Science, Spoken

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The Fanged Fish That Drugs Its Enemies With Opioids Apr 03, 2017

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Not unlike the ant-decapitating fly and the satanic leaf-tailed gecko, the fang blenny’s name does not disappoint. This tiny fish wields two massive teeth that it uses to gouge chunks out of much larger fish and, in a bind, scrap its way out of the grasp of a predator. And one particular group of fang blenny even injects venom, just like a snake, to give its attackers that extra what-for. That’s all very, very bizarre behavior for a fish—behavior that today gets even more bizarre.

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A Russian Volcano Just Erupted for the First Time in Centuries Mar 31, 2017

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This weekend saw a new eruption from Kambalny in southern Kamchatka. Now, the Kamchatka Peninsula is a very volcanically active area, with multiple eruptions going on simultaneously much of the time. There are certain volcanoes that are in almost-constant unrest, like Shiveluch, Kliuchevskoi, and Karymsky. However, Kambalny is not one of the usual suspects for activity. This changed when a dark grey ash plume was spotted by Earth-observing satellites on March 25.

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In Science, You Can’t Always Get What You Want Mar 30, 2017

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I teach an introductory physics course to elementary education majors, but my lessons aren't really about physics. At first glance, it might seem that they are, but it's a trick. The course examinesthe nature of science. That's what makes it so awesome. When I talk about the nature of science, I don't mean the list of steps outlined on thatposter in your fourth grade classroom-that's not howscience works.

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What’s the Point of Going to Space if You Don’t Make Booze? Mar 29, 2017

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Last week, Anheuser-Busch announced a plan to sponsor research aboard the International Space Station to learn how to someday serve beer to astronauts on Mars. This is a dumb plan—not because beer is bad, or because astronauts responsible for settling the red planet won’t deserve a brewski at the end of a sol. It’s just, why beer? Distilled spirits—liquor—has always been a better fuel for exploration, or at least for explorers.

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Meet the Woman Who Can See With Her Ears Mar 28, 2017

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The last thing twenty-one-year-old Pat Fletcher saw before the explosion was the chemical-filled steel tank beside her suddenly ballooning outward. With alarm she realized the plastic hose in her hand had grown unusually hot. Then the world flashed blindingly bright and turned a brilliant blue, the color of the flames engulfing her body. When she awoke, Pat thought she might be dreaming. The world around her was featureless and dark, as though she were lost in a gray, smoky fog.

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Somebody Just Buy the ISS Already Mar 27, 2017

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Two hundred and twenty miles above Earth flies the International Space Station, a $70 billion1 engineering marvel that no onehas any idea what to do with. Short term, sure: astronauts, science, zero-gravity viral videos. Longer term, spending $3 billion to $4 billion annually to keep the ISS running conflicts with NASA’s other ambitions, like visiting Mars. Congress holds NASA’s purse strings, so ultimately the decision lies with that august body.

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The Billionaire on a Mission to Save the Planet From Trump Mar 24, 2017

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Tom Steyer isn't your average California tree hugger. The former hedge fund manager—number 1,121 on Forbes' wealthiest people list, with $1.61 billion—was once best known for turning $15million into $30billion in about two decades. But then he went hiking. Steyer and environmental activist and author Bill McKibben spent a day trudging through the Adirondacks.

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Catnip Ain’t the Only Plant That’ll Send Your Kitty to Blissville Mar 23, 2017

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The feline approaches its prey. Slowly at first, then crescendoing to a pounce that lands near, but not on the unmoving target. The cat bats an investigatory paw, then claws its target and yanks it faceward. But the cat does not bare its fangs; it does not bite. It closes its eyes and rubs the prey—a sock flecked with bits of dried herb—across its whiskers, then falls to the ground, its body humming with purrs that oscillate into soft meows.

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Got a Sock Stuck in Your Vacuum? It’s Time for Some Physics Mar 22, 2017

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Imagine yourself running the vacuum cleaner over the carpet when all of sudden—a sock. Boom. It’s stuck in the hose, the whine of the vacuum getting higher andhigher, louder andlouder. It sounds like overload is imminent, like the motor is working way too hard. But is it? To know, let’s look at some cool physics principles. Vacuum cleaners don’t actually suck. They blow. No, really. They use a fan that blows air out of a hole.

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Artificial Intelligence Is Learning to Predict and Prevent Suicide Mar 21, 2017

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For years, Facebook has been investing in artificial intelligence fields like machine learning and deep neural nets to build its core business—selling you things better than anyone else in the world. But earlier this month, the company began turning some of those AI tools to a more noble goal: stopping people from taking their own lives. Admittedly, this isn’t entirely altruistic. Having people broadcast their suicides from Facebook Live isn’t good for the brand.

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