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Massive Stars Mark out Milky Way's 'Missing Arms'
A 12-year study of massive stars has reaffirmed that our Galaxy has four spiral arms, following years of debate sparked by images taken by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope that only ...full story -
Neanderthals Buried Their Dead, New Research of Remains Concludes
Neanderthals buried their dead, an international team of archaeologists has concluded after a 13-year study of remains discovered in southwestern ...full story -
Cat Domestication Traced to Chinese Farmers 5,300 Years Ago
Five-thousand years before it was immortalized in a British nursery rhyme, the cat that caught the rat that ate the malt was doing just fine living alongside farmers in the ancient Chinese ...full story -
Discovery of 1.4 Million-Year-Old Fossil Human Hand Bone Closes Human Evolution Gap
Scientists have found a new hand bone from a human ancestor who roamed the earth in East Africa approximately 1.42 million years ago. The discovery of this bone is the earliest evidence of ...full story -
Smithsonian's Submillimeter Array Reveals Giant Star Cluster in the Making
W49A might be one of the best-kept secrets in our galaxy. This star-forming region shines 100 times brighter than the Orion nebula, but is so obscured by dust that very little visible or ...full story -
Subtle Distortion in Universe's Oldest Light: Swirls in Remnants of Big Bang May Hold Clues to Universe's Infancy
South Pole Telescope scientists have detected for the first time a subtle distortion in the oldest light in the universe, which may help reveal secrets about the earliest moments in the ...full story -
East Antarctica Is Sliding Sideways: Ice Loss on West Antarctica Affecting Mantle Flow Below
It's official: East Antarctica is pushing West Antarctica around. Now that West Antarctica is losing weight -- that is, billions of tons of ice per year -- its softer mantle rock is being ...full story -
Scientists Improve Human Self-Control Through Electrical Brain Stimulation
If you have ever said or done the wrong thing at the wrong time, you should read this. Neuroscientists have successfully demonstrated a technique to enhance a form of self-control through a ...full story -
Sniffing out Danger: Fearful Memories Can Trigger Heightened Sense of Smell
Neuroscientists studying the olfactory -- sense of smell -- system in mice have discovered that fear reaction can occur at the sensory level, even before the brain has the opportunity to ...full story -
Noble Gas Molecule Discovered in Space
A molecule containing a noble gas has been discovered in space. The molecule, argon hydride, was seen in the Crab Nebula, the remains of a star that exploded 1,000 years ...full story
- Massive Stars in Milky Way's 'Missing Arms'
- Neanderthals Buried Their Dead, Remains Show
- Cat Domestication Traced to Chinese Farmers
- Fossil Human Hand Bone Closes Evolution Gap
- Giant Star Cluster in the Making Revealed
- Subtle Distortion in Universe's Oldest Light
- Ice Loss: East Antarctica Is Sliding Sideways
- Better Self-Control Through Brain Stimulation
- Fearful Memories Increase Sense of Smell
- Noble Gas Molecule Discovered in Space
Bonobos Stay Young Longer: Unlike Humans and Chimpanzees, Bonobos Retain Elevated Thyroid Hormones Well Into Adulthood
Despite the fact that chimpanzees
and bonobos share similar starting
conditions at birth, they develop
different behavioral patterns
later in life. These differences
might be caused by different
... > full story
- more on:
Study: Pay Kids to Eat Fruits, Vegetables
Researchers observed three schools
adjust to new school lunch
standards that require a serving
of fruits or vegetables on every
student's tray -- whether the
child intends to eat it or not.
Students discarded 70 percent of
the extra fruits and vegetables --
... > full story
- more on:
Brain Neurons Subtract Images, Use Differences
Ten million bits -- that's the
information volume transmitted
every second with every quick eye
movement from the eye to the
cerebrum. Researchers describe the
way those data are processed by
the primary visual cortex, the
entry point for the visual
... > full story
- more on:
Hubble Watches Super Star Create Holiday Light Show
This festive NASA Hubble Space
Telescope image resembles a
holiday wreath made of sparkling
lights. The bright southern
hemisphere star RS Puppis, at the
center of the image, is swaddled
in a gossamer cocoon of reflective
dust illuminated by the glittering
... > full story
- more on:
Do Patients in a Vegetative State Recognize Loved Ones?
