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First a Flame, Now Time

Alan Alda's own childhood experience provided the inspiration for a challenge he posed to scientists earlier this year: to describe a flame such that an 11-year-old child can understand what it is. Now, a new question drawn from more than 300 submissions asks scientists to describe what time is, the Associated Press reports. In addition to his acting work, Alda is a founder of Stony Brook University's Center for Communicating Science.

Such an exercise not only explains scientific concepts to kids and laypeople, but also helps scientists better communicate their work. "This contest probably gives people the impression that it's a teaching tool for kids," Alda says. "That's a happy by-product, but it really is a tool for scientists to take a complex question and explain it in a way the rest of us can understand."

The Scan

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Climate change, the researchers noted in Science, may lead to camouflage mismatch and increase predation of white-tailed jackrabbits.

Adenine Base Editor Targets SCID Mutation in New Study

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, report in Cell that adenine base editing was able to produce functional T lymphocytes in a model of severe combined immune deficiency.

Researchers Find Gene Affecting Alkaline Sensitivity in Plants

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Science have found a locus affecting alkaline-salinity sensitivity, which could aid in efforts to improve crop productivity, as they report in Science.

International Team Proposes Checklist for Returning Genomic Research Results

Researchers in the European Journal of Human Genetics present a checklist to guide the return of genomic research results to study participants.