Feature
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Animals
That’s One Weird Tooth
The narwhal's distinctive spiral tusk has structures that could make it phenomenally sensitive, raising new questions about its functions.
By Susan Milius -
Materials Science
Making the Most of It
A recent crop of studies demonstrates how nature finds strength in unlikely places.
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Paleontology
Out of the Shadows
An ongoing flurry of fossil finds is triggering a reevaluation of how early mammals and their close kin eked out an existence during the Age of Dinosaurs.
By Sid Perkins -
Ecosystems
Light All Night
New digital images demonstrate that artificial light from urban areas penetrates deep into some of America's most remote wild places, where it may disrupt ecosystems that have evolved with a nightly quota of darkness.
By Ben Harder -
Prescription for Controversy
Increasing concerns about the efficacy and safety of a popular class of antidepressant drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, especially in depressed youth, has sparked regulatory action and scientific debate.
By Bruce Bower -
Astronomy
Peeling Back Orion’s Layers
By studying the most detailed portrait ever assembled of the Orion nebula, astronomers hope to glean new insights about star birth throughout the galaxy.
By Ron Cowen -
Math
All Square
Mathematicians nail down when it's possible to express numbers as the sums of squares.
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Ecosystems
Saving Sturgeon
Sturgeon species around the world are in trouble, which is why humans will increasingly be stepping in to give them a big assist.
By Janet Raloff -
Eat Smart
Your daily diet may have an impact on your brain's resiliency in the face of injury or disease.
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Buff and Brainy
Physical exercise encourages brains to function at an optimum level, even if they're damaged or diseased.
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Humans
Evolution in Action
Debates on the conflict between evolution and intelligent design are taking place not only in the courts but also in state legislatures and even among members of local school boards, where topics include curricula, textbooks, and the definition of science itself.
By Sid Perkins -
Tech
Artificial Animalcules
Advances that include the first swimming micromachine and novel designs for similar devices are deepening scientists' understanding of the bizarre world of microscale liquids.
By Peter Weiss