April - 2009 Articles
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Mysterious spokes found in crater on Mercury
30 April 2009
During its second flyby of Mercury, NASA's Messenger spacecraft revealed a new crater with a bizarre pattern of troughs and ridges
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Sun damage conceals asteroids' true ages
30 April 2009
Asteroids don't tan gradually over time but seem to get sunburns early on, complicating efforts to gauge their ages
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First dino 'blood' extracted from ancient bone
30 April 2009
A hadrosaur bone buried for 80 million years has yielded a mix of proteins and microstructures resembling cells that may help shed light on dinosaur evolution
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Huge gene study shines new light on African history
30 April 2009
The largest-ever study of the genomes of people from across Africa provides "spectacular insight into the history of African populations"
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Review: The Plant Hunters by Carolyn Fry
30 April 2009
The massive global movement of plants ensures your garden, and supermarket shelves, look exciting – but there is a flip side...
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Unknown internet 2: Could the net become self-aware?
30 April 2009
It is easy to draw parallels between the human brain and the internet's complex network of nodes, so could conciousness be the next step?
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Animal rights extremist added to FBI's 'most wanted' list
30 April 2009
The FBI has put the arsonist on its most wanted list and is offering a bounty of up to $250,000 for information leading to his arrest
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Antimatter mysteries: Can we make an anti-world?
30 April 2009
At the moment physicists are having enough difficulty just taming antihydrogen, the simplest possible anti-atom. Can we ever expect them to make a whole anti-periodic table?
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Unknown internet 1: Who controls the internet?
30 April 2009
The official answer is no one, but that's a half-truth that few swallow...
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Innovation: How your search queries can predict the future
30 April 2009
Data about our behaviour online not only provides a snapshot of what people are doing and thinking globally – it can predict future trends too
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Video shows launch of world's largest amateur rocket
29 April 2009
A scaled-down replica of the Saturn V rocket once used to loft Apollo crews into space may herald the arrival of the first amateur rockets to reach orbit
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NASA may abandon plans for moon base
29 April 2009
The agency's acting chief says NASA will probably not build a permanent lunar base, hinting it may put more emphasis on missions to Mars or an asteroid
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We need a flu Manhattan project
29 April 2009
We must pool all our resources if we are to head off a pandemic
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Vanishing matter points to black hole in Milky Way
29 April 2009
Matter and energy are vanishing without trace at the centre of the galaxy – the best evidence yet that a black hole is lurking there
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'Nursemaid' cells reveal the best IVF eggs
29 April 2009
Genetic clues contained in the cells that nurture developing human eggs may reveal those that are most likely to produce healthy embryos
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Solution to Enigma No. 1543
29 April 2009
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Humanity's carbon budget set at one trillion tonnes
29 April 2009
To avoid dangerous climate change, we must burn no more than 25% of remaining fossil fuel reserves, two comprehensive new studies show
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Expert analysis: Mexican swine flu – the story so far
29 April 2009
Why have most of the deaths from the new H1N1 flu virus been in Mexico? How deadly is it? What do its genes tell us? Flu virus expert Wendy Barclay gives New Scientist her opinion
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Nanowire network measures cells' electrical signals
29 April 2009
Electrical signals from different parts of the same cell have been recorded together for the first time – the technique could unlock the secrets of neurons and heart cells alike
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Quantum computers get commercial – and hackable
29 April 2009
Machines that compute using quantum principles are arriving on the market at last, but claims of unbreakable security look unfounded
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Why travel bans won't prevent a flu pandemic
29 April 2009
Restrictions on international air travel will have little effect on stemming the spread of an influenza pandemic, computer models suggest
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Lip-reading computer picks out your language
29 April 2009
A system that can tell what language someone is speaking from the shapes and movements of their mouth could lead to lip-reading computers for deaf people
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Review: Horizon: How violent are you?
29 April 2009
This gripping documentary may well shock you in its exploration of our capacity for violence
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Salt in Enceladus geyser points to liquid ocean
29 April 2009
Icy fountains from Saturn's moon Enceladus contain salt, meaning that there's almost certainly a sea of liquid water below its surface
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Antimatter mysteries 3: Does antimatter fall up?
29 April 2009
Gravity works the same way on all matter – but what about antimatter? If it behaves differently, it could overturn our understanding of physics
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Enigma Number 1543
29 April 2009
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For the record
29 April 2009
The arXiv URL in our article on internet surveillance should have been www.arxiv.org/abs/0903.3218...
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Chill out
29 April 2009
Emma Young's article on the link between sleep and mental illness prompted me to write of my experiences as a...
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Vitamin warning
29 April 2009
Feedback commented on the incongruous warning aimed at pregnant or lactating women on a men's multivitamin supplement. The explanation is simple: the...
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E-ciggies and health
29 April 2009
Further to Helen Thomson's article on the effects of smoking an electronic cigarette, it must be emphasised that the World...
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How science works
29 April 2009
Although the atheist majority in science will no doubt agree with Amanda Gefter, I would suggest that she is wrong about...
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Religion on the brain
29 April 2009
Andy Coghlan's report on whether praying to God causes the same brain activity as talking to friends made me wonder...
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When germs are heavier than the Earth
29 April 2009
Why disinfectants could bury the world in bacteria, fresh butter that's eight months old, and your last chance to enter our Wallace and Gromit competition
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Super food
29 April 2009
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What's hot on NewScientist.com
29 April 2009
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Review: The Genial Gene by Joan Roughgarden
29 April 2009
A controversial new theory argues that genes are cooperative rather than selfish
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Viewfinder: Opinions from around the world
29 April 2009
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Bloggers slow to pick up sound bites
29 April 2009
Tracking US-election sound bites reveals surprising results on how political quotes cycle through online media
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How to survive a potential killer
29 April 2009
If a flu pandemic hits, do you try to kill the virus, treat the symptoms, or just hope for the best?
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Influenza FAQ
29 April 2009
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Swine flu: The predictable pandemic?
29 April 2009
There were signs that swine flu posed a human pandemic threat over a decade ago, yet no one paid any attention
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Eight things you didn't know about the internet
29 April 2009
New Scientist explores the biggest questions about the World Wide Web, including: who controls it, does using it hurt the environment, and will it ever evolve a mind of its own?
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Flight of the butterfly
29 April 2009
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Humanity's carbon budget running out fast
29 April 2009
Dangerous climate change is likely if we burn just one-quarter of the remaining fossil fuels
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Boost for biodiversity, Grim prospect for Asia, and more
29 April 2009
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Experts urge US to share data on satellite orbits
28 April 2009
The US government's reluctance thus far to share data about the satellites it is tracking is hampering efforts to prevent collisions in space
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Missing planets suggest stars 'eat' their young
28 April 2009
Few planets are found in a zone right around their stars – a new study suggests why they can't survive there for long
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Gene variant found in 65% of autism cases
28 April 2009
A genetic variant carried by more than two thirds of people with autism might eventually help identify babies at high risk of the disorder
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Dalai Lama's brain challenge produces split decision
28 April 2009
The Buddhist spiritual leader's claim that meditating can boost visual memory is shown to be partly correct
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Antimatter mysteries 2: How do you make antimatter?
28 April 2009
Two experiments at CERN are designed to make antihydrogen in useful quantities, but that goal is proving elusive
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Paperback Picks
28 April 2009
Our editors select the best in softcover reading
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Concussed, stressed or just sick of war?
28 April 2009
Veterans with injured minds deserve as much care as those with injured brains
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Geothermal explosion rocks green energy hopes
28 April 2009
A bid to produce green power on a commercial scale using heat from subterranean rocks suffers a major setback as the well ruptures
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Credit crunch is crunch time for women
28 April 2009
In uncertain times, people opt for leaders with feminine faces. So is today's recession an opportunity for women to seize control?
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Brain shock: The new Gulf War syndrome
28 April 2009
Are the mysterious symptoms plaguing bomb-blast survivors a scary new phenomenon or simply a twist on an old problem?
