Vol. 189 No. 1
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More Stories from the January 9, 2016 issue

  1. Health & Medicine

    A good diet for you may be bad for me

    Eating the same foods can produce very different reactions in people.

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  2. Animals

    Snakes evolved from burrowing ancestor, new data suggest

    A new X-ray analysis of inner ears is the latest to weigh in on whether modern snakes descended from a burrowing or a swimming reptile.

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  3. Quantum Physics

    Spooky quantum connection quantified for multiple particles

    Physicists have measured quantum entanglement between several particles rather than just two.

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  4. Climate

    Warming culprit CO2 has a cool side — and it’s in Antarctica

    Rising CO2 levels above central Antarctica cause cooling, not warming, new research suggests. The odd effect results from surface temperatures that are colder than the overlying stratosphere.

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  5. Chemistry

    ‘Q-carbon’ may offer quick route to diamonds

    Q-carbon might be the third form of solid carbon, but some scientists have doubts.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    High-potency pot smokers show brain-fiber damage

    People who smoke potent pot had signs of damage in a brain communication link.

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  7. Physics

    There’s no hiding from new camera

    A new camera tracks objects hidden around a corner by detecting light echoes, similar to the way bats use sound to find prey.

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  8. Planetary Science

    Japanese spacecraft reaches Venus — five years late

    The Japanese Space Agency’s Akatsuki spacecraft succeeded at a second attempt at orbiting Venus, five years after an engine failure prevented its intended mission.

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  9. Planetary Science

    Salty source of Ceres’ mysterious bright spots found

    Bright spots on Ceres contain salts from a possible subsurface layer of ice while ammonia-rich minerals hint at building blocks incorporated from the far outer solar system.

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  10. Genetics

    Liberia’s Ebola outbreak largely traced to one source

    Ebola’s spread and evolution in Liberia echoes patterns seen in Sierra Leone.

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  11. Earth

    Gooey rock in mantle thickens 1,000 kilometers down

    Gravitational tugs provide an unprecedented peek into the structure of Earth’s mantle and reveal a sudden increase in viscosity roughly 1,000 kilometers below ground.

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  12. Climate

    195 nations approve historic climate accord

    The Paris climate talks end with delegates from 195 nations releasing a hard-fought agreement to curb climate change and limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

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  13. Life

    Cancer cells get help migrating through the body

    Helper cells may give cancer a straight shot to spread through the body.

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  14. Particle Physics

    LHC restart provides tantalizing hints of a possible new particle

    The first comprehensive analyses of the recently restarted Large Hadron Collider yields no clear-cut discoveries but at least one intriguing hint of a new particle.

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  15. Life

    In the body, cells move like flocks of birds or schools of fish

    Cells move in groups similarly to flocks of birds and schools of fish

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  16. Life

    For water bears, the glass is all full

    When dried, water bears turn into glass.

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  17. Life

    Upending daily rhythm triggers fat cell growth

    Constant production of stress hormone spurs fat growth.

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  18. Health & Medicine

    50 years ago, a promising agent pulled

    DMSO was promised to cure everything from headache to the common cold. But human testing stopped in 1965.

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  19. Physics

    Aircraft industry could take tips from penguins

    Tiny grooves and an oily sheath prevent water droplets from freezing on the feathers of some penguins.

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  20. Neuroscience

    Shrub cells are true to form

    New cell types discovered in the brains of mice

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  21. Animals

    When tarantulas grow blue hair

    Azure coloring is surprisingly common in the spiders, though they themselves are colorblind.

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  22. Microbes

    Get to know your microbes at ‘The Secret World Inside You’

    The American Museum of Natural History’s newest exhibit rehabilitates bacteria’s bad reputation and introduces visitors to the microbiome.

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  23. Animals

    Gut bacteria’s compounds bring cockroaches together

    German cockroaches may rely on gut bacteria to help attract fellow roaches.

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  24. Neuroscience

    Eyes hard at work can make ears go temporarily deaf

    When challenged with a tough visual task, people are less likely to perceive a tone, suggesting that perceptual overload can jump between senses.

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  25. Health & Medicine

    Taking antiviral drug ‘on demand’ can guard against HIV

    The antiviral drug Truvada taken before and after sex cuts HIV transmission rates.

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