Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. Earth

    Meteorite Crater

    The Barringer Crater in Arizona is one of the more famous geological sites on Earth. This Web site recounts the history and science of the crater’s formation 50,000 years ago and provides information about its discovery, its purchase by D.M. Barringer, and its current status. Go to: http://www.barringercrater.com/

  2. 19327

    This article exaggerates the capability of transmission electron microscopy by stating that “individual lithium ions” are seen. The research paper described says that the features imaged correspond to columns of lithium, cobalt, and oxygen atoms in a sample estimated to be 17 unit cells thick. Eliot D. SpechtOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge, Tenn. True, but […]

  3. 19255

    What a hope-inspiring article for those of us with celiac disease. Unfortunately, diagnosis often takes many years (approximately 16 years in my case), during which irreparable damage can occur. I suffered with anemia and fatigue for years and now have osteoporosis and osteopenia at age 45. It’s imperative to concentrate efforts on awareness, diagnosis, and […]

  4. 19326

    As a regular platelet-aphaeresis donor, I was alarmed by your article. I would be very curious to know if the standard tubing and centrifuge harness used for aphaeresis contain DEHP. During an aphaeresis session, roughly half the blood of the donor passes through a centrifuge to be relieved of platelets before being returned to the […]

  5. Humans

    From the June 17, 1933, issue

    STRATOSPHERE SHELL PREPARED FOR NAVIGATORS The little metal sphere that will be the stratosphere home of two men and scientific instruments for a few hours next month is rapidly being completed (SNL, May 27, ’33, p. 323). It is pictured on the front cover with Dr. Jean F. Piccard emerging at the unfinished vertex of […]

  6. Earth

    Rocks for Kids

    Can’t tell pyrite from magnetite? Looking for an entertaining, colorful introduction to rocks and minerals? The Mineralogical Society of America has created a Web site, aimed at kids, that provides information about minerals and their classification, properties, and uses. It includes a selection of games with a mineral theme. Go to: http://www.minsocam.org/MSA/K12/K_12.html

  7. 19254

    It’s appropriate that research into the genes for caffeine in tea and coffee plants should be done at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo. The university is named for the Ochanomizu district of Tokyo, a name that literally means tea water. The name arose in the early 17th century, when the second Tokugawa shogun took such a […]

  8. 19253

    I have always been fascinated by the subject of this article. I have a simple question: Is there a definitive set of standards (physical or behavioral or both) that defines modern Homo sapiens? Lew RobertsFranklin Square, N.Y. No. This is a topic that inspires much discussion and debate .–B. Bower

  9. 19252

    Your article says that Robert R. Leben of the University of Colorado operates a Web site that monitors the positions of Gulf of Mexico eddies, but it doesn’t give the Web site. It would be most valuable to the millions of us who live along the gulf. Roy P. FinneyWeeki Wachee, Fla. Two sites you […]

  10. Humans

    From the June 10, 1933, issue

    BRAINLIKE STALAGMITES FOUND IN MARYLAND CAVE Stalagmite deposits shaped like human brains have been found on the floor of a newly discovered cave in Mount Etna, near Beaver Creek, Md., about 60 miles from Washington. James H. Benn of the Smithsonian Institution staff, who was detailed to make a geological investigation, brought one of them […]

  11. Firefly Alight

    The Firefly Files Web site is dedicated to “the sparks of bioluminescent light that inspire awe and wonder around the earth.” Developed by the Museum of Biological Diversity at Ohio State University, this site provides a variety of information about fireflies, from where they live to how they glow. Go to: http://iris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/projects/FFiles/top.html

  12. 19164

    This article reports that, wearing a gecko-inspired glove, “a person could dangle from the ceiling.” How would that person let go? David D. JonesSt. Paul, Minn. The microscopic hairs on a gecko’s feet stick only when the angle at which they meet the surface is just right. To unstick its feet, a gecko peels them […]