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Mathematics becomes more sociable
% F1 l6 V: t) N- [9 Z! wEditorialp5
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( L5 J0 |5 I- ]5 A& MThe Polymath project will give the field a new, more friendly, lease of life
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The implications of interspecies communication
7 N3 [- d5 T) iEditorialp5* l# m( o, o+ u9 q
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If dolphins could talk to humans, it would be an unparalleled contribution to the debate about animal rights
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We need another green revolution+ b3 k [$ t+ R: g
Editorialp5
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- \# a* D# [8 S, W. _ f, G+ }* OIt is high time we made a new start on enabling major crops to make their own fertiliser9 ?9 C1 K1 ^$ k4 w
8 t8 P ]% C+ CElusive Higgs slips from sight again
) ?2 o+ X% }$ M4 l, i0 oNews > Upfrontp6
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+ ?, F3 k) q0 K' ~2 jA recent report hinted at a glimpse of the long-sought particle but a second detector has now checked its own data and found no sign of the particle) J' b) y( |2 d+ y
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Osama bin Laden: how DNA identified his body
! \, Y+ p3 g5 a. w/ o+ t" R5 _News > Upfrontp65 k9 V' h% `" Z. J$ ^ m
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DNA evidence identified the world's most wanted man with "99.9 per cent confidence", which would require comparison with the DNA of close relatives6 ?* S! I: x# s% L4 g
e5 T; `% d: b WStrange cosmic ray hotspots stalk southern skies4 T( z; |3 R+ J% Q0 W7 x
News > Upfrontp6
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+ n1 P2 B4 F# S: {' ySomething relatively nearby seems to be hurling energetic, charged particles at Earth – but what?) }' ~: D: s6 i( B
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Milk miles show why it's hard to go locavore
" v2 p0 `1 o+ F( A7 H9 v7 M, xNews > Upfrontpp6-7
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Cutting the journey of a carton of fresh milk from cow to cup would end up increasing the journey of other dairy products
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60 Seconds8 Q9 d5 t/ s; N. R1 }2 f; u
News > 60 Secondsp7
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; T2 k+ D: E( c$ v4 Z. p: l: Y6 R! DAnts that almost as large as hummingbirds, recreational drug kills kidney cells, cooperative robots and more% b% K1 z7 C8 [
2 l; S9 J9 n' \0 vDeadly weather in US could become the norm. V. J% M# F3 v9 j# ^2 p( B
News > Upfrontp7
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0 Y& k( `' ^! _2 |& PWhether or not climate change makes severe weather worse, rising populations mean there are more people in harm's way, researchers say, ]) c' ?" d# v+ d+ D- x8 ]
! m' H% S" d$ V4 y/ H/ R8 l! w7 Q: lPainkillers need clearer warnings to prevent liver damage
" }, }% G- X$ |3 E. C4 b* wNews > Upfrontp7& D9 U- ]6 {$ m# Q, d2 |
* K- B* m5 `7 a- N. H# ?Over-the-counter painkillers need clear warnings to help people recognise their potential toxicity
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* r( ~9 O" E- u& C' X& W. `Evolutionary push could help crops self-fertilise: i0 q4 a6 @# Q# r0 D
News > This Weekpp8-9" H: l m& W7 z; n
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Agriculture would be transformed if crops could produce fertiliser as legumes do. New research suggests it might be easier than we thought
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* ^( ^# E, z$ o7 t& b, c8 THow to build the global mathematics brain
& s$ P) R4 y4 f1 i2 r1 dNews > This Weekpp10-114 f0 b8 v0 n9 i2 O& u
, l9 l* D- E- S, E# gA successful wiki-style pro-am mathematical project belies the stereotype of the brilliant loner! B9 ^# ^0 e! B& {6 X
5 v- Q7 c% u" L- Q* G+ s/ ^2 AAsteroids make life's raw materials
8 Z# Q7 R# @& P* ^5 ^+ TNews > This Weekp140 U: S% c& W6 Z/ o) m1 H6 e4 L
" ]$ d. C- o" d5 n/ mRocks from an asteroid have been shown to power the synthesis of life's essential chemicals for the first time$ U- h* `' m* M
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Drug pacemaker relieves hassle of daily shots( D0 A3 o! i& z3 u
News > This Weekp157 @: z) G8 ^# p# f* @6 e
, j4 I" A& {$ Y$ P! _A new implant could deliver timed doses of a drug for a year
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k& }4 E+ j- HSecond experiment hints at seasonal dark matter signal
5 p* }6 Z$ W' o1 U( [News > This Weekp164 D+ }& Y8 a* S8 I3 M8 b o1 U
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For years, one lonely team has been insisting that it sees a seasonal variation in dark matter signals – now another group is reporting similar findings- ]5 D7 \) u) w5 ^; L
5 d7 q9 D2 q3 B3 w: T2 ?# o& RWhy do we remember some dreams but not others?
