All Stories by Science News
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From the April 30, 1932, issue
SPIRAL NEBULA IN ANDROMEDA BORDERED WITH STAR CLUSTERS Tiny flecks of hazy light around the borders of one of the most famous of the spiral nebulae, the one in the constellation Andromeda, are now believed to be great globular clusters of stars–literally swarms of suns crowded like clouds of gnats that hang over the marshes […]
- Physics
Fluid Beauty
Visualizations of a swirling jet, an insect’s wake, agitated sand, and other types of fluid motion can produce stunning images. The American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics annually recognizes research efforts that generate images having both scientific merit and aesthetic appeal. Its gallery of fluid motion features a variety of winning photographs (pdf images) […]
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From the April 23, 1932, issue
WELDING OFFERS CAMERA STRIKING FIELD OF BEAUTY By no means a trivial by-product of electric welding is the field of beauty the new art is opening up for photographers. While electricity eliminates the irritating staccato of noisy riveting, the photographer focuses his camera on a glowing scene of shadow and light, man and steel. Such […]
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Ant Patrol
With more than 11,000 ant species now identified worldwide, the “Antbase” Web site serves as the definitive guide to these social insects. Hosted by the American Museum of Natural History, the site provides links to a variety of resources devoted to ants, including databases, image collections, and news articles. Go to: http://research.amnh.org/entomology/social_insects/
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19058
I am surprised at the matter-of-fact sounding statements in this article: “Dark matter reacts only to gravity. Unlike visible matter, it can’t be pushed by winds.” We hypothesize the existence of dark matter to explain observations that could be attributed to gravitational forces, but we don’t know what dark matter might be. How can one […]
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19057
In this article, what, other than hubris, allows the modelers to conclude that the assumptions upon which their calculations are based are more valid than those upon which the genetic and paleontological calculations are based? Letting a computer do the number manipulations doesn’t change “garbage in, garbage out.” Leonard StoloffDelray Beach, Fla.
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18999
Let me preface my comment by saying that I have been providing Faith M. Walker with access to semitame and hand-raised southern hairy-nosed wombats for her studies. You didn’t mention that Faith’s work has an application in studying the effects of habitat fragmentation, which is a major cause of the species’ decline. On a more […]
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From the April 16, 1932, issue
NEW INDIAN TOMB YIELDS STRIKING ARTIFACT The first picture to reach the United States of one of the most striking art objects recovered from Indian tombs recently opened at Guerrero, Mexico, is shown on the cover of this weeks Science News Letter. The vessel was photographed just as it was taken from the tomb, with […]
- Planetary Science
Jupiter’s Whirlpool
The surprising birth and rapid evolution of a giant vortex highlight the first movie of Jupiter’s polar regions seen in the ultraviolet. The movie and other Jupiter images from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft are available online at the Cassini imaging team and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Web sites. Go to: http://ciclops.org/view.php?id=58 and http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2002/release_2002_59.html
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18998
Are you sure you quoted Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen accurately in this article? To wit: “. . . he was surprised to find that [the factors most influencing trihalomethane production in pools] include water temperature, large numbers of swimmers, and high concentrations of organic compounds.” Elevated temperature generally accelerates chemical reactions. More swimmers mean more grunge. […]
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19056
In this article John L. Hubisz mentions that his research shows that 80 percent of elementary school teachers have never taken a physical science course yet are required to teach physical concepts. Disturbing as this is, the larger problem would seem to be parents who home school and have never taken the classes necessary to […]
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19055
Shame on Nature for saying, “the evidence available is not sufficient to justify the publication of the original paper.” The fact that transgenes get into maize is cause for caution. The agribusiness conglomerates are spending millions to stifle any intelligent debate about the risks and benefits of genetically engineered crops and modern chemicals. Without information […]
