Two worms, same brains – but one eats the other

IF TWO animals have identical brain cells, how different can they really be? Extremely. Two worm species have exactly the same set of neurons, but extensive rewiring allows them to lead completely different lives. Ralf Sommer of the Max Planck Institute...

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34 injured in bus accident in Boston: report

NEW YORK: Thirty-four people were injured late Saturday when a charter bus traveling on a highway hit an overpass in Boston, Massachusetts, US media reported.NBC News said the accident happened on Soldiers Field Road about 7:30 pm (0030 GMT Sunday).The bus was returning to Pennsylvania from Harvard University with 42 people on board, the network said.The injured have been taken to local...

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Body of missing American found in Turkey

STORY HIGHLIGHTSBody of New York woman found in IstanbulShe disappeared almost two weeks agoSarai Sierra was a mother a twoShe failed to arrive at Newark, New Jersey, airport(CNN) -- The family of an American woman who went missing in Istanbul nearly two weeks ago is in mourning after learning that Turkish police found her body Saturday.Steven Sierra wept during a phone call with CNN, as he waited...

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Town mourns for slain bus driver amid Ala. standoff

Updated 9:45 PM ET MIDLAND CITY, Ala. As the police standoff with an Alabama man accused of holding a 5-year-old boy hostage continued Saturday, a nearby community prepared to bury the beloved bus driver who was shot to death trying to protect children on his bus when the episode began days earlier. Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, who was known around town as Chuck, was described by folks in his...

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Gun Violence 'Depletes Precious Natural Resource'

It took the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, to prompt lawmakers to call for stricter gun legislation. But the reality is that in a city like Chicago, where 515 murders took place last year and more than 100 shooting incidents have occurred since January 1, gun violence is an ongoing issue and it has been for years. Only, these shootings have become so common that they don't...

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Astrophile: A scorched world with snow black and smoky

Astrophile is our weekly column on curious cosmic objects, from the solar system to the far reaches of the multiverse Object: Titanium oxide snowLocation: The hot-Jupiter planet HD 209458b There is something magical about waking...

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US needs to keep up drone war against Qaeda: Panetta

WASHINGTON: The United States will have to keep up an open-ended drone war against Al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan and elsewhere to prevent another terror attack on America, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said.The assassination of Al-Qaeda figures in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia with unmanned, robotic aircraft has provoked widespread criticism from human rights groups and some US allies,...

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Parole board: Release member of 'Manson family'

By Michael Martinez and Kyung Lah, CNNupdated 10:06 PM EST, Fri February 1, 2013Bruce Davis was sent to prison on April 21, 1972, for the 1969 first-degree murders of two men.STORY HIGHLIGHTS"He earned it," defense attorney says of recommendationCalifornia parole board formally recommends parole for Bruce Davis, 70Governor must modify, affirm or reverse the recommendation in 30 daysDavis is serving...

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Twitter: 250,000 users' data compromised in hacking attacks

#1157946: Twitter bird logo, social networking and microblogging service, graphic element on white / AP Graphics Twitter said today that it recently detected a series of attempts to hack into user data, and that the attackers may have successfully absconded with some users' information. In a blog post Friday afternoon, Twitter explained the situation, and the steps it has taken to fight...

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Gov's Handling of Sandusky Case Under Investigation

The newly-elected attorney general of Pennsylvania is going after the state's governor, Tom Corbett, who was attorney general when child sex allegations against Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky were first brought forward.Kathleen Kane, a Democrat who was sworn in as attorney general on Jan. 15, said that she will name a special prosecutor in the coming days to investigate Corbett's...

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Swarm-mongering: Brainless blobs flock together

Birds of a feather flock together and now so do brainless, inanimate blobs. Made of microscopic particles, the artificial swarms could shed light on the mysterious mechanisms behind the natural swarming seen in fish and birds. They might also lead to materials with novel properties like self-healing. ...

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MediaCorp's Toggle service available on multiple devices

SINGAPORE: MediaCorp's personal entertainment service, Toggle, is now available on multiple devices to offer an uninterrupted and engaging viewing experience.Its over-the-top service offers entertainment, information and news to viewers online, on smartphones, tablets and smart TV.Users can subscribe to their favourite channels and movies.They can also register - at no cost - to watch...

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X Games snowmobiler dies

By CNN Staffupdated 1:55 PM EST, Thu January 31, 2013A photo of Caleb Moore's performance in the Snowmobile Freestyle Final during X Games Aspen 2013.STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Caleb Moore's brother also suffered an accident in the X GamesCaleb Moore died a week after a snowmobile crash in the X GamesThe crash has raised new safety concerns about the gamesESPN, which operates the X Games, says it will conduct...

