Uncategorized
-
19054
In your coverage of the recent sonofusion work, you make the unsubstantiated and false remark regarding cold fusion and Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons: “However, neither the original pair nor anyone else could reproduce those findings, which have largely been discredited as a case study in mistaken science.” The peer-reviewed literature since 1989 does indeed […]
- Physics
Star in a Jar? Hints of nuclear fusion found—maybe
In a bench-top experiment, atomic nuclei may have fused inside rapidly imploding bubbles of vapor in a liquid bombarded by sound waves, but many scientists find the evidence for bubble fusion unconvincing.
- Astronomy
Martian equator: A watery outpost?
A catastrophic outpouring of water—four times the volume contained in Lake Tahoe—may have gushed from fissures near the equator on Mars as recently as 10 million years ago.
-
A bitter taste in your . . . stomach
The stomach may be able to "taste" bitter substances.
-
Kids’ ADHD tied to snoring, sleepiness
Heavy snoring may contribute to the development of hyperactivity and attention problems in some children, especially boys age 8 and younger.
-
19053
As mavericks often are, Egon Brunswik was ahead of his time. It is becoming increasingly apparent that our cognitive abilities are the result of the gradual evolution of neurochemical brain processes that record the often-ambiguous sensory cues we perceive from our external physical and social environment, as well as internal cues from memory, habitual patterns, […]
-
A Maverick Reclaimed
A small band of researchers wants to resuscitate the ideas of Egon Brunswik, a brilliant but tragic psychologist who died almost 50 years ago.
-
Channel Surfing
The newly revealed three-dimensional structures of proteins called ion channels reveal the secrets of their crucial function.
-
From the March 5, 1932, issue
WEIRD LEATHER COSTUMES PROTECT ELECTRIC WORKERS Dressed in the clothes of imagined creatures from a distant planet, these power plant operators open and close the switches of transmission lines that bring power for electric lamp and industrial motor. The costume, a new invention of safety engineers, is designed to protect the wearer from flashes of […]
- Math
Pi Day Festivities
Pi Day celebrations take place, appropriately enough, on March 14 at 1:59 p.m. For a glimpse of activities highlighting the enduring fascination of the digits of pi (the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter), take a look at the Exploratorium’s Web pages devoted to pi, then try the links to other weird and […]
- Math
Scrabble’s Random Letters
In the popular SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game, players create words from letters selected at random from a stockpile of 100 tiles. The tiles are laid down on a board 15 squares high by 15 squares wide to form an interlocking, crossword arrangement. Each letter of the alphabet has a particular value and the number of […]
- Math
Scrabble’s Random Letters
In the popular SCRABBLE Brand Crossword Game, players create words from letters selected at random from a stockpile of 100 tiles. The tiles are laid down on a board 15 squares high by 15 squares wide to form an interlocking, crossword arrangement. Each letter of the alphabet has a particular value and the number of […]
