News
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Sugar Coated: Molecular dress-up may disguise gut bacteria
The mammalian immune system doesn't attack native gut bacteria as foreign invaders because the bacteria disguise themselves with sugar molecules.
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Schizophrenia Syncs Fast: Disconnected brain may lie at heart of disorder
A misalignment of electrical outbursts by large numbers of neurons may play a major role in schizophrenia.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsVampires Run: Bats on treadmills show high-speed gait
The first test of vampire bats on a treadmill shows that they've evolved their own style of running.
By Susan Milius -
EarthNano Hazards: Exposure to minute particles harms lungs, circulatory system
Inhaling microscopic nanospheres and nanotubes, as might occur during their manufacture or commercial use, could trigger damage well beyond the lungs.
By Janet Raloff -
Planetary ScienceSaturn says ‘cheese’
Astronomers have assembled the largest and most-detailed global portrait of the ringed planet ever made.
By Ron Cowen -
ChemistryParrot plumage has exclusive pigmentation
The spectacular colors of parrot feathers owe their vibrancy to a set of pigments found nowhere else in nature.
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Materials ScienceNanostructures mimic Inuit stone sculptures
Chemists have created nanoscale versions Inuit rock sculptures, an advance that could facilitate the development of next-generation sensors and electronic devices.
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Health & MedicineHepatitis B link to cancer is clarified
A kind of hepatitis B called genotype C is more likely to lead to liver cancer than are other genotypes of the hepatitis virus.
By Nathan Seppa -
TechSilicon chips land a lasting laser
The first microchip-size silicon lasers promise to boost the maximum speeds of ordinary computers and electronic gadgets.
By Peter Weiss -
TechRemembering, on the cheap
A new type of cheap plastic memory bit that stays set even when electrical power is off could facilitate the spread of flexible, radio-equipped tags as price tags, identity labels, and surveillance sensors.
By Peter Weiss -
Health & MedicineTungsten-alloy shrapnel might cause cancer
Wounds caused by shrapnel comprising tungsten alloyed with nickel and cobalt cause cancer in rats, raising questions about the wisdom of using tungsten in munitions.
By Nathan Seppa -
AnimalsPicky-eater termites choose good vibes
Good vibrations may have a lot to do with which pieces of wood a termite attacks.
By Susan Milius