All Stories by Science News
- Humans
From the August 20, 1932, issue
HYDROGEN REMAKES PETROLEUM INTO MORE USEFUL PRODUCTS Hydrogen, lightest of the elements, is a wonder-worker in industrial chemistry. The pushing of more hydrogen into substances, called hydrogenation, makes fluid vegetable oils into synthetic hard fats, carbon monoxide into useful methanol or “wood alcohol,” coal into lubricating oil and gasoline, and poor lubricating oil into superior […]
- Physics
Relativity and Gravitation
Learn more about the hot Big Bang, relic radiation, black holes, cosmic strings, inflation, and other topics at the frontiers of cosmology research. Offered by the Cambridge University relativity and gravitation research group, this Web site features illustrated explanations of key concepts, colorful movies, and a link to Stephen Hawking’s pages. Go to: http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/gr/public/
-
19104
In this article Swedish scientists report finding “as much as 200 µg/kg [of acrylamide] in mashed potatoes,” while stating in a subsequent paragraph that boiling potatoes “appeared to generate none.” I am curious to know how they make mashed potatoes in Sweden. I always boil mine. Paul NelsonHouston, Texas You state that boiled potatoes have […]
-
19105
As a trainer of tracking dogs, I was interested in your article about attempts to duplicate electronically the scenting ability of dogs. Even if these expensive, high-tech artificial dog noses are successful, however, they are not likely to be of much benefit to the “62 countries worldwide” strewn with “more than 100 million land mines.” […]
- Humans
From the February 15, 1930, issue
ACRES OF PENGUINS IN ANTARCTICA Penguins by the acre are among the profusion of water animals inhabiting the regions adjacent to the desolate lands of Antarctica that help make its exploration of value, Dr. Isaiah Bowman, director of the American Geographical Society, told the American Philosophical Society. Dr. Bowman spoke in the 141-year-old hall of […]
-
Issues of Genetic Fitness
Using historic photographs and documents, the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center presents an eye-opening, troubling chronicle of the U.S. eugenics movement in the early 20th century. The archive’s aim is to stimulate people to think about possible similarities between eugenics, dedicated to improving human genetic stock through better breeding, and some current discussions […]
-
19103
Your article on microbial-efflux-pump research immediately caused me to relate the phenomenon to immune system response. Have the researchers considered the possibility of such a response triggering the formation of efflux pumps, either specific to the triggering “foreign” body or to a group of bodies similar to the cow pox-small pox link? Robert E. HubbardWinter […]
- Humans
From the August 13, 1932, issue
ONLY HALF OF LIGHTNING FLASH IS SEEN BY OBSERVERS Not many years ago, a thunderstorm often meant that the supply of electricity would be interrupted. But now, lightning does not cause power line failures nearly as frequently as it used to; it has been tamed by engineers. Laboratory artificial power lines that duplicate actual conditions […]
- Math
Prepping for Calculus
The “Calculus Page” Web site provides links to a variety of resources for calculus students and teachers, from problem sets with step-by-step solutions to tips on preparing for exams. Linked sites offer online tutorials and courses, sample exams, animated examples, mathematical software, and information on calculus competitions and the history of calculus. Go to: http://www.calculus.org/
-
19102
We’ve seen many expositions about the risk and danger of radiofrequency emissions from cell-phone antennae. As a bystander to the whole issue, I don’t understand why the manufacturers don’t design the phones so the antenna comes out by the mouthpiece. First, it would be a more natural location for grabbing and extending, and second, it […]
-
From the February 8, 1930, issue
VOLCANO WATCHERS BRAVE DRAGONS’ BREATH Regularly established and equipped volcano observatories are relatively few, for the business of watching volcanoes, unlike the related business of watching the weather, is a comparatively new science and has yet not developed a large trained personnel. The United States has only one volcano station, in spite of the fact […]
-
Explore Antarctica with Nomad
Follow the daily activities of Nomad, a roving robot searching for meteorites in Antarctica, at the Big Signal interactive Web site, developed by Peter Coppin of the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry in Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Arts. Check out daily progress reports, obtain background information, learn about telerobotics, and get a hint of what […]
