Vol. 193 No. 6
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More Stories from the March 31, 2018 issue

  1. Genetics

    The last wild horses aren’t truly wild

    The ancestor of today’s domesticated horses remains a mystery after a new analysis of ancient horse DNA.

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  2. Quantum Physics

    Two-way communication is possible with a single quantum particle

    One photon can transmit information in two directions at once.

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  3. Neuroscience

    Some flu strains can make mice forgetful

    Mice infected with influenza had memory problems a month later, a result that hints at a link between infections and brain performance.

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  4. Life

    A rare rainstorm wakes undead microbes in Chile’s Atacama Desert

    Microbial life in Chile’s Atacama Desert bursts into bloom when moisture is available.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Human skin bacteria have cancer-fighting powers

    Strains of a bacteria that live on human skin make a compound that suppressed tumor growth in mice.

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  6. Animals

    It’s official: Termites are just cockroaches with a fancy social life

    On their latest master list of arthropods, U.S. entomologists have finally declared termites to be a kind of cockroach.

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  7. Earth

    Early land plants led to the rise of mud

    New research suggests early land plants called bryophytes, which include modern mosses, helped shape Earth’s surface by creating clay-rich river deposits.

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  8. Artificial Intelligence

    In the future, an AI may diagnose eye problems

    Artificial intelligence could help diagnose blinding eye diseases and other illnesses, speeding up medical care in areas where specialists might be scarce.

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  9. Astronomy

    Loner gas clouds could be a new kind of stellar system

    Weird loner clumps of gas that have wandered for 1 billion years may have been stripped from a trio of larger galaxies.

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  10. Ecosystems

    Pollution regulations help Chesapeake Bay seagrass rebound

    Regulations that have reduced nitrogen runoff into the Chesapeake Bay are driving the recovery of underwater vegetation.

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  11. Earth

    By 2100, damaged corals may let waves twice as tall as today’s reach coasts

    Structurally complex coral reefs can defend coasts against waves, even as sea levels rise.

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  12. Quantum Physics

    Google moves toward quantum supremacy with 72-qubit computer

    Google’s 72-qubit quantum chip may eventually perform a task beyond the ability of traditional computers.

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  13. Anthropology

    Humans don’t get enough sleep. Just ask other primates.

    Short, REM-heavy sleep bouts separate humans from other primates, scientists find. Sleeping on the ground may have a lot to do with it.

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  14. Planetary Science

    4 surprising things we just learned about Jupiter

    Polar cyclones, surprisingly deep atmosphere and a fluid mass spinning as a rigid body are among the latest discoveries at Jupiter.

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  15. Physics

    Some meteorites contain superconducting bits

    Scientists find materials that conduct electricity without resistance in two meteorites.

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  16. Tech

    On Twitter, the lure of fake news is stronger than the truth

    An analysis of more than 4.5 million tweets discussing false and true stories reveals that in the Twittersphere, fake news gets more views.

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  17. Physics

    Give double-layer graphene a twist and it superconducts

    When graphene layers are twisted to a “magic angle,” the material superconducts.

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  18. Neuroscience

    Brain waves may focus attention and keep information flowing

    Not just by-products of busy nerve cells, brain waves may be key to how the brain operates.

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  19. Ecosystems

    50 years ago, invasive species traveled the Suez Canal

    Hundreds of Red Sea species used the Suez Canal to migrate to the Mediterranean Sea, leading to the decline of some native species.

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