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Lease on Life: Old mice live longer when given young ovaries
Implanting young ovaries in old mice extends their life expectancy.
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Materials ScienceSuper Fibers: Nanotubes make tough threads
New fibers made from carbon nanotubes and a polymer appear tougher than any other known synthetic or natural material.
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Health & MedicineFull-Length Pregnancy: Progesterone product may reduce premature births
A drug related to the female hormone progesterone helps some pregnant women who are prone to premature birth extend their pregnancies.
By Nathan Seppa -
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I have always been fascinated by the subject of this article. I have a simple question: Is there a definitive set of standards (physical or behavioral or both) that defines modern Homo sapiens? Lew RobertsFranklin Square, N.Y. No. This is a topic that inspires much discussion and debate .–B. Bower
By Science News -
AnthropologyAfrican Legacy: Fossils plug gap in human origins
Scientists who discovered three partial Homo sapiens skulls in Ethiopia that date to nearly 160,000 years ago say that the finds document humanity's evolution in Africa, independently of European Neandertals.
By Bruce Bower -
EarthMore fish survive if plankton bloom early
Data collected by Earth-orbiting satellites and oceangoing trawlers suggest that juvenile haddock of Nova Scotia are more abundant in years when plankton populations peak earlier than normal.
By Sid Perkins -
Materials ScienceConvenient hydrogen storage?
A new porous material of metal and organic molecular parts may prove useful for storing hydrogen fuel.
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AstronomyLucky shot
To protect its sensitive optics, the Hubble Space Telescope had to turn its back on last November’s Leonid meteor storm, and that fortuitously put the luminous Helix nebula directly in the telescope’s sightline.
By Ron Cowen -
PhysicsA new twist on ropes
The centuries-old craft of splicing sturdy ropes for ships and ocean rigs gets mathematical scrutiny, turning up new information about wear and tear.
By Peter Weiss -
TechTiny device brings out the best in sperm
A new device with potential use in fertility treatments separates robust sperm from stragglers by exploiting a phenomenon that occurs when two microscale fluid flows merge.
By Peter Weiss -
EarthSatellites unravel a spot of mystery
Five satellites that happened to be in the right places at the right time may have confirmed the cause of proton auroral spots, aurora-like phenomena that appear high in Earth's atmosphere.
By Sid Perkins -
Toddlers ride rail to tool use
Toddlers' ability to modify their use of a handrail as they walk across a narrow bridge represents an early example of tool use, according to two psychologists.
By Bruce Bower