Patients in a vegetative state do
not respond to what is happening
around them and exhibit no signs
of conscious awareness. Now
research has shown that the brains
of patients in a vegetative state
emotionally react to photographs
of people they know personally as
... > full story
- more on:
Traffic Jams Lend Insight Into Emperor Penguin Huddle
Emperor penguins maintain the
tight huddle that protects them
from the harsh conditions of an
Antarctic winter with stop-and-go
movements like cars in a traffic
jam, a new study has shown. ... > full story
- more on:
When Will Earth Lose Its Oceans?
The natural increase in solar
luminosity -- a very slow process
unrelated to current climate
warming -- will cause the Earth's
temperatures to rise over the next
few hundred million years. This
will result in the complete
evaporation of the oceans. The
... > full story
- more on:
Loudspeaker Is First-Ever 3-D-Printed Consumer Electronic
Researchers have 3-D printed a
working loudspeaker, seamlessly
integrating the plastic,
conductive and magnetic parts, and
ready for use almost as soon as it
comes out of the printer. ... > full story
- more on:
Global Warming: Four Degree Rise Will End Vegetation 'Carbon Sink', Research Suggests
New research suggests that a
temperature increase of four
degrees is likely to "saturate"
areas of dense vegetation with
carbon, preventing plants from
helping to balance CO2 escalation
... > full story
- more on:
Ultrafast Heating of Water: This Pot Boils Faster Than You Can Watch It
Scientists have devised a novel
way to boil water in less than a
trillionth of a second. The
theoretical concept, which has not
yet been demonstrated in practice,
could heat a small amount of water
by as much as 600 degrees Celsius
... > full story
- more on:
Nearby Failed Stars May Harbor Planet, Astronomers Find
Astronomers took precise
measurements of the closest pair
of failed stars to the Sun, which
suggest that the system harbors a
third, planetary-mass object. ... > full story
- more on:
Mothers See Their Youngest as Shorter Than They Are
Many parents say when their second
child is born that their first
child suddenly appears to have
grown overnight. Now, researchers
have an explanation: until the
birth of the new child, those
parents were subject to a "baby
illusion," routinely misperceiving
... > full story
- more on:
- Bonobos Stay Young Longer: Different Hormones
- Pay Kids to Eat Fruits, Vegetables?
- Brain Subtracts Images, Uses Differences
- Hubble: Super Star Create Holiday Light Show
- Vegetative State Patients Recognize Loved Ones?
- Emperor Penguin Huddle 'Traffic Jams'
- When Will Earth Lose Its Oceans?
- Speakers Made With 3-D Printer
- 4 Degree Rise Will End Plant's 'Carbon Sink'
- Water Boils Faster Than You Can Watch It
- Nearby Failed Stars May Harbor Planet
- Mothers See Youngest as Shorter Than They Are
- more top science stories
Top Medical News
Researchers Discover Mechanism Controlling Development of Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Researchers have discovered a control mechanism that can trigger the development of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of blood cancers. This finding may lead to therapies capable of preventing the progression of these ... > full story
Top Technology News
Exposing the Roots of the Lithium Battery Problem
Researchers have discovered that the dendrite problem that can cause lithium-ion batteries to short-circuit, overheat and possibly catch fire originates below the surface of the lithium electrode and not at the surface as has been widely ... > full story
- Researchers Develop Advanced 3D 'Force Microscope'
- Never Forget a Face: New Algorithm Uses Subtle Changes to Make a Face More Memorable Without Changing a Person's Overall Appearance
- Fungal Pathogen Shows Profound Effects from Spaceflight
- Sharpening Focus in Quantum Photolithography
- more top technology stories
Top Environment News
Significant Advance Reported With Genetically Modified Poplar Trees
Forest geneticists have created genetically modified poplar trees that grow faster, have resistance to insect pests and are able to retain expression of the inserted genes for at least 14 years, a report has just ... > full story
More Science Headlines
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Poverty and Learning; Intelligence; World Development; Resource Shortage; K-12 Education; Educational Policy;
Self-Worth Boosts Ability to Overcome Poverty
