Vol. 192 No. 6
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cover of October 14, 2017 issue

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More Stories from the October 14, 2017 issue

  1. Life

    KC Huang probes basic questions of bacterial life

    A physicist by training, Kerwyn Casey Huang tries to understand cell shape, movement and growth.

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  2. Astronomy

    David Kipping seeks new and unexpected worlds

    Astronomer David Kipping became “the moon guy” by deciding no idea is too crazy.

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  3. Chemistry

    Chong Liu one-ups plant photosynthesis

    Chong Liu mixes bacteria and inorganics into systems that can generate clean energy better than a leaf.

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  4. Life

    Lena Pernas sees parasitic infection as a kind of Hunger Games

    In studies of Toxoplasma, parasitologist Lena Pernas has reframed infection as a battle between invader and a cell’s mitochondria.

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  5. Neuroscience

    Kay Tye improvises to understand our inner lives

    To figure out how rich mental lives are created by the brain, neuroscientist Kay Tye applies “a new level of neurobiological sophistication.”

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  6. Anthropology

    Christina Warinner uncovers ancient tales in dental plaque

    Molecular biologist Christina Warinner studies calculus, or fossilized dental plaque, which contains a trove of genetic clues to past human diet and disease.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Luhan Yang strives to make pig organs safe for human transplants

    A bold approach to genome editing by biologist Luhan Yang could alleviate the shortage of organs and ease human suffering.

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  8. Paleontology

    Like sea stars, ancient echinoderms nibbled with tiny tube feet

    An ancient echinoderm fossil preserves evidence of tube feet like those found on today’s sea stars.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    Microbes hobble a widely used chemo drug

    Bacteria associated with cancer cells can inactivate a chemotherapy drug.

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  10. Quantum Physics

    A new test of water ripples supports the idea of quantum heat in a vacuum

    Water waves bolster theory that accelerating space travelers really feel the heat.

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  11. Microbes

    Now we know how much glacial melting ‘watermelon snow’ can cause

    Algae that give snow a red tint are making glacial snow in Alaska melt faster.

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  12. Genetics

    In a first, human embryos edited to explore gene function

    In groundbreaking research, CRISPR/Cas9 used to study human development for the first time.

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  13. Health & Medicine

    By ganging up, HIV antibodies may defeat the virus

    A duo or trio of powerful antibodies was effective at stopping an HIV-like infection in lab monkeys, two studies find.

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  14. Astronomy

    Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays come from outside the Milky Way

    The biggest cosmic ray haul ever points toward other galaxies as the source of the rays, not our own.

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  15. Neuroscience

    Gene variant linked to Alzheimer’s disease is a triple threat

    A genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease works on multiple aspects of the disease, researchers report.

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  16. Anthropology

    The rise of agricultural states came at a big cost, a new book argues

    In ‘Against the Grain,’ a political scientist claims early states took a toll on formerly mobile groups’ health and happiness.

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  17. Astronomy

    How a meteor shower helped solve the case of the vanishing comet

    A missing comet has been linked to a long-lost meteor shower, helping astronomers recover both.

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  18. Health & Medicine

    Six in seven contact lens wearers take unnecessary risks with their eyes

    A lot of contact wearers are not practicing healthy habits with their lenses, a national survey finds.

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  19. Astronomy

    50 years ago, a spacecraft discovered oxygen in moon rocks

    In 1967, scientists dreamed of lunar processing plants to turn moon rocks into oxygen.

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  20. Earth

    Plate tectonics started at least 3.5 billion years ago

    Analyses of titanium in rock suggest plate tectonics began 500 million years earlier than thought.

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