News
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AstronomyGiant celestial disk hard to explain
A star's oversized debris ring challenges theories of planet formation.
By Nadia Drake -
LifeChicks do worse in noisy nests
Baby bluebirds, and their parents, appear to have trouble communicating over the racket made by nearby humans.
By Susan Milius -
HumansColor this chimp amazing
An extra layer of sensory perception called synesthesia might help ape make a monkey of humans on memory tests.
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Earth13th century volcano mystery may be solved
Indonesian volcano may be the culprit in the biggest eruption of the last seven millennia.
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HumansEuropean cave art gets older
Ancient illustrations in northern Spain date to more than 40,000 years ago.
By Bruce Bower -
LifeGrasshoppers’ terror outlives them
After an existence plagued by predatory spiders, the insects pass into oblivion, leaving a legacy of impoverished soil.
By Devin Powell -
LifeCalcium offers clues in mass extinction
Ocean acidification during Permian period may have caused the Great Dying.
By Devin Powell -
Health & MedicineDiet sodas may confuse brain’s ‘calorie counter’
Among regular consumers of sugar-free soft drinks, networks that equate sweet flavors with energy intake may grow numb to the real stuff.
By Janet Raloff -
EarthAncient volcanoes destroyed ozone
Prehistoric eruptions gave off huge amounts of a gas that erodes the UV-blocking atmospheric layer.
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Health & MedicineFish oil components may not benefit everyone’s heart
A six-year study finds that omega-3 fatty acids don't lower heart risk in people with diabetes.
By Nathan Seppa -
LifeYou have grandpa’s chromosome tips
Older fathers pass more gene-protecting DNA to their paternal grandkids.