December 17, 2013 — For people in poverty, remembering better times – such as past success – improves brain functioning by several IQ points and increases their willingness to seek help from crucial aid services, a new study ... > full story -
Ancestor of Snakes, Lizards Likely Gave Birth to Live Young
December 17, 2013 — The ancestor of snakes and lizards likely gave birth to live young, rather than laid eggs, and over time species have switched back and forth in their preferred reproductive mode, according to new ... > full story -
Ear Acupuncture Can Help Shed Pounds
December 16, 2013 — Ear acupuncture can help shed the pounds, indicates a small study, recently ... > full story -
Medical Education and Training; Health Policy; Today's Healthcare; Patient Education and Counseling; Public Health; Education and Employment;
Teaching Residents to Provide Cost-Conscious Care
December 16, 2013 — Despite a national consensus among policy makers and educators to train residents to be more conscious of the cost of care, less than 15 percent of internal medicine residency programs have a formal curriculum addressing ... > full story -
Regenerative Medicine: New Tool for Transplanting Stem Cells
December 16, 2013 — Researchers have developed a specialized catheter for transplanting stem cells into the beating heart. The novel device includes a curved needle and graded openings along the needle shaft, allowing for increased distribution of cells. The result is ... > full story
2 am EST
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Allergy; Diseases and Conditions; Today's Healthcare; Immune System; Patient Education and Counseling; Lung Cancer;
Spurred by Food Allergies, Two Esophagus Conditions Stump Doctors
December 16, 2013 — Researchers found that two on-the-rise esophagus conditions are so similar that even a biopsy is not enough to distinguish one disease from the ... > full story -
Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting Activity Driven by Recent Climate Conditions
December 16, 2013 — New research indicates that for loggerhead sea turtles in the Northwest Atlantic, the number of returning nesting females in the population and favorable climate conditions in the year or two prior to the nesting year are strongly related to the ... > full story -
Retinoblastoma Dysfunction Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth, Study Shows
December 16, 2013 — Cancer researchers have discovered that a protein that normally suppresses tumors actually promotes the growth and spread of pancreatic ... > full story -
Climate Change Puts 40% More People at Risk of Absolute Water Scarcity, Study Says
December 16, 2013 — Water scarcity impacts people's lives in many countries already today. Future population growth will increase the demand for freshwater even further. Yet in addition to this, on the supply side, water resources will be affected by projected changes ... > full story -
Drought and Climate Change: An Uncertain Future?
December 16, 2013 — Drought frequency may increase by more than 20% in some regions of the globe by the end of the 21st century, but it is difficult to be more precise as we don’t know yet how changes in climate will impact on the world’s ... > full story
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Health Care Costs Steadily Increase With Body Mass
December 16, 2013 — Researchers are giving people another reason to lose weight in the new year: obesity-related illnesses are expensive. According to a study published, health care costs increase in parallel with body mass measurements, even beginning at a recommended ... > full story -
Heavy Marijuana Users Have Abnormal Brain Structure, Poor Memory
December 16, 2013 — Teens who were heavy marijuana users had abnormal changes in their brains related to memory and performed poorly on memory tasks, reports a new study. The brain abnormalities and memory problems were observed in the subjects' early twenties, two ... > full story -
Stem Cells; Biotechnology; Biology; Developmental Biology; Genetics; Biotechnology and Bioengineering;
Big Step for Cell Reprogramming
December 15, 2013 — A group of researchers has discovered a faster and more efficient mechanism for reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). The discovery decreases the time needed for cell reprogramming from a couple of weeks to a few days and reveals new ... > full story -
