Uncategorized
- Earth
Lab tests hint at where xenon hides out
Results of recent experiments in which scientists squeezed a mixture of xenon and powdered quartz at high temperatures and pressures may explain why the gas is found at relatively low concentrations in the atmosphere.
- Health & Medicine
Ebola may travel on the wing
Fruit bats can carry the Ebola virus, suggesting that they may spread it in Africa.
- Astronomy
A puny way to make planets
Brown dwarfs are failures in the star-making business, but new observations reveal that they may still succeed in growing planets.
- Tech
Nanotubes spring eternal
Researchers have discovered that forests of carbon nanotubes squish and expand like foams, but with extraordinary resilience.
- Humans
Irreplaceable Perplexity 101
An imaginary classroom provides lessons on the all-too-real debate over evolution and intelligent design.
-
19624
Presumably, you were attempting to be funny in this article, but the bias was too obvious, straight out of the anti–intelligent design talking points. Instead of ridicule, could we get a spirited exchange from the best minds on both sides? David F. CoppedgeNewhall, Calif. While I’m extremely skeptical of the claims that some intelligent design […]
- Ecosystems
Squirt Alert
A sea animal of unknown origins and lacking any known predator has begun commandeering ecosystems in cool coastal waters throughout the world.
-
19623
This fine piece about invasive sea squirts states that the critters maintain an unappetizing surface pH of 2. Does this make these mats harmful to touch? Andrew J. DolsonRichmond, Va. Robert Whitlatch of the University of Connecticut, who grows Didemnum in the lab, says it’s fine to handle for short periods of time, “though I […]
- Humans
Archival Science
Photos from the Science Service archive at the Smithsonian offer fresh views of the Scopes evolution trial.
- Computing
The Risky Business of Spreadsheet Errors
Faulty spreadsheets and poor software practices can put businesses at risk.
- Humans
From the December 14, 1935, issue
A TVA dam nears completion, sleep aids memory and relearning, and shedding light on the upper atmosphere.
- Humans
Pioneers in Science Writing
Starting in the early 1920s, Science Service, which publishes Science News, played a significant role in promoting the public understanding of science. Its staff of writers included several women who were pioneers in the emerging field of science journalism. The Smithsonian Institution Archives has a Web exhibit that highlights the careers of five of these […]
