News
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Health & MedicineAlpha wave may affect sleep quality
A type of brain activity once considered diagnostic of wakefulness persists during slumber, and the more intense it is the more easily a person can be jolted awake.
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SpaceStellar wormholes may exist
Tunnels through spacetime would connect pairs of stars, new simulations suggest.
By Ron Cowen -
PsychologyA man lost in musical time
A man who can’t feel music’s pulse or move in time to it provides initial clues to ‘beat deafness.’
By Bruce Bower -
EarthLow sperm counts linked to fetal effects
Low male fertility may partly stem from chemical exposures in utero, an anatomical study suggests.
By Janet Raloff -
SpaceA bid to implode cosmic ray theory
Streams of fast-moving particles aren’t fueled just by supernovas, a new study suggests.
By Devin Powell -
Enzyme revives long-term memories
Increasing levels of a natural substance in the brain helps rats remember old times.
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LifeGood gene type for cancer bad for stroke
A DNA variant that helps prevent tumors may diminish the brain’s recovery after an interruption in blood supply.
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SpaceSun’s doldrums likely to last
Despite a recent flare, solar physicists project low activity for up to a decade.
By Ron Cowen -
LifeHagfish may eat through their skin
The odd dining habits of carrion-eating protovertebrates may be relevant to the evolutionary transition to land.
By Susan Milius -
HumansSmelling a rat in a bag of chips
A forensic scientist shares tales from a very special victims unit.
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Health & MedicineHalf of adult males carry HPV
Human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted pathogen that can cause cancer, shows up often in men and lingers for months, a study shows.
By Nathan Seppa -
EarthPCBs may impair fertility
A study of women undergoing in vitro fertilization finds reduced embryo implantation among women with higher levels of one type of the banned chemicals.
By Janet Raloff