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Man-made thymus churns out immune cells
Scientists have constructed an artificial thymus to make immune cells in the laboratory.
By John Travis -
Brain, heal thyself
The rodent brain can be stimulated to replace damaged cells with new ones.
By John Travis -
Protein helps the brain connect
Neuroligins may help brain cells form specialized links known as synapses.
By John Travis -
Wasps: Mom doesn’t like you best
Female wasps that found a colony together show no favoritism toward their own offspring when the adults feed larvae.
By Susan Milius -
Excuse me, dear, which octopus are you?
Male blue-ringed octopuses get pretty far along in their courtship before they determine whether their partner is a female.
By Susan Milius -
How butterflies can eat cyanide
Some newly recognized chemical wizardry lets some Heliconius caterpillars thrive on leaves that defend themselves with cyanide.
By Susan Milius -
AstronomyAstronomers get radio protection
Astronomers studying the universe at millimeter-wave energies-the high-frequency portion of the radio spectrum-were given an official guarantee last month that commercial satellites and other communication devices won't interfere with the scientists' observations.
By Ron Cowen -
AstronomyThe smashup that rejuvenates
For some elderly stars, the fountain of youth may be only a collision away.
By Ron Cowen -
MathContra Dances, Matrices, and Groups
Though unknown to many people, contra dancing is practiced with great devotion and abandon throughout the United States by fans of this lively dance form. What’s striking is that a remarkably high percentage of contra dancing’s practitioners are highly educated, often involved in mathematics, computers, or engineering. Matrix representing initial configuration of two couples in […]
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TechWatching the Big Wheelers: In sea of cars, trucks reveal traffic flow
A new way to sense traffic jams more quickly tracks the motion of trucks within the overall traffic flow.
By Peter Weiss -
Materials ScienceMaking Polymers That Self-Destruct: Layers break apart in controlled way
A new polymer film chews itself apart under certain conditions, making it a potential candidate for the controlled delivery of therapeutic drugs.
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Health & MedicineBlood sugar processing tied to brain problems
Elderly people with slightly elevated blood sugar are more likely to have short-term memory problems than those with normal blood sugar.
By Nathan Seppa