1 T+ D6 k" X% y' PNews > This Weekp163 ` n, _& Y* L) r. a
7 O! t2 [! X) B: T% A; mWe recall dreams using the same brain mechanisms that control whether we remember things when awake
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' M5 {! s" l* K'Dwarf' black holes might help explain dark matter
) k& ?% y! ]$ [1 YNews > This Weekp180 \$ J# ~' R: _" G% H% c& u" s
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Black holes might come in more sizes than small, medium and large – if so, mini black holes could contribute to the universe's mysterious dark matter
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4 Y( K. _5 n8 m2 c' P# @. v' t" R$ r4 IOut-of-Africa migration selected novelty-seeking genes+ O6 b) F- H. V1 P; L
News > This Weekp18
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As humans migrated around 50,000 years ago, evolution may have latched onto a gene linked to risk-taking and adventurousness' c) t' Q0 ]' a, _
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Brainless box jellyfish know which way is up
- r% M$ Y: v: `% f: K7 ^! P6 p' `/ iNews > In Briefp20: R2 U: b7 k) L$ S% ^0 X; j
' N, [5 \9 G8 |2 b( ]The poisonous jellyfish navigates its mangrove swamp home by peering out of the water at the tree canopy above4 [# i' S& c/ S) ^' l. c* A
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How sickle-cell carriers fend off malaria
2 A* z5 \9 q" \! p4 T6 Z$ c5 c2 v m' ^7 [News > In Briefp20
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Teasing out the mechanism which helps people with one sickle-cell gene resist malaria suggests new treatments for the disease! X( l q1 L) ~8 u6 V1 V; T; ] @
3 S+ ?2 l% w o! {6 r- pMonkeys show signs of advanced memory powers# i# K: u( A E, W3 B
News > In Briefp20
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Rhesus monkeys can do more than simply recognise familiar shapes* }8 E8 i. S& K$ r6 a
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The universe's first stars were whirling dervishes
6 b* s% L0 g; I. ]/ y" \3 {News > In Briefp20
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The very first stars may have rotated several times faster than today's – the "spinstars" may have died in gamma-ray bursts that we could yet observe8 E9 {/ I) u4 E7 d' h8 l: A0 j9 @
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A sideways look suggests leaning tower will topple6 {+ ]/ B, G3 Y. O( G
News > In Briefp216 E7 L) L; H0 ^
) d5 ?& a* M/ j$ P: p- d0 w- qYour evaluation of whether an object is going to fall over depends on which way your head is tilted F* t, `4 d* O, l
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Fleeting antimatter trapped for a quarter of an hour
" m% I% Y: E5 yNews > In Briefp21. L6 l C" b! V6 L+ E
1 q# a( d( v& K' Y7 lA magnetic trap has held anti-atoms for 1000 seconds, which should allow tests of whether matter and antimatter are true mirror images in a few years% r0 y) }1 Q5 r0 l* N/ o
: E" O- n6 e2 S, H" EGhostly nebulae show mysterious alignment
* W2 Q% `9 e* N4 HNews > In Briefp21
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Elongated nebulae in the centre of our galaxy seem to lie in the same plane as the galactic disc, hinting at a mysterious alignment of stars in the region7 w9 f" J9 T& V( C% s. t
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Heart attacks are more dangerous in the morning) r/ Y# X* X+ J5 g/ I
News > In Briefp21
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Heart attacks that occur between 6am and noon appear more dangerous than those that occur in the afternoon, possibly due to fluctuating levels of protective proteins, U1 W0 P6 T' {. R7 n3 P3 _- m
; w! L, \8 T$ |0 i( N- ~3 e/ z. x JTalk with a dolphin via underwater translation machine# I2 B6 B) H5 G& j K; T9 _
Technology > Newspp23-24
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) h9 J+ m" v- r3 Q# C0 S4 r( VA computer system that divers can wear may bridge the language barrier between us and dolphins
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1 b& }, l M1 E' M9 d9 gIn-car projection for drive-by advertising
2 v8 d* E: N2 O4 R& v# rTechnology > Newsp245 U- C5 s6 h- g( [
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A new display technology could turn car windows into roving 3D advertisements, but will this compromise safety?
