News
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LifeRock-hard evidence
Newly discovered dinosaur tracks, the first ever reported from the Arabia Peninsula, indicate that a part of the now-arid region was teeming with dinosaurs about 150 million years ago.
By Sid Perkins -
ClimateOcean reflux
Upwelling off Californian coast offers taste of predicted ocean acidification.
By Susan Milius -
SpaceMartian sands
Sandy soil on the Red Planet hints at an ancient mix of volcanic activity and water, a potent breeding ground for life.
By Tia Ghose -
SpaceGamma-ray bling!
A recent, unusually luminous gamma-ray burst is shedding new light on these stellar explosions and the visible light they produce.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineVacillating stem cells
Unsuspected, ever-changing variation among stem cells in bone marrow helps determine the development path the cells will follow during differentiation.
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HumansButting out together
Cigarette smokers who know one another tend to kick the habit all at once, highlighting the importance of social forces in smoking-cessation treatment.
By Bruce Bower -
ChemistrySlippery when dry
Surfaces that mimic the back of an African beetle can collect water from fog.
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Health & MedicineTrust again
The ability to trust others even after violations of trust is regulated by the hormone oxytocin.
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EarthAsbestos-like nanotubes
Some carbon nanotubes show signs of asbestos-like toxicity.
By Janet Raloff -
SpaceSupernova Outbreak
Thanks to a lucky break and an overactive galaxy, astronomers report the earliest detection yet of a normal supernova—the explosive death of a massive star.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & MedicineNonstick toxicity
By mimicking the action of estrogen, a widely used nonstick chemical promotes cancer development in animals.
By Janet Raloff