Uncategorized

  1. Astronomy

    X-ray satellite goes the distance

    Using the sharp X-ray eye of an orbiting observatory, astronomers have employed a novel method to measure distance within the Milky Way.

    By
  2. Leggy beetles show how insects lost limbs

    Inactivating two genes in red flour beetles causes grubs to grow lots of legs—and provides clues to the puzzle of the evolution of the six-legged body plan.

    By
  3. Paleontology

    Africa’s east coast netted ancient humans

    Excavations of an exposed reef on Africa's Red Sea coast indicate that humans lived there 125,000 years ago, pushing back the date for the earliest seaside settlement by at least 10,000 years.

    By
  4. Humans

    From the October 22, 1932, issue

    SUN, MOON AND STARS IN THE MOVIES Joshua, it is recorded, commanded the sun and the moon to stand still and they obeyed him. In this modern Yankee land and age of hustle, we are much less interested in making things stand still than in making them move faster. Present-day Joshuas would be more likely […]

    By
  5. Health & Medicine

    A Most Dreadful Pest

    Yellow fever was a deadly scourge that had a devastating effect on lives and economies throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. This engrossing Web exhibit features historical documents from the Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection at the University of Virginia. It focuses on the work of the Reed Commission, which proved that the Aedes aegypti […]

    By
  6. Math

    Prime Pursuit

    A novel approach for identifying prime numbers provides a long-sought improvement in the theoretical efficiency of prime-detecting algorithms.

    By
  7. Physics

    Intergalactic magnetism runs deep and wide

    Mounting evidence that magnetic fields of surprising strength permeate intergalactic space raises questions about how the fields form and what effects they have.

    By
  8. Health & Medicine

    Drug Eases Bone Cancer Pain in Mice

    Pain caused by bone cancer in mice can be alleviated somewhat by osteoprotegerin, a drug being tested for osteoporosis, suggesting a possible new treatment for people with this cancer.

    By
  9. Math

    Changes of Mathematical State

    Untangling a web of conflicting demands can be tough on computers.

    By
  10. Humans

    From the May 3, 1930, issue

    MOON’S SHADOW AT ECLIPSE PHOTOGRAPHED Clouds over the sun broke away at Camptonville, Yuba County, California, two minutes before the total phase of the solar eclipse of the sun. Only the lightest haze remained, and the observations planned by the various expeditions located there were carried through successfully. The Lick Observatory-Crocker expedition under the direction […]

    By
  11. Astronomy

    A Hubble Decade

    To celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope’s 10th anniversary, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., has created a new Web site devoted to the Earth-orbiting telescope and its spectacular images. Offering much more than pretty pictures, the site recounts Hubble’s discoveries, illustrates how the telescope works, and suggests various educational activities and games. Until […]

    By
  12. Spying on Plant Defenses: Insects monitor toxin ramp-up

    A common caterpillar can sense when a plant is gearing up to manufacture insecticidal toxins and respond by starting up its own detoxification system.

    By