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How to turn greenhouse gas into a clean fuel
28 April 2009
A new process converts carbon dioxide into methanol, without the need for extreme temperatures and pressures
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Levees won't save New Orleans from another Katrina
28 April 2009
Flood walls alone are not enough to protect the city if another large hurricane hits, says a panel of engineers
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Why freeing Willy was the wrong thing to do
28 April 2009
The released killer whale star of the Hollywood movie Free Willy did not have the survival skills to make it in the wild, researchers say
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Chemical 'caterpillar' points to electronics-free robots
28 April 2009
Powered and controlled by an oscillating chemical reaction, a creeping strip of gel provides a glimpse of how future robots may do away with complex mechanical systems
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Obama vows to increase funding for basic science
28 April 2009
The president has pledged to raise total US spending on research and development by government and industry to 3% of GDP, but it's not clear how the increase would be achieved
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Threat level for flu pandemic raised
28 April 2009
The World Health Organization is one step closer to declaring a pandemic due to the deadly H1N1 swine flu virus – but it says, 'we are not there yet'
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Most distant object in the universe spotted
27 April 2009
A gamma-ray burst that detonated 13.1 billion light years from Earth is the most distant object ever seen
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Hurricanes reduce ability of forests to store carbon
27 April 2009
The destruction of trees by hurricanes and tropical storms could turn forests into net emitters of carbon dioxide
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IBM computer aims to beat Jeopardy! quiz
27 April 2009
Having already built the first computer to beat a world chess champion, the firm is now aiming to make one to defeat TV quiz show contestants
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Bicycle helmet laws could do more harm than good
27 April 2009
Forcing cyclists to wear protective headgear could cause people to stop cycling and cost healthcare services billions of dollars, a new study claims
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US 'taking action' to minimise swine flu impact
27 April 2009
The US government says it is taking swift measures to contain the swine influenza outbreak that threatens to turn into a pandemic
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What is play for? Neuroscience wades in
27 April 2009
Scientists haven't done much serious work on play. Two new books aim to explain why it's so important – and complicated
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Antimatter mysteries 1: Where is all the antimatter?
27 April 2009
According to theory, matter and antimatter should have been created in equal amounts at the big bang – yet our universe is almost entirely made of matter
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Supersticky robots to follow in geckos' footsteps
27 April 2009
Climbing bots are nearly ready to scale walls and scamper across ceilings
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War-torn countries prefer masculine leaders
27 April 2009
People choose leaders with masculine faces in times of war and feminine faces when peace-keeping's needed – regardless of their actual gender
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Great escapes: Eight emergency species rescues
27 April 2009
From cloning to hand puppets, conservationists sometimes have to go to extreme lengths to keep a species alive
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Gallery: Flickr users make accidental maps
27 April 2009
Using geotag data attached to 35 million photos uploaded to Flickr researchers created accurate global and city maps and identified popular snapping sites
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Swine flu: What you need to know
26 April 2009
A deadly new virus is spreading in humans – New Scientist breaks down exactly what is going on
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Snapper snaps: Prize-winning underwater photography
26 April 2009
See the winning images from an underwater photography contest, including a whitetip shark, boxer crabs, and a pygmy seahorse
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Stacked LEDs could shine bright white light
26 April 2009
Making LEDs that emit white light is a tricky business – but a new type of organic LED does it more simply
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Stay calm to stay asthma free
26 April 2009
Having a neurotic personality can make you three times more likely to develop adult-onset asthma
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Raindrops splash before they hit the ground
26 April 2009
Liquid droplets splashing against a surface are actually bouncing off a tiny cushion of air, rather than the surface itself
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Online ad targeting system breaks EU privacy rules
25 April 2009
Phorm's controversial plan to intercept web page requests would contravene a directive on the confidentiality of communications, the European Commission says
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Fossil seal had the feet of an otter
25 April 2009
A fossil found in the Canadian Arctic could be the link between a primitive animal with webbed feet and the modern seal
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Bangladesh: In search of fresh water
25 April 2009
Photographer Munem Wasif captures the hardships caused by changing water supplies in Bangladesh
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Science in the media: Put up or shut up
25 April 2009
If you're peeved with the way science is presented by the media, don't rant - step right up and give it a go yourself, says Kathy Sykes
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Deadly new flu virus in US and Mexico may go pandemic
24 April 2009
A previously unknown swine flu virus is spreading in people in the US and Mexico, where it has killed at least 18
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Plasma bubbles and cosmic fountains: the week in space
24 April 2009
This week, Hubble celebrated its 19th birthday with a cosmic 'fountain of youth' and a colossal black hole blew bubbles of plasma into space
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Why two geniuses delved into the occult
24 April 2009
New Scientist talks with Arthur I Miller about his new book Deciphering the Cosmic Number, the occult, and the strange friendship of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung
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Can internal 'brain music' be used in therapy?
24 April 2009
Psychologists are unconvinced by US Department of Homeland Security suggestions that the brain's own "music" can change an individual's mood
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'Deep sequencing' gives clues to stem cell control
24 April 2009
A new technique may soon give researchers a lot more control over growing specialised tissues from stem cells
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'Hidden photons' to send secret emails through Earth
24 April 2009
If the hypothetical particles exist, we could use them to send messages straight through the centre of the planet
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Bioengineering graft could lay ground for organ growth
24 April 2009
A technique that uses a person's own cells to create new blood vessels may be used to grow internal organs
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Dark matter may have ripped up early universe
24 April 2009
A billion years after the big bang, hydrogen atoms were mysteriously torn apart. Could dark matter be the culprit?
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Stem cell eye 'patch' to save sight gets cash boost
24 April 2009
Pfizer pumps funds into a pioneering treatment derived from embryonic stem cells that could stop age-related blindness
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Cosmic numbers: Pauli and Jung's love of numerology
24 April 2009
Dreams and strange coincidences brought together quantum physicist Wolfgang Pauli and psychoanalyst Carl Jung, two of history's most profound thinkers
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Road kill tally hints at wildlife health
24 April 2009
Counting road kill may be an effective way to keep track of changes in local wildlife populations
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NASA gears up for its last mission to Hubble
23 April 2009
If all goes well, the shuttle Atlantis will lift off on 11 May to fix Hubble – it will fly backwards and upside down to shield itself from space junk
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Giant space tornadoes create Earth's auroras
23 April 2009
On the dark side of the Earth, space is riddled with giant plasma tornadoes that power shimmering auroral displays, new observations reveal
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Scholars at odds over mysterious Indus script
23 April 2009
A new analysis of an as yet undeciphered script from South Asia has ignited a row over whether it is a language or not
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Cow genome revealed – but how to milk it?
23 April 2009
A Hereford cow named L1 Dominette has something that no other heifer in the world can claim: the sequence to her genome
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Innovation: Mind-reading headsets will change your brain
23 April 2009
This year, cheap headsets which control technology by reading your mind will finally hit the shelves. It will dramatically change the way we use technology – and our brains
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Reprogramming offers hope of safer stem cells
23 April 2009
Specialised cells can be reprogrammed using proteins rather than genes, which is less likely to cause cancer
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Geoengineering could dim lights on solar power
23 April 2009
Plans to cool the planet by creating a sunshade could cut the amount of electricity generated by solar power
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Waste gasification needs more light and less heat
23 April 2009
Why aren't environmentalists jumping for joy at a technology that turns rubbish into energy?
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Fluorescent puppy is world's first transgenic dog
23 April 2009
A cloned beagle that glows could help researchers to model human disease, but the process could be too expensive to continue
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Art detectives use forensics to spot forgeries
23 April 2009
The art world is in uproar over a portrait claimed to be of Shakespeare, but how do you tell the masterpieces from the fakes? Peter Paul Biró and Nicholas Eastaugh explain how
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Viruses could kill superbugs that antibiotics can't
23 April 2009
A virus that gobbles up a bacterium that causes persistent ear infections could be the next weapon against bacteria that have evolved resistance to antibiotics
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Trial debut for malaria vaccine from mosquito spit
23 April 2009
Volunteers to receive first vaccine based on whole but weakened malaria parasite
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Mysterious cosmic blob discovered in early universe
22 April 2009
Astronomers have spotted the most distant blob of gas ever seen – they're puzzling over how it got so large so soon after the big bang
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Where next for NASA?
22 April 2009
The US space program is at a cross-roads: at stake is the future of the shuttle, plans to go back to the Moon and on to Mars, and more
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Could your trashcan solve the energy crisis?
22 April 2009
Vaporising household waste to create clean energy could solve two of humanity's biggest environmental problems at once. But is "gasification" as green as it sounds?
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Ape behaviour reveals secrets of human evolution
22 April 2009
No one thing pushed our distant ancestors across the threshold of humanity. Studying our nearest living relatives provides clues that can't be found in bones and stones
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Anorexia linked to 'autistic' thinking
22 April 2009
Both disorders involve extreme attention to detail and overly rigid thought – now researchers are trying to help anorexics with "brain training" treatments developed for autistic people
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Ancestors may have used bone tools to make smoothies
22 April 2009
A new analysis of million-year-old relicts suggests our ancestors used bone tools to process fruit and to procure their protein from termites in the ground
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Solution to Enigma No. 1542
22 April 2009
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How nosy mice sniff out sickness
22 April 2009
Certain smell receptors in mice respond to disease-related molecules produced by viruses or bacteria, researchers have discovered
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Straw house beats the shakes in earthquake test
22 April 2009
Cheap houses built from straw bales could be a boon in earthquake zones
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Latest human cloning claims leave sour taste
22 April 2009
A fertility expert says he has implanted cloned human embryos into women's wombs, but is it truth or more hoopla?
