Science World articles from March 2007

Science World archives from March 2007

Submerged sniffer.(Vanderbilt University's Kenneth Catania)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... The fleshy pink snout on a star-nosed mole does more than turn heads. Its nose enables the mole to smell on land and underwater--something no other mammal is known to do. Kenneth Catania, a biologist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee,...

Bungee backpack.(University of Pennsylvania's Lawrence Rome develops new backpacks)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Lugging textbooks can be a pain. But a new backpack suspended from stretchy bands promises to lighten the load. When people wear traditional backpacks, the rise and fall of their footsteps causes their bags to jostle up and down. This...

Trash pileup.(space debris)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Over the years, space missions have left behind 10,000 objects 10 centimeters (4 inches) wide or larger--spent rockets, a camera, even a toothbrush--orbiting our planet. The only way to take out this trash is to wait for the debris to slow in...

Happy feet.(penguin feet)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Sore feet won't slow down the little penguins (Eudyptula minor) that are on display to the public at New Zealand's International Antarctic Centre. In the wild, the birds spend most of their time in the water. But these captive penguins do a lot...

Cave carvers.(microorganisms)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Scientists have found that deep-dwelling microorganisms play a major role in carving out the caves where they live. Jenn Macalady, a cave microbiologist at Pennsylvania State University, and a team of spelunking scientists, examined communities...

Time-saver.(daylight saving time)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... This year, daylight saving time will start three weeks earlier and end one week later than usual. During daylight saving time, people in most states will "spring" clocks forward by an hour. This causes the sun to set later, giving people...

Tigers' last stand: could a radical plan save the world's wild tigers from extinction? The debate roars on.(Cover story)
March 12, 2007... It is a desperate time for the world's tigers. These majestic cats were once plentiful throughout eastern and southern Asia Now, wild tigers live only in small pockets of India, China, eastern Russia, and a few other countries (see map, right)....

The case of the sticky painting: a fine-arts conservator uses detective work to remove gum from a museum painting.(Physical: Mixtures and Solutions)
March 12, 2007... A blob of paint here and a burst of color there, abstract art may be difficult for some people to appreciate. Last year, a 12-year-old visitor to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) left his mark by sticking a wad of gum on one of the museum's...

Stress and drug abuse.(HEADS UP REAL NEWS ABOUT DRUGS AND YOUR BODY)
March 12, 2007... Myth vs. Reality Myth 1: Drug abuse is harmful, but it does relieve stress. Reality: Some drugs of abuse affect your brain the same way stress does. Long-term abuse of drugs makes users more sensitive to everyday stress than non-users....

Water world: how kids are helping to solve the world's water shortage.(Earth: Freshwater resources)
March 12, 2007... In the dusty yard outside their school, children cling to a new red, green, and yellow merry-go-round as it spins round and round. The younger kids laugh and hang on tight as an older boy runs to give the wheel another push. It may sound like a...

Squirmy hitchhikers.(GROSS OUT)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... This solitary bee (Habropoda pallida) may look like it is being eaten alive, but it's actually just giving these blister beetle larvae a lift. These young beetles (Meloe franciscanus) need lots of nutrients to help them mature into healthy...

Explain this!(You Can Do It)(elephants' diet)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Elephant Trunk? ANSWERS Last January, this baby elephant at Germany's Zoo Dresden chowed down on some holiday leftovers a Christmas tree Elephants are herbivores. Adult elephants can eat about 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of vegetation...

Tease your brain.(YOU CAN DO IT)
March 12, 2007... Which of the figures above is a rotated version of the original shape? ANSWERS figure D

Science News.(check for understanding)(Brief article)
March 12, 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. Which of the following statements about the star-nosed mole is FALSE? (A) It is a...

Water supply.(chart-reading skills)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... As you read in "Water World" (p. 18), many people around the world do not have easy access to safe drinking water. Complete this activity to learn more. Part A: Graph It On a separate piece of paper, create the following graphs: ...

Dear Teacher.(Heads Up: Real news about drugs and your body)
March 12, 2007... As a teacher you sec students under stress every day--from pressures of over-scheduling to worries about how to fit in. This month's Heads Up article from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Scholastic provides students with information to...

What do you know about stress and drug abuse?(Heads Up: Real news about drugs and your body)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Answer the questions below to find out what you know about stress and its connection to drug abuse. 1. Short-term physical responses to stress include: a. a faster heart rate. b. sweaty palms. c. a pounding head. d. tense...