All Stories by Science News
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19251
This article says that the S waves travel at about one-half the speed of the P waves. Then, in “Seismic waves resolve continental debate” on page 285 of the same issue (Available to subscribers at Seismic waves resolve continental debate), it would appear that the P waves travel at one-half the speed of the S […]
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19250
Regarding this article, consider how many species current Homo sapiens would be divided into using the criteria of paleoanthropologists, considering Pygmies and basketball players. Rick Fisher Richland, Wash.
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19249
A mild objection: This article on lichens mentioned that lichens are composed of fungi and algae, a type of protist, as if it were a given that all agree to. While it is true that the majority of taxonomists would classify an alga as a protist, there still are a large number of modern taxonomists […]
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19248
This article suggests that exposure to microbes in early life helps develop a child’s immune system. Speaking of dietary habits among 18th-century “Scotch-Irish” immigrants to the back-country regions of colonial America, David Hackett Fischer notes in Albion’s Seed (1989, Oxford University Press): “The quality of butter was believed to be improved in proportion to the […]
- Humans
From the April 22, 1933, issue
SPARKING PROCESS STUDIED WITH LICHTENBERG FIGURES What is an electric spark made of, is the question partly answered by the brilliant whirligig figure on the front cover of this weeks Science News Letter. The picture is one of several hundred made during research of Prof. C. Edward Magnusson of the University of Washington, Seattle. Prof. […]
- Humans
From the April 29, 1933, issue
LEAVING THE NEST While dredges grappled with her sister ships twisted girders and soaked fabric in the watery Atlantic grave off Barnegat Light, the Macon took to the air. The front cover presents the new queen of the skies as she appeared before being “walked” from the huge Akron air dock for the first trial […]
- Physics
Soap Bubbles in Space
While aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Don Pettit took some time off to experiment with soap bubbles and films. This NASA Web page presents the surprising and startling results of his soapy ventures in a zero-g environment. Go to: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/25feb_nosoap.htm
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19317
This article speaks of a very interesting phenomenon that makes the cloning of primates seemingly impossible. Perhaps the nature of our DNA will resist our attempts to clone it because it was never meant to be cloned. Mark WeilnauSt. Louis, Mo. The article notes that it is “almost impossible to clone a person by using […]
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19239
This article says that the alpha decay of bismuth-209 was not listed in any reference table. As much as I hate to disagree, the “Chart of the Nuclides,” 12th edition revised to April 1977, by Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory for Naval Reactors, USDOE, that I have hanging on my wall lists the half-life of bismuth-209 […]
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19238
“Sensing a Vibe: Seismic-alert system could give Los Angeles a few seconds’ warning” (SN: 5/3/03, p. 276: Sensing a Vibe: Seismic-alert system could give Los Angeles a few seconds’ warning) says that the S waves travel at about one-half the speed of the P waves. Then, in this article, it would appear that the P […]
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19237
This article presumes that immanent-justice judgments are irrational. However, poor self-image and other psychosomatic stressors are already suspected of suppressing immunity. Many suspect that momentary emotional flare-ups precede cold and flu symptoms by a couple of days. An elaborate series of experiments might determine whether guilt over past crimes (or crime-motivating rage) made wrongdoers more […]
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19316
The surprising statistic that teenage calorie consumption has remained stable while obesity has burgeoned and that physical activity among this group has fallen sharply may well suggest a cause and effect, but such a conclusion is premature and untested, at best. I wonder whether closer analysis of food intake would demonstrate an overall shift away […]
