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  1. Computing

    Scouring the Web

    Looking for the perfect Web search engine? It probably doesn’t exist, but you can find out the strengths, weaknesses, and quirks of various Net-scouring tools at the “Search Engine Showdown” Web site, maintained by Montana State University librarian Greg R. Notess. Check out the inconsistencies report and sample tips for efficient searching. Go to: http://www.notess.com/search/

    By Science News
  2. Math

    Turn of the Screw

    “What we are told about Archimedes is a mix of a few hard facts and many legends,” Sherman Stein of the University of California, Davis notes in his book Archimedes: What Did He Do Besides Cry Eureka? A three-bladed Archimedes screw. Courtesy of Chris Rorres. I was reminded of that statement when my son Kenneth […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  3. Math

    Conquering Catalan’s Conjecture

    Innocent-looking problems involving whole numbers can stymie even the most astute mathematicians.