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  1. Math

    Running Lanes and Extra Steps

    When going out to your local running track for a workout, you sometimes find that you are allowed to use only certain lanes for training. On any looped track, however, the outer lanes are longer than the inner lanes. That presents a problem for someone using the track for speed workouts. A four-lane equal-quadrant running […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Physics

    Electric Foam: Scientists uncover basis of material oddball

    Specially treated polypropylene foam can mimic the defining behavior and other desirable properties of ceramic piezoelectric materials, which generate electric signals when squeezed.

    By Peter Weiss
  3. Tech

    Shining True: Marking original documents with a lick of gloss

    Scientists have a new way of making forgery-proof documents by using laser color printers to embed hologramlike images in a document’s glossy surface.