Science World articles from May 2005

Science World archives from May 2005

Glare be gone.(PHYSICAL/LIGHT)(DIsney Hall, Los Angeles, California)
May 9, 2005... A stylish new building is heating up the streets of Los Angeles, California. Architect Frank Gehry designed the city's eye-catching Disney Hall with giant, curved stainless-steel surfaces. The problem? Parts of these surfaces are coated with a...

Bug blocker.(LIFE/HUMAN BODY)(mosquitoes)
May 9, 2005... Every camping group seems to have one person who mosquitoes don't bite. Why? Researcher James Logan says it's because the person stinks--at least to the bloodsuckers. Logan, a scientist at England's Rothamsted Research, collected...

Comet collision!(GRAPH IT/SPACE)
May 9, 2005... This Fourth of July, one exploding attraction will truly be out of this world. On that day, NASA scientists will smash a device into a comet, or a celestial body made of ice, rock, and dust that circles the sun. Last January, the device...

Snappy eater.(LIFE/NERVOUS SYSTEM)
May 9, 2005... Speed eaters of the world have a new champion: star-nosed moles. The moles can find and gobble up 10 items of food in just 2.3 seconds. Vanderbilt University biologist Kenneth Catania and a colleague discovered this unrivaled feeding frenzy...

Paper, yum!(TECHNOLOGY/INVENTIONS)(edible paper)
May 9, 2005... Besides serving top-notch cuisine, Chicago's Moto restaurant dishes out edible photographs of food--flavored to taste like the real deal. To create the flavorful photos, Homaro Cantu, a technology-savvy chef, feeds edible paper made of...

It's not easy being green: some frogs employ special tactics for desert survival.(LIFE: ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS)
May 9, 2005... DID YOU KNOW? * As a wiping frog uses its feet to massage its body, the stimulation produces a nerve reflex that causes muscle cells to contract around glands in the skin. This triggers special glands to produce a protective wax. *...

Hands-on science (no lab required).(amphibians)
May 9, 2005... After reading "It's Not Easy Being Green" (p. 8), complete this activity to learn more about how desert amphibians conserve water. PREDICT Which material do you predict will absorb, or soak up, the most water: sponge, Styrofoam, or...

Feathery find: scientists unearth evidence that some dinosaurs sported feathers.(EARTH: FOSSILS)
May 9, 2005... DID YOU KNOW? * In early 2005, fossil hunters in China uncovered the preserved remains of a tiny dinosaur inside the belly of a fossilized mammal. Before this find, scientists thought it was unlikely that mammals could attack and eat a...

Newton's guide to putt-putt: discover how physics can help you sink golf putts like a professional.(PHYSICAL: FORCES AND MOTION)
May 9, 2005... DID YOU KNOW? * In 1927, Garnet Carter patented the first miniature golf game, which he called "Tom Thumb Golf." He hoped his mini-golf course, located on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee, would attract people to his neighboring hotel and its...

The brain link: researchers have discovered an amazing connection between how the brain is involved in obesity and drug addiction.(Two Teen Health Dangers: Obesity & Drug Addiction)
May 9, 2005... Dear Teacher: As someone who sees adolescents every day, you are no doubt concerned that the number of teens battling health-threatening weight problems is growing. What you may not realize is that NIDA researchers are discovering...

National parks nature lab: hike, paddle, and camp your way through nature's best laboratories: America's national parks.(EARTH: NATIONAL PARKS)
May 9, 2005... DID YOU KNOW? * By 1975, grizzly bears inhabited less than 2 percent of their original range and thus were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. * Adult male elk sport antlers that can reach a span of 1.5...

Mud dip.(GROSS OUT)(skin)
May 9, 2005... Last February, crowds that were dressed like cave dwellers covered themselves with a layer of slimy mud, and then paraded down the streets of Jabaquara for Brazil's annual "mud carnival." To don the earthy coating, paraders jump into a...

Explain this!(Activities & Oddities)(surfboard record)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Mini surfers? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last March, 47 average-size people in Snapper Rocks, Australia, rode the waves aboard the world's longest surfboard. This 12 meter (40 foot)-long board took creator Nev Hyman one month to construct....

Tease your brain.(Activities & Oddities)(geometry)
May 9, 2005... How many rectangles are there in this figure? NOTE: A square is also considered as rectangle. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 36 rectangles. To find the answer, it is helpful to classify the rectangles by the number of sub-rectangles they...

Science news.(CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... DIRECTIONS: Read the Science News section on pages 4 to 6. Then, test your knowledge by filling in the letter of the correct answer below. 1. The Disney Hall in Los Angeles is heating up neighboring streets and apartments because some of...