Astronomy
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		AstronomyNot a ripple
Another null result for gravitational waves. But findings from LIGO still reveal new information about the Crab Pulsar.
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		Science & SocietyConfirmed: Big Dipper to Get Doritos
A European astronomy group beamed a video of a Doritos sacrifice to the god of salsa at a possible alien race in a star system associated with the Big Dipper.
By Janet Raloff - 			
			
		HumansDoritos in Space
Today, a huge European radar-transmitter system sent an ad for a cheesy snack radiating out into space.
By Janet Raloff - 			
			
		Planetary ScienceShake, shake, shake
Instrument succeeds in capturing first soil sample, allowing Mars Phoenix Lander team to begin scientific studies.
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		AstronomyFrom planet to plutoid
Pluto and its dwarf planet neighbors are christened plutoids, the International Astronomical Union rules.
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		Planetary ScienceSmall exoplanet discovered
Astronomers have discovered the smallest planet known that is beyond the solar system and orbits an ordinary parent body.
By Ron Cowen - 			
			
		ChemistryKavli Awardees Named
Norwegian Academy awards three novel and hefty prizes to three teams of scientists.
By Janet Raloff - 			
			
		AstronomyWhen Worlds Collide
Parallel universes aren’t supposed to be observable, but a cosmic crash might leave a visible sign of their existence.
By Diana Steele - 			
			
		AstronomyGalaxy’s youngest supernova
Astronomers have found the youngest Milky Way supernova remnant ever recorded from Earth.
By Ron Cowen - 			
			
		Materials ScienceLike the Nobel, Only Norwegian
Two weeks from now, an astrophysicist, neuroscientist, and nanoscience researcher will each be named to receive $1 million Kavli Prizes.
By Janet Raloff - 			
			
		AstronomyHoning the Hubble
Astronomers are sharpening measurements of a familiar cosmic parameter to shed new light on dark energy, the mysterious entity that’s accelerating the universe’s rate of expansion.
By Ron Cowen