Uncategorized
-
Letters
Information as substrate In a recent article (“Enriched with information,” SN: 3/10/12, p. 22), you point out that some researchers consider consciousness to be a form of information. In another (“Bits of reality,” SN: 4/7/12, p. 26), you mention that increasing numbers of physicists are coming to regard information as the basic “stuff” from which […]
-
SN Online
HUMANS Learn what confidence means for group decision-making strategies in “Two heads sometimes better than one.” S. Osaki/Phys. Rev. Lett. 2012 MATTER & ENERGY A structural change in spider silk (below) makes it strong enough to string a violin. Read “Scientist fiddles with spider silk.” BODY & BRAIN A physician describes controversial anatomical evidence for […]
-
Science Future for June 2, 2012
June 9 Researchers hold car washes and bake sales nationwide to raise money and bring attention to budget cuts for planetary science programs. Find out more at bit.ly/SFcarwash June 26 Learn about the science of local food at the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City. A panel discusses whether eating locally is […]
-
Science Past from the issue of June 2, 1962
SECOND U.S. ASTRONAUT — Lt. Comdr. M. Scott Carpenter was rocketed into space at 8:45 a.m., EST, on May 24 to become the second U. S. astronaut.… As one of his experiments, Astronaut Carpenter released a small, 30-inch balloon…. The idea of the experiment was to determine whether a man undergoing the rigors of weightlessness […]
-
The Practical Einstein: Experiments, Patents, Inventions by József Illy
Einstein’s papers reveal a down-to-earth side. Learn about his inventions and ideas, including waterproof breathable clothes and an explanation for rivers’ meanderings. Johns Hopkins Univ., 2012, 202 p., $60
-
A World of Insects by Ring T. Cardé and Vincent H. Resh, eds.
Two entomologists present insect essays that explore everything from insect sex to crime scene investigation. Harvard Univ., 2012, 404 p., $19.95
-
EarthFlight: Breathtaking Photographs from a Bird’s-Eye View of the World by John Downer
30Cameras carried by hand, by gliders and by the creatures themselves give readers a literal bird’s-eye view of the world. Firefly Books, 2012, 240 p., $49.95
-
In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World by Ian Stewart
The author tells the stories of 17 equations, from Maxwell’s equations that led to modern TV and radio to algorithms that rattled the stock market. Basic Books, 2012, 342 p., $26.99
-
Tutankhamen: The Search for an Egyptian King by Joyce Tyldesley
An archaeologist explores myths surrounding the boy king and updates Tut fans on what experts have learned about his life and times. Basic Books, 2012, 316 p., $29.99
-
BOOK REVIEW: Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens by Andrea Wulf
Review by Alexandra Witze.
- Ecosystems
Darwin’s Devices
What Evolving Robots Can Teach Us About the History of Life and the Future of Technology, by John Long.
- Animals
Better bird nesting also good for giant manta rays
Disrupting tree canopies on a Pacific atoll discourages big fish off shore through a long chain of ecological consequences.
