Young emperor penguins learn survival skills on their own, including how to navigate Antarctica’s icy winter ocean.

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  3. Paleontology

    A four-legged robot hints at how ancient tetrapods walked

    Using fossils, computer simulations and a life-size walking robot, researchers re-created how an early tetrapod may have made tracks.

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  4. Planetary Science

    Two daring spacecraft aim to bring asteroid dust back to Earth

    A pair of daredevil spacecraft that aim to bring asteroid dust back to Earth have reached their targets and are scouting for the best sampling spots.

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  5. Animals

    How worm blobs behave like a liquid and a solid

    Blobs of worms flow like a fluid, plop like a solid and fascinate scientists.

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  6. Physics

    High-speed video reveals physics tricks for shooting a rubber band

    To fire a rubber band flawlessly, use a wide band and don’t pull too hard, physicists suggest.

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  7. Physics

    The physics of fluids explains how crowds of marathon runners move

    A new liquid-inspired theory can predict the movements of marathoners lining up for a race.

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  8. Astronomy

    What happens in Earth’s atmosphere during an eclipse?

    The charged layer of Earth’s atmosphere gets uncharged during an eclipse, and that could have implications for everything from GPS accuracy to earthquake prediction.

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  9. Animals

    Male cockatoos have the beat

    Male cockatoos tap trees to a beat to get girls.

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  10. Astronomy

    30 years later, supernova 1987A is still sharing secrets

    The 1987 explosion of a star near the Milky Way 30 years ago set off years of fascinating findings.

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  11. Ecosystems

    Dam demolition lets the Elwha River run free

    Removing a dam involves more than impressive explosions. Releasing a river like Washington state's Elwha transforms the landscape and restores important pathways for native fish.

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