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How the hidden contents of the womb became visible
22 April 2009
Just 250 years ago, we had no idea about what went on inside the womb to produce a baby – find out how all that changed
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Sporty software reveals where blurred balls are heading
22 April 2009
Line calls could be made easier using software that can read the spin and direction of a fast-moving ball from a single, blurred image
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Quantum gods don't deserve your faith
22 April 2009
Anyone tempted to swap religion for fuzzy notions about quantum mechanics should read this robust debunker, says Amanda Gefter
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Review: Mindfield by Lone Frank
22 April 2009
A tour of the most intriguing current brain experiments reveals how our perceptions of everything from happiness to religion will be revolutionised by our understanding of the brain
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Freedom from lice may have led to modern allergies
22 April 2009
Wild mice with more lice have reduced immune reactions, which means humanity's bug-infested past might be why we have more allergies today
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Enigma Number 1542
22 April 2009
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For the record
22 April 2009
• The Dark Energy Survey will catalogue 2000 supernovae that exploded in the last 7 billion years (11 April, p 6...
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Self-regard
22 April 2009
In his review of Thomas Metzinger's The Ego Tunnel, Owen Flanagan includes Buddha in his list of figures who "endorsed" the idea that there...
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Autism controversy
22 April 2009
Simon Baron-Cohen complains that the media trumpeted the imminence of prenatal testing for autism based on links to prenatal testosterone levels, when in fact...
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Population control
22 April 2009
Tracy Chandler (28 March, p 24) says that the way to ensure that your children don't starve to death is not to have so...
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Optical tricks
22 April 2009
I found "That freaky feeling" very interesting (14 March, p 33). Though I did not try any of the tactile illusions on myself, I discovered...
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Growing brains
22 April 2009
Caroline Williams reassures us that the placenta does a pretty good, if imperfect, job of protecting the fetus from unwanted substances, and cites a few...
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Auraculous
22 April 2009
You report that auditory rivalry was discovered in 2006 in France (14 March, p 34) but this idea has been around for at least a...
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Depressed ME
22 April 2009
Charles Shepherd asks for an objective position to be taken on the aetiology of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) (4 April, p 22). Why are those who...
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Sink or swim
22 April 2009
According to your article "Sea level rising faster", recent measurements show the sea level rise since 1993 to be 3 millimetres per year (14 March...
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ECT can work
22 April 2009
Chris Callaghan wonders whether it is the anaesthetic used in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) that is responsible for any beneficial effects the treatment may have (21...
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Two fingers
22 April 2009
With regard to your recent article on tactile illusions (14 March, p 33), I think I may have been the first to notice the possibility...
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What's hot on NewScientist.com
22 April 2009
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The five greatest mysteries of antimatter
22 April 2009
Does antimatter fall up? How do you make it – and could it be used to make a bomb? Find out the answers to these questions and more in our special feature
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'If a soldier is shot in an ambush, what if he's trying to call for help and two truckers are discussing soccer?'
22 April 2009
Amateur radio operator Adinei Brochi on the increasing problem of illegal hijacking of US military transponders in Brazil
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Hysterectomy hazards, danger signal, and more
22 April 2009
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Obama's stem cell plans could backfire
22 April 2009
Scientists fear that the new stem cell regulations could actually hinder existing research
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Dengue fever clues found in fruit fly genes
22 April 2009
Researchers have found 42 genes that could be targeted by drugs to treat dengue fever
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Ancient microbes found in Antarctica's Blood Falls
22 April 2009
Bacteria trapped under ice for millions of years have evolved to use the iron-rich water for energy
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3D adverts could appear out of thin air
22 April 2009
A system that creates 3D images from balls of plasma could create advertisements and firework displays that hover in mid-air
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We need to tell ET the truth about humanity
22 April 2009
Our messages to aliens are more likely to get a response if we stop being so boring, argues Douglas Vakoch
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The right path
22 April 2009
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Sticky problem
22 April 2009
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Viewfinder: Opinions from around the world
22 April 2009
The environmental roots of Somalian piracy, flotsametrics, and the answer to the vexed question: was Cleopatra hot or not?
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What about antimatter bombs?
22 April 2009
The idea that humanity might one day harness antimatter for destructive purposes has a ghastly fascination – but it won't happen anytime soon
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All hail Durham, masters of the cosmos
22 April 2009
Why Durham University rules the universe, the UK Treasury's not-so-hidden stash, and another chance to enter our Wallace and Gromit competition
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Achoo blues
22 April 2009
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Wheels of death
22 April 2009
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Speed freaks
22 April 2009
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'Sigmoids' on the sun could help predict space storms
21 April 2009
A new model shows how large "S"-shaped structures on the sun called sigmoids emerge from its interior and erupt to create fireballs and flares
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Mars rover Spirit suffers another round of glitches
21 April 2009
On Friday, the rover suffered a bout of amnesia and a day later rebooted its computer – problems it has had repeatedly in recent weeks
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Bionic penguins take to the water – and the skies
21 April 2009
See robotic penguins swim through the water as gracefully as their living counterparts – the design could help improve the grip of industrial robots
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Converting Dawkins
21 April 2009
Mary Midgley states that "many are anticipating [Richard Dawkins's] conversion with some interest" (21 March, p 22). I think it very likely that...
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Earth's tribes unite against climate threats
21 April 2009
Indigenous peoples from as far apart as Lapland and Micronesia are meeting in Alaska this week to forge a common position on climate change
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Quake rumbles give quick tsunami warnings
21 April 2009
A system that gauges how long an underwater earthquake rumbles could provide tsunami warnings within minutes
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Sibling worlds may be wettest and lightest known
21 April 2009
A planet orbiting a nearby red dwarf may be the first known water world, while its newly discovered neighbour is the lightest
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Green and mean: The downside of clean energy
21 April 2009
How do you choose between a wilderness and a power station? The tough choices associated with large-scale renewable energy projects are dividing the green movement
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Star Trek: New technology beams up old franchise
21 April 2009
The new Star Trek movie goes back to the series' basics, but is it as inspiring as the original?
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Review: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
21 April 2009
What is the secret to acquiring talent? It seems to boil down to little more than "practice makes perfect"
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Action on climate
21 April 2009
Gaia Vince discusses how we will cope if the Earth's temperature rises (28 February, p 28). It's time to face facts...
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'Fraction cells' found in human brain
21 April 2009
Children often dread fractions, but the discovery of neurons dedicated exclusively to them suggests that they could be taught more intuitively
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Tax on sweet drinks may fight obesity
21 April 2009
Two US states are proposing a "penny-per-ounce" tax on sweet drinks to reduce consumption, but the measure may be hard to justify
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High-speed jets stream from baby stars in Orion
20 April 2009
Dozens of gas jets have been spotted spewing from individual stars in the bustling Orion stellar nursery
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Yeast and bacterium turned into gasoline factory
20 April 2009
Some DNA detective work, combined with clever genetic engineering, could lead to the production of carbon-neutral petrol
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Why Antarctic ice is growing despite global warming
20 April 2009
The southern ozone hole has changed weather patterns around Antarctica and cooled the air above the east part of the continent, according to new research
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Wanted: Science advisor for British spy agency
20 April 2009
If it hadn't been for Q Branch, James Bond would have been dead long ago. But could any of New Scientist's readers fill the boots of the real-life Q?
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'Dancing' algae can waltz and minuet
20 April 2009
Freshwater algae can dance around each other in stable groups, held together only by fluid flows in the surrounding water
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Conservatives laud Gore's 'ethical' stem cell investment
20 April 2009
Opponents of embryo research have seized on an investment by Al Gore to attack embryonic stem cell research, but their reasoning is naive, says Andy Coghlan
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Magnetised stem cells could treat arthritis
20 April 2009
Magnets have been used to control the transformation of stem cells into cartilage, and could also be used to guide them to their target tissues
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China and America's climate cold war starts to thaw
20 April 2009
The world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, China and the US, are showing positive signs of greening
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Short-sighted microscopes to get superlens specs
20 April 2009
A new lens could allow ordinary light microscopes to see objects that are usually only visible using high-powered electron microscopes
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Back to which future?
