News
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AstronomyA Swarm of Umbrellas vs. Global Warming: Astronomer thinks small to save Earth
A trillion miniature spacecraft could provide a giant sunshade for Earth, significantly reducing global warming.
By Ron Cowen -
EcosystemsWorthless waters
The biological riches of the oceans will be spent within decades if current trends continue.
By Ben Harder -
AstronomyWeb Special: Hubble Repair Mission Is a Go
After several years of uncertainty following the Columbia shuttle disaster, NASA this week gave the go-ahead for a shuttle crew to replace and repair parts on the 16-year-old Hubble Space Telescope.
By Ron Cowen -
Mom’s caffeine harms pups’ brain cells
Rats born to mothers who drank caffeinated beverages throughout their pregnancies had abnormal brain-cell function.
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Health & MedicineInsulin can protect diabetic brains
Staying on top of diabetes treatments may prevent some of the brain atrophy and cognitive deficits that typically accompany the disease.
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Health & MedicinePain follows cycle
Estrogen fluctuations during a woman's menstrual cycle may change her perception of pain.
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Nicotine during rat youth primes brain for harder drugs
The addictive ingredient in those cigarettes in the schoolyard could prep the brain for reliance on illicit drugs.
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AstronomyGalactic spider
A Hubble Space Telescope image reveals a large galaxy in the early universe assembling from the merger of smaller ones.
By Ron Cowen -
Planetary ScienceJovian storm grows stormier
Jupiter's Little Red Spot has become as strong as its big brother.
By Ron Cowen -
ChemistryUnnatural success
Chemists report the first synthesis of a promising antibiotic that other researchers recently discovered in nature.
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PhysicsFirst teleportation between light and matter
Physicists have for the first time transmitted quantum states between atoms and light.
By Peter Weiss -
EarthA Whale’s Tale: Puzzling marine compounds are natural
Antique whale oil shows that some mysterious compounds that resemble DDT and PCBs are naturally produced.