All Stories by Science News
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19884
A researcher cited in this article recommends that people at risk of heart attack should avoid exercising outdoors on highly polluted days. What an odd conclusion, on two counts: First, that avoidance, instead of elimination of the poison from the air we breathe, is the recommended course of action; and second, that only “at risk” […]
- Humans
Letters from the September 29, 2007, issue of Science News
Questioning the surge “The Power of Induction” (SN: 7/21/07, p. 40) was written as if this was a newly discovered technology. I have been using an electric shaver with induction recharging for years. Mike YorkPhoenix, Ariz. The ability to project electrical power some distance suggests a possible method to detonate or disable improvised explosive devices. […]
- Humans
From the September 18, 1937, issue
Wiping out insects not a good idea, a novel compound for preventing deadly blood clots, and firecrackers making fireflies flash faster.
- Earth
Toxipedia
Ever wonder whether some chemical in a bathroom cleanser, herbicidal spray, or paint is toxic? Just how poisonous is that chemical described in last week’s Science News? Toxicologists are developing one-stop shopping for such information at Toxipedia. Like Wikipedia, it allows the public—experts, advocates, or policymakers—to post information. Unlike Wikipedia, there is a rating system […]
- Humans
Letters from the September 22, 2007, issue of Science News
Personnel question In “E-Waste Hazards: Chinese gear recyclers absorb toxic chemicals” (SN: 7/14/07, p. 20), researchers found “astronomical concentrations” of deca-BDE in the residents of Guiyu, and the article cites studies showing that related PBDEs harm brain development in mice and rats. So, has any actual increase in brain-development problems been found in people in […]
- Humans
From the September 11, 1937, issue
A sad story of feathered romance, observation of the 16th supernova in recorded history, and an underwater earthquake down under.
- Chemistry
Kitchen Chemistry
Play with your food. That’s encouraged at this Countertop Chemistry site. Its kitchen-based teaching projects have been compiled by the Science House, an educational outreach program of North Carolina State University. Go to: http://www.science-house.org/learn/CountertopChem/
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19883
Your article notes how groups of people may have different numbers of copies of the amylase gene. Is it correct then that individuals have varying numbers of the gene as well? If so, would this explain why some people don’t like meat and become vegetarians and others just need to eat meat? Robert KraseSpringville, Calif. […]
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19882
This article brought to mind the history of pitch through the centuries. In the 17th century, what is now G sharp was an A. Maybe the “perfect” pitch is somewhere else. Stanton AlgerBainbridge Island, Wash. Before the 20th century, the tone that musicians called A ranged widely but was generally between 415 and 432 hertz […]
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19881
Bjorn Merker says that “the tacit consensus concerning the cerebral cortex as the ‘organ of consciousness’ … may in fact be seriously in error.” But the real tacit consensus is that the cerebral cortex is the organ of conceptual consciousness, of thinking and reasoning, and that is not challenged by studies that identify the brain […]
- Humans
Letters from the September 15, 2007, issue of Science News
Talk talk talk “Hidden Smarts: Abstract thought trumps IQ scores in autism” (SN: 7/7/07, p. 4) didn’t mention that traditional IQ tests are in one sense “language” tests. The Ravens test doesn’t involve language processing in a typical manner. A person with a language disorder, as an autistic person is assumed to be, would do […]
- Humans
From the September 4, 1937, issue
Growling grizzlies star at Yellowstone, radioactive dating puts Earth's age at less than 3 billion years, and a suggestion that overanxious parents can turn their children into stutterers.
