August - 2002 Articles
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Radio emerges from the electronic soup
31 August 2002
A self-organising electronic circuit has stunned engineers by turning itself into a radio receiver
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Sewage sludge bulks up house bricks
31 August 2002
"Biobricks" containing 30 per cent sludge would alleviate sewage disposal problems, say Taiwanese researchers
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Toxic tide
31 August 2002
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Why grey matters
31 August 2002
Our obsession with youth culture, and scare stories about the astronomical costs of providing welfare for an ageing population, are leading to negative stereotypes of old age.
Theodore Roszak explains why we should be celebrating the fact that mo -
Fires from hell
31 August 2002
In some countries, extinguishing underground fires could do more to tackle global warming than anything else. But it's easier said than done,as Eugenie Samuel discovers
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Global gobbledegook
31 August 2002
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Whisky galore
31 August 2002
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The Word Lake Baikal
31 August 2002
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Buffalo tales
31 August 2002
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Olympic palace on shaky ground?
31 August 2002
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Active ingredient
31 August 2002
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Dangerous liaisons
31 August 2002
Species have been happily swapping genes for millennia.What happens when the transgenes join in? Bob Holmes finds out
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Autism link crumbling
31 August 2002
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Lives come first
31 August 2002
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Weightless rocket
31 August 2002
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People aren't bananas
31 August 2002
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Tainted aid
31 August 2002
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Why we must pay more
31 August 2002
Cut-price vaccines sound like good news for the world's poor, but not if it means drugs companies lose interest in developing better ones, says Rino Rappuoli
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Homemade antimatter
31 August 2002
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Trails of destruction
31 August 2002
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Light conversation
31 August 2002
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Fish in a hurry
31 August 2002
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Space visitors
31 August 2002
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Lines on lectures
31 August 2002
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Bestsellers - Oxford
31 August 2002
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World summit
31 August 2002
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Pig-cell transplant hope for diabetics
31 August 2002
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Dead satellites haunt GPS
31 August 2002
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What lies beneath
31 August 2002
It's time to build a telescope to image the space under our feet
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Hot-zone bugs spread their wings
31 August 2002
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Mystery surrounds bizarre mental disease afflicting Britain's birds
31 August 2002
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Coming soon, the not-so-stealthy bomber heading for a TV near you
31 August 2002
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Red means dead
31 August 2002
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Dispatches
31 August 2002
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Death in the skies
31 August 2002
Airlines are failing to carry basic equipment that could save the lives of passengers who fall ill
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We hear that…
31 August 2002
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The sum of our parts
31 August 2002
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The last word
31 August 2002
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Feedback
31 August 2002
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Washington diary
31 August 2002
Andreas Frew on the search for home-grown terrorists and hardship for World Summit delegates
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Key position
31 August 2002
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The Sun warmed up evolution for us all
31 August 2002
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Soundbites
31 August 2002
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Jet-setting mozzie blamed for malaria case
31 August 2002
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Good legs teach bad legs to walk
31 August 2002
With the help of a surgical implant, paralysed legs take their cue from their able partners to stand, walk and sit
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Wisdom in the stars
31 August 2002
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.....
31 August 2002
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Radio emerges from the electronic soup
31 August 2002
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Ancient time capsule reveals Martian past
31 August 2002
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Down on the farm the bees are in charge
31 August 2002
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The house that cack built
31 August 2002
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In-flight emergencies
31 August 2002
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New lead in hunt for malaria vaccine
31 August 2002
Just a handful of parasites makes people immune
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In the mane, darker is more desirable
31 August 2002
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Cosmic pillow fight could fend off space invaders
31 August 2002
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Go away, ET
31 August 2002
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Sperm remember which way they swam
31 August 2002
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An artist in your lab
31 August 2002
Too much science is shortchanged by lousy images. Ian Sample reveals how to draw beauty from the facts
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Toxin detector can find one molecule at a time
31 August 2002
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Try licking this for the ultimate tingle…
31 August 2002
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Shape is everything for a good glass of wine
31 August 2002
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Chemical sceptics
31 August 2002
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.....
31 August 2002
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.....
