Science Quickly

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Ancient Americans Bred Symbolically Important Scarlet Macaws Aug 20, 2018

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Genetic information from the bones of macaws found in abandoned pueblos suggests they were bred and distributed as a commodity. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Rising CO2 Means Monarch Butterfly Bellyaches Aug 17, 2018

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Milkweed grown with more carbon dioxide in the air supplies fewer toxins to monarch butterflies that need the toxins to fight off gut parasites.

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For Some Crows, Migration Is Optional Aug 16, 2018

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Crows are what's known as "partial migrants"—as cold weather approaches, some crows fly south whereas others stay put. And that behavior appears to be ingrained. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Plants Dominate the Planet's Biomass Aug 15, 2018

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About 80 percent of Earth's biomass is plant life, with humans about equal to krill way down the heft chart.

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Solar Eclipse of 2017 Boosted Science Interest Aug 14, 2018

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The Michigan Scientific Literacy Survey of 2017 found that last year's total solar eclipse got Americans more interested in celestial science.

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Crickets Carve Tools to Amplify Their Chirps Aug 13, 2018

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The insects fashion and use "baffles"—sound controllers—made of leaves to produce sound more efficiently. Jason G. Goldman reports.

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Computerized Chemical Toxicity Prediction Beats Animal Testing Aug 10, 2018

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Researchers programmed a computer to compare structures and toxic effects of different chemicals, making it possible to then predict the toxicity of new chemicals based on their structural similarity to known ones.

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Better Data Could Mean Better Dating Aug 09, 2018

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Both men and women tended to pursue mates just 25 percent more desirable than themselves—suggesting they are "optimistic realists." Christopher Intagliata reports.

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To Evolve Baleen, Lose Your Teeth First Aug 08, 2018

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Whale ancestors probably never had teeth and baleen at the same time, and only developed baleen after trying toothlessness and sucking in prey.

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Corn Variety Grabs Fertilizer from the Air Aug 07, 2018

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A variety of corn from Oaxaca, Mexico, has aerial roots that harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria, allowing the corn to suck nitrogen straight from the air. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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