All Stories by Science News
- Humans
From the May 26, 1934, issue
Extracting bromine from the sea, a new treatment for cancer, and a novel altimeter.
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19425
The Japanese researchers who dubbed a pachyderm secretion to be “hipposudoric acid” seem to know more about biochemistry than about etymology. The word hippopotamus is a synthesis of Latin hippo (horse) and potamus (river), apparently because of the resemblance of the face of a submerged hippopotamus to the head of a horse. Hipposudoric implies a […]
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19424
This article seems to use “aspirin” and “acetaminophen” interchangeably. Aspirin is acetyl salicylic acid, not acetaminophen (better known as Tylenol). Tom WarmMustang, Okla.
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19423
I don’t want to downplay genuine discovery, but your story about optically reading old records left me a little underwhelmed. The optical playing of records has been available in the commercial market for several years. Just do an Internet search for “laser turntables.” Jerry BoehmSchenectady, N.Y. This is not an especially new invention. A commercial […]
- Humans
Letters from the May 29, 2004, issue of Science News
Judging by science “Forensics on Trial” (SN: 3/27/04, p. 202: Forensics on Trial) was an eye-opener. Our courts may be accepting many analytical techniques that haven’t been adequately validated. We should be careful, especially where the death penalty is involved, not to be guilty of hubris in the application of scientific knowledge. Bob SauerPrinceton, Mass. […]
- Humans
Famous Engineers
Did you know that Scott Adams, cartoonist and creator of Dilbert, has an engineering background? Others who have been engineers or have an engineering background include astronaut Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the moon, as well as film director Alfred Hitchcock, former Dallas football coach Tom Landry, and television talk show host Montel […]
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19422
I felt that this article treated the customs and people of Samoa with disrespect and patronized their cultural ways. Robert OliverTucson, Ariz. I must commend you on the article. Its combination of sensitivity and science reminds me of why I studied science in the first place (too long ago). Tom JenkinsSan Francisco, Calif.
- Humans
From the May 19, 1934, issue
Preparing for a stratospheric ascent, the great dust storm of 1934, and the invention of the electron microscope.
- Chemistry
Home Experiments
Collapsing a soft drink can, fireproofing a balloon, creating cool light, and bending water are among the activities offered by Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, a chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His Web pages provide instructions for performing these and other experiments at home. Go to: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/HOMEEXPTS.HTML.
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19421
Your article failed to include in the list of oldest dogs the Shiba Inu. This is the most popular dog in Japan today, and many of its qualities make it a much better pet than the other dogs listed in your “oldest breeds” category. Deborah Katz HuntMadison, Wis. The genetic analysis included the Shiba Inu, […]
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19420
It seems to me that the stronger the social pressure against using marijuana in a culture, the more likely it will be that those who use it will be troubled, antisocial, or unusually independent. Hence, any increase in the incidence of mental problems after using marijuana could be attributed to an increased likelihood that those […]
- Humans
Letters from the May 22, 2004, issue of Science News
Further options “Surgical Option: Hysterectomy may top drugs for women with heavy bleeding” (SN: 3/27/04, p. 196: Surgical Option: Hysterectomy may top drugs for women with heavy bleeding) doesn’t mention that 13 to 20 percent of women with heavy menstrual periods have a common but often undiagnosed bleeding disorder called von Willebrand disease. Because this […]
