Uncategorized
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Letters
Your cosmic questions Regarding the “The vital statistics” in “Cosmic questions, answers pending” (SN: 4/23/11, p. 20), I was puzzled by two values: 13.75 billion years (time since the Big Bang) and 90 billion light-years (diameter of the universe). If light has been streaming away for 13.75 billion years, then shouldn’t the diameter of the […]
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BOOK REVIEW: Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us by Joe Palca and Flora Lichtman
Review by Devin Powell.
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The Dance of Air and Sea: How Oceans, Weather, and Life Link Together by Arnold H. Taylor
An oceanographer explores the connectedness of the seas, atmosphere and weather, with implications for climate change. Oxford Univ. Press, 2011, 288 p., $29.95.
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Finding Mars by Ned Rozell
This travel yarn is set in the rugged regions of Earth, following permafrost scientist Kenji Yoshikawa as he traverses the frozen Arctic. Univ. of Alaska Press, 2011, 188 p., $22.95.
- Health & Medicine
Body & Brain
The health benefits of wheat and olive oil, plus Down syndrome dementia, a heartbreaking gene and more in this week’s news.
- Earth
Tsunami lit up the heavens
Camera captures glowing atmospheric ripples triggered by Japan’s deadly quake as they pass over Hawaii.
- Psychology
Some fights vanish in plain sight
People engrossed in a task frequently overlook the seemingly obvious, such as a loud brawl.
- Life
Loophole found in genetic traffic laws
In a violation of textbook biology, a modified RNA component can cause the cell's protein-making machinery to run genetic stop signs.
- Chemistry
Dino proteins could have been sheltered
An analysis of collagen structure finds protective pockets, backing up claims of preserved tissue finds.
- Life
Ketamine’s antidepressant effect explained
A potential fast-acting treatment boosts the brain chemical BDNF, which may be lacking in depression.
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- Space
Next solar cycle could be a no-show
Three lines of evidence suggest that the sun’s next activity cycle will be delayed for years and may not happen at all, an outcome that could have major implications for Earth’s climate.
