News
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AnthropologySticks, stones and bones reveal emergence of a hunter-gatherer culture
A cave in southern Africa was occupied by people very much like those living in the region today.
By Meghan Rosen -
HumansTop airports for spreading germs ID’d
Major hubs with far-flung flights are most efficient at launching pandemics.
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LifeGenome of a fruit besieged
The banana genome has been unpeeled. The genetic makeup of Musa acuminata, a fertile banana species that gave rise to the seedless Cavendish and other clonal varieties people eat today, sheds light on the plant’s evolutionary history and ripening process. This information may also help researchers boost the crop’s resistance to fungal and viral pathogens […]
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Health & MedicineNews Briefs: Body & Brain
How deaf people process other senses, a gene variant that protects against Alzheimer's, and special cells that wrap and feed neural extensions
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Health & MedicineEcstasy may cause memory problems
New users of club drug do worse than nonusers on one recall test.
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EarthStronger storms may destroy ozone
Extra water vapor churned high into the atmosphere by climate change–fueled tempests could trigger destructive chemical reactions.
By Devin Powell -
ChemistryTerminator termites have unique technique
Age intensifies likelihood of workers turning into tiny suicide bombers.
By Susan Milius -
HumansMaiden shows signs of TB-like infection
Molecular analysis yields clues about the immune system activity of a probable sacrificial victim.
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Health & MedicineMale circumcision tied to lower HIV prevalence
Clinical programs in eastern and southern Africa also seem to be changing people’s views on the operation.
By Nathan Seppa -
EarthExternal ills imperil tropical reserves
Impacts just outside park boundaries cause ecosystems within to decline.
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HumansAltruistic kidney donors help many
Mass exchanges result in more kidneys for difficult-to-match recipients.
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EarthNight lights may foster depression
In animals, chronic dim light triggers brain changes that disappear with the return of nightlong darkness.
By Janet Raloff