News
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Life
Treatment helps paralyzed rats walk
A combination of drugs, electrical stimulation and therapy can restore lost connections between lower limbs and brain.
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Life
Blue-green algae release chemical suspected in some amphibian deformities
Retinoic acid levels high in waterways rich in cyanobacteria blooms.
By Susan Milius -
Earth
Supervolcanoes evolve superquickly
Huge underground chambers of magma appear and erupt within just several centuries, a study of California rocks suggests.
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Chemistry
Youngsters can sniff out old people’s scent
Body odor changes detectably with age, becoming mellower in men and not at all offensive in either sex — even to young people.
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Health & Medicine
Fever in pregnancy linked to autism
Pregnant women who run a high temperature that goes untreated may double their risk of having an autistic child, a study finds.
By Nathan Seppa -
Space
An interview with alien hunter Jill Tarter
The director of Center for SETI Research is retiring to focus on finding funds to continue the hunt for extraterrestrial life.
By Nadia Drake -
Humans
Climate skepticism not rooted in science illiteracy
Cultural values are more important than science knowledge in shaping a person’s views on global warming.
By Janet Raloff -
Humans
Harappans may have lived, died by monsoon
Waning of seasonal rains over millennia gave rise to a civilization and then doomed it, a new study suggests.
By Devin Powell -
Life
How not to eat the wrong frog
Panamanian bats use an array of senses to keep from ingesting poison prey.
By Susan Milius -
Life
Blue light tells plants when to flower
Protein that marks day length also coordinates blooming genes.
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Humans
Family labels framed similarly across cultures
Despite differing languages, a trade-off between simplicity and usefulness of words defining kin relationships might be universal.
By Bruce Bower -
Tech
Bacterial trick keeps robots in sync
Communicating information about the environment allows a stumbling machine to rejoin its group.