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Know where the wind blows to boost power grid capacity) b/ Q, N1 G) S3 l
Technology > Newspp24-25
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- g0 C0 P4 L/ h mCooler cables can carry more power – with a dynamic model that shows what the wind is doing, power companies could send more juice down the line
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# {) \% t: f- f6 uOne Per Cent) q% m) L' D. z1 X! E: V
Technology > Newsp25
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Sony admits users' data theft, bendy caterpillar robot and free Wi-Fi for everyone?: W& e& ^7 W Q* F+ b, J$ a: Z
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Toughening up vulnerable networks one link at a time
2 _9 j+ ] s4 E, P' w/ k2 Y+ OTechnology > Newsp26
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" s; p+ L1 X: M3 W+ M& aA simple way to strengthen networks could protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attack4 |% ^) S, x4 J6 \, ?0 \3 I
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Time to put weather forecasters on the spot) g# v0 }# b5 {4 V( D3 P* W
Comment and Analysispp28-29- R% |- z+ y9 a" w
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The reliability of weather forecasts is surprisingly hard to measure. The BBC's Weather Test will make amends, says Roger Harrabin6 Y {7 T7 p$ Z6 |
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US navy chief: I'm on a mission to stop using oil4 x" m( s) H" e( Z& h# L' |: o7 Z2 J
Opinion > Interviewp29+ r3 U! {+ h! i! n8 O
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From biofuelled fighter jets to solar power-generating blankets, Ray Mabus wants to wean the US navy off fossil fuels$ E9 I6 f" p% }! Z: y
1 k! n2 g. w1 D* ^. u* {Free debate0 J+ _* r: O' Y# ?
Lettersp30
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Dan Jones's article (16 April, p 32) explores whether a mechanistic, and therefore deterministic, view of what we are degrades our view of ourselves...& x2 V4 j; I9 t
! I, H4 y) z% G6 C; JHappiness paradox
/ b( }# r( A C% C. }. Q7 zLetterspp30-31* c9 a5 g( t/ |* l
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The special report on happiness (16 April, p 46) did not mention the Easterlin paradox, that the average happiness of developed nations has not generally...; A' _4 |* I# N1 R3 g( l: F; `
7 U( k- u6 M, @9 G/ l8 SBlast the waste
: H) P2 t$ l5 FLettersp31
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7 e8 X0 Q9 U4 N; a0 F% rThe advantages of thorium nuclear power (26 March, p 8) seem mostly unproven in practice, and the technology will probably take more than a decade...0 H x6 @$ k" U9 o) o3 V6 J* k9 Z
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For the record# ?+ A& i6 C, ]0 w2 E
Lettersp310 P1 X9 i! V) `9 y
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• A conversion error made as our feature about cockroaches (16 April, p 40) was being prepared for publication led to the radiation doses we quoted...) A1 U* j* m3 r( h. d0 f
; C {! M6 |3 J8 {, JGrowth must slow$ V- `' W8 e9 ~& K. g) t# M7 P
Lettersp31$ C" F9 R$ h; g
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Achim Steiner's article (16 April, p 28) about the conflict between agricultural expansion and conservation appears to assume a growing world population is inevitable.... P, m$ k7 F4 @, ?/ |# j4 @
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The name game1 w" E. M/ W9 L: c2 B: Y5 @! E5 P& M
Lettersp31
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The misleadingly easy quiz questions that John Chen came across (Feedback, 9 April) have been around for years. I recently used them as an icebreaker...: U& D# e U* x& E, M, ~
' e7 U }6 G) e) f s% O" D6 J; D. aWealth disorder?! S. q0 _7 d- h4 n/ w
Lettersp31( w$ }4 t. V) D# k. U; j+ ^: h4 I
0 J% M( L# {& V' KI found Jessica Hamzelou's article on psychopaths very interesting (9 April, p 8). She stated that the study showed "brain areas involved in reward"...
