Notebook
- Humans
From the May 19, 1934, issue
Preparing for a stratospheric ascent, the great dust storm of 1934, and the invention of the electron microscope.
- Chemistry
Home Experiments
Collapsing a soft drink can, fireproofing a balloon, creating cool light, and bending water are among the activities offered by Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, a chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His Web pages provide instructions for performing these and other experiments at home. Go to: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/HOMEEXPTS.HTML.
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From the May 12, 1934, issue
William M. Welch and public health, a thymus-gland extract for speeding up growth, and mass-three hydrogen.
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Chem Demos
They may not be as dramatic as the real thing, but online video and descriptions of lecture demonstrations involving combustion and other chemical and physical effects still fascinate. The Chemistry Learning Center at the University of Illinois offers tantalizing glimpses of methanol combustion, electrolysis of water, hydrogen ignition, the effect of liquid nitrogen on a […]
- Humans
From the May 5, 1934, issue
Steel pipes of the Boulder Canyon project, diphtheria and the blood-brain barrier, and weather effects of volcanic eruptions.
- Humans
A National Science Museum
If you can’t make it to Washington, D.C., to visit the recently opened Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences, check out the museum’s online exhibits. Explore how DNA analysis can catch criminals and stop epidemics, witness the potential effects of global warming, and glimpse the frontiers of scientific research. Go to: […]
- Humans
From the April 28, 1934, issue
An ancient crocodile, how loudness affects pitch, and observing the sun's corona.
- Humans
Messing Around with Music
San Francisco’s Exploratorium offers an entertaining, multimedia excursion into the science of music. Visit a virtual kitchen to sample some appliance sounds. Use video of a step dancer to compose music. Discover how various cultures around the world create musical instruments out of everyday objects. Try out a sound mixer and much more. Go to: […]
- Humans
From the April 21, 1934, issue
Archaeological explorations at Ur, creating elements of mass three, and bouncing radio waves off the moon.
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DNA Day
Celebrate DNA Day on April 30, commemorating the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the description of DNA’s structure as a double helix in 1953. The National Human Genome Research Institute offers a variety of resources, including genetic education modules for teachers and other curriculum materials and teaching tools. Go to: http://www.genome.gov/DNAday/
- Math
Functions on Display
To mathematicians, the term “function” has a specific meaning. It’s a rule that assigns a fixed output for a given input; in effect, a formula. Among the most familiar functions are the sine and cosine functions of trigonometry. The Wolfram Functions Site offers a huge functions database, providing information about and visualizations of more then […]
- Humans
From the April 14, 1934, issue
Yawning spells, disagreeable alcohols from anaerobic respiration, and how antibodies protect adults from disease.
