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Top stories: How Ebola spreads, magma under the moon, and mapping the ocean floor

This week's top science news

(Left to right) KOPERNIK OBSERVATORY/NASA/COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES/MIT/JPL/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER; VAL ALTOUNIAN/SCIENCE; DAVID SANDWELL, SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY

Tanning Addiction, Veggie-Eating Neanderthals, and More

 
 
 
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How does Ebola spread? Hard facts from key studies

This week, the United States confirmed its first case of Ebola, and the outbreak continues to rage on in West Africa. But how does the virus actually spread? Hard data are scant, but here's what we do know: Ebola is not airborne; it is mainly transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, and infection is unlikely to come from a fateful encounter with a doorknob or from a handshake. 

See all of Science's coverage of the Ebola outbreak, including stories from survivors Nancy Writebol and Senga Omeonga, why vaccine testing is being delayed, and the first Ebola case in the United States.

Ancient magma plumbing found buried below moon's largest dark spot

Scientists have discovered the remnants of a geological plumbing system that spilled lava across the moon about 3.5 billion years ago. The features are similar to rift valleys on Earth—regions where the crust is cooling, contracting, and ripping apart. Their existence shows that the moon, early in its history, experienced tectonic and volcanic activity normally associated with much bigger planets.

Australia's 2013 heat waves linked to human-caused climate change, studies conclude

Australia has suffered through two back-to-back sweltering summers, with a record-setting heat wave sweeping across the country at the end of 2013 and into 2014. Now, five separate studies conclude that the blazing summer was linked to human-caused climate change.

Satellites reveal hidden features at the bottom of Earth's seas

Using data from satellites that measure variations in Earth's gravitational field, researchers have found a new and more accurate way to map the sea floor, 80% of which remains uncharted. The improved resolution has already allowed them to identify previously hidden features—including thousands of extinct volcanoes more than 1000 meters tall.

Just how big is Google Scholar? Ummm …

Figuring out exactly how many papers are covered by Google Scholar isn't easy, recent research shows—in part because of the company's secretive, tightlipped nature. And some scholars warn that the service may be inflating citation counts, although that may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Sounds you can't hear can still hurt your ears

Just because you can't hear sounds doesn't mean they have no effect on your ears. Listening to just 90 seconds of low-frequency sound can change the way your inner ear works for minutes after the noise ends, a new study shows.


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