Uncategorized

  1. Astronomy

    Gravity at play

    Astronomers have found 19 cosmic mirages, distorted images created when the gravity of a massive galaxy bends and magnifies the light from a background object.

    By Ron Cowen
  2. Materials Science

    Making waves

    Scientists have created thin, wavy silicon ribbons that stretch along with their rubber backing.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  3. Tech

    Cranberry aid for assay

    Cranberry juice, often used to stave off urinary-tract infections caused by Escherichia coli, also keeps the bacterium from reducing a biosensor's specificity.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  4. Humans

    Letters from the January 21, 2006, issue of Science News

    D. Durda, FIAAA/B612 Foundation Push, pull, zap, drench I’m surprised that NASA envisions an absurdly massive, nuclear-powered “gravitational tug” to avoid “the biggest problem” of a contact-tug’s need to “fir[e] its rocket engine only at specific times” to compensate for an asteroid’s rotation (“Protecting Earth: Gravitational tractor could lure asteroids off course,” SN: 11/12/05, p.