Science World articles from May 2003

Science World archives from May 2003

One ringy dingy ... (Freeze Frame).
May 9, 2003... Indian telecom giant Shyam Telelink has dispatched 200 roving public phones in parts of remote Rajasthan that had no phone service. Now, making a call is as easy as hailing a camel. The phones use digital wireless technology: Microchips turn...

Most distant planet: found. (Space/Planet Hunting).
May 9, 2003... OGLE-TR-56b is the most distant planet ever seen by astronomers. They say the gas giant--like our solar system's Jupiter--is circling a star 5,000 light-years away from Earth. But unlike Jupiter, which has a surface temperature of...

Strange birds. (Life/Cellular Development).
May 9, 2003... What are a quck and a duail? Try a duck with a quail's beak and a quail with a duck's bill. So why would researchers at the University of California at San Francisco swap the beaks of embryonic (unhatched) ducks and quails? "We're trying to...

End of Eden? (Environment/Wetlands).
May 9, 2003... One legacy of Iraq's recent war-torn history could be the destruction of the country's precious marshlands. For thousands of years, at the confluence (meeting point) of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a vast network of freshwater lakes,...

Mystery killer. (Health Alert/Viruses).
May 9, 2003... In February, when a businessman died of a mysterious illness in Hanoi, Vietnam, doctors assumed it was pneumonia. (The first case was actually recorded last November.) By early April, the disease had a name all its own: SARS, or Severe Acute...

The plight of the turtle. (Life science: conservation/ecology)(Cover Story).
May 9, 2003... VITAL STATS: Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) Average weight: 499 kilograms (1,100 pounds) Average length: 1.8 meters (6 feet) Life span: About 50 years Diet: Mainly jellyfish Habitat: Leatherbacks are highly migratory...

Surf vs. sand: U.S. beaches are washing out to sea. Can engineers save the shore without ruining the waves? (Earth: beaches/erosion).
May 9, 2003... Surfing buffs have a word for the perfect wave--"tubular." A wave curls into a tube and surfers ride inside it toward shore. But the endless pounding of surf can really grind down a beach. "About 86 percent of U.S. shoreline is eroding...

Name that element! This element rules the computer age. You'll find it in most of Earth's soil, sand, and rocks--not to mention everything from PC chips to hairspray. What is it? Grab a periodic table and follow these eight clues to find out. Then turn the page to test your chem IQ. (Physical Science Chemistry).
May 9, 2003... CLUE 1 ROCK ON Pop stars like Britney Spears use this mystery element to rock an audience. Mini microphones in recording equipment and headsets use quartz--the element's mineral form--to convert sound waves into electrical signals....

It's your choice.
May 9, 2003... After reading the feature articles in this issue--"The Plight of the Turtle," "Surf vs. Sand," and "Sandcastle Physics"--choose the correct answer to each question. 1 People harvest turtle eggs mainly as a A. decorative object. B....

Sandcastle physics: discover the forces that make for perfect beach digs. (Earth/physical: sand/surface tension).
May 9, 2003... Building a sandcastle involves nothing but sand, water, and your imagination--or does it? The physics behind what makes sandcastles stand certainly intrigues NASA. The agency has sent samples of sand aboard spacecraft on three missions to study...

Super-Species contest winners: where on Earth will you find these 10 outrageous creatures? In the imaginations of Science World readers! They're the winners of our "Design Your Own Super-Species" contest.
May 9, 2003... In January, we invited students in grades 6 through 10 to combine traits from up to three existing animals to design one ultimate species. Thousands of drawings and essays poured in, and our team of 25 judges had a mind-boggling time narrowing...

Explain this! (Activities & Oddities).
May 9, 2003... What's happening to this shark? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How do you give a tiger shark a physical check-up? Last October, aquarists at the Virginia Marine Science Museum--geared in scuba wear--held screens in front of to guide the fierce...

Tease your brain. (Activities & Oddities).
May 9, 2003... Here are 36 squares. Place 12 dots on the grid (one only per square) so that each of the six columns, six rows, and two diagonals contains exactly two dots. Try to come up with three different solutions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Science in the news quiz.
May 9, 2003... DIRECTIONS: Read the late-breaking news in our Science News section on page 4 to 7. Then test your knowledge by answering the questions below. Circle the correct letter. 1. Scientists think SARS might be caused by a. pneumonia. ...