News
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HumansAncient shoe steps out of cave and into limelight
Excavations in an Armenian cave have uncovered the oldest known leather footwear, a 5,500-year-old shoe.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & MedicineWhat’s missing may be key to understanding genetics of autism
A large study of people with the developmental disorder reveals the importance of extremely rare variations in genes, making each case a bit different.
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EarthGulf gusher is far and away the biggest U.S. spill
As cleanup efforts progress, scientists try to track missing oil roaming below the surface.
By Janet Raloff -
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LifeMissing chemicals on Titan could signal life
Methane-based organisms on one of Saturn’s moons might be consuming the materials.
By Ron Cowen -
EarthPossible snake shortage looms
Declines among species in Europe and Africa raise herpetologists’ worries of widespread population losses.
By Susan Milius -
ClimateWith warming, some commercial fish may boom and bust
Higher temps in Arctic waters might be good for some species but not for others, new research suggests.
By Sid Perkins -
Health & MedicineIn youth hockey, more contact means more injuries
Concussions are three times more common among 11- to 12-year-olds in leagues that permit checking, a Canadian study finds.
By Nathan Seppa -
HumansSecondhand smoke linked to mental distress
A Scottish survey finds a link between exposure to cigarette smoke and serious emotional problems.
By Bruce Bower -
Planetary ScienceBefore the Mississippi, minerals show ancient rivers flowed west
Michigan zircons uncover the path of an ancient river system across North America.
By Sid Perkins -
LifeMarine creature cooks up chemical defense from food
The sea hare transforms a benign algal pigment into a noxious molecule to help ward off crabs and other predators, new studies show.
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PhysicsA giant proposal for a new type of molecule
Atoms linked across vast distances, can point in two directions at once