Science, Quickly

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Superstrong Fibers Could Be Hairy Situation Dec 24, 2019

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Human hair tested stronger than thicker fibers from elephants, boars and giraffes, providing clues to materials scientists hoping to make superstrong synthetic fibers.

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Flaky Scalps Have a Unique Fungal Microbiome Dec 20, 2019

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Certain species of bacteria and fungi seem to proliferate on dandruff-ridden scalps. The reason is a little more mysterious. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Moths Flee or Face Bats, Depending on Toxicity Dec 19, 2019

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Tiger moth species that contain bad-tasting and toxic compounds are nonchalant in the presence of bats, while edible moth species evade their predators.

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Ancient Seawall Found Submerged Dec 18, 2019

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In shallow waters off the coast of Israel, archaeologists have found entire villages—including one with a sunken seawall. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Citizen Scientists Deserve Journal Status Upgrade Dec 14, 2019

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Here’s an argument that citizen scientists deserve co-authorship on scientific journal papers to which they contributed research.

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Not All Hydropower Is Climate-Considerate Dec 13, 2019

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While some hydropower facilities release almost no greenhouse gases, others can actually be worse than burning fossil fuels.

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Certain Zip Codes Pick Losers Dec 12, 2019

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People in certain zip codes are more likely to purchase products that flop, buy homes that are poor investments and pick political candidates who lose. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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Linguists Hear an Accent Begin Dec 11, 2019

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Residents of an overwintering station in Antarctica provided linguists with evidence of the first small changes in speech that may signal the development of a new accent.

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Romans Would Roam for Wood Dec 10, 2019

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Archaeologists unearthed wood from a Roman villa when digging Rome’s subway—and scientists determined the planks came all the way from France. Christopher Intagliata reports.

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When the Bellbird Calls, You Know It Dec 09, 2019

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The white bellbird of the Amazon may be the loudest bird in the world.

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