News
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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 -
Health & MedicineLet Them Eat Cake: Altered mice stay svelte on a high-fat diet
A protein that links gluttony and weight gain may be a novel target for antiobesity drugs.
By Kristin Cobb -
Health & MedicineChinese chimneys slash lung cancer risk
People in rural China who replace rudimentary domestic hearths with well-ventilated stoves enjoy both less-smoky homes and a dramatic reduction in their risk of developing lung cancer.
By Ben Harder -
ChemistryA crystal takes on an unusual topology
A single crystal exhibits the unusual topology known as a Möbius strip.
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Health & MedicineNew clue stirs up lithium mystery
Lithium and two other mood-stabilizing drugs may all work by depleting nerve cells of a chemical that the cells use to signal each other.
By John Travis -
TechTiny rockets may advance minisatellites
A new type of miniaturized rocket may bring microspacecraft one step closer to reality.
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Health & MedicineDrug cuts risk of seizures in pregnancy
An inexpensive drug treatment lessens the risk of seizures that sometimes strike and even kill women during pregnancy or immediately after delivery.
By Ben Harder -
MathSquares, primes, and proofs
Mathematicians have proved the so-called local Langlands correspondence, a broad generalization of a surprising connection between prime numbers and perfect squares.
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MathLosing to win
Two games of chance, each guaranteed to give a player a predominance of losses in the long term, can add up to a winning outcome if the player alternates between the two games.
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Health & MedicineUSDA gives nod to irradiating meats
The federal government approved food irradiation, the only technology known to kill an especially lethal strain of bacteria, for use on raw meats.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & MedicineThis roe’s got a fish-E surprise
Scientists discovered a potent, new form of vitamin E, an antioxidant, in fish adapted for life in cold water.
By Janet Raloff