Uncategorized
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A Mite Bizarre
Just in case anybody thought real life paled before the twisted creatures of sci-fi movies, check the Mite Photo Gallery by biologist David Walter of the University of Queensland in Australia. Portraits of more than 40 species offer plenty of weird shapes. The peacock mite, for example, bristles with little leaf-shaped flaps, and a “pan-tropical […]
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From the July 4, 1931 issue
MAGNIFYING EYE WOULD SEE STRANGE THINGS If we could only convert our eyes into magnifying glasses at will, we would see a lot of astonishing things that escape us now because they are too small. The little walking gargoyle shown on the cover of Science News Letter, for example. It is a juvenile stage of […]
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Telltale Heart
Genetics is revealing the first steps in building a heart—the organ that is first to develop, subject to the most birth defects, and difficult to heal when damaged later in life.
- Math
Random Home Runs
For fans of major-league baseball, one of the highlights of the current season is the rate at which Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants is hitting home runs. Through June 25, Bonds has hit 39 home runs in 77 games, already setting the record for the most home runs before the all-star break in […]
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Faces of Perception
Scientists who study face perception currently disagree strongly over whether newborn babies innately know what human faces look like and whether certain brain areas are solely responsible for distinguishing one face from another.
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“Faces of perception” states, “Early visual input to the right brain, which arrives via the left eye, proves vital. . . .” Then, the story presents findings based on people born with left-eye cataracts that were later removed. Unfortunately, the signals from the eyes are mixed almost immediately behind the eyes in the optic chiasma. […]
- Chemistry
Universe of Molecules
For chemistry students, Molecular Universe offers a host of images, explanations, and other resources concerning molecules and chemical systems. Developed by Richard Catlow of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, the site features lessons and material on protein folding, the molecular basis of taste, and many other topics. Go to: http://www.molecularuniverse.com/
- Health & Medicine
Alzheimer’s damage might start off early
Copper and free radicals may initiate the brain damage of Alzheimer's disease long before its hallmark protein plaques have formed.
- Health & Medicine
Seemingly safer steroid mimics
A glucocorticoid mimic may offer the autoinflammatory effects of steroids with fewer side effects.
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- Health & Medicine
Saving fertility for cancer survivors?
A compound called sphingosine-1-phosphate preserves fertility in female mice given radiation treatment.
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Women show the ways to maturity
A 39-year study finds three different patterns of healthy psychological development among women, each of which emphasizes particular goals and trade-offs.
