Uncategorized
- Math
A Gathering for Gardner
Recreational mathematics and magic highlighted a lively gathering held recently to honor Martin Gardner. For additional news, visit the MathTrek blog.
- Humans
From the March 21, 1936, issue
An arctic myth debunked, a treatment for high blood pressure, and a radio tube with no filament.
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Digital Dissection
The same medical technology used to image brain tumors and torn knee ligaments is taking the field of marine biology to a new dimension by allowing anyone with Internet access to examine fish as never before. This Web page describes how researchers at the University of California, San Diego’s Keck Center for Functional Magnetic Resonance […]
- Astronomy
Comet Sampler: Fire meets ice
The first study of comet dust brought to Earth by a spacecraft has revealed several minerals that could have formed only at the fiery temperatures close to the sun or another star.
- Physics
Tipsy Superfluids: Glimpsing off-kilter quantum clouds
A new type of superfluid atom cloud that's been thrown off-balance by having more atoms with their quantum spins pointing up than down, or vice versa, seems to defy theoretical expectations.
- Earth
Still Standing: Tsunamis won’t wash away Maldives atolls
The December 2004 tsunami had little geological impact on the seemingly fragile coral-reef islands of the Maldives archipelago.
- Health & Medicine
Defect Detector: Plugging holes in a breast cancer–gene screen
A genetic test not available in the United States catches many potentially cancer-causing BRCA-gene mutations not detected by the sole U.S. test.
- Plants
Reality Botany: Data ease doubts about plant species
Despite the doubts of some botanists, plant species aren't just some arbitrary human classification scheme, says a team of evolutionary biologists.
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Mood Meds’ Second Wind: Depression drugs aided by extra treatment step
A second, modified course of drug treatment fosters recovery in a substantial minority of depressed adults who don't feel better after treatment with a commonly prescribed antidepressant.
- Earth
Tiny Bubbles: Oldest evidence yet for methane makers
Analyses of the gases dissolved in water trapped in ancient minerals suggest that methane-generating microbes have been around almost 3.5 billion years.
- Humans
Letters from the March 25, 2006, issue of Science News
Bee movie? In the article about using harmonic reflected signals to track bees (“The Trouble with Chasing a Bee,” SN: 1/14/06, p. 23), I thought it was interesting to note that the original technology was created by the Russians as a spy device. The technology is still being used for a form of spying. Dwight […]
- Animals
That’s One Weird Tooth
The narwhal's distinctive spiral tusk has structures that could make it phenomenally sensitive, raising new questions about its functions.
