Notebook
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Thinking of Zero
For anyone deeply interested in logic and the history and philosophy of zero, Hossein Arsham of the University of Baltimore offers an thought-provoking Web-based discussion of such topics as the meaning of division by zero, the role of zero in limits and divergent series, and the concept of zero as a void. Go to: http://ubmail.ubalt.edu/~harsham/zero/ZERO.HTM
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From the June 20, 1931, issue
HUGE ELETROMAGNET INSTALLED AT LEIDEN A huge electromagnet weighing 14 tons, about two-thirds as much as a street car, just erected at Leiden, Holland, by the Siemens Halske Company of Berlin, will enable scientists to wrench atoms apart as never before. This marks the realization of a dream of the late Dr. H. Kammerlingh Onnes, […]
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Geo Name Game
Is your name Bob? Want to see how many lakes in the United States are named after you? (Twelve in all, and four of them are in Michigan!) The U.S. Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) contains data about nearly 2 million geographic features in the United States. Just enter a name or any […]
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From the June 13, 1931, issue
TWIN ALBINO ROBINS HATCHED WITH NORMAL BIRD Two albino robins, highly interesting and rather rare oddities in the bird world, have been watched from hatching to early maturity at the home of H.D. Shaw of Grinnell, Iowa, and had their pictures taken by Miss Cornelia Clarke, nature photographer. The nest was built high up on […]
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Robot Zoo
The Robot Zoo Web site, developed by the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Calif., captures some of the charm of a traveling biomechanics exhibit featuring giant robot models of animals. These fanciful contraptions provide insights into how chameleons, bats, and other animals eat, move, and see. Go to: http://www.thetech.org/exhibits_events/traveling/robotzoo/
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From the June 6, 1931, issue
LARGEST WIND TUNNEL AND TOWING CHANNEL FINISHED Aeronautic research took a stride forward when two outstanding pieces of apparatus for testing and improving aircraft–both the largest of their kind in the world–were officially put in operation last week by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at its Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in Langley Field, Va. […]
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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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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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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 […]
