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19290
Unfortunately your article got something wrong in describing the reshaping of aircraft surfaces. It states, “The recently retired supersonic commercial transport, the Concorde, tilted its nose downward for subsonic flight.” This is not the (whole) truth because the reason for this reshaping was not to reduce air drag, but to achieve a far-better view of […]
- Tech
Wings of Change
Inspired by the Wright brothers, who steered their first flyer by twisting its pliant wings, engineers are developing versatile and flexible flying machines expected to undergo radical shape changes in flight.
- Humans
From the November 25, 1933, issue
STEEL TOWERS GO UP AND DOWN TO SPEED SURVEY OF COUNTRY Work on control surveys of the United States is being rapidly pushed forward under funds recently provided by the Public Works Administration to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Although the immediate purpose is to provide employment to a great number of men, the […]
- Math
Fractal World
Created by Michael Frame, Benoit Mandelbrot, and Nial Neger of Yale University, these Web pages serve as a remarkably comprehensive source of information on fractal geometry. The site offers basic definitions, many illustrations, and lots of mathematical details. Topics include natural fractals and dimensions, iterated function systems, the complex Newton’s method, fractals in art and […]
- Earth
The Next MTBE: Contamination from fuel additives could spread
Several alternatives to the common gasoline additives methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethanol could create environmental problems similar to those that MTBE has already caused.
- Tech
Electronic Thread: Fiber transistor may lead to woven circuits
By coating flexible metal fibers with semiconductors, researchers have developed individual threads that act as transistors and that should be linkable into circuits by means of wires included among a fabric's threads.
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Protein Portal: Enzyme acts as door for the SARS virus
A protein that regulates blood pressure also serves as the cellular portal for the SARS virus.
- Materials Science
This Won’t Hurt . . . Tiny needles deliver drugs painlessly
Microscopic needles may provide a painless alternative to syringes and patches.
- Earth
Lake Retreat: African river valley once hosted big lake
The valley of the White Nile in Africa may long ago have held a shallow lake that sprawled 70 kilometers across and stretched more than 500 km along the river.
- Chemistry
The March of History: Terra-cotta warriors show their true colors
As archaeologists continue to excavate the famous Chinese terra-cotta warriors, a new restoration technique could preserve the figures' paint coats, which normally peel off when exposed to the elements.
- Health & Medicine
Fetal Risk: Inflammation in womb tied to cerebral palsy
For a pregnant woman carrying a baby to term, inflammation in the womb nearly quadruples the chance her baby will be born with cerebral palsy.
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ADHD’s Brain Trail: Cerebral clues emerge for attention disorder
A new brain-imaging investigation suggests that disturbances in a network of regions involved in regulating actions and attention underlie the childhood psychiatric ailment known as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