20 April 2009
Terminator, eat your heart out: evil machine intelligences of the future could use quantum mechanics to help them wipe out humanity
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Avoid a future cataclysm: Forget the past
20 April 2009
Intelligent machines could avoid disasters by resetting their memories and jumping into a parallel universe, according to one interpretation of quantum mechanics
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It's a small world after all
20 April 2009
Only 10 per cent of the world is more than 48 hours travel by land from the nearest city. Is that a good thing?
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Carbon trading won't stop climate change
20 April 2009
Selling permits to emit carbon dioxide is fine in theory, but there's a fatal flaw that means it can never avert climate catastrophe, says Andrew Simms
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Where's the remotest place on Earth?
20 April 2009
Getting away from it all is easier said than done, as new maps of the world's transport networks reveal
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White House and Congress dither over climate
20 April 2009
A bill to restrict carbon emissions in the US will be debated in a few days, but there may not be the political will to push it through
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Did lead cause global cooling?
19 April 2009
Atmospheric particles containing lead might have offset the Earth's warming in the 20th century
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Gallery: Green innovation challenge
19 April 2009
From garlic compounds that stop cows from belching to solar ovens, the FT Climate Change Challenge competition seeks ideas that could help the environment
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'Failed stars' may be common in our galaxy
19 April 2009
Brown dwarfs may be abundant in our galaxy – and if they are, our models of star formation may be wrong
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US to slash funding for 'exotic' missile defences
19 April 2009
The Obama administration is scaling back research into anti-missile technologies such as airborne lasers or "kill vehicles"
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Do 'vicious' dogs learn from their owners?
18 April 2009
Owners of vicious dogs are more likely to admit crimes such as vandalism, illegal drug use and fighting
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Choice blindness: You don't know what you want
18 April 2009
When asked to defend a choice, most of us will justify it in great detail - even if our original choice has been covertly exchanged for something else
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Why we shouldn't hide our problems from ET
18 April 2009
Our messages to aliens are more likely to get a response if we stop being so boring and acknowledge our frailties and flaws, argues Douglas Vakoch
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What Voyager's golden record tells ET about Earth
18 April 2009
In 1977, NASA launched the twin Voyager interstellar probes – on board each was a golden record filled with images and sounds of Earth and its people
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US to widen research on stem cells from 'spare' embryos
18 April 2009
Newly drafted guidelines allow federal funds to be used for stem cells taken from 'extra' embryos at fertility clinics – but not embryos created specifically for research
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NASA may need extra $30b to stay on schedule to moon
17 April 2009
Sending astronauts to the moon by 2020 may require much more cash or significant cuts to science, a new government report says
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The secret landscapes of stone
17 April 2009
Richard Weston's dazzling images of crystals and minerals reveal the intricacies of their structures in unprecedented detail
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Online gaming the Victorian way
17 April 2009
Frittering the time away against an unseen opponent is nothing new: nineteenth-century gamers used the telegraph to play trans-Atlantic chess
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Space sail could bring used rockets back to Earth
17 April 2009
A sail that increases atmospheric drag could force rocket stages out of orbit more quickly, reducing the problem of space debris
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Innovation: Harnessing spammers to advance AI
17 April 2009
Spammers have a lot to gain by breaking online security – why not give them targets that will help advance technology after it crumbles?
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Melting Arctic may be poisoning its people
17 April 2009
Mercury levels in seals and beluga whales eaten by the Inuit are reaching unsafe levels – and the problem is likely to get worse
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Penis length isn't everything … for barnacle males
17 April 2009
Tougher, more muscular barnacle penises can withstand mating in choppy waters better than their longer counterparts
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Attention-seeking objects will be hard to part with
17 April 2009
Furniture that occasionally acts up to remind you it's there could be a useful counter to our throwaway culture
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Review: The Wikipedia Revolution by Andrew Lih
17 April 2009
An occasionally encyclopaedic description of how Wikipedia became one of the world's 10 most popular websites – and the only one that belongs to a community rather than a corporation
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Aerial bombs as deadly as suicide bombers
17 April 2009
Aerial bombs aren't intended to kill civilians in Iraq – but when they do, they're just as lethal as deliberate suicide bombers on foot
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Cheap and noisy chips could improve climate predictions
17 April 2009
No climate model is perfect, but running them on low-cost hardware could help improve the accuracy of forecasts
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Kepler gets first glimpse of its planetary hunting ground
17 April 2009
The space telescope has released its first image of a patch of sky that it will scrutinise for the next 3.5 years in search of Earth-like planets
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Mirror neurons reflect personal space
16 April 2009
If somebody is invading space, you can thank your mirror neurons for helping you to decide how you should respond
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Titanium reveals explosive origins of the solar system
16 April 2009
The solar system was born out of a well-mixed blend of debris from two different types of stellar explosion, a new meteorite study suggests
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Africa trapped in mega-drought cycle
16 April 2009
Droughts like that which killed more than 100,000 and shocked the world in the 1970s actually occur on a regular cycle every 50 years – and some may be much worse
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Polar 'bugs' may explain how life survived snowball Earth
16 April 2009
The secret to how life endured the period when glaciers reached the equator may be hidden in the bacteria living beneath an Antarctic glacier
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Digital portraits probe the contagion of emotion
16 April 2009
Neuroscientists and artists are working on a unique exhibit that reads emotions from the faces of viewers and responds with emotions of its own
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Review: Life Ascending by Nick Lane
16 April 2009
A brilliant new take on how life evolved on earth looks at 10 of evolution's greatest inventions, from sex to photosynthesis
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Asteroids won't raise killer waves - but mind the splash
16 April 2009
New simulations suggest the monster waves created by an small asteroid impact would break before they reached land, but you still wouldn't want to be near one when it hit
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Microwaves could defuse bombs from afar
16 April 2009
The US army is developing a laser-guided microwave weapon designed to destroy explosives, missiles and vehicles
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Silencing the voices isn't a cure for schizophrenia
16 April 2009
A new "brain training" approach might restore sufferers' cognitive abilities to health – but better public understanding of the condition is needed too
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Mind gym helps people live with schizophrenia
16 April 2009
"Brain training" software helps people with schizophrenia perform better in cognitive tests, an area where drugs offer little help
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Satellite collision could have been far worse
15 April 2009
Fortunately, the smashup between two satellites in February did not involve both of their massive bodies – one satellite likely hit a solar panel or antenna on the other
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Black hole jet brightens mysteriously
15 April 2009
A knot in a jet of matter streaming out of a nearby galaxy has brightened mysteriously over a period of several years, newly released Hubble images reveal
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Future-proof homes for a warmer world
15 April 2009
See how architects are trying to future-proof homes against the higher sea levels and more frequent hurricanes our changing climate is bringing our way
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Feedback is appalled, don't you know
15 April 2009
Why Google doesn't understand the English, what, plus why houses in Oxfordshire don't have doors and our new competition celebrating Wallace and Gromit
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Transformers: Protecting pedestrians from killer cars
15 April 2009
Cars will soon be able to tell that they're about to hit a pedestrian and modify their shapes to minimise injury – but will manufacturers take up the technology?
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Can oil from tar sands be cleaned up?
15 April 2009
Canadian tar sands contain the world's second-largest reserves of oil, but extracting it is a filthy process. Bacteria and steam may help to clean it up
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Does gravity change with the seasons?
15 April 2009
Isaac Newton wondered why apples fall downwards, not sideways. He didn't think to ask if they'd fall faster in the spring – but now today's theoreticians are doing just that
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Nanotubes unzip to offer computing route beyond silicon
15 April 2009
Graphene, the atom-thick material touted as an upgrade to silicon, has just become much easier to produce
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Are you a photic sneezer?
15 April 2009
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Solution to Enigma No. 1541
15 April 2009
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Feedback competition: Wallace and Gromit
15 April 2009
Write to us describing in no more than 100 words your own Wallace and Gromit style invention, and you could win a cracking new book
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Why some people sneeze when the sun comes out
15 April 2009
The strange phenomenon of "photic sneezing" might shed light on just how muddled our brains can be
-
Spam tramples environment with huge carbon footprint
15 April 2009
Finding ways to reduce the 62 trillion spam emails sent every year could help the environment as well as stressed computer users
-
How see-through wings repel unwelcome water
15 April 2009
The mystery of how butterflies with translucent wings stay dry has been solved by new high-resolution images – and the trick is bounciness
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String theory: A beginner's guide
15 April 2009
It is one of the most famous ideas in modern physics, but string theory is also strange and difficult to understand. Our guide should help you get started
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Inside the tangled world of string theory
15 April 2009
Edward Witten, leading architect of string theory, tells New Scientist how it feels to work in an area so rarefied that it's a problem conveying to other people what he does
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Send us your questions for David Attenborough
15 April 2009
We're interviewing naturalist David Attenborough next week; let us know what questions you'd like us to put to him
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Review: The Open Laboratory edited by Jennifer Rohn
15 April 2009
Blogs bring a lively, personal feel to science, but they won't replace journalism just yet
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Review: The End is Nigh by Henrik Svensen
15 April 2009
Throughout history, natural disasters have shaped faith, architecture, politics, culture and much more – this book investigates how, with some striking examples
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Fishing fleets squander half their catches
15 April 2009
New study shows that 40 per cent of fish caught are thrown back in the sea, often unrecorded
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Apples explain why leaves change colour in autumn
15 April 2009
A new study of thousands of breeds of apple trees bolsters a claim that red foliage evolved as a warning signal to insects in search of a winter home
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Illness and the mind
15 April 2009
Simon Wessely's interpretation of certain medical conditions as having a psychological component makes perfect sense to me (14 March, p 26). We cannot blame...
