Science Quickly

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Warbler Species Fires Up Song Diversity Aug 18, 2020

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Hermit warblers in California have developed 35 different song dialects, apparently as a result of wildfires temporarily driving them out of certain areas.

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Why Lava Worlds Shine Brightly (It's Not the Lava) Aug 12, 2020

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Scientists determined that “lava world” exoplanets do not derive their brightness from molten rock but possibly get it from reflective metallic clouds. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Aardvarks Are Ailing amid Heat and Drought Aug 11, 2020

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Climate change is expected to bring more frequent droughts and heat waves to Africa’s Kalahari Desert. And aardvarks might not be able to cope. Jason G. Goldman reports.

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The World's Highest-Dwelling Mammal Lives atop a Volcano Aug 07, 2020

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Scientists spotted a mouse at the summit of Llullaillaco, a 22,000-foot-tall volcano on the border of Chile and Argentina. Julia Rosen reports.

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Dampening of the Senses Is Linked to Dementia Risk Aug 05, 2020

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A decline in smell was the sense loss most strongly associated with such risk in a recent study. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Translucent Frog Optics Create Camo Color Aug 04, 2020

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Rather than undergoing active chameleonlike color changes, glass frogs’ translucency allows light to bounce from their background and go through them—making their apparent color close to their setting.

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Paired Comparisons Could Mean Better Witness Identifications Aug 03, 2020

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Compared with traditional lineup techniques, a series of two-faces-at-a-time choices led to more accurate identification by study witnesses.

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Foxes Have Dined on Our Leftovers for 30,000 Years Aug 02, 2020

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An analysis of fox fossils found evidence that they scavenged from wolf and bear kills until Homo sapiens supplied plenty of horse and reindeer remains.

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Mexico Caves Reveal Ancient Ocher Mining Jul 31, 2020

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Now submerged caves in the Yucatán Peninsula contain remains of ocher-mining operations that date back at least 10,000 years.

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In Bee Shortage, Bubbles Could Help Pollinate Jul 27, 2020

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Soap bubbles are sticky enough to carry a pollen payload and delicate enough to land on flowers without harm.

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