News
- Materials Science
Mammal cells make fake spider silk better
Using long and abundant water-soluble proteins secreted by bioengineered mammal cells, scientists have spun the first artificial spider silk demonstrated to have some of the remarkable mechanical properties of the real thing.
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Much psychosis in elderly may go unnoticed
Swedish researchers identified hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms in 10 percent of a sample of 85-year-olds, a much larger figure than previously reported for elderly people.
- Astronomy
Some gamma-ray bursts may occur nearby
A sizable minority of gamma-ray bursts may originate relatively nearby, in galaxies within 325 million light-years of our own.
- Chemistry
Detonating silicon wafers can ID elements
Researchers have discovered a way to make certain silicon wafers explode on command.
- Health & Medicine
Gene Variant Tied to Human Aging
Variants of a gene linked to mouse aging are more prevalent in elderly people than in newborns, suggesting that the gene influences human aging or specific age-related illnesses.
- Health & Medicine
Cloning’s ups and downs
Dolly, the world's first cloned mammal, has developed arthritis, and two biotech firms have turned to cloning in their attempt to create pigs with organs that human bodies won't reject when transplanted.
- Health & Medicine
Cancer fighter reveals a dark side
Overactivity of a tumor-suppressing gene shortens the lifespan of mice.
- Anthropology
Stone Age signs of complexity
Ancient engravings found in South Africa support the theory that humans began to think and behave in symbolic ways a surprisingly long time ago.
- Anthropology
The gene that came to stay
A gene thought by some scientists to foster a bold, novelty-seeking personality, as well as attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), apparently spread substantially in human populations over roughly the past 40,000 years.
- Health & Medicine
Viruses stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Bacteriophages, viruses that destroy bacteria, can protect mice from bacteria that are impervious to antibiotics.
- Chemistry
New structure reveals catalysts’ details
Researchers have created a new compound that contains a palladium atom bonded in a unique way to six silicon atoms.
- Earth
Earth’s inner core could include silicon
Laboratory experiments investigating the crystal structure of iron-silicon alloys at high temperatures and pressures may yield new insights into the mineral composition of Earth's core.
