News
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Social jet lag: Need a smoke?
People who persistently fight their biological clocks by rising early or going to bed late are more likely to become smokers.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & Medicine
Drug rescues cells that age too fast
A new drug shows promise toward correcting the accelerated cellular aging typical of Werner syndrome.
By Janet Raloff -
Planetary Science
Close look confirms two eyes on Venus
A spacecraft that recently arrived at Venus has confirmed that the atmosphere above the planet's south pole harbors an unusual storm feature; a giant, double vortex.
By Ron Cowen -
Humans
Named medical trials garner extra attention
Naming a medical trial with an acronym increases the frequency with which other researchers subsequently cite the study.
By Ben Harder -
Chemistry
Follow the lead
A new water-soluble, lead-sensing chemical is the first to detect the toxic metal in live cells.
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Archaeology
Ancient rains made Sahara livable
New evidence indicates that seasonal rainfall more than 7,000 years ago turned Africa's eastern Sahara desert into a savannalike area that attracted an influx of foraging groups.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & Medicine
Freeing Up the Flow: Clearing neck-artery blockage diminishes signs of depression in elderly
Propping open a clogged carotid artery may ease symptoms of depression in elderly people.
By Nathan Seppa -
Old Mice and Men: Species share genetic markers of aging
The amounts of protein produced by a particular set of genes could give researchers clues to how much a person or another animal has aged.
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Planetary Science
Jovian storms of surpassing beauty
A new near-infrared image of two giant, oval storms in Jupiter's southern hemisphere reveals that they are now brushing past each other closely, separated by only 3,000 kilometers.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & Medicine
Side Effect Revealed: Heart risk found in leukemia drug
The remarkably successful cancer drug imatinib might cause heart failure in some patients.
By Eric Jaffe -
Materials Science
Solid Information: Chemical composition can determine concrete’s durability
A new analysis reveals how damage progresses in concrete that's exposed to sulfate.
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Computing
Hairy Calculations: Picturing tresses in a truer light
Hard-to-simulate blond hair may look more natural in future animations thanks to a new computer model that allows for hairs' transparency and includes the illumination produced by light propagating from hair to hair.
By Peter Weiss