THE STATE OF CITIES
GIVEN THAT YOU’RE an Earthling, the probability is better than half that you live in an urban area. In the United States, this increases to 80 percent. So it’s most … Continue reading
WE’RE THE HIGH-ENERGY APES
“WE MAY NOT be raring to go on a Monday morning, but humans are the Energizer Bunnies of the primate world.” This wonderful opening line by Ann Gibbons in AAAS … Continue reading
ODD BEDFELLOWS: NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND IRAN
POLICY AIMED at reducing the world’s nuclear weapons has led to odd international liaisons. In particular, the U.S. Department of Energy is buying 32 tons of heavy water, D2O, from … Continue reading
ON GRAVITY CLOCKS
THE TERM “gravity clock” suggests sci-fi. In fact, though, it can be quite the traditional opposite. I learned about gravity clocks through a friend gifting me with the RM /Sotheby’s auction … Continue reading
WHALE CHAT
“CALL ME ‘MOBY-DICK.’ ” Melville didn’t begin his novel with these words, but the latest cetacean research may suggest he should have. Divers are recording and videoing sperm whales as … Continue reading
FACING UP TO IT
“DID HE really say that??” Maybe yes, maybe no. Facial video manipulation is technically fascinating, potentially beneficial and yet terrifying. The concept builds on human sensitivity to red, green and … Continue reading
GUILTY—OR INNOCENT—BY A HAIRSBREADTH
FORENSICS CAN BE used to prove guilt—or innocence. Studies of tobacco ash and “footsteps” enhanced the reputation of Sherlock Holmes in the late 19th century. For example, his Upon the … Continue reading
EULER’S ELEGANCE
IN A SEARCH for elegance in mathematics, look no further than Euler’s Formula, e i π = -1. This equation takes three perhaps obscure mathematical constants, e, i and π, … Continue reading
ARE SURVEYS LEGIT?
THE PHRASE “According to a Pew Survey…” typically instills confidence in the conclusions that follow. However, two ex-Pew researchers have reported on controversial analyses suggesting that some broad-range surveys may … Continue reading
CHAOTIC PENDULUMS
A SIMPLE PENDULUM’s measured behavior is a marvelous thing. A clock with one doesn’t need batteries. It doesn’t need a plug. There’s no solar panel or other wizardry. All pendulums, … Continue reading