31 August 2002
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Silent teachers
31 August 2002
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All shades of black
31 August 2002
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Pure dog dung
31 August 2002
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Weapons on planes
31 August 2002
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Humble words
31 August 2002
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I know what you'll do next summer
31 August 2002
What do galaxies, stockbrokers and style gurus have in common? A set of numbers describing everything they do. Does nature's hidden program mean we're all deeply predictable, asks John Casti
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Deep-sea haven
31 August 2002
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Green light for ion age
31 August 2002
Chemists say we can all look forward to a cleaner, greener and tastier future. Eugenie Samuel is ready to raise her glass
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Cows like their clover with a side salad
31 August 2002
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World Summit teeters on brink of failure
30 August 2002
Heads of state are set to arrive in Johannesburg, but fourteen key issues are still in dispute at the end of the first week
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Enthusiasts cleared for space rocket launch
30 August 2002
A team of US rocketeers has been given the first licence to launch an amateur rocket into space
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Singer plans to conduct space experiments
30 August 2002
Lance Bass says he will help with experiments on the International Space Station – if his sponsors pay the bill
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Seed banks receive vital cash boost
30 August 2002
The world's seed banks are in a "perilous state" – but protecting crop biodiversity is critical, say scientists in Johannesburg
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Rival replacement for DVDs announced
29 August 2002
Standards war looms as rival technology sinks hopes for a single next-generation disc format
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Cosmic airbag could save the planet
29 August 2002
Asteroids or comets on a collision course with Earth could be nudged out of the way using a giant inflatable bag
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Congressmen attack Bush's isolationist policy
29 August 2002
Leading American politicians launch a furious attack on US 'obstructionist tactics' at the World Summit
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Governments call for 'environmental justice'
29 August 2002
Europe wants the World Summit's final text to champion the right to challenge polluters and policymakers – the developing world disagrees
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Good legs 'control' paralysed partners
29 August 2002
A surgical implant that uses signals from a healthy leg to control a paralysed one has helped two men walk again
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Smart human sperm 'have memory'
28 August 2002
Sperm can remember the twists and turns they have made – 'memory' tests might screen healthy sperm for fertility treatments
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Glass shape affects wine's chemistry
28 August 2002
The shape of a glass really does make a difference to the way wine tastes – air exposure is key
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Earth formed twice as fast as was thought
28 August 2002
New studies of radioactive decay in ancient meteorites halve the estimated time it took for Earth to form
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'Last ditch' summit proposal on renewables
28 August 2002
A proposed target of 10 per cent of energy produced by clean, renewable sources by 2010 is the best on offer for the environment
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UK set to launch stem cell bank
28 August 2002
The official announcement could come on September 11 – but its organisers deny a 'hidden agenda'
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Cheap latrines could save millions
28 August 2002
Shifting money from city sewer projects to installing cheap latrines in villages could save thousands of children each day, World Summit hears
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Glitch hits weather satellite
28 August 2002
Technical problem delays the launch of Meteosat Second Generation 1, which will provide more accurate European weather forecasts
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New satellite will improve weather warnings
27 August 2002
Meteosat Second Generation 1 will provide more accurate European and African weather forecasts
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Pig cell transplants 'cure diabetes'
27 August 2002
A 17-year-old patient who received pig cells now requires no drugs, says a team in Mexico – but other researchers are sceptical
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Robot tomb raider to investigate pyramid puzzle
27 August 2002
The rover will search for signs of a secret chamber behind a mysterious stone seal in Egypt's Great Pyramid at Giza
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Governments agree to end overfishing
27 August 2002
The World Summit commitment to restore and maintain ocean fish stocks by 2015 has far-reaching implications
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Summit's success 'hangs on US-opposed targets'
27 August 2002
Timetabled targets for fighting poverty and protecting the environment must be accepted by rich nations, say delegates
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Caffeine 'lotion' protects against skin cancer
26 August 2002
The study was on mice – similar research on people must now be carried out, say the US researchers
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Summit opens with little optimism
26 August 2002
Many world leaders are absent – and though there are five major themes, there are few hard targets
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Mini-melons go on sale in US
26 August 2002
The sweet, seedless, 12-centimetre long watermelons were created using normal breeding techniques
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Killer flu can result from a single mutation
25 August 2002
A single mutation in one gene can turn a benign form of the flu virus into a mass killer
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Boys compete 'for the sake of it'
25 August 2002
But girls will not waste effort on competition unless it pays, a Canadian study reveals
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Cosmic smog 'key to life in Milky Way'
24 August 2002
Clouds of space dust may have seeded life not only on our planet but in countless other solar systems, a meteorite study suggests
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And God said let there be smog
24 August 2002
All over the Milky Way life may owe its existence to clouds of space dust
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Save the world at the flick of a switch
24 August 2002
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Light-emitting silicon's day dawns
24 August 2002
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Chimps have already conquered AIDS
24 August 2002
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Middle-Eastern memes
24 August 2002
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'Animals' grow from an artificial embryo
24 August 2002
Virtual creatures, with muscles, senses and primitive nervous systems, have been "grown" from artificial embryos in a computer simulation
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.....
24 August 2002
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Are genes inventions?
