Uncategorized
- Paleontology
DNA pegs Irish elk’s nearest relatives
Analyses of DNA of the Irish elk, which died out after the last ice age, may settle a long-running debate about the creature's place on the deer family tree.
- Humans
Letters from the October 1, 2005, issue of Science News
Name game Does the name of Honda’s robot, Asimo, have a meaning in Japanese, or is it just a tip of the hat to Isaac Asimov (“Easy Striders: New humanoids with efficient gaits change the robotics landscape,” SN: 8/6/05, p. 88)? Dennis LynchGlenshaw, Pa. Asimo’s name stands for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility.—N. Moreira Under […]
- Health & Medicine
Silenced gene may foretell colon cancer
A cancer-suppressing gene, which is often shut down in colorectal cancer, is sometimes silenced in healthy colorectal tissues as well.
- Tech
Getting a charge out of backpacking
A backpack enhanced with springs, gears, and a generator converts the up-and-down motions of the wearer into enough electricity to power portable electronic gadgets.
- Tech
Growing Expectations
Biofuels made from waste agricultural plant matter are gaining prominence as new technologies make them increasingly competitive with petroleum fuels.
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19597
This article didn’t mention the effect of large-scale conversion of cellulosic biomass to fuel on disposal sites. Here in southern California, we are running out of places to dump urban waste. Taking waste to a fuel-generating facility would reduce the environmental effects and might even cost less than burying it. Bob KosterNorth Tustin, Calif. Your […]
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Living History
Bacteria and fungi living on artworks and artifacts often cause extensive damage.
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- Humans
From the September 21, 1935, issue
The opening of the Hayden planetarium in New York, heavy neon, and the age of the universe.
- Math
Math Music
Curious about the sounds of pi, the music of Fibonacci numbers, the blare of chaos, or the chimes of a DNA sequence? This interactive Web site, developed by Jonathan Middleton and his team at Eastern Washington University, provides a variety of tools for composing music based on mathematical recipes that convert sequences of numbers into […]
- Health & Medicine
Sharpening the focus of mammograms
Digital mammography can detect up to one-fourth more cancers than traditional film mammography can in women who are under 50, haven't gone through menopause, or who have dense breast tissue.
- Earth
Pack Rat Piles: Rodent rubbish provides ice age thermometer
Analyses of fossilized plant remnants collected by pack rats reveal that the Grand Canyon was much cooler than previously thought during the latter part of the last ice age.
