News
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Planetary SciencePlanetary Beginnings: Data reveal Earth’s quick gestation
Two new studies confirm that Earth's core formed in a hurry—during the first 30 million years after the solar system's birth.
By Ron Cowen -
ChemistryDown to the bone
A new method for making bone cement could simplify hip and knee replacements and improve the surgeries' outcomes.
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Materials ScienceWhat the mail must go through
Mail irradiation in Washington, D.C. is damaging valuable objects and documents intended for scientific study or archiving at the Smithsonian, the White House, and other government organizations.
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AstronomyAn image to relish
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a high-resolution image of an object that looks like a giant hamburger.
By Ron Cowen -
ComputingWriting faster with your eyes
A new method for gaze-operated, hands-free text entry is faster and more accurate than using an on-screen keyboard.
By Kristin Cobb -
Health & MedicineLost and found
Researchers have shown that a drug may shepherd a mutated protein—gone astray in people with cystic fibrosis—into its proper place.
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Health & MedicineProcessing corn boosts antioxidants
Cooking sweet corn increases its disease-fighting antioxidant activity, despite decreasing its vitamin C content.
By Kristin Cobb -
Planetary ScienceIt’s only a sharper moon
Astronomers have taken what appears to be the sharpest image of the moon ever recorded from Earth.
By Ron Cowen -
All about Me: Left brain may shine spotlight on self
Experiments with a split-brain patient suggest that left-hemisphere structures contribute to the conscious understanding of oneself.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsWhat’s the Mane Point? Foes and females both have role
The condition of a lion's mane apparently advertises high-quality mates to picky females and wards off male adversaries.
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Materials ScienceA Cut above the Ordinary: Low-tech machining yields coveted nanostructure
A new finding that machining of metals imparts a hard, fine-grained structure to turnings and other scraps may lead to less costly but more durable parts for cars and other applications.
By Peter Weiss -
PhysicsPeer Pressure in Numbers: Physicists model the power of social sway
A mathematical model of peer-influenced behavior may help explain some unexpected patterns that have been observed in financial data and bird populations.
By Kristin Cobb