24 August 2002
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Childhood is not what it used to be
24 August 2002
The rise of Ritalin has more to do with shifting social values than advances in neuropharmacology, argues David Concar
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Nimble pests
24 August 2002
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The cruel sea
24 August 2002
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Primeval fireworks
24 August 2002
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Killer lenses
24 August 2002
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Not far from A to B
24 August 2002
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Technology
24 August 2002
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Twin trails are all that remains of multimillion-dollar spacecraft
24 August 2002
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Dispatches
24 August 2002
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Seed firms bungle field trials
24 August 2002
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Yucca Mountain could become nuclear volcano
24 August 2002
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Glamorous animals get all the cash
24 August 2002
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Soundbites
24 August 2002
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'Top priority' pluto trip gets go-ahead
24 August 2002
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We hear that…
24 August 2002
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Polluters should pay less, not more
24 August 2002
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A sweet and petite summer treat
24 August 2002
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Fire tests spark safety fears
24 August 2002
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Give us the simple life
24 August 2002
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Ads wreck fossil rocks
24 August 2002
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Europe's wake-up call
24 August 2002
Short-sighted land management has allowed global warming to wreak havoc
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The descent of man
24 August 2002
Men are heading for extinction. Unless we form new species, all of humanity will follow, says Douglas Fox
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The rivers' revenge
24 August 2002
Gripped by dykes and dams, flood waters have nowhere to go but city streets
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Split brain reveals our sense of self
24 August 2002
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Screen out local radio
24 August 2002
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Westminster dairy
24 August 2002
Tam Dalyell considers whether the police should keep innocent people's DNA, and digs the dirt on composting
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The last word
24 August 2002
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War mentality
24 August 2002
The Albanian majority of Kosovo are still recovering from the massacres thattook place during the war with their Serbian rulers between 1996 and 1999.A significant number still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, including many children who witnes
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Push me, pull me
24 August 2002
Put people together and they behave like atoms in a magnet. Welcome to the new physics of peer pressure, says Bruce Schechter
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Take a byte
24 August 2002
Watch out! Cyberparasites could be sucking the processing power from your PC. Bennett Daviss reports
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Unseen perils of the pilgrimage to Mecca
24 August 2002
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The happy fat
24 August 2002
Are we eating our way into a collective depression? If so, there's no need to worry. With the right balance of fats in our diet, maybe we can ditch the antidepressants, says Meredith F. Small
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Out, damned mouse
24 August 2002
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Feedback
24 August 2002
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Rex Appeal: The amazing story of Sue, the dinosaur that changed science, the law, and my life by Peter Larson and Kristin Donnan
24 August 2002
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The word stuntology
24 August 2002
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Beetle mania
24 August 2002
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Authentic Happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment by Martin Seligman
24 August 2002
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Minuscule monsters
24 August 2002
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Bug, beautiful bug
24 August 2002
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Decline and Fall
24 August 2002
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Who's reading what
24 August 2002
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Who's reading what
24 August 2002
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IUDs are safe
24 August 2002
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Fateful day
24 August 2002
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Killer bugs bored to death
24 August 2002
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Warning! 25 seconds till disaster strikes
24 August 2002
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Your family really does stink
24 August 2002
The smell of relatives, the perils of travelling with the opposite sex and the reason why some lovers are jealous: Alison Motluk reports some intriguing findings
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Why there are always two sides to love
24 August 2002
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You're holding the map upside-down…
24 August 2002
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Girls get competitive, but only if it's worth it
24 August 2002
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Stay tuned for free tunes
24 August 2002
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Screws fixed
24 August 2002
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Saving at source
24 August 2002
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Famine and subsidies
24 August 2002
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Riddle of the ripples
24 August 2002
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Men really do smell
24 August 2002
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Music of the heart
24 August 2002
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Elephant sense
24 August 2002
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Down the pan
24 August 2002
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For the record
24 August 2002
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.....
24 August 2002
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Still in cages
24 August 2002
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The treasure of Cape Frio
24 August 2002
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Trick your body into killing tumours
24 August 2002
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We hear that…
24 August 2002
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Mitochondria can be inherited from both parents
23 August 2002
US researchers identify a man who inherited 90 per cent of his mDNA from his father – the finding promises to overturn accepted biological wisdom
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Antarctic ozone hole re-opens
23 August 2002
The hole will continue to grow over the next few weeks, says the World Meteorological Organization
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'Animals' grown from an artificial embryo
23 August 2002
The virtual creatures could be the first step towards using artificial evolution to create intelligent life from scratch
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'Critical' flaws in Microsoft software
23 August 2002
Millions of computers are at risk – the company is urging users to download patches for Office and Internet Explorer
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World's largest tropical forest park created
22 August 2002
Brazil's vast new national park covers a mountainous area of the Amazon double the size of Wales
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Lionesses go for dark, flowing manes
22 August 2002
Long, shaggy manes are attractive to females and intimidating to rivals, US research involving dummy animals shows
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Modified pigs are transplant 'breakthrough'
22 August 2002
Organs from the pigs would not trigger acute rejection if transplanted into humans – but other scientists are sceptical of their value
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Finland's hunting dogs get mobile phones
22 August 2002
The phone combined with GPS device is worn on a harness – the aim is to help hunters keep track of their animals
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Asymmetrical people make jealous lovers
22 August 2002
