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January 17, 2013 In many parts of the world, like Europe, the plague is thought to have been eliminated. French scientists find evidence that the stubborn bacteria can trigger new outbreaks even after decades of apparent dormancy.

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January 16, 2013 Canadian scientists have developed a synthetic stool that successfully treated two patients with a severe form of diarrhea. The researchers call the concoction RePOOPulate, and they produce it using a machine that recreates conditions in the colon.

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January 10, 2013 Just for the sake of financial fun, we've calculated how much platinum it would actually take to mint a coin with $1 trillion worth of the metal in it. Turns out, it's probably more platinum than mankind has available on the market right now.

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January 2, 2013 Chinese officials say two people intentionally spiked a restaurant's eggplant stir-fries with a toxic dose of a blood pressure drug. The poisoning sent 80 diners to the hospital, where doctors figured out the cause. They all eventually recovered.

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January 2, 2013 A scientist in Thailand raises mosquito colonies so she can study a new malaria drug. The insects are quite spoiled — they'll eat only live human blood. So she feeds them "breakfast" each day from her right arm.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

December 24, 2012 The inability to send coherent text messages, or 'dystextia,' is helping doctors diagnose neurological problems. In one recent case, a series of garbled text messages was an early signal that a woman was having a stroke.

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December 23, 2012 All over India, an unusual name has been popping up on signs in restaurants and businesses. Indians have a growing affinity for the murderous dictator, and the connections between him and the subcontinent may explain why.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 23, 2012 For nearly 30 years, Tony Lepore has worked as a traffic cop in Providence, R.I. But he doesn't just beckon, wave and blow a whistle; he dances — and he's got some serious moves.

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On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist