Uncategorized
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Roach females pick losers with good scents
Male Tanzanian cockroaches lose fights if they have too much of a particular pheromone, but females find it alluring.
By Susan Milius -
Health & Medicine
Fat harbors cells that could aid joints
Researchers have found a way to trick fat into generating cartilage.
By Linda Wang -
Physics
Run-of-the-mill compound becomes superstar
The discovery that simple, common magnesium diboride can conduct electric current without resistance and does so at a surprisingly high temperature has sent physicists racing to understand its properties and to try to improve upon them.
By Peter Weiss -
Some police see through killer’s lies
For the first time, a person's ability to size up a highly motivated liar has been assessed in a study of police officers viewing videotaped interviews of a murder suspect.
By Bruce Bower -
Planetary Science
Images suggest icy eruptions on Ganymede
New stereo images of Ganymede, the solar system's largest satellite, suggest that eruptions of water or slushy ice a billion or more years ago gave parts of the moon a facelift, creating long, flat bands of nearly pure water-ice.
By Ron Cowen -
Health & Medicine
Vaccine may prevent some cervical cancers
A new vaccine spurs people to produce a strong immune response against human papillomavirus, a virus that can infect both men and women and causes cervical cancer in women.
By Nathan Seppa -
Ecosystems
Fish Epidemic Traces to Novel Germ
A new mycobacterium, related to the one causing tuberculosis, is responsible for a mysterious epidemic sickening some of the Chesapeake Bay's most prized fish.
By Janet Raloff -
Math
Quirky Video Poker
The lure of easy money brings gullible bettors back again and again to the game of video poker–an immensely popular pastime in casinos and other gambling venues throughout the United States. Most players are bound to lose money, says Todd D. Mateer, a recent graduate of Clemson University, who has studied video poker machines in […]
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From the February 28, 1931, issue
CAMERA CATCHES RATTLER’S SINISTER BEAUTY Photographing a rattlesnake is not the idea most of us would have of a healthy outdoor sport, especially when it is necessary to stand almost on top of the coiled and angry reptile to get a really good picture. But Walter E. Flowers of Spokane once let his picture–getting enthusiasm […]
By Science News -
Plants
Lichen Lovelies
Should anyone dismiss lichens as so much gray-green crust, send the detractor to the lichen glamour shots in this Web site’s portrait gallery. The lush photography details shapes from goblets to anchors and colors from blue to neon Lycra-pants lemon. Other images illustrate the importance of lichens for other creatures (see the flying squirrel nest) […]
By Science News -
Health & Medicine
AIDS-treatment guidelines revised
A panel of scientists has changed the guidelines for prescribing medication for HIV-infected patients, considerably lowering the suggested T-cell-count and HIV-copy thresholds.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & Medicine
AIDS drug performs well in early test
A new drug called T-1249, which keeps the AIDS virus from fusing with immune cells, proves largely safe in people.
By Nathan Seppa