Vol. 187 No. 7

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Science Visualized

Notebook

Features

More Stories from the April 4, 2015 issue

  1. black hole
    Astronomy

    Monster black hole lurks in the early universe

    A black hole weighing the same as 12 billion suns is the most massive one known in the early universe.

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  2. Alaska site
    Climate

    Scientists confirm amassing CO2 heats Earth’s surface

    Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase the amount of thermal radiation striking Earth’s surface.

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  3. ice cream bar
    Health & Medicine

    Additives that keep foods fresh may sour in the gut

    Additives called emulsifiers that are used in ice cream and other foods weaken the intestines’ defenses against bacteria, causing inflammation in mice.

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  4. potato bug
    Plants

    Beetle RNA makes crops a noxious meal

    When beetles munch plants bearing their RNA, genes the bugs need to survive are turned off.

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  5. Neuroscience

    Brain cells predict opponent’s move in game-playing monkeys

    Newly discovered brain cells help monkeys predict whether a companion will cooperate.

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  6. partial jaw fossil
    Humans

    Ancient jaw may hold clues to origins of human genus

    A 2.8-million-year-old fossil from Ethiopia raises questions about the origins and evolution of the human genus, Homo.

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  7. group of killer whales
    Animals

    Killer whales follow postmenopausal leaders

    Taking the lead on salmon hunts may be postmenopausal killer whales’ way of sharing their ecological knowledge.

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  8. illustration of Dawn spacecraft approaching Ceres
    Planetary Science

    Dawn spacecraft arrives at dwarf planet Ceres

    The Dawn spacecraft arrives at Ceres to begin a 14-month investigation of the dwarf planet.

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  9. Quantum Physics

    Light trick can retrieve missed messages

    Even if photons pass you by, you can still snatch a signal from their electromagnetic wake, physicists propose.

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  10. Physics

    High-temperature superconductivity record awaits confirmation

    A hydrogen-sulfur compound under pressure may transport electrical current with no resistance at a record high temperature.

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  11. A receipt and plastic bottles
    Environment

    Replacement for toxic chemical in plastics, receipts may be just as toxic

    Mounting evidence suggests that BPS, a common chemical in plastics, may cause the same health effects as BPA.

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  12. Pangaea supercontinent
    Earth

    Tethys Ocean implicated in Pangaea breakup

    The shrinking of the Tethys Ocean may have broken up the Pangaea supercontinent.

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  13. sponge fossil
    Paleontology

    Possible ancestor of sponges found

    An exquisitely preserved 600-million-year-old fossil from China has cell types and a shape resembling sponges, thought to be among the first multicellular animals to evolve.

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  14. hummingbird
    Animals

    Hummingbird may get promoted

    Not just a subspecies: A flashy, squeaky hummingbird should become its own species, ornithologists argue.

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  15. diagram of the locations of new galaxies
    Astronomy

    As many as nine new dwarf galaxies found outside Milky Way

    A bevy of newly discovered satellite galaxies around the Milky Way could help astronomers study how galaxies form and the nature of dark matter.

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  16. fruit fly heartbeat graph
    Life

    For healthy eating, timing matters

    Limiting eating times improves heart function in fruit flies.

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  17. Ganymede
    Planetary Science

    Aurora shift confirms Ganymede’s ocean

    New observations confirm the presence of a liquid saltwater ocean beneath the surface of Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede.

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  18. exhibit at the University of Padua
    Humans

    The expressive face of human history on display

    Busts on display in an Italian exhibit flesh out hominid skulls using the latest in 3-D reconstruction.

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  19. Animals

    Piggyback rides and other crocodile fun

    We don’t know the playful side of crocodiles perhaps only because we haven’t looked.

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  20. pacemaker
    Tech

    Plans fizzled for nuclear-powered artificial heart

    In 1965, researchers saw a nuclear-powered heart in the future.

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  21. wolves
    Anthropology

    ‘The Invaders’ sees dogs as key to modern humans’ success

    Neandertals went extinct when Homo sapiens transformed wolves into hunting aids, author proposes.

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