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Science News for March 29, 2000


$4.1 million NSF grant to mine Census data

A $4.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation is helping researchers link disparate databases and protect confidential data for economic and social scientists. The project aims to improve quality of the Census Bureau's surveys and enable better research on social issues like welfare-to-work and aging.

Genes or environment: what shapes the sensory homunculus?

Researchers at Harvard Medical School found a genetic protein that influences the brain's body map, contradicting previous thinking that neural input from the body's periphery shapes it. The discovery raises questions about individual differences in sensory function and potential genetic basis for variations in brain organization.

SourceHarvard Medical School·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateMar 29, 2000