Science World articles from December 2005

Science World archives from December 2005

Over the edge.(Grand Canyon)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Starting in January, visitors will line up to step off the edge of Arizona's Grand Canyon. But a new glass-bottomed platform will ensure that sightseers won't plummet 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) to the canyon floor below. The newly built...

Sound off.(portable music players )(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... The popularity of portable music players is booming. Doctors say that could be leading to an increase in hearing loss. The problem? Many of today's players can store loads of songs--allowing you to listen for hours. Also, headphones let you...

Wait a second!(Earth's rotation)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... New Year's 2006 will have to wait. An extra second--called a leap second--will be added to the last day of 2005. For thousands of years, people have defined time by Earth's rotation on its axis: A complete rotation around this imaginary...

Pet power.(hamster charges battery)
December 12, 2005... Every night, Peter Ash's pet hamster scurries on its exercise wheel for hours. So the inventive 16-year-old thought: Why not use the energy from this nightly run to charge his cell phone battery. Peter linked his pet's whirling wheel to a...

Painless prescription.(Exubera)
December 12, 2005... Cringe at the thought of getting a shot? Many people with the disease diabetes suffer through several shots a day. But a new drug could provide an alternative to the painful injections. The drug, called Exubera, is a powdered form of the...

Alien invasion.(Spinochordodes tellinii)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Truth is sometimes stranger than science fiction. One example: French scientists discovered that a tiny worm can brainwash a cricket into taking a deadly swim. The hairworm, or Spinochordodes tellinii (SPIN-no-cor-DOH-dis TELL-ee-nee), is...

Crash course? Scientists wonder if a space rock could destroy life on Earth.
December 12, 2005... On July 16, 1994, astronomers around the world turned their telescopes toward Jupiter to witness an extraordinary event. A group of icy objects known as the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet hurtled toward the giant planet at a speed of 60 kilometers (37...

The fight of his life: boxing Great Muhammad Ali battles Parkinson's disease.(Cover Story)
December 12, 2005... His feet moved with a dancer's grace, while his arms sent punches flying at lightning-fast speed. Throughout the 1960s and the mid1970s, Muhammad Ali's dynamic boxing style and larger-than-life personality mesmerized the world. "To win a fight...

Digging deep: scientists drill into the planet to catch earthquakes in action.
December 12, 2005... In a quest to spy on earthquakes, researchers working on the National Science Foundation's EarthScope project have spent two years boring a hole far below Earth's surface. The hole--measuring 21.6 centimeters (8.5 inches) wide--extends nearly 4...

Speed skating: a high-powered machine lets racers rest their legs while they soar on skates.(SkootaSkate)
December 12, 2005... Engineer Jorg Kahlert zips into a padded leather bodysuit. He straps on a helmet and goggles, dons elbow and knee pads, and pulls gloves onto his hands. Seconds later, the need for serious safety equipment is clear: Rolling on only the small...

Hands-on science (no lab required).(energy conversion in rubber band )
December 12, 2005... After reading "Speed Skating" (p. 18), try this activity to learn how stored energy converts to energy of motion. PREDICT Would a thicker or a thinner rubber band store more energy? MATERIALS 18 oz. empty oatmeal can * 1...

Poison vapors: the truth about inhalants: inhalants can cause harm to the whole body, including long-lasting damage to the brain, physical disabilities, and even death.(HEADS UP REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY)
December 12, 2005... WHAT IS AN INHALANT? Inhalants are toxic--that is, poisonous chemical vapors that can be misused to produce mind-altering effects, often with disastrous results. These harmful vapors can be found in a variety of common household and...

Lopsided?(additional appendages )
December 12, 2005... Looks like this calf may have a leg up on its bovine pals. When it was born in 2003 in Cambodia, its owner was shocked to find an extra set of legs hanging from the calf's neck. Fearing the oddity would bring him bad luck, the farmer donated...

Walking satellite?(EXPLAIN THIS!)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANSWERS This enormous blue bowl didn't sprout legs. Last summer, a woman in Anhui province in southeast China carried a satellite dish on her back. Her hope: The device could receive television signals that...

Tease your brain.(Activities & Oddities)
December 12, 2005... Can you trace a continuous route that covers every part of the figure so that the bug ends up at the far end of the line? The route can't ever cross over itself.

Science news.(CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING)
December 12, 2005... DIRECTIONS: Read the Science News section on pages 4 to 7. Then, test your knowledge by filling in the letter of the correct answer below. 1. Which of the following statements about the Grand Canyon is FALSE? (A) It began to form more...

Punch out Parkinson's disease.(vocabulary builder)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Directions: First, read "The Fight of His Life" (p. 12). Then, solve the clues below to complete this crossword puzzle. To spell out the bonus words, unscramble the letters in parentheses. Across 1. Chemical messenger that transmits...

Rumble.(GRAPHING AND CHART-READING SKILLS)
December 12, 2005... In "Digging Deep" (p. 16), you learned that scientists use the Richter scale to describe the amount of energy released during an earthquake. The scale starts at 1 and grows by powers of 10. That means an earthquake registering 2 on the scale...

Inhalants: a looming threat for all teens.
December 12, 2005... Dear Teacher: I have an important warning to share with you. Some of the most dangerous substances abused by your students may be found in the home--and even in schools. As a group, these toxic substances are referred to as inhalants. They...