Life
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AnimalsExplainer: What is mpox (formerly monkeypox)?
Once rare, the viral disease monkeypox exploded onto the global scene for the first time in 2022.
By Tina Hesman Saey and Janet Raloff -
ChemistryNo sun? No prob! A new process might soon grow plants in the dark
Teamwork makes green-work! Collaborating scientists came up with an electrifying farming trick that could make sunlight optional.
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AnimalsNews stories about spiders are unfairly negative
Nearly half of news stories about people-spider encounters contain errors, according to a new study. And those falsehoods tend to have a negative spin.
By Betsy Mason -
AnimalsSea sponges spew slow-motion snot rockets to clear out their pores
Sea sponges rely on a sneezing technique to clear their pores. The mucus flushes out debris — and provides a snack for other marine life.
By Jude Coleman -
BrainScientists Say: Cognition
Cognition is involved in all conscious mental activity, from thinking and reasoning to remembering.
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BrainLet’s learn about reading
Reading can be fun — but it can also be really hard. New research is exploring how to make reading easier for people of all ability levels.
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AnimalsWhale sharks may be the world’s largest omnivores
Chemical clues in the sharks’ skin show that the animals eat and digest algae.
By Freda Kreier -
GeneticsScientists Say: DNA
Short for deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA is the molecule that determines how each living thing looks and works.
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AnimalsWhen bees are away, moths come out to pollinate
Camera footage reveals that moths make roughly a third of the visits to red clover, working under the cover of night.
By Jake Buehler -
AnimalsYour face is mighty mite-y. And that’s a good thing
Tiny face mites live in our pores, getting food and shelter in return for eating our skin waste. A new study shows they can’t live without us.
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AnimalsWarm feathers may have helped dinos survive mass Triassic die-off
Dinosaurs may have weathered freezing conditions about 202 million years ago, thanks to warm feathery coats.
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EarthEarth’s rock collection hints at how to search for life elsewhere
A new way to sort minerals focuses on how they formed. It provides new clues about Earth’s crystal past and how to find life on other planets.
By Asa Stahl