Life
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FossilsKing of Gore
Paleontologists debut the oldest T. rex ancestor. Weighing as much as a car and longer than a two-story building is tall, this meat eater would have been one fierce predator.
By Janet Raloff -
BrainOne eye, 3-D
Most scientists think people need two eyes to see a flat image or movie in three dimensions. However, a new study suggests seeing in 3-D with one-eye is possible.
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FossilsWhere do humans come from?
Some scientists propose a newfound South African species as the most likely ancestor of the line that led to humans. But not everyone accepts that this is where it all began.
By Bruce Bower -
FossilsHow sharks survived the ‘Great Dying’
By abandoning their coastal homes, some sharks survived an event that caused mass extinctions of other species.
By Janet Raloff -
BrainRestoring a sense of touch
A zap to a monkey’s brain fools the animal into thinking its finger has been touched. The findings point to a way for artificial fingers to communicate with the brain so that touch “feels” more real.
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AnimalsTrue vampires
Forget Count Dracula or Twilight’s Edward and Bella. Many creatures have a true thirst for blood, and here’s why.
By Roberta Kwok -
AnimalsVampires’ gift of ‘blood honey’
A Maryland biologist probes the unusual dining behaviors of a blood-thirsty bat.
By Susan Milius -
Brain‘Study drugs’ can be dangerous
The misuse of these ADHD medicines not only constitutes cheating, but they can become addictive and can mess with your head.
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Health & MedicineMining medicine from poop
Researchers find a much less yucky way to treat people with a common killer infection.
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MicrobesSlimming germs
In the gut, the right microbe mix can help keep off extra weight — at least in mice.
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Health & MedicineExplainer: Where and when did HIV begin?
The virus that causes AIDS may have evolved in monkeys or apes more than a century ago.
By Bryn Nelson