Life
Microscapes take off at D.C’s Dulles airport
“Life: Magnified,” a display of microscope images depicting cells, microbes and details of life invisible to the naked eye runs from June to November.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Earth
Bird’s-eye views of the globe highlight avian trouble spots
Recent maps reveal trouble spots for the world’s imperiled birds.
Notebook
Animals
New water bear species found in Antarctica
A tiny creature called a tardigrade could shed light on how animals reached the far southern continent.
Features
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How species will, or won’t, manage in a warming world
Fast evolution and flexibility, in biology and behavior, may allow some species to adapt to a warming world. Others may need help from humans, or risk dying out.
More Stories from the July 26, 2014 issue
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AnimalsAnt sperm swim as a team
The desert ant has sperm that swim in bundles for extra speed, perhaps increasing their likelihood of fertilizing an egg.
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NeuroscienceCrayfish get anxious, too
After receiving a shock, crayfish act anxious, avoiding brightly lit areas.
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AnimalsSwimming evolved several times in treetop ants
Certain ants living in tropical forest canopies turn out to be fine swimmers.
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Health & MedicineUlcer microbe changes quickly to avoid immune attack
During the initial weeks of infection, Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes stomach ulcers, mutates at a high rate, apparently to evade the body’s defenses.
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LifeAvian flu could strike Asian poultry markets outside China
H7N9 influenza has a higher chance of spreading to humans in urban areas close to water, researchers predict.
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PsychologyChildren negotiate taking turns surprisingly early in life
Five-year-olds can coordinate decisions with others in a fair way, even when each child has conflicting interests.
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Health & Medicine
Simple blood test detects heart transplant rejection
Heart transplant recipients whose bodies are starting to reject the new organ might carry genetic warning signs.
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EnvironmentTriclosan may spoil wastewater treatment
Common antimicrobial could make microbes more drug resistant and less efficient at breaking down sewage sludge in municipal treatment plants.
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NeuroscienceSunbathing may boost endorphins in the body and brain
UV light makes mice churn out a molecule that is a cousin of morphine and heroin, a finding that may explain why some people seek out sunshine.
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Quantum PhysicsCommercial quantum computer fails to impress in new test
Fifteen million dollar D-Wave machine runs no faster than traditional computer in head-to-head challenge.
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Life
Autoimmune diseases stopped in mice
Reprogramming immune cells may offer a way to treat autoimmune diseases without harming the body’s ability to fight infections.
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HumansSkulls reveal Neandertal’s hodge-podge genealogy
A new analysis of ancient hominid skulls reveals a patchy anatomical start of the Neandertal lineage.
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AstronomyMilky Way galaxy’s dust clouds shown in 3-D map
A new three-dimensional map of interstellar dust in the Milky Way wraps 180 degrees around the sky and extends over 16,000 light-years from Earth.
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AnimalsLionfish dance can recruit partner for hunting
Slow but superb predators recruit pals for cooperative hunting, often striking in what looks like well-mannered turn taking.
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AstronomyRare trio of supermassive black holes found
Three supermassive black holes residing where two distant galaxies collide offer new clues about where to look for gravitational waves.
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Health & Medicine
Hidden heart rhythm problem may underlie some strokes
In two clinical studies, people who had had strokes with no trigger sometimes also had undiagnosed atrial fibrillation.
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LifeHIV hides in growth-promoting genes
The discovery that HIV can trigger infected cells to divide means scientists may need to rethink strategies for treating the virus that causes AIDS.
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NeuroscienceBusy brain hubs go awry in disorders, study suggests
Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders may occur when the brain’s most active hubs are damaged.
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AstronomyMagnetic bubbles could shield astronauts from radiation
With help from plasma and a magnet, solar storms' dangers would lessen on long space trips.
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LifeOne lichen is actually 126 species and counting
One supposedly well-known tropical lichen could really be several hundred kinds.
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LifeDramatic retraction adds to questions about stem cell research
Researchers who reported an easy method for making stem cells admit mistakes mar their work, and have retracted their papers from Nature.
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AnimalsElephant shrews are, oddly, related to actual elephants
A new species in the group is the smallest yet, with adults smaller than a newborn kitten.
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Tech
1960s research paid off in automotive safety
Scientists in 1964 were studying shatterproof glass, which was mandated just a couple of years later.
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EarthHumans have long history with causing extinctions
Data suggests major die-offs of large animals during the last Ice Age were linked to people, not climate.
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Earth
‘Tambora’ links volcano to the ‘year without a summer’
Author Gillen D’arcy Wood links the volcano to historical changes in art, opium, cholera and more.
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Anthropology
‘Kidding Ourselves’ shows the rational side of self-deception
Author Joseph T. Hallinan explains why people believe the darnedest things.