They also blame it for some of the health problems seen in southern Iraq, though many scientists say there is no known mechanism by which DU could have caused the damage.

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But scientists say it will come no closer than 17, 100 miles from our planet's surface.

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There is no chance, independent scientists say, that released salmon would win a Darwinian war in open waters with wild salmon the so-called Trojan gene effect.

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With no natural predator, scientists say, the crayfish was free to roam from where the Nile meets Egypt's Mediterranean coast, down toward the arid nation's border with Sudan.

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But scientists say rhino horns are made from the same material as fingernails and have no proven medicinal properties.

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Scientists are quick to point out that no single storm can be blamed on climate change, but say a warming world raises the odds of extreme weather.

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"When you start dealing with a senior bunch of scientists trained in conventional physics and they see a young upstart with a miracle material, most say 'no, ' and they say it rather vehemently, " says James Collis , who evaluates technology for the logistics division of the Naval Air Systems Command and who has closely followed Branagan's work.

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