News
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Tech
Size Matters: Biosensors behave oddly when very small
There might be a limit to how small physicists should build tiny sensors that detect viruses and molecules.
By Eric Jaffe -
Health & Medicine
Problem Paternity: Older men seem more apt to have autistic kids
Children born to fathers who are age 40 or older have an increased risk of developing autism.
By Nathan Seppa -
Earth
Genes as Pollutants: Tracking drug-resistant DNA in the environment
A study that traces antibiotic-resistance genes in the environment indicates that they are present even in treated drinking water.
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Copycat Monkeys: Macaque babies ape adults’ facial feats
Scientists for the first time have established that baby monkeys, shortly after birth, imitate facial movements made by people and adult monkeys.
By Bruce Bower -
Earth
Plastics agent worsens skin allergies
Low doses of one of the most commonly used softeners in plastics can aggravate dust-mite allergy.
By Janet Raloff -
Sleep disorder tied to brain ills in kids
Researchers have linked a severe form of sleep apnea in children to brain irregularities that may contribute to learning problems.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & Medicine
Herpes simplex viruses dip in prevalence
Two viruses that cause genital herpes decreased in prevalence in the United States during the past 2 decades.
By Ben Harder -
Health & Medicine
Old drug can stop clots as well as newer drug does
A decades-old form of the anticlotting drug heparin is as safe, as effective, and potentially as convenient to use as recent derivatives that are many times more expensive.
By Ben Harder -
Earth
Are pollutants shrinking polar bear gonads?
New research links persistent pollutants with reproductive impairment in polar bears.
By Janet Raloff -
High-protein diets boost hunger-taming hormone
Eating protein appears to boost blood concentrations of a hormone recently found to restrict appetite.
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Physics
Radiant plasma may combat cavities
Dentists may someday disinfect teeth with a newly demonstrated, handheld stylus that exudes glowing plasma deadly to cavity-causing bacteria.
By Peter Weiss -
Stem cells sense stiffness
Stem cells can sense the texture of whatever medium they're growing on and use this quality to guide their fate.