All Stories by Science News
- Humans
Letters from the May 27, 2006, issue of Science News
Dig it or don’t I am rather surprised at all the attention this find is getting (“Out of the Shadows: Not all early mammals were shy and retiring,” SN: 3/18/06, p. 173). Some would think that these mammals caused the downfall of the dinosaurs, but the fossil record suggests a very different scenario. There is […]
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Amphibiaweb
Curious about frogs, toads, or salamanders? This Web site from the University of California, Berkeley provides data on more than 6,000 amphibian species from around the world. Visitors can browse the listings by name or region of the world (or country). The site also has general information about amphibians and addresses the issue of amphibian […]
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19684
While reading this article, I pondered what would happen if fissionable elements were the core crystals of the nanosqueeze. Would nanoreactors or nanobombs be possible? Victor LawnickiLouisville, Ky. Florian Banhart of the University of Mainz in Germany notes that a nuclear-fission bomb or reactor requires a critical mass of kilograms of fissionable material—way too much […]
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19683
The lenses in our eyes yellow as we age. Does this affect the light-mediated regulation of our body clocks? Could it explain any age-related dysfunction? Mike SpecinerActon, Mass. Indeed, it could. The progressive browning of tissue in the eye can end up “acting like yellow-tinted sunglasses,” says Elizabeth R. Gaillard of Northern Illinois University. Moreover, […]
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19682
While I applaud the work that is looking at the biochemical correlates of aggressive and delinquent behavior, it is important to emphasize that environmental factors still predominate when we are searching for the roots of violence. Although there is no single factor underlying aggressive behavior in children, my own 30-plus years looking into the relationship […]
- Humans
Letters from the May 20, 2006, issue of Science News
Forget dessert In “Got Data? Consuming calcium, dairy doesn’t keep off weight” (SN: 3/11/06, p. 147), you report, “Every 4 years, each volunteer completed a questionnaire about his body weight and dietary habits.” Any dieter knows that it is next to impossible to remember what one has eaten 4 days ago. Any more details on […]
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From the May 16, 1936, issue
Long-lived cicadas, zinc coatings for wire, and schizophrenia's cause.
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Darwin and Evolution
This online exhibit from the American Museum of Natural History is a fascinating account of how Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution and how that theory is regarded today. The site includes a number of audio and video files and a link to a webcam that features a Galápagos tortoise. Go to: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/?src=e_f
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19681
Unlike some, I find no problem with the idea of hybrids between ancestors of chimpanzees and humans. We have to assume that any speciation event will be protracted. The collection of genes that separate humans from apes would hardly have arisen in a single individual. From my study of dabbling ducks, I have come to […]
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19680
Regarding the “new humanmade version of an insect’s compound eye,” it has been obvious for many years that such structures need not be exceptionally small and need not be extremely like ommatidia to behave like ommatidia. Triads of small light sensors can be arrayed in large, wide, and slightly concave or convex panels and hardwired […]
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19679
It would seem to me that instead of looking to minimize the effect of grapefruit juice in slowing the metabolism and elimination of drugs, one could cut drug dosages by taking advantage of it. Grapefruit juice costs less than any drug and has far fewer possible side effects. This could only benefit the patient by […]
