News
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AnimalsSparrows Cheat on Sleep: Migratory birds are up at night but still stay sharp
During their fall migration season, white-crowned sparrows sleep only about a third as much as they do at other times of the year without becoming slow-witted.
By Susan Milius -
Health & MedicineLeukemia Fighter: Drug could combat resistant cases
A new drug for treating chronic myeloid leukemia that is resistant to the frontline drug imatinib shows promise in mouse tests.
By Nathan Seppa -
PhysicsFeel the Force: Magnetic probe finds lone electron
Scientists have observed a single electron's magnetism.
By Peter Weiss -
ChemistryNitrogen Power: New crystal packs a lot of punch
At extremely high temperatures and pressures, nitrogen gas assumes a three-dimensional crystal structure called polymeric nitrogen, a long-sought energy-storage material.
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Groomed DNA Handles Threats: Mothering styles alter rats’ stress responses
In rats, mothering styles set the genetic stage for a pup's lifelong responses to stressful situations.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & MedicineA Toxic Side of Weight Loss: Pollutants may slow body’s metabolism
Weight loss releases toxic chemicals into the bloodstream, which may slow the body's metabolism.
By Carrie Lock -
EarthSea Change: Carbon dioxide imperils marine ecosystems
Almost half the carbon dioxide produced by human activity in the past 2 centuries is now dissolved in the oceans, resulting in chemical changes that, if unchecked, could threaten some marine ecosystems.
By Sid Perkins -
Female brains know how to fold ’em
Women compensate for the smaller overall volume of their brains by squeezing more folds into some of the space than men do.
By Bruce Bower -
TechOuter space on the cheap
The first-ever private, manned space mission occurred on June 21.
By Peter Weiss -
PhysicsQuantum snare entraps key fifth photon
By coaxing five quantum particles into a state of entanglement, physicists have taken an important step toward dependable quantum computers and more-versatile schemes for transferring quantum information.
By Peter Weiss -
EarthBacteria found to release arsenic into groundwater
Arsenic gets into groundwater largely through the action of bacteria residing in aquifer sediments.
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Health & MedicineFour die of rabies in transplanted tissues
Four people who received tissue transplanted from a man who had died from an undiagnosed rabies infection have since themselves died from the same incurable neurological disease.
By Ben Harder