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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Oceans

    Magnetism from underwater power cables doesn’t deter sea life

    High-voltage power cables that ferry electricity across the seafloor do not negatively impact local fish and crabs, new studies show.

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  2. Oceans

    Protected coral reefs may not be the ones that need protection

    A new study finds that more than half of the world’s coral reefs site within a half-hour of a human settlement. But those that are protected tend to be far away.

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  3. Animals

    The dodo was no dummy

    Dodos may have been quite smart, 3-D skull scans suggest.

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  4. Animals

    Tiger protection in Thailand produces results

    Despite good efforts, the goal of doubling the global tiger population by 2022 looks impossible.

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  5. Earth

    Readers respond to blue tarantulas, multiparticles and white outs

    Readers respond to the January 9, 2016 issue of Science News with thoughts on blue tarantulas, multiparticles, and avalanches.

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  6. Genetics

    ‘Selfish’ DNA flouts rules of inheritance

    R2d2 is selfish DNA that could skew scientists’ views of adaptation and evolution.

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  7. Animals

    Rock ant decisions swayed by six-legged social media

    When rock ants start influencing each other with one-on-one social contact, a colony’s collective decisions can change.

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  8. Oceans

    Corals need to take their vitamin C

    Newly settled corals use vitamin C to help build their stony skeletons, researchers propose.

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  9. Neuroscience

    Brain cells aglow after viral delivery

    The virus AAV-PHP.B proves best at delivering genes to brain cells in mice. Similar viruses may eventually be used for gene therapy in humans.

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  10. Animals

    Invasive toads will probably overrun Madagascar

    A new report finds that eradicating invasive Asian toads before they overtake all of Madagascar is “not currently feasible.”

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  11. Paleontology

    Surprise! Ancient armadillos are related to modern armadillos

    DNA evidence proves that ancient glyptodonts are indeed related to today’s armadillos, as Charles Darwin suspected.

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  12. Genetics

    Prion disease gets personal

    Diagnosis of a brain-wasting disease drove a married couple into science.

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