Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. From the July 16, 1932, issue

    CANADIAN RESEARCH BUILDING READY FOR USE AT OTTAWA “In time of war, prepare for peace” is an adage worthy of being followed in economic conflict such as now grips the world. The impending dedication of Canada’s $3 million laboratory building at Ottawa for its National Research Council is a fitting reminder that research undertaken now […]

  2. Physics

    Sandcastle Physics

    Just about anyone can build a sandcastle out of wet sand. Why sand behaves as it does–on the beach, during earthquakes, at low pressures–isn’t yet fully understood. A NASA space shuttle experiment is now slated to tackle details of what happens when sand is compressed. Go to: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/11jul_mgm.htm

  3. 19091

    This article is highly deceptive in implying that avid recyclers are responsible for more dioxin in backyard burning. True, the article does say that’s per pound of trash burned. But how many fewer pounds of trash per person per year do these people burn? In reality, many people who are avid recyclers are probably also […]

  4. From the January 25, 1930, issue

    IF AMERICA HAD NOT BEEN DISCOVERED The suggestion that ancient America appears to parallel ancient Europe rather remarkably was made recently by Dr. A.V. Kidder, archaeologist of Phillips Academy, Andover, and director of archaeological researches for the Carnegie Institute of Washington. Dr. Kidder pointed out that the Mayan Indians who lived in Central America and […]

  5. Let’s Go to Lascaux

    Take a virtual trip to France’s Lascaux Cave. Gawk at the prehistoric paintings and engravings while learning about the site’s history, scientific work performed there, and Stone Age art techniques. Go to: http://www.culture.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/fr/index.html

  6. 19020

    “Vaccine for All? Math model supports mass smallpox inoculation” failed to mention an important complication for any type of smallpox-inoculation program: The vaccine might not work. A smallpox outbreak could be caused by a viral strain purposely engineered to evade any commercially available vaccine. Also, how likely is it that a new smallpox vaccine would […]

  7. 19077

    I found “Voltage from the Bottom of the Sea: Ooze-dwelling microbes can power electronics” both interesting and troubling. In essence, the article describes a bioelectrochemical fuel cell that has been under constant investigation since the 1960s, when such studies were funded by NASA and the Office of Naval Research. These devices have been variously referred […]

  8. Humans

    From the July 9, 1932, issue

    MODERNISTIC BUILDING SHOWS ACHIEVEMENTS OF SCIENCE Strikingly modernistic in design and construction is the huge Hall of Science building in Chicago which has been dedicated as the key structure for the Century of Progress Exposition next year. Its two floors and mezzanine, containing 9 acres of exhibit space, will illustrate the development of the sciences […]

  9. Humans

    Building America

    The “Building America” online exhibition by the National Building Museum provides a vividly illustrated overview of U.S. achievements in architecture, engineering, construction, planning, design, and landscaping. Timelines chronicle the evolution of buildings, from houses to skyscrapers, and environments, from historic New England towns to contemporary suburbs. Essays delve into the forces that affected U.S. architecture […]

  10. 19019

    From my observations of men and women, I think men crave meat more than women do, whereas women crave pastries more than men do. If the team would offer chocolate éclairs, the PET scans might show more prefrontal cortex activity in women’s brains, less in men’s. Since men’s brains showed more, I suspect the liquid […]

  11. From the July 2, 1932, issue

    OUR FRIEND THE BAT With the coming of warm summer weather, and the arrival in number of insects to eat, bats are becoming more noticeable as they make their noiseless nightly patrols. Because of their nocturnal, and therefore mysterious, habits and because of their preference for homes in caves and dark holes, our ancestors came […]

  12. Ketchup’s Shear Mystery

    Shifting suddenly from a thick paste to a runny liquid when shaken or jarred, ketchup is one of many complex fluids that share a property called “shear thinning.” A NASA Web page highlights an upcoming space experiment aimed at elucidating the basic physics of these fluids. Go to: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/07jun_elastic_fluids.htm