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SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC BLOG A government panel wants Science and Nature to withhold data that could be used to make bird flu more deadly. See “Researchers, journals asked to censor data.” ENVIRONMENT Survival rates of young fish could suffer from ocean acidification levels expected this century. Read “Acid test points to coming fish troubles.” […]

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BODY & BRAIN Some U.S. presidents go gray in four years, but they still tend to live longer than average. See “Presidency not a death sentence.” A program in Nepal enlisting motorbike owners as emergency transport saves the lives of people bitten by snakes. Read “Scooters save lives of snakebite victims.” GENES & CELLS Tiny […]

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EARTH Scientists get closer to knowing the exact makeup of Earth’s innards. Read “Oxygen a bit player in Earth’s outer core.” NASA GENES & CELLS A sense-mixing condition in which some people see smells or taste colors may have genetic roots. See “Unraveling synesthesia.” BODY & BRAIN An illusion that tricks people into thinking a […]

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LIFE Schooling fish stay together by focusing on neighbors rather than the group. See “School rules.” Gustavo Hormiga Spiders known for their web architecture can trace their lineage to one crafty ancestor that lived 200 million years ago. See “The origin of orbs.” BODY & BRAIN Scientists have pinpointed what makes hearing nails on a […]

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LIFE Cycads, often called “dinosaur plants,” aren’t so ancient after all. Read “Cycads not ‘living fossils.’ “ HUMANS Ancient cooking pots show diets shifted slowly from fishing to agriculture. See “Early farmers’ fishy menu.“ ON THE SCENE BLOG The Drake Equation for tallying alien life turns 50. See “The Drake Equation: All in the family,” […]

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DELETED SCENES BLOG An orbiting camera catches dust devils whirling at high speeds on the Red Planet. Read “HiRISE clocks hurricane-speed winds on Mars.” ATOM & COSMOS Astronomers get a new odometer to measure faraway objects. See “Longer cosmic ruler based on black holes.” ENVIRONMENT A warming climate could be making elk more destructive to […]

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BODY & BRAIN ‘Normal’ B12 levels may not be enough for the brain. Read “B12 shortage linked to cognitive problems.” LIFE A penguin can find its kin even in a sea of black and white. See “Penguins may sniff out relatives.” ATOM & COSMOS A NASA probe has found bizarre landforms on the planet nearest […]

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ENVIRONMENT Plastics sloughed off clothing can pollute coastlines. See “Synthetic lint ends up in oceans.” G.D. Rak et al/PLoS Biology 2011 Arctic sea ice this year was near its smallest extent on record. Read “Summer Arctic melt among worst ever.” GENES & CELLS Natural killer cells are caught in the act of feeding poison pills […]

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ATOM & COSMOSJapan’s Hayabusa spacecraft has returned to Earth with the first-ever scrapings taken from an asteroid. Find out what the specks of dust reveal in “Asteroid sample nails meteorite source.” LIFEA young elephant shows off its ability to have an “aha” moment by finding a way to reach fruit just out of reach. Learn […]

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SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC BLOG Space junk is lasting longer, making cleanup more urgent. See “Growing need for space trash collectors.” HUMANS A 2,000-year-old human skull shows signs of having undergone surgery. Read “Ancient Saharan head cases.” Instant messaging can’t replace the soothing sound of Mom’s voice. See “Moms talk, daughters’ hormones listen.” GENES & […]

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SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC BLOG Smoke-exposed kids are more likely to have neuro-behavioral disorders. See “Young minds at risk from secondhand smoke.” BODY & BRAIN At-risk newborns may avoid death and disability by cooling off. See “News in Brief: Body & Brain.” Active neurons trigger changes that speed up signaling. Read “How exercise benefits nerve […]

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ATOM & COSMOS NASA’s Dawn spacecraft enters orbit around the asteroid Vesta. Read “Dawn on Vesta.” MOLECULES Tasting fat gives rats the munchies. See “Fat stimulates binge eating.” BODY & BRAIN Armor-clad knights use about twice as much energy to move as non-armored fighters. Read this tale and others in “News in Brief: Body & […]