Science World articles from February 2005

Science World archives from February 2005

The Science that matters to you.
February 7, 2005... Welcome to Science World's Teen Issue. Here, you'll find an alphabetical assortment of articles that tackle the science behind the issues and activities that rule your teenage years. To kick off this issue, we polled 664 subscribers to find out...

Acid reflux.(Life)
February 7, 2005... Oops! When Ashlee Simpson appeared on Saturday Night Live last October, a technical glitch exposed a secret: The singer was using prerecorded vocal tracks--she was just singing along. Simpson's defense: A hoarse voice caused by acid reflux, or...

Bling, bling.(Earth)(diamond discovery in Montana)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Most diamonds come from countries other than the United States. But a recent discovery may one day provide some home-grown dazzlers. Last October, geologists with Delta Mining and Exploration Corporation spotted a microscopic diamond in a...

Cavity.(Physical)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Scared of your dentist's drill? Good news: A novel procedure can eliminate cavities--painlessly. A device called HealOzone bathes teeth with ozone--a molecule (particle of two or more atoms, the smallest units of an element, joined...

Dune tunes.(Physical)
February 7, 2005... Lon Beale climbs to the top of a towering sand dune. Then, he straps a board to his feet and leaps off the edge. His sandboard cuts into the dune, sending sand rushing down the slope. As the sand slips, a thunderous boom cracks from the dune....

Exercise.(Life)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... You've heard it before: Exercise is good for the body. Now, scientists have found that it's also good for the brain. Researcher Jennifer Weuve and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health wanted to know just how physical activity...

Flush.(Earth)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Soon, you may have new options in the bathroom. Dual-flush toilets, which let you select the size of your flush, are making a splash in the United States. The new tanks have two buttons: One--designed for lightweight waste like...

Gesundheit: a cat allergy is nothing to sneeze at. Find out what some scientists are doing to stop kitty-caused sniffles in their tracks.(Life)
February 7, 2005... Meow. To many people, that's the sound made by a cute, cuddly animal. But to the 10 percent of Americans with a cat allergy, it's the sound of an oncoming sneezing attack. That's because certain particles in a cat's hair, skin, saliva, and...

Hobby.(Life)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... If you're looking for something new to do in your spare time, choose your next hobby wisely. Scientists have found that certain pastimes translate into more than just fun and games. They may also affect your performance in school. Susan...

I love?(Life)(influence of marketing strategies on purchasing)
February 7, 2005... Every day, you're bombarded with brand names and ads for various products. Now, a recent study shows that your purchasing choices may be influenced more by marketing strategies than by the quality of the product. In a taste test, P. Read...

Junk.(Earth)(harmful effects of marine debris)
February 7, 2005... If you are like the average American, you toss out over 2 kilograms (4.5 pounds) of trash daily. Worst-case scenario: Instead of winding up in a landfill, that garbage may find its way into rivers and the oceans. Besides creating a massive...

Kitty.(Health)(using robotic animals)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... You can always count on a feline friend or Fido to brighten your day. Now it seems that even robotic pets can be mood lifters. Alexander and Elena Libin, both at Georgetown University and founders of CyberAnthropology Research, Inc., are...

Later.(Life)(procrastination research)
February 7, 2005... Last-minute habits, like letting your dirty laundry pile up, may be wired into your genes (units of hereditary material). To study procrastination, researcher Barry Richmond at the National Institute of Mental Health trained a group of...

Mom.(Health)(stickers informing mom about reckless teen drivers)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Sometimes it feels like your mom knows every bad thing you do--even when she isn't around. For reckless teen drivers, the sensation is real. Donna Graf, a mother in Tampa, Florida, created a Go-Get-Mom bumper-sticker program. Complete with...

Nearsightedness.(Physical)(correcting myopia)
February 7, 2005... If you squint to read the chalkboard from the back of the classroom, a new option may keep you from having a four-eyed future. With a novel surgical procedure, doctors can implant tiny lenses directly into a patient's eyes. The result?...

Obesity: battling a national health epidemic.(Life)
February 7, 2005... About 59 million Americans are suffering from a disease. This illness sneaks into peoples' lives, and it grows on them as they perform daily routines such as eating lunch. But once this disease takes hold of a body, it could put a person at...

Poetry.(Health)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Reciting poems could be heart-healthy. Physiologist (scientist who studies the body's vital functions) Dirk Cysarz from Germany's University of Witten monitored people's breathing as they recited Homer's rhythmic poem Iliad. The...

Quick quiz.(Earth)(weather forecasts)
February 7, 2005... You're taking a ski trip to Denver the next day. But what should you pack? Try your hand at meteorology, the study and prediction of weather to decide. Rumbling thunder, or even a snowstorm, results as air pockets with differing...

Rays.(Health)(effects of ultraviolet rays)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... If you're thinking of hitting the tanning salon, you may be out of luck. A new California law bans kids under 14 from getting "fake bakes." And in 27 states, teens need their parents' permission to tan indoors. Why do lawmakers care about...

Sproiiing!(Physical)(Flybar)
February 7, 2005... It's not your parents' pogo stick. It's called a Flybar, and this revamped cousin of the pogo was designed with extreme heights in mind. Designed by Andy MacDonald, an eight-time World Cup skateboarding champion, and Bruce Middleton, a...

Taste test.(Life)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... It took a team of taste testers to perfect the flavor mix in your favorite drink. These pros sometimes have to choke down unappetizing liquids in the quest for the ideal blend. Now, an artificial throat may help these testers avoid a bad...

Ughh!(Life)(cell phone conversation impact on listener)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... "Can you hear me? I'm on the train." Overhearing bits of cell-phone chatter can send many eyes rolling. Why is cellular banter so bothersome? To find out, Andrew Monk, a psychologist at England's York University, had two actors hold staged...

Venti.(Life)(research of caffeine use )
February 7, 2005... Banish your venti-sized coffee cup. Harvard scientists have found that ingesting tiny doses of caffeine (chemical found in coffee) throughout the day keeps you more alert than having one huge, a.m. java jolt. Why? Consider how caffeine...

Windy.(Earth)(wind energy usage)
February 7, 2005... Every time you leave the lights on in your bedroom, you're using energy. But if your power comes from wind energy, or energy generated by the motion of air, you could be changing the weather too. Wind energy accounts for roughly one half of...

X vs. Y.(Life)(brain research)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... It's no secret. Sometimes it can seem as though boys' and girls' brains are hardwired differently. One reason may be the way their brains are packed into their skulls, suggests a new study. A team of neuroscientists (brain scientists) from...

Yawn.(Life)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... "Just five more minutes of sleep," you moan. But new research shows that returning to slumber makes you groggier. When you sleep, your brain goes through sleep cycles (periods of light or heavy sleep). Dozing for only a few minutes cuts a...

Zero gravity.(Physical)
February 7, 2005... Last September, 16-year-old Seth Coleman sat cross-legged on the floor of a Boeing 727 as it climbed skyward. This wasn't a typical flight to visit relatives. Seth was aboard a Zero Gravity Corporation plane that lets space enthusiasts...

Weigh in.(Math/Chart-Reading Skills)
February 7, 2005... What's a healthy weight? To help determine if a person is under-or overweight, doctors use the body Mass Index (BMI). To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Divide the results by your height in inches...