News
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Space
Tall, devilish storm skids across Mars’ surface
Probe captures 20-kilometer dust devil in action.
By Devin Powell -
Health & Medicine
Why emotions are attention-getters
Strong, direct connections between two key brain centers help explain how feelings can usurp focus.
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Life
Bat-killing fungus is a European import
Tracing the origins of the strain that causes white-nose syndrome in U.S. animals to Europe, scientists show that infection ups arousal rate during hibernation, depleting energy stores.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Stop-and-go plate tectonics
Early on, ancient crustal plates may have dived deep into the Earth, time and again, giving a halting start to the planetary remodeling process.
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Health & Medicine
Autism linked to obesity in pregnancy
Association may spark research into a possible biological mechanism.
By Nathan Seppa -
Space
Planets’ gravity tidies stellar ring
The vast dust disk around the star Fomalhaut hints at a pair of orbiting bodies.
By Nadia Drake -
Humans
Chemists distinguish between gunshot residue from various firearms
Analytical technique could lead to better crime scene investigation.
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Health & Medicine
Extreme eaters show abnormal brain activity
Seeing images of food revs up reward areas in the obese and slows them down in severely underweight people, a brain scan study shows.
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Life
Stem cell treatment spurs cartilage growth
A small molecule called kartogenin prompts the manufacture of lost connective tissue in mice.
By Nathan Seppa -
Paleontology
T. rex has another fine, feathered cousin
A trio of fossils from China may tip the scales on dinosaurs’ public image.
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Life
Fruit fly biorhythms differ indoors and out
Response to daily cues of real life suggest lab findings may need a second look.
By Susan Milius -
Psychology
Autism rates rise again
Related developmental disorders affect 1.1 percent of U.S. 8-year-olds.
By Bruce Bower