All Stories by Science News
- Humans
Letters from the July 30, 2005, issue of Science News
Led astray The illustration of the solar system in “Roaming Giants: Did migrating planets shape the solar system?” (SN: 5/28/05, p. 340) does not represent the current orbit of the planets. Rather, it must be a frame from the computer simulation referred to in the article. William MeadowsDripping Springs, Texas Indeed, the image reflects the […]
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19577
I’m currently writing a biography of RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, the instigator of the plan to construct the three tunnels in Stalag Luft III. Last fall, I visited the site. Amazingly, it was difficult to see where the excavation team had been. I have also spoken to dozens of men who either helped build […]
- Humans
From the July 20, 1935, issue
A warning sign for pilots, better methods for producing radioactive substances, and making potatoes grow better with ultrasound.
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Animal Skulls
High school biology teacher DeLoy Roberts and his students have, over the years, assembled a large collection of animal skulls. This Web site provides dramatic images of the skulls, ranging, for example, from the armadillo to the wood rat among the mammals. Various birds, fish, sharks, reptiles, amphibians, and crustaceans are also represented. Go to: […]
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19576
That monkeys get “weirded out” by seeing themselves in mirrors doesn’t seem unexpected. Were a familiar or an unfamiliar same-sex capuchin seen, the test subject would be bombarded not just by visual images but also by smells generated from the normal interactions of monkeys. What makes them act strangely is not seeing themselves, which they […]
- Humans
Letters from the July 23, 2005, issue of Science News
Clearly a problem? “Built for Blurs: Jellyfish have great eyes that can’t focus” (SN: 5/14/05, p. 307) states that “the resulting blurred view is good enough for spotting large objects such as mangrove roots.” It seems to me that the article is missing the crucial biological question presented by these eyes. My understanding is that […]
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19575
I have some problems with this article. The section regarding alpine thistles seems to ignore the huge moisture-collecting effect of aboveground matter, such as dead plant remains, that results from condensation of dew. Experiments need to be done that control for this and for the increased amount of organic matter found at the “mother’s” site […]
- Earth
Letters from the July 16, 2005, issue of Science News
Muddy, clarified “Muddy Waters” (SN: 5/21/05, p. 328), on the deleterious effect of dams on coastal systems, contains a major conceptual error. It states that “another important cause of the ground sinking is the waning of sediment deposition by the Mississippi River.” But over the past 100 million years, the northern Gulf Coast region has […]
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19574
In your article, you describe Einstein’s negative reaction to Newton’s proposition that gravity acts instantaneously on two objects. The notion of simultaneous (if not instantaneous) properties in physics is one of the basic notions of quantum physics. I do not feel that Einstein’s “particle-like” description of light makes him (even “ironically”) “a builder of the […]
- Humans
From the July 13, 1935, issue
An artificial cavern with no echoes, a new theory from Albert Einstein, and an explanation for red shift.
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Ocean Habitats
These Web pages provide a set of lesson plans devoted to organisms that live in the intertidal zone. Geared to grades seven to nine, the activities include studies of a variety of shells, a virtual tour of a rocky coast, and a study of life in a tide pool. Several online videos accompany the lessons. […]
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19573
In your article you refer to a standard concept of a person speeding “in a rocket traveling slightly less than the speed of light” and say that “motion at such enormous speeds drastically slows the clock for the traveler.” That reasoning, which is common, troubles me. If the traveler is traveling speedily with respect to […]
