Uncategorized
- Math
A Snowy Twist
Carving a massive block of packed snow into an elegant sculpture presents all sorts of challenges. It’s even tougher when the goal is an intricate mathematical shape with a gravity-defying heart. A Twist in Time. Photo by Stan Wagon Eltanin by Bathsheba Grossman. On display at the northeast corner of 33rd and Walnut St., University […]
- Chemistry
A new molecule and a new signature
In two independent discoveries, chemists have prepared a new form of nitrogen and captured the infrared spectrum of an unusual molecule made up of hydrogen and oxygen.
- Materials Science
Scientists make nanothermometer
A carbon nanotube filled with gallium can be used to measure temperatures in microscopic environments.
- Astronomy
UV telescopes: One dead, one revived
One ultraviolet observatory burned up in Earth's atmosphere late last month while another has gotten a new lease on life.
-
19051
My olfactory sense was alerted while pregnant but stayed on guard. After 7 years, it’s sharper than ever. I can smell the minutest scents, which means my taste buds are equally sensitive. In some ways, it’s a blessing, but I end up smelling more than I want to: men too interested in me, a married […]
-
Women whiff men in sniff proficiency
Women of reproductive age exhibit a unique ability to learn to detect specific smells with great sensitivity, an aptitude that may reflect the activity of female hormones in the brain.
- Animals
Yellower blue tits make better dads
The yellow feathers on a male blue tit's breast could tell females that he'll be a good provider for the chicks.
- Plants
Tropical plants grow cool flowers
Tropical plants that position their flowers in the general direction of the sun are keeping the temperature comfortable for pollinators.
-
18992
In this article there is a graph showing sharp peaks of ghrelin at mealtimes and a rapid drop-off after the meal is eaten. There is also a peak during the night, but there is no meal responsible for the drop-off. Does the research indicate what happens to the ghrelin level during the day when a […]
-
-
19050
This article indicates that the researchers were surprised that the participants from “traditional societies” acted in some mode rather than pure self-interest. This isn’t surprising if you accept the notion that true self-interest is that which gives the most overall personal benefit both now and in the foreseeable future. All of the participants acted exactly […]
- Anthropology
A Fair Share of the Pie
A cross-cultural project suggests that people everywhere divvy up food and make other economic deals based on social concepts of fairness, not individual self-interest.
