News
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Swell, a Pain Lesson: Gut microbes needed for immune development
Intestinal bacteria train the immune system to cause pain and swelling, but that's a good thing.
- Astronomy
Where stars are born
Some 300 young stars, hidden in visible light, shine through the dust in a new infrared portrait of the main cloud of a nearby star-forming region called Rho Ophiuchi.
- Health & Medicine
Drug Running: Bust nets suspects in counterfeit antimalaria trade
Investigators have traced the source of counterfeit antimalarial pills in Southeast Asia to southern China, where suspects have been arrested and an illicit factory shut down.
- Astronomy
Going the Distance: Galaxies may hail from early universe
Using a cosmic magnifying glass to peer into the deepest reaches of space, two teams of astronomers have discovered tiny galaxies that may be among the most distant known.
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Animal Origins: Genome reveals early complexity
Analysis of DNA from a choanoflagellate, the closest known living nonanimal relative of animals, allows scientists to infer the genetic starter kit possessed by the first animal.
- Paleontology
Flying Deaf? Earliest bats probably didn’t echolocate
Fossils of a cardinal-sized creature recently unearthed in western Wyoming suggest that primitive bats developed the ability to fly before they could track their prey with biological sonar.
- Health & Medicine
Caffeine intake tied to miscarriage
Intake of caffeine equal to two cups of coffee per day seems to double a woman's risk of miscarriage.
- Humans
Heed your elders, survive a tsunami
An oral tradition passed down among islanders in the South Pacific saved many lives during a tsunami last year and illustrates the benefits that community-based education and awareness programs can provide.
- Tech
Nanocrystal
Researchers have used DNA as Velcro to create the first materials that spontaneously assemble into regular 3-D patterns.
- Animals
Bird fads weaken sexual selection
There's a new look for a hot male among lark buntings every year.
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More evidence that flies sleep like people
A brain chemical puts fruit flies to sleep.
- Humans
Wish List: FY ’09 budget proposal ups physical sciences
President Bush's proposed 2009 federal budget would boost R&D in the physical sciences while reining in biomedical research.