Healthy Aging; Elder Care; Today's Healthcare; Patient Education and Counseling; Public Health; Diseases and Conditions;
Significant Minority Think Doctors Should Help 'Tired of Living' Elderly to Die If That's Their Wish
December 14, 2013 — One in five people believes that doctors should be allowed to help the elderly who are not seriously ill, but who are tired of living, to die, if that is their stated wish, reveals research ... > full story -
Brain-Computer Interfaces; Stroke; Today's Healthcare; Patient Education and Counseling; Diseases and Conditions; Wounds and Healing;
Robotic Training System Helps Patients Recovering from Conditions Affecting Balance
December 13, 2013 — Patients relearn to walk after stroke, spinal cord or brain injury often fear falling, which may inhibit their recovery. Robotic body weight support system provides adding security to maximize ... > full story
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Today's Healthcare; Wounds and Healing; Patient Education and Counseling; Multiple Sclerosis Research; Diseases and Conditions; Lupus;
New Concerns Over Safety of Common Anesthetic
December 13, 2013 — Patients receiving the widely used anesthesia drug etomidate for surgery may be at increased risk or mortality and cardiovascular events, according to a ... > full story -
Pain Control; Today's Healthcare; Alternative Medicine; Pharmacology; Wounds and Healing; Fibromyalgia;
Study Finds Acupuncture Effective in Treating Pain After Tonsillectomy Surgery
December 13, 2013 — Children had long been prescribed codeine for pain relief after having surgery to remove their tonsils -- until the FDA banned use of the drug in February. Now a new study finds that acupuncture can be a safe and effective ... > full story -
Younger, Early Breast Cancer Patients Often Undergo Unnecessary Staging, Imaging Procedures
December 13, 2013 — More than one third of younger, early stage breast cancer patients undergo unnecessary imaging procedures at the time of staging and diagnosis, according to research. Often, doctors think they’re not being good to their patients if they ... > full story -
A Little Exercise Goes a Long Way to Prevent Disease in Children
December 13, 2013 — Increased physical activity can improve children's overall metabolic health in just six ... > full story -
Smoking; Teen Health; Health Policy; Children's Health; Public Health Education; Today's Healthcare;
Doctors Unaware That More Teens Turning to E-Cigarettes
December 12, 2013 — Many clinicians are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable with addressing the use of e-cigarettes with their young patients, finds a new ... > full story
5 pm EST
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Diet, Physical Activity May Affect Risk of Developing Kidney Stones
December 12, 2013 — New research shows that even small amounts of physical activity can lead to up to a 31% decreased risk of developing kidney stones, and that eating more than 2200 calories per day may increase one’s risk of developing kidney stones by up to ... > full story -
Ocean Policy; Environmental Awareness; Environmental Policies; Climate; Nature; Environmental Policy;
What Climate Change Means for Federally Protected Marine Species
December 11, 2013 — As the Endangered Species Act nears its 40th anniversary, climate scientists and conservation biologists are looking at what global climate change will mean for the ... > full story -
Molecular Biology; Biology; Cell Biology; Biochemistry; Biotechnology and Bioengineering; Biotechnology;
Microprinting Leads to Low-Cost Artificial Cells
December 16, 2013 — Easily manufactured, low-cost artificial cells manufactured using microprinting may one day serve as drug and gene delivery devices and in biomaterials, biotechnology and biosensing applications, according to biomedical engineers. These artificial ... > full story -
Small Size Enhances Charge Transfer in Quantum Dots
December 16, 2013 — Scientists show that shrinking the core of a quantum dot can enhance the ability of a surrounding polymer to extract electric charges generated in the dot by the absorption of ... > full story -
Saving the Great Plains Water Supply
December 13, 2013 — Significant portions of the Ogalalla Aquifer, one of the largest bodies of water in the United States, are at risk of drying up if it continues to be drained at its current ... > full story
2 pm EST
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How Healthy Is Santa Claus?
