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Breathtaking Science
A small region within the brainstem creates the normal breathing rhythm.
- Humans
From the December 31, 1932, issue
SIX COLORS MIX IN WATER AT BASE OF CAPITOL One of the most spectacular fountain lighting systems places the Capitol at Washington in a new setting, when the building is viewed from the direction of the Union Station. Engineers describe the recently installed system as a fixed color installation. Water in the fountain and terrace […]
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19205
The nocturnal singing of coquies is beloved in Puerto Rico, especially after several years of unexplained population decline. Is there any chance that the little coquies can be returned from Hawaii? Mario A. LoyolaMayaguez, Puerto Rico The Coqui Hawaiian Integration and Reeducation Project (CHIRP) is applying for an export license for coquies .—J. Raloff Your […]
- Earth
Hawaii’s Hated Frogs
Wildlife officials in Hawaii are investigating unconventional pesticides to eradicate invasive frogs—or at least to check their advance.
- Health & Medicine
Clear Skin: Injections counteract psoriasis in patients
Injections of an immune system protein called interleukin-4 can alleviate skin problems in people with psoriasis.
- Health & Medicine
Coffee Jitters: Caffeine boosts predictor of heart problems
Whether it comes from coffee or another source, caffeine causes a troubling rise in one biological indicator of heart health.
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Secrets of Memory All-Stars: Brain reflects superior recollection strategy
People who display exceptional recall for lists of information often employ an ancient learning strategy that engages brain areas considered crucial for spatial memory and navigation.
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19204
It’s gratifying to see scientific validation of something people of southern Louisiana have know for years. Legend says that when the Acadians migrated from Canada to Louisiana, their friends the lobsters were so lonely for them they decided to travel down to be with the Cajuns. So the lobsters walked down the eastern shore, around […]
- Animals
Homing Lobsters: Fancy navigation, for an invertebrate
Spiny lobsters are the first animals without backbones to pass tests for the orienteering power called true navigation.
- Earth
Sulfur Studies: Early Earth’s air was oxygen-poor
Analyses of ancient sulfide minerals and the modern organisms that create sulfides are giving scientists a better idea of what Earth's atmosphere and oceans may have been like billions of years ago.
- Materials Science
Fracture Protection: Nanotubes toughen up ceramics
The addition of carbon nanotubes to a ceramic material dramatically improves its fracture resistance.
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19194
Your article reports that adding single-wall carbon nanotubes to a ceramic can “nearly triple its resistance to fracturing.” The similar technology of adding tubes (straw) to bricks has been around for thousands of years and is of comparable effectiveness. Lee W. CaspersonPortland, Ore.
