All Stories by Science News
- Math
Knot Views
Interested in playing around with some mathematical knots? Manuel Arala Chaves of the University of Porto in Portugal has created a table illustrating all 75 knots with up to 9 crossings in their standard representation. If your computer can handle LiveGraphics3D, you can manipulate the knots in three dimensions and look at them from different […]
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18976
The story correlates red tides in Florida with Saharan dust storms. The cover story of the same issue (“Dust, the thermostat,” p. 200: Dust, the Thermostat) dealt, in part, with dust blowing across the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Are there “red tides” in these areas? Are they correlated with Saharan dust? David D. […]
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18975
We read that the Chaco Anasazi builders used “large timbers” 5 meters long, 22 centimeters in diameter, and weighing 275 kilograms. As anyone who splits his own firewood could tell you, something is amiss here. The Handbook of Chemistry and Physics tells us that ponderosa pine has a density of about 0.5 gram per cubic […]
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Issues of Medical Research
Should researchers be allowed to tinker with our genetic codes, or create copies of human beings? Could we somehow be harming future generations by aiding sick people today? Public Agenda Online offers a nonpartisan guide to these and other policy issues related to medical research. Go to: http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/frontdoor.cfm?issue_type=medical_research
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From the September 26, 1931, issue
FLASH WELDING JOINS METAL AMID SHOWER OF SPARKS A brilliant shower of sparks for a few seconds, and two pieces of steel have become one, with a union as strong as the original metal itself. The picture on the front cover from the Pittsfield, Mass., works of the General Electric Company illustrates a recent adaptation […]
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18974
Regarding “Constipation might signal Parkinson’s,” did anyone consider that the patients’ diet might be the reason for constipation and the Parkinson’s disease? Your article reads as if diet can’t affect constipation. Mark Bremer Benicia, Calif.The researchers accounted for smoking, coffee consumption, laxative use, jogging, and intake of fruits, vegetables, and grains. –N. Seppa
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18968
I’ve just read your account of the “ekpyrotic model” of the universe. Although descriptive, “ekpyrotic” seems rather contrived and is hard to pronounce. Certainly it lacks the pizzazz of “Big Bang.” And “Big Crunch” has been used previously to refer to the “anti-Big Bang” catastrophe thought to be awaiting the universe. How about the “Big […]
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From the September 19, 1931, issue
ORCHIDS THAT LOOK LIKE GIRLS Plucked from their stems and stood on the table, they are the daintiest little dancers imaginable–dancers in the latest fashionable costumes at that. Their skirts are long and concealing, tight over the slim hips and flaring widely at the bottom. The dancers stand poised, their arms thrown up and out, […]
- Chemistry
Web Elements
Want to know more than just selenium’s symbol, atomic number, and atomic weight? Created by chemist Mark Winter of the University of Sheffield, WebElements provides information on each chemical element’s history, uses, reactions, bulk and thermal properties, and more. Go to: http://www.webelements.com/
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18973
“Bt corn risk to monarchs is ‘negligible'” is full of manipulative words. How exactly was the “highly polarized atmosphere surrounding genetically modified crops . . . hampering attempts to rationally plan and evaluate research”? The companies that make the strains of corn discussed in the article are not named, of course. Nor are any ties […]
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18967
Regarding “Neandertals show ancient signs of caring,” it seems to me that rather than “pounding, chopping, or cooking tougher food” for a friend or relative, these kindly Neandertals probably just masticated a mouthful before passing it on. This is something people do all over the world. Sharon Rudahl Los Angeles, Calif.
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18972
Several key ideas seem missing from “Life on the edge”: 1) the fundamental nature of overpopulation and how it combines with technology to drive mass extinction; 2) the concept of functional extinction, an example being the decimated numbers and diminished range of elephants; and 3) a reasonable extrapolation of human technology. The statement that our […]
