Notebook
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From the March 5, 1932, issue
WEIRD LEATHER COSTUMES PROTECT ELECTRIC WORKERS Dressed in the clothes of imagined creatures from a distant planet, these power plant operators open and close the switches of transmission lines that bring power for electric lamp and industrial motor. The costume, a new invention of safety engineers, is designed to protect the wearer from flashes of […]
- Math
Pi Day Festivities
Pi Day celebrations take place, appropriately enough, on March 14 at 1:59 p.m. For a glimpse of activities highlighting the enduring fascination of the digits of pi (the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter), take a look at the Exploratorium’s Web pages devoted to pi, then try the links to other weird and […]
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Ivorybill Search
The huge ivory-billed woodpecker has remained one of the United States’ most charismatic birds, even years after its presumed demise. In the latest effort to find the bird, a Zeiss-sponsored expedition this year sought the woodpecker in a Louisiana swamp. Catch up with the doings of the woodpecker’s many fans and learn more about its […]
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From the February 27, 1932, issue
PUSSY WILLOW Florists shops have long been offering big, beautiful, and expensive wands of pussy willows. But now the willow trees and bushes out of doors are putting forth their own offerings: smaller catkins, perhaps, but with the authentic tang of the wild about them. Harmless, charming, furry wild kittens, beloved of children everywhere! Pussy […]
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From the February 20, 1932, issue
LIGHT FLOODS MONUMENT FOR CELEBRATION Science and engineering are aiding the Washington Bicentennial celebration, for they have just joined hands to illuminate in a very realistic fashion the famous obelisk that is named for the father of his country. The striking photograph of the shaft and its reflection in the Lincoln Memorial pool shows how […]
- Math
Math Class Artifacts
Do you recall the 7-foot-long slide rule that used to hang above the blackboard in math class? Ever wonder who invented graph paper? Have you worked with a geoboard? The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has put together an exhibit displaying tools used to teach mathematics in the United States from the 1800s to […]
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From the February 13, 1932, issue
TESTS SHOW STEEL COLUMNS STRENGTHENED BY BRICK WALL Steel-frame buildings, from modest structures of just a few floors to the tallest skyscrapers, may be built more economically with the use of less steel as the result of facts discovered by research at the U.S. Bureau of Standards. This study, which was carried out in the […]
- Anthropology
The Way We Were
Dig into news, educational material, and even an online documentary about the contentious science of human evolution. This impressive Web site is operated jointly by the Institute of Human Origins and Arizona State University. Go to: http://www.becominghuman.org/
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Bug Watching
Crazy about insects? The Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute in Arizona has a “Backyard Bugwatching” page with links to photos and articles focusing on a variety of insects and their diverse habitats. Learn what it takes to track Mexican leaf-cutter ants and catch bullet ants. Journey to Costa Rica’s rainforests for close-ups of novel arthropods. Watch […]
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From the January 30, 1932, issue
MONTE ALBAN TREASURE MAY SET JEWELRY STYLE The proud inhabitants of Oaxaca, in whose vicinity the Mixtec treasure tomb was found, think they are going to set the worlds jewelry styles. A casual glance at the ornaments and trinkets reveals that archaeology has already influenced modern jewelers. One of the most beautiful objects found in […]
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Virus Picture Book
If you’re interested in biological viruses, a good place to start is the “Big Picture Book of Viruses.” Founded by Robert F. Garry of the Tulane University School of Medicine, this Web site serves as a catalog of virus images on the Internet and provides links to tutorials, Web courses, and many other resources devoted […]
