Vol. 168 No. #23
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More Stories from the December 3, 2005 issue

  1. Insomniac brains are both asleep and awake

    Brains affected by sleep-induced insomnia function as if both asleep and awake.

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  2. Spurned lovers’ brains reflect risk evaluation, pain

    Using scanning technology, scientists can see the feelings of hurt, longing, and craving associated with a bad breakup reflected in the brains of recently rejected lovers.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Pomegranate juice could fight Alzheimer’s

    Drinking pomegranate juice, already linked to a host of positive health effects, may also slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

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  4. Cognition down in apple-shaped seniors

    Weight gain around the waist could go hand in hand with decreasing cognitive function as people age.

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  5. Paleontology

    New View: Fossil offers novel look at an ancient bird

    A newly described specimen of an ancient creature that most scientists consider the oldest known bird is posed in a way that provides new viewing angles for several body features.

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  6. Chemistry

    Multitasking Miniatures: Tailor-made particles are versatile

    A new class of tiny particles fashioned from metal and organic building blocks may lead to novel catalysts and sensors.

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  7. Arbiter of Taste: Energy molecule transmits flavor to brain

    The energy molecule ATP may play a pivotal role in conveying information about foods' taste to the brain.

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  8. Computing

    Network Inoculation: Antivirus shield would outrace cyber infections

    As a new way to protect a computer network from viruses, an epidemic of antiviral protection could theoretically propagate faster through the network than the virus itself, thanks to a novel topological twist.

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  9. Anthropology

    Waves of Grain: New data lift old model of agriculture’s origins

    A new analysis of the locations and ages of ancient farming sites reinforces the controversial idea that the groups that started raising crops in the Middle East gradually grew in number and colonized much of Europe.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Rare but Fatal Outcome: Four deaths may trace to abortion pill

    In the past 5 years, four healthy women taking the abortion pill mifepristone have died of toxic shock syndrome.

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  11. Animals

    Face Time: Bees can tell apart human portraits

    Honeybees will learn to zoom up to particular human faces in a version of a facial-recognition test used for people.

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  12. Chemistry

    A Skunk Walks into a Bar . . .

    Research into the chemistry behind unpleasant beer flavors may someday lead to a more flavor-stable brew.

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  13. Ecosystems

    Valuing Nature

    With help from ecotourism-oriented commerce, the threatened birds of Uganda's Mabira Forest Reserve might just save themselves and set an example for conservationists elsewhere.

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  14. Humans

    Letters from the December 3, 2005, issue of Science News

    Eye on energy “Cosmic Ray Font: Supernova remnants rev up ions” (SN: 10/1/05, p. 213) is unfortunately murky. It’s confusing to state that accelerating charged particles to high speeds “therefore” produces cosmic rays. And what “charged particles”? Is the “energized” gas in fact “ionized”? “Energized” is too general a word. Finally, why are high-speed particles […]

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