Vol. 195 No. 7
cover of April 13, 2019 issue

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More Stories from the April 13, 2019 issue

  1. Tokyo
    Archaeology

    ‘Cities’ reveals common ground between ancient and modern urban life

    In the book ‘Cities,’ archaeologist Monica Smith sees the positives in past and present metropolises.

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  2. data mining illustration
    Artificial Intelligence

    Why a data scientist warns against always trusting AI’s scientific discoveries

    Artificial intelligence that helps make scientific discoveries needs to get better at admitting its uncertainty, Genevera Allen says.

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  3. slingshot spider
    Life

    This spider slingshots itself at extreme speeds to catch prey

    By winding up its web like a slingshot, the slingshot spider achieves an acceleration rate far faster than a cheetah’s.

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  4. chimpanzees
    Life

    Human encroachment threatens chimpanzee culture

    Human activity is affecting chimps’ behavioral repertoire, a new study suggests. Creating chimp cultural heritage sites might save unique behaviors.

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  5. central Tibetan Plateau
    Earth

    The ‘roof of the world’ was raised more recently than once thought

    New studies suggest that the Tibetan Plateau may have risen to its dizzying heights after 25 million years ago.

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  6. electronic chip
    Physics

    Scientists have chilled tiny electronics to a record low temperature

    In a first, electronic chip temperatures dip below a thousandth of a degree kelvin.

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  7. male bee
    Animals

    The first male bees spotted babysitting are mostly stepdads

    Some male bees guard young that are likely not their own while mom looks for pollen, a study finds.

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  8. charged solar particles and Earth's magnetosphere
    Astronomy

    One of the strongest known solar storms blasted Earth in 660 B.C.

    Ice cores and tree rings reveal that Earth was blasted with a powerful solar storm 2,610 years ago.

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  9. embryo fertilization
    Genetics

    Geneticists push for a 5-year global ban on gene-edited babies

    Prominent scientists are using the word “moratorium” to make it clear that experiments to create babies with altered genes are wrong, for now.

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  10. atomic clock
    Physics

    Ultraprecise atomic clocks put Einstein’s special relativity to the test

    Physics obeys the same rules no matter what direction you’re facing, a new experiment confirms.

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  11. amyloid-beta plaques
    Health & Medicine

    Flickers and buzzes sweep mouse brains of Alzheimer’s plaques

    Precisely timed clicking noises can counter signs of Alzheimer’s in the brains of mice and improve memory.

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  12. robotic gripper grabbing an apple
    Tech

    An origami design helps this robot lift delicate and heavy cargo

    Fragile items, such as soft fruits, as well as heavier goods are in safe hands with a new robotic gripper.

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  13. a composite photo of two skulls showing differences in overbites
    Humans

    The rise of farming altered our bite and changed how people talk

    Eating soft, processed foods refashioned adults' jaws, which added “f” and “v” sounds to speech and changed languages worldwide, a study finds.

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  14. starry dwarf frog
    Animals

    Meet India’s starry dwarf frog — a species with no close relatives

    The newly identified starry dwarf frog represents a new species, genus and potentially even a new family.

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  15. Ultima Thule
    Planetary Science

    Ultima Thule may be a frankenworld

    The first geologic map of Ultima Thule shows it might be made of many smaller rocks that clumped together under the force of their own gravity.

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  16. Bennu
    Planetary Science

    Surprising astronomers, Bennu spits plumes of dust into space

    Bennu spews dust from its rocky surface, which may be a new kind of asteroid activity.

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  17. fossil egg
    Paleontology

    In a first, a fossilized egg is found preserved inside an ancient bird

    Scientists have found the first known fossil of a bird that died with an unlaid egg inside its body. The egg has been crushed by pressure over time.

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  18. depression drug
    Health & Medicine

    A new ketamine-based antidepressant raises hope — and questions

    Little is known about the long-term effects on people of a newly approved antidepressant based on the anesthetic ketamine.

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  19. Earth magnetic field
    Neuroscience

    People can sense Earth’s magnetic field, brain waves suggest

    An analysis of brain waves offers new evidence that people subconsciously process information about the planet’s magnetism.

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  20. Ryugu asteroid
    Planetary Science

    Ryugu is probably a chip off one of these two other asteroids

    Japan’s Hayabusa2 team has narrowed down the asteroid Ryugu’s origins based on its color.

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