Humans
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
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HumansCatching a mood on Facebook
Happiness and other feelings filter among online friends through their brief posts.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & MedicinePrions more mobile than thought
Scientists coax pathogens from cow and goat to infect engineered mice, suggesting disease agents can readily jump from one species to another.
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HumansIntel Science Talent Search names top 40 finalists
More than 1,800 high school students entered the 2012 competition.
By Devin Powell -
Health & MedicineSocial friction tied to inflammation
Negative interactions with others or stressful competition for another’s attention seem to have risky biological effects on an individual.
By Nathan Seppa -
Health & MedicineTurn off, tune in, drop out
Magic mushrooms reduce blood flow to parts of the brain responsible for sense of self.
By Devin Powell -
HumansElection night numbers can signal fraud
Wealth of high-turnout blowouts in Russia’s 2011 parliamentary contest strongly suggests ballot stuffing, an analysis concludes.
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HumansJunk food in schools gets weighty reprieve
Disputed data suggest that non-nutritious eats sold on-site don’t fatten kids.
By Bruce Bower -
Health & MedicineMineral quashes deadly bacterial poisons
Manganese supplement might someday help counter a virulent form of E. coli.
By Janet Raloff -
Health & MedicineProteins may warn of diabetic kidney disease risk
Patients who have high levels of compounds called TNF receptors in their blood have a heightened risk of developing renal failure, two studies suggest.
By Nathan Seppa -
HumansSeaweed study fuels bioenergy enthusiasm
Munched by a manipulated microbe, ocean algae readily yield ethanol.
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Health & MedicineSleep solidifies bad feelings
A night of slumber reinforces not just traumatic memories but the negative emotions that go with them, one study finds.
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PsychologyBabies lip-read before talking
Tots acquire the gift of gab by matching adults’ mouth movements to spoken words.
By Bruce Bower