All Stories by Science News
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From the May 30, 1931, issue
LIFE IS RARE IN UNIVERSE, ASTRONOMER BELIEVES Life is a rare phenomenon in the universe, Sir James Jeans, British astronomer, assured the Franklin Institute meeting at which he was presented the Franklin Medal, one of Sciences highest awards. I leave it to you to be pleased or not, Sir James said, at a large fraction […]
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Daily Planet Earth
The Earth Science Picture of the Day Web site features photos, satellite images, and illustrations that highlight the diverse processes and phenomena shaping our planet and influencing our lives. A short explanatory caption and links to sources for more detailed information accompany each illustration. Go to: http://epod.usra.edu/
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18942
As an insect taxonomist, I was amused by your article about whimsical scientific names but disappointed that one of my favorites was not mentioned: the wasp Iaha ha. Sandra Shanks San Francisco, Calif. Three observations on your article: 1) Linnaean names, at their best, tell you something about the creature that is named. Thus while […]
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18941
I read the article “Look on the bright side and survive longer” with interest but was given pause by the fact that the nuns knew their autobiographies were “to be read by the congregation’s Mother Superior.” I think this may seriously undermine the conclusions drawn. Even without this problem, I think a basic distinction should […]
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Eating Insects
Looking for a different sort of snack? Iowa State University’s Entomology Club has Web pages featuring recipes for Banana Worm Bread, Rootworm Beetle Dip, Chocolate Chirpie Chip Cookies, and other insect treats. A handy nutritional chart reveals that 100 grams of crickets provide 12.9 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fat whereas June beetles […]
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From the May 23, 1931, issue
TOUCH OF SPRING FEVER MAKES WHOLE WORLD KIN In the spring a young mans fancy turns to thoughts of another nap even more often than it does to amative imaginings, Tennyson to the contrary notwithstanding. Spring fever, that drowsiness and mild lassitude that comes of warmth and well-being rather than of the crabbed winter of […]
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From the May 16, 1931, issue
FOUR-MILE-PER-MINUTE WIND POSSIBLE IN NEW TUNNEL An artificial windstorm blowing 240 miles per hour has been found possible in the remarkable wind tunnel recently constructed at Pasadena for the California Institute of Technology. The outfit is a feature of the new Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory. This velocity exceeds the original hopes of the designers. A wind […]
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18933
In “Many refugees can’t flee mental ailments,” Bhutan is greatly maligned. Equating Bhutan’s story with the Cambodian genocide, as the article does, is like equating a Fourth of July firecracker with the atomic bomb. Tiny, Tibetan, Buddhist Bhutan, with a population of only 650,000, is struggling to survive between giants China and India and among […]
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18932
Please explain a curious statement in “A more perfect union.” The article paraphrases Jonas Sandstrom of Uppsala University in Sweden as suggesting that an “endosymbiont’s isolation may be a one-way ticket to extinction. Once the bacterium loses genes . . . it has no way of getting them back. It can’t, therefore, evolve away from […]
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Parasitic Charms
An extensive collection of photographs from around the world demonstrate the full weirdness of parasitic plants. For sheer size, try the Rafflesia, with buds the size of footballs and individual flowers that outsprawl a straw hat. For sci-fi charm, visit the fleshy Hydnora blooms reaching out of the dirt or the crusty lumps of Prosopanche […]
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World Science Fair
Catch glimpses of people, activities, and projects at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, held May 5-11 in San Jose, Calif. A team of students from Mt. Diablo High School in Concord, Calif., created this site as events unfolded at the science fair, from project setup to presentation of the grand awards. Go to: […]
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From the May 9, 1931 issue
PYTHON LIKES NEW HOME: LAYS CLUTCH OF EGGS One of the big pythons in the U.S. Zoological Park recently celebrated her transfer to the more comfortable and homelike quarters of the new reptile house there by laying a clutch of 20 eggs. The picture on the cover of this issue of the SCIENCE NEWS LETTER […]
