Mars rover Curiosity getting a taste of the base of Mt. Sharp

After two years of roving the Martian surface, NASA’s rover Curiosity has finally drilled its ultimate target: Mt. Sharp, the 3-mile-high mountain in the middle of Gale Crater. The robotic explorer is set to get a taste of Martian rock Tuesday night when the rover feeds its sample to...



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October begins water year with prospect of tighter restrictions

As the state ends the fourth-driest water year on record with no guarantee of significant rain and snowfall this winter, Californians face the prospect of stricter rationing and meager irrigation deliveries for agriculture.



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Well: How Exercise May Protect Against Depression

Exercise may help to safeguard the mind against depression through previously unknown effects on working muscles.

















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First Ebola case diagnosed in the U.S.: Here's why you don't need to panic

With officials confirming the first Ebola case diagnosed in the United States, and the first case diagnosed outside of Africa during this outbreak, some Americans continue to express fear that the deadly disease – which is believed to have killed at least 3,091 people in West Africa --...



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BRAIN initiative is underway, funding new ways to map cells, circuits

Scientists will aim to capture the workings of the human brain in comprehensive recordings, to watch the brain while in motion and to reimagine the world's most complex biological organism as a buzzing network of interlocking circuits with the award of $46 million in study grants announced...



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Check out this gorgeous Mars picture, courtesy of India's orbiter

Hello Mars! You're looking lovely this week!



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Laser-guided 'sea monkeys' hint at secrets of ocean's motion

Could the humble brine shrimp, a few millimeters in length, be partly responsible for the large-scale motion of the ocean?



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Ebola outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria now under control, CDC says

The Ebola outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria appear to be under control, with no new cases reported in more than 21 days, according to reports issued Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



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When There’s a Vegetarian Child in the Family

Now that my daughter has become a vegetarian, I fear I am doomed to turn into the dreaded Restaurant Mom, tailoring meal planning to each of my children’s fancies.

















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600-year-old canoe found in New Zealand linked to Polynesian sailors

Centuries before Captain Cook explored the South Pacific, Polynesian seafarers in canoes crossed vast swaths of water to colonize lonely islands from Samoa and New Zealand all the way to Hawaii. But how they managed such a feat remains something of a mystery.



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Drought-conscious residents turn the water tables on public agencies

The scene captured on video by a onetime aspiring filmmaker had neither actors nor dialogue, but it spoke volumes:



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An hour of physical activity a day helps kids think better, study says

Here's another reason to get your kids off the couch and make them run around instead: It will help them think better.



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Early, frequent antibiotic use linked to childhood obesity

Parents and pediatricians will often reach for antibiotics to treat middle ear infections, strep throat, fevers and other common ailments of childhood. But new research suggests that doing so, and prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics in particular, increases those children's risk of...



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Well: Vets Face Rising Worry Over Fleas

Anecdotal reports suggest fleas are getting harder to control, but vets and product makers said the products still work.

















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Well: After Surgery, Predicting a Speedy Recovery

In a small study, researchers found that certain activity in patients’ immune systems correlated to different recovery times.

















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California drought and climate warming: Studies find no clear link

Global warming contributed to extreme heat waves in many parts of the world last year, but cannot be definitively linked to the California drought, according to a report released Monday.



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Well: Working Long Hours Tied to Diabetes Risk

Working long hours may increase the risk for Type 2 diabetes, a new review has found, but the risk is only apparent in workers of lower socioeconomic status.

















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Condoms fail, so teens should consider implants and IUDs, doctors say

To prevent teen pregnancies, pediatricians should talk with their adolescent patients about birth control, starting with hormonal implants and IUDs, according to an updated policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.



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Vitamin D in diet might ease effects of age on memory, study suggests

If you don't want to dumb down with age, vitamin D may be the meal ticket.



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Well: Celiac Disease, a Common, but Elusive, Diagnosis

A main reason for a lag in the detection of celiac disease is the long and confusing list of signs and symptoms, some of which may be mild enough to be easily ignored or attributed to another condition.

















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