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National Geographic : 2015 Jul
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PHOTO: REBECCA HALE, NGM STAFF. ART: MATTHEW TWOMBLY, NGM STAFF Science EXPLORE H ello my nameis WHAT SHOULD THE NAMES BE? YOU DECIDE. If you’ve ever wanted to name a planet, now ’s your chance. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) wants help naming 32 exoplanets—planets that orbit a star other than our sun. Scientific and cultural organizations were asked to submit potential names. The public can rank finalists at nameexoworlds.org until July 15. The nearest of all the planets is ten light-years from Earth; the farthest is more than 2,300 light-years away. “ We don’t think any are habitable,” says IAU General Secretary Thierry Montmerle. “But some could be close.” —Daniel Stone A few coats of mascara can make even the puniest lashes look luscious. But some cosmetics companies use rabbits as their guinea pigs, an FDA-sanctioned practice that many people oppose. The tests—which involve applying products to the animals’ eyes to deter- mine toxicity—can cause blindness and death. Perhaps not for much longer. New research from the University of Liverpool sug- gests that protozoa may be a key to developing cruelty-free makeup. According to ecol- ogist David Montagnes, the cheap and abundant single- celled organisms may have enough genes in common with humans to make them good trial subjects. “This is the future of animal testing,” says Montagnes. “Protozoa do not possess a central nervous system and therefore don’t feel pain.” Using them could spell relief for lab rabbits and their advo- cates. —Catherine Zuckerman Easy on the Eyes
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