All Stories by Science News
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18994
There is another mechanism besides muscle that gives energy to running and hopping animals. It enables such animals as kangaroos to run faster than their muscles alone can take them. What happens is the tendons act as springs that stretch and then snap back. There is no reason to think that a large and heavy […]
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18993
Just a simple question from an avid subscriber. Is the homocysteine in this article the same as the l-cysteine or acetyl-l-cysteine that people take for health reasons in pill form? Paul A. PagnatoMcLean, Va. L-cysteine and acetyl-l-cysteine are quite different from homocysteine. l-cysteine is a detoxifying agent and free radical scavenger that’s the mirror image […]
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Ivorybill Search
The huge ivory-billed woodpecker has remained one of the United States’ most charismatic birds, even years after its presumed demise. In the latest effort to find the bird, a Zeiss-sponsored expedition this year sought the woodpecker in a Louisiana swamp. Catch up with the doings of the woodpecker’s many fans and learn more about its […]
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From the February 27, 1932, issue
PUSSY WILLOW Florists shops have long been offering big, beautiful, and expensive wands of pussy willows. But now the willow trees and bushes out of doors are putting forth their own offerings: smaller catkins, perhaps, but with the authentic tang of the wild about them. Harmless, charming, furry wild kittens, beloved of children everywhere! Pussy […]
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From the February 20, 1932, issue
LIGHT FLOODS MONUMENT FOR CELEBRATION Science and engineering are aiding the Washington Bicentennial celebration, for they have just joined hands to illuminate in a very realistic fashion the famous obelisk that is named for the father of his country. The striking photograph of the shaft and its reflection in the Lincoln Memorial pool shows how […]
- Math
Math Class Artifacts
Do you recall the 7-foot-long slide rule that used to hang above the blackboard in math class? Ever wonder who invented graph paper? Have you worked with a geoboard? The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has put together an exhibit displaying tools used to teach mathematics in the United States from the 1800s to […]
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19051
My olfactory sense was alerted while pregnant but stayed on guard. After 7 years, it’s sharper than ever. I can smell the minutest scents, which means my taste buds are equally sensitive. In some ways, it’s a blessing, but I end up smelling more than I want to: men too interested in me, a married […]
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18992
In this article there is a graph showing sharp peaks of ghrelin at mealtimes and a rapid drop-off after the meal is eaten. There is also a peak during the night, but there is no meal responsible for the drop-off. Does the research indicate what happens to the ghrelin level during the day when a […]
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19050
This article indicates that the researchers were surprised that the participants from “traditional societies” acted in some mode rather than pure self-interest. This isn’t surprising if you accept the notion that true self-interest is that which gives the most overall personal benefit both now and in the foreseeable future. All of the participants acted exactly […]
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From the February 13, 1932, issue
TESTS SHOW STEEL COLUMNS STRENGTHENED BY BRICK WALL Steel-frame buildings, from modest structures of just a few floors to the tallest skyscrapers, may be built more economically with the use of less steel as the result of facts discovered by research at the U.S. Bureau of Standards. This study, which was carried out in the […]
- Anthropology
The Way We Were
Dig into news, educational material, and even an online documentary about the contentious science of human evolution. This impressive Web site is operated jointly by the Institute of Human Origins and Arizona State University. Go to: http://www.becominghuman.org/
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