December 13, 2013 — Children around the world look to Santa Claus as a model of good behavior. But can this sleigh-riding bearer of goodies also be a model good health habits for ... > full story -
How Household Dogs Protect Against Asthma and Infection
December 16, 2013 — Children's risk for developing allergies and asthma is reduced when they are exposed in early infancy to a dog in the household, and now researchers have discovered a reason ... > full story -
Materials Science; Nanotechnology; Engineering and Construction; Spintronics; Civil Engineering; Electronics;
Cellulose Nanocrystals Possible 'Green' Wonder Material
December 16, 2013 — The same tiny cellulose crystals that give trees and plants their high strength, light weight and resilience, have now been shown to have the stiffness of steel. The nanocrystals might be used to create a new class of biomaterials with wide-ranging ... > full story -
Climate; Environmental Policies; Global Warming; Environmental Awareness; Environmental Issues; Environmental Policy;
Recognizing the Elephant in the Room: Future Climate Impacts Across Sectors
December 16, 2013 — A pioneering collaboration within the international scientific community has provided comprehensive projections of climate change effects, ranging from water scarcity to risks to crop yields. This interdisciplinary effort, employing extensive model ... > full story -
Recipe to Fine-Tune Diameter of Silica Rods Devised
December 16, 2013 — By controlling the temperature of silica rods as they grow, researchers could be setting the stage for advances in anti-reflective solar cells, computer monitors, TV screens, eye glasses and ... > full story
11 am EST
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Climate; Environmental Awareness; Weather; Environmental Issues; Global Warming; Agriculture and Food;
Lost Freshwater May Double Climate Change Effects on Agriculture
December 16, 2013 — A new analysis combining climate, agricultural, and hydrological models finds that shortages of freshwater used for irrigation could double the detrimental effects of climate change on ... > full story -
Graphene; Materials Science; Spintronics; Thermodynamics; Nanotechnology; Engineering and Construction;
Graphene Nanoribbons an Ice-Melting Coat for Radar
December 16, 2013 — A composite of graphene nanoribbons and polyurethane paint is a robust, light, cost-effective coating to keep radar domes free of ... > full story -
Golden Trap: Highly Sensitive System to Detect Individual Molecules
December 16, 2013 — Medical diagnostics is searching for substances capable of documenting whether a disease is developing. In many cases, the treacherous molecules are present only in trace amounts -- which is why sensitive methods of detection are needed. Researchers ... > full story -
SOFs Take to Water: First Soluble 2-D Supramolecular Organic Frameworks Created
December 16, 2013 — Researchers have unveiled the first two-dimensional SOFs -- supramolecular organic frameworks -- that self-assemble in solution, an important breakthrough that holds implications for sensing and separation technologies, energy sciences, and ... > full story -
Piece-by-Piece Approach to Emissions Policies Can Be Effective, Study Finds
December 16, 2013 — New analysis shows that policies addressing energy consumption and technology choices individually can play an important part in reducing ... > full story
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Innovative Instrument Probes Close Binary Stars, May Soon Image Exoplanets
December 16, 2013 — Close binary stars cannot be resolved with today's optical telescopes, despite adaptive optics that removes the fuzziness caused by atmospheric turbulence. An international team of astronomers has built and mounted on a 3-meter California telescope ... > full story -
Coral Reef Gardens Found Thriving in Gulf of Maine
December 11, 2013 — New research has found a type of coral reef called Octocorals, previously thought to have diminished off the east coast of the U.S. in the Gulf of Maine, has been recently discovered surviving in dense coral garden communities in more than one ... > full story -
Scientists Identify Molecular Biomarkers of Vaccine Immunity
December 16, 2013 — Scientists have taken an important step toward making a "vaccine gene chip," by comparing the molecular signatures induced by five very different vaccines in the immune systems of human ... > full story -
'Superbugs' Found Breeding in Sewage Plants
December 16, 2013 — Tests at wastewater treatment plants in China revealed antibiotic-resistant bacteria were not only escaping purification but also breeding and spreading their dangerous ... > full story -
