Vol. 162 No. #16
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More Stories from the October 19, 2002 issue

  1. Earth

    Haze clears on sooty climate conditions

    The results of a new study suggest that soot plays a bigger role in regional climate changes than scientists had previously realized.

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  2. Anthropology

    Fossil skull spurs identity dispute

    A dispute has broken out over whether a recently discovered, 7-million-year-old fossil skull represents the earliest known member of the human evolutionary family or an ancient ape.

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  3. Tests revise image of kangaroo rats

    An ecological study of kangaroo rats has revised thinking about how these desert dwellers cope with their stressful home.

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  4. Plants

    Drought-tolerant plant mined for survival genes

    A drought-resistant South African plant is revealing its genetic secrets.

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  5. Sea squirt’s DNA makes a splash

    The DNA sequence of a sea squirt may reveal the origins of vertebrates.

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  6. Bacterial diet quiets worm genes

    Genetically engineered bacteria help biologists turn off worm genes.

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  7. Long live the Y?

    Researchers have identified a means by which the Y chromosome may forestall, or at least delay, the gradual degradation that some biologists argue will ultimately delete it from the human genome.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Final Word? Breast surgeries yield same survival rate

    Women with breast cancer who undergo partial-breast removal are just as likely to survive for at least 20 years as are women who have their entire breast removed.

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  9. Paleontology

    Dear Mummy: Rare fossil reveals common dinosaur’s soft tissue

    A mummified dinosaur unearthed in Montana a year ago is giving scientists a rare peek at what the creature's muscles and other soft tissues may have looked like.

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  10. Astronomy

    Celestial Divide: Finding two families of galaxies

    By analyzing data from a mammoth sky survey, astromoners have found that galaxies divide into two distinct families, depending on their stellar mass.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Less Crying in the Kitchen: Tasty, tearfree onions on the horizon

    The discovery of a new enzyme responsible for creating the tear-inducing chemicals found in onions may herald the arrival of genetically modified tearfree onions.

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  12. Earth

    Contraceptive-Patch Worry: Disposal concern focuses on wildlife

    Some scientists now worry that discarded contraceptive patches may leak synthetic estrogen into the environment, potentially harming wildlife.

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  13. Humans

    Nobel Chemistry: Laureates’ techniques enable researchers to probe large biomolecules

    The 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized the work of three scientists who created tools for analyzing proteins and other large biological molecules.

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  14. Earth

    Snowball Melting? Ancient formation shows glacier activity

    An ancient, well-preserved glacial formation in Oman provided evidence that Earth experienced intermittent ice ages like those in Earth's more recent history.

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  15. Spying on Plant Defenses: Insects monitor toxin ramp-up

    A common caterpillar can sense when a plant is gearing up to manufacture insecticidal toxins and respond by starting up its own detoxification system.

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  16. Earth

    Shifting Sands

    Sand dunes can provide scientists with clues about ancient patterns of wind and precipitation.

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  17. Spreading Consciousness

    A reanalysis of brain-imaging data links conscious visual experience to activity patterns throughout the brain, challenging the popular view that specific brain areas coordinate this mental state.

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