Vol. 173 No. #17
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More Stories from the May 24, 2008 issue

  1. Health & Medicine

    New approach might strike at the core of Alzheimer’s disease

    By anchoring an enzyme-inhibiting molecule to a cell membrane, researchers have designed a potential skeleton for a new Alzheimer's treatment.

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  2. Psychology

    Smarten up

    Taxing memory training produces at least short-term increases in a critical type of intelligence.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Let there be light

    Researchers report restoring vision to people with a rare, genetic form of blindness. A different technique helped blind mice see again and could bring back some sight in people with macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa or other blinding diseases.

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  4. Space

    Supermassive black hole says sayonara

    Researchers have the first observational hint for the existence of an ejected supermassive black hole, fired by a gravitational rocket from the core of the galaxy in which it formed.

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  5. Humans

    Jaw breaker

    An ancient human relative that lived more than 1 million years ago possessed huge jaws and teeth suited to eating hard foods but actually preferred fruits and other soft items, a new study finds.

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  6. Life

    Bat that roared

    Although the human ear can't detect it, bats make astonishingly loud noises while hunting.

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  7. Tech

    Down with the transistor

    A new type of electronic component could shrink computer chips and make them more powerful.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Treat ’em

    High blood pressure often goes untreated in people 80 and over, but a new study suggests that treatment extends survival.

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  9. Earth

    It’s the meat not the miles

    Eating less red meat and dairy may do more to reduce food-associated greenhouse gas emissions than shopping locally.

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  10. Astronomy

    A Phoenix on Mars

    A new robotic lander will search the north polar region of Mars for habitability.

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  11. A moment on the lips …

    Adults may be stuck with the fat they have. A study suggests the number of fat cells doesn't change with weight gain or loss.

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  12. Life

    DNA tweak no good for diabetics

    A genetic variation that increases levels of a blood-building protein also ups the risk of developing complications from diabetes.

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  13. Life

    The Arctic isn’t alone

    Insects and other animals that regulate their body temperature externally may be especially vulnerable as the world warms.

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  14. Physics

    Gödel, Escher, Chopin

    Musical theorists see inuitive links between musical chords and geometries.

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  15. Ecosystems

    Bring in the replacements

    Missing links in ecosystems disrupted by extinctions could be restored by introducing species that perform the same function, new field experiments suggest.

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  16. Space

    Flooring the cosmic accelerator

    If cosmologist Will Percival of the University of Portsmouth in England is right, the universe will end about 60 billion years from now, when every molecule and atom will be torn asunder by a mysterious entity that opposes gravity’s pull and turns it into a cosmic push.

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  17. Humans

    Science in the City

    The inaugural World Science Festival kicks off in New York May 28 and features a variety of events celebrating the role of science in all aspects of modern life, culture and the arts.

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  18. Life

    Epic Genetics

    The way genes are packaged by "epigenetic" changes may play a major role in the risk of addiction, depression and other mental disorders.

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  19. Life

    Epic Genetics – Sidebar

    Epigenetic changes can be undone in some circumstances.

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  20. Computing

    Scientists Get a 2nd Life

    The virtual world of Second Life offers new ways to do and learn about real science.

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