All Stories
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19375
This article, or at least part of it, could have been titled “Danger on Dock” or maybe “Danger under Dock.” After reading about how chromated-copper arsenate (CCA) is leached from the wood, I began wondering how it affects aquatic organisms. Many fish, especially bluegills and other sunfish, make these docks their preferred habitat. If not […]
By Science News - Earth
Danger on Deck?
The Environmental Protection Agency no longer allows residential installation of pressure-treated lumber and recommends the application of sealant to prevent leaching of carcinogens out of existing lumber structures.
By Janet Raloff -
19374
Something jumped out at me from this article. It’s that there were no published data supporting the 50 percent rule taught for years in medical schools. I think this speaks volumes about science and medicine in this country. Charlie WelchBrighton, Mass. I’m confused. “Wine Surprise: Heart-protective effect is independent of antioxidants” (SN: 1/31/04, p. 68: […]
By Science News - Health & Medicine
Telltale Charts
Overturning a basic tenet of conventional wisdom in cardiology, new research suggests that more than half the people who develop heart disease first show one of the warning signs of smoking, having diabetes, or having high blood pressure or cholesterol.
By Ben Harder - Math
Folding Paper in Half—Twelve Times
You can’t fold a sheet of paper in half more than seven or eight times, no matter how large the sheet or thin the paper may be. How often have you heard that statement? Perhaps you’ve even put this assertion to the test. And, indeed, it is difficult to get beyond about seven or eight […]
- Health & Medicine
A Swiss Paradox?
Gstaad, Switzerland, has gained renown for its challenging ski trails and celebrity sightings. Come summer, however, the area’s slopes host cows, not skiers. It now appears that milk from those cows produces cheeses rich in some heart-healthy nutrients. Where and on what Bossie grazes appears to make a big difference in heart-healthiness of cheeses made […]
By Janet Raloff -
- Humans
From the January 20, 1934, issue
alt=”Click to view larger image”> GRAVE OF PREHISTORIC CHIEF’S DAUGHTER EXCAVATED A girl of 20, almost toothless! This is the pathetic picture of prehistoric Alaska revealed in the skeleton of an Eskimo chief’s daughter. The grave of the girl, discovered in southwestern Alaska by Dr. Frederica de Laguna of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, yielded […]
By Science News - Humans
Telegraph Days
Samuel F.B. Morse invented the electromagnetic telegraph and the Library of Congress holds an extensive collection of his papers. About 6,500 of these documents are now available online. They document Morse’s invention, his participation in the development of telegraph systems in the United States and abroad, his career as a painter, his family life, his […]
By Science News -
Insect receptor for sweat creates buzz
A sweat-sensing cell-surface protein allows female mosquitoes to target human skin.
By John Travis -
Hot or cold? Debate on protein heats up
Wasabi and horseradish trigger the same pain-signaling receptor on nerve cells.
By John Travis - Materials Science
Nanotube implants could aid brain research
Electrically conducting carbon nanotubes could be the ideal material for probing the brain and treating neural disorders.