Uncategorized
- Humans
From the August 9, 1930, issue
A FISH WITH HANDS A fish of more than ordinary piscine talent is sometimes found in the drifting masses of gulfweed or Sargassum in the great mid-Atlantic eddy. It is only a little fish, a couple of inches long, but it can use its two pectoral fins for some of the functions of hands. It […]
- Humans
From the August 2, 1930, issue
SHOOTING STARS, THE STORY-TELLERS OF THE UNIVERSE Of fortunate rarity are celestial visitors like the huge meteoric mass that dug the famous Meteor Crater in Arizona about 2,000 years ago. This scar on the face of the earth near Winslow, Ariz., is four-fifths of a mile across and 450 feet deep. It is shown on […]
- Math
Software’s Origin
One of the main functions of the venerable and massive Oxford English Dictionary is to record the earliest known use of a word (or sense of a word) in English. The current edition of the dictionary dates the word software back to 1960, though researchers have discovered an 1850 occurrence of the term in a […]
- Math
Software’s Origin
One of the main functions of the venerable and massive Oxford English Dictionary is to record the earliest known use of a word (or sense of a word) in English. The current edition of the dictionary dates the word software back to 1960, though researchers have discovered an 1850 occurrence of the term in a […]
- Humans
From the July 26, 1930, issue
DID THE MOUNDBUILDERS COME FROM MEXICO? Were the Indians who built the mysterious mounds of the great interior valley of our country kinsmen to the Mayas of Yucatan and the other highly cultured peoples of the Mexican plateau? Are the decidedly Maya- and Aztec-like sculptures taken from mounds in the Southeast really witnesses to an […]
- Paleontology
Pretty Pollen
The pinup of the pollen grain of the month is just one of several intriguing features at this University of Arizona Web site devoted to palynology–the study of the microscopic, decay-resistant remains of plants and animals. The site provides definitions, illustrations, a brief history, a section for kids, and examples of applications in archaeology, paleoecology, […]
- Earth
Earth Views
The “Global View of the Earth” Web site offers lesson plans and other material for middle school teachers interested in classroom use of images taken by NASA’s Landsat-7 satellite. Students learn about the spacecraft and try to identify “mystery” images–full-color, visible-light images of objects such as airports and bridges, as seen from Landsat more than […]
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Blood Work
Knowing the identity of every protein in the liquid portion of blood could offer new ways to detect—or even treat and prevent—many diseases.
- Tech
Chip Collection
The Smithsonian’s “Chip Collection” Web site offers all sorts of nuggets of information for those interested in the history of integrated circuits. Developed and frequently updated by Nance L. Briscoe of the National Museum of American History, the site features more than 2,000 images, a “chip talk” glossary, examples of chip graffiti, information on patents, […]
- Humans
Medieval Medicine
For a glimpse of medicine in medieval times, check out the National Library of Medicine’s illustrated catalog of Islamic medical manuscripts. Visitors to the Web site can also get a brief introduction to the history of Islamic medicine and its role in European history, find biographies of important Islamic physicians, surgeons, and scholars, and browse […]
- Anthropology
Hand and Brain
Get a handle on primate handedness research and its bearing on brain function at a Web site run by anthropologist M.K. Holder. Participate in ongoing research and listen to various primates sound off, from a screaming chimpanzee to a belching mountain gorilla. Go to: http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/index.html
- Tech
On the Rebound
When electronically reversed in time, acoustic echoes can zero in on a spot in space, focusing sound energy so that it may zap tumors, detect submarines, or transmit private and secure information.