Nervous System; Neuroscience; Brain-Computer Interfaces; Brain Tumor; Intelligence; Psychology Research;
Brain Waves Encode Information as Time Signals
December 16, 2013 — A research team has examined the synaptic mechanisms of rhythmic brain waves. This was made possible through custom-design tools developed in collaboration with the institute's machine ... > full story
Health & Biomedical Sciences
Health & Medicine
Drug Residues in Swedish Sewage Water
Chemists in Sweden have been able to trace narcotics substances and prescription drugs in measurements of wastewater from 33 Swedish sewage treatment plants. Cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, in measurable concentrations, were found in a ... > full story
- Study Analyzes Diabetes Drug Metformin as Obesity Treatment for Children
- Antihypertensives Associated With Lower Dialysis Risk for Patients With Advanced CKD
- Physicians Who Prefer Hospice Care for Themselves More Likely to Discuss It With Patients
- Lung Lesions of TB Variable, Independent Whether Infection Is Active or Latent
- more stories
Mind & Brain
Overworked Cellular Machines May Explain Gaucher Disease Link to Parkinson's Disease
Research with fruit fly model suggests that Gaucher disease (GD) is related to Parkinson's disease (PD) through biological pathways triggered by accumulated defective proteins related to GD. Accumulation, due to overworked cellular machines ... > full story
Living Well
Poor Owner Knowledge of Cat Sex Life Linked to 850,000 Unplanned Kittens Every Year
Widespread ignorance among cat-owners about the sex lives of their pets may be leading to more than 200,000 unplanned litters -- or more than 850,000 kittens every year in the UK, finds ... > full story
Biological & Earth Sciences
Plants & Animals
Study Finds Known Lung Cancer Oncogenes Also Drive Colorectal Cancer
A study shows that ALK and ROS1 gene rearrangements known to drive subsets of lung cancer are also present in some colorectal cancers. These results imply that drugs used to target ALK and ROS1 in lung cancer may also have applications in this ... > full story
Earth & Climate
Better Climate Predictions for West Africa
The population of West Africa is growing rapidly. It has to cope with a complex meteorology, unreliable climate prognoses, and increasing air pollution. Within the next five years, extensive measurements will be accomplished in this region, new ... > full story
- Pollination, Land Degradation: Top Priorities for Assessment by New UN Intergovernmental Body
- Climate Change Threatens Genetic Diversity, Future of World's Caribou
- Green Innovator: Turning Chicken Feathers and Plant Fiber Into Eco-Leather, Bio-Based Circuit Boards
- Nitrogen Deposition Poses Threat to Diversity of Europe's Forest Vegetation
- more stories
Fossils & Ruins
New Species of Horse, 4.4 Million Years Old
Researchers have discovered a new species of fossil horse from 4.4 million-year-old fossil-rich deposits in Ethiopia. About the size of a small zebra, Eurygnathohippus woldegabrieli had three-toed hooves and grazed the grasslands and shrubby woods ... > full story
- Deep-Sea Corals Record Dramatic Long-Term Shift in Pacific Ocean Ecosystem
- Evidence of Mass Extinction Associated With Climate Change 375 Million Years Ago Discovered in Central Asia
- Rapid Evolution of Novel Forms: Environmental Change Triggers Inborn Capacity for Adaptation
- Tooth Structure and Wear Provide Clues to Ecology and Evolution of Ancient Marine Creatures
- more stories
Physical & Applied Sciences
Space & Time
Swift Satellite Catches a Hundred Thousand New Cosmic X-Ray Sources
Astronomers have published a major list of celestial X-ray sources. The result of many years work, this list of over 150,000 high-energy stars and galaxies will be a vital resource for future astronomical ... > full story
Matter & Energy
New System of Assessments Needed When Next Generation Science Standards Are Implemented, Report Says
New types of assessments will be needed to measure student learning once the Next Generation Science Standards are implemented, says a new report from the National Research ... > full story
- Researchers Engineer Better Method for Delivering Genetic Material Into Cells
- Canadian Youth Choosing Transit-Rich Urban Cores Over Suburbs
- High-Resolution 3-D Imaging Draws New Picture of Golgi's Whereabouts During Cell Division
- Timing Is Everything in New Nanotechnology for Medicine, Security and Research
- more stories
Computers & Math
Airline Safety Flight Issues Could Be Mitigated by Better User Interface
Airline tragedies like the Asiana incident in San Francisco point to ways in which cockpit automation might be improved through application of HF/E research and ... > full story
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