Science World articles from January 2007

Science World archives from January 2007

Teacher to teach.(teaching critical-thinking skills and integrate writing skills)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Tips for using Science World in the classroom To encourage critical-thinking skills and integrate writing across the curriculum, Adam Quandt, a science teacher at the Antilles School in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, suggests: After...

Science news.(CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING)
January 15, 2007... DIRECTIONS: Read the Science News section on pages 4 to 7. Then, test your knowledge by filling in the letters of the correct answers below. 1. Giant pandas eat as many as--kilograms of bamboo each day. (A) 15 (B) 27 (C) 38...

Panda perception.(LIFE/VISION)(bears can see in color)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... A giant panda's fur is black and white, but that's not true of its vision. Scientists have found that these bears can see in color. How do they know? Angela Kelling, a researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology, performed a test to...

Smashing discovery.(PHYSICAL/PERIODIC TABLE)(chemical element no. 118 has been discovered by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Joint Institute for Nuclear Research)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... The periodic table of Earth's elements may soon need an extra slot. A group of researchers claims to have created a brand-new element. Scientists from California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Joint Institute for Nuclear...

Blustery bolts.(EARTH/LIGHTNING)(thunderclouds)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Believe it or not, fiery-hot lightning has a chilly beginning. Scientists have found that clouds consisting of a mixture of tiny ice crystals and larger pellets of ice make the most lightning. For three years, Walt Petersen and his team at...

Sticky feet.(LIFE/ADAPTATIONS)(zebra tarantula spins silk from its feet)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Spider-Man may cast a web with a flick of his wrist. But this real-life spider can outsling the superhero: The zebra tarantula shoots silk from its feet--while climbing. Scientists have long known that a tarantula, like all spiders,...

Seen in a new light.(SPACE/PLANETS)(new rings of Saturn discovered)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Well-placed cameras and ideal lighting have revealed that Saturn has a few more rings than was previously believed. Scientists spotted the rings in images taken by the Cassini spacecraft. The ring-revealing photos were snapped when Saturn...

Stress buster.(PHYSICAL/WAVES)(new device developed by Purdue University and University of Toledo to detect stress fracture)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... From ballerinas to football players, athletes may ignore pain to avoid missing out on performances or game time. But those pains are often a sign of an impending stress fracture, or a crack that occurs in the bone because of repeated stress or...

One-wheeled wonder.(PHYSICAL: FORCES AND MOTION)(Kris Holm)
January 15, 2007... Perched atop his one-wheeled cycle, Kris Holm zigzags across the treacherous terrain of Mount Seymour in Vancouver, Canada. Sporting a helmet and protective pads, he rolls along the mountain's narrow rock ledges--constantly adjusting his body...

Battling a superbug: a teen athlete struggles to defeat killer germs.(LIFE: BACTERIA)(C.J. Jackson is infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
January 15, 2007... Fourteen-year-old C.J. Jackson never imagined that a red irritated spot on his leg could turn into a life-threatening disease. But two months after he first discovered what looked like a bug bite on his right knee, he was fighting for his life...

All that glitters: discover how rocks buried below the ground turn into the sparkling gold that coats shiny awards.(EARTH: MINERALS)
January 15, 2007... What do the Olympic Games, the Academy Awards, and soccer's World Cup have in common? The most-prized award for each event contains a sparkling element: gold (Au). But before gold can be added to a trophy or medal, mining engineers must...

A whale of a mystery: scientists investigate the puzzling death of an endangered sea creature.(LIFE: ANATOMY)
January 15, 2007... Sunday, September 3, 2006 NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) receives a phone call. The caller says a dead whale is drifting off the coast of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The CCG immediately sails to the reported site. Members of...

Fruit fight!(GROSS OUT)(grape fight at Mallorca island)
January 15, 2007... You may find it hard to believe, but these people are having a party! Last September, roughly 1,000 people gathered for a grape battle in the village of Binissalem on the Spanish island of Mallorca (may-YOR-ka). The fight is part of the annual...

Explain this!(YOU CAN DO IT)(different colors of lobster)
January 15, 2007... Half-Cooked? ANSWERS This lobster isn't half-cooked; it's just very rare. The odds of finding a lobster that is one-half green-brown and one-half orange-red are one in 100 million. Most lobsters have a greenish-brown exoskeleton,...

Tease your brain.(YOU CAN DO IT)
January 15, 2007... This structure is made up of four identical cubes, but you can only see three of them. The fourth cube is hidden in the bottom back corner. Imagine picking up the shape and examining it from all angles. How many different cube faces would you...