All Stories by Science News
- Humans
From the July 24, 1937, issue
Records of floods are written in mud, predictions that locusts will invade areas once thought safe, and the Eiffel Tower hosts the world's most powerful television transmitter.
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19863
Oscar the cat possibly does identify dying patients, but this story presents anecdotal rather than scientific evidence and does not belong in a science magazine. Julie EnevoldsenSeattle, Wash. Correlation is not causation. Could it not be that, somehow, Oscar the cat is killing these patients? Jan SteinmanSalt Spring Island, British Columbia
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19862
People don’t need another reason to shun fat people. This group represents the last scapegoat for righteous discrimination in our image-obsessed society. There are myriad reasons a person becomes obese. Friendship is not one of them. Shawn DehneLittleton, Colo. As such studies progress, it will be interesting to learn if the opposite—weight loss—is also influenced […]
- Humans
Letters from the July 28, 2007, issue of Science News
Gyro Q & A Doesn’t “Spinning into Control” (SN: 05/19/07, p. 312) on flywheels leave out a significant aspect: the gyroscope effects of a rotating large mass? Wouldn’t it be a benefit for moving installations (stabilization) and a problem for immobile installations? Lee HukillPalo Alto, Calif. In the article, the flywheels depicted appear to have […]
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19861
I was surprised to find no mention in this article of the possibility that the decline in suicide attempts might be owed merely to the hope generated by beginning a treatment, rather than the treatment itself. I have known depression sufferers to be nearly euphoric after starting a new treatment. Karen AikenSan Francisco, Calif.
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19860
In this article the researchers postulate six reasons for the collapse of the bee colonies. The reason, in my opinion, is evident when considering the extensive use of insecticides throughout the world. Wally McMillanPalo Alto, Calif.
- Humans
From the July 17, 1937, issue
Tung trees from China make their mark in the southeastern United States, early concerns about oil shortages, and a suggestion that telescopes might already be seeing almost to the edge of the universe.
- Health & Medicine
Phytochemical Beauty
Our Food For Thought column recently published two offerings on health-related findings about genistein, a soybean constituent. Ever wonder what that chemical looks like? Or how about capsaicin—the spicy agent in hot chilies being explored as a painkiller, lycopene—the red pigment in watermelons that may protect our skin against harmful ultraviolet rays, or sulforaphane—a trace […]
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19859
This article stated that the last player with pieces on the board is the winner. This is not accurate. In fact, no pieces have to be jumped at all for a game to have a winner. The all-encompassing rule is that the last player who has no available move when it is his or her […]
- Humans
Letters from the July 21, 2007, issue of Science News
Quantum leak? Perhaps there need not be “degrees of quantumness” (“Degrees of Quantumness: Shades of gray in particle-wave duality,” SN: 5/12/07, p. 292). As the beams pass increasingly closer to the surface, the plate will induce a small (but increasingly larger) spread of energies (hence wavelengths) in the electrons within the beam, possibly explaining the […]
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19858
This article 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. Josef HeitWebster, N.Y. Several readers pointed out that wireless […]
- Astronomy
Help Spot Galaxies
Although computer programs can be written to sort galaxies into general categories, they would inevitably throw out the unusual, the weird and the wonderful, astronomers say. Because the human brain is much better at recognizing patterns, astronomers launched a site this week recruiting the public to help identify spiral galaxies on sky photos. Instructions are […]
