Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. 19079

    It’s always risky to assert that a particular study has never been conducted. The research may have been done and, worse, the researcher may come across the assertion. This article claims, “Long-term studies of tough boys have yet to be conducted.” In 1987, we reported a 9-year follow-up of 25 boys (Contributions to Human Development […]

  2. From the January 18, 1930, issue

    HUGE SHOVEL CAN LIFT CAR OF COAL The largest shovel in the world, with a scoop big enough to pick up an automobile, is the subject of our cover illustration. It is in use at the Fidelity mine of the United Electric Coal Co., near DuQuon, Ill., the greatest coal-stripping enterprise in the world. Electrically […]

  3. Computing

    Scouring the Web

    Looking for the perfect Web search engine? It probably doesn’t exist, but you can find out the strengths, weaknesses, and quirks of various Net-scouring tools at the “Search Engine Showdown” Web site, maintained by Montana State University librarian Greg R. Notess. Check out the inconsistencies report and sample tips for efficient searching. Go to: http://www.notess.com/search/

  4. 19076

    Regarding this article, as planes fly low over the bay to land at San Francisco airport, wing vortices frequently bend down and become twin waterspouts that last up to 20 seconds. Dave GrossmanPalo Alto, Calif.

  5. From the June 18, 1932, issue

    MUDDY MISSISSIPPI YIELDS PEARLS THAT RIVAL ORIENT’S Pearls we usually picture as coming up from limpid greenish tropical sea depths, in the fingers (or perhaps the mouth) of a swimming brown-skinned native. It seems a bit of a comedown to think of pearls coming out of the prosaic waters of the muddy Mississippi–and as a […]

  6. Physics

    Super Conductors

    Materials that conduct electricity without resistance are known as superconductors. Explore the basic physics and potential applications of these fascinating materials at the American Physical Society’s Physics Central Web site. Go to: http://www.physicscentral.com/action/action-01-3.html

  7. 19016

    I was intrigued by your article for a couple of reasons. Isn’t this what Steven J. Gould said, that evolution is punctuated by environmental stresses that can bring about adapt-or-die changes rapidly? Also, what are the implications for the geneticists who base their mitochondrial DNA dating techniques on what they consider a fairly constant rate […]

  8. 19075

    While applauding the work on infant recognition of numbers and arithmetic, it seems prudent that allowance be made for clues in the environment. For example, Arabic numbers themselves contain numbers of end points that can be used to count that many items. I personally used that method in kindergarten when we were made to stop […]

  9. 19015

    I read this article with interest. In view of your previous story noting no statistical difference in effects on bipolar disorder among lithium, valproate, and placebo (“Extended test for bipolar drug,” SN: 5/27/00, p. 351), the real mystery is why the psychiatric profession is still depending on lithium. T. Everett MobleyKennett, Mo.

  10. 19014

    In this article, you state that magnesium sulfate has been shown to be effective in treating eclampsia. It also has been studied and apparently is effective in stopping some brain damage from stroke. I am wondering why the cost and availability of this drug is such a problem for poor countries. The last I checked, […]

  11. From the January 11, 1930, issue

    THOMAS H. MORGAN GIVEN NEW HONOR The American Association for the Advancement of Science has chosen Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan to succeed the eminent physicist Dr. Robert Andrews Millikan as president. To many the name of Thomas Hunt Morgan is synonymous with the modern theory of the gene as the determining factor in heredity. Upon […]

  12. Eclipse Patrol

    The first lunar eclipse of the year 2000 will be visible from North and South America on the evening of Jan. 20. Fred Espenak’s eclipse home page at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Web site provides a complete guide to upcoming eclipses of the sun and moon. Go to: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html