Science Quickly

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African Penguins Pulled into an Ecological Trap Mar 01, 2017

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Climate change and overfishing have made the penguins’ feeding grounds a mirage—which has led to a drop in penguin population. Jason G. Goldman reports.

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Neandertals Live On in Our Genomes Feb 28, 2017

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Researchers found that Neandertal gene variants still affect the way genes are turned off and on in modern humans. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Medical Marijuana Faces Fed's Catch-22 Feb 27, 2017

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Doing large studies of marijuana's potential as medicine means getting it removed from an official federal list of substances with no official medical use—which requires more proof of its potential as medicine.

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Blood Cells Remember Your Mountain Vacation Feb 23, 2017

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Red blood cells retain a memory of high-altitude exposure, allowing for faster acclimation next time. But that memory fades within four months. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Fermented Foods Find Fervent Advocate Feb 22, 2017

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Properly fermented foods deliver probiotics that could help cut disease risk, said a researcher at the annual meeting of the AAAS.

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Vision Needed to Curb Nearsightedness Epidemic Feb 21, 2017

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In urban Asian areas myopia among teenagers is topping 90 percent—but foresight may be able to bring those numbers way down.

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Guppy Groups Provide Friendly Protection against Foes Feb 20, 2017

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Guppies exposed to predators tend to aggregate into smaller, more tightly knit groups, which may allow them to coordinate their predator avoidance strategies. Jason G. Goldman reports.

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Spaceflight Squishes Spacefarers' Brains Feb 18, 2017

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Astronauts’ gray matter is compressed by time in space—except in an area that controls feeling and movement in the legs. Karen Hopkin reports.

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2 Words Trigger CDC to Stay Quiet Feb 17, 2017

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Researchers and administrators at the CDC dare not utter the words guns or firearms for fear of budget cuts from Congress, according to health policy researcher David Hemenway.

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The True "Bottom" of the Food Chain Is Plenty Polluted Feb 16, 2017

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Critters living more than six miles below the ocean surface contain high levels of harmful compounds like PCBs and flame retardants. Julia Rosen reports.

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