Science World articles from December 2001

Science World archives from December 2001

Puke power. (Life News).(Brief Article)
December 10, 2001... Water, sugar, killer hornet vomit... The sports drink might make you gag. But for marathon runner Naoko Takahashi, the nauseating brew is the secret to her Olympic gold medals. In October, the Japanese athlete soared through the Berlin...

Older than Aerosmith. (Earth News).(ancient bristlecone pine)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2001... What's the oldest living thing on Earth? No, not Aerosmith--it's a 4,723-year-old bristlecone pine (Pinus called the Methuselah Tree. The ancient conifer (plant that reproduces by making cones) dwells in California's Inyo National Forest,...

Magnet man? (Physical News).(Brief Article)
December 10, 2001... What do you call a man with 36 kg (80 lbs) of metal plates, silverware, and knickknacks stuck to his body--without glue! People in his native Malaysia call him Mr. Magnet, mostly because his "attractive" body appears to exert a magnet-like...

Musical cows. (Short Takes).(increasing milk production)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2001... "Moo" over Limp Bizkit? Researchers at Great Britain's University of Leicester found that 1,000 Holstein cattle exposed to slow music (less than 100 beats per minute), such as Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, gave 3 percent more milk than those...

Denver clears the air. (Short Takes).(Brief Article)
December 10, 2001... Once deemed the most polluted city in the U.S., Denver has finally cleaned up its image. Last September, the Colorado capital became the first urban area to meet federal air-quality standards set by the 1990 Clean Air Act. That means its levels...

Excuse me ...: ... but acne, bad breath, and body odor are a normal part of life. Learn the science behind them, and get some help on how to cope. (Teen health issue: hygiene * microbes).
December 10, 2001... Zits Are Us Think acne comes from chowing french fries or chocolate? "Those are myths," says dermatologist (skin doctor) Marsha Gordon at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in N.Y. The real lowdown on zit science: During puberty, hormones...

What a gas!: Michael Jordan does it. So does Britney Spears. Everyone passes gas--on average 14 times a day! While the phenomenon (called flatulence) is often the butt of jokes, "farting" is as natural as taking a breath. (Teen health issue: digestive system * microbes).
December 10, 2001... "In fact, a lot of the air people pass from their behinds is from the air they swallow," says gastroenterologist (stomach and intestine doctor) Judy Sondheimer of the Denver Children's Hospital. You gulp in air when you eat too fast, swallow...

ScienceWorld[R]: body shop.(bionic body parts)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2001... Your body is an amazing combination of pumps, levers, filters, and electrical networks. No human has ever devised a machine as complex as your body. But scientists are hard at work designing and building replacement parts you may need one day....

What do you know about STDS? (Teen health issue: infectious diseases * microbes).(Statistical Data Included)
December 10, 2001... QUIZ Think you know the facts about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)? Test yourself with this true-or-false quiz. Then read the answers, right. 1. Most sexually active teens say they aren't worried about ...

Affiliation: join in: why we live in groups.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2001... HOW IS IT THAT OUR SPECIES HAS SURVIVED THOUSANDS OF YEARS LIVING IN A WILD AND HOSTILE WORLD? The answer is--we've used our brains. More specifically, we've used our brains to connect with other humans, to create a stronger, more adaptive, and...

Mood swings: fact or myth? An inescapable rite of teen life is riding an emotional roller coaster--euphoric one minute, despondent the next. Science World talked to Dr. Bruce Waslick, a child psychiatrist at Columbia University in New York City, to get to the truth about your moods. (Teen health issue: mutual health, emotions).(Interview)
December 10, 2001... Q: What are mood swings? Mood swings generally refer to rapidly changing emotional states: Commonly, mood swings vary from happiness to sadness, or from a feeling of contentment to one of irritability. Often, mood swings seem to occur...

Gross out? (You Can Do It).(body piercing)
December 10, 2001... What looks like a gruesome fishing accident is actually part of a traditional piercing ritual performed each year at the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand. Last October, several men drove an inch-thick steel fishing rod through this man's...

Take charge of your health!: activity and resource guide. (Teen Health Issue).
December 10, 2001... So how do you feel about the state of your mental and physical health? Here's a three-part assessment activity to help you evaluate your self-image. Answer the questions below. Then turn your findings into a set of goals! Part A: How are...

What a drag. (Tip Sheet).(effect of smoking on body)
December 10, 2001... It's a no-brainer to figure out that smoking cigarettes cause stinky breath. But nicotine, the primary addictive chemical in tobacco, is also the active ingredient in some pesticides. And a cigarette pumps more than 4,000 chemicals into your...

Human mechanic. (Hands-On Activity).
December 10, 2001... What does it take to build bionic body parts? Here's an activity to find out. Follow the steps below to devise a "bionic" arm that could lift a quarter from the floor to the height of your desk. The arm must work in the same way your bones and...