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Are women born with a limited number of eggs?
15 April 2009
Stem cells in the ovaries of adult mice have given rise to fresh eggs and healthy offspring, reigniting the debate over whether women are born with a finite number of eggs
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'People have spent the night in their bathtubs because they are so freaked out by bedbugs'
15 April 2009
Dini Miller, an entomologist, on the resurgence in bedbugs, which has prompted the US Environmental Protection Agency to host its first ever bedbug summit
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A reason to bee cheerful, Martian twin study, and more
15 April 2009
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Girl with Y chromosome sheds light on maleness
15 April 2009
The girl is physically a female, which may be possible because she has a mutation in a gene that may control male sexual development
-
Curved laser beams could help tame thunderclouds
15 April 2009
By breaking a laser beam into parts, optical researchers have managed to curve it slightly without using mirrors or any other tricks
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Viewfinder
15 April 2009
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Climate change may afflict Europe's pets with new diseases
15 April 2009
Rising temperatures will encourage ticks, fleas and mosquitoes to extend their ranges, exposing new populations of animals to unfamiliar infectious diseases
-
SpaceX readies for first commercial launch
15 April 2009
The private company aiming to slash the cost of access to space is preparing to launch its first satellite into orbit
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Space station may win a new lease of life
15 April 2009
The International Space Station may continue operating until at least 2020, saving planned research from the axe
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What's hot on NewScientist.com
15 April 2009
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Horsing about
15 April 2009
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Natural-born belief
15 April 2009
M. Bell argues that science is independent of great names while religion is not (7 March, p 24). Certainly, other intelligent beings would develop science...
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High ball cocktail
15 April 2009
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Get your skates on
15 April 2009
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Cold fusion
15 April 2009
The article "Many happy returns for cold fusion" contained a subtle but significant ambiguity (28 March, p 10). The article mentions my scepticism...
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Surround sound
15 April 2009
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Cancer treatments get personal
15 April 2009
Chemotherapy and whole-body treatments are falling out of favour and new techniques are being used to track, trick and outwit tumours. Helen Thomson discovers how life is about to change for cancer researchers
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No smoke without
15 April 2009
Michael Siegel's claim of censorship as described in David Robson's article on tobacco policy (4 April, p 34) effectively casts him as the...
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Saltwater power
15 April 2009
Peter Fournier writes that proposals to produce electricity in Norway by osmosis of fresh water into seawater are impractical...
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Get knitted
15 April 2009
Keith Tritton's suggestion of knitting patterns as a metaphor for DNA are indeed a much better analogy than a blueprint (21 March, p 22)...
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We need lab animals
15 April 2009
Vicky Robinson claims that common ground can be found between scientists and opponents of animal research through the three Rs: the replacement, reduction and refinement of...
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Enigma Number 1541
15 April 2009
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Super power
15 April 2009
I'd like to say "no thanks" to the intercontinental electrical supergrids discussed in the "Green grid" feature (14 March, p 42). Adopting them would...
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Stem-cell treatment for diabetes really does seem to work
15 April 2009
Dazzling but controversial claims about the treatment have been borne out by long-term studies, confounding critics
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Relativity rage
15 April 2009
"I didn't notice hordes of physicists in a frothing rage when the line 'Why Einstein was wrong about relativity' appeared on your cover"...
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Star crust is 10 billion times stronger than steel
14 April 2009
Neutron stars boast crusts that are much stronger than thought, new simulations suggest – the work could be good news for gravitational wave searches
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Thrill-seekers could explain placebo mystery
14 April 2009
Adventurous types enjoy a stronger placebo response than people with more restrained personalities, new research shows
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Review: Invented Knowledge by Ronald Fritze
14 April 2009
The lost island of Atlantis, the discovery of America by a Chinese fleet and the intelligent aliens who brought civilisation to Earth – the author reveals how these ideas entered public consciousness and turns his sharp gaze on false history
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Viewfinder
14 April 2009
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Stem cells free diabetics from insulin treatment
14 April 2009
A controversial stem cell treatment tested in Brazil has, for the first time, freed most recipients from dependence on insulin, some continuously and some temporarily
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Slave ants keep a taste for revenge
14 April 2009
Forget Spartacus – you need look no further than an ant colony for a slave mutiny
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Savant skills may be widespread in people with autism
14 April 2009
Savant-like abilities, such as astounding memory, may be much more common among people with autism than previously thought
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The snow monkeys of Hell's Valley
14 April 2009
Humans aren't the only animals to enjoy bathing in hot water – wildlife photographer Heather Angel catches them in the act
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Echo vision: The man who sees with sound
14 April 2009
Daniel Kish lost his sight in infancy – but taught himself to echolocate with bat-like clicks. Here he tells New Scientist how to do it
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Eyeball spy turns the tables on Big Brother
14 April 2009
A gaze-tracking camera system analyses the gaze of CCTV operators as they work to highlight any neglected screens
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World's highest-energy laser begins operating
13 April 2009
The US National Ignition Facility will deliver at least 60 times more energy than any previous laser system – it may create mini-stars powered by nuclear fusion
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Sunbird learns to hover for sweet reward
13 April 2009
An African bird has mastered a hummingbird's trick that means it can collect nectar from an invasive New World plant
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Our ears may have built-in passwords
13 April 2009
Ears make their own distinctive noises, albeit quietly – they could have potential as proof of identity
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Essentials first
13 April 2009
Debora MacKenzie advises that "it is not a good idea to be sick in a poor country", and this is undoubtedly true...
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Driller thriller: Antarctica's tumultuous past revealed
13 April 2009
The future of Antarctica's ice is written in stone from 19 million years ago. Douglas Fox meets the geologists drilling into history
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We mustn't succumb to climate fatigue
13 April 2009
Bad news on global warming may seem boringly predictable – but that's the worst possible excuse for ignoring the problem
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Solar 'double vision' aids space weather warnings
13 April 2009
Imaging from a pair of satellites means space weather forecasters can predict dangerous solar plasma "burps" 24 hours before they hit Earth
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Fake feathers could take the drag out of flights
13 April 2009
Coating the rigid wings of airplanes with artificial bristles that mimic birds' feathers could help them cut energy-sapping drag, say engineers
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Egg stem cells could revolutionise fertility treatment
12 April 2009
Stem cells have been discovered in the ovaries of adult mice that seem to give rise to new eggs and healthy offspring – a finding that may provide a new source of eggs for infertile women
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Praying to God is like talking to a friend
12 April 2009
Brain scans of 20 devout Christians "found no evidence of anything mystical", says researcher
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Red List concerns
12 April 2009
Rachel Nowak's challenging article on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature raised a number of...
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Hurricanes peak a day after lightning
11 April 2009
A comprehensive analysis of lightning activity during hurricanes suggests that the worst winds will come a day after bolts strike
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Land-speed record attempt builds up steam
11 April 2009
Following final tests of its systems in the UK, the British Steam Car Challenge is preparing for a record attempt later this year
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Driving beats violence for emotional gaming
11 April 2009
Video games don't have to be shoot 'em ups to trigger a strong emotional response, brain scans reveal
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Will climate change spread disease?
11 April 2009
Disputes have broken out among ecologists over a study that suggests climate change might not increase the range of tropical diseases after all
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Who watches the watchers?
11 April 2009
How can you be sure that people monitoring CCTV footage are doing their job? Monitor them with CCTV, of course
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Printed supercapacitor could feed power-hungry gadgets
10 April 2009
A flexible supercapacitor, printed using carbon nanotubes, could give a power boost to even wafer-thin electronic gadgets
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What to see in the sky this week
10 April 2009
The year's best evening views of Mercury will occur this week and next
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Early land visitors borrowed shells for protection
10 April 2009
Some of the earliest creatures to crawl out of the ocean onto land half a billion years ago behaved like hermit crabs, tracks reveal
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Galileo: Around the sun and back
10 April 2009
Two new exhibitions show Galileo's contribution to humanity using astronomical artefacts, stunning artwork and impressive technology
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Is donated sperm just another product?
