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Imagine if, instead of painful and invasive tissue biopsies of solid tumors, all that a physician needed was a 10 mL blood sample (about a tablespoon’s worth) to diagnose cancer, inform treatment decisions, or monitor the response of a tumor to…

From “Detection of the Gravitational Lens Magnifying a Type Ia Supernova“ Quadruple image of the same quasar, called the ‘Enstein Cross’ The supernova of PS1-10afx was seen in 2010 and extremely bright for its class and location…

Scientists recently analyzed the blood of a woman who lived a healthy life up to the age of 115. They were surprised to discover that 64% of her blood cells were descended from only two different blood stem cells. Is this the key to longevity? There’s…

While there’s been much debate in the media about the causes and effects of climate change, many scientists agree that changes in climate will impact our lives. However, demonstrating such impact is scientifically challenging because of the many…

As the daylight hours lengthen and the first signs of spring abound, farmers markets are popping up from coast to coast. With so many tasty edibles ranging from fresh produce to baked goods, it’s no wonder people flock to their local farmers market to…

The UN has released a report reiterating that sufficient data exists to conclude that not only is climate change occurring, but that human use of coal, oil, and natural gas is the primary cause. This report highlights the stark fact that poorer…

How can we create a fully synthetic organism? One promising way to begin would be to take an existing organism and engineer a new set of chromosomes from that organism’s genome. Scientists at NYU have created a fully synthetic chromosome for…

The bony human skeleton needs little introduction: it holds our shape and allows us to go through our motions and activities. Though the importance of the human skeleton is clear, what may be surprising is that bacteria—tiny organisms visible only with a…

Pulsars have been nicknamed “cosmic lighthouses” after the narrow beams of radio light they sweep through space. For astronomers, one newly-discovered pulsar is casting light on an unexplored and mysterious region of the cosmic “ocean”: the immediate…

Ever thought about keeping a wolf? Probably not… To understand how wolves evolved into modern dogs and started living with humans, researchers wanted to find out exactly where and when this happened. Using many samples from prehistoric and modern dogs…