All Stories by Science News
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19407
This article focused exclusively on the conversion efficiency of the solar cells. To my way of thinking, the important parameter is not output power versus input power but output power per dollar cost. The size of the arrays is generally not the deciding item. If their efficiency were only 10 percent, but they cost 10 […]
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19406
Like physicists, mathematicians have always been divided into theorists and experimentalists. And, as with the physicists, the two groups of mathematicians have not gotten along very well. Still, in physics, there has always been an understanding that both groups are necessary, whereas during the past century or so, it has been possible to pretend that […]
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19405
This article reminded me of the old quote: “A fishing lure is any combination of metal, plastic, wood, feathers, hair, or other manmade or natural material attached to a hook (or hooks) and designed to attract fishermen.” To wit: Decades ago, to impress an office associate who was a trout-fishing traditionalist as to how random […]
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19404
What an amazing time resolution for 34 million years ago! Could the temperature changes recorded reflect seasonal eel migration, rather than changes in the Gulf of Mexico? Are the results consistent between otoliths found in close association? Does this offer a method of more precise dating similar to the use of tree rings? Gordon C. […]
- Math
Functions on Display
To mathematicians, the term “function” has a specific meaning. It’s a rule that assigns a fixed output for a given input; in effect, a formula. Among the most familiar functions are the sine and cosine functions of trigonometry. The Wolfram Functions Site offers a huge functions database, providing information about and visualizations of more then […]
- Humans
From the April 14, 1934, issue
Yawning spells, disagreeable alcohols from anaerobic respiration, and how antibodies protect adults from disease.
- Humans
Letters from the April 17, 2004, issue of Science News
Sphere criticism In “Candy Science: M&Ms pack more tightly than spheres” (SN: 2/14/04, p. 102: Candy Science: M&Ms pack more tightly than spheres), I read that an orb of a given size, when slightly flattened, will pack more densely than when perfectly round. No kidding? Do you suppose if we were to crush cars into […]
- Humans
Letters from the April 10, 2004, issue of Science News
Inaction verbs? Regarding “The Brain’s Word Act: Reading verbs revs up motor cortex areas” (SN: 2/7/04, p. 83: The Brain’s Word Act: Reading verbs revs up motor cortex areas), did the researchers image the brains of disabled people who know the meaning of a verb but can’t perform the action, or of people without any […]
- Humans
From the April 7, 1934, issue
Pouring the 200-inch glass disk for a new telescope, a new man-ape link, and planetary weather cycles.
- Humans
Sense of Smell
Get in touch with your sense of smell. This invitation comes from the Sense of Smell Institute, which aims to spotlight the importance of smell in human psychology, behavior, and quality of life. The institute’s Web site offers a report addressing what would happen if you were to lose your sense of smell. The site […]
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19403
In this article, the photo comparison of the dam site is deceptive because the two photos of the same spot appear to have been taken during different seasons. Hence, the lower photo shows a scene that appears excessively desolate, but not because of the loss of the dam. Michael C. ReedKalamazoo, Mich.
- Humans
From the March 31, 1934, issue
A desert earthquake, producing bromine from seawater, and nerve damage from alcohol consumption.
