Vol. 163 No. #2
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More Stories from the January 11, 2003 issue

  1. A fish’s solution to broken hearts

    The zebrafish can regenerate missing heart muscle.

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  2. Chemistry

    Soy and oat combo protects against UV

    Soybean oil and a natural chemical in oat bran have been chemically combined to make a new sunscreen.

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  3. Earth

    Rivers run to it

    Increasing freshwater discharges into Arctic waters could disrupt important patterns of deep-water ocean circulation that affect climate.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Researchers target sickle-cell cure

    Using stem cell transplants and a compound called antithymocyte globulin, researchers in Paris have cured 59 of 69 children of sickle-cell disease.

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  5. Speech veers left in babies’ brains

    The beginnings of left-brain specialization for speech understanding appear in 2-to-3-month-old babies as they listen to an adult talk, according to a new brain-scan investigation.

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  6. Ragweed may boom with global warming

    An experiment that includes artificially heating plots of tallgrass prairie suggests that global warming could boost growth of ragweed, putting more pollen into the air for allergy sufferers.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Determined at Birth? Kidney makeup may set hypertension risk

    People lacking a full complement of blood-filtering nephrons in their kidneys at birth are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure.

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  8. Animals

    Stalking Larvae: How an ancient sea creature grows up

    Scientists have finally observed living larvae of a sea lily, an ancient marine invertebrate related to starfish.

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  9. Humans

    Unfounded Fear: Scared to fly after 9/11? Don’t reach for the car keys

    A new analysis of transportation in the United States shows that flying remains a much safer way to travel than driving, even when airline fatalities resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are included.

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  10. Bipolar Math Subtractions: Mental disorder may spur math problems in teens

    A new study suggests that bipolar disorder, a psychiatric illness best known for its stormy mood swings, may frequently undermine mathematical reasoning as well.

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  11. Humans

    Science Revalued: Report seeks revived Smithsonian science

    A long-awaited report on science at the Smithsonian Institution calls urgently for more funding and also recommends preservation of beseiged materials-research center.

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  12. Losing Rhythm: Gene mutation causes heart problems

    Chinese researchers have for the first time identified a genetic defect that causes atrial fibrillation, a disorder in which the heart's upper chambers beat irregularly and too rapidly.

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  13. Chemistry

    Jet Streams: Droplet behavior captured by high-speed camera

    A series of images has captured charged droplets spouting microscopic jets of fluid, a phenomenon that was proposed by Lord Rayleigh in 1882.

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  14. Health & Medicine

    Moms’ POPs, Sons’ Problems: Testicular cancer tied to a fetus’ pollutant contact

    Women who've had substantial exposure to certain environmental pollutants are more likely than other women to bear sons who develop testicular cancers.

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  15. Tech

    A Shot in the Light

    Bullet replicas that look on a microscopic level like they've been fired from a gun—even though they haven't—enable forensics specialists to fine-tune as never before instruments to automatically match bullets from crime scenes.

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  16. Animals

    Camelid Comeback

    The future of vicuñas in South America and wild camels in Asia hinges on decisions being made now about their management.

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