Science Quickly

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Indigenous Amazonians Managed Valuable Plant Life Mar 04, 2020

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Studies on very old vegetation in the Amazon basin show active management hundreds of years ago on species such as Brazil nut and cocoa trees.

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Computers Confirm Beethoven's Influence Mar 03, 2020

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By breaking 900 classical piano compositions into musical chunks, researchers could track Ludwig van Beethoven’s influence on the composers who followed him. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Science News Briefs from around the World Mar 02, 2020

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Here are a few brief reports about science and technology from around the world, including one from off the California coast about the first heart rate measurement done on a blue whale.

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Jet Altitude Changes Cut Climate-Changing Contrails Feb 25, 2020

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Increasing or decreasing the altitude of aircraft by a few thousand feet to avoid thin layers of humidity could make a major reduction to contrails’ contribution to climate change.

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Thoroughbred Horses Are Increasingly Inbred Feb 24, 2020

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Inbreeding in Thoroughbreds has increased significantly in the past 45 years, with the greatest rise occurring in the past 15 or so of them.

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Pablo Escobar's Hippos Could Endanger Colombian Ecology Feb 20, 2020

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Hippos that escaped from drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s private zoo are reproducing in the wild. And with increasing numbers, they could threaten ecosystems.

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Wasp Nests Help Date Aboriginal Art Feb 19, 2020

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Art created by Australian Aboriginal people used organic carbon-free pigments, but wasp nests above or below the art can be used for radiocarbon dating that supplies boundaries for the age of artworks.

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Industrial Revolution Pollution Found in Himalayan Glacier Feb 18, 2020

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Ice cores from a Tibetan glacier reveal the first deposits of industrial revolution pollution, starting in layers dated to about 1780.

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Fight-or-Flight Nerves Make Mice Go Gray Feb 15, 2020

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A new study in mice concludes stress can cause gray hair—and credits overactive nerves with the change in hue. Karen Hopkin reports.

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Espresso May Be Better when Ground Coarser Feb 13, 2020

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A very fine grind can actually hamper espresso brewing, because particles may clump more than larger particles will.