Letters to the Editor
-
19611
This article says, “the blood of people who consume 3 to 6 drinks weekly was less likely to clot in a test tube than was the blood from nondrinkers.” I wonder if there is a rebound effect that could make the blood of new abstainers even more likely to clot than that of regular nondrinkers. […]
-
19610
I would venture to suggest the reason that the pasta-fragmentation process stops. Once the strand breaks, it becomes x number of new strands, each of which is still vibrating at some residual frequency and amplitude. The mass, diameter, and length of each resultant strand might determine the wavelength and amplitude necessary to break it. If […]
-
19609
This article makes the point that shrub intrusion into tundra reduces albedo, the percentage of reflected light, but doesn’t report actual impact on ground temperature. Albedo itself is not a good indicator of waste heat. Much of the extra absorbed sun energy is used by the shrubs for photosynthesis and the fixing of carbon and […]
-
19608
Humans vocalize primarily non-harmonically (talk), but some can also vocalize harmonically (sing). Birds, likewise, mostly vocalize non-harmonically (chatter), but some can vocalize harmonically. It would be most helpful, when discussing birds, mice, and whale “songs,” if scientists would clarify whether they mean non-harmonic or harmonic vocalizations. Peter WilsonSimi Valley, Calif.
- Humans
Letters from the November 5, 2005, issue of Science News
Wind or fury? (“The Wind and the Fury” (SN: 9/17/05, p. 184) states, “In 2004, Florida suffered its worst hurricane season in 118 years, with nine hurricanes, five of which were classified as major.” While it’s true that 9 of the 15 named tropical or subtropical storms that formed in the North Atlantic basin last […]
-
19607
I was wondering if researchers have given any thought to the idea that in the same way that disease devastated human populations after the European discovery of the Americas, perhaps disease was a contributing factor in the demise of much of the fauna of the Western Hemisphere. Could domesticated animals traveling with the humans, or […]
- Humans
Letters from the October 29, 2005, issue of Science News
Food for thought I note that pleasure activates the neurobiological response that fuels addictive behavior (“Food Fix: Neurobiology highlights similarities between obesity and drug addiction,” SN: 9/3/05, p. 155). It has long been a tenet of the 12-step programs that there is no pleasure greater than to use one’s talents to help others similarly afflicted. […]
-
19606
In the article, cleanup of radioactive particles that have seeped into porous building materials such as brick and marble appears to be difficult and expensive, even given the described breakthroughs. Perhaps a more proactive measure would be to require these materials to be impregnated with a stable polymer or similar compound that precludes the “soaking […]
-
19605
This article describes an inorganic solar cell prototype utilizing two types of cadmium nanocrystals. Do we really need to aim toward mass-producing more items that contain cadmium? This heavy metal is a toxin and carcinogen that is known for fast uptake in plants and buildup in animals’ fat. Risks associated with such a solar cell’s […]
- Humans
Former Science News Interns Garner Writing Awards
The talents of one recent intern and one from many years ago have now been recognized by national awards.
- Humans
Letters from the October 22, 2005, issue of Science News
Smell the birdie I wonder if any of the researchers had a pet bird (“Myth of the Bad-Nose Birds,” SN: 8/20/05, p. 120). My Alexandrine parakeet can smell beer or ice cream from two rooms away—She screams for her share. Bruce DowRidge Manor, Fla. Brainstorm The research into placebos’ pain relief (“Placebo reins in pain […]
-
19604
I very much enjoyed this article. What struck me, however, was a passage that mentioned the “bird’s resistance to the bends” and the researchers’ alleged inability to explain that. As a scuba diver, I know that the bends, or decompression sickness, is caused by breathing compressed air underwater. More nitrogen is absorbed in body tissue […]