People who are less symmetrical are more likely to experience romantic jealousy, because they are less desirable, says a Canadian psychologist
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Hair clue to temporary deafness
22 August 2002
The unexpected finding that hair cells in the inner ear are replaced every two days could explain hearing loss caused by loud music
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Close family smells worse than a stranger
22 August 2002
People do not like the smell of close family members, new research shows – the aversion might help prevent incest
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Heavy environmental polluters 'should pay less'
22 August 2002
Lowering the penalties for the worst polluters could in fact reduce environmental degradation, a mathematical analysis suggests
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European floods linked to poor land management
21 August 2002
Short-sighted land management practices have allowed global warming to wreak havoc from Germany to the Black Sea
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Fire tests spark safety fears
21 August 2002
Steel fire doors that are supposed to give people at least an hour to escape a blaze can fail in less than 20 minutes
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Metal coating provides long-life contact lenses
21 August 2002
Lenses coated with a layer of antibacterial selenium could be worn for months at a time, says US researcher
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10 million on flood alert in central China
21 August 2002
The vast Dongting Lake in Hunan province is close to bursting its banks – China declares a state of emergency in the region
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Pictures confirm CONTOUR is in pieces
21 August 2002
New images from observatories across the US show CONTOUR broke apart – but NASA refuses to give up hope of resuming contact
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Uterus transplant results in live births
21 August 2002
The transplantation technique, tried in mice, could be repeated in women within two years, say Swedish researchers
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Gingko biloba fails memory test
20 August 2002
The popular herbal supplement does not improve memory in healthy older people, according to a US study
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Prototype Mars rover passes final field trial
20 August 2002
FIDO performs well in the Arizona desert, paving the way for twin NASA rovers to visit Mars in 2004
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EU plans to enforce electronic data storage
20 August 2002
Proposed legislation would force member states to keep records of all electronic communications for at least one year
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Genetic susceptibility to West Nile virus
19 August 2002
The finding in mice might explain why only one fifth of people infected with the virus develop symptoms – new treatments could result
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Malaria vaccine trials underway in Gambia
19 August 2002
The trial is the first to investigate the effectiveness of a DNA vaccine against malaria, which kills two million every year
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Kilometre-tall power tower approved
19 August 2002
Australian government backs colossal solar power tower – but environmental campaigners are not convinced of the benefits
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Comet-chasing CONTOUR 'broke in two'
19 August 2002
Telescope images suggest the craft broke up after a crucial engine burn – NASA's hopes of regaining contact are fading
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Gravity control investigation raises hopes
18 August 2002
It may never launch a spacecraft, but anti-gravity could help on Earth – three experimental missions will tell, says the European Space Agency
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Winged robot learns to fly
17 August 2002
Using evolutionary principles, the robot cracked the basic motion in just a few hours
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HIV wages war on 'miracle' drugs
17 August 2002
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International rescue?
17 August 2002
Don't let Asia's brown haze conceal the real killers in the atmosphere
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Resistant rabbits are fighting back
17 August 2002
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When ET calls, put him on hold
17 August 2002
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Soundbites
17 August 2002
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NASA's new shuttle designs stolen by hacker
17 August 2002
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All-seeing scan spares your blushes
17 August 2002
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Forest fires fuel pollution crisis
17 August 2002
Asia is suffocating under growing clouds of smog spewed out by cars, industry and household stoves
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Look, no hands!
17 August 2002
If making tools is so clever, how come New Caledonian crows can do it, asks Stephanie Pain
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Droppin' science
17 August 2002
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Argonaut by Stanley Schmidt
17 August 2002
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Feedback
17 August 2002
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Modern classics
17 August 2002
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Creature comforts
17 August 2002
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The World expects
17 August 2002
Will rich nations at last find the will to make economic growth work for all?
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Trust me
17 August 2002
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Mars or bust
17 August 2002
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Glittering globe
17 August 2002
Could the Earth be littered with diamonds in places no one has dreamed of looking? Larry O'Hanlon ventures to an island paradise in search of buried treasure
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.....
17 August 2002
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The last word
17 August 2002
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Westminster diary
17 August 2002
Tam Dalyell on today's hot topics of nuclear waste and the traceability of genetically modified foods
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Move over, Dr Doolittle
17 August 2002
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The essential ingredient
17 August 2002
Without science, rich countries could never have achieved economic growth. Their failure to invest in research in developing countries is undermining efforts to fight poverty, disease and environmental destruction, warns
Jeffrey Sachs -
Craters with rings
17 August 2002
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On the cards
17 August 2002
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Living in sim
17 August 2002
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DNA's demise?
17 August 2002
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Australia is full
17 August 2002
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Every cloud…
17 August 2002
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Are we transmitting?
17 August 2002
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Tunnel flaw
17 August 2002
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Itinerant IUDs
17 August 2002
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It's good to tweak
17 August 2002
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When too much care can be bad for your health
17 August 2002
Throwing money at health services will mean more tests and treatments, but it won't necessarily prolong people's lives, warns John E. Wennberg
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Tight vests could give athletes the edge
17 August 2002
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Base bull
17 August 2002
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Pure as mud
17 August 2002
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Joburg or bust
17 August 2002
So much for progress. After a decade of unprecedented global economic growth, the number of people living on less than a dollar a day has barely changed.
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Slipping a brake disk
17 August 2002
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GM plants no panacea
17 August 2002
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Picture perfect
17 August 2002
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Satellites paint a far more rosy picture of forest loss
17 August 2002
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Suspend your disbelief…
17 August 2002
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Computers take a shower
17 August 2002
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Roots relaxation
17 August 2002
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The road from rio
17 August 2002
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.....
