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Global Warming Didn't Kill the Golden Toad
2010/03/02
The golden toad was last seen in 1989 in the Costa Rican cloud forest of Monteverde—and 5 years later, its disappearance was the first extinction to be blamed on humanmade global warming. New evidence, however, suggests that humans may not have been at fa
ScienceNow
Hail the first sound ‘lasers’
2010/03/02
Two independent groups of physicists have unveiled the first phonon "lasers" – devices that emit coherent sound waves in much the same ways as lasers emit coherent light waves.
Physicsworld
Brain scan allows unconscious patient to communicate
2010/02/04
Brain imaging has allowed a man who was previously considered unconscious to answer a series of yes-or-no questions. The study, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine1, challenges clinicians' definition of consciousness and provides an
Nature News
Prion Protein Keeps Nerves Happy
2010/01/26
Misshapen proteins called prions are thought to wreak havoc when they're let loose in the brain, as happens in mad cow disease. But despite their bad rap, prions start life off as a normal, healthy protein, called PrP. PrP is everywhere in the brain--but
ScienceNow
Europe cannot keep its promises on fish stocks
2010/01/26
Europe's fish stocks are so heavily depleted by over-exploitation that even if all fishing were suspended now, nearly a quarter of species would not recover in time to meet international targets set for 2015.
Nature News
Hear That? Bats and Whales Share Sonar Protein
2010/01/26
Bats and dolphins are about as different as mammals get. Yet, both home in on their prey by emitting sound waves and sensing the reflections, a process called echolocation. And a new study shows that in both groups the same protein evolved in the same way
ScienceNow
Wind Turbines Take a Lesson From Lance Armstrong
2009/11/26
Arranging wind turbines like a school of fish could reduce the amount of land they take up by 100-fold while maintaining their electrical output, say researchers. Wind farms based on the approach might also be considerably safer for migrating birds.
ScienceNow
Americans' Eating Habits More Wasteful Than Ever
2009/11/26
After their biggest meal of the year, Americans might reflect on the fate of those moldering Thanksgiving leftovers. Nearly 40% of the food supply in the United States goes to waste, according to a new study, and the problem has been getting worse.
ScienceNow
Evolution of a single gene linked to language
2009/11/12
Mutations in the FOXP2 gene could help explain why humans can speak but chimps can't.
Nature News
Aftershocks can last for centuries
2009/11/05
Some tremors may be aftershocks of bigger earthquakes that occurred hundreds of years ago, researchers say.
Nature News
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