Uncategorized
- Humans
From the February 25, 1933, issue
ADAM AND EVE IN THE OLDEST CITY In the oldest city that archaeologists have ever explored they have dug up “Adam and Eve” and the serpent. There they are, the figures of a man and a woman, which have been stamped on clay with a seal. They are a dejected human pair, bent, and stumbling […]
By Science News - Tech
A Theremin’s Electronic Wail
A pioneering electronic instrument played without touch, the theremin can produce a wide range of eerie sounds. Introduced by Lev Sergeyvich Termen in 1921, the instrument responds to hand motions, which control the pitch and loudness. Information about the theremin is available at various Web sites, and if you’re dying to play it yourself, you […]
By Science News -
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- Math
The Tangled Task of Distinguishing Knots
Consider the plight of a gardener struggling with a recalcitrant tangle of garden hose. Sometimes, no amount of pulling or twisting unsnarls the coils. At other times, the tangles readily come apart, and the hose emerges unknotted. Trefoil knot. Different views of the figure-eight knot. Robert Scharein Braid (left) and its closed form (right). Robert […]
- Physics
Electronic Acrobats: Tidily tweaking electrons’ twirls
The first demonstration of three-dimensional, electrical control of a quantum property of electrons known as spin marks an important step toward a new type of spin-based electronics and, possibly, quantum computers.
By Peter Weiss - Earth
If It’s Wet in Malaysia . . . : Afghan droughts linked to rain in Indian Ocean
An analysis of nearly 2 decades of weather patterns suggests a link between an abundance of precipitation in the eastern Indian Ocean and a lack of rain in portions of southwestern Asia.
By Sid Perkins -
19178
Another new anti-HIV drug in the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) class that has shown promise is TMC125. You don’t mention this drug, but it has been shown in trial studies to have replaced five drugs for drug-resistant patients, it produces a large drop in viral load, and it has been shown to have very […]
By Science News - Health & Medicine
Full Pipeline: Success of experimental AIDS drugs offers promise of future therapies
Three experimental drugs—a monoclonal antibody, a protease inhibitor, and a fusion inhibitor—performed well in early tests on AIDS patients.
By Nathan Seppa -
Cult Anthrax: Stored slime reveals why release went undetected
A U.S. anthrax geneticist tells the story behind his work figuring out how Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo released anthrax into Tokyo but people didn't notice anything except a nasty smell.
By Susan Milius -
19177
This article fails to mention the very plausible explanation that was offered at the time by those who produced the Republican campaign ad. Namely, that they were using a graphics-software program that produces the effect in question for any word. The validity of the research isn’t affected by whether the appearance of “rats” in this […]
By Science News -
Dirty RATS: Campaign ad may have swayed voters subliminally
Psychological research sparked by a controversial campaign advertisement aired during the 2000 presidential election suggests that the 30-second spot—which briefly flashed "RATS"—may have negatively affected viewers’ opinions of Democratic candidate Al Gore.
By Sid Perkins