News
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Ecosystems
Shark Serengeti: Ocean predators have diversity hot spots
The first search for oceanic spots of exceptional diversity in predators has turned up marine versions of the teeming Serengeti plains.
By Susan Milius -
Anthropology
New World Newcomers: Men’s DNA supports recent settlement of the Americas
New data on genetic differences among the Y chromosomes of Asian and Native American men support the notion that people first reached the Americas less than 20,000 years ago.
By Ben Harder -
Paleontology
Three Species No Moa? Fossil DNA analysis yields surprise
Analyses of genetic material from the fossils of large flightless birds called moas suggest that three types of the extinct birds may not be separate species after all.
By Sid Perkins -
Winning Bet: Horse and mule clones cross the finish line
Scientists have for the first time cloned a mule and a horse.
By John Travis -
Health & Medicine
Virus Shield: Ebola vaccine works fast in monkey test
Tests on monkeys show that an experimental vaccine can build immunity against Ebola virus within a month, suggesting the vaccine might help contain outbreaks of the deadly pathogen.
By Nathan Seppa -
Computing
Resistance leaps as magnetism mounts
A tiny traffic island for electrons promises to serve as an extraordinarily sensitive detector of magnetic fields.
By Peter Weiss -
Tech
Robots making robots, with some help
A new type of robotic system that designs and produces robotic offspring may represent a first step toward self-replicating "artificial life."
By Peter Weiss -
Computing
Going to digital extremes
A researcher designs the ultimate laptop, stretching the laws of physics to their limits to achieve blazing computation rates.
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Earth
Bt corn pollen can hurt monarchs
A second test of a strain of corn genetically engineered to make its own insecticide finds potential for harm to monarch butterfly caterpillars.
By Susan Milius -
Ecosystems
Virtual skylarks suffer weed shortfall
A new mathematical model raises the concern that switching to transgenic herbicide-tolerant crops could deprive birds of weed seeds.
By Susan Milius -
Archaeology
Maya palace suddenly expands
Archaeologists find a sprawling palace and other surprises at a 1,300-year-old Maya site in Guatemala.
By Bruce Bower -
Humans
Postdocs warrant more status and support
A new study finds a pressing need to improve the pay and status of postdoctoral scholars.
By Janet Raloff