10 April 2009
A sperm bank is being sued on the premise that sperm can be guaranteed against defects
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The battle for Turkey's soul
10 April 2009
A Turkish science magazine's pulling of a cover story on Darwin could be a taste of struggles to come – but it may also be a good sign, says Debora MacKenzie
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Astronomers toast the cosmos with dazzling images
10 April 2009
New Scientist rounds up the best images released in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy
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Is dark energy getting weaker?
10 April 2009
Blasts from the past sketch a picture of a universe whose runaway expansion may finally be slowing
-
Curved laser beams could help tame thunderclouds
09 April 2009
Ultra-short laser pulses can curve through the air, leaving plasma arcs in their wake – these could be used to guide lightning to the ground
-
Girl with Y chromosome sheds light on maleness
09 April 2009
The girl is physically a female, which may be possible because she has a mutation in a gene that may control male sexual development
-
DNA analysis may be done on Mars for first time
09 April 2009
An instrument that amplifies and sequences DNA could launch to Mars in the next decade – it would test whether Earth and Mars ever exchanged life
-
Love hormone boosts strangers' sex appeal
09 April 2009
Oxytocin – a chemical best known for cementing the bond between a mother and her newborn child – could also play a part in finding a mate
-
Do aliens share our genetic code?
09 April 2009
Physicists claim there is evidence alien life forms will have at least the same fundamental building blocks as living things here on Earth, and perhaps the same genetic code
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Science's most powerful computer tackles first questions
09 April 2009
The second most powerful supercomputer in existence will be set to work on problems ranging from modelling our changing climate to the mysterious structure of water
-
Universe lit by dust-swaddled galaxies
08 April 2009
A diffuse infrared glow that pervades space has been traced to individual dusty galaxies, thanks to a balloon-borne telescope called BLAST
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Innovation: 100-mpg car contest under starters orders
08 April 2009
The final list of teams competing to design a truly efficient vehicle has been unveiled – but the winners will have to meet some demanding criteria
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Solution to Enigma No. 1540
08 April 2009
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Pets may become latest victims of climate change
08 April 2009
Across Europe, increasing temperatures will expose pets to new infectious diseases spread by ticks, fleas and mosquitoes
-
Brain decline reflected in patient's brush strokes
08 April 2009
See paintings that mirror the brain changes suffered by a man with two neurodegenerative conditions
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Batteries grown from 'armour-plated' viruses
08 April 2009
Genetically engineered viruses that assemble into electrodes have been used to make miniature rechargeable batteries for the first time
-
Doctors tune in to the source of back pain
08 April 2009
A new list of questions and quick physical tests – one of which involves a tuning fork – can cheaply and quickly pinpoint the correct painkiller to prescribe for back pain
-
Existential vertigo over human origins
08 April 2009
Pondering human origins at a conference in Arizona, Amanda Gefter is awed at the series of events that led or may have led to intelligent beings on Earth
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Sperm bank sued under product liability law
08 April 2009
A US judge gives a teenager with severe learning disabilities the go-ahead to sue the sperm bank that provided her with a biological father
-
'Evolution proof' agents give mosquitoes a slow death
08 April 2009
Insecticide resistance in malarial mosquitoes could be wiped out for good – paradoxically by using slow-acting insecticides
-
Meat now, sex later for Ivorian chimps
08 April 2009
Male chimpanzees in Ivory Coast don't expect sex in return for providing dinner – not straight away, anyway
-
Self-belief can be measured in milliKans
08 April 2009
This week's Feedback reveals a toxic detox treatment, how to measure your own self-worth, and how to become an amateur fatalist
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Enigma Number 1540
08 April 2009
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Injelititis
08 April 2009
Mark Buchanan's reference to Parkinson's law prompted me to read the entirety of C. Northcote Parkinson's treatise where...
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60 Seconds
08 April 2009
Quake foretold, Male pill hopes, and more...
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Societal drinking
08 April 2009
Andy Coghlan is to be commended for bringing to our attention the dangers of "passive drinking" and its impact on our environment, economy and society...
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Astral experience
08 April 2009
We read your two-part series on out-of-body experiments with interest. We were surprised...
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Specious selection
08 April 2009
I was pleased to read that the gene-centred view of evolution is increasingly being challenged, because for me it has...
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Skinny-dippers
08 April 2009
I was delighted to see that the aquatic ape theory got a small mention in the profile box of Elaine Morgan's article on the...
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For the record
08 April 2009
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Suicidology
08 April 2009
Robert Pool reports a "grand theory" of suicide, but his article rather misses the mark. A theory without any reference to...
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Evolving backwards?
08 April 2009
Though I much enjoyed the review of Jack Horner's new book, How To Build A Dinosaur, I have to say...
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Significant figures
08 April 2009
Regarding your calculations on the salt content of Walkers crisps, how can the one significant figure in 0. 4 grams per pack lead to four...
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Down in one
08 April 2009
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Clear waters
08 April 2009
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Think hard
08 April 2009
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Medieval warming study is blow to climate change deniers
08 April 2009
Climate change sceptics may have just lost one of their favourite arguments against man-made global warming
-
Is Alzheimer's the result of a burnt-out brain?
08 April 2009
Healthy young adults carrying a gene variant that is a major risk factor for the disorder seem to have extra activity in brain regions related to memory
-
Brain renews link to transplanted hands
08 April 2009
The brains of two right-handed people have fully accepted both transplanted hands – surprisingly, the left hands regained their brain territory more quickly
-
Largest megaripples on Earth discovered
08 April 2009
On Argentina's Puna plateau, blistering winds have formed the largest known ripples on the planet, and they may even trump Mars
-
'Why would small island states be happy with a level of ambition that is going to destroy their countries?'
08 April 2009
M. J. Mace, a legal adviser to the Federated States of Micronesia, explains why it and 42 other island states requested that developed countries aim to cut their emissions far beyond current goals
-
Airbus invents steer-by-fuel emergency system
08 April 2009
A system to pump fuel around an aircraft could help pilots steer planes in an emergency by altering the plane's centre of gravity
-
Robots take the drudgery out of science
08 April 2009
A robot scientist able to generate its own hypotheses and confirm them with experiments has made real discoveries
-
Lab-grown ear cells may help restore hearing
08 April 2009
The two types of cultivated cells will be used to devise ways to regenerate or repair ear cells and screen for chemicals that cause hearing loss
-
Ice-bridge collapse leaves Wilkins ice shelf exposed
08 April 2009
An ice bridge connecting the ice shelf to the surrounding islands has collapsed – the rest of the shelf may follow
-
Airlines call for stricter rules on emissions
08 April 2009
A group of airline companies wants a global cap-and-trade scheme to regulate aircraft emissions
-
Will Obama be able to deliver on his green promises?
08 April 2009
The US will lead in cutting its carbon footprint, says the US president, but his plans need to get through Congress first
-
Russia to usher in new space technology
08 April 2009
The Russian space agency is planning to replace all its launch facilities, rockets and workhorse Soyuz spacecraft
-
What's hot on NewScientist.com
08 April 2009
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Ebola accident puts vaccine to the test
08 April 2009
Injury from a needle contaminated with the deadly virus put a scientist at risk – but an experimental vaccine may have saved her
-
Why a good scratch quells an itch
08 April 2009
It seems a scraping the skin suppresses "itch" signals emanating from the spinal cord that would otherwise be sent to the brain
-
Giant mass of Antarctic ice 'set for collapse'
07 April 2009
An ice bridge supporting the Wilkins Ice Shelf to two islands has shattered, leaving the immense mass at the mercy of the seas
-
Chocolate eggs under threat from witches' broom
07 April 2009
Sales of chocolate products may be booming, but killer diseases are threatening the world's major cacao plantations
-
Quantum lasers: Half light, half matter
07 April 2009
A new kind of laser could mean cheaper gadgets for all – if we can tame the weird cross-breed particles that power them, says Richard Webb
-
Listening to the Earth's deepest secrets
07 April 2009
We know more about outer space than the planet beneath our feet, but an ambitious plan to scan deep beneath the US will change all that
-
Cheery traders may encourage risk taking
07 April 2009
Even a fleeting exposure to a smiling face makes people more likely to make risky investment decisions
-
Top US science adviser on life after Bush
07 April 2009
Nobel prize-winner Harold Varmus is one of the new US president's science experts, so what changes is he hoping for?
