Uncategorized
- Earth
Arctic sea ice falls to modern low
The area of sea ice in the Arctic is at its lowest in nearly three decades of satellite monitoring.
- Anthropology
Ancient DNA moves Neandertals eastward
Evidence from mitochondrial DNA indicates that Neandertals lived 2,000 kilometers farther east than previously thought.
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19890
The DNA analysis indicating that some south Siberian bones from the Pleistocene age are from Neandertals matches very well with my interpretation of teeth from those same caves. I proposed in 1990 that the teeth were more like those of Neandertals than any other fossil or modern teeth. Furthermore, it is doubtful that these south […]
- Health & Medicine
Diabetes precursor may be checked by omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet might fend off diabetes in children prone to the disease.
- Earth
A different spin
A change in the properties of Earth's mantle at high pressure and temperature may influence seismic waves in a novel way.
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Exercise steps up as depression buster
Aerobic exercise, done alone or in a group, eases depression almost as well as a common antidepressant does.
- Planetary Science
Martian rovers survive storm
Three months after being stymied by a planet-wide dust storm, NASA's twin Mars rovers are back in action.
- Humans
It’s About Time
What’s a year? Why do we measure it in days and weeks? How do calendars differ? What’s the earliest known date? (Hint: It’s the year Egyptians invented the calendar.) Learn answers to these and other timely questions at Calendars from the Sky, a site developed in part with support from the National Institute for Standards […]
- Humans
Letters from the October 13, 2007, issue of Science News
Another idea blown . . . Conservation by America is not going to decrease global warming (“Asian Forecast: Hazy, Warmer—Clouds of pollution heat lower atmosphere,” SN: 8/4/07, p. 68). We need to imitate known global-cooling events, such as the Krakatoa volcano explosion, which spread sunlight-reflecting dust into the stratosphere in 1883. A hydrogen bomb exploded […]
- Earth
Invasive, Indeed
Some people may live lightly on the land, but the demands of the world's population as a whole consume nearly a quarter of Earth's total biological productivity.
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19889
The news is filled with observations of our species’ role in global warming and in the depletion of fisheries, arable land, fresh water, and fossil fuels. Yet I seldom hear the size of the human population cited as a driving force behind these problems. The easiest path to reducing our environmental footprint would be to […]
- Tech
Disappearing Ink
Coming to your tattoo parlor soon: New inks that allow clients to have their designs cleanly erased if embarrassment or regret sets in.
