Uncategorized
- Astronomy
Planet-making disk has a banana split
Two banana-shaped arcs of gas and dust face each other within a newly discovered planet-forming disk that surrounds a young, nearby star.
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19702
The photo in this article looks to me more like a solar eclipse, complete with a clear-cut circular blackout in the center and flares. Mike PattersonGrand Rapids, Mich. The similarity is because astronomers used an occulting disk on the telescope to block the glare of the central star .—R. Cowen
- Health & Medicine
Measuring Stick: Spinal tap test tracks Alzheimer’s compound
A new test is the first to measure production and clearance of amyloid-beta in the cerebrospinal fluid of people, enabling scientists to track this Alzheimer's disease peptide.
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Getting Back at Celiac: Enzyme treatment might stem wheat intolerance
A combination of two enzymes could eventually treat celiac disease, an inherited digestive disorder.
- Tech
Hot Prospect: Simple burner keeps pollution counts down
A new type of combustion chamber reduces pollution with less complexity and a safer, more reliable design.
- Paleontology
Sight for ‘Saur Eyes: T. rex vision was among nature’s best
A study of dinosaur eyes finds that Tyrannosaurus rex had very sophisticated vision that may have helped its predatory abilities.
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19701
This article makes two questionable assertions. First, Tyrannosaurus rex might well have had excellent binocular vision and been a predator, but still have had a handicap for the detection of motion as my cats do. Second, when Thomas R. Holtz Jr. states that binocular vision “almost certainly was a predatory adaptation,” that puts us binocular […]
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Gay Males’ Sibling Link: Men’s homosexuality tied to having older brothers
Birth order may steer some men toward homosexuality in a process that perhaps begins before birth.
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19700
If having biological older brothers correlates to homosexuality, as claimed in your article, then we would expect that in the past, when families were larger, there would be a greater proportion of homosexuals. Is there any evidence for this? Rick NorwoodMountain Home, Tenn. The article concludes with psychologist Daryl Bem inferring that male homosexuals are […]
- Tech
Blinding spies’ digital eyes
To prevent unauthorized picture taking, an automated antispy system spots digital cameras and zaps them with confounding flashes of light.
- Materials Science
Seeing the light
Researchers have developed a smart petri dish that signals cell death with intense light.
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Mammalian ear cells can regenerate
The cells responsible for hearing in mammals may be capable of regeneration, just as those of birds and other vertebrates are.
