News
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Findings puncture self-esteem claims
People who report high levels of self-esteem experience few of the beneficial effects often assumed to flow from this attitude.
By Bruce Bower - Astronomy
Satellite begins its ultraviolet survey
NASA last month released the first images taken by the recently launched Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite.
By Ron Cowen - Health & Medicine
Heart drug derails algal toxin
A drug for treating high cholesterol might someday find use relieving the debilitating symptoms of poisoning from some algal toxins.
By Janet Raloff - Humans
Fellowships awarded to Science News writers
Two Science News writers recently received prestigious fellowships.
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Eggs and more grown from mouse stem cells
Stem cells from mouse embryos can be converted into eggs, skin, or heart muscle.
By John Travis - Earth
Vermiculite turns toxic
Federal agencies issued a warning that much of the vermiculite ceiling insulation installed a decade or more ago may be tainted with cancer-causing asbestos.
By Janet Raloff - Earth
To contain gene-altered crops, nip them in the seed
Researchers have demonstrated that, in principle, they can add genes that block genetically modified crops from breeding with conventional varieties and thus from spreading their artificial traits.
By Ben Harder - Math
Uncovering a prime failure
Mathematicians have returned to the drawing board after what looked like a dramatic step forward in understanding prime numbers.
- Anthropology
Humanity’s pedestal lowered again?
A new genetic study reaches the controversial conclusion that chimpanzees belong to the genus Homo, just as people do.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Gene therapy thwarts hepatitis C in mice
Gene therapy that induces infected liver cells to self-destruct slows hepatitis C dramatically in mice.
By Nathan Seppa - Physics
Taking a shine to number 100
Scientists for the first time literally shed light on the properties of radioactive fermium.
By Peter Weiss - Physics
Light Switch: Crystal flaws tune the wavelengths
By tweaking the crystal structure of the semiconductor gallium arsenide, researchers may have found a way to make cheaper components for fiberoptic networks.
By Peter Weiss