Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. Humans

    From the September 29, 1934, issue

    Structural details of chromosomes, America's Cup yacht technology, and an improved street car.

  2. Humans

    Skeptical Brains

    At the Web site of the McDonnell Foundation, a private funder of scientific research, peruse examples of recent media misinterpretations of brain studies—as chosen by foundation staffers—at a page titled “BAD Neuro-Journalism.” Go to: http://www.jsmf.org/about/s/badneuro/index.htm

  3. 19466

    I would have thought that it is more likely that Earth’s hum creates the weather patterns than the other way around. Judy AngelGlasgow, Scotland

  4. 19465

    As a decaf drinker, I found myself shouting, “What about caffeine”?” as I read your article. How can any report not, at least, mention its involvement or lack thereof? Greg TulloRaleigh, N.C. Researcher Pertti Happonen suspects that caffeine was responsible for the effects seen in his study, but since Finns don’t drink much decaf, he […]

  5. 19464

    I was pleased to read that one of the most mathematically pretty sphere-stacking arrangements (the lovely 24-cell) occurs in four dimensions. The nice thing about four dimensions is that, by letting time be one dimension and using a good three-dimensional computer-graphics package, the arrangement can be viewed on a computer. Dan RyanPhiladelphia, Pa.

  6. 19463

    Surely, you mean ale. Beer, in this country at least, is a hopped drink. Evidence of ale brewing is what Robin Birley found at Vindolanda. Beer didn’t appear in England until the late Middle Ages. Ron WilcoxBath, England

  7. Humans

    From the September 22, 1934, issue

    Giant ocean liner ready for launch, synthetic vitamin C produces unexpected cures, and systematic problem solving in chimpanzees.

  8. Humans

    Quick Flicks

    The BrainPOP Web site boasts more than 200 animated movies with accompanying comics and activities that answer students’ questions about science, math, health, and technology. A host of characters explains tough concepts in an interesting and humorous way. Unfortunately, visitors to the site can view only two movies per day for free. A subscription to […]

  9. 19462

    Considering the controversy that Thomas Gold engendered when he first postulated abiogenic origins of earthly hydrocarbons, it’s odd you didn’t mention his name in your article. Edgar T. LynkNiskayuna, N.Y. Although Gold, author of The Deep Hot Biosphere (1998, Copernicus), was a strong proponent of a nonbiological origin of hydrocarbons, he was not the first […]

  10. Humans

    Letters from the September 25, 2004, issue of Science News

    More of less is more The counterintuitive finding that atrazine is more likely to kill tadpoles when it is highly diluted (“Just a Tad Is Too Much: Less is worse for tadpoles exposed to chemicals,” SN: 7/10/04, p. 20: Just a Tad Is Too Much: Less is worse for tadpoles exposed to chemicals) reminds me […]

  11. 19461

    Far from being a pathology, the eye cast noted in this article is exactly what one would expect for a right-eye-dominant artist. A dominant eye would see itself directly in a mirror but would observe the other eye looking at an angle away from the median. Before concluding that Rembrandt had an anomalous visual condition, […]

  12. 19460

    Astronomers and physicists seem to speak of black holes as though they took matter completely out of the universe. An evaporating black hole would not fizz away into nothingness. It would lose energy and reappear in normal space as a very dense object (complete with information). Someone might consider this when discussing quasars. Nancy ParkerCaldwell, […]