Uncategorized
-
19394
This article suggests that pregnant rattlesnakes might give their offspring a better chance of survival if they congregated for birth. If that were true, one might expect that there would also be a convergence of birth times. While doing research over 25 years ago, we had five of six pregnant rattlesnakes caged together all give […]
By Science News - Animals
The Social Lives of Snakes
A lot of pit vipers aren't the asocial loners that even snake fans had long assumed.
By Susan Milius - Humans
From the March 17, 1934, issue
An African snake handler, the speed of lightning, and the emptiness of nebulae.
By Science News -
Coral Reef Report
Coral Reef Report is a new online magazine that aims to “celebrate the power and mystery of the planet’s coral reefs.” It features articles, personal stories, audio interviews, photo galleries, news items, and other materials devoted to exploring and elucidating the beauty of coral reefs. Go to: http://coralreefreport.info/
By Science News - Math
Deriving the Structure of Numbers
A novel mathematical function called the number derivative offers new insights into the structure of integers.
- Humans
Letters from the March 20, 2004, issue of Science News
What’s the difference? I thought that the X and Y chromosomes determined gender in animals, but I see no mention of them in “When to Change Sex” (SN: 1/17/04, p. 40: When to Change Sex). Does this mean that on a genetic basis, males and females in these organisms are identical? Neil H. MurphyWalnut Creek, […]
By Science News - Humans
Top of the Top 40: Search tool for a cancer cure places first in national science competition
Herbert Mason Hedberg, the 2004 winner of the Intel Science Talent Search, and 39 other students have received recognition and scholarships for their innovations in science, mathematics, and engineering.
By Ben Harder - Tech
Iron Power: Eking more juice from batteries
By creating an extremely thin layer of an unusually electron-hungry form of iron, chemists have made a prototype rechargeable battery electrode that may lead to improved metal hydride batteries.
By Peter Weiss - Anthropology
Prehistoric Family Split: DNA puts Neandertals on edge of human ancestry
The largest sample of ancient mitochondrial DNA extracted from Stone Age fossils to date indicates that Neandertals made, at most, a small genetic contribution to our direct prehistoric ancestors.
By Bruce Bower - Health & Medicine
Gap in the Defense: Brain cancer patients short on valuable protein
Brain tumor cells have a dearth of an obscure protein called ING4, whose sister compounds have shown anticancer effects.
By Nathan Seppa - Chemistry
Mini Motor: Synthetic molecule yields nanoscale rotor
Scientists have built a tiny rotor out of a synthesized molecule that rotates in the presence of an electric field.
-
Brain Gain: Odd RNA converts stem cells into neurons
An unusual strand of RNA guides stem cells to transform into neurons.
By John Travis