Vol. 166 No. #4
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More Stories from the July 24, 2004 issue

  1. Astronomy

    Two newly found space molecules

    Researchers have detected two new organic chemicals in a large interstellar cloud.

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  2. Archaeology

    Seeds of agriculture move back in time

    Excavations in Israel indicate that people began to eat large quantities of wild grass seeds and wild cereal grains by around 23,000 years ago, which pushes back by 10,000 years the estimated shift to a plant-rich diet.

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  3. Chemistry

    Tarantula venom disrupts cells in unexpected way

    The unusual way in which the chemical components of tarantula venom disrupt cells could inspire the design of new drug therapies.

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  4. Animals

    A first for mammals: Tropical hibernating

    The fat-tailed lemur, the first tropical mammal documented to hibernate, exploits local heat spikes to save energy during the long snooze.

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  5. Paleontology

    Chipmunks in Wisconsin toughed out ice age

    Analyses of DNA from chipmunks in parts of the U.S. Midwest hint that some populations of the creatures stayed in northern refuges rather than migrating south at the beginning of the last ice age.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    New cholesterol guidelines advise more treatment

    Citing results from five recent trials of anticholesterol statin drugs, U.S. health officials recommend that physicians use the drugs to treat many more patients with high cholesterol.

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  7. Earth

    Skin proves poor portal for arsenic in treated wood

    Direct contact with old-style pressure-treated lumber should pose little risk that arsenic will penetrate the skin.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Suicide Watch: Antidepressants get large-scale inspection

    Data from the United Kingdom indicate that depressed patients attempt and complete suicides at an elevated rate in the 3 months after starting to take any of four antidepressant drugs.

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  9. Physics

    Inside Plastic Transistors: Crystal-clear window opens on hidden flows

    By creating a new type of plastic transistor, researchers have identified crucial details regarding electric flow through plastic semiconductors.

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  10. Earth

    Quick Bite: Some gorges carved surprisingly fast

    Analyses of rock samples from two river gorges along the Atlantic seaboard suggest that the largest parts of those chasms were carved during a geologically short period at the height of the last ice age.

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  11. Ecosystems

    Deep-Sea Cukes Can’t Avoid the Weather: El Niño changes life 2.5 miles down

    A 14-year study of a spot 2.5 miles underwater off the California coast shows short-term links between surface events and an abundance of deep-water creatures.

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  12. Parasite Pursuit: Sand fly coughs up leishmania protozoan’s secrets of proliferation

    A parasite spread by the sand fly secretes gel into the throat of the fly, which then regurgitates it when it bites a person, spreading the infection.

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  13. Earth

    Dangerous Dust? Chemicals in plastics are tied to allergies

    Elevated risks for developing multiple allergies, including asthma, eczema, and rhinitis, appear to be associated with household exposure to synthetic chemicals called phthalates.

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  14. Health & Medicine

    Potential Block for Epilepsy: Researchers find new drug target

    Using genetically engineered mice, scientists have identified a new target in the brain for drugs that could prevent epilepsy.

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  15. Animals

    Trail Mix: Espionage among the bees

    Tests with two kinds of stingless bees suggest that the more aggressive species uses scent-based espionage to target raids on the milder species' food.

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  16. Astronomy

    End of the Line for Hubble?

    With a space shuttle mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope now canceled, astronomers are pondering how to best use the flying observatory during its final years.

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  17. Math

    Generous Players

    Game theory is helping to explain how cooperation and other self-sacrificing behaviors fit into natural selection.

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  18. Humans

    Letters from the July 24, 2004, issue of Science News

    Whee! I can pretty easily tell what was going through the kiddo’s mind while trying “in vain to scoot down a miniature slide” (“Toddlers’ Supersize Mistakes: At times, children play with the impossible,” SN: 5/15/04, p. 308: Toddlers’ Supersize Mistakes: At times, children play with the impossible). 1. “Slides are fun. Why not pretend to […]

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