17 August 2002
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Don't look now
17 August 2002
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Pests are off the menu
17 August 2002
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Where there's smoke…
17 August 2002
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Smelling bee
17 August 2002
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Medicine
17 August 2002
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Hedgehogs look both ways, then turn back
17 August 2002
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Liberal reading of bush edict gives US stem cell researchers more freedom
17 August 2002
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So simple, almost anyone can do it
17 August 2002
Cheap and easy cloning could open the floodgates to mass-producing the best meat and dairy animals
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Weeds do well out of modified crops
17 August 2002
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US may set up certification scheme for GM-free products
17 August 2002
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US military wakes up to asteroid risk
17 August 2002
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Prime number puzzle solved at last
17 August 2002
The proof is striking in its simplicity, and has mathematicians wondering what else they may have overlooked
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Traffic cameras fail eye test
17 August 2002
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Dispatches
17 August 2002
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We hear that…
17 August 2002
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Teaching the body to be more tolerant
17 August 2002
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Looks good enough to eat? so tuck in
17 August 2002
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Feathered friends flock to posh parks
17 August 2002
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We hear that…
17 August 2002
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Sex changes on the brain
17 August 2002
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Fish flounder in shrinking gene pool
17 August 2002
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Robot learns to fly
17 August 2002
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Slam dunk
17 August 2002
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You can squeeze oil out of a stone
17 August 2002
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When to expect that long-distance call
17 August 2002
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Comet-chasing mission hangs in the balance
16 August 2002
More than 30 hours after a crucial engine burn was scheduled, NASA is still out of contact with CONTOUR
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Hypersonic scramjet test a success
16 August 2002
Australian scientists have performed the first successful flight test of a hypersonic scramjet engine
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Comet-chasing spacecraft goes silent
15 August 2002
NASA's spacecraft went missing after a crucial manoeuvre to rocket it out of the Earth's orbit
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Crypto lockdown secures lost laptop data
15 August 2002
Stolen laptops can now automatically encrypt all their data, thanks to a wireless link that triggers when the owner is out of range
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Flood-stricken Czechs plan mass-vaccination
15 August 2002
Many thousands of children will be vaccinated against hepatitis A, following the worst flooding in the country in 200 years
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Human tissue company ordered to shut down
15 August 2002
A leading US supplier has been blocked from selling soft tissue for transplants – the FDA cites fears of fatal infections
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Galaxy clusters radiate gamma ray "fog"
15 August 2002
Most gamma rays are not generated by galactic lone operators – the discovery will help probe the cosmic web
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Weeds get boost from GM crops
15 August 2002
Cross-breeding with genetically modified crops makes weeds stronger and fitter, researchers have shown for the first time
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Light smokers heavily at risk of heart attack
15 August 2002
Smoking just three cigarettes a day can double your risk of heart attack – and not inhaling is little protection
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'Handmade' cloning cheap and easy
14 August 2002
A new way to create genetically identical copies of animals does not require expensive equipment and appears to work better too
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Gene study gives language lesson
14 August 2002
Language evolved via natural selection say researchers, suggesting better communication was highly advantageous to our ancestors
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Synchronicity is key to hearing ET
14 August 2002
Searches for alien broadcasts should be coordinated to when the Earth is closest to potential aliens, suggests a US researcher
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Cross-species testes transplant successful
14 August 2002
Fertile goat and pig sperm is produced on the backs of mice – it could one day help men who survive cancer to become fathers
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China announces 'final' space test
14 August 2002
The fourth unmanned Shenzou craft is set to launch by the end of 2002 – a manned mission could follow soon after
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Deadly seal virus reaches UK
14 August 2002
The virus wiped out half of northern Europe's seal population in 1998 – marine biologists fear a repeat
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Short women more successful with men
14 August 2002
Women below the average height are most likely to form long-term relationships and have children – the reasons are unclear
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Earthquake early warnings show promise
13 August 2002
A new Taiwanese system races ahead of the tremor to give up to 25 seconds warning – enough to close down gas lines and railways
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Digital forgery attacks website security
13 August 2002
False security certificates could trick surfers into handing over credit card details, says a US researcher
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Popping pill may prevent hearing loss
13 August 2002
Human trials are set for a drug that could protect the ears of soldiers going into battle – or fans going to a rock concert
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Space shuttle schedule cracks again
13 August 2002
Fuel line fractures are being repaired, but new cracks are found inside the giant transporters that take shuttles to the launch pad
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Brand names bring special brain buzz
13 August 2002
It is what every advertiser would have dreamed of – brand names engage the 'emotional' side of the brain more than other words
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Brain's 'cheat detector' is revealed
12 August 2002
Part of the human brain has evolved to specialise in detecting cheats, say evolutionary psychologists
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Borneo fires may intensify 'Asian brown haze'
12 August 2002
The UN says the near-permanent smog is a 'major environmental hazard', threatening food production and health
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Lightning strikes zap UK's modems
12 August 2002
Telephone line surges caused by thunderstorms appear to be behind record orders of replacement modems
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Bioweapon expert denies anthrax involvement
12 August 2002
A US scientist makes a categoric public denial of any connection with the fatal US anthrax letter attacks
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Cloned cows produce human antibodies
12 August 2002
The polyclonal antibodies could battle many microbes, including those most attractive to terrorists
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.....