-
Ebola accident puts vaccine to the test
07 April 2009
Injury from a needle contaminated with the deadly virus put a scientist at risk – but an experimental vaccine may have saved her
-
Schizophrenics see through hollow-mask illusion
07 April 2009
Healthy people can't easily tell the front from the rear of a mask, but people with schizophrenia find it easy – a finding that may provide a new test for the condition
-
Bionic eye cam to shine a light on society
07 April 2009
Film maker Rob Spence plans to make movies from a unique perspective by fitting a wireless video camera inside his prosthetic eye – fitting a battery and LED light is the first step
-
Is Alzheimer's the result of a burnt-out brain?
07 April 2009
Healthy young adults carrying a gene variant that is a major risk factor for the disorder seem to have extra activity in brain regions related to memory
-
UK is ideal home for electronic Big Brother
07 April 2009
The UK's privileged position in routing global internet traffic is a "gift" to snooping intelligence agencies, suggests a new analysis
-
Monster space telescope prepares for launch
07 April 2009
A new space telescope bigger than Hubble will reveal the young universe as never before, say Michael Rowan-Robinson and Matt Griffin
-
Overweight galaxies force-fed by dark matter tendrils
07 April 2009
Some massive early galaxies seem to have bulked up too quickly to be explained by a diet of neighbouring galaxies alone
-
Hand transplants seize back lost brain territory
06 April 2009
The brain can re-accommodate transplanted hands into regions taken over by other parts of the body – surprisingly, the left hand gets accepted fastest in right-handed people
-
Airlines want governments to be stricter on emissions
06 April 2009
Four of the world's largest airlines have called for a global cap-and-trade scheme to regulate carbon emissions
-
The heat to come...
06 April 2009
Forget greenhouse warming, just our everyday activities could eventually heat Earth by an extra, devastating, 2 to 3 °C. Only one thing will save us, says astrophysicist Eric Chaisson
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The five ages of the brain: Old age
06 April 2009
Part 5: Not everyone ages in the same way, but what's the difference between a jolly, intelligent oldie and a forgetful, grumpy one? And can we improve our chances of becoming the former?
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Tonal languages are the key to perfect pitch
06 April 2009
If you want your child to have perfect pitch like musical maestros Mozart and Chopin, teaching them Mandarin or Vietnamese could help
-
Why a good scratch quells an itch
06 April 2009
It seems a scraping the skin suppresses "itch" signals emanating from the spinal cord that would otherwise be sent to the brain
-
Recycled plastics giving criminals a break
06 April 2009
The mixed bag of recycled polymers found in many recycled plastic products means crime teams' fingerprinting techniques no longer work
-
Congress delays Obama's green push
06 April 2009
The US president has big plans to revitalise his nation by pumping vast amounts of cash into 'green jobs' and reducing carbon emissions, but Congress seems to have other ideas
-
Russian rocket plans may prompt new space race
06 April 2009
A new spacecraft designed to take people and payloads into space and even clean up space junk is planned – a beefed-up version could even go to the moon
-
Red pandas reveal unexpected liking for sweetener
06 April 2009
The red panda turns out to be very fond of aspartame – something only certain primates were thought to be able to taste
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Remember facts by cramming with fat
06 April 2009
Indulging in a oily meal after studying for an exam could boost your results, a study in rats shows
-
Code red: How deep reef fish keep in touch
06 April 2009
Red light is extinguished in the depths of the ocean, yet many fish glow in that colour nevertheless – are they sending covert messages to each other?
-
Bug eats electricity, farts biogas
05 April 2009
With the help of a novel cellular trick, electricity can be used to turn CO2 into methane – it could help solve reliability problems with wind and solar power
-
The five ages of the brain: Adulthood
05 April 2009
Part 4: The peak of your brain's powers comes at around age 22 and lasts for just half a decade – but there is an upside to the ageing brain
-
Could quantum mathematics shake up Google?
05 April 2009
A technique for studying disorder in quantum systems could improve internet keyword searches, and may be adaptable to genome analysis
-
Hurricane speed reveals where storm surges will strike
05 April 2009
The speed at which a hurricane progresses across the ocean may help forecasters predict which areas are at risk from flooding by storm surges
-
Instant Expert: Food and Drink
04 April 2009
Food and drink are at the heart of society, from our everyday pleasures to the health impacts of obesity and alcohol abuse. Get stuck in with our beginner's guide
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The five ages of the brain: Adolescence
04 April 2009
Part 3: Teenagers are selfish, reckless, irrational and irritable, but given the cacophony of construction going on inside the adolescent brain, is it any wonder?
-
Poker skills could sway gaming laws
04 April 2009
Two statistical studies provide some of the best evidence yet that poker is more skill than chance, which could help to clarify the application of gambling laws
-
Google sees infrared in plan to scan world's books
04 April 2009
The way book pages bend in at the spine is posing problems for the mammoth scanning project, but projecting an infrared grid on the page should help
-
Milky Way may hide dark matter 'pancake'
04 April 2009
Our galaxy's disc of stars and gas capture dark matter from colliding galaxies, new calculations suggest, which would form a massive pancake of the mysterious substance
-
On the trail of mythical beasts
04 April 2009
Why are stories of unicorns and wild-men like Bigfoot so enduringly popular? Two new books suggest they meet deep-rooted human needs
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New cosmic map reveals colossal structures
04 April 2009
One of the biggest galaxy surveys ever made is turning up some surprises, including a void that is so big it challenges current models
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Earth may have largest ripples in the solar system
03 April 2009
On Argentina's Puna plateau, blistering winds have formed the largest known ripples on the planet, and they may even trump those on Mars
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Urban hunters do most harm to ape populations
03 April 2009
Commercial hunters from towns are exacting a much bigger toll on great apes than subsistence hunters from small villages, suggests a survey
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Scientists who put their lives on the line
03 April 2009
Our recent round-up of researchers who became their own guinea pigs got a tremendous response from New Scientist readers – here are some of the best suggestions
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In defence of the Red List
03 April 2009
The Red List is not perfect, but it is the best conservation tool we've got, say senior staff members at the International Union for Conservation of Nature
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Are we safe in a new nuclear age?
03 April 2009
The pressure to build a new wave of nuclear power plants may mean safety assessments will paint an overly rosy picture, say analysts
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Intelligent car door clams up when danger's about
03 April 2009
Engineers at BMW are testing a door that resists being opened if it will collide with an object – the technology could end a common cause of road accidents
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The five ages of the brain: Childhood
03 April 2009
Part 2: Life experiences in these early years help shape our emotional well-being, but neglect or harsh parenting may change the brain for good
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Arctic erosion
03 April 2009
The consequences of an "Arctic meltdown" reach further than carbon release...
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Innovation: The mobile future of the keyboard
02 April 2009
Cellphones are now as much about typing messages as they are about talking – so why haven't we figured out a straightforward way to bash out text on the move?
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Titan's squashed shape hints at soggy interior
02 April 2009
The shape of Saturn's hazy moon Titan has been measured for the first time – its stout shape suggests it may hide vast amounts of liquid methane beneath its surface
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Robot scientist makes discoveries without human help
02 April 2009
Artificially intelligent software given control of an automated biology lab has made "publishable" discoveries about yeast genetics
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Natural mechanism for medieval warming discovered
02 April 2009
The climatic conditions that caused the "Medieval Warm Period" cannot explain modern temperature increases, researchers say
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Drug-free memory erasure could lead to spotless minds
02 April 2009
A new therapy wipes away fearful memories in rats and humans without using drugs – and might eventually help patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, say researchers
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Mind or body?
02 April 2009
It is unfortunate that Simon Wessely, interviewed in the article "Mind over body?", attaches a psychosomatic label to chronic fatigue syndrome...
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Cultivated ear cells may lead to cure for deafness
02 April 2009
Human auditory neurons and hair cells have been grown from stem cells for the first time, which could yield new treatments for hearing loss
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Review: The Smartest Animals on the Planet by Sally Boysen
02 April 2009
Amazing animals who can count, use tools, communicate information and made strategic or altruistic decisions
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Gallery: International Garden Photographer of the Year
02 April 2009
See beautiful photographs from the finalists, including a close up of a garden tiger moth, the sharp spines of an agave, and a common blue butterfly taking a shower...
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The five ages of the brain: Gestation
02 April 2009
Part 1 of our special feature looks at how a good prenatal environment is needed to make the best out of the growing brain
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Fake company gets approval for risky trial
02 April 2009
An elaborate "sting" operation has confirmed fears that US companies may be rubber-stamping risky clinical trials without proper scrutiny
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What would it look like to fall into a black hole?
