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All Stories by Science News
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19038
In the article about infinity, the “stereoscopic” images of tiny squares on page 140 are too far apart to view in the conventional way. However, if the viewer holds the magazine at arm’s length and looks cross-eyed at the pair, the diagonal across the square becomes visible. Robin FrostSanta Barbara, Calif.
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HumansFrom the August 19, 1933, issue
CONSTRUCTION BEGUN ON 80-INCH TEXAS TELESCOPE The giant 80-inch reflecting telescope that will spy upon the stars from McDonald Observatory, to be erected on a peak of Davis Mountains, Texas, is now under construction. A contract for the telescope has been approved by the University of Texas board of regents, and Warner and Swasey Company […]
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Planetary ScienceMars Encounter
On Aug. 27, Mars and Earth will be closer to each other than at any other time in the last 50,000 years. Amateur astronomers with small backyard telescopes can already view features such as dust clouds, the southern polar ice cap (because the southern cap is tipped toward Earth), and volcanic terrain. This NASA Web […]
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19337
Your article worries that hydrogen-fuel leakage may add to stratospheric ozone problems. Doesn’t that presuppose that the hydrogen for fuel is generated from a fossil source? What if the hydrogen is generated from air, seawater, or biomass? Clark WaiteDescanso, Calif. The source of the extra hydrogen molecules doesn’t matter, says geochemist John M. Eiler of […]
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19336
This article notes tetrahydrocannabinol’s (THC’s) side effects of “sedation, giddiness, and paranoia” and then states that a new drug, AM1241, alleviates pain “without the side effects” of the marijuana ingredient. Yet the article also says there are concerns about AM1241 “undermining the immune system.” Marijuana has been shown to be an effective treatment for a […]
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19267
I passed out three different times from temporary heart stoppages before I got my pacemaker, and I remember dreaming twice. Since I am not religious, my dreams weren’t similar to reported “near-death experiences,” but it doesn’t surprise me that a religious person who thought she were dying would dream of going to heaven. Donald DozerChardon, […]
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HumansFrom the August 12, 1933, issue
CONTINENTAL LIGHTHOUSE This is a moonlight photograph of the 400-watt electric lamp on the top of Mt. Washington. When flashed recently in visibility tests conducted by the Mt. Washington Polar Year observers, it was noticed as far away as Boothbay Harbor, Maine, 95 miles distant, and at many other points in New England. Current for […]
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HumansAlexandria’s Library
The Library of Alexandria was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Egypt has now rebuilt the library as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, housed in a new complex in Alexandria. The Web site includes a history of the ancient library, a photo tour of the new facility, links to archaeological investigations of Alexandria, and other […]
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19266
In your article, you state that the cloned foal Prometea is a genetic twin of her birth mother which contributed the nuclear DNA. This is not true, as twins have identical nuclear and mitochondrial genes. The cytoplasm of the cloned foal was obtained from a slaughtered horse. The cytoplasm, and therefore the mitochondrial genes, of […]
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19335
I have a real problem with the way that the so-called robot-designed robot is described in this article. I used to do large-scale manufacturing automation, and I consider what is being done a parlor trick. There are only two things that could be called “robotic” in the system: The computer-aided manufacturing machinery that built the […]
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19265
Regarding this article, the challenge is how to increase the anomalous risk perceptions of white males. Their low risk perception may lead to higher use of cigarettes and other addictive drugs, lower use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, driving at unsafe speeds and while intoxicated, poor eating practices, higher use of guns, and […]
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19334
In your article about the use of kites for science, we are told that Antarctica is “[m]ore than half a world away from Kansas.” I know a shorter route. It’s a round, round world, after all! Marvin E. Kahn Darnestown, Md.