News
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ChemistryNew molecular knot is most complex yet
The knot is woven from 192 atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen and forms a triple braid with eight crossing points.
By Meghan Rosen -
NeuroscienceHow mice use their brain to hunt
Messages from the brain’s amygdala help mice chase and kill prey.
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AnimalsIt takes guts for a sea spider to pump blood
Most sea spiders have hearts, but what really gets their blood flowing are gut contractions.
By Susan Milius -
NeurosciencePain promoter also acts as pain reliever
A pain-sensing protein also regulates activity of pain-relieving opioids.
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Planetary ScienceMany tiny moons came together to form moon, simulations suggest
Earth’s moon formed from mini-moons generated by a series of medium to large impacts, rather than from one colossal collision, researchers propose
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AnimalsUnusually loose skin helps hagfish survive shark attacks
Hagfish skin that easily slips and slides can be a lifesaver in crises such as shark attacks.
By Susan Milius -
ChemistryDebate heats up over claims that hot water sometimes freezes faster than cold
A team of chemists has a new explanation for the Mpemba effect, while other scientists debate if it is even real.
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NeuroscienceFacial-processing area of brain keeps growing throughout childhood
Contrary to scientists’ expectations, a facial-processing area of the brain grows new tissue during childhood, an MRI study suggests.
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ArchaeologyHunter-gatherers were possibly first to call Tibetan Plateau home
Hunter-gatherers may have been Asia’s first year-round, high-altitude settlers.
By Bruce Bower -
ClimateWarming could disrupt Atlantic Ocean current
The Atlantic current that keeps northwestern Europe warm may be less stable under future climate change than previously thought, revised simulations show.
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AstronomyGotcha: Fast radio burst’s home nabbed
For the first time, astronomers pinpoint a precise position on the sky for a fast radio burst, revealing that the outburst originated in a galaxy about 2.5 billion light-years away.
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ChemistryCarbon can exceed four-bond limit
Scientists confirm structure of unusual molecule in which carbon bonds to six other carbon atoms.