01 April 2009
A video simulates what you might see on your way towards a black hole's crushing central singularity
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Historic US-Russian agreement on nuclear weapons
01 April 2009
Nuclear weapons inspections between the two top nuclear powers will continue, preventing potential resumption of nuclear proliferation at the end of the year
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How misery inspired Handel's Messiah
01 April 2009
England's favourite composer produced some of his greatest works after binge-eating and lead poisoning began to take their toll
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The dangers of inhaling dubious facts
01 April 2009
The evidence that "third-hand smoke" has any physiological effects is tenuous, yet even some health organisations reported it as fact
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Aircraft could be brought down by DIY 'E-bombs'
01 April 2009
Equipment and instructions for building electromagnetic pulse weapons capable of frying aircraft electronics are available on the internet, say experts
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Special feature: The five ages of the brain
01 April 2009
Our brains change more than any other part of our bodies over the course of our lives. New Scientist looks at the five distinct stages of brain development – and how you can get the best out of each one
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Have the tobacco police gone too far?
01 April 2009
A new front has opened up in the anti-smoking lobby's war on tobacco – but is the concept of "third-hand smoke" supported by the evidence?
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Rainforests may pump winds worldwide
01 April 2009
Without forests to pump moisture around the planet, would the continents turn to desert? A new theory suggests they might
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Solution to Enigma No. 1539
01 April 2009
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Science is back in the driving seat
01 April 2009
It's been a wild ride politically and economically since Lawrence Krauss started this column, but at least some things have turned out right
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Device reveals 'sticky' dangers of vehicle pollution
01 April 2009
Comparisons of air inhaled and exhaled by people on a busy street suggest that small particle size helps traffic pollution linger longer in the lungs
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Yeast-powered fuel cell feeds on human blood
01 April 2009
A small fuel cell containing brewer's yeast generates electricity from the glucose found in blood – it could one day be used to power medical implants
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Our complex brains thrive on the edge of chaos
01 April 2009
Operating in a state that is neither ordered nor random may help drive our brain's astonishing capabilities
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F1 cars get a power boost, but at what risk?
01 April 2009
Questions over the safety of energy recovery systems in racing cars are unresolved as the season gets underway
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Viagra moisturiser could address women's needs
01 April 2009
If you could nominate a product most likely to succeed, it would have to be a blend of moisturising cream and the erectile dysfunction drug – but it isn't intended as a sex aid…
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Scientist spends four years studying navel fluff
01 April 2009
A chemist claims he has solved one of the great mysteries of human biology: why men produce navel fluff, but women do not
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Masturbation could bring hay fever relief for men
01 April 2009
If spring has set off your pollen allergy, there may be a pleasurable but unconventional way to alleviate the congestion…
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First link found between latitude and sex of babies
01 April 2009
The tropics produce more girls than boys, a global survey finds – but experts are not sure why
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Sweet dreams are made of geomagnetic activity
01 April 2009
Looking for an explanation for weird dreams? New research suggests you can blame the Earth's magnetic field, not a repressed childhood
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Are cosmic rays eating away the ozone layer?
01 April 2009
New evidence suggests that cosmic rays are the trigger of a chemical reaction that depletes atmospheric ozone, rather than UV light
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Hacking the planet
01 April 2009
Catherine Brahic's article on geoengineering includes an account by James Fleming of a meeting I attended at NASA's Ames...
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Time flies
01 April 2009
Unlike Tony Johnson, I can't accept that approximate number sense influences our perception that time accelerates as we get older...
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Back to Lagrange
01 April 2009
Reading your article on the possibility of observing the contents of Lagrangian points reminded me of work I carried out in...
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Have cane toads met their match?
01 April 2009
Predatory meat ants might help stem the flood of toxic cane toads spreading across tropical Australia
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Gut worms may hinder cholera vaccine
01 April 2009
Intestinal worms may explain why a promising oral cholera vaccine didn't work very well in the field
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Stimulating smells
01 April 2009
With reference to the article "Fart molecule could be next Viagra", does hydrogen sulphide only work when you inject it, or...
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Virtual caricatures help robots read expressions
01 April 2009
Software that exaggerates people's facial movements could make machines much better at understanding the meanings of expressions
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Home decor joins the digital age
01 April 2009
Digital wallpaper that displays images using electronic ink technology could be in Japanese homes later this year
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Dam solutions
01 April 2009
Kate Ravilious reports on the Norwegian company Statkraft's proposal to build a football-stadium-sized plant along a Norwegian fjord that would produce, at...
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Artificial cartilage could outperform the real thing
01 April 2009
Synthetic bone joints could work more smoothly at higher pressures than the natural joints they replace, thanks to nano-sized plastic brushes
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The red ape paradox
01 April 2009
Elaine Morgan reminds us that orang-utans are phenotypically more similar to humans than other apes, even though chimpanzees are genetically closest...
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Reliable evidence
01 April 2009
Linda Geddes's sobering report about the reliability of forensic evidence highlights an important scientific issue: the need to establish error rates for any putative...
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En fin
01 April 2009
Caroline Williams's article on the worldwide decline in commercial fish stocks made for depressing, if not surprising reading...
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Feedback
01 April 2009
This week's Feedback reveals why men shouldn't take vitamin pills if they're pregnant, how to open a bottle without touching it, and a case of paedophilic necrophilia in barn swallows…
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Put that light out
01 April 2009
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Swallow your pride
01 April 2009
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Toddlers with autism see a different world
01 April 2009
Instead of being drawn to the movements of living creatures, two-year-olds with autism are transfixed by motion synchronised with sound
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Low-carbon landing, tampon in the post, and more
01 April 2009
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The climate summit that's more important than the G20
01 April 2009
The real business on tackling climate change is going on in Germany this week
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Editorial: Leave education to the experts, not creationists
01 April 2009
The right of children in the US to be taught sound science is at risk, but that's democracy
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Texas vote leaves loopholes for teaching creationism
01 April 2009
In a vote on state science standards, the Texas Board of Education included amendments commonly backed by the intelligent design movement
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US tells ships to clean up fumes or stay away
01 April 2009
The US Environmental Protection Agency plans to place restrictions on shipping emissions near America's coastline
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What's hot on NewScientist.com
01 April 2009
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'Polypill' promises five times the benefits
01 April 2009
A pill containing a variety of drugs to treat cardiovascular disease could slash the risk of heart attack and stroke in healthy people
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Get the bug for bacteria
01 April 2009
From detecting poisons to building microchips, the applications of bacteria are emerging as a frontrunner for biotech bucks. Julia Pierce finds out how tiny bugs are making a big impression
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"Prince Charles talks to plants. Let's see if there is something in this"
01 April 2009
James Rudoni of the Royal Horticultural Society, which is conducting a study into whether the human voice can affect tomato plants
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Birds and breezes spread diseases
01 April 2009
Mathematical "power law" helps predict how fast diseases spread and suggests time is short for saving the planet's wheat
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For the record
01 April 2009
Victoria Todd, whose research we reported in the news story "Oil rigs may be fit for porpoise", is at Ocean Science...
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Enigma Number 1539
01 April 2009
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Mutated gene gets mice 'moonwalking'
01 April 2009
Mice that move backwards when they try to walk forward may shed some light on the genetics of a debilitating neurological disorder.
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Shoot-'em-up games may be good for your eyesight
01 April 2009
Evidence that playing action-packed video games improves your ability to perceive contrast could lead to novel treatments for some eye conditions
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Tropics have bounty of baby girls
01 April 2009
Women living in tropical latitudes are more likely to give birth to a baby girl than anywhere else, finds a global study
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Review: Galileo Goes to Jail, edited by Ronald L. Numbers
01 April 2009
Did you know Galileo probably didn't go to jail? That is just one of 25 myths about science and religion tackled in this scholarly and well-researched collection
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Review: Life in Space by Lucas John Mix
01 April 2009
The search for life beyond Earth has philosophical and religious implications which science books often skirt around – but this book tackles these issues head-on
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Review: How We Live And Why We Die: The secret lives of cells by Lewis Wolpert
01 April 2009
If a basic understanding of the smaller end of biology is what you're after, this could be just the book for you
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Review: Mothers and Others by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
01 April 2009
In this compelling and wide-ranging book, the author sets out to explain the mystery of how humans evolved into cooperative apes
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Editorial: Making poker pay
01 April 2009
Even if it is a game of skill, governments will always want a slice of such a lucrative – and addictive – business
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Space toilets blocked by red tape
01 April 2009
Limits to the use of gym equipment and toilets are affecting morale on the International Space Station, a cosmonaut says