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Alaska Airlines plane lands safely after pilot passes out

PORTLAND, Ore. An Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Seattle was diverted to Portland, Ore. Thursday night after the pilot lost consciousness, and the co-pilot landed the plane safely, reports CBS Portland affiliate KOIN-TV. Flight 473 had 116 passengers and 5 crew members on board, the station says. Once on the ground, medical personnel boarded the plane to treat the captain. Alaska Airlines...

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Arias' Lawyer Shows Ex-Boyfriend's Lewd Photos

Accused murderer Jodi Arias was kept away from the Mormon friends of her lover Travis Alexander and their torrid sex affair was kept secret by Alexander, even as he sent lewd photos of himself to her online, according to court testimony today.The testimony in Arias' trial for killing Alexander in 2008 was intended to bolster the defense's argument that she killed him in self...

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Today on New Scientist: 30 January 2013

Timbuktu's precious scientific texts must be saved Islamist militants in Mali have burned documents that attest to science in Africa before European colonisation - what remains must be protectedThink that massage feels good? Try adding drugs Nerve bundles that respond to stroking have been identified and chemically activated in miceHow Obama will deliver his climate promise The US is set to...

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Manufacturing business sentiments expected to remain weak: EDB

SINGAPORE: Business sentiments in Singapore's manufacturing sector are expected to remain weak in the first half of this year, as slow global economic growth continues. According to the latest survey by the Economic Development Board, a net weighted balance of 10 per cent of manufacturers anticipate a less favourable business situation in the period January to June this year, compared...

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Teen who performed at inaugural events shot dead

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Chicago mayor: "We have a responsibility to see a stop to this"Hadiya Pendleton, 15, was shot dead in Chicago on TuesdayLast week she performed in events surrounding President Obama's inauguration"Just a matter of days after the happiest day of her life, she's gone," Sen. Dick Durbin saysChicago (CNN) -- A teen who performed at events around President Barack Obama's inauguration...

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Obama: "No doubt" Congress will pass immigration, gun bills

Play VideoObama: "No doubt" gun, immigration bills will pass in coming monthsThere's more bipartisan support in Congress for comprehensive immigration reform than gun control legislation, President Obama said tonight during an interview with Univision, but qualified that even under his proposal, illegal immigrants shouldn't be harboring expectations that they'll be granted citizenship "manana." ...

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Today on New Scientist: 29 January 2013

Creatures of the air caught in the mist Photographer Todd Forsgren uses mist nets to briefly ensnare a variety of tropical South American birds before releasing them, unharmedDrug reduces enlarged prostate with few side effects Shrinking enlarged prostates by blocking a potent growth factor could avoid problems - such as erectile dysfunction - that accompany current treatmentsClimate change blamed...

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Tokyo stocks hit highest level since 2010

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks jumped 2.28 per cent on Wednesday to close at their highest level in nearly three years thanks to a weaker yen and receding concerns over Europe's debt crisis.The benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 247.23 points at 11,113.95, its highest finish since April 2010, while the Topix index of all first-section shares rose 1.51 per cent, or 13.91 points, to 934.67."Europe's...

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Report: Bus driver shot; child abducted

By CNN Staffupdated 9:30 PM EST, Tue January 29, 2013STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Man tells CNN affiliate WSFA that bus driver was shot four timesSheriff says no one has been taken into custodyIncident happened near Midland City, Alabama(CNN) -- One man was shot on a school bus in Alabama on Tuesday, the Dale County Sheriff's Office.Sheriff Wally Olson said in a written statement the suspect had not been...

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Grandson of oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens dies in Texas

Updated 8:35 PM ET FORT WORTH, Texas A 21-year-old grandson of Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens died Tuesday after being rushed to a hospital in Fort Worth, according to police and a family spokesman. Play VideoCan Wind Aid Energy Crisis? Thomas Boone Pickens IV, who went by Ty, was a junior at Texas Christian University. Pickens' spokesman, Jay Rosser, called the death an "unspeakable family...

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Clinton Talks 2016, Stands by Benghazi Testimony

In her final television interview as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton told ABC's Cynthia McFadden that she is "flattered and honored" at the intense interest in whether she might run for president in 2016.But Clinton maintained that right now she's "not focused" on a presidential campaign; instead she said she wants to return to a "normal" life when she steps down from office...

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