10 August 2002
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Grey-sky theory puts stargazers in shade
10 August 2002
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Download and multiply
10 August 2002
Sharing robot minds and bodies over the Web could take AI to the next level
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Cosmic rays and newborn clouds explain one of the mysteries of global warming
10 August 2002
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Music hall jokes
10 August 2002
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For the record
10 August 2002
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Spin doctor
10 August 2002
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Ethics and pluralism
10 August 2002
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Saxon apartheid
10 August 2002
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Ending animal tests
10 August 2002
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.....
10 August 2002
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Moral animals
10 August 2002
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The mind's a stage
10 August 2002
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.....
10 August 2002
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Funding British science
10 August 2002
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There's no pill for curinga hellish upbringing
10 August 2002
An underactive gene may explain why some abused children turn into abusive adults. But beware using this finding to shape social policy, warns David Concar
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New schizophrenia theory
10 August 2002
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Long lives ahead
10 August 2002
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ET's simulation
10 August 2002
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Middle-aged spread
10 August 2002
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Secrets of a long life revealed
10 August 2002
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Environment
10 August 2002
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Peace deal could fuel mineral plunder
10 August 2002
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US rejection of nuclear test treaty 'unjustified'
10 August 2002
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Hand-helds are a hacker's best friend
10 August 2002
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Future of corals is going down the pan
10 August 2002
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A tale of two youngsters
10 August 2002
Two boys, two diseases. One will be treated, one won't. Why?
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Viruses can run wild too
10 August 2002
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Triggering mini-crashes could help stock markets ride out tough times
10 August 2002
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Shuttle repairs are go
10 August 2002
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Britain's smallpox vaccine should work just as well as the US version
10 August 2002
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Robotic warrior goes into action in the hazardous caves of Afghanistan
10 August 2002
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Dispatches
10 August 2002
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Clue to how power lines could increase the risk of cancer
10 August 2002
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Soundbites
10 August 2002
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Now embryonic stem cells comewithout the risk of animal diseases
10 August 2002
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Toxic alga eschews the use of poison
10 August 2002
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Families not fashion blamed for anorexia
10 August 2002
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The contraceptive plague
10 August 2002
Australia has genetically engineered viruses that could provide a humane way to control alien pests such as rabbits. Now it must decide if it's safe to release them
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Calling the tunes
10 August 2002
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Blooming cold
10 August 2002
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Jets blanket the Earth
10 August 2002
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Smoking can seriously harm your cat's health
10 August 2002
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How to flip a galaxy
10 August 2002
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Wasps sniff out danger
10 August 2002
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Record labels to take 'viral' approach to PR
10 August 2002
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Hot lips
10 August 2002
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Shocking appetite
10 August 2002
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See it, buy it
10 August 2002
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Pictures that hide your true identity
10 August 2002
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Killing cancer in a hail of bullets
10 August 2002
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Roaming farmers cultivated civilisation
10 August 2002
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We hear that…
10 August 2002
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Jury still out over the Vinland Map
10 August 2002
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Cutting edge
10 August 2002
What's the most exciting area of organ bioengineering? You might be surprised by the answer, says Clare Wilson
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The top-down Universe
10 August 2002
When subatomic particles are in thrall to distant galaxies you know someone has just rewritten all the rules. J R Minkel explores a weird new world
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The last word
10 August 2002
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Found it
10 August 2002
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Bestsellers - Berkeley
10 August 2002
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The man who made maps
10 August 2002
He created the most widely used world map ever and dragged cartography out of the dark ages. Robert Matthews investigates Mercator the man
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Westminster diary
10 August 2002
Tam Dalyell on the dark side of the diamond business and the problems of climate change in poor countries
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Feedback
10 August 2002
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Golden opportunity
10 August 2002
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Discovering discovery
10 August 2002
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I enclose an SAE
10 August 2002
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Golden goals
10 August 2002
What makes football the most popular game in the world? Perhaps it's because the best team doesn't always win, says John Wesson
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The anatomists' farewell
10 August 2002
Every year, students at a university in Canada hold a memorial service for intimate friends who were already dead when they met them. Alison Motluk went along to an unusual thanksgiving
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In the line of fire
10 August 2002
Russia's intelligence services don't like people who investigate nuclear pollution. This makes Sergei Pashenko's job – radiation researcher and campaigner – highly risky. Paul Webster talks to one of Russia's bravest scientists
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Pipped to the positron
10 August 2002
Paul Dirac's prediction of antimatter was the greatest triumph of modern physics. Applying relativity to quantum theory, he argued in 1931 that there should exist an anti-electron, and that it would have the same mass as the electron but the opposite char
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Eridug
10 August 2002
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Why oh why oh why?
10 August 2002
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Grey-sky idea puts astronomers in the shade
09 August 2002
What would have happened to science if permanent cloud had hidden the stars, wonders a mathematician after a wet holiday
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Birds enjoy the high life
09 August 2002
Parks in up-market neighbourhoods attract many more birds than those in the poorer parts of town – but why?
