News
- Chemistry
Strange brew brings inorganic chemicals to life
A mixture of inorganic chemicals spontaneously forms cell-like structures that behave like tiny chemical reactors.
- Health & Medicine
Estrogen loss induces lung disease in mice
Estrogen loss hampers lung function in mice by sabotaging the alveoli, the tiny sacs that deliver oxygen-rich air to the bloodstream.
- Astronomy
Live! Venus’ transit on the Web
On June 8, astronomers in Europe plan to Webcast observations of the transit of Venus, the first time the planet has passed across the face of the sun as seen from Earth in 122 years.
- Health & Medicine
Folate enrichment pays baby dividends
The federally mandated fortification of grain-based foods with folic acid has led to a 25 percent drop in the rate of potentially life-threatening neural tube birth defects.
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Worm life span set by chromosome tips
For worms, longer chromosome tips mean longer lives.
- Humans
Young Talent on Display: Tomorrow’s scientists and engineers win recognition, rewards
The three top winners of the 2004 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair hail from high schools on different continents.
- Earth
A Portrait of Pollution: Nation’s fresh water gets a checkup
Virtually all of America's fresh water is tainted with low concentrations of chemical contaminants, according to a new nationwide study.
- Materials Science
Branching Out: Semiconducting nanotrees could boost electronics
Forests of semiconducting nanotrees could form the basis of future solar cells, low-energy lighting, and other optical or microelectronic devices.
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Breeds Apart: Purebred dogs defined by DNA differences
The most thorough DNA analysis yet of purebred dogs suggests that canine breeds can also be discerned genetically with great accuracy.
- Plants
Wind Highways: Mosses, lichens travel along aerial paths
Invisible freeways of wind may account for the similarity of plant species on islands that lie thousands of kilometers apart.
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Pot on the Spot: Marijuana’s risks become blurrier
A research review challenges the assumption that scientists have demonstrated a causal link between teenage marijuana use and later psychological and behavioral problems.
- Astronomy
Old Stars Even Older: Determining a new age for the universe
Using particles accelerators to mimic the conditions inside stars, two independent research groups have found evidence that the most-ancient known stars are about a billion years older than astronomers had estimated.
