November, 2009
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Caster Semenya and the Ambiguity in Determining Sex - November 19, 2009 08:00 PM
The results of Caster Semenya’s sex verification tests will not be made public. Reports suggest that she is intersex, meaning that she cannot be classified simply as a male or female.
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Synesthesia: Fusion of the Senses - November 18, 2009 07:00 AM
Does the taste of chicken feel pointy to you? Does the letter W seem red or the number 7 yellow, regardless of its print color? Exact responses may differ, but if you’ve ever associated words or numbers with colors or tastes, you might have synesthesia.
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2009 Leonid Meteor Shower to Peak Tonight - November 14, 2009 03:00 PM
The early morning hours of Nov. 17 will be the best time to view the Leonid meteor shower in the United States.
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What Success Does for the Brain - November 11, 2009 07:30 AM
MIT researchers have shown that the brain appears to react more to success than failure, supporting previous evidence that we learn more from a positive outcome than a negative one.
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Praying May Increase Brain Power - November 10, 2009 11:30 AM
A recent study found that intense prayer and meditation have a positive effect on mental ability, leading one researcher to suggest that it’s possible to reconcile science and religion.
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The Hubble Telescope: From First Launch to Last Repair Mission - November 10, 2009 07:00 AM
In its 19 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has transformed the way astronomers view the universe. It introduced people on Earth to far-off galaxies, and revealed new information to help scientists understand how the universe began, and what is in store for the future.
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Jupiter's Moons: The Galilean Satellites - November 09, 2009 08:00 AM
When Galileo first saw Jupiter's four largest moons, he realized that Earth was not the center of the universe. Since then, we've discovered many exciting things about Jupiter's moons.
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Parthenogenesis: When Animals Reproduce Without a Mate - November 09, 2009 08:00 AM
In the wild, some female animals are able to create offspring without the help of a mate, a process known as parthenogenesis.
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Mars: All About the Red Planet - November 08, 2009 08:30 AM
Our neighboring planet Mars has long been subject to Earthly questions and speculations; how much do we really know about the fourth planet from the Sun?
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On This Day: Scientist Wilhelm Roentgen Discovers X-Rays - November 08, 2009 02:00 AM
On Nov. 8, 1895, German scientist Wilhelm Roentgen’s experiments with cathode rays led him to discover X-rays, a feat that earned him the first-ever Nobel Prize for Physics.
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Hyperthymesia: Total Recall, Totally Overwhelming - November 07, 2009 09:00 AM
Due to a condition called hyperthymesia, Jill Price can recall practically every day of her life in vivid detail. New scans of Price's brain may finally reveal the source of her extraordinary memory.
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Saturn's Rings and Many Moons - November 07, 2009 06:45 AM
Saturn is one of the most recognizable planets in our solar system, yet much about the gaseous planet and its beautiful rings remains a mystery.
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Putting a New Face on Animal Testing - November 06, 2009 06:00 PM
Studies show Americans’ support for animal research has declined significantly. In response, biomedical researchers have launched a national campaign to defend and promote animal testing.
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Is Your Brain Male or Female? - November 06, 2009 05:00 PM
Mounting evidence suggests that the differences between male and female brain structure may be more heavily influenced by environment than previously thought.
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Space Debris: Asteroids, Comets and Meteoroids - November 06, 2009 06:45 AM
Comets, asteroids and meteoroids are plentiful in the asteroid belt and Kuiper Belt regions of the solar system, and every once in a while, they venture near Earth.
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Stanford Researchers Create Germ Cells in the Lab - November 05, 2009 05:30 PM
Germ cells, the cells that compose eggs and sperm, could provide insight into the earliest stages of human development, and maybe even prevent infertility, birth defects and genetic diseases.
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Pluto: The Dwarf Planet - November 05, 2009 06:30 AM
In 2006 the International Astronomical Union defined the term "planet" for the first time. Pluto did not meet the qualifications and was downgraded to a “dwarf planet,” or object #134340.
October, 2009
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Boys Are Becoming Girls: Cause for Alarm or Old News? - October 26, 2009 08:25 PM
A Danish report on the level of contact that 2-year-old children in the developed world have with feminizing chemicals has been met with shock and concern by some, and frustration by those that say this is a new take on old news.
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Britain Drops Proposal to Keep Innocent in DNA Database as US Database Grows - October 19, 2009 07:30 PM
In many U.S. states, the DNA of those arrested but not convicted is held indefinitely. In Britain, however, the Home Office dropped a DNA database proposal due to strong public opposition and a European court ruling.
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Juggling Shown to Change Wiring of the Brain - October 14, 2009 07:00 AM
An Oxford University study has found that practicing a task such as juggling can alter the structure of the brain, indicating that the plasticity of the brain is greater than previously believed.
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Why Parents Lie to Children - October 14, 2009 04:00 AM
Parents who demand honesty from their children lie just as frequently as parents who don’t, report studies from the University of Toronto and the University of California, San Diego.
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LCROSS Moon Impact Not Much to Look At: Scientists Hope Spectrometer Data Will Show Water on the Moon - October 09, 2009 07:30 PM
Early this morning, the Centaur rocket, followed by the LCROSS craft, collided with the moon in an attempt to stir up a plume of dust that scientists hope will reveal deposits of ice on the moon.
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Will BPA Exposure Make Your Baby Daughter Aggressive? - October 09, 2009 08:00 AM
A recent study suggests there may be a link between prenatal exposure to the chemical and increased aggression in little girls, but many find the association to be unfounded.
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Scientists Celebrate Algal Bloom After Australian Dust Storm, but Could It Be Trouble? - October 08, 2009 03:00 PM
The number of microorganisms in Sydney Harbor tripled in the days following the dust storm. Phytoplankton is a key part of the ocean ecosystem, but too much of it can have dire consequences.
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Understanding the Breast Cancer Gene Breakthrough - October 07, 2009 05:30 PM
Everyone has gene NRG1, but in many breast cancer cells the gene is “broken.” How will the newfound link between the gene and cancer change the future of medicine?
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Coins Reveal Clues About Ancient Roman Population - October 07, 2009 02:15 PM
Based on the discovery of ancient coin hoards, two scientists believe the population of ancient Rome may have been smaller than previously suggested, an issue that is widely debated.
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“Darwin’s Darkest Hour” Offers Insight Into Scientist’s Inner Struggle - October 06, 2009 07:00 PM
Tonight, NOVA will broadcast “Darwin’s Darkest Hour,” a docudrama that examines Charles Darwin’s struggle over whether to publish his theory of evolution, knowing it would anger the church and threaten his marriage.
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Nobel Medicine Laureates Discover the Key to Cellular Aging - October 05, 2009 05:00 PM
Gain a better understanding of the Nobel prize-winning discovery that will aid in the development of new cancer therapies.
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Discovery of Oldest Hominid Fossil May End Search for Chimp-like Missing Link - October 02, 2009 05:28 PM
“Ardi,” a 4.4 million-year-old early human fossil, may prove that a “missing link” between humans and chimps does not exist, and that both species evolved substantially from a common ancestor.
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NFL Study Acknowledges High Risk of Dementia for Players - October 02, 2009 07:00 AM
An NFL-commissioned study found that retired players suffer from dementia and other memory-related diseases at many times the normal rate. The findings support prior independent research that the NFL has tried to discredit.