News
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Health & MedicineHow platelets help cancer spread
A tumor cell protein influences blood platelets in a way that helps a cancer spread through the body.
By Sarah Webb -
EarthLaser printers can dirty the air
Some laser printers emit substantial amounts of potentially hazardous nanoscale particles.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & MedicineAura origins show the way in epilepsy surgery
Epilepsy patients who experience multiple auras before a seizure, usually considered poor candidates for corrective brain surgery, might benefit from by a new brain scan procedure.
By Nathan Seppa -
Orangutans hand it to researchers
Orangutans try to communicate by gesturing when they think they're being misunderstood, much as people do when playing charades.
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EarthLack of oxygen stunts fish reproduction
Seasonal oxygen shortages in coastal waters, increasing in severity because of pollution, may impair fish reproduction.
By Sarah Webb -
Virus thrives by hiding
Some viruses create cocoonlike refuges in the cells they invade, shielding them from the cell's defense mechanisms.
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AnthropologyMen’s fertile role in evolving long lives
The ability of men 55 and older to father children may have had evolutionary effects that caused both sexes to develop longer lifespans.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & MedicineHIV is double trouble for brain
The virus that causes AIDS can also cause dementia, by both killing mature brain cells and blocking the creation of new ones.
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Planetary ScienceA different view of Uranus’ rings
The rings of Uranus are now tilted edge on to Earth, revealing small, inner rings made of fine dust.
By Ron Cowen -
Bipolar Express: Mental ailment expands rapidly among youth
Diagnosis of bipolar disorder in kids and teenagers has dramatically increased since 1994, raising concerns that this severe mood disorder is being overdiagnosed.
By Bruce Bower -
EarthSonic Sands: Uncovering the secret of the booming dunes
The age-old mystery of sand dunes that produce loud, thrumming noises is explained by a new theory that involves a resonant layer of dry sand.
By Sid Perkins -
Role Change: Mast cells show an anti-inflammatory side
Cells that cause inflammation in allergic skin reactions to poison ivy also produce a protein that subdues the reaction a few days later.
By Nathan Seppa