Humans
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Humans
How Would Carnegie Judge Our Digital Libraries?
As the nature of "modern" libraries change, one digital designer questions whether libraries are losing much more than just hard copies of their books.
By Janet Raloff - Humans
Digital Data Cry Out — Save Me!
Despite being make-or-break issues, how to collect, store, and catalog digital data are on the radar screens of few scientists and engineers.
By Janet Raloff - Life
Wine find
Cell tests suggest that resveratrol, the substance that seems to account for the healthful effects of red wine, might have antiobesity effects, too.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Good news for coffeeholics
When lifestyle factors like smoking were taken into account, coffee drinkers had lower death rates than their non-drinking peers, according to a study of more than 120,000 people.
By Tia Ghose - Health & Medicine
Keep at it
Moderate exercise can extend survival for overweight and obese men who have diabetes.
By Nathan Seppa - Humans
Doritos in Space
Today, a huge European radar-transmitter system sent an ad for a cheesy snack radiating out into space.
By Janet Raloff - Archaeology
Resurrection of a biblical tree
Date palm pit found at Masada sprouts at age 2,000, becoming the oldest known seed to germinate.
By Amy Maxmen - Health & Medicine
No babies, no hormones
A radically different form of contraception would prevent pregnancies with small molecules of RNA.
- Humans
Wash Your Veggies!
The lesson in all of these food-poisoning outbreaks is that we must not expect a risk-free food-supply chain.
By Janet Raloff - Humans
Teacher Certification Increases, But . . .
Rigorous standards exist for what teachers should know and be able to do. The rub: only about three U.S. teachers out of every five schools have demonstrated they meet those standards.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Virus versus virus
Customized RNA snippets delivered by a harmless virus could someday provide a new way to combat the hepatitis B virus.
- Health & Medicine
Seeing disease’s acidic side
Small tumors can be detected using a new technique that safely, reliably and noninvasively measures tissue chemistry.
By Amy Maxmen