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“Vapor Lock” — The Discovery Files
In the next few years, you might be able to plan those outdoor events with certainty of good weather. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research are testing an observing strategy that has the potential to completely transform the accur…
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“Uranium Subterranean” — The Discovery Files
Can you imagine living on a diet of radiated water? Researchers have found a community of bacteria, nearly two miles below Earth’s surface, doing just that. This discovery fuels optimism that life exists in other deep subsurface environments… perhaps…
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“Unique Beak” — The Discovery Files
Researchers at University of California, San Diego have found the secret to the toucan beak’s lightweight strength and hope it could inspire the design of ultra-light aircraft and vehicle components.
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“Metal Health” — The Discovery Files
Researchers studying supplies of copper, zinc and other metals have determined that these finite resources, even if recycled, may not meet the future demands of the global population.
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“Face Time” — The Discovery Files
We may be taught not to judge a book by its cover, but when we see a new face, our brains decide whether a person is attractive and trustworthy within a tenth of a second, according to recent Princeton University research.
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“Garbage to Gas” — The Discovery Files
Could you fire up the family car on a gallon of sawdust? Or make a high-tech kayak out of leftover pine scrap? The answer may soon be yes, according to University of Maine scientists working to convert waste from the paper industry into ethanol for fue…
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“Tilt-O-World” — The Discovery Files
Imagine a shift in the Earth so profound that it could force our entire planet to spin on its side after a few million years, tilting it so far that Alaska would sit at the equator. Princeton scientists have now provided the first compelling evidence t…
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“Paddle Bots” — The Discovery Files
More isn’t always better. Just ask Madeleine, a joystick-controlled underwater robot built to study the way aquatic animals swim. Like them, she has four flippers. But scientists were surprised to learn that she moved faster and more efficiently when u…
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“A Little Counter Intelligence” — The Discovery Files
Duke University researchers have found evidence that babies have an abstract numerical sense even before they learn to talk. The study could shed light on how infants first grasp the concept of number.
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“HIAPER-Active” — The Discovery Files
HIAPER, the nation’s most advanced research aircraft has taken flight on its first science mission, flying over treacherous whirlwinds, known as rotors, as they form above the California Sierra Nevada range. Rotors form on the lee side of high, steep m…