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# G; p& y" c }( e5 m* rEnigma Number 1645# r: b6 \/ a! L! P2 [4 t; G
Opinion > Enigmap31
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! W' {0 @. u9 u) F/ u: Z* r$ fFive roboethical principles – for humans
8 D& g8 I1 s w9 Y- C: |Opinion > The Big Ideapp32-33; Q- M! k; {0 r+ Q
8 d; }5 p% u! L. \) m* oScience fiction primes us to expect robots to run amok. But as they go mainstream, it's still us that need policing, argues Alan Winfield
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+ Z# M3 v$ q; i) A2 g6 _The limits of knowledge: Things we'll never understand: U9 a) t4 q9 I6 J$ a
Features > Cover Storypp34-39& u) k4 v- y& i1 `1 a3 X
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From the machinery of life to the fate of the cosmos, is there anything science can't explain? Yes, says Michael Brooks0 G4 B' b; {" v7 e" H0 Q
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Out with a bang: The Tevatron's deathbed revelation
7 ^$ C8 i( Z$ ~: G |( }Features > Featurepp40-43: _! @* U: \( V; C* `! B
! Q# |" c) s" T* BWith just months before the iconic particle accelerator is dismantled, physicists are racing to confirm a tantalising glimpse of unexpected new particles
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Blue alert: The dark side of night light( Q( Q0 R% o+ Y6 M- m
Features > Featurepp44-47
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From streetlights to smartphones, our world is bathed in artificial light – and we're only just waking up to the profound effect it has on us9 j, `. S* t9 \) {9 v. H1 y
4 K" G/ _ H- v0 lExploring animals' emotional experiences
) k! s& j& Q9 ]( KOpinion > CultureLabp48
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, [, u3 m% f9 f6 o2 D0 MJonathan Balcombe's The Exultant Ark is an exploration of the nascent research into animal pleasure, replete with emotive photographs' ^; A7 W* N- _5 i
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Cool viruses from pox to pandemics
) C1 F3 J% K3 v6 COpinion > CultureLabp498 J) X* V: ^$ B" l: w2 [; F5 n9 W
4 |! n u- m& T8 ]# ^; |3 sA Planet of Viruses by Carl Zimmer has plenty of "wow" moments. Shame about the lack of context and simplistic faith in science: f3 q! w' J9 i
( p: z- |- b9 i# j V yThe birth and rise of batteries
+ C! \, u L7 x1 V- fOpinion > CultureLabp49
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5 a* E. Y) y D6 O' v) SBottled Lightning by Seth Fletcher is a compelling tale of using science to solve a global problem and illuminating for anybody interested in innovation. o* H0 z$ c! F9 x; g G7 I
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The modern marvel of magnetic levitation
8 D9 ]; `% `- V: ZOpinion > CultureLabp49( B6 D& \; E' D# l3 w
9 w) M; Q2 l; O& ^6 jIn Rising Force, James Livingston soars to the heady heights of maglev and floats the idea that the technology could still have commercial success3 {! a" U" p& d
2 y/ J9 }* S* ZAstrobiology: Are we alone in the universe?* |$ y& i# v5 y3 E: T4 d- F
Features > Instant Expert
6 ?! T s! U- M8 u( z- P! L9 GIt is only with the gigantic telescopes and interplanetary probes of the space age that we finally have a realistic hope of answering the question7 x2 m) i: m0 s/ L' ~
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Astrobiology: Are we unique?
6 D* A7 j* R( v& e; q* \& Y d1 @Features > Instant Expert
' d+ z! i4 E( @$ YFinding irrefutable signs of any life beyond Earth would surely be one of the most revolutionary discoveries for human science and society
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Astrobiology: Hot topics in the search for ET& `* z. E. i4 M. l$ j
Features > Instant Expert8 M5 a4 n/ Y: H4 B% f- b: r2 @
As more and more exoplanets are discovered by ever-better telescopes, we're refining our ideas about how to spot signs of life – and where to look for it
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Astrobiology: The hunt for alien life
" Z' {& z) X. x) n, wFeatures > Instant Expert1 E, a" }6 L- L8 w3 W, H9 Z
Powerful telescopes, clever astronomy and trips to some of Earth's most extreme and remote places are helping identify the most promising places to start1 q, i3 c" ]) q1 f5 o$ R; ~; d6 q( u/ r
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Feedback: Redundant gestures get the thumbs up
8 s1 [6 k* _) C7 O* MFeedbackp56! y3 k- ^8 V" z' K$ Z% H
, A7 J+ f! t" }% pLet your fingers do the talking – old style, wallpaper made of paper that you put on walls, a job you can put off for 224 years, and more
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+ Y9 N q7 t4 T! ~Happy feet
- @- U2 C2 P- Y5 X* R S: hThe Last Word > Last Word Answerp578 K( k8 c( D* c
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Gerroff: }4 ~2 r; X# H# a8 X4 R
The Last Word > Last Word Questionp57
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No Skidding+ s1 j& a- j/ n& `
The Last Word > Last Word Questionp57
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Water marked
* `/ I- U6 t* q, v2 ]The Last Word > Last Word Questionp57
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发表于 2011-5-8 21:41
