All Stories by Science News
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19640
This article makes me wonder, Does continental drift cause occasional changes to the ocean’s currents? Would major reorganizations of ocean currents tend to cause ice ages by temporarily disrupting the flow of warm water that normally keeps the ice at bay? Would simulations of past continental positions indicate when reorganizations would have occurred? Matt HenryWhittier, […]
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19639
Trying to explain why “Diabetes most often begins in March,” researchers speculate about “cold weather, inactivity, and overeating.” Did they consider the possible role of a seasonal deficiency of vitamin D? Joseph DewhirstSharon, Mass. Vitamin D would logically be at its most depleted level in the body in March and at its most concentrated level […]
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19638
I refer to the article on pyrethroid insecticides. I suggest that all pesticides, regardless of their chemical structure, should be applied by trained operators who are equipped to degrade the run off before it enters public water and soil. This group of products is unsuitable for casual use by people at large. S. BanerjiMumbai, India
- Humans
From the January 25, 1936, issue
A giant scoop shovel, a new atom smasher, and making wheat grow better.
- Earth
Seamount Expedition
Join scientists as they explore the cold waters of the Davidson Seamount off the central California coastline. This huge undersea mountain harbors a variety of spectacular marine life, including large, ancient, and fragile coral gardens. Students and the general public can share the expedition’s discoveries through NOAA’s Ocean Explorer Web site, which features daily logs, […]
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19637
I must quibble about the headline of this piece about chronic wasting disease in deer. “Hunter Beware” sounds ominous, but in order to get the mice to exhibit symptoms after getting muscle tissue from infected deer, it was necessary to use genetically engineered mice carrying deer protein. While hunters would be unlikely to take and […]
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19636
This article details logging and poaching practices that have decimated the orangutan population on Borneo. These practices are not only sad, they’re criminal. It’s time for scientists to become as politically active as the religious right and start fighting for actions known to be needed. In this case, it’s protecting orangutans from extinction. Scientists must […]
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19635
I was surprised to read nothing about the timing of the songs when the birds are separated by distance. The ABCD duet would become A—BC—D (where the dashes represent the time delay due to distance) to the male and AB—CD to the female. The duet could be a distance-measurement tool for pairs wanting to keep […]
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19634
This article made no mention of the Clarno fossil beds and others nearby in north-central Oregon. Everything from pollen to midsize extinct mammals has been perfectly preserved and looks exactly like freshly exposed matter, not fossil rock. The living matter was entrapped by an enormous mudslide. Herman GelbachNormandy Park, Wash.
- Humans
Letters from the January 28, 2006, issue of Science News
Oil-for-food exchange Several decades ago, I heard of the anecdotal correlation between the rise of hydrogenated oils in our foods and the rise of colon cancer. The Swedish study that correlated high dairy-fat intake with lower risk of colon cancer (“Dairy fats cut colon cancer risk,” SN: 11/19/05, p. 333) might be reexamined to see […]
- Tech
Bizarre Stuff
Curious about airships or zoetropes? Want to build one? Created by Brian Carusella, this Web site spotlights unusual inventions and bizarre items. For each object, the site offers a history and review of how it was constructed. It features lots of ideas for interesting science projects and home experiments, along with easy-to-follow advice. Go to: […]
- Humans
From the January 18, 1936, issue
A small model of a large telescope, pain relief for angina, and the lightest solid ever known.
