Uncategorized
- Humans
Letters from the December 23 & 30, 2006, issue of Science News
Playing dead is a lively topic I am amazed that “Why Play Dead?” (SN: 10/28/06, p. 280) concluded that “Scientists have a long way to go to explain why” prey animals play dead. As a veterinarian, I have learned that there are separate centers in the brain dealing with predatory behavior and with hunger. The […]
- Math
Rankings, Tournaments, and Playoffs
All outcome-based sports ranking systems are fundamentally flawed.
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From the December 12, 1936, issue
A rare crystal form, help for bleeders, and seedless fruits without pollination.
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Sounds of the Seasons
A growing interest in acoustic ecology calls attention to the myriad ways in which sounds influence human behavior. Go to: https://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/12_21_96/bob2.htm
- Math
A Fair Slice: New method makes for equitable eating
A new method for cutting cake yields slices that make everyone equally happy.
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19772
This new mathematical method for equitable cake sharing actually leads to a version of Zeno’s paradox. The problem is that the cake remnant left after the referee gives the two eaters their respective, equally valued pieces is no more likely than is the cake as a whole to be homogeneously desirable, thus creating the same […]
- Health & Medicine
Catching Flu’s Drift: Vaccines fight unexpected influenza
Vaccination can prevent three of every four flu infections, even when the vaccines are imperfectly tailored to block the common wintertime pathogens.
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Feel No Pain, for Real: Mutation appears to underlie rare sensation disorder in a Pakistani family
Scientists have tracked down a genetic mutation that makes some members of an unusual family unable to feel pain.
- Earth
Spread Out: Organic matter scatters carbon nanotubes in water
Although carbon nanotubes usually clump in water, they readily disperse when the water contains natural organic matter.
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Hottest Fixer: Undersea-vent microbe sets nitrogen record
A spherical microbe from the weird world of hot-water ocean vents has trumped the nitrogen-processing powers of all organisms previously studied.
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Sniffle-Busting Personalities: Positive mood guards against getting colds
People with generally positive outlooks show greater resistance to developing colds than do individuals who rarely revel in upbeat feelings.
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19771
Is the causal relationship between mood and immune system response so obvious? Could not a healthier immune system cause a more positive outlook, rather than the other way around? Lester WelchAiken, S.C.
