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This is a biology-specific news aggregator linking to the most recent copyrighted news and articles on popular websites. Our sources
July 24, 2008

Aging May Be Controlled by Brake and Accelerator Genes [News]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 7:00pm EDT

Can we tweak certain genes to stave off the aging process--or, conversely, to speed it up? New research indicates that it may one day be possible. [More]

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A Shark Tale: Are These Mighty Ocean Predators in Trouble? [News]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 7:00pm EDT

Forget Jaws. The scariest thing about sharks is their tenuous future.

Though often misperceived as villainous denizens of the deep, these top predators play an important role in preserving the balance of the ocean's ecosystems by keeping their prey's populations in check.

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Supernova Caught Red-Handed Seen as Missing Link [News]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 6:30pm EDT

Researchers have offered a new explanation for an unprecedented stellar explosion caught in the act earlier this year. [More]

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Gas-Free Horizon--An Update on Plug-In Cars [EarthTalk]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 3:30pm EDT

Dear EarthTalk: Should we expect to see “plug-in” hybrid cars anytime soon? I’ve been hearing they are on the horizon but I wonder if that means in one year or 10.-- Bill A., Stratford, CT

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Could IMF Loans Be Causing TB Deaths? [News]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

The International Monetary Fund this week denounced a study that links its loans to a rise in deaths from tuberculosis (TB) in the former republics of the Soviet Union and in eastern Europe. [More]

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Parasites Permeate Ecosystems [60-Second Science]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 7:42am EDT

[The following is an exact transcript of this podcast.]

When you think about an ecosystem, you usually think of the big animals that live there. The Serengeti’s ruled by lions. And estuaries are populated by fishes, birds, snails and maybe the occasional otter. But there’s more to an ecosystem than meets the eye. Because a team of scientists from the US and Mexico has found that parasites constitute a sizeable chunk of the biomass of an ecosystem.

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Are a Popular Doping Drug s Effects All in the Mind? [News]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

Editors’ note: This story will appear in the October/November 2008 issue of Scientific American Mind.

Many athletes credit drugs with improving their performance, but some of them may want to thank their brain instead. Mounting evidence suggests that the boost from human growth hormone (HGH), an increasingly popular doping drug, might be caused by the placebo effect.

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Are a Popular Doping Drug's Effects All in the Mind? [News]

Scientific American - Posted: July 24th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

Editors’ note: This story will appear in the October/November 2008 issue of Scientific American Mind.

Many athletes credit drugs with improving their performance, but some of them may want to thank their brain instead. Mounting evidence suggests that the boost from human growth hormone (HGH), an increasingly popular doping drug, might be caused by the placebo effect.

[More]

Read more

Return to the Newsfeed