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Science Past for February 28, 1959
WEATHER SATELLITE ORBITING — The United States has launched into orbit the first baby weather station in space. It was hurled into its earth-circling path at 10:55 a.m. Feb. 17, and its predicted lifetime is several decades. The batteries powering the radio transmitting weather information, however, have only a two-week lifetime. The 20-inch, 21.5-pound satellite […]
- Space
Cosmic mystery
High-energy invaders from space could signal a nearby pulsar, or perhaps dark matter.
- Life
Mitochondria Gone Bad
Problems in the cell’s energy factories power new ideas on disease and aging.
- Earth
First wave
The presidents of two island nations draft escape plans, anticipating sea level rise.
- Climate
Plumes of arctic haze traced to Russia, Kazakhstan
Smoke from forest fires, agricultural burning may be substantial part of springtime plumes.
- Tech
Two satellites collide in Earth orbit
In an unprecedented collision, two large satellites crashed into each other in low-Earth orbit on February 10.
- Science & Society
Kids’ gestures foretell better vocabularies
Toddlers who gesture more at age 14 months possess larger vocabularies when entering school, new research finds.
- Humans
First rough draft of Neandertal genome released
A rough draft of the Neandertal genome is complete, scientists announced on Darwin’s 200th birthday.
- Health & Medicine
Sequencing virus genome to cure the common cold
The genomes of all known common cold viruses have been sequenced, providing new information on how the different strains are related, how they replicate and how to predict their virulence.
- Space
About-face: A look at the moon’s farside
Researchers have for the first time mapped the gravitational field of the moon’s farside — the lunar half that is permanently turned away from Earth.
- Health & Medicine
Bigger rewards boost tobacco quit rate
Smokers who are offered several hundred dollars are three times as likely to quit as those offered no reward.
- Life
Darwin: The reluctant mathematician
Despite disliking mathematics, the great biologist inadvertently advanced statistics.
