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"Long before it's in the papers"
May 16, 2012
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EXCLUSIVES =
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Was blackmail essential for marriage to evolve?
A study takes a cold new look at a custom as ancient and firmly established
as it is sacred to millions.
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A human bias against creativity is hindering science, research claims
Most of us love creativity—until it actually comes knocking, some
psychologists say.
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Pluto has even colder “twin” of similar size, studies find
A “dwarf planet” orbiting our sun three times further away than
Pluto is about the size of that better-known, frigid world, astronomers
say.
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Could
simple anger have taught people to cooperate?
A new study challenges one of the leading theories as a solution for
an evolutionary puzzle.
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Different cultures’ music matches their speech styles, study finds
Researchers have debated for years what the biological basis
of music might be.
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Your
parrot isn’t just parroting, study suggests
While
many owners will attest that pet parrots have a purpose in their talking,
the subject was little studied before recently.
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Music
making may help keep mind in tune in old age
Longtime playing of a musical instrument may help keep your mind
sharp as others’ start going flat, research suggests.
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Tiny
bugs have own personalities despite being clones, scientists say
Tiny green insects known as pea aphids have individual behavior
patterns, or “personalities,” a study reports.
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Does a smile mean something to a dog?
Dogs can learn to tell apart smiles from blank expressions in photos of
people, a study has found.
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Why do men use silly pickup lines?
A new study assesses the psychology and success rates of various gambits
by which men try to get women’s attention.
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"Forests" detectable even in distant solar systems, scientists suggest
Once humans start imaging Earth-like planets in other solar systems,
tree-like life forms might also be detectable, a study proposes.
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Bars may kill spiral galaxies
Some lovely cosmic structures may eventually come undone, say researchers
aided by citizen volunteers.
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Report of ancient meat-fest by human ancestors disputed
Some researchers are skeptical of a study finding that ancestral
humans butchered animals over three million years ago.
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Societies evolve a bit like creatures, study concludes
Increases in political complexity are usually gradual, as is the
case with the complexity of living things, researchers propose.
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Get
them some sleep, scientists say of young delinquents
Many high-school age delinquents get too little snooze time, research suggests.
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World money meltdown can start in surprising places, physicists say
Researchers used concepts from "statistical physics" to draw up
a list of countries that could trigger a global economic crisis.
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From brain science, new questions about free will
Subconscious thoughts are a starting point for much of our decisionmaking,
some researchers argue.
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"Power-hungry" image may hurt female, but not male politicians
Voters tend to punish female candidates for seeming brazenly
ambitious, but let the same quality slide in males, a study suggests.
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Study
seeks to show how acupuncture really works
A traditional Chinese healing technique may work by activating
pain-suppressing molecules in the body, researchers say.
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Diversity within species may be as important as among them
Many past studies have focused on diversity of species as a key factor
in the health and resilience of a natural environment.
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Scientists explore whether some apes shake heads for "no"
Preventing an action by someone else may be one purpose for which bonobos
shake their heads, a study suggests.
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Mostly-male book images may reduce girls' science scores
In a small study, a gender gap in school science scores flipped when students
used a text showing only female scientists.
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New anti-cancer strategy: make tumors age
Researchers have identified a chemical chain of events that leads cancer
cells to stop reproducing because they get old.
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It
seems we're all more human than average
A widespread tendency for people to consider themselves
"better" than the norm is well known. Now scientists say another
odd human conceit may be coming to light.
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MORE NEWS =
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“Smart swimming,” magnetism said to help baby turtles through epic journey
Young sea turtles barely longer than a thumb undertake one of the most spectacular migrations in the animal kingdom—alone.
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Instead of “dark matter,” rogue planets?
Weeks after studies questioned the leading theory to explain vast amounts of missing cosmic material, other research proposes a radical new solution.
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Ape at war with gawkers found even shrewder than thought
Watch out, visitors. Santino the rock-throwing zoo chimp is adapting his tactics, according to some very
intrigued scientists.
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When humans were smaller, and crocs much bigger
Although dinosaurs never coexisted with humans, maybe they didn’t need to.
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When humans were smaller, and crocs much bigger
Although dinosaurs never coexisted with humans, maybe they didn’t need to.
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Holy cow! Dino flatulence may have changed ancient climate
Cattle are no match for dinosaurs when it comes to releasing greenhouse gases, researchers report.
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Light from “Super-Earth” reported seen
Though the world is inhabitable, scientists call detection of its infrared light a big step toward the search for signs of life on other planets.
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Pet scan indeed: Scientists map brain activity in dogs
When your pet gazes up at you, what does it see? A best friend? A can opener? Scientists hope brain imaging could answer that and more.
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Unexpected allies aid ants at war with “zombifying” parasite
A group of parasites known as Ophiocordyceps hijack ants' brains and direct them to their deaths.
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Black hole caught red-handed in stellar homicide?
Astronomers say they have gathered the most direct evidence yet of a giant black hole shredding a star that got too close.
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Rare Venus event could aid planet-hunters, delight sky-watchers
Venus will pass across the face of the Sun next month, in an event not to recur until 2117.
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Art appreciation, self-reflection may go together in the brain
Intense aesthetic experiences activate a brain region associated with inward contemplation, scientists say.
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Violence may mar kids’ DNA with signs of aging
Children who have suffered violence might truly be older than their years, if new research is correct.
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Wall of stars found to extend through our galaxy
A newly detected structure poses a fresh problem for the theory of dark matter, astronomers claim.
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Mystery of cosmic rays deepens
Subatomic projectiles from space don’t seem to come from great cosmic explosions after all, physicists have announced.
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Where’s the dark matter? Not here, befuddled astronomers admit
Indispensable to modern physical theories, “dark matter” has turned up missing in our own cosmic back yard.
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Your left side is your best side, researchers find
In a study, images of the left side of the face were perceived and rated as more pleasant than those of the right side.
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No single “God spot” in brain, scientists find
Multiple parts of the human brain contribute to spirituality, a study indicates.
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Penguin census, taken from space, yields surprise
A new study using satellite mapping reveals there are twice as many emperor penguins in Antarctica as previously thought, scientists say.
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Homeless planets may get adopted
There may be hope yet for those worlds that are wandering in the cold without a home star, a study suggests.
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In bird “divorce,” females seen having the advantage
Divorce might not be healthy—but at least it may be natural, if findings from a new study are to be believed.
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“Robotic
cat” illness mystifies vets
Scientists are on the hunt for a pathogen they say may be causing a
mystery illness: cats are starting to walk like robots.
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Tumor risk from dental X-rays not eliminated, study finds
Research has linked dental X-rays to an increased risk of a rare, usually
benign brain tumor.
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2nd
study links pesticide to bee epidemic
Mysterious collapses of honeybee populations may be explained,
scientists say.
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| World
Science Archive
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