News
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HumansHuman ancestors have identity crisis
Fossils heralded as the remains of 4- to 7-million-year-old hominids might actually come from apes.
By Bruce Bower -
Space‘Deep Impact’ comet revisited
NASA takes pictures of Tempel 1 five years after shooting it with a probe.
By Ron Cowen -
LifeCarnivorous bladderworts suck up prey
High-speed movies confirm that bug-eating plants are vacuum feeders.
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Health & MedicineBrain cells start sending signals early
Fetal neurons show firing patterns similar to those seen in sleeping adults.
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Humans2012 budget offers pain and gain for R&D
In a year of federal belt-tightening, the administration prioritizes basic research, education, clean energy and environmental science.
By Janet Raloff -
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Physics‘Magnetricity’ behaves like electricity
Currents of monopole-like magnetic charges created in an exotic material called spin ice act much like electricity.
By Devin Powell -
SpaceBlack holes take light for a spin
Reseearchers say they have found a way to directly observe the existence of spinning black holes.
By Ron Cowen -
SpaceMilky Way munched on galactic snack
The galaxy appears to have gobbled up stars from another galaxy 700 million years ago, and may still have an appetite.
By Ron Cowen -
Physics‘Atomtronics’ may be the new ‘electronics’
A research team has created a quantum circuit that may help lead to the development of a new class of devices.
By Devin Powell -
TechThe numbers prove it: This is a data age
An assessment of the world’s computing capacity documents a staggering rise in power and storage since 1986.
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HumansLucy’s feet were made for walking
A 3.2-million-year-old toe fossil suggests a humanlike gait for an ancient hominid.
By Bruce Bower