Science News

All Stories by Science News

  1. Letters

    Lowdown on Earth’s heat “Science Stats” (SN: 8/27/11, p. 4) understates the power Earth radiates into space and mistakenly suggests that Earth radiates more energy from internal sources than it receives from the sun. The total (44 trillion watts) shown in your diagram must represent only the minuscule percentage (about 0.02 percent) from internal energy […]

  2. SN Online

    ENVIRONMENT Plastics sloughed off clothing can pollute coastlines. See “Synthetic lint ends up in oceans.” G.D. Rak et al/PLoS Biology 2011 Arctic sea ice this year was near its smallest extent on record. Read “Summer Arctic melt among worst ever.” GENES & CELLS Natural killer cells are caught in the act of feeding poison pills […]

  3. Science Future for October 8, 2011

    October 16Comet Elenin comes its closest to Earth and may be visible with binoculars. See NASA’s FAQ at 1.usa.gov/oeX6hP October 31Deadline for middle schoolers to enter the Future City engineering competition. Learn more at www.futurecity.org October 18Get hands-on at the American Museum of Natural History’s Family Party in New York City. See amnh.org/familyparty

  4. Science Past from the issue of October 7, 1961

    CHEAPER WATER FROM SEA — Lower cost conversion of undrinkable sea or brackish water to potable fresh water will come closer to practicality through use of $75,000,000 appropriated by Congress for the next six years. Lowest cost achieved so far is one dollar per thousand gallons compared with the cost from ordinary sources of 30¢ […]

  5. The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World by David Deutsch

    A physicist explores the elaborate relationship between science and other realms of human endeavor, with a focus on physical, biological and social phenomena. Viking, 2011, 487 p., $30

  6. Brain Bugs: How the Brain’s Flaws Shape Our Lives by Dean Buonomano

    A neuroscientist gives an entertaining look into the brain’s hardware and software flaws and how they affect everyday life. W.W. Norton & Co., 2011, 310 p., $25.95

  7. The Exquisite Butterfly Companion: The Science and Beauty of 100 Butterflies by Hazel Davies

    This guide to 100 butterfly and moth species comes with a set of butterfly-shaped illustrations to use in craft projects. Sterling Signature, 2011, 88 p., $14.95

  8. Cosmos Close-up by Giles Sparrow

    A collection of astronomical images taken by telescopes and spacecraft of all kinds gives brief explanations of the science behind each highlighted object. Firefly Books, 2011, 320 p., $29.95

  9. The Sibling Effect: What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us by Jeffrey Kluger

    A review of recent research shows how siblings affect each other, covering topics such as birth order, blended families and parents who play favorites. Riverhead Books, 2011, 320 p., $26.95

  10. BOOK REVIEW: Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World by Emma Marris

    Review by Janet Raloff.

  11. BOOK REVIEW: Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance by Richard C. Francis

    Review by Tina Hesman Saey.

  12. Life

    Genes & Cells

    How nanotubes trigger a cell’s gag reflex, the skulking 1918 flu and more in this week’s news.