More Stories from the August 14, 2010 issue
- Life
Science leaps forward with Calaveras County frog jump
Biologists test the pros of amphibian athletics.
- Earth
New ‘walking’ fishes discovered in Gulf oil-spill zone
Pancake batfishes may be getting oiled before they get named.
- Paleontology
Apes and Old World monkeys may have split later than thought
A 29- to 28-million-year-old primate fossil found in Saudi Arabia assists scientists in timing a major evolutionary transition.
- Chemistry
Smelling the menu
Mouse breath triggers special cells in the nose that help send a safe-to-eat message.
- Health & Medicine
Genetics may underlie some kidney failure in blacks
Gene variants that offer protection against African sleeping sickness may also put carriers at renal risk, a new study finds.
- Life
Animal sperm arose once
A gene governing production of male reproductive cells goes back to a common ancestor that lived about 600 million years ago, a study finds.
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- Life
Stuck in the past
Reprogrammed stem cells retain molecular memories of their former identities, two new studies show.
- Health & Medicine
Gel shows promise against HIV
Scientists have developed the first topical treatment that can prevent HIV infection among women.
- Health & Medicine
Taking some of the doubt out of IVF
Testing shows that a complex array of factors can be used to calculate the probability of in vitro fertilization success better than just using woman’s age as a guidepost.
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- Health & Medicine
Separating wheat from chaff in celiac disease
Three partial proteins may trigger the T cell immune reactions that cause the symptoms of this intestinal ailment, new research shows.
- Planetary Science
Hole from on high
Researchers discover a fresh meteorite impact crater using Google Earth.
- Particle Physics
New data suggest a lighter Higgs
Fermilab results heat up the race for an elusive particle.
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- Materials Science
Erasing wrinkles, the physicists’ way
Researchers study how folds and other creases disappear.
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Among stars, heavyweight champ
Stellar record-holder weighs in at 265 times mass of sun.
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Science Future for August 14, 2010
September 12 – 13 A conference in Chicago focuses on the links between epilepsy and depression. See www.epilepsyanddepressivedisorders.com September 15 The 2010 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge entry deadline. Go to www.nsf.gov/news/scivis October 4 – 8Planetary scientists meet in Pasadena, Calif. See dps.aas.org/meetings/2010
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The Nesting Season: Cuckoos, Cuckolds, and the Invention of Monogamy by Bernd Heinrich
A naturalist explores how birds find a mate and what this process says — and what it doesn’t say — about human relationships. Belknap Press, 2010, 404 p., $29.95. THE NESTING SEASON
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Whatever music is, it’s a basic part of being human
Music perception researcher Ian Cross ponders music's nature and significance.
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Not just a pleasant sound
When people use music to share stories, comfort peers or worship gods, it takes on new meaning. Music’s roles vary depending on time and place. Bonding: Battle hymns, national anthems and alma maters unite people for a common cause and make them feel that they are a part of something larger. Marching bands (shown), for […]
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More than a feeling
Emotionally evocative, yes, but music goes much deeper.
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Moody tunes
To explore the effect that music has on the mind, Science News asked researchers to share a song they enjoy and the emotion it evokes. Ethan Ross, physicianSong: “Dark Star” by the Grateful Dead Emotion: “Elation, euphoria and wonder.” Virginia Naples, vertebrate paleontologist Song: “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot Emotion: “Sadness […]
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Your brain on music
Music lights up almost every area of the brain, which shouldn’t be a surprise since it makes people tap their feet, encourages the recollection of vivid memories and has the potential to lighten the mood. Around the outside 1. Prefrontal cortex: This brain region plays a role in the creation, satisfaction and violation of expectations. […]
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Songs from the Stone Age
No one knows for sure whether music played a key role in human evolution or came about as a kind of ear candy. But there are several scientifically inspired proposals for the origins of music, some included below. Da ya think I’m sexy? Charles Darwin, an avid music fan, suggested in 1871 that humans’ tunes […]
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Evidence of ancient roots
Though early hominids may have made sweet sounds by banging sticks and stones together, the oldest distinguishable instrument dates to 40,000 years ago. A flute made from vulture bone (shown) and others made from mammoth ivory have been found in Hohle Fels cave near Ulm, Germany, and date from 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. Holes […]
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Music of the hemispheres
Playing instruments gives brains a boost.
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Take two stanzas and call me in the morning
From poets to politicians, people have long described music as medicine for the heart and soul. Now scientists are taking a literal look at such musings, investigating music as a means to alleviate pain and enhance recovery. Though some studies are still in the early stages, your favorite soundtrack may one day accompany a prescription. […]
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Special Music Issue : PDF Download page
All files are saved as PDFs. Please download Adobe’s Acrobat Reader to view these files. Music Special : Complete PackagePDF (1.8 MB) Birth of the beat (Bruce Bower) / Seeking a definition (Elizabeth Quill)/ Not just a pleasant sound (Elizabeth Quill) PDF (797 KB) More than a feeling (Susan Gaidos)/ Moody Tunes (Science News Staff)/ […]
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A mind for music
Infancy’s Symphony | Photo by Carey Wolinsky Read features from the special edition Articles in A mind for music. | Go Download a PDF of the special edition Exclusive for Science News subscribers.Download Download PDF | Subscribe There are very few activities for which your birthday suit and a three-piece suit are equally appropriate attire. […]
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Birth of the beat
Music’s roots may lie in melodic exchanges between mothers and babies.
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Seeking a definition
Pitch is determined by a sound’s frequency. Notes that sit in different positions on a musical scale, called tones, have different pitches. Modern Western music, for example, combines 12 tones, with the A at the middle of a piano keyboard having a frequency of 440 hertz. Other cultures work with fewer tones. The first few […]
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Letters
Time’s arrow I’ve enjoyed reading Science News since I was a kid; thanks very much for producing such a fine periodical! This is the first time I’ve felt compelled to write to you about an article you’ve published: “Law and disorder” (SN: 6/19/10, p. 26). I can’t help but feel that the time theory that […]
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Science Past | FROM THE ISSUE OF AUGUST 13, 1960
SCIENTISTS CALCULATE HOW MAN MAY FLY LIKE BIRD — Man may some day be able to fly by flapping a set of artificial wings, two Chilean scientists assert…. A 154-pound man equipped with 66 pounds of flight accessories would need wings about 10 feet long with a flight surface of 60 square feet. To maintain […]
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Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the Search for Other Earths by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein
A look at exoplanet hunting based on one astronomer’s life and work. Aimed at young adults. PLANET HUNTER Boyds Mills Press, 2010, 48 p., $17.95.
