News
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AnimalsWasp Painting: Do insects know each other’s faces?
A researcher who dabbed tiny stripes on the faces and abdomens of paper wasps says that she's found the first evidence that the insects can recognize individuals by their markings.
By Susan Milius -
Health & MedicineKill or Be Killed: Tumor protein offs patrolling immune cells
Many human cancers may evade surveillance by exploiting a protein normally found on certain immune cells.
By John Travis -
Health & MedicineRewiring Job: Drug spurs nerve growth in stroke-damaged brains
The natural compound inosine spurs nerve reconnection in rats that have suffered the loss of blood to parts of the brain, suggesting inosine might help people recover from a stroke.
By Nathan Seppa -
PaleontologyRain Forest Primeval? Colorado fossils show unexpected diversity
The size, shape, and riotous variety of fossil leaves unearthed at a site in central Colorado suggest that the region may have been covered with one of the world's first tropical rain forests just 1.4 million years after the demise of the dinosaurs.
By Sid Perkins -
AnimalsOops. Woodpecker raps were actually gunshots
The knock-knock noises recorded last winter that raised hopes for rediscovering the long-lost ivory-billed woodpecker in Louisiana turn out to have been gunshots instead of bird noises.
By Susan Milius -
TechMaking a Little Impression: New chip-making method may mold the industry
A simple mechanical means of embossing silicon may offer an alternative to conventional chip-making methods.
By Peter Weiss -
Health & MedicineStem Cell Gain: Bone marrow cells seem to have what it takes
Tests show that a rodent bone marrow cell similar to one found in people acts as a multipurpose stem cell, much as embryonic stem cells do.
By Nathan Seppa -
Hostile Intent: Abused kids face up to angry expressions
Physical abuse at home apparently tunes a school-age child's perceptual system to pick up signs of anger in others' facial expressions.
By Bruce Bower -
AstronomyPlanetary System in the Making? Stellar eclipse hints at planet-forming debris
Astronomers reported the first evidence that a young star is periodically eclipsed by a stream of debris, possibly an orbiting belt of asteroids held in place by a massive, unseen planet.
By Ron Cowen -
ChemistryMolecule Sorting: Antibody membrane lends a hand
A new membrane may make it easier to separate mixtures of drug molecules that exist in mirror-image versions into their two components.
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Health & MedicineEnough Isn’t Enough: An epidemic of vitamin D deficiency
Many U.S. women of childbearing age, particularly those of African descent, lack sufficient vitamin D even though they consume the recommended amount.
By Ben Harder -
HumansDangerous Wake: Wing vortices yield a deadly secret
A new mathematical analysis of an aeronautical hazard known as wake turbulence could someday lead to improved air safety and increase the number of flights at major airports.
By Sid Perkins