Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. Over the Coasts: An Aerial View of Geology by Michael Collier

    Review by Sid Perkins.

  2. Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens: Frank Oppenheimer and the World He Made Up by K.C. Cole

    Review by Laura Sanders.

  3. The Religion and Science Debate: Why Does It Continue? Edited by Harold W. Attridge

    Scholars from the humanities and natural and social sciences discuss the interminable tensions between religion and science. Yale Univ. Press, 2009, 221 p., $16. THE RELIGION AND SCIENCE DEBATE: WHY DOES IT CONTINUE? EDITED BY HAROLD W. ATTRIDGE

  4. Mythematics: Solving the 12 Labors of Hercules by Michael Huber

    Math could have saved the ancient hero time and muscle, a professor writes. Princeton Univ. Press, 2009, 183 p., $24.95. MYTHEMATICS: SOLVING THE 12 LABORS OF HERCULES BY MICHAEL HUBER

  5. The Greatest Science Stories Never Told by Rick Beyer

    True stories about scientists show that the path to innovation is rarely straight- forward. Harper, 2009, 224 p., $19.99. THE GREATEST SCIENCE STORIES NEVER TOLD BY RICK BEYER

  6. Hybrid: The History & Science of Plant Breeding by Noel Kingsbury

    Breeders have taken an active role in plants’ reproduction throughout human history. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2009, 493 p., $35. HYBRID: THE HISTORY & SCIENCE OF PLANT BREEDING BY NOEL KINGSBURY

  7. Gems and Gemstones: Timeless Natural Beauty of the Mineral World by Lance Grande and Allison Augustyn

    Gemstones are more than pretty baubles. Gems and their geological features are depicted in text and beautiful photographs. Univ. of Chicago Press, 2009, 369 p., $45. GEMS AND GEMSTONES: TIMELESS NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE MINERAL WORLD BY LANCE GRANDE AND ALLISON AUGUSTYN

  8. Quantum Leaps by Jeremy Bernstein

    Review by Tom Siegfried.

  9. Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention by Stanislas Dehaene

    A cognitive neuroscientist describes how the brain has adapted to reading and what can cause reading problems. Viking, 2009, 400 p., $27.95. READING IN THE BRAIN: THE SCIENCE AND EVOLUTION OF A HUMAN INVENTION BY STANISLAS DEHAENE

  10. Living Weapons: Biological Warfare and International Security by Gregory D. Koblentz

    Biological weapons pose unique threats to international security, beyond those caused by chemical and nuclear weapons, a policy expert argues. Cornell Univ. Press, 2009, 255 p., $35. LIVING WEAPONS: BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY BY GREGORY D. KOBLENTZ

  11. Science Future for December 5. 2009

    December 14–18 The American Geophysical Union meets in San Francisco. See www.agu.org/meetings January 10–14Researchers convene in Washington, D.C. to discuss threats posed by invasive species. Go to www.nisaw.org for agenda February 16Deadline to submit videos about the personal impacts of neurological illnesses to the 2010 Neuro Film Festival. See www.neurofilmfestival.com

  12. Science Past from the issue of December 5, 1959

    INSECTS WINNING RESISTANCE BATTLE — Insects appear to be winning the costly battle — $500,000 is spent each year on control — to keep them in check. Resistance to insecticides is now virtually nation-wide according to results of an extensive study.… Resistance can take many forms, research has shown. Some of these are: slow rate […]