Notebook

Science Past from the issue of April 9, 1960

CALIFORNIA ZOO APES BECOME “MEDICAL FIRSTS” — Noell, Scoop and Tria, three apes that live in the San Diego zoo, have made medical history. They “came down” with chicken pox while in their zoo cages during a period last summer when there was a high incidence of that disease among children in San Diego County. […]

Science Future for March 27, 2010

April 23 Celebrate National DNA Day through a webchat with NIH researchers. Go to www.genome.gov/10506367 April 26 – 30 Scientists and engineers meet in Nottingham, England, to discuss the science of quantum dots. See www.qd2010.org May 14 Deadline for receipt of nominations for AAAS fellows. Download forms at www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/fellows

Science Past from the issue of March 26, 1960

HIDDEN WATER TRACED BY BOMB FALLOUT IN RAIN — Radioactive fallout from atom bomb tests can be used to seek out and “expose” new sources of drinking water that lie hidden deep in the earth…. Raindrops have an affinity for absorbing minute particles of tritium from the fallout left in the atmosphere after nuclear bomb […]

Science Past for March 12, 1960

New weight for silver will not affect dimes — An atom of silver weighs less than previously thought, but this new finding of the National Bureau of Standards will not affect the silver dimes in your pockets. A dime will still be worth ten cents. The new atomic weight of silver was set at 107.873 […]

Science Future for March 13, 2010

March 19 Hubble 3D, an IMAX film about the telescope’s history and highlights, premiers nationwide. See www.imax.com/hubble March 21–25 The American Chemical Society holds its spring meeting in San Francisco. See www.acs.org April 18–20 Influenza experts meet in Atlanta to discuss the latest findings on the H1N1 virus and their implications. See web.mac.com/tcassin/iWeb/IPIRC

Science Future for February 27, 2010

March 16 After a week of interviews, the winner of Intel Science Talent Search 2010 is announced at a gala in Washington, D.C. See www.societyforscience.org March 16–19 Researchers from various disciplines meet in Miami to discuss the state of the Arctic environment. See soa.arcus.org March 21–25 The American Chemical Society hosts its spring meeting in […]

Science Past from the issue of February 27, 1960

HUMAN SPIES FOR RUSSIA CHEAPER THAN SATELLITES — It would be cheaper for Russia to spy on the U.S. through normal channels than by putting a reconnaissance satellite into orbit…. Russian agents in the U.S. can glean vast amounts of solid information merely by reading several major metropolitan daily newspapers…. The Department of Defense thus […]

Science Future for February 13, 2010

February 22–26 The American Geophysical Union’s Ocean Sciences meeting is held in Portland, Ore. See www.agu.org/meetings/os10 March 5–6 Researchers and clinicians meet in San Diego to discuss genomic medicine’s future. See www.scripps.org/events March 18 Debut of an interactive exhibit on extreme weather at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. See www.msichicago.org

Science Past from the issue of February 13, 1960

DISCOVERY ADDS CLUES TO COMPOSITION OF LIGNIN — The sugar glucose is part of the answer to a biochemical riddle — the exact composition of lignin. Lignin, which together with cellulose comprises wood, is a highly complex carbohydrate whose complete structure is unknown. It is considered a waste product…. Experiments … have shown that in […]

Science Future by January 30, 2010

February 20–21 Free science discussion sessions and demos are open to the public at the AAAS annual meeting in San Diego. See www.aaas.org/meetings/2010  February 24–26 The International Stroke Conference 2010 is held in San Antonio. See strokeconference.org March 31 New nomination deadline for the 2010 National Medal of Science. Get forms at www.nsf.gov/od/nms/medal.jsp

Science Past from the issue of January 30, 1960

SAFE SEASONINGS NAMED — Some 150 seasonings and flavorings — ranging from the familiar cinnamon to exotic “ylang-ylang” — have been put on the safe list, the Food and Drug Administration has announced. Manufacturers who use these flavors in their food products need not furnish further proof of their safety. The list includes cloves, nutmeg, […]

Science Past from the issue of January 16, 1960

MEN TO MARS POSSIBLE IN 60’S, EXPERTS SAY — The United States will be able to send three men on a 14-month expedition to Mars in a nuclear-powered two-stage rocket ship during the 1960’s, three space experts assert. The rocket ship would go into orbit around Mars, and the exploring party would use a chemically […]