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Earth

Visiting RadTown

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched an interactive Web site that uses an animated town to provide basic information on radiation in the environment—from lasers in a stadium light show to x rays at the dentist’s office. This virtual community shows the wide variety of radiation sources commonly encountered in everyday life. The site […]

Humans

From the July 4, 1936, issue

Tiny stratosphere probes, neutron rays for medicine, and secrets of ancient bones.

Tech

Power Play: Shift from loss to gain may boost silicon devices

By tapping solar cell-like behavior in a silicon optical amplifier, engineers have shown that light-manipulating components made from silicon can become power recyclers rather than power wasters, an advance that boosts prospects for silicon optical devices.