Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. 19587

    The research into placebos’ pain relief in this article should probably be tied in with the recent work utilizing hypnotism for pain relief. It may well be that the two turn on the same centers of the brain. C. Norman WinningstadNewport, Ore.

  2. 19586

    I note that pleasure activates the neurobiological response that fuels addictive behavior. It has long been a tenet of the 12-step programs that there is no pleasure greater than to use one’s talents to help others similarly afflicted. Perhaps we shouldn’t discount the neurological effect of that activity. Betsy (last name withheld) It’s a fact […]

  3. Humans

    From the August 24, 1935, issue

    Learning from spiders, a tiny electric motor, and two new cancer-causing chemicals.

  4. Earth

    Sea Monitors

    Developed by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, SeaMaven is a new Web portal that gives students access to data collected from naval platforms 60 miles off the coast of Georgia. Eight platforms, currently operated by the U.S. Navy for flight training, have been equipped with sophisticated sensors to monitor various ocean and meteorological […]

  5. Letters from the August 27, 2005, issue of Science News

    Sleeper issues I have experienced sleep paralysis in almost all of its forms, from terrors to vibrations and auditory hallucinations to out-of-body experiences (“Night of the Crusher,” SN: 7/9/05, p. 27). Most often it is completely terrifying, but I did have one episode that was elating. Sweet dreams. Kathleen MilroyOntario, Canada The manifestations reported by […]

  6. Humans

    Letters from the August 20, 2005, issue of Science News

    Just a little gas “Energy on Ice” (SN: 6/25/05, p. 410) states that the gas-hydrate deposit near Prudhoe Bay “contains more than 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas. That’s twice the total amount of natural gas consumed annually in the United States. …” Does it behoove us to invest the time and dollars it will […]

  7. Humans

    From the August 17, 1935, issue

    Cactus gardening for a dry summer, Echo-sounding to locate fish, and suspended animation in humans.

  8. Wildlife Finder

    For a sofa safari, type in a location somewhere on the planet (by city, country, or even zip code) and see what kinds of natural habitat lie nearby. Created by the World Wildlife Federation, this Web site generates a list of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles reported in that type of habitat and links them […]

  9. 19585

    I wonder if any of the researchers had a pet bird. My Alexandrine parakeet can smell beer or ice cream from two rooms away—She screams for her share. Bruce DowRidge Manor, Fla.

  10. Humans

    From the August 10, 1935, issue

    A silencer for artificial lightning, a trigger for epilepsy, and light that keeps plants from growing.

  11. Archaeology

    The Iceman Cometh

    A Web site maintained by Italy’s South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology offers an illustrated look at scientific efforts to understand the life and death of Oetzi the Iceman, who perished in Europe’s Alps more than 5,000 years ago only to be discovered in mummified form by hikers in 1991. Explore Oetzi’s clothing, equipment, and tattoos, […]

  12. 19584

    The plates on Stegosaurus and the fleshy, domed skulls on pachycephalosaurs could certainly have been for recognition, but not the kind of recognition cited in this article comparing it to teen fashion. Isn’t flashy recognition often a sign that says, “Don’t eat me because I am poisonous”? There may have been enough noxious secretions in […]