Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. Humans

    From the June 17, 1933, issue

    STRATOSPHERE SHELL PREPARED FOR NAVIGATORS The little metal sphere that will be the stratosphere home of two men and scientific instruments for a few hours next month is rapidly being completed (SNL, May 27, ’33, p. 323). It is pictured on the front cover with Dr. Jean F. Piccard emerging at the unfinished vertex of […]

  2. Earth

    Rocks for Kids

    Can’t tell pyrite from magnetite? Looking for an entertaining, colorful introduction to rocks and minerals? The Mineralogical Society of America has created a Web site, aimed at kids, that provides information about minerals and their classification, properties, and uses. It includes a selection of games with a mineral theme. Go to: http://www.minsocam.org/MSA/K12/K_12.html

  3. 19254

    It’s appropriate that research into the genes for caffeine in tea and coffee plants should be done at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo. The university is named for the Ochanomizu district of Tokyo, a name that literally means tea water. The name arose in the early 17th century, when the second Tokugawa shogun took such a […]

  4. 19253

    I have always been fascinated by the subject of this article. I have a simple question: Is there a definitive set of standards (physical or behavioral or both) that defines modern Homo sapiens? Lew RobertsFranklin Square, N.Y. No. This is a topic that inspires much discussion and debate .–B. Bower

  5. 19252

    Your article says that Robert R. Leben of the University of Colorado operates a Web site that monitors the positions of Gulf of Mexico eddies, but it doesn’t give the Web site. It would be most valuable to the millions of us who live along the gulf. Roy P. FinneyWeeki Wachee, Fla. Two sites you […]

  6. Humans

    From the June 10, 1933, issue

    BRAINLIKE STALAGMITES FOUND IN MARYLAND CAVE Stalagmite deposits shaped like human brains have been found on the floor of a newly discovered cave in Mount Etna, near Beaver Creek, Md., about 60 miles from Washington. James H. Benn of the Smithsonian Institution staff, who was detailed to make a geological investigation, brought one of them […]

  7. Firefly Alight

    The Firefly Files Web site is dedicated to “the sparks of bioluminescent light that inspire awe and wonder around the earth.” Developed by the Museum of Biological Diversity at Ohio State University, this site provides a variety of information about fireflies, from where they live to how they glow. Go to: http://iris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/projects/FFiles/top.html

  8. 19164

    This article reports that, wearing a gecko-inspired glove, “a person could dangle from the ceiling.” How would that person let go? David D. JonesSt. Paul, Minn. The microscopic hairs on a gecko’s feet stick only when the angle at which they meet the surface is just right. To unstick its feet, a gecko peels them […]

  9. 19244

    Your article noted that “. . . with food in it, a pan will never reach temperatures that produce toxic PTFE-derived gases.” However, to fry items like eggs and pancakes, the pan has to be hot before you put oil and food into it. The article was enough to send me out to replace my […]

  10. Humans

    From the June 3, 1933, issue

    TWO MECHANICAL MEN EXPLAIN BODY’S MECHANISM Mechanical men reveal to the visitors of the Century of Progress exhibition the physiology and chemistry of the human body. The famous transparent man, manufactured in Germany, as a life-sized display of the vital organs of human anatomy is a central exhibit in the medical section of the Hall […]

  11. Different Views of Molecules

    Interested in viewing molecular structures from different angles? Part of a Web site devoted to crystallography research, these pages provide colorful, interactive images of common, biologically important molecules, including amino acids, hormones, and nucleosides. Users can view and rotate a three-dimensional image of each molecule and obtain such information as its chemical formula. Requires a […]

  12. 19325

    While the report of ballistic testing of bacteria is a fascinating study of bacterial survival, I’d be more concerned about the effects of severe extremes of heat, cold, and vacuum on the survival of bacterial spores. As the study stands, we’re still left wondering about these other important factors. Jon OngWoodland Hills, Calif. Bacteria can […]