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First confirmed case of vCJD in North America
09 August 2002
The Canadian man died in early summer – health officials say there is no cause for public concern
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Outlook for US stem cell research brightens
09 August 2002
Scientists celebrate a burst of private cash and the revelation that strict government regulations have quietly been loosened
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Crow reveals talent for technology
08 August 2002
The bird's remarkable toolmaking challenges the chimp's reputation as the best toolmaker in the animal world
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"E-bomb" may see first combat use in Iraq
08 August 2002
If the US attacks, it could knock out underground Iraqi installations using high power microwave weapons that fry computers
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Flu clue to fatal mystery illness
08 August 2002
Samples from two sufferers of the sickness that has killed at least 156 people in Madagascar test positive for influenza
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Black hole theory suggests light is slowing
08 August 2002
Recent data suggest one key constant must be changing – Australian physicists argue it's the speed of light
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Software buries secrets in printed pictures
08 August 2002
A colour passport mugshot could invisibly hide a signature and fingerprints, and products could carry invisible barcodes
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Aqua opens new window on weather
08 August 2002
The satellite's instruments are now streaming back data – this, with other satellites, will dramatically improve weather forecasts
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Virus could sterilise Australia's rabbits
07 August 2002
The feral animals cause huge damage, but releasing a genetically engineered virus into the wild would spark a fierce debate
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Hormone jab is a hunger buster
07 August 2002
Injections of a gut hormone cut calorie consumption by one third – the most effective appetite-reducing agent yet discovered
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Jet trails make climate milder
07 August 2002
Aeroplane vapour trails reduce the temperature extremes felt on Earth, says a study made possible by the events of September 11
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"Unfixable" flaw breaks Microsoft's Windows
07 August 2002
A computer security consultant says he has exploited a fundamental flaw in the operating system
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Ozone treatment for tooth decay
07 August 2002
The painless 10-second treatment could replace drilling and fillings, but the British Dental Association is cautious
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West Nile virus will sweep across whole US
06 August 2002
But infection and satellite data is being combined to give early warning for areas at high risk of new human cases
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Low birthweight disrupts teenage ovulation
06 August 2002
Being small at birth might account for some cases of unexplained female infertility, say Spanish researchers
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Japan switches on national ID system
06 August 2002
Its first national and computerised identity system gives an 11-digit ID number to all its citizens – prompting protests and civil disobedience
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Fusion reactor breaks duration record
06 August 2002
A powerful plasma discharge operated for 210 seconds – a big step towards the long periods needed for nuclear fusion
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Triple-action drug battles botulism
05 August 2002
Release of the potent neurotoxin is considered a major bioterrorist threat – now a drug capable of mass-production is here
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Middle-eastern farmers 'civilised' Europe
05 August 2002
The migration of the first farmers means modern Europeans share on average half their genes with people in the Middle East
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Red tide microbe's killer appetite revealed
05 August 2002
One of the suspects for the mass murder of fish during toxic algal blooms turns out not to be a poisoner after all
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Giant galaxy means model success
05 August 2002
The first computer simulation to create a realistic spiral galaxy from scratch may open a new window on the murky early Universe
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vCJD risk from blood transfusion "appreciable"
05 August 2002
Tests on sheep reveal a transmission rate of one in six – and that separating red blood cells may not prevent it
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Rainstorms could trigger killer eruptions
04 August 2002
Keeping an eye out for downpours may give a vital early warning that the deadliest volcanoes are set to blow
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'Clean' human stem cells grown
04 August 2002
Embryonic stem cells free from the risk of animal pathogens are a significant step towards medical treatments
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'Blank' display hides computer data
03 August 2002
Only authorised viewers wearing a special pair of glasses would be able to read the data on the screen
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Emergency vehicle alert cuts car stereos
03 August 2002
But the device meant to help the vehicles slice through traffic is being blocked by the UK's radio frequency licensing body
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Secret lives of dogs
03 August 2002
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Private view
03 August 2002
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Webbed goalies
03 August 2002
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Guessing game
03 August 2002
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Why not run your car on a greenhouse gas?
03 August 2002
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Pufferfish helps unlock secrets of human genome
03 August 2002
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North Sea crash site mirrors craters on Jupiter's icy moons
03 August 2002
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We hear that…
03 August 2002
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If it's going to blow, we'll know
03 August 2002
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The underdog might win the day
03 August 2002
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The end is fly
03 August 2002
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Landsat turns 30 and celebrates with style
03 August 2002
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Coral creation
03 August 2002
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Nose jobs
03 August 2002
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Big genomes
03 August 2002
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Dig deep
03 August 2002
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No clock in the knees
03 August 2002
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Gift of life
03 August 2002
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Robots will learn like we do
03 August 2002
Robots that can understand what "ball" or "red" mean will work things out for themselves. Duncan Graham-Rowe reports on the meaning of meaning, a robot TV guide for the elderly and the people putting the chat back in chat rooms
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The forget-me-not bot keeps people on time
03 August 2002
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Chat to the chat room on your cellphone
03 August 2002
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Stem cells could save sight
03 August 2002
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They can run but they can't hide, and that's bad news for growing chicks
03 August 2002
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Drought hits India
03 August 2002
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Ecological hotspots named as latest casualties in Colombia's drugs war
03 August 2002
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Natural high helps banish bad times
03 August 2002
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Soundbites
03 August 2002
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Fertility hope for chemo patients as doctors grow eggs outside the body
03 August 2002
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Dispatches
03 August 2002
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Test to monitor fin trade
03 August 2002
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Row over in-car alerts for emergency vehicles
03 August 2002
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Doctors still push myths about IUDs
03 August 2002
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GM row delays food aid
03 August 2002
Despite the famine, Zimbabwe is refusing to accept thousands of tonnes of genetically modified maize offered by the US. Is the decision based on science or politics?
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Ancient smiths forged to last
03 August 2002
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Technology
03 August 2002
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Truck trains to fight own fires
03 August 2002
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You must remember this…
03 August 2002
A drug last used decades ago could provide a breakthrough in Alzheimer's treatment
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Armageddon postponed…until 2060
03 August 2002
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Do tumours thrive on morphine?
03 August 2002
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Sound unlocks the brain
03 August 2002
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The bright idea that could replace your flickering fluorescents with a cool glow
03 August 2002
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When myths kill
03 August 2002
Who's really to blame when a starving country rejects food aid?
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Apocalypse? not now thanks
03 August 2002
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We hear that…
03 August 2002
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The last word
03 August 2002
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George dons the bloodstained purple
03 August 2002
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Eau de toilet
03 August 2002
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Bliss
03 August 2002
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Early netheads
03 August 2002
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Past polymath
03 August 2002
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Whatever the weather
03 August 2002
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Beyond the clock face
03 August 2002
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Never trust an expert
03 August 2002
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Star performances
03 August 2002
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How you've changed
03 August 2002
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Westminster diary
03 August 2002
Tam Dalyell on energy, animals in medical research and new hopes for planetary exploration
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Mapping Human History by Steve Olson
03 August 2002
Attempts to unearth the origins of modern humanity buried in our genome are mired in controversy, says Martin Richards
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And river run
03 August 2002
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Their hands on your genes
03 August 2002
Greedy? Immoral? Forget it, there's nothing wrong in principle with patenting human DNA. It all depends on how you do it, says Sandy Thomas
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Feedback
03 August 2002
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How theother half live
03 August 2002
Most of the world's population live independently of the formal economy. Recognising this, says Teodor Shanin, is the key to removing poverty and inequality. He invented "peasantology" – the study of how people survive in the "informa
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The golden meme
03 August 2002
Memes offer a way to analyse human culture with scientific rigour. Why are social scientists so averse to the idea, ask Kevin Laland and Gillian Brown
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Juice on the loose
03 August 2002
Imagine being able to charge up your cellphone with just a walk to the shops. Ian Sample explains how to tap into the unused energy that's right under our noses
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Sniffing for oil
03 August 2002
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.....
03 August 2002
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.....
03 August 2002
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All in a spin
03 August 2002
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.....
03 August 2002
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Informed consent?
03 August 2002
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Bristling dinosaurs
03 August 2002
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Breath of fresh air
03 August 2002
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.....
03 August 2002
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Wallaby nations
03 August 2002
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Empty Australia
03 August 2002
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For the record
03 August 2002
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Never say die
03 August 2002
Can the human race live forever? Yes, says Philip Ball, but only if Einstein was wrong about our Universe
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The news is good
03 August 2002
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Eco-construction
03 August 2002
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"Trojan horse" rides in encryption program
02 August 2002
The creators of a widely used application are struggling to learn how a malicious program sneaked into their latest release
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Carbon dioxide turned into hydrocarbon fuel
02 August 2002
The process could turn the main greenhouse gas into petrol, and has caused a big stir at an industrial chemistry conference
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"Designer baby" ruling stokes controversy
02 August 2002
The licensing of fertility treatments in the UK needs a thorough overhaul, argue critics of the latest controversial decision
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Earth getting fatter around the middle
02 August 2002
A little extra girth is spotted by satellites but geophysicists are baffled as to why – changing ocean currents is one idea
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Dog collars cut parasitic infection in children
02 August 2002
Insecticide-impregnated collars slash cases of a parasitic infection that causes a deadly disease in children around the world
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Criminality linked to early abuse and genes
01 August 2002
Having a common gene variation and being abused while young makes men much more likely to be violent – the first such link
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X marks spot for black hole mergers
01 August 2002
"Winged" radio galaxies may harbour bumper black holes, suggesting astronomers searching for gravity waves will succeed
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Astronomers detect the Universal web
01 August 2002
Vast filaments of hot gas tracing the web of dark matter that underpins the Universe's structure are seen for the first time
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Passive smoking kills pets too
01 August 2002
Cats living with smokers can have four times the cancer risk – the discovery may also boost the understanding of some human cancers
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Eggs matured in the test tube
01 August 2002
The technique, which might help girls and women facing chemotherapy to have children afterwards, is demonstrated in mice