Uncategorized
- Physics
Neutrino Detector
Neutrinos are remarkably elusive subatomic particles, and it takes specially designed and constructed detectors to ensnare them. One such detector is the Soudan Underground Laboratory, built 2,400 feet underground in an old mine in Minnesota. The lab’s Web site offers descriptions of the facilities and updates on ongoing experiments. It also has a section for […]
- Planetary Science
Rare Uranian eclipse
The Hubble Space Telescope has for the first time recorded an eclipse on Uranus.
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This article tells us, “Because the moons of Uranus orbit at the planet’s equator, the sun seldom illuminates them directly.” I think what you mean is that the moons seldom pass directly between Uranus and the sun. But surely the sun still illuminates them, even when they’re not casting shadows on the planet. Gregory KusnickSeattle, […]
- Earth
Plowing Down the Amazon: Satellites reveal conversion of forest to farmland
The clearing of jungle to create cropland is a major and previously underappreciated force behind deforestation in the Amazon region of Brazil, according to an analysis of satellite images.
- Animals
Hey, Roach Babe: Male cockroaches give fancy courting whistles
Some male cockroaches whistle at females with surprisingly complex, almost birdlike whistles.
- Ecosystems
On the Rise: Siberian lakes—Major sources of methane
Field studies suggest that Siberian lakes are a much larger source of atmospheric methane than had been previously recognized.
- Tech
Size Matters: Biosensors behave oddly when very small
There might be a limit to how small physicists should build tiny sensors that detect viruses and molecules.
- Health & Medicine
Problem Paternity: Older men seem more apt to have autistic kids
Children born to fathers who are age 40 or older have an increased risk of developing autism.
- Earth
Genes as Pollutants: Tracking drug-resistant DNA in the environment
A study that traces antibiotic-resistance genes in the environment indicates that they are present even in treated drinking water.
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Copycat Monkeys: Macaque babies ape adults’ facial feats
Scientists for the first time have established that baby monkeys, shortly after birth, imitate facial movements made by people and adult monkeys.
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I find it interesting that when we didn’t find as much deuterium as we expected near the sun, we assumed it’s hidden by dust. But there didn’t seem to be any real proof that it is indeed hidden by the dust. I am not convinced. Eric AdamsDelray Beach, Fla.
- Astronomy
Too Much Deuterium?
A new study appears to solve a 35-year-old puzzle about the distribution of deuterium in the Milky Way, but poses new